Vedic Way of Life - Part 7

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

This is in continuation of the transcription of the wonderful class, given by our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami on the occasion of Vyasa Puja celebration of Srila Prabhupada in Houston, many years ago. In the previous offering we heard from Maharaj about,

1) Vedic life suggested by Srila Prabhupada.
2) The miracle of Krishna's creation.
3) Disadvantage of separate bedrooms.
4) Experience Krishna by service.
5) Lack of affection disturbs us.
6) Krishna - Our Eternal Supreme Loving Parent.

Now let us hear further.

7) Krishna katha nourishes us: The second chapter of first Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, we always insist to learn by-heart and this verse 1.2.17 is very nice.

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām

Sri Krishna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.

śṛṇvatāṁ means hear and sva-kathāḥ means His own pastime. Because Krishna is present in everyone's heart, when we hear about His own pastimes, about His Names, then Krishna within our heart is very pleased. This is our experience also. When someone appreciates you, you become happy. If I praise some child, "Mukund, you are wearing nice dhoti", then he will put on dhoti again and again because he will remember it every time and wear dhoti - "I wore dhoti and Maharaj told that I look very good in it". So always, again and again, he will put. If I don't pay notice to you, then again and again you will come in front of me with dhoti, because again you want to hear the praise from me. This is how we behave.

If somebody praises Krishna, or if we praise Krishna, His names and, prayers, pastimes, then Krishna within our body becomes very pleased. Why? Because it is puṇya-śravaṇa.It is very good activity to hear about His pastimes. Anything else if we hear it spoils the hair within the ear. If you hear Krishna-katha, it nourishes the hair inside. As I told earlier, those hairs are very small. If you bisect and see, the diaphragm of the ear, then you can see the small cells in the form of hair. And those cells gets nourished by Krishna katha. That's why when we hear these discussions eternally, we never get tired. If you go to somebody else or speak some mundane topic, then within no time, you become tired. And as soon as you become tired, you fight with each other.

Krishna willing, we will continue to hear more nectar from Maharaj in the next offering.

Hare Krishna.
Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Sudarshana devi dasi.