Mysteries of the Vedas

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Subscribe to receive new articles by e-mail. It’s free, but if you like, you can pledge a donation:Join the Telegram group if you would like to join the live lessons. This course is maintained with your donations. Click here to donate. 💬 Text of the lesson Recovering the Vedas: Bhadraśravā worships Hayaśīrṣa in Bhadrāśva-varṣaBhadrāśva-varṣa is the tract of land east of Ilāvṛta-varṣa, ruled by Bhadraśravā, the son of Yamarāja. The Lord is present there in His form of Hayaśīrṣa (or Hayagrīva), the director of all religious principles and protector of the Vedas. At the end of each day of Brahmā, the Vedas are stolen by ignorance personified, who hides them in the lower planetary systems. Normally, the Lord, who is present as Matsya, acting as the maintainer of all living beings, fights with the demon and saves the Vedas, transmitting them again to Brahmā at the beginning of his next day. At the end of the previous day, however, the Lord appeared as Hayagrīva (the horse-headed incarnation) to fight with the demon and save the Vedas. This appears to be connected with the universal destruction at the end of the first half of the life of Brahma, which is a special event, different from the end of the other days of Brahmā. How is it that the Vedas can be stolen by a demon? In his purport, Prabhupāda connects it with the Vedas being forgotten and then transmitted again at the beginning of the next cycle of creation:“Although Vedic knowledge is imperishable, within this material world it is sometimes manifest and sometimes not. When the people of this material world become too absorbed in ignorance, the Vedic knowledge disappears. Lord Hayagrīva or Lord Matsya, however, always protects the Vedic knowledge, and in due course of time it is again distributed through the medium of Lord Brahmā. Brahmā is the trustworthy representative of the Supreme Lord. Therefore when he again asked for the treasure of Vedic knowledge, the Lord fulfilled his desire.”A demon doesn’t necessarily have to assume a form with two hands and legs to cause harm. Just as Tṛṇāvarta had the form of a whirlwind, Tamasā (the demon of ignorance personified) made everyone forget the knowledge of the Vedas. This same Lord Hayagrīva, who preserved the Vedas during the whole period of the night of Brahmā, is present in His deity form in Bhadrāśva-varṣa, where He is worshiped by His devotees, who offer him respectful obeisances and offer Him prayers in devotional trance. “The ruler Bhadraśravā and his intimate associates utter the following prayer: We offer our respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the reservoir of all religious principles, who cleanses the heart of the conditioned soul in this material world. Again and again we offer our respectful obeisances unto Him.Alas! How wonderful it is that the foolish materialist does not heed the great danger of impending death! He knows that death will surely come, yet he is nevertheless callous and neglectful. If his father dies, he wants to enjoy his father’s property, and if his son dies, he wants to enjoy his son’s possessions as well. In either case, he heedlessly tries to enjoy material happiness with the acquired money.O unborn one, learned Vedic scholars who are advanced in spiritual knowledge certainly know that this material world is perishable, as do other logicians and philosophers. In trance they realize the factual position of this world, and they preach the truth as well. Yet even they are sometimes bewildered by Your illusory energy. This is Your own wonderful pastime. Therefore, I can understand that Your illusory energy is very wonderful, and I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.O Lord, although You are completely detached from the creation, maintenance and annihilation of this material world and are not directly affected by these activities, they are all attributed to You. We do not wonder at this, for Your inconceivable energies perfectly qualify You to be the cause of all causes. You are the active principle in everything, although You are separate from everything. Thus we can realize that everything is happening because of Your inconceivable energy.At the end of the millennium, ignorance personified assumed the form of a demon, stole all the Vedas and took them down to the planet of Rasātala. The Supreme Lord, however, in His form of Hayagrīva retrieved the Vedas and returned them to Lord Brahmā when he begged for them. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, whose determination never fails.” (SB 5.18.2-6)In his purport to text two, Prabhupāda reinforces the point that the purpose of human life is to purify our existence, which is achieved by worshiping the Supreme Lord and performing penances and austerities. Human life is not meant for blind indulgence in sense gratification.As students of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, we are already familiar with that conclusion by now, but this conclusion is missed by 99% of the population. Bewildered by the illusory energy, they continue their materialistic life day after day, without considering the impending danger of death. People simply get absorbed in momentary sense gratification, without considering the future. If my father dies, this is a very clear warning that I’m the next. A materialist, however, simply takes the inheritance and continues his process of enjoyment without a second thought. Often, people lack even basic decency; a father who loses his son may sometimes take away his possessions and start an affair with the widow. From this, we can see how the fixation on sense gratification makes one gradually lose all good qualities. What materialists don’t realize, however, is that even to enjoy their senses, they need the cooperation of the Lord. If Paramātmā doesn’t give them sanction and empower them to perform their actions, materialists can’t act at all, as it happens sometimes at the end of life, when one becomes paralyzed or falls into a coma. In this way, both devotees and materialists depend on the mercy of the Lord. The difference is that a devotee is guided and empowered by the Lord to attain success in human life and go back home, back to Godhead, while a materialist is allowed to act sinfully for some time, as he desires, but later has to deal with the karmic consequences. As Prabhupāda explains in his purport to text three: “In other words, materialistic persons want to commit all kinds of sinful activities, but without the sanction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, no one can do anything. Why does the Supreme Personality of Godhead permit sinful activities? The Supreme Lord does not want any living being to act sinfully, and He begs him through his good conscience to refrain from sin. But when someone insists upon acting sinfully, the Supreme Lord gives him the sanction to act at his own risk (mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca). No one can do anything without the sanction of the Lord, but He is so kind that when the conditioned soul persists in doing something, the Lord permits the individual soul to act at his own risk.”Different from the materialists, who are simply deep into ignorance, others study the Vedas and understand the temporality of this material world. By practicing this knowledge, they become detached from the bodily concept of life. In other words, they become liberated souls. However, the illusory energy is so powerful that even such great scholars can fall back into illusion. How is that possible? Prabhupāda explains that, “A liberated soul is a person who has sufficient knowledge of this material world and is therefore unattached to the bodily conception of life. But because of association with the modes of material nature for a very long time, even liberated souls sometimes become captivated by the illusory energy due to inattentiveness in the transcendental position. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (7.14), mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te: “Only those who surrender unto Me can overcome the influence of the material energy.”Because we are in contact with the material energy for a very long time, there is still a tendency to become illusioned, even in advanced stages of knowledge. Being a Vedic scholar is thus not sufficient; one has to become a devotee of the Lord. Even when we come to the devotional platform, however, we need to remain vigilant. The pastime of Bharata Maharaja shows that even in the devotional path, inattention can create havoc. As Prabhupāda explains: “Everyone should very cautiously execute devotional service by rigidly following regulative principles. Thus he will remain fixed at the lotus feet of the Lord. Otherwise, a little inattention will create havoc. We have already seen an example of this in the case of Mahārāja Bharata. Mahārāja Bharata was undoubtedly a great devotee, but because he turned his attention slightly toward a small deer, he had to suffer two more births, one as a deer and another as the brāhmaṇa Jaḍa Bharata. Afterward he was liberated and went back home, back to Godhead.”As soon as we surrender to Kṛṣṇa, He protects us and is ready to forgive our mistakes. However, if we insist on the same mistake over and over, He may allow us to fall into illusion again for some time so we can again get a taste of the suffering of the material world and become serious again in our practice.In summary, the prayers of the inhabitants of Bhadrāśva-varṣa teach us that:a) The goal of life is purification, not just blind sense gratification. b) Despite the mercy of the Lord being available to everyone, most of the population remains under the spell of Māyā. c) How to escape? Ultimately, one has to become a devotee. Even being a Vedic scholar is not sufficient.d) Because the material energy is the divine potency of the Lord, it can be overcome only when we come back to our original position of service, sheltered at His lotus feet. e) The Lord is the cause of everything, but still He remains separate from everything. Because He remains transcendental, He is the one who can save us from the material ocean. No one can become free by his own power. Destroying our material desires: Prahlāda Mahārāja worships Nṛsiṁhadeva in Hari-varṣa Prahlāda Maharaja’s father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, was originally the ruler of Sutala-loka, one of the subterranean heavens. After practicing his austerities and receiving the boons of Brahmā, he defeated the demigods and became the ruler of the three worlds. This happened in the sixth Manvantara, after Hiranyākṣa was defeated by Lord Varāha. When he became inimical to Prahlāda and tried to kill him, the Lord appeared as Nṛsiṁhadeva from the pillar to put an end to his life. The celestial planets were then returned to the demigods, and Prahlāda Maharaja was installed as the ruler of the demons, ruling over the lower planetary systems as a saintly king until the end of the 6th Manvantara (as described on SB 7.10.11). Later, he passed the rulership to his son, Virocana, and eventually to Bali Maharaja, his grandson. Bali Maharaja was able to defeat the demigods during the current Manvantara (the 7th), which led to the appearance of Vāmanadeva, who took everything from him, under the pretext of begging for three steps of land. Bali Maharaja was a disciple of Śukrācārya, the guru of the demons, who is more of a caste brāhmana. However, because of the association of Prahlāda, he was a pure devotee, and rejected Śukrācārya when he instructed him not to give the three planetary systems to the Lord when He asked. After covering the three planetary systems with His first two steps and piercing the coverings of the universe, the Lord blessed Bali Maharaja by placing His third step on his head. A settlement was thus reached: the rule of the celestial planets was returned to Purandara (the current Indra), and Bali Maharaja was again installed as the king of the lower planetary systems, ruling from Sutala. Being so satisfied with him, the Lord remains as his doorman, protecting him from all danger. When Rāvana tried to invade the lower planetary system, for example, the Lord kicked him, sending him very far away. Because Bali Maharaja had the desire to be the ruler of the three planetary systems, the Lord decided that he will become Indra in the next Manvantara (the 8th), succeeding Purandara, the current one. In this way, a settlement was reached, satisfying everyone. What about Prahlāda Maharaja? On SB 7.10.12, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva instructed him that: “It does not matter that you are in the material world. You should always, continuously, hear the instructions and messages given by Me and always be absorbed in thought of Me, for I am the Supersoul existing in the core of everyone’s heart. Therefore, give up fruitive activities and worship Me.” Prahlāda was surely worshiping the Lord while ruling the lower planetary systems, giving his association to the demons, so they could also be delivered. We can see that not only is Bali a pure devotee, but other members of the family also came to eventually attain a platform of pure devotional service. The Garga-saṁhitā, for example, reveals that Pūtanā was, in her previous life, Ratnamālā, the daughter of Bali Maharaja. It is described that she felt affection for Lord Vāmana when he entered the assembly of Bali Maharaja, and desired to be his mother, but angered by the Lord taking all the possessions of her father, she vowed to kill Him if she would become his mother. This mixture of devotion and anger led her to take her next birth as the demoness Pūtanā, coming to Kṛṣṇa with the purpose of killing Him, but ending up being accepted as His mother because she fed Him with her breast. The Lord thus freed her from her demoniac nature by killing her, allowing her devotional maternal attitude to manifest, and granting her a position in Goloka Vṛndāvana as one of the assistants of mother Yaśodā. What happened to Prahlāda after he relinquished the rulership of the lower planets at the end of the previous Manvantara? Text 5.18.7 explains that he continues to worship the Lord in Hari-varṣa, along with his servants and all inhabitants, where the Lord is present in His deity form as Nṛsiṁhadeva.His devotional sentiments are also described in the Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta, where he meets with Nārada Muni and reacts to his praise:“I have never performed any real service for the Lord like Hanumān and others. I have only remembered the Lord sometimes, when my mind was troubled.You praise me because He caressed me and showed other signs of affection. But some consider such affectionate behavior merely a false show of Māyā, and others just a display of His pastimes.” (BB 1.4.20-21)We can say that by your mercy the Supreme Lord developed some love for me and so I appear glorious. But my greatness is just like a tiny speck before the heaps of mercy the Lord bestows on His newer devotees.O Nārada, your heart overflows with causeless compassion. Why should I go on describing all my misfortunes, which simply make you unhappy? Instead please consider the Lord’s mercy on Hanumān of the Kimpuruṣas. (BB 1.4.36-37)Prahlāda Maharaja is the topmost devotee, but in his humility, he refuses to be acknowledged as the recipient of the Lord’s mercy, and instead sends Nārada to meet Hanumān in Kimpuruṣa‑varṣa, who in turn sends him to the Pāṇḍavas in Hastināpura. In this way, Nārada traveled all over the universe to finally understand the excellence of the selfless devotional mood of the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, especially the supreme devotion of the Gopis. The prayers of Prahlāda Maharaja and other inhabitants of Hari-varṣa are described in verses 5.18.8 to 14:“I offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, the source of all power. O my Lord who possess nails and teeth just like thunderbolts, kindly vanquish our demonlike desires for fruitive activity in this material world. Please appear in our hearts and drive away our ignorance so that by Your mercy we may become fearless in the struggle for existence in this material world.May there be good fortune throughout the universe, and may all envious persons be pacified. May all living entities become calm by practicing bhakti-yoga, for by accepting devotional service they will think of each other’s welfare. Therefore let us all engage in the service of the supreme transcendence, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and always remain absorbed in thought of Him. (SB 5.18.8-9)In his purport to text eight, Prabhupāda mentions: “One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.” Unless one is completely freed of all material desires, which are caused by the dense darkness of ignorance, one cannot fully engage in the devotional service of the Lord. Therefore we should always offer our prayers to Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, who killed Hiraṇyakaśipu, the personification of material desire. Hiraṇya means “gold,” and kaśipu means “a soft cushion or bed.” Materialistic persons always desire to make the body comfortable, and for this they require huge amounts of gold. Thus Hiraṇyakaśipu was the perfect representative of materialistic life. He was therefore the cause of great disturbance to the topmost devotee, Prahlāda Mahārāja, until Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva killed him. Any devotee aspiring to be free of material desires should offer his respectful prayers to Nṛsiṁhadeva as Prahlāda Mahārāja did in this verse.”Prabhupāda emphasized that the descriptions of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam should be taken as real historical facts, and not simply as allegorical descriptions. In this way, Hiraṇyakaśipu was a real, historical figure who lived in the 6th Manvantara and tormented his son Prahlāda. At the same time, however, all these pastimes carry lots of symbolism. Hiraṇyakaśipu is the personification of material desire and materialistic life. He symbolizes our attraction to money, material comfort, and the desire to enjoy the opposite sex. The idea of being comfortable in this material world leads us to try to accumulate lots of money, which in turn forces us to work hard and be involved with the other spheres of materialistic life, wasting our opportunity of developing our devotional service to the Lord. A materialist thinks he or she is the body and mind, and thus identifies with the desires of the mind, thinking these are his or her desires. From the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, however, we learn that these material desires have nothing to do with our real self. It is just that because we are associating with material nature for a very long time, this attraction is not very easy to give up. We are trying to be devotees, but our material desires often get in the way. These material desires are compared with Hiraṇyakaśipu tormenting Prahlāda Maharaja. Therefore, understanding that these desires are something external to our real self, and contrary to our real interest, we should pray to Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva to free us from these material desires and protect our devotional service, just as He protected Prahlāda Maharaja by killing his vicious father. The characteristic of pure devotion is the desire for pleasing Kṛṣṇa, while material life is based on the desire to satisfy our senses. In any case, we have to serve because this is our constitutional position, but we can choose who or what to serve. As Prabhupāda explains, unless we become freed of all material desires, we cannot fully engage in the devotional service of the Lord, since our remaining material desires will always get in the way. Also, we cannot stop the repetition of birth and death without being completely desireless. Therefore, once the problem is identified, we can sincerely pray to Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva to save us from the torment of our Hiraṇyakaśipu-like desires, so we can be fully engaged in His devotional service. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura mentions that whenever one offers a prayer to the Supreme Lord, one asks some benediction from Him. We can see that Prahlāda Maharaja follows this, even though a pure devotee and completely free from all material desire. What does he pray for?First, he prays for the well-being of all people. The desire for material gratification leads to fruitive activity and envy, two formidable obstacles to one’s spiritual advancement. Real happiness comes from connection with Kṛṣṇa, the eternal nature of the soul, and thus material desires are the root cause of all miseries. He goes thus directly to the root cause of the problem, praying that Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva may destroy their material desires and contamination, so they may become peaceful devotees who think of others’ welfare. As Prabhupāda explains in his purport: “Anyone who takes up Kṛṣṇa consciousness and engages himself completely in the service of the Lord cleanses his mind of all envy (manaś ca bhadraṁ bhajatād adhokṣaje). Therefore we should pray to Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva to sit in our hearts. We should pray, bahir nṛsiṁho hṛdaye nṛsiṁhaḥ: “Let Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva sit in the core of my heart, killing all my bad propensities. Let my mind become clean so that I may peacefully worship the Lord and bring peace to the entire world.”He also touches on another intriguing subject: “Some people argue that if everyone thought of Kṛṣṇa in that way, the whole universe would be vacated because everyone would go back home, back to Godhead. However, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that this is impossible because the living entities are innumerable. If one set of living entities is actually delivered by the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, another set will fill the entire universe.”There are countless souls in each universe, and from these, only a small percentage are active at any given time. Even if all these active souls who are awakened in different types of bodies are liberated, others will replace them, and the universe will continue. In fact, it is mentioned that this happened at the time of the appearance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu (as discussed in CC Antya-lila, chapter 3). Apart from this, there are many universes and unlimited souls residing in the causal ocean; therefore, we should not think that it is a problem for the Lord if all souls of the universe were liberated. In fact, that’s precisely what He wants. Jails are a necessity in any country to contain the criminal population, but no one becomes unhappy when a prison is closed due to a lack of prisoners. “My dear Lord, we pray that we may never feel attraction for the prison of family life, consisting of home, wife, children, friends, bank balance, relatives and so on. If we do have some attachment, let it be for devotees, whose only dear friend is Kṛṣṇa. A person who is actually self-realized and who has controlled his mind is perfectly satisfied with the bare necessities of life. He does not try to gratify his senses. Such a person quickly advances in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whereas others, who are too attached to material things, find advancement very difficult.By associating with persons for whom the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mukunda, is the all in all, one can hear of His powerful activities and soon come to understand them. The activities of Mukunda are so potent that simply by hearing of them one immediately associates with the Lord. For a person who constantly and very eagerly hears narrations of the Lord’s powerful activities, the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead in the form of sound vibrations, enters within his heart and cleanses it of all contamination. On the other hand, although bathing in the Ganges diminishes bodily contaminations and infections, this process and the process of visiting holy places can cleanse the heart only after a long time. Therefore who is the sane man who will not associate with devotees to quickly perfect his life?” (SB 5.18.10-11)It is very difficult for anyone to remain without association. Liberated souls in the spiritual world associate with Kṛṣṇa and His devotees, while conditioned souls forge many temporary relationships in this material world. The only positions in which there is no association whatsoever are the causal ocean and the impersonal Brahmajyoti, which are not completely stable positions and are not desirable for Vaiṣnavas. We don’t want to remain conditioned souls; therefore, mundane relationships are not helpful. On the other hand, we also don’t want to become impersonalists. In this way, the extinction of all relationships is also not desirable. Prahlāda thus teaches us the way: Instead of feeling attraction to mundane friends and family members, we should transfer this affection to Kṛṣṇa and His devotees. Just as by associating with materialists we become more entangled in material desires, by associating with devotees who want exclusively to serve Kṛṣṇa, we get immersed in the same attitude of pure service and love for Kṛṣṇa. As a result, the mind finally becomes peaceful, and we become satisfied with what we have, instead of hankering for more. Losing the attraction for the satisfaction of the senses, we quickly advance. Without such a saintly association, however, we will tend to go back to the association of materialists, or we may start going in the direction of impersonalism, which will also not help us. As long as we remain in the association of pure devotees, maintenance is very easy by just accepting kṛṣṇa-prasāda. As Prabhupāda mentions: “Why should the menu be unnecessarily increased for the satisfaction of the tongue? Devotees should eat as simply as possible. Otherwise, attachment for material things will gradually increase, and the senses, being very strong, will soon require more and more material enjoyment. Then the real business of life — to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness — will stop.”Nowadays, we often mix the practice of devotional service with materialistic life, diluting the whole process and making things complicated, but when we go for a simple life, with good association and good spiritual practice, things become simpler. To reinforce this point, Prabhupāda invokes SB 1.2.18, a verse we already studied: naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu, nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā, bhagavaty uttama-śloke, bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī, “By regularly hearing the Bhāgavatam and rendering service unto the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is practically destroyed, and loving service unto the glorious Lord, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.”Everything starts by somehow coming in contact with devotees. We then start the process of chanting and hearing transcendental literature, and just by faithfully hearing, we can become, at least for the time being, almost free from material contamination. This gives us a chance of being engaged in devotional service, and by following the process, the contamination of the modes of passion and ignorance diminishes. Eventually, we become fixed in the mode of goodness. At this stage, the symptoms of material hankering and attachment subside, and we become happy and fixed in devotional service, offering us a platform for advancing further.In his purport, Prabhupāda explains that: “All the great ācāryas strongly recommend that people be given a chance to hear about the Supreme Lord. Then success is assured. The more we cleanse the dirt of material attachment from our hearts, the more we will be attracted by Kṛṣṇa’s name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and activities. This is the sum and substance of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.”The best way to keep our Kṛṣṇa Consciousness alive is by working to bring it to others. That’s why Prabhupāda organized his whole movement around this goal. Conversely, when we lose this enthusiasm, the tendency is that we gradually go back into materialism and bad association. “All the demigods and their exalted qualities, such as religion, knowledge and renunciation, become manifest in the body of one who has developed unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. On the other hand, a person devoid of devotional service and engaged in material activities has no good qualities. Even if he is adept at the practice of mystic yoga or the honest endeavor of maintaining his family and relatives, he must be driven by his own mental speculations and must engage in the service of the Lord’s external energy. How can there be any good qualities in such a man?Just as aquatics always desire to remain in the vast mass of water, all conditioned living entities naturally desire to remain in the vast existence of the Supreme Lord. Therefore if someone very great by material calculations fails to take shelter of the Supreme Soul but instead becomes attached to material household life, his greatness is like that of a young, low-class couple. One who is too attached to material life loses all good spiritual qualities.Therefore, O demons, give up the so-called happiness of family life and simply take shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, which are the actual shelter of fearlessness. Entanglement in family life is the root cause of material attachment, indefatigable desires, moroseness, anger, despair, fear and the desire for false prestige, all of which result in the repetition of birth and death.” (SB 5.18.12-14)In text twelve, Prahlāda Maharaja touches on the point of good qualities. Kṛṣṇa is the source of all good qualities, which are embodied in the demigods. The demigods manifest in the body of a devotee who developed unalloyed devotion. Conversely, a materialist who is disconnected from Kṛṣṇa shows no good qualities. It could be argued, however, that it can be practically observed that often materialists show good qualities, such as kindness, cleanliness, truthfulness, and so on, qualities that a number of devotees appear to lack. There are a series of points to be noted in this connection, however. The first is that, in any case, these qualities come from some form of proximity with Kṛṣṇa, even if indirect. Demons in the lower planetary systems often exhibit good material qualities, such as charity, but these come from them following brāhminical culture, under the guidance of their guru, Śukrācārya. Similarly, materialists on this planet may follow moral codes, give charity, or practice habits connected with the mode of goodness. All of this is indirectly connected with Kṛṣṇa, and this indirect connection is the source of their good qualities. They may also be coming from an environment of piety in previous lives, and still display some good qualities connected with this past birth. However, because they are now associating with the modes of passion and ignorance, which are the source of all bad qualities, whatever good qualities they may have now will be gradually covered up to the point one becomes a dog or a pig.A devotee, on the other hand, is on the ascending path. Even if coming from a sinful birth, one is learning to cultivate good habits and reform oneself through the devotional process. More than that, by getting closer to Kṛṣṇa, one gradually ascends to the mode of goodness and from there gets closer to the transcendental platform. Eventually, one becomes an unalloyed devotee who displays all the good qualities described by Prahlāda Maharaja. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja mentions that all good qualities become manifest in the body of a Vaiṣṇava, while Jīva Goswami concludes (Śrī Kṛṣṇa-sandarbha, 190.4) that all good qualities take shelter of bhakti. A devotee may not exhibit good qualities while still struggling to surpass the beginning stages of the devotional process, but as one advances, qualities such as kindness, truthfulness, equality, faultlessness, magnanimity, cleanliness, peacefulness, working for others’ benefit, steadiness, sense control, etc., become automatically manifest. Darkness is nothing but the absence of light. When the supreme light of Kṛṣṇa becomes manifest in our lives, all darkness is automatically dissipated. Another side to this question is explored by Prabhupāda in his purport to text 13. Just as aquatic animals such as crocodiles can’t exhibit their original power while on land, a soul can’t exhibit his original spiritual power if not engaged in spiritual activities. A materialist, therefore, exalted as he may be by material standards, can’t really exhibit any good quality at all. All he may possess are temporary material imitations, coming from interactions of the three modes. As Prabhupāda comments, “Their greatness is like that of a young husband and wife who, though uneducated, praise one another and become attracted to their own temporary beauty. This kind of greatness is appreciated only by low-class men with no qualifications.”Traditionally, materialistic life is cultivated by gṛhamedhīs, who remain attached to family life as a source of enjoyment, while remaining blind to self-realization. Nowadays, many do even worse, by not accepting even the sacred vows of marriage, and just practicing promiscuous sex and other forms of sin without any regulation, but this does not make the situation of the gṛhamedhīs good. Their life is full of material attachment, tireless desires, moroseness, anger, despair, fear, and false prestige, all of this simply to acquire a new birth at the end. Prahlāda Maharaja thus urges all demons and materialists to give up this abominable life of sense gratification and simply take shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. By surrendering unto Him, we attain fearlessness. This is a publication for thoughtful readers who want to go deeper into Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I publish daily, and all posts are available to free subscribers. If you wish, you can also choose a paid subscription to support this work. By subscribing, you also gain access to the manuscripts of the books I’m currently working on. Subscribe to receive new posts by email:If you would like to contribute further, you can find the donation links here. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

One of the eight sets of mountains surrounding Mount Sumeru, in Ilāvṛta-varṣa, is Kailāsa, located to the south. This is the abode of Lord Śiva. This abode is described in the Fourth Canto, chapter six (in the episode when the demigods go there to apologize to Lord Śiva after having offended him at the sacrifice organized by Daksa), as a paradisiac place, with pristine nature and all natural opulences. In the middle of it, there is a very auspicious place, where Lord Śiva sits under a great banyan tree, which is 100 yojanas high, with its branches spreading over 75 yojanas around. In other words, this tree alone is larger than Great Britain. Despite such a great natural opulence, Lord Śiva is not interested in material enjoyment. He spends his time absorbed in meditation and in philosophical talks with associates such as Kuvera and the four Kumāras. Despite this, his wife, Pārvatī, is very eager to serve him, accompanied by her billions of servants. This abode of Lord Śiva is off-limits for the inhabitants of the other eight varṣas. If any human man inadvertently tries to enter this sacred abode, he is immediately transformed into a woman, as described in the first chapter of the Ninth Canto, in the saga of King Sudyumna. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

The lifestyle and opulence of the inhabitants of Jambūdvīpa “On the side of Supārśva Mountain stands a big tree called Mahākadamba, which is very celebrated. From the hollows of this tree flow five rivers of honey, each about five vyāmas wide. This flowing honey falls incessantly from the top of Supārśva Mountain and flows all around Ilāvṛta-varṣa, beginning from the western side. Thus the whole land is saturated with the pleasing fragrance. The air carrying the scent from the mouths of those who drink that honey perfumes the land for a hundred yojanas around.” (SB 5.16.22-23)To the west, a complex of five rivers of celestial honey flows from the great kadamba tree situated on top of Supārśva Mountain. These five rivers flow around the whole Ilāvṛta-varṣa. The special characteristic of this honey is a very pleasing fragrance that perfumes not only the environment, but also the bodies of the inhabitants of these places. Instead of depending on artificial perfumes and cosmetics, they maintain their beauty in attractiveness by simply consuming the products of their celestial abode. “Similarly, on Kumuda Mountain there is a great banyan tree, which is called Śatavalśa because it has a hundred main branches. From those branches come many roots, from which many rivers are flowing. These rivers flow down from the top of the mountain to the northern side of Ilāvṛta-varṣa for the benefit of those who live there. Because of these flowing rivers, all the people have ample supplies of milk, yogurt, honey, clarified butter [ghee], molasses, food grains, clothes, bedding, sitting places and ornaments. All the objects they desire are sufficiently supplied for their prosperity, and therefore they are very happy.” (SB 5.16.24)The great banyan tree on top of Kumuda Mountain is the source of many rivers, which are described as “kāma-dughāḥ” (fulfilling all desires). The verse lists a long list of desirable items (milk, yogurt, honey, ghee, molasses, grains, clothing, bedding, seats, ornaments, etc.) that are directly connected with these rivers. This appears to indicate that these rivers are the direct source of all these objects, which are supplied for the happiness and prosperity of the inhabitants of Ilāvṛta-varṣa. In other words, these rivers are like kalpa-vṛkṣa trees that supply everything desirable. In this way, no one there has to work to obtain all the necessities of life… Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

👆 I’m testing a new feature: an audio version of the article you can listen to. This is not an AI voice; it’s me reading the article and sometimes adding something. If you find it useful and would like to see it in other articles, leave a comment sharing your experience. Thanks! 🕉You can receive new articles directly in your inbox. Subscription is free; donations are welcome.Burnout is a problem that affects many devotees. It can lead to many negative symptoms, like irritation and impatience, headaches and other physical discomfort, depression, low self-esteem, and a feeling of impotence against what appear to be mounting and insurmountable difficulties. This physical and mental exhaustion leads to mechanical hearing and chanting, which can undermine the very foundation of our spiritual practice. It doesn’t really count when the body is there, but the mind is somewhere else.Once the foundation is impacted, other symptoms can appear, such as irritation, harsh speech, fault-finding, cynicism, and so on. Eventually, all of this combined can lead a devotee to conclude that he or she simply can’t continue, and that’s where many end up leaving the association of devotees or even spiritual practice altogether. It’s not difficult to understand why: in this case, instead of bringing bliss, spiritual practice registers in the mind as a painful experience, and even if one is very determined in the beginning, time makes the mind reject it. Once one stops, it is difficult to go back. Interestingly enough, devotees are, in general, more susceptible to burnout than regular people because we frequently have to combine our regular material obligations with work and family with our spiritual practice and service. It is easy to tell others that we need to be attentive while hearing and chanting, that we should be present, and so on. We all understand that. The question is that all of this demands energy, and it may be difficult to muster it after a journey of 16 hours of work, commuting, family problems, and other forms of pressure. Often, the pressure for being present, which is generally good advice, just adds to the problem. Ironically, the more a devotee is serious and determined to do more in spiritual life, the more he or she becomes susceptible to developing burnout. A devotee who wants to be serious in his spiritual practice frequently has to add 20 or even 30 hours of practice and service on top of responsibilities with work and family. This includes japa, listening to classes, online meetings with devotees, temple activities, book distribution, etc. For example, many devotees participate in weekend warrior programs, distributing books on weekends, often on both Saturday and Sunday. All included (commuting, organization, the distribution itself, and some meeting afterward), this may equal 16 hours of extra service per week. If one is the organizer, it can be more. Add this to 21 hours of weekly spiritual practice (japa, classes, etc.), 10 hours of temple and home programs, plus 40 hours of a regular job, 12 hours of commuting to work, 14 hours spent with family, etc. All of this under the pressure of being present and doing everything attentively. Is it even humanly possible? That’s exactly the point. Many devotees are not exactly “human” in the ordinary sense. They are in the stage of bhāva (if not beyond), impervious to the limitations of the material body and mind. One who is on such a high platform may effectively be able to maintain such a rhythm. The problem starts when it comes to regular mortals like us. In the Gītā (6.16-17), Kṛṣṇa directly alerts:“There is no possibility of one’s becoming a yogī, O Arjuna, if one eats too much or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough. He who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, recreation and work can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.”Spiritual practice is not a sprint. If we could obtain love of Godhead as we collapse after a year working 20 hours per day, this would surely be a tempting option, but unfortunately, that’s not how it works. Love of Godhead can be achieved only after a lifetime of service, performed with care and attention. The question then is how to maintain our physical and mental strength to be able to continue performing our spiritual practice with stability. How to hold enough back to be able to remain present during our hearing, chanting, and associating without being lazy. This is an art we must master to achieve success. We know philosophically that austerity is good for spiritual advancement. We hear many stories of great devotees who achieved perfection by performing great austerities, such as Dhruva Maharaja and the Six Goswamis, and thus the natural conclusion for many is that since austerity is good, the more austerity we can do, the more we will be able to advance. Although this simple logic sounds attractive, the reality is a little more complicated. The level of austerity we can perform, as well as the types of austerity that are more effective for our specific situation, are connected not just with our level of spiritual advancement but also with the constitution of our body and mind. The important point to understand is that everyone has their limits. We can’t perform austerities like Raghunātha Dāsa Goswami (or any other of the six Goswamis!) To perform more austerities, we can maintain is actually dangerous, because it makes us too exhausted, which can increase the influence of the mode of ignorance, leading to all kinds of problems. Too little austerity leads one to lenience and tama-guna, but interestingly enough, too much austerity can also increase the influence of the mode of ignorance because this is the natural result of becoming overly-tired when we are still in the material platform. That’s precisely the difference between pure devotees and ordinary mortals. Pure devotees don’t identify with the body and mind, and therefore they remain stable even under extraordinary loads. They can thus accept superhuman austerities or remain engaged in service much beyond any human limit, without any negative effect on their spiritual meditation. They remain perfectly connected with Kṛṣṇa regardless of the situation. The question is that we can’t imitate them without being on the same platform. If we are not transcendental to body and mind, we need to follow the rule of regulation that Kṛṣṇa gives in the Gītā, being regulated in our habits of eating, sleeping, recreation, and work, not being lazy but also not over-endeavoring. There is also another point we should be attentive to. In the Upadeśāmṛta (2), Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī explains:“One’s devotional service is spoiled when he becomes too entangled in the following six activities: (1) eating more than necessary or collecting more funds than required; (2) over-endeavoring for mundane things that are very difficult to obtain; (3) talking unnecessarily about mundane subject matters; (4) practicing the scriptural rules and regulations only for the sake of following them and not for the sake of spiritual advancement, or rejecting the rules and regulations of the scriptures and working independently or whimsically; (5) associating with worldly-minded persons who are not interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness; and (6) being greedy for mundane achievements.”The critical point here is number two: over-endeavoring for mundane things that are very difficult to obtain.Not all service is transcendental. Often, we become attracted to performing different types of services as a form of material achievement, as a way to nourish our ego, or to impress others and achieve some form of prestige in the group. To become a great person in the world is very difficult, but to become prominent in the society of devotees, materially speaking, is not very difficult, and the mind can easily become attracted to the idea. This, however, leads to the most dangerous type of burnout. In the end, we need to be balanced enough to differentiate tolerance from self-harm. In the Gītā (2.14), Kṛṣṇa urges us to develop tolerance, getting out of lethargy: “O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.”... On the other hand, He also urges restraint, like on 6.16-17, as already mentioned, and on 12.13-14: “One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Me – such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me.” We can see that in this and other passages, Kṛṣṇa gives the image of a balanced devotee who is kind to others and performs his services with determination, while at the same time being wise enough to avoid over-endeavoring and not being a workaholic. We must, thus, find his golden middle, a situation where we can perform all the important activities without, however, going beyond our limit.a) Basic spiritual practice, including japa and hearing, must be non-negotiable. There may be a day when we may have to sacrifice it because of some emergency, but this must be a one-time thing. If an emergency becomes a daily occurrence, it is not an emergency anymore; it is routine. b) There may also be some months when things become intense; this is part of life. The point is that after this, there should be a more peaceful period when we can recover. c) We are not kamikazes. We don’t defeat Māyā by performing banzai charges. We need to be able to honestly estimate how many hours of service per day or week we can do without sacrificing non-negotiable aspects, such as sādhana and family, avoiding suicide service. d) We should be able to watch for warning lights, such as irritation, sleep deprivation, resentment, depression, etc., and reduce the load before reaching a point of collapse.e) Isolation makes things worse. Reaching out to other devotees and finding non-judgmental support is also crucial. Both other devotees who can be supportive friends and seniors who can mentor us are valuable. The point, however, is to avoid judgmental people, or devotees who simply lack the proper realization to understand our situation. These can easily make things worse. In conclusion, spiritual life is not a sprint, but a marathon. It’s not about going on the fast line until we become exhausted and then collapse, but about keeping a steady pace of advancement during all our lives. For this, we need a lot of common sense and good guidance.If this post was useful for you, you may also be interested in the book that discusses our challenges in spiritual life more thoroughly: This is a publication for thoughtful readers who want to go deeper into Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I publish daily, trying to offer high-quality spiritual content, and all posts are available to free subscribers. If you wish, you can also choose a paid subscription to support this work. Subscribe to receive new posts by email:You can also receive the updates on WhatsApp or Telegram. If you would like to contribute further, you can find the donation links here. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

All the measurements in the description of Śukadeva Goswami are given in yojanas, an ancient Vedic unit of distance used in Sanskrit texts. The length of the yojana can vary according to the context, but Prabhupāda concludes that the descriptions of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam are based on a yojana of eight miles.Jambūdvīpa is described as being circular in form (round like the leaf of a lotus flower), with a length and breadth of 100,000 yojanas (800,000 miles), as confirmed in SB 5.20.2. It’s difficult to conceive something this size, but just for comparison, the equatorial circumference of our planet is about 24,901 miles, which is about 3,113 yojanas. If we do the math, Jambūdvīpa is 2,547 times larger than the entire surface area of earth!Jambūdvīpa is divided into nine varṣas, or tracts of land, separated by gigantic mountains, whose size is almost inconceivable for us. For example, there are four great mountains surrounding Mount Sumeru (Mandara, Merumandara, Supārśva, and Kumuda), which are 10,000 yojanas, or 80,000 miles high! For comparison, Mount Everest, the highest mountain on our planet, is about 5.5 miles (0.69 yojanas) high. Again, we are speaking about a difference of orders of magnitude. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

The Vedic Cosmology of the 5th Canto The first part of the Fifth Canto describes the descendants of Mahārāja Priyavrata (who ruled during the first Manvantara), including the description of the activities of Mahārāja Āgnīdhra, the pastimes of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva, the fall of King Bharata, and so on. The second part enters into details about Vedic cosmology, including the structure of Bhū-mandala, the orbit of the sun, the heavenly and hellish planets, and so on. One could question why such a description of the universe is necessary, since the main purpose of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is to discuss spiritual topics, but the truth is that this description is far more important than it may look at firstThe view we have of the universe around us is very influential in our concept of identity. If I believe the universe is an empty wasteland governed by mechanical physical laws, where things happen by chance, I will be much more inclined to believe that there is no God, life comes from matter, and life serves no purpose apart from immediate gratification. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

A serious mistake we often make when studying transcendental literature is to study it as a spectator, seeing it as something that is applicable to the personalities involved, but not to us. When we do that, we miss the whole point. Just as the Bhagavad-gītā was not just spoken to Arjuna, all the discussions in the Śrīmad Bhagavad and other books are not just for others, but especially to ourselves. When we see these passages as mere objects of intellectual study or historical narrations, we miss the purpose. Just as Rahūgaṇa, we are currently immersed in the material tree, thinking that we are men or women, that we are the maintainers of our subordinates, and so on. These instructions from Jaḍa Bharata aim to take us out of this material concept and bring us to a platform of knowledge, from which we can gradually free ourselves from material illusion, and from there attain pure devotional service to the Lord. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

Material world: The place of ephemeral and temporary happiness “Sometimes, being defeated or plundered by a superior, powerful agent, a living entity loses all his possessions. He then becomes very morose, and lamenting their loss, he sometimes becomes unconscious. Sometimes he imagines a great palatial city in which he desires to live happily with his family members and riches. He thinks himself fully satisfied if this is possible, but such so-called happiness continues only for a moment.” (SB 5.13.7)In this world, everyone looks for happiness in relationships with friends, family, and society, but this happiness is insufficient to satisfy the needs of the soul, just as a drop of water in the desert. Worse still is that this happiness is temporary, and it depends to a large extent on one’s financial means. Sometimes a person may lose everything to a powerful enemy, government officials, or other unexpected situations. Often this also causes one to lose his or her family and circle of friends. In such situations, with all plans destroyed, one often falls into depression and loses all enthusiasm. This is yet another facet of material existence. The analogy of the gandharva-pura, or the illusory castle, is also deepened by Prabhupāda in this verse: Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

The material world, as the great forest of enjoyment In chapter 13, Jaḍa Bharata further instructs King Rahūgaṇa, describing the features of this material world figuratively in his analogy of the material world as the great forest of enjoyment. Originally, this passage is quite cryptic, but the meaning is explained in detail in chapter 14, where the conversation goes back to Śukadeva Goswami and Parīkṣit Maharaja. The King enquires about the direct meaning of this analogy, leading Śukadeva Goswami to explain it more elaborately. The meaning is then further expanded by Śrīla Prabhupāda in his purports. Here, I combine the two chapters, merging the description of the forest from chapter 13 and the explanations of their meaning from chapter 14. One could question what is the necessity of Jaḍa Bharata coming back to a discussion about the material world after revealing that the ultimate goal is Kṛṣṇa, but the point is that fixing ourselves on the spiritual platform is not so easy. Even after attaining an advanced platform, like Bharata Maharaja, there is still the risk of falling into bad association. As long as we have a naive understanding of this material world, seeing it as a place of enjoyment, we will always remain attracted to it, and thus propense to fall back into bad association. Jaḍa Bharata thus describes different situations we experience at different points of our lives and their outcomes, helping us to develop a more realistic understanding of the struggles of materialistic life. This understanding can help us to disassociate ourselves from it. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

After hearing these teachings, Rahūgaṇa again became repentant for his offenses to Jaḍa Bharata. He had completely disregarded him, forced him to carry his palanquin, and even threatened him. Now he understands the extent of his mistake. “King Rahūgaṇa said: O most exalted personality, you are not different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By the influence of your true self, all kinds of contradiction in the śāstras have been removed. In the dress of a friend of a brāhmaṇa, you are hiding your transcendental blissful position. I offer my respectful obeisances unto you.O best of the brāhmaṇas, my body is filled with dirty things, and my vision has been bitten by the serpent of pride. Due to my material conceptions, I am diseased. Your nectarean instructions are the proper medicine for one suffering from such a fever, and they are cooling waters for one scorched by the heat.” (SB 5.12.1-2)Rahūgaṇa addresses Jaḍa Bharata with the word avadhūta, accepting him in the highest stage of self-realization, even though he was behaving externally as an unqualified member of a brāhmana family who was neglecting the external rules and regulations. This is contrasted with Rahūgaṇa’s position, which identifies with a material body composed of revolting substances. In his purport, Prabhupāda notes the words kāraṇa-vigrahāya, which indicate that Jaḍa Bharata’s body emanates from the Supreme Person. Of course, everything emanates from the Supreme Person, but in the case of Jaḍa Bharata, this was literal, because in his previous life, as Bharata Maharaja, he was born from Lord Ṛṣabhadeva, who is the Lord Himself. “Whatever doubts I have about a particular subject matter I shall ask you about later. For the time being, these mysterious yoga instructions you have given me for self-realization appear very difficult to understand. Please repeat them in a simple way so that I can understand them. My mind is very inquisitive, and I want to understand this clearly.” (5.12.3)Rahūgaṇa couldn’t understand the instructions of Jaḍa Bharata, but he is following the right process, putting forward his questions, so the guru can instruct him. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

Rahūgaṇa’s logic is sound from a practical perspective, but it is based on the wrong perspective. He doesn’t see the soul as truly separated from the body, believing that body and soul are interconnected and that somehow the pains of the body factually affect the soul. Apart from that, he is still under the false ego, seeing himself as the king and others as his subjects. Jaḍa Bharata starts by chastising him for speaking on the bodily perspective, similar to how Kṛṣṇa chastised Arjuna at the beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā: “The brāhmaṇa Jaḍa Bharata said: My dear King, although you are not at all experienced, you are trying to speak like a very experienced man. Consequently you cannot be considered an experienced person. An experienced person does not speak the way you are speaking about the relationship between a master and a servant or about material pains and pleasures. These are simply external activities. Any advanced, experienced man, considering the Absolute Truth, does not talk in this way.” (SB 5.11.1)Rahūgaṇa tried to establish three ideas: a) The reality of material pain and pleasure (they are not false as claimed by Māyāvādis).b) The importance of the performance of mundane roles, such as father, husband, and king. c) The value of punishment as a way of compelling people to perform their duties. These ideas are correct, but only on the practical level of mundane and social behavior. Rahūgaṇa is imitating the vocabulary of great sages, speaking about ātmā (soul), sva-dharma (prescribed duties), etc., but he has no realized knowledge, being still in the bodily platform. In other words, he is out of his depth, trying to speak on topics that are above his understanding. This is similar to when we learn a few complicated Sanskrit words and try to fake erudition by discussing topics we don’t fully understand. Jaḍa Bharata immediately catches that and calls the king akovidaḥ (inexperienced). Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

King Rahūgaṇa considered himself a learned man, but his knowledge was actually very limited. He was in the bodily conception of life, and could not even speak coherently from a philosophical point of view. Śukadeva Goswami describes his words as abaddham (incoherent, illogical, nonsensical). He was speaking, but his ideas were incoherent. This contradiction was noted by Jaḍa Bharata, who decided to deliver his teachings to him. Superficially, Jaḍa Bharata may appear to show a little anger in some of these verses, but this is just a show of mercy. Just as Kṛṣṇa’s killing of a demon is actually meant for his deliverance, when a Vaiṣnava appears to be angry, that’s just a sign of benediction. As Prabhupāda explains in his purport… Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

Bharata Maharaja worships the Lord in the forest“That most exalted devotee, Mahārāja Bharata, in this way engaged constantly in the devotional service of the Lord. Naturally his love for Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, increased more and more and melted his heart. Consequently he gradually lost all attachment for regulative duties. The hairs of his body stood on end, and all the ecstatic bodily symptoms were manifest. Tears flowed from his eyes, so much so that he could not see anything. Thus he constantly meditated on the reddish lotus feet of the Lord. At that time, his heart, which was like a lake, was filled with the water of ecstatic love. When his mind was immersed in that lake, he even forgot the regulative service to the Lord.” (SB 5.7.12)This description shows clearly that Bharata Maharaja was very advanced in the platform of devotional service. This is confirmed by Śrīla Prabhupāda in his purport: “When one is actually advanced in ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa, eight transcendental, blissful symptoms are manifest in the body. Those are the symptoms of perfection arising from loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Since Mahārāja Bharata was constantly engaged in devotional service, all the symptoms of ecstatic love were manifest in his body.”At the same time, however, he somehow became attracted to a deer and fell from this platform. This is also mentioned by Prabhupāda in his purport to text 5.8.7: “Mahārāja Bharata was a great king very advanced in devotional service. He had almost reached the point of loving service to the Supreme Lord, but even from that platform he could fall down onto the material platform.” … Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

The conclusion of the teachings of Rṣabadeva Seeing the mind as an untrustworthy person As a devotee advances in devotional service, one automatically develops the mystical perfections, just as advanced yogīs. However, because a devotee is interested in attaining spiritual perfection, he doesn’t become distracted by the material possibilities offered by mystic powers. Similarly, Ṛṣabhadeva possessed all mystic perfections, but He neglected them, refusing to exercise their powers. It was already established that Ṛṣabhadeva was completely renounced and free from the grasp of illusory energy. This brings us another question. It is understandable that a neophyte may avoid displaying mystic power in fear that they may distract him from his practice, but what is the need of a paramahaṃsa such as Ṛṣabhadeva to hide His opulences? Certainly, there was no risk for Him in falling back into illusion… Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

The mood of a spiritual teacher“As I have advised you, My dear sons, you should act accordingly. Be very careful. By these means you will be freed from the ignorance of the desire for fruitive activity, and the knot of bondage in the heart will be completely severed. For further advancement, you should also give up the means. That is, you should not become attached to the process of liberation itself.” (SB 5.5.14)In the Gītā (18.54), Krsna explains that “One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state, he attains pure devotional service unto Me.” This makes it clear that pure devotional service can only be attained when one is free from material contamination. First, we need to shed the material contamination by practicing the regulated process, and from this platform of purity, we can gradually come to a platform of pure devotional service. That’s why the artificial process used by sahajiyās doesn’t work: they try to reach the goal without using the stair that leads to it… Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

Lord Ṛṣabhadeva instructs His sons We come then to the central part in this section of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, describing the teachings of Ṛṣabhadeva to His sons:“Once while touring the world, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva, the Supreme Lord, reached a place known as Brahmāvarta. There was a great conference of learned brāhmaṇas at that place, and all the King’s sons attentively heard the instructions of the brāhmaṇas there. At that assembly, within the hearing of the citizens, Ṛṣabhadeva instructed His sons, although they were already very well-behaved, devoted and qualified. He instructed them so that in the future they could rule the world very perfectly. Thus he spoke as follows.” (SB 5.4.19)Prabhupāda defines these instructions as a description of bhāgavata-dharma, religious principles in devotional service that transcend religious principles for liberation and the mitigation of material misery. In other words, they transcend ordinary Vedic teachings, bringing the hearer directly to the platform of Krsna Consciousness. That’s the reason they are included in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. As Prabhupāda mentions, these instructions of Ṛṣabhadeva were not exactly meant for His sons, because they were already very advanced in knowledge. They were meant to elevate transcendentalists, especially those on the path of jñana, to the platform of devotional service to the Lord... Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

The Lord is not a hungry man who is dependent on our offerings, or a beggar who needs us to build a house for His residence. As Prabhupāda elaborates, “We may construct a gorgeous temple and spend thousands of dollars, but such a temple is not required by the Lord. The Lord has many millions of temples for His residence, and He does not need our attempt. He does not require opulent activity at all.”If the Lord does not need our offerings, why do we endeavor to cook nice dishes and construct opulent temples for Him? This is precisely one of the challenges of devotional service. In material welfare, we work to satisfy the needs of people who have less than us, like the hungry and homeless. This gives us a sense of superiority, seeing ourselves as the providers and maintainers. This is part of the reason we are in this material world: we want to be the maintainers of others, the object of love and gratitude, which are positions that belong to the Lord. When we come to devotional service, we are confronted with the idea of serving someone who has everything and is not in need of our offerings. The Lord is already served by millions of gopis and goddesses of fortune, and has no need for our offerings. He has already His abode in the spiritual world, full of kalpa-vṛkṣa trees and cintāmaṇi stones, and has no need for a temple made out of bricks. Instead of offering something as a favor, to satisfy one’s need, we offer something to the Lord as a way to try to attract His attention for our own benefit. We have to get rid of our false ego and situate ourselves in a position of humility. In this spirit, we cook our offerings the best we can, and put all our attention and resources into building a house where we can invite the Lord to reside in the form of the deity. Not because He needs it, but because we are anxious for the opportunity to offer some service to Him. This is how devotional love is expressed.As Prabhupāda concludes, “If we engage our money in constructing a gorgeous temple, we are freed from the reactions of our endeavors. This is for our benefit. In addition, if we attempt to do something nice for the Supreme Lord, He is pleased with us and gives us His benediction. In conclusion, the gorgeous arrangements are not for the Lord’s sake but for our own. If we somehow or other receive blessings and benedictions from the Lord, our consciousness can be purified and we can become eligible to return home, back to Godhead.”The soul is eternally connected to the Lord in a bond of love. The key, however, is purification. To relate to the Lord, we need to become purified from material contamination, including the tendency to control. The process for becoming purified of these contaminations is serving the Lord in a humble spirit. In the platform of pure love, everything is possible. Sometimes the Lord becomes dependent on His devotee, and sometimes He is controlled by His devotee, but this is completely different from the contaminated material platform permeated by lust. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

Priyavrata transmitted the rule of Bhu-Mandala to his seven sons, led by Āgnīdhra. Each son became the king of one of the islands, with Āgnīdhra ruling over Jambūdvīpa, the principal amongst the islands, and being accepted as the chief ruler by his brothers. Āgnīdhra was a pious king who ruled based on religious principles and treated all citizens like his own sons. His protection was not just based on giving food, shelter, and security; he maintained the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma, training the citizens to live a progressive life, according to the principles of the Vedas, based on service to the Supreme Lord. Prabhupāda contrasts it with modern rulers, who just collect taxes without giving any real benefit to the citizens. Āgnīdhra, however, was not so serious about self-realization as his father. He was more attracted to the idea of being elevated to Pitṛloka, and for that end he worshiped Lord Brahmā in a valley of Mandara Hill, one of the great mountains of Jambūdvīpa (5.16.11), that was later used by the demigods and demons to churn the ocean of milk. The reason for his choice of this particular mountain appears to be that it’s a place apsarās regularly visit. It seems that, from the beginning, his idea was that, by the grace of Brahmā, he could meet one of these celestial ladies and beget a perfect son who would perform all religious duties after his departure and thus secure his position in Pitṛloka. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

One could argue that since Priyavrata was free of material desire, why did he get married and get involved in sexual life? Why not just remain as a Brahmacārī king? Prabhupāda discusses this point in his purport:“Since Mahārāja Priyavrata was fully trained in transcendental knowledge, he could have returned home and conducted the business of government as a brahmacārī. Instead, however, when he returned to household life, he accepted a wife also. The principle is that when one becomes a gṛhastha he must live perfectly in that order, which means he must live peacefully with a wife and children. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s first wife died, His mother requested Him to marry for a second time. He was twenty years old and was going to take sannyāsa at the age of twenty-four, yet by the request of His mother, He married. “As long as I am in household life,” He told His mother, “I must have a wife, for household life does not mean staying in a house. Real household life means living in a house with a wife.”Many of the duties of a king can’t be performed by a celibate. A king has to perform many fruitive sacrifices that demand the presence of a wife, and he has to produce descendants that can continue the lineage. Because Priyavrata was so qualified, he didn’t need a wife for inspiration in performing his duties, like most men, but still, without a wife, he would not be properly situated in the āśrama. Vedic culture encourages us to be properly situated in one of the āśramas instead of trying to mix up their functions. By definition, a king is supposed to be a married man, and therefore, when he accepted the post, Priyavrata decided to also accept a wife and beget children... Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

Previously in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, it was explained that Svāyambhuva Manu had two very qualified sons, of whom Uttānapāda, the younger, inherited the throne. The reason was that the elder son, Priyavrata, had a strong tendency to renunciation and retired at a younger age, becoming a disciple of Nārada Muni. Uttānapāda was the father of Dhruva Maharaja, who succeeded him on the throne. Dhruva became the head of a great dynasty, which continued up to the Pracetas, who produced a single son through their wife, Marisa: Daksa (in his second birth). Daksa, however, was not interested in becoming a human king. His goal was to regain his original position as the principal Prajāpati. He thus practiced austerities for a very long time, and never ascended to the throne. With this, the lineage of Dhruva Maharaja was broken. There was, however, one descendant of Svāyambhuva Manu who was alive, and had never ascended to the throne: Priyavrata, his elder son. With the breakage of his brother’s dynasty, the duty of ruling would naturally fall on him... Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

With this, we come to the end of the conversation between Vidura and Maitreya, which corresponds to most of the 3rd and 4th cantos of the Srimad Bhagavatam. By examining all of the important instructions we received in these two cantos, we can see how valuable they are and easily understand why Śukadeva Goswami chose to narrate them. Vidura heard from Maitreya many descriptions of kings who attained perfection at the end of life. Dhṛtarāṣṭra is also a great personality in a sense, for no common person could be born from the semen of a great sage such as Vyāsadeva and participate in the pastimes of the Lord, even if as an opponent. Vidura knew he had the determination to free himself of material contamination, even though it would be difficult for him to directly surrender to the Lord due to his many offenses. He thus engaged him in the practice of mystic yoga, so he could attain impersonal liberation. Śukadeva Goswami concludes the narration of the 4th canto, offering a blessing to all sincere readers. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

The Lord appeared on the shoulder of Garuḍa, in a form with eight arms, complete with all opulences. The Lord was satisfied with the Pracetas for their perfect recitation of the prayers of Lord Śiva, their dedication in the practice of devotional service, and many other factors, but the point he specifically mentioned when He met them was their sincere dealings with each other: "My dear sons of the King, I am very much pleased by the friendly relationships among you. All of you are engaged in one occupation — devotional service. I am so pleased with your mutual friendship that I wish you all good fortune. Now you may ask a benediction of Me." (SB 4.30.8) Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

Just as Rāhu, which is normally invisible, sometimes becomes visible in the presence of the full moon, all the material desires stocked in the mind, which are normally invisible until manifested, become visible at once when the devotee attains the constant association of the Lord. One can thus see his entire stock of desires at once and, simultaneously, see the Lord present before him. In the presence of the Lord, all these material desires look insignificant, and a devotee completely loses interest in them. With all material desires destroyed, there is no more obstacle in one going back home, back to Godhead. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

For us, the allegory of Purañjana is quite understandable because of all the details included in the purports of Srila Prabhupada. However, for one with access to just the Sanskrit verses, the meaning of the allegory is not clear at all. That's a situation similar to the second chapter of the Bhagavad-Gītā, where Arjuna becomes confused by the meaning of the verses, while for us, the meaning is quite clear due to the purports. Some of the symbolism was already revealed by the Lord, speaking in the form of the Brāhmana on verses 56 to 58 of the previous chapter, but the king was still puzzled by many aspects of the allegory. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

At the beginning of our movement, disciples of Prabhupada had no doubts about our eternal relationship with Krsna and how the soul ends up in the material world, because the only source of information for them was the books of Srila Prabhupada, where the question is explained clearly. However, in the late 1970s, devotees coming in contact with other ideas transformed this point into a battleground. At some point, Prabhupada wrote an essay directly clarifying the topic to his disciple, Madhudvisa Prabhu, which I try to explain in detail here. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

Some have the idea that Krsna doesn't care about the jīvas, sending some here and some to the spiritual world in a more or less random fashion. However, this idea is clearly dismissed in the Srimad Bhagavatam. Krsna is the friend of everyone, and the proof is that He follows each soul in its adventures in the material world, accompanying each soul as one goes from one material body to the other. No one can thus say that we are here due to the Lord's indifference. He wants us back; the question is just for us to accept His extended hand. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

Just as in the first part of the allegory, Srila Prabhupada adds a completely new layer of understanding to the passage of Purañjana taking his next birth as a woman. From verse 4.28.29 to 4.28.34, Prabhupada shows how the allegory describes the spread of the cult of bhakti, and how Vaidarbhī became involved in it as a result of her short devotional practice in her previous life as Purañjana. This meaning was first revealed by Srila Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa in his commentary, and Prabhupada further expanded it to our contemporary context. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

After being attacked by the forces of Caṇḍavega for many years, the defenses of the city of Purañjana are already worn out. This illustrates the period preceding old age, where one sees a great diminution of energy, and the body starts to give trouble. This is the age the scriptures recommend one retire from active family life and focus on one's self-realization. Purañjana, however, preferred to ignore the warnings, and now Kālakanyā, followed by Prajvāra and Yavana-rāja, will deliver the final blow. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

Every conditioned soul lives in a fort that is being constantly attacked by a powerful enemy, the irresistible force of time, which no one can stop. It is just a matter of time until the city falls, but still, Purañjana, the conditioned soul, continued to simply enjoy life together with the senses and desires, without caring for the future. Just like Purañjana, materialists prefer to ignore death until the last moment, believing that somehow or other, they will be able to avoid it. When the time comes, they are surprised. Just as a king collects taxes and thus enjoys life, we use the facilities of the body. There are billions of cells and other living entities in a human body, and they all perform their respective duties for the maintenance of the body. When we use this body to practice devotional service, they are all benefited, but when we misuse it for sinful activities, we have to face responsibility. We may think that it is our body and therefore we can do anything we want, but it is not like that. This attitude is similar to a king who just plunders the citizens instead of performing his duties. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

Purañjana left his queen and went to hunt in the forest. This part of the allegory illustrates the situation of a man who abandons his good sense and goes to perform sinful activities guided just by his senses and the desires of the mind. In the allegory, the queen represents one's intelligence, which may be imperfect and propense to materialistic activities, but that at least offers a degree of piety, religiousness, and morals to guide these activities. Purañjana was already entangled in material life by following his intelligence, but now, without it he becomes busy in simply performing gross sinful activities. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

Affected by lust, a man sees a beautiful girl as the source of satisfaction for all his desires, and similarly, a woman sees a handsome man as the source of wealth, adventure, and satisfaction. Just as it is difficult for a man to resist the beauty of a young, attractive lady, it is very difficult for a woman to resist the advances of a handsome man who tries to seduce her. This is the very basis of material conditioning. The strategy of seduction may be different for the two genders, but the attraction is similar. Because of this mutual attraction, both men and women become attracted to material life, and this keeps us forgetful of our original spiritual nature. Even experienced transcendentalists can fall when an opportunity for material enjoyment appears, as in the case of many sages seduced by apasaras described in the scriptures. As in most romantic stories, Purañjana took the initiative, attracted by the beauty of the girl, and, seduced in this way, she eagerly accepted him. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

Materialistic life is compared to a dark well, since once failing there, there is little possibility of escaping. If one somehow comes in contact with devotees who can pull him out, one should grab this opportunity with all his will, just as Prācīnabarhi did. As Prabhupada mentions in his purport to 4.25.6: "The King was very fortunate to be able to associate with Nārada, who enlightened him in spiritual knowledge. It is the duty of all saintly persons to follow in the footsteps of Nārada Muni and travel all over the world to every country and village just to instruct illusioned persons about the goal of life and to save them from the entanglement of karma-bandha, fruitive activity."The allegory of King Purañjana, which is nothing more than the story of the king himself, is crafted to make him understand his helpless condition and bring him to a platform of renunciation. Ultimately, this is the story of every conditioned soul, and if we study it attentively, it can have the same effect on us that it had on the king. After hearing it, Prācīnabarhi becomes self-realized. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

In the last part of his prayers, Lord Śiva reinforces that the Lord is the ultimate object of worship. What is the necessity of discussing this topic after the greatness and the personal qualities of the Lord have already been discussed? The point is that as conditioned souls, we always have a strong tendency to impersonalism. We can say that impersonalism is the default modus operandi for all conditioned souls. Unless we have a good philosophical foundation, we may eventually come to the idea that there is something else behind Krsna, and we are serving Him just to attain this impersonal unmanifest that is the ultimate origin. In the last verses, Lord Śiva clears this misconception, keeping us fixed in the proper understanding. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

In the second part of his prayers, Lord Śiva speaks about the transcendental form of the Lord. Hearing about the power and opulences of the Lord helps us to develop respect and appreciation for Him, but it is usually not enough to inspire an attitude of service. This comes when we hear about the form and personal qualities and attributes of the Lord. This meditation brings Him closer, and from this we develop an attitude of service to Him. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

Lord Śiva or Rudra is the controller of egotism, but he does so as a representative of the Lord; therefore, the Lord is the supreme controller of egotism. Under the influence of this false ego, we forget our eternal spiritual identity and accept temporary identities in this material world. It was already established that although the Supreme controller of everything, the Lord reciprocates our desire, therefore He will not remove our false ego until we sincerely desire it. Lord Śiva thus prays for our benefit, teaching us how we should pray to the Lord so that our false ego may be removed and our real ego as eternal servants of the Lord may be awakened. The practical process for removing false egotism is to be engaged both in thought and actions in devotional service, according to the directions of the scriptures, received through the spiritual master. If the Vedic vibration, or the instructions received, are pure, without adulteration, they lead to perfect knowledge and perfect activities. Perfect knowledge includes chanting the Mahā-mantra, which is the conclusion of all scriptures. In this way, our mind, senses, and words will all turn toward devotional activities. Again, Lord Śiva shows by his own example how we should pray. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

The last lesson of any great spiritual teacher is how to face the ultimate test: death. After fulfilling all his other duties in his earthly pastimes, Pṛthu Maharaja had a last mission to accomplish, abandoning his material body in perfect consciousness and returning home, back to Godhead, leaving his example for all who would follow. The time of death is the most difficult, and therefore is the test for all the spiritual practice we performed during our lives. We practice with the goal of fixing our attention on Krsna, always remembering Him, and never forgetting Him, and this is tested at the time of death. If we can pass this ultimate test, our trip back to Godhead is guaranteed. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

With the māyāvādī misconceptions cleared away, Sanat-kumāra returns to the main point of elevating a person to the platform of devotional service. Because the soul is blissful by nature, it is very hard for jñānīs and yogīs to give up their material desires. However, when one comes to the platform of devotional service and experiences a higher taste in the transcendental service to the Lord, material sense gratification becomes tasteless and is automatically rejected. Devotional service is thus the ultimate process by which a soul entangled in this material world can quickly achieve the ultimate goal of life. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

The whole purpose of the material creation is to give a chance to the conditioned souls to revive their eternal nature. The Puranas explain that there are 8,400,000 forms of life in this universe, distributed amongst aquatics, plants, insects, lower animals, humans, and also higher beings, all the way up to Brahma. Before attaining the human form, the soul has to pass through an extremely long evolutionary process, going through the millions of different forms of plants and animals. In all these different species there is some degree of intelligence and something to be learned, but only human beings have the higher intelligence necessary to understand philosophical topics. In all the lower species of life, the soul is fully immersed in the assumption that one is the body, and thus works tirelessly just to maintain it. Only in the human form of life, there is the possibility of understanding our real nature as spiritual sparks transcendental to the body, starting the process of brahma-jijñāsā (inquiry into Brahman). Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

Sanat-kumāra makes the analogy of a lake drying up because of kuśa grass growing on its banks. If the grass is allowed to grow freely, it sucks the water until the lake completely dries up. In the same way, if material desires are allowed to grow, they progressively cover the original Krsna consciousness of the soul, up to the point where one can become a dog or a pig. Therefore, these columns of kuśa grass that are drying up our consciousness should be cut down from the beginning. We should understand the danger of unrestricted sense gratification and where it can lead us. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe

Inquired by the King, the great Sanat-kumāra starts by glorifying the questions of Maharaja Pṛthu, who, even though already situated in the highest platform of devotion, is eager to hear about the process of devotional service, and always thinking about the welfare of others. The discussion happened in the view of all citizens; therefore, by asking these questions, the King guaranteed that they would receive spiritual instructions from the most exalted personalities. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe