To be independent in one's livelihood is Vedic culture

By: 

Compiled by Dama Ghosha Dasa (Seattle, USA)

The following are some important points that Srila Prabhupada makes about how a devotee or anyone for that matter who is a little intelligent should try to live in this material world. He explains that the Vedic culture was based upon INDEPENDENT LIVING which means one should not be dependent upon others constant "mercy" for one’s livelihood. Chanakya Pandit also explains in a similar way that if one is too dependent upon others’  "mercy" then it shortens the duration of one’s life. This means one becomes weaker and weaker by this method of so called living.

So this type of so called kali yuga living where everyone seems to be dependent upon so many others, cripples one’s innate strength and weakens one’s character because he or she has to beg for sustenance from others in order to live. (See quotes below)

Srila Prabhupada has given us the formula to eliminate this inherent weakness of this age. Everyone should grow their own food and depend upon Krishna and not kali yuga for his or her sustenance. .."Sarva kama duga mahih.."Everything one needs comes from mother earth. I am sure many who read this will get highly irritated thinking 'yeah right - I'm just going to pack it in and go live in the country somewhere'.

That is the real solution that Prabhupada gives and I have devoted several articles for this theme.  But a practical step towards that end is that one should figure out a way  to live in this world without begging from others. In others words, use our God given intelligence to figure out a way to live like a devotee, and be independent for the most part of the kali yuga rat race.  It can be done and thousands are doing it.

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Lecture,  June 17, 1972, Los Angeles                 

Service of the Lord is the completely purified use of the senses, as it is described in the Bhagavad-gita. The Lord imparted instructions with full senses, and Arjuna received them with full senses, and thus there was a perfect exchange of sensible and logical understanding between the master and the disciple.

Spiritual understand(ing) is nothing like an electrical charge from the master to the disciple as it is foolishly claimed by some propaganda-mongers. Everything is full of sense and logic, and the exchange of views between the master and the disciple is possible when the reception is submissive and real only. In the Chaitanya-charitamrita it is said that one should receive the teaching of Lord Chaitanya with intellect and full senses so that one can logically understand the great mission."

Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.19     Pure Devotional Service: The Change in Heart

sva-vid-varahostra-kharaih
samstutah purusah pasuh
na yat-karna-pathopeto
jatu nama gadagrajah

Men who are like dogs, hogs, camels and asses praise those men who never listen to the transcendental pastimes of Lord Sri Krishna, the deliverer from evils.

PURPORT

The general mass of people, unless they are trained systematically for a higher standard of life in spiritual values, are no better than animals, and in this verse they have particularly been put on the level of dogs, hogs, camels and asses. Modern university education practically prepares one to acquire a doggish mentality with which to accept the service of a greater master. After finishing a so-called education, the so-called educated persons move like dogs from door to door with applications for some service, and mostly they are driven away, informed of no vacancy. As dogs are negligible animals and serve the master faithfully for bits of bread, a man serves a master faithfully without sufficient rewards.

Lecture, June 13, 1972, Los Angeles                 

..." Why these four kinds of animals have been selected to compare? That is explained. Sva means dog. A dog, however powerful it may be, very strong, stout, but it, unless it has got a master, its life is very precarious. Dog. Just see our education at the present moment. Very advanced education. Many Indian students come here also to take advanced education. But actually, we consider this education creating dogs. Why? Now, because however technologist you may be, if you don't get a suitable service, all your education is finished.

Therefore, after education you'll have to write application, "My  dear sir, I am such and such qualified dog. (laughter) If you'll kindly give me some service." And the tail is like this. (laughter) You see? Just imagine. If by education he becomes independent ... Just like Vedic culture. The brahmanas, the kshatriyas, the vaishyas, they are independent. The shudras are compared with the dogs because they cannot live without a master. Brahmana, he will not accept anyone's service. That is real brahmana. A kshatriya will never accept anyone's service. Why the battle of Kurukshetra was there? The Kurus, they took away the whole kingdom of the Pandavas. But they were kshatriyas. How they will live? Therefore the fight was necessity. The kshatriyas must be, must have some land to collect taxes. That is the kshatriya’s source of income. The brahmana's source of income, pathana pathana yajana yajana ... They must be learned scholar, they must teach others, they must be devotee and teach others how to become devotee.

They must take contribution and must spend for Krishna. This is brahmana. No service. Formerly, no brahmana ... Sanatana Gosvami, Rupa Gosvami, they were born in high-class brahmana family, Sarasvata brahmana, but because they accepted the service of Nawab Hussein Shah, immediately they were rejected from brahmana society. It is by the grace of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu that they again became gosvami. Otherwise, they were rejected. No brahmana could take service and especially service of a low-class man. That is ... In Bhagavata you will see especially that if a brahmana is in difficulty, he may accept the profession of a kshatriya or utmost of a vaishya, but never take the profession of a shudra. What is the profession of shudra? Shudra ... Paricaryatmakam karyam sudra-karma svabhava-jam. One who is hankering after service, he is shudra. He has no capacity to live independently. The brahmana, real brahmana, he will starve, he will die out of starvation. He will never accept anyone's service. That is brahmana. Uncha-vrtti. If he has no income, he will go on the field

... And when the grains are taken away, some grains fall down. They will pick up all those grains and live on that. Still, they will not go to anyone that "I am hungry. Give me something." No. Uncha-vrtti. So our education ... And why we were so independent? Because the education was very high, Vedic education. Satisfied with Brahman realization. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma. Not very long ago, say about 300 years ago, there was a brahmana, a very rigid brahmana, in Krishna-nagara, near our Mayapura. And brahmana's business, he was teaching So the king of that place, means a big zamindar, Raja Krishnachandra ... By his name, that place is Krishna-nagara. So he heard about the brahmana, very learned brahmana, but very poor. So he one day came to him and asked him, "Brahmana, can I help you anyway?" So he said, "No, I don't require any help from you."

"No, I see you are so poverty-stricken. You have no sufficient means." "No, I am not poverty-stricken. My students, they get some alms of rice. So my wife boils the rice, and here is a tamarind tree. So I take some leaves and boil it, and that's sufficient. Why I am

poverty-stricken?" He's satisfied, whatever is coming automatically, that's all. He doesn't require any higher standard of life, any botheration. He is satisfied, little rice and tamarind juice. That's all. So in each and every home, formerly, this independence was very much valued. So at the modern education this independence is being killed. People are becoming unemployed, machine. Machine ... High technologist means he must find out a job where technological machines are there. Otherwise he will starve, and he will have to go round, factory to factory: "Will you give me some service?" "No vacancy." Yes. So we shall discuss further next, tomorrow. (end)

Lecture, June 14, 1972, Los Angeles                   

..The test should be... Public, general public, they may be like cats, dogs, hogs naturally because they have no sufficient education. Not they are expected to be highly educated, general mass of people. But if arrangement is made to give them chance of hearing Hare Krishna mantra, then they will be very big men, perfect men. That should be the policy of Krishna consciousness movement. We should accept the general mass of people no matter than dogs, hogs. It is in your country, "Dog is best friend." Because he is a dog. Therefore he has chosen a best friend dog. And cow, mother, giving milk and actually drinking--"Send her to the slaughterhouse." Just see. Is it not an animal, who is making friendship with dogs and sending mother to the slaughterhouse? What is your answer? This is my charge against your country. What is your answer?

Devotee: (indistinct)

Prabhupada: Yes. They are such foolish persons. They are making friendship with dog, which has no value except creating some offense. The dog's business is, you are not offender, still it will offend, "Gow! Gow! Gow!" (laughter) "Oh, I have not entered your house. Why you are barking?" No, it is his business. He will disturb you. He'll come. We have experience. Unnecessarily they come. At least, make a show of, to attack. That means offending. If... Suppose you are passing on the road, and if I come with a stick, "Why you have come here?" Is it not offense? All right, if I trespass in your house, you

can attack with me a stick. Or no, in your country one can kill. You see. Such a nice mentality. But men are also like that. They deserve to be killed. This is going on. So the animal society. You cannot believe a man, just like animal cannot believe another animal. This is... So it is very rightly written, sva-vid-varaha ustra khara. Sva-vid-varaha ustra-kharaih samstutah purusah pasuh.

Bhagavad-gita 4.22 Purport   Transcendental Knowledge          

A Krishna conscious person does not make much endeavor even to maintain his body. He is satisfied with gains which are obtained of their own accord. He neither begs nor borrows, but he labors honestly as far as is in his power, and is satisfied with whatever is obtained by his own honest labor. He is therefore independent in his livelihood. …

Bhagavad-gita 3.35 Translation   Karma-yoga                

It is far better to discharge one's prescribed duties, even though they may be faulty, than another's duties. Destruction in the course of performing one's own duty is better than engaging in another's duties, for to follow another's path is dangerous.

Srimad Bhagavatam  1.3.44 Purport  

Simple hearing is not all; one must realize the text with proper attention. The word nivista means that Suta Gosvami drank the juice of Bhagavatam through his ears. That is the real process of receiving Bhagavatam. One should hear with rapt attention from the real person, and then he can at once realize the presence of Lord Krishna in every page. The secret of knowing Bhagavatam is mentioned here. No one can give rapt attention who is not pure in mind. No one can be pure in mind who is not pure in action. No one can be pure in action who is not pure in eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. But somehow or other if someone hears with rapt attention from the right person, at the very beginning one can assuredly see Lord Sri Krishna in person in the pages of Bhagavatam.

"Not necessary always to be officially initiated"

70-05-14 Letter: Syamasundara
So if from your center the surrounding villages are drawn to the attention of Krsna consciousness simply by the distribution of Prasadam and chanting of Hare Krsna Mantra, it will be a great success. It is not necessary always to be officially initiated, but if they participate in the group chanting of Hare Krsna Mantra and taking of Prasadam weekly or daily as it is possible, that will fulfill our mission.

"Do Not Change My Words"

by Gauridasa Pandita Dasa

Srila Prabhupada used to like to sit in his garden in Vrindavan especially in the mornings. He liked to hear his books read to him daily. One time Yasodanandan Prabhu was reading Sri Isopanisad when Srila Prabhupada stopped him and asked him to reread the last paragraph. After hearing it again Srila Prabhupada said, “Those are not my words! They are changing my words! Is my English not good enough?” Srila Prabhupada became very angry and continued, “This is the worst thing a disciple can do! Do not become like a leap frog and try to jump over the spiritual master thinking you know better than him. Tell them immediately [the editors] do not change my words!”

Srila Prabhupada was very upset about the changes in his books. I never saw him get so angry any other time.

Srila Prabhupada: "The nonsense, they are correcting my translations. Rascal. The rascal editors, they are doing havoc. So you bring this to Satsvarupa. They cannot change anything … So on the whole, these dangerous things are going on. How to check it? It is very serious situation. You write one letter that “Why you have made so many changes?” And whom to write? Who will care? All rascals are there. Write to Satsvarupa that “This is the position. They are doing anything and everything at their whim.” The next printing should be again to the original way." (Conversation, “Rascal Editors” – June 22, 1977, Vrndavana)

Years before Srila Prabhupada said the same thing. "Don’t make addition, alteration. Then you become rascal. Immediately you become rascal. And many times they give me very great credit that I have done wonderful. Yes, I have done wonderful. But what is the reason? Because I am not a rascal. I speak what Krsna has spoken. That’s all. Very easy. Everyone can do that. Not only I. Any of you, you can do this. Simply speak what is…, what Krsna has said. That’s all. Don’t make addition, alteration. Then you become rascal. Immediately you become rascal.(Srimad-Bhagavatam Lecture 1.5.29 Vrndavana, August 10, 1974)


When Srila Prabhupada was asked by Revatinandan Prabhu if we could read Srila Bhaktisidhanta Sarasvati’s books; Srila Prabhupada said not the ones that were edited by his disciples. Srila Prabhupada also told him that we really couldn’t understand Bhaktisidhanta’s books. He said not even his Godbrothers could understand them. Then Srila Prabhupada said, ” actually, he wrote those books for me.” (Memories of Srila Prabhupada)

Srila Prabhupada translated the spiritual law books for the next 10,000 years, day and night, until his dying day. He translated constantly despite his busy preaching schedule. He did this to live on in the books. He said before he left the planet that he had given us everything in his books. He said the books were the manifestations of his ecstasy. He said if we read his books and cooperated together, every thing would go on nicely. To edit his books without his sanction is risky business. We should try to be absorbed in the ecstasy of the spiritual master and not try to alter it, thinking we can ‘improve upon’ his ecstasy.

Some of the reasons given to justify the modern day editing are that the new edition is closer to what Srila Prabhupada said on the original tapes. Srila Prabhupada lectured on many verses many times and never said to change them. He authorized about three changes, not the 800+- we have in the new Bhagavad Gita. We need Bhagavad Gita As It Was! There is a nicer vibration to the original Srila Prabhupada approved version. I’m sure more devotees would be inspired to distribute the original.

When a new book came out Srila Prabhupada would be in total bliss. I remember when he was so sick he could hardly sit up. When he heard that the new Srimad Bhagavatam had arrived and he asked to be propped up on his bed. He asked for his glasses and more light. As he marveled over the quality of the book and the excellent artwork tears came to his eyes. This gave him life.

Another time when Srila Prabhupada asked a devotee to read in the garden the devotee asked him why he liked to hear his own books so much. Srila Prabhupada said, “I did not write these books. Krishna wrote these books!”

When Srila Prabhupada came into the room and caught me reading the Srimad Bhagavatam, he smiled nicer than ever and told his secretary, “He’s reading in his spare time; this is very good!” I was surprised to see how happy Srila Prabhupada was because I was reading. Srila Prabhupada put everything into his books and we would be better off to accept them as is/was. They made so many devotees in the past and will in the future. They are tried and true!

Another important publication is the ‘Back To Godhead’ magazine. Srila Prabhupada said the BTG and Hari Nama Sankirtan are ‘the backbone of our movement.’ We need a mass distribution BTG. So many of us became devotees by getting a BTG one way or another. It should be cost effective say 25 to 50 cents so we can distribute it for a dollar or so. The old BTG’s are great. We could update the calendar and presto, the all-attractive ‘Back To Godhead!’

Srila Prabhupada said the disease of the Americans is that we want to change everything. Let’s get rid of this disease and maintain what Srila Prabhupada has worked so hard to give us; without adulteration or change.



Hoping this meets you well and Happy in Krsna Consciousness
Your eternal friend and servant
Gauridasa Pandita Dasa
\o/ HariboL \o/
Chant and be Happy!

The Bonafide Acarya can make changes to formalities.

Bhakta Mark – US: The Bonafide Acarya has the authority to make changes to formalities.

“Sriman Viraraghava Acarya, an acarya in the disciplic succession of the Ramanuja Sampradaya has remarked in his commentary that candalas, or conditioned souls who are born in lower than sudra families, can also be initiated according to circumstances. The formalities may be slightly changed here and there to make them Vaishnavas” (SB 4.8.54 purport)

Thus, for example, he can authorize a disciple to do things that would normally be considered impossible when compared to the precedent of the past, or when analyzed by mundane logic. But these changes are “not faulty according to Sastra”.

“One has to consider the particular time, country and conveniences. What is convenient in India may not be convenient in the Western countries. Those who are not actually in the line of acaryas or who personally have no knowledge how to act in the role of acarya, unnecessarily criticize the activities of the ISKCON movement in countries outside of India. The fact is that such critics cannot do anything personally to spread Krishna Consciousness. If someone does go and preach, taking all risks and allowing all consideration for time and place, it might be that there are changes in the manner of worship, but that is not faulty according to the sastra” (SB 4.8.54 purport)

Some examples of how disciples were transcendentally empowered to engage in unheard of practices that were authoritatively introduced by the Acarya.

“I think now you may be appointed by me to give first initiations to new disciples by chanting on their give me great relief. Kirtanananda will chant on the beads for new devotees in America, Canada, like that, you can chant on the beads for the European continent new disciples.
They shall, of course, still be considered as my disciples, not that they shall become your disciples, but you will be empowered by me to chant their beads and that is the same effect of binding master and disciple as if I were personally chanting.”
(1/4/73 Bombay, Letter to Revatinandana)

Srila Prabhupada authorized the use of a tape recorder to initiate devotees.

“Regarding second initiation, enclosed is one sacred thread chanted on by me, and the gayatri mantra. This should be instructed to Maha Muni in private, have him hear a tape recording of the mantra in the right ear. Hold a fire yajna for the first initiates.”
(Srila Prabhupada letter to Makhanlal dasa June 22, 1973)

Srila Prabhupada authorized a neophyte’s WIFE to speak the gayatri mantra into the ear of that neophyte during second initiation.

“I am enclosing herewith your sacred thread, duly chanted on by me. Gayatri Mantra is as follows… Ask your wife to chant this mantra and you hear it and if possible hold a fire ceremony as you have seen during your marriage and get this sacred thread on your body, Saradiya or any twice initiated devotee may perform the ceremony ” (SPL to Vaikunthanatha dasa August 4, 1971)

And people say that the Ritvik system is not bonafide because Srila Prabhupada is no longer present on the earth.
Such statements make it easy to tell what such people really think of that Murti of Srila Prabhupada sitting in the temple rooms where they whimsically initiate newcomers. A nice show they must put on dressing that murti and waving incense in front of it.
But hey, only 1/3 of the other Good as God pure devotee Acaryas thought they were not pure devotees, not good as God, and not qualified to initiate. So under the “2 out of 3 ain’t bad” rule, and the “Prabhupada is dead and gone, that murti is just for show” rule,
They whisper sweet NOTHINGS into the ears of the latest victim.

The Living Disciple

Hasti Gopal Dāsa – Toronto, Canada.

Srila Prabhupada’s teachings, his books and lectures are understood by all bona fide Vedic authorities to be non different from his physical presence. Srila Prabhupada’s formally initiated disciples prior to his physical departure can and do continue to relate to him non differently in the same manner as when he was physically present. To deny this fact is to deny the existence of an original bona fide relationship presently taking place with their guru Srila Prabhupada, confirming this fact means to confirm that the disciple is relating to Srila Prabhupada in the present therefore confirming the present existence of Srila Prabhupada on an equally valid level. That the first generation of disciples are living in relation to Srila Prabhupada also indicates the presence of a living Srila Prabhupada in relation to his disciples. Those, to whom the disciples are willing to relate a living Srila Prabhupda to, are representing a living Srila Prabhupada. One cannot remove the non different Srila Prabhupada from the vapu of a living disciple.

Living means – “available to”. Available means – “accessible to”. Being ‘accessible to’, means that one may live by Srila Prabhupada’s original books and instructions via the bona fide disciplic representative, the bona fide formally initiated disciple, thereby allowing anyone to live by Srila Prabhupada, live with Srila Prabhupada and to live for Srila Prabhupada. The bona fide disciple of Srila Prabhupada is a living representative of a bona fide living spiritual master.

Therefore, the present physically living bona fide disciple may, upon review and with understood qualifications via Srila Prabhupada’s instructions and books, introduce the potential disciple to Srila Prabhupada. Then, if qualified, the follower can take initiation from Srila Prabhupada, formally.

Srila Prabhupada’s disciples are “living disciples” just as much as Srila Prabhupada is a “living guru”.

Srila Prabhupada:Each temple must remain independent and self-sufficient.Forget this centralizing and bureaucracy.

22-12-1972

Los Angeles

My dear Karandhara,

Please accept my blessings…

Regarding your points about taxation, corporate status, etc., I have heard from Jayatirtha you want to make big plan for centralization of management, taxes, monies, corporate status, bookkeeping, credit, like that. I do not at all approve of such plan. Do not centralize anything. Each temple must remain independent and self-sufficient. That was my plan from the very beginning, why you are thinking otherwise? Once before you wanted to do something centralizing with your GBC meeting, and if I did not interfere the whole thing would have been killed. Do not think in this way of big corporation, big credits, centralization—these are all nonsense proposals. Only thing I wanted was that books printing and distribution should be centralized, therefore I appointed you and Bali Mardan to do it. Otherwise, management, everything, should be done locally by local men. Accounts must be kept, things must be in order and lawfully done, but that should be each temple's concern, not yours. Krishna Consciousness Movement is for training men to be independently thoughtful and competent in all types of departments of knowledge and action, not for making bureaucracy. Once there is bureaucracy the whole thing will be spoiled. There must be always individual striving and work and responsibility, competitive spirit, not that one shall dominate and distribute benefits to the others and they do nothing but beg from you and you provide. No. Never mind there may be botheration to register each centre, take tax certificate each, become separate corporations in each state. That will train men how to do these things, and they shall develop reliability and responsibility, that is the point. I am little observing now, especially in your country, that our men are losing their enthusiasm for spreading on our programmes of Krishna Consciousness movement. Otherwise, why so many letters of problems are coming, dissatisfied? That is not a very good sign. The whole problem is they are not following the regulative principles, that I can detect. Without this, enthusiasm will be lacking. Even mechanically following, and if he gets gradually understanding from the class, he will come to the point of spontaneous enthusiasm. This spontaneous loving devotional service is not so easy matter, but if one simply sticks strictly to the rules and regulations, like rising early, chanting 16 rounds, chanting gayatri, keeping always clean—then his enthusiasm will grow more and more, and if there is also patience and determination, one day he will come to the platform of spontaneous devotion, then his life will be perfect. All of this I have told you in Nectar of Devotion. So I do not think the leaders are themselves following, nor they are seeing the others are following strictly. That must be rectified at once. Each centre remain independent, that's all right, but the president and other officers must themselves follow and see the others are following the regulative principles carefully, and giving them good instruction so they may understand nicely why this tapasya is necessary. And GBC and Sannyasis will travel and see the officers are doing this, and if they observe anything lowering of the standard, they must reform and advise, or if there is some discrepancy I shall remove it. Of course, if new men are coming, they may not be expected immediately to take to our regulative principles cent per cent. Therefore we should not be so anxious to induce them to live in the temple. Anyone who lives in the temple must agree to follow the rules and regulations without fail. So if some new man moves in with us he may become discouraged if he is forced in this way. Therefore let them live outside and become gradually convinced in the class why they should accept some austerity, then they will live with us out of their own accord and follow nicely everything. It is very difficult to give up very quickly so many bad habits as you have got in your country, so educate them gradually, first with chanting, and do not be so much anxious to count up so many numbers of new devotees, if such devotees go away later being too early forced. I want to see a few sincere devotees, not many false devotees or pretenders.

So my point is that the regulative principles must be followed by everyone. Otherwise their enthusiasm dwindles and they again think of sex and become restless, and so many problems are there. There is some symptom of missing the point. The point is to be engaged in doing something for Krishna, never mind what is that job, but being so engaged in doing something very much satisfying to the devotee that he remains always enthusiastic. He will automatically follow the regulative principles because they are part of his occupational duty—by applying them practically as his occupational duty, he realizes the happy result of regulative principles. So the future of this Krishna Consciousness movement is very bright, so long the managers remain vigilant that 16 rounds are being chanted by everyone without fail, that they are all rising before four morning, attending mangal arati—our leaders shall be careful not to kill the spirit of enthusiastic service, which is individual and spontaneous and voluntary. They should try always to generate some atmosphere of fresh challenge to the devotees, so that they will agree enthusiastically to rise and meet it. That is the art of management: to draw out spontaneous loving spirit of sacrificing some energy for Krishna. But where are so many expert managers? All of us should become expert managers and preachers. We should not be very much after comforts and become complacent or self-contented. There must be always some tapasya, strictly observing the regulative principles—Krishna Consciousness movement must be always a challenge, a great achievement to be gained by voluntary desire to do it, and that will keep it healthy. So you big managers now try to train up more and more some competent preachers and managers like yourselves. Forget this centralizing and bureaucracy.

Hoping this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS:sda

 

Srila Prabhupada founded ISKCON not ISSCON

Prabhupada said we should not worship demigod but ISKCON now worships shiva. International society of Krishna Conscious (ISKCON) has become International society of Shiva Conscious (ISSCON)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=B3l4nwLOHPM#!
Shiva Worship in ISKCON see the above link

In 1966 in New York City when His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was founding the Hare Krishna movement, a friend suggested he call it the “International Society for God Consciousness.” But Srila Prabhupada felt that the word God was too vague. By naming his movement the “International Society for Krishna Consciousness,” Srila Prabhupada was telling everyone that when he spoke of God he meant a specific person—Krishna and no one else.

Prophecies Fulfilled

Everybody likes to hear prophecies because they are supposed to tell us the near and distant future. But who is capable of accurately predicting this? The Vedic scriptures were physically recorded and written down in codes, sutras or mantras around 5000 years ago by the great sage and literary incarnation of God whose name was Srila Vyasadev. In our present day, AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada the Founder-Acharya of the Hare Krishna Movement translated some of these scriptures into English which contain numerous prophecies for our near future. Read on and you will see how accurate they are - even now.

Ancient Prophecies Fulfilled – Journey of Self Discovery – 6.4       

tatas canudinam dharmah
satyam saucam ksama daya
kalena balina rajan
nanksyaty ayur balam smrtih

"My dear King, with each day religion, truthfulness, cleanliness, forgiveness, mercy, duration of life, bodily strength, and memory will all decrease more and more by the mighty force of time."

- Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.2.1

This description of the Kali-yuga [the present age of quarrel and hypocrisy] is given in the Twelfth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srimad-Bhagavatam was written five thousand years ago, when the Kali-yuga was about to begin, and many things that would happen in the future are spoken of there. Therefore we accept Srimad-Bhagavatam as shastra [revealed scripture] The compiler of shastra (the shastra-kara) must be a liberated person so that he can describe past, present, and future.

In Srimad-Bhagavatam you will find many things which are foretold. There is mention of Lord Buddha's appearance and Lord Kalki's appearance. (Lord Kalki will appear at the end of the Kali-yuga.) There is also mention of Lord Chaitanya’s appearance. Although the Bhagavatam was written five thousand years ago, the writer knew past,
present, and future (tri-kala-jna), and thus he could predict all these events with perfect accuracy.

So here Sukadeva Gosvami is describing the chief symptoms of this age. He says, tatas canudinam: With the progress of this age [Kali-yuga], dharma, religious principles; satyam, truthfulness; saucam, cleanliness; ksama, forgiveness; daya, mercifulness; ayuh,
duration of life; balam, bodily strength; smrti, memory--these eight things will gradually decrease to nil or almost nil.

Of course, there are other yugas besides Kali-yuga. During the Satya-yuga, which lasted eighteen hundred thousand years, human beings lived for one hundred thousand years. The duration of the next age, the Treta-yuga, was twelve hundred thousand years, and the people of that age used to live for ten thousand years. In other words, the duration of life was ten times reduced. In the next age, Dvapara-yuga, the life span was again ten times reduced--people used to live for one thousand years--and the duration of the Dvapara Age was eight hundred thousand years. Then, in the next age, this Kali-yuga, we can live up to one hundred years at the utmost. We are not living one hundred years, but still, the limit is one hundred years. So just see: from one hundred years the average duration of life has decreased to about seventy years. And it will eventually decrease to the point where if a man lives for twenty to thirty years, he will be considered a very old man.

Another symptom of the Kali-yuga predicted in the Srimad-Bhagavatam is the decrease in memory (smrti). We see nowadays that people do not have very sharp memories--they forget easily. They may hear something daily, yet still they forget it. Similarly, bodily strength (balam) is decreasing. You can all understand this, because you know that your father or grandfather was physically stonger than you are. So, bodily strength is decreasing, memory is decreasing, and the duration of life is decreasing--and all of this is predicted in Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Another symptom of Kali-yuga is the decrease in religion. There is practically no question of religion in this age--it has almost decreased to nil. No one is interested in religion. The churches and temples are being closed, locked up. The building we are sitting in was once a church, but it was sold because no one was coming. Similarly, we are purchasing a very big church in Australia, and in London I have seen many hundreds of vacant churches--no one is going there. And not only churches: in India also, except for a few important temples, the ordinary, small temples are being closed. They have become the habitation of the dogs. So dharma, religion, is decreasing.

Truthfulness, cleanliness, and forgiveness are also decreasing. Formerly, if someone did something wrong, the other party would forgive him. For example, Arjuna was tortured by his enemies, yet still, on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra he said, "Krishna, let me leave. I don't want to kill them." This is forgiveness.But now, even for a small insult people will kill. This is going on. Also, there is now no mercifulness (daya). Even if you see someone being killed in front of you, you will not take interest. These things are happening already.

So, religion, truthfulness, cleanliness, forgiveness, mercifulness, duration of life, bodily strength, and memory--these eight things will decrease, decrease, decrease, decrease. When you see these symptoms, you should know the age of Kali is making progress.

Another symptom is vittam eva kalau nrnam janmacara-gunodayah: "In Kali-yuga, a man's qualities and social position will be calculated according to the extent of his wealth." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.2.2)

Formerly a man's position was calculated according to his spiritual understanding. For example, a brahmana was honored because he knew brahma--he was aware of the Supreme Spirit. But now in Kali-yuga there are actually no brahmanas, because people are taking the title of brahmana simply by janma, or birthright. Previously there was also birthright, but one was actually known according to his behavior. If a man was born in a brahmana family or a kshatriya[administrative or military] family, he had to behave like a brahmana or kshatriya. And it was the king's duty to see that no one was falsely representing himself. In other words, respectability was awarded according to culture and education. But nowadays, vittam eva kalau nrnam: if you get money somehow or other, then everything is available. You may be a third-class or a fourth-class or a tenth-class man, but if you get money somehow or other, then you are very much respected. There is no question of your culture or education or knowledge. This is Kali-yuga.

Another symptom of Kali-yuga: dharma-nyaya-vyavasthayam karanam balam eva hi. "Religious principles and justice will be determined by a show of strength." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.2.2) If you have some influence, then everything will be decided in your favor. You may be the most irreligious person, but if you can bribe a priest he will certify that you are religious. So character will be decided by money, not by actual qualification. Next is dam-patye 'bhirucir hetur mayaiva vyavaharike: "Marriages will be arranged according to temporary affection, and to be a successful businessman, one will have to cheat." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.2.3) The relationship between husband and wife will depend on abhiruci, their liking each other. If a girl likes a boy and a boy likes a girl, then they think, "All right, now let the marriage take place." No one ever knows what the future of the girl and boy will be. Therefore everyone becomes unhappy. Six months after marriage--divorce. This is because the marriage took place simply on the basis of superficial liking, not deep understanding.   

Formerly, at least in India during my time, marriages did not take place because the boy and girl liked each other. No. Marriages were decided by the parents. I married when I was a student, but I did not know who my wife would be; my parents arranged everything. Another example is Dr. Rajendra Prasada, the first president of India. In his biography he wrote that he married at the age of eight. Similarly, my  father-in-law married when he was eleven years old, and my mother-in-law when she was seven. So the point is that formerly, in India, marriage took place only after an astrological calculation of past, present, and future had determined whether the couple would be  happy in their life together. When marriage is thus sanctified, the man and the woman live peacefully and practice spiritual culture. Each one helps the other, so they live very happily and become advanced in spiritual life. And at last they go back home, back to Godhead. That is the system. Not that a grown-up girl and a grown-up boy mix together, and if he likes her and she likes him they get married, and then he leaves or she leaves... This kind of marriage was not sanctioned. But of this Kali-yuga it is said, dam-patye 'bhirucih: Marriage will take place simply because of mutual liking, that's all. Liking one moment means disliking the next moment. That is a fact. So a marriage based on mutual liking has no value.

(side note: in these arranged marriages the man and woman lived together after puberty, not before)

The next symptoms of this age are stritve pumstve ca hi ratir vipratve sutram eva hi: "A husband and wife will stay together only as long as there is sex attraction, and brahmanas [saintly intellectuals] will be known only by their wearing a sacred thread."
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.2.3) Brahmanas are offered a sacred thread. So now people are thinking, "Now I have a sacred thread, so I have become a brahmana.I may act like a candala [dog-eater], but it doesn't matter." This is going on. One doesn't understand that as a brahmana he has so much responsibility. Simply because he has the two-cent sacred thread, he thinks he has become a brahmana. And stritve pumstve ca hi ratih: A husband and wife will remain together because they like each other, but as soon as there will be some sex difficulty, their affection will slacken.

Another symptom of Kali-yuga is avrttya nyaya-daurbalyam panditye capalam vacah: "Those without money will be unable to get justice, and anyone who can cleverly juggle words will be considered a scholar." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.2.4) If you have no money, then you will never get justice in court. This is Kali-yuga. Nowadays even the high-court judges are taking bribes to give you a favorable judgment. But if you
have no money, then don't go to court. And panditye capalam vacah. If a man can talk expertly--it doesn't matter what he says, and nobody has to understand it--then he is a pandita. He is a learned scholar. [Imitating gibberish:] "Aban gulakslena bugavad tugalad kulela gundulas, by the latricism of wife... " Like this, if you go on speaking, no one will understand you. [Laughter.] Yet people will say, "Ah, see how learned he is." [Laughter.] This is actually happening. There are so many rascals writing books, but if you ask one of them to explain what he has understood, he'll say, "Oh, it is nexplicable." These things are going on.

Next Srimad-Bhagavatam says,

anadhyataivasadhutve
sadhutve dambha eva tu
svikara eva codvahe
snanam eva prasadhanam

"Poverty will be looked on as dishonorable, while a hypocrite who can put on a show will be thought pious. Marriage will be based on arbitrary agreement, and simply taking a bath will be considered proper cleansing and decoration of the body."

-  Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.2.5

First, anadhyata: If you are a poor man, then you are dishonorable. People will think that a man is not honorable because he does not know how to earn money by hook or crook. And svikara eva codvahe: Marriages will take place by agreement. This is being experienced in your country, and in my country also. The government appoints a marriage magistrate, and any boy and girl who want to can simply go to him and get married. Maybe there is some fee. "Yes, we agree to marry," they say, and he certifies that they are married. Formerly, the father and mother used to select the bride and bridegroom by consulting an astrologer who could see the future. Nowadays marriage is taking place according to svikara, agreement.

Another symptom is dure vary-ayanam tirtham lavanyam kesa-dharanam: "Just going to some faraway river will be considered a proper pilgrimage, and a man will think he is beautiful if he has long hair." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.2.6) Just see how perfectly Srimad-Bhagavatam predicts the future! "In Kali-yugaa man will think he has become very beautiful by keeping long hair." You have very good experience of this in your country. Who could have known that people would be interested in keeping long hair? Yet that is stated in the Bhagavatam: kesa-dharanam. Kesa means "long hair" and dharanam means "keeping." Another symptom is dure vary-ayanam tirtham: People will think that a place of pilgrimage must be far away. For example, the Ganges flows through Calcutta, but no one cares to take a bath in the Calcutta Ganges; they'd rather go to Hardwar. It is the same Ganges. The Ganges is coming from Hardwar down to the Bay of Bengal. But people would rather suffer so much hardship to go to Hardwar and take a bath there, because that has become a tirtha, a place of pilgrimage. Every religion has a tirtha. The Muslims have Mecca and Medina, and the Christians have Golgotha. Similarly, the Hindus also think they must travel very far to find a tirtha. But actually, tirthi-kurvanti tirthani: a tirtha is a place where there are saintly persons. That is a tirtha. Not that one goes ten thousand miles and simply takes a dip in the water and then comes back.

The next symptoms are:

udaram-bharata svarthah
satyatve dharstyam eva hi
daksyam kutumba-bharanam
yaso-'rthe dharma-sevanam

"The purpose of life will consist simply of filling one's stomach, and audacity will become equivalent to conclusive truth. If a man can even maintain his own family members, he will be honored as very expert, and religiosity will be measured by a person's reputation for material accomplishments."(Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.2.6) So, if somehow one can eat very sumptuously, then he will think all his interests are fulfilled. People will be very hungry, with nothing to eat, and therefore if they can eat very sumptuously on one day, that will be the fulfillment of all their desires. The next symptom is satyatve dharstyam eva hi: Anyone who is expert at word jugglery will be considered very truthful. Another symptom, daksyam kutumba-bharanam: One shall be considered very expert if he can maintain his family—his wife and children. In other words, this will become very difficult. In fact, it has already become difficult. To maintain a wife and two children is now a great burden. Therefore no one wants to marry.

The next verse describes what will happen when all the people have been thus infected by the poison of Kali-yuga.

evam prajabhir dustabhir
akirne ksiti-mandale
brahma-vit-ksatra-sudranam
yo bali bhavita nrpah

It won't matter whether one is a brahmana [a learned and pure intellectual] or a kshatriya [an administrator or soldier] or a vaishya [a merchant or farmer] or ashudra [a laborer] or a candala [a dog-eater]. If one is powerful in getting votes, he will occupy the presidential or royal post. Formerly the system was that only a kshatriya could occupy the royal throne, not a brahmana, vaishya, or shudra. But now, in the Kali-yuga, there is no such thing as a kshatriya or abrahmana. Now we have democracy. Anyone who can get your votes by hook or crook can occupy the post of leader. He may be rascal number one, but he will be given the supreme, exalted presidential post. The Bhagavatam describes these leaders in the next verse:

praja hi lubdhai rajanyair
nirghrnair dasyu-dharmabhih
acchinna-dara-dravina
yasyanti giri-kananam

"The citizens will be so oppressed by merciless rogues in the guise of rulers that they will give up their spouses and property and flee to the hills and forests." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.2.8) So, the men who acquire a government post by vote are mostly lubdhai rajanyaih, greedy government men. Nirghrnair dasyu: Their business is plundering the public. And we actually see that every year the government men are exacting heavy taxes, and whatever money is received they divide among themselves, while the citizens' condition remains the same. Every government is doing that. Gradually, all people will feel so much harassed that acchinna-dara-dravinah: They will want to give up their family life (their wife and their money) and go to the forest. This we have also seen.

So, kaler dosa-nidhe rajan: The faults of this age are just like an ocean. If you were put into the Pacific Ocean, you would not know how to save your life. Even if you were a very expert swimmer, it would not be possible for you to cross the Pacific Ocean. Similarly, the Kali-yuga is described in the Bhagavatam as an ocean of faults. It is infected with so many anomalies that there seems to be no way out. But there is one medicine:  kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet.

The Bhagavatam explains that if you chant the name of Krishna--the Hare Krishna mantra--you will be relieved from the infection of this Kali-yuga.

Demigod Worship in ISKCON Continues

We have shown photographic evidence of the continuing influence of demigod worship in ISKCON. The New Raman Reti, ISKCON AlachuaCelebrated Shiva Ratri Festival Today.

Above, we provide yet more photographic evidence of the growing influence of demigod worship in ISKCON, this time at the New Raman Reti, ISKCON Alachua, where deity of  Lord Shiva (Shiva-lingam) were brought in procession into the temple. The temple authorities have justified the worship of these demigods by claiming that they are worshiping them as persons who can help them in their Krishna consciousness

But Srila Prabhupada has not sanctioned the worship of demigods in ISKCON temples, regardless of the reason for worshiping them. 

"[…] this Krsna consciousness movement simply advocates worship of Krsna to the exclusion of the demigods." (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.31.14 purport)

"The greatest danger to our movement will come when we manufacture and create our own process for worshiping the deities." (Srila Prabhupada Letter, 4/1/73) 
"But if everyone says that "I can manufacture my own way of worshiping the Deity," then what will be the condition? It will be simply pandemonium. "(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, 22/6/72)
"The Deity worship should be done just in the way it was carried out in my presence." (Srila Prabhupada Letter, 13/11/70)

 http://www.iskcontruth.blogspot.in/

Chant 16 Rounds minimum

Letter to: Raja Laksmi

Mayapur
17 February, 1976

Auckland
My dear Raja Laksmi dasi,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 9 February, 1976.
My advise is always chant 16 rounds minimum and follow the four regulative principles. All of my disciples must agree on this point otherwise they are not my disciples. Let one live anywhere, but stick to the principles. Disagreements will continue in this material world. So one may live in a suitable place, but one must follow these five principles. My disciples must follow these principles living either in heaven or hell.
I hope this meets you well.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/dda

Srila Prabhupada:GBC should be very careful otherwise they will be punished.

By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.13.15 Geneva, June 4, 1974

Yamaraja is a GBC, but he made a little mistake. He was punished to become a sudra. So those who are GBC’s, they should be very, very careful to administer the business of ISKCON. Otherwise they will be punished. As the post is very great, similarly, the punishment is also very great. That is the difficulty.

Nitai: “As long as Vidura played the part of a sudra, being cursed by Manduka Muni, Aryama officiated at the post of Yamaraja to punish those who committed sinful acts.”

Prabhupada:
abibhrad aryama dandam
yathavad agha-karisu
yavad dadhara sudratvam
sapad varsa-satam yamah

So Vidura is Yamaraja, the superintendent of death. After our death, we are brought before the justice Yamaraja, what kind of next birth I may have. So Yamaraja is not sudra. He is devotee of Lord Krishna, although he has the duty to punish the criminals. Just like a magistrate is always punishing the criminals. That is his business, but he is not criminal. He is giving judgment to the criminals. Similarly, Yamaraja is the appointed magistrate, superintendent. After death, one has to go before him and take the judgment of his next life. This is the process.

So Vidura was cursed by Manduka Muni, Manduka Muni. He was a great sage, but sometimes in his asrama, some thieves were caught, so police arrested both the Manduka Muni and the thieves, and later on Manduka Muni was chastised to be punished by sula. There was a system of punishment. I do not whether (it is) still existing. The sula means one lance, lancer. Lancer, it is called?

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupada: It was to be pierced through the rectum and it will go through the head and the man will die. The pierce was standing, and he was to sit down. What is this punishment? Is there any mention?

Pusta-krsna: I never heard of anything.

Guru-gauranga: Arabians have this. It is called pala(?).

Prabhupada: Sula punishment. So when he was condemned to the sula punishment, then the king heard that “Manduka Muni, the great sage, he is punished like that?” Immediately he stopped. “What is this nonsense that Manduka Muni has been punished? He is a great sage.” So the king stopped the punishment and immediately came to see what has happened. Then he was immediately released. But he was very sorry, that “Why the judge Yamaraja punished him like that?” So he asked Yamaraja, “Why you have punished me like this?” “Now, in your childhood you pierced the rectum of an ant with a…,” what is called?

Devotees: Pin, straw.

Prabhupada: No, not straw. Prick, pricking?

Devotee: Pin.

Prabhupada: Kanta, kanta. We say kanta, that pricks. What is called?

Devotees: Thorn.

Prabhupada: Ah, thorn, yes. So therefore he was punished. Now just see. In his childhood he was playing with an ant, piercing the rectum with a thorn. That is also taken account, “All right. You will be punished.” Just see how finer laws are there in nature. So the Manduka Muni did that. Therefore it was recorded he should be punished like that.

This is our position. Anything… If you are walking on the street, if you kill an ant by walking, you will be punished. This is nature’s law. We are in such a dangerous position. In every movement there is punishment. Now, if you believe the sastras, that is different thing. If you don’t believe, then do anything you like. But from sastra we can understand the laws of nature, or God, is very, very strict, very, very strict. So Manduka Muni also chastised Yamaraja, that “In my childhood, without any knowledge I did something and for which you have given me so great punishment. So you are not fit for becoming a brahmana orksatriya. You become sudra.” So he was cursed to become sudra. Therefore Yamaraja took his birth as Vidura and was born in the womb of a sudra mother. This is the history of Vidura’s birth.

So in his absence, Aryama, one of the demigods, he officiated Yamaraja. Therefore it is said, abibhrad aryama dandam. The office must go on, the magistrate post cannot be vacant. Somebody must come and act. So Aryama was acting. Yathavad agha-karisu. Agha-karisu. Agha-kari means… Agha means sinful activities, and karisu. Karisu means those who commit sinful acts. And yathavat. Yathavat means exactly to the point, how he should be punished.Yathavad agha-karisu. Yavad dadhara sudratvam. So long Yamaraja continued as a sudra, Aryama was officiating in his place as Yamaraja. This is the purport. (reads purport:) “Vidura, born in the womb of a sudra mother, was forbidden even to be a party of royal heritage along with his brothers Dhrtarastra and Pandu. Then how could he occupy the post of a preacher to instruct such learned…? Answer is that even though it is accepted that he was a sudra by birth, because he renounced the world for spiritual enlightenment by the authority of Rsi Maitreya and was thoroughly educated by him in transcendental knowledge, he was quite competent to occupy the post of an acarya or spiritual preceptor.” Vidura was a sudra, born sudra. Then how he became a preacher?

So the reason is… “According to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, anyone who is conversant in the transcendental knowledge or the science of Godhead, be he abrahmana or sudra, a householder or a sannyasi, is eligible to become a spiritual master.” Not that because he was born a sudra, he cannot preach, he cannot take the post of acarya or spiritual master. That is not Caitanya philosophy. Caitanya philosophy has nothing to do with this body, external body. Caitanya philosophy is concerned with the soul. This movement is the movement of elevating the soul, saving the soul from degradation. Therefore people sometimes are surprised. The bodily concept of life, the same activities will be karma. And on the platform of spiritual life, the same karma will be bhakti. Same karmawill be bhakti. So bhakti is not inactivity. Bhakti is all active. Yat karosi yaj juhosi yad asnasi yat tapasyasi kurusva tad mad-arpanam. This is bhakti, bhakti-yoga. Krsna says to everyone, “If you cannot give up your karma, then that’s all right. But the result of your karma, give to Me. Then it will be bhakti.”

So Vidura was Yamaraja. Not only he was Yamaraja, ordinary, but he is one of the great authorities. There are twelve authorities mentioned in the sastra. One of them is Yamaraja. Balir vaiyasakir vayam. This is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Yamaraja is one of the GBC of Krsna. Yes. As we have got twelve GBC’s, similarly Krsna has got GBC’s. Now,

svayambhur naradah sambhuh
kumarah kapilo manuh
prahlado janako bhismo
balir vaiyasakir vayam

That twelve men are authorized to preach Krsna consciousness. So we have to follow. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. Therefore we have created these GBC. So they should be very responsible men. Otherwise, they will be punished. They will be punished to become a sudra. Although Yamaraja is a GBC, but he made a little mistake. He was punished to become a sudra. So those who are GBC’s, they should be very, very careful to administer the business of ISKCON. Otherwise they will be punished. As the post is very great, similarly, the punishment is also very great. That is the difficulty. You can see from this example, Vidura. He was immediately punished. He did little mistake at Manduka… Because the rsis, the munis, they will curse. Dealing is very… Even Yamaraja is not taking.

(reads:) “He was to play the part of so-called sudra for years, being cursed by Manduka Muni. He was the incarnation of Yamaraja, one of the twelvemahajanas, on the level with such exalted personalities as Bhisma, Narada, Brahma, Narada, Siva, Kapila, Bhisma, Prahlada, etc. Being a mahajana, it is the duty of Yamaraja to preach the cult of devotion to the people of the world as Narada, Brahma and other mahajanas do. But Yamaraja is always busy in his plutonic kingdom, punishing the doers of sinful acts. Yamaraja is deputed by the Lord to a particular planet some hundreds of thousands of miles away from this planet.” That is mentioned. He has got a different planet, where the criminals are taken away after death, and he gives the judgment, what kind of body he will have. And not like the theosophists’ thinking, “Now I have got human body. It is permanent settlement.” No, that is not permanent settlement. According to one’s work… Work means all sinful acts. Without Krsna consciousness, anyone who acts, he acts sinfully. There is no doubt of it. Because he is acting for sense gratification, and sense gratification means almost 99.9% all sinful activities. Duskrtinah. It is very risky job. Unless you act in Krsna consciousness… Yajnarthe karmano ‘nyatra loko ‘yam karma-bandhanah. This is the stringent law of the nature, that you have to act only for Yajna, for satisfaction of Krsna or Visnu. Otherwise, you will be entangled. And who is serving Krsna? Nobody is serving Krsna. So everyone is being entangled. This is the material world.

(reads:) “Yamaraja is deputed by the Lord to a particular planet, some hundreds of thousands of miles away from the planet of earth, to take away the corrupt souls after death and convict them in accordance with their respective sinful activities. Thus, Yamaraja has very little time to take leave from his responsible office of punishing the wrongdoers. There are more wrongdoers than righteous men. Therefore Yamaraja has to do (more) work than other demigods who are also authorized agents of the Supreme Lord. But he wanted to preach the glories of the Lord, and therefore, by the will of the Lord, he was cursed by Manduka Muni to come into the world in the incarnation of Vidura and work very hard as a great devotee.”

The punishment was also reward. Those who are servants of Krsna, even they are so-called punished, there is some motive behind this. Just like Jaya and Vijaya. They were also punished to come down and…, just to become enemy of Krsna. Krsna, when they were very much perturbed that “We are going to the material world from Vaikuntha. So what will be our fate, Sir? There is some little mistake on our part. What we shall do?” So Krsna gave him that “If you become My enemy, then you will be relieved in three births, and if you become My friend, then seven births.” So the Jaya and Vijaya agreed, “Sir, we shall become Your enemy.” So what is the purport? Krsna wanted some enemy to fight. Just like we sometimes want to fight. So this desire is there, Krsna. Otherwise, where we get this desire? So actually, it was Krsna’s service, this Jaya and Vijaya. Krsna wanted to have some fight. In the spiritual world there cannot be fight. There is no fight. There is only service. Therefore some of His devotees, this Jaya and Vijaya, agreed to become His enemy, come to this material world and to…, Krsna fought with the Jaya and Vijaya. As Ramacandra, He fought with Ravana, and as Nrsimhadeva, He fought with Hiranyakasipu, and as Krsna, He fought with Yamara…, er, Kamsa.

So similarly, Vidura also, he thought that “I am always busy in this magisterial work, simply to punish. I have no chance to preach.” So Krsna is very kind to His devotee. So He gave the chance to preach. So this was the arrangement, that he was cursed by Manduka Muni, came down to this material world. That is also material. Yamaraja’s planet is also in the material world. Therefore he was given the chance of preaching. (reads:) “He is transcendental to such divisions of mundane society, just as the Personality of Godhead assumes His incarnation as a hog, but He is not hog.” If somebody thinks that He has come as a hog, playing the part of a hog, that is not the fact. Even though assumes the… (reads:) “The Lord and His different authorized devotees sometimes have to play the role of many lower creatures to claim the conditioned souls, but both the Lord and His pure devotees are always in the transcendental position.” Etad isanam isasya. That is the authority of God, that even though He accepts some lower position, He is never in the lower position. He is always in the transcendental position. I have given the example yesterday. Just like the sun is sometimes evaporating the urine. This is not very good business. But still, sun is sun. He is never polluted. Similarly, Krsna or His devotee, if sometimes apparently does something which is not befitting their position, still, they are in their position. This is the conclusion. Krsna has given this concession to His devotee.

It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita,

api cet su-duracaro
bhajate mam ananya-bhak
sadhur eva sa mantavyah
samyag vyavasito hi sah

Even sometimes, not by willing, sometimes accidentally, a devotee… Just like the other day in the meeting, somebody was giving the example, “Lord Christ, he ate fish.” So he can do that. There was some necessity. But you cannot do that. So even though it is sometimes done, abominable, but still they are in exalted position. This is to be understood. Tejiyasam na dosaya. Tejiyasam, those who are very, very powerful, anything abominable done by them, it does not contaminate. This is to be understood. But you cannot do that. You cannot imitate.

(reads:) “When Yamaraja thus incarnated himself as Vidura, his post was officiated by Aryama, one of the many sons of Kasyapa and Aditi, the Adityas, or sons of Aditi, and there are twelve Adityas. Aryama is one of the twelve Adityas, and therefore it was quite possible for him to take charge of the office of Yamaraja during his one hundred years’ absence in the form of Vidura. The conclusion is that Vidura was never a sudra, but was greater than the purest type of brahmana.” Now, have kirtana. (end)

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.13.15 Geneva, June 4, 1974