In the 16th chapter of Srimad Bhagavatam first canto, there is a conversation between personality of religion in the form of a bull and mother earth in the form of a cow. Mother earth in the form of a cow was agrieved because of the torture of Kali personified and in that state also she remembers so wonderfully the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
We know that God is omnipresent and omni-potent. But still we indulge in both good and bad activities in our day to day life. We should not be under the false conception that whatever bad things we are doing will be left unnoticed nor would our pious actvities nullify the effects of impious activities.
One should not give up the nine process of devotional service recommended, which is performed in nine different ways (Sravanam,Kirtanam,Visnoh, Smaranam,Pada-Sevanam, Archanam, Vandanam, Dasayam, Sakhyam, Atma Nivedanam).
All of us have the ultimate desire to go back to Godhead inspite of our present condition. It is like buying a lottery ticket and hoping to become a multimillionaire. Our endeavour is insignificant, but still, we expect the maximum result.
Every one of us, being a part and parcel of Supreme Lord have certain special qualities and are good at doing certain things. We should always remember that whatever qualities we possess are bestowed by Him and should never become proud or start thinking that we could do everything alone.
A sincere devotee, after surrendering to Supreme Lord, admitting his inability and accepting that there cannot be any other means for his salvation, must remember Him in all his actions and accept whatever happens, is as per His will.
Studying Bhagavad-gita repeatedly brings out so many new ideas and realizations every time. I came across a very interesting point about the real meaning of responsibility while meditating on a couple of verses - one spoken by Arjuna and another by Lord Krishna on the same point but different point of views.
Everything should be neat and clean. The kitchen should be very neat and clean, washed twice daily, opened nicely and smeared with water and gobar. And if you see the kitchen, immediately you'll feel comfortable. It is very cleanly prepared, then offered to the Deity. Then you take. Automatically your mind becomes cleansed.
Prabhupada's ill health continued. He wrote to one of his disciples:- "I was sick for four or five days; now I am a little better but the disease is prolonging in a different way. I cannot sleep at night more than 2 hours and during the day sometimes I am feeling some dizziness.
Transcend is to go over. Just like a vehicle on the road is controlled by traffic signal of red, green and yellow we are controlled by the 3 modes of nature. Where as helicopter is above the signal, so we have to catch the helicopter of Devotional service.
If we consider the example of the bird Jatayu, when mother Sita was kidnapped by Ravana, Jatayu knew that he will not be in a position to protect mother Sita from the clutches of Ravana. Inspite of this knowledge, the insignificant bird put all his efforts to rescue her.
Your philosophy is simply wonderful, your prasadam is simply wonderful, you are simply wonderful. And your Krsna is simply wonderful. The whole process is simply wonderful. Krishna acts wonderfully, and it is acting wonderfully. Who can deny it?
Lord Sri Ramacandra is so kind and merciful to His devotees that He is very easily satisfied by a little service rendered by anyone, human or not. Hence He is glorified by Hanumanji as su-krtanjnam meaning 'one who is easily made greatful'.
There are several simple anecdotes and incidents which are so instructive and at the same time relishing to read. Here is one such anecdote by Srila Prabhupada wherein he stresses on the importance of doing sincere seva to the Lord no matter how insignificant it may be.
These words are spoken by Ravana's wife Mandodari on his death. Although Ravana was very fortunate (maha-bhago) in terms of opulence, power and knowledge but because of unsatiable lust for another man's wife he was destroyed. Here again Krsna's statement of Bhagavat gita proved true.
Chanting is the maha sadhana, the only practice for this dark age of quarrel, to realize God and attain perfection in life, but everyday I look for an answer from within. Am I doing my sadhana that nicely? Am I really able to control my senses only towards Krsna.
He wrote, "What I observed has stood by me in times of trouble, especially during those times when everything seemed impossible. "Where God is, a spider's web is as a stone wall. Where God is not, a stone wall is as a spider's web."
Once Durvasa Muni with his ten thousand disciples came to Pandavas place after Draupadi had taken her prasadam and cleared the vessel for the day. Durvasa Muni and his disciples were feeling very hungry. Durvasa Muni told Yudhishtira to keep the prasadam ready and went to take bath in the river.
Srimad Bhagavatam has explanation for every perplexing question that we come across. One such question which I normally come across is, whenever I say that I am a vegetarian, my meat eating colleagues used to retard that don't you know that the vegetables that you are eating do also have life?
This material world is full of danger at every step, as confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam, "padam padam yad vipadaam na teshaam [SB 10.14.58] ". So for those who don't have perfect spiritual knowledge this place becomes a bewildering and perplexing place to stay.
The chanting of the Holy names of the Lord is the best medicine and this can cure all the diseases.This is truth and nothing but the truth. The shastras give us practical instructions and if we disobey them, we lose our 'ease' and become 'diseased'.
Srila Prabhupada has nicely explained about real happiness in this world. Every living being is searching after happiness, but no one knows where eternal and unlimited happiness is obtainable.
Param brahma - Supreme Truth :- Whatever Krishna says, it happens always. In B.G verse 11.32 Krishna declared that soldiers on both sides with the exception of Pandavas would be killed. At the end of Kuruksetra war, all the soldiers including Pandavas sons were killed.
When they were about to offer him to Kali they noticed that one of his fingers was missing. According to them, an incomplete body cannot be considered as an offering to Kali. So they let him free.
We find from this verse that King Puranjana was engaged in unregulated sense enjoyment and thus suffered on that account.What could have mitigated and given him relief from material pains? We have the answer in Bhagavad Gita verse 6.17
Once there was an expert mountain climber who wanted to climb the highest mountain and to glorify himself he decided to do it all alone. He started to climb the mountain all alone and in the eagerness to cover as much as possible in one day, he forgot that it was getting late.
Once when a saintly person was passing, on his way he met a prince, the son of a king and he blessed him saying, "My dear prince may you live forever." Later, the sage met a saintly person and said to him "You may either live or die."
We shall never be disappointed when things are presented in reversed order. Anyway, your honest labor is now coming to be fructified. Always depend upon Krishna and go on working with enthusiasm, patience and conviction.
"The Krishna consciousness movement is meant to give perfect knowledge to human society. By this knowledge one can understand who he is, who God is, what the material world is, why we have come here, why we must undergo so much tribulation and misery, and why we have to die. "
We have so many goals. But actually, our only goal should be to get out of this material existence and go back home back to Godhead. We can see the example of Dhruva Maharaj in the Srimad Bhagavatam.