»y »y TϪ TÁ{∫ÁWÁ{T \Æo:

THE

GAUDIYA
Spiritual Monthly

ú¿Áúu`YN˛oÆÁ §ÏÜÆÁ EåÁÃMoÀÆ uƒ ÆÁåΩ

“u∫é§uãá ƒÀoÏå: @ ÆsÁ“|™ÏúÆÏ`\o: @
™Ï™ÏqÏuß úu∫nÆÁTÁz uå§|ãá: Nw˛…mé§ãáz
ƒ{∫ÁSÆÊ ¢˛¡TÏN˛·Æoz @@˛ ÆÏMoÊ ƒ{∫ÁSÆ™ÏXÆoz @@

Vol. LIV MAY 2011 No. 9

MANGALÂCHARANAM
áãÆÁåÁÊ Ã∫ÃÁåϬÁú¬“∫yÃÁ{∫•Æ™•ÆÀÆoÁÊ
N˛mÁ|åÁÊ uƒƒ∫z Ï N˛Á™uú ÃÏáÁƒwu…bÊ tÏ“ÁåÊ ™Ï“Ï: @
∫©ÆÁmÁÊ ÃÏ–∆ÁÊ ™åÁzåÆåÆÁz™|TíÀÆ tzƒÀÆ å:
N˛mÁ|åÁÊ ƒYÃÁÊ uƒ\wu©ßo™“Áz Nw˛…mÀÆ N˛mÁ|™wo™Ω @@
Oh,how fortunate am I and how wonderful is Your Grace that
the sportive yawning expansion of our (i.e., my) words (in this
Krishna Karnãmritam) which repeatedly pours the ineffable flow
of nectar into the ear-holes of those blessed devotees of Yours who
culture and intutively experience the fragrance of the waves of the
tautological expressions replete with the sweetness of Your devotion,
and into the ear-holes of the beautiful ladies with nice eyes, is nectar-
like sweet Ears of Yours, viz., the Sportive Krishna, sunken, as it
were, in their minds and eyes.
--Sri Leelãshuka Bilvamangala

MAY 2011 THE GAUDIYA 1

˛
 Pithy Precepts of Srila Prabhupâd
These are never
required to be carried
to the region of the
transcendence where
deficiency and
transitoriness should
never from a factor.
The knowledge which
has accrued through
the medium of senses
is no doubt drawn
from transformable objects of phenomena.
So they can have no absolute value
according to the estimation of sensuous
critics. But such impressions can have some
lien when the phenomenal existence is
considered as an imperfect and perverted
reflection of the Original Transcendental
Manifestation.
If we start through the synthetic
process and from the mundane level, we
surely neutralise the variegated positions of
the phenomena and are naturally found to
pose as impersonalists in the long run. But
that situation is likely to suffer a change
when the manifestive Absolute Phases are
traced as the Eternal source of this eclipsed
and imperfect vision of the phenomena. The
mundane things stand in our visual range
as an opaque screen preventing us from
having a full sight of the transcendental
tabula rasa.
Madhva’s eternal associative Duality
always maintains eternal devotional attitude
which is the common basis of all the four
inculcators of Positive Truth. Maya or
delusive energy is to be abandoned or
overpowered by devotion which will give
eternal relief to conditioned individual soul
or spirit. Individual spirit is never to indulge
itself in the imaginary inflation for becoming
the universal non-designative Spirit.
Individuals are eternally atomic isolated
2
2 THE GAUDIYA
numberless entities. They have eternal
congnitional, volitional and emotional
attributes in them. They are prone to be
forgetful of the direction of service towards
the Absolute, and such inattention has made
them non diligent towards their Eternal
Master, the Fountainhead. In salvation they
are never to lose their eternal special
individuality and this temporary captive
individuation in the present sheath should
never be considered as permanently
neglecting the eternal ontological
transcendental form. The individual souls
and matter and not temporary production,
but they are emanated from Brahman and
they have reciprocal relations. The Personal
Body of Brahman known as Vishnu is the
very centre of all energies and attributes, be
they temporary or eternal. He is All-potent
and His Service is the eternal function of
the individual spirits. The worldly pretensions
of maya are traced in the unusual desire of
elevationists and salvationists. The devotees
have got no such pretensions like the fictitious
believers of enjoyment or the salvationists
like the Vedanta interpreter Shankara.
Madhva’s interpretation of the Efficient
Cause is not challenged by his opponents,
but his conception of material cause of the
world has been misunderstood by the
Mayavadins to be different from the unique
situation of Brahman. The phase of the
material cause is not isolated from Brahman
but the yieldings of the material cause should
in no case be confused as identical with
Brahman. The material cause has produced
this phenomenon to befool conditioned jivas
or individual captive spirits, who have by
their indolent mood behaved as enjoyers but
the real cause should be seen to have
emanated from Him through one of His
conflicting potencies for that purpose which
is misunderstood by a hasty idealistic
conception from outward reading.
MAY 2011
 Thus Spake Srila Âchâryadeva
Sri Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu
preached this religion
based on Bhakti and
Prema. Pure devotion
should not have,
however, any of the
obstructive influences
of knowledge;
philosophical
knowledge and mere disinclination
(Vairâgya) obstruct the course of Bhakti.
But the knowledge of God’s Nature and
Wisdom regarding the nature of intimate
relation of man with God is regarded as
unobstructive to Bhakti. Pure devotion is
that in which the devotee renounces all
desires, all formal worship, all knowledge
and work, but is attached to Krishna. Bhakti
does not require for its fulfilment the
performance of any ritual process. Bhakti
is itself the emancipation. The reality of God
can only be realised through Bhakti.
The most direct action to be
performed in the path of Bhakti is to
listen to and recite the Names and
Glories of God. According to Sri
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Bhakti is divided
into two classes – Vaidhi and Râgânugâ.
Vaidhi-Bhakti comes from the prompting
of scriptural sources. The Râgânugâ-
Bhakti is distinct from Vaidhi-Bhakti.
Affection of Radha for Krishna is to
illustrate the highest and most intense form
of this Love. The Bhâva-Bhakti or Sâdhya-
Bhakti which is natural and devotional
ecstasy cannot be produced by any course
of conduct or any effort. The true devotional
ecstasy cannot be created; it already exists
in the heart. It requires to be manifested.
p
MAY 2011 THE GAUDIYA
Sri Krishna and His Service
Sri Krishna is the Supreme Lord of all
lords and the sole Ordainer of all events of
the Universe, both mundane and
transcendental from Whom has emanated
every animate and inanimate, mortal and
immortal being, Whom the Brahma Samhita
has described as the Supreme God, full
embodiment of Eternal existence, Unlimited-
knowledge or Jnâna, and Unandulterated
Jubilation (sat-chit-ânanda) of having no
origin beyond Himself, being the Prime
Origin of all entities, the Root Cause of all
causes, Sri Krishna, the Ultimate Reality is
One without a second. Sri Krishna, the
Absolute Integer, is distinct from His Shakti
or counter-whole including her integrated
and dissociable fractional parts in their
synthetic and analytic manifestations. Sri
Krishna is the Predominating Absolute and
His Shakti is the Predominated Absolute.
Thus He transcends our divergent
conceptions about Him and far supersedes
the images of Him that we portray in our
mind, the resultant combination of our sense-
perceptions. He believes our idea about
Him if we take Him as the greatest hero and
political leader among Indian princes of a
certain era. Neither does He confirm our
opinion about Him that He was in bygone
ages a Kshatriya youth brought up among
rural people like cow-herds and milk-maids,
enjoying some youthful pranks with them
transgressing the bounds of morality and
decency, nor does He aver to our belief that
He was a mortal being like ourselves killed n
by a hunter with an arrow accidentally aimed
at Him. Those that entertain such ideas T
about Him are misled by the degenerating
influence of maya, His illusory energy.
3
 Now, the question arises that if Sri
Krishna is Sachidânanda Vigraha, is All-
spiritual having nothing material about Him
and is existing from time immemorial, how,
then, is He born? Birth presupposes that
the being born was not existent before and
will perish in course of time; and if Sri
Krishna was born and dead too like an
ordinary being, how can He be called
an Ever-existing, All-spiritual and All-
joyful Being? We are audacious enough
to put such questions only when we have a
spirit of scepticism which renders our minds
too much hardened with materialism to
conceive of things purely spiritual. We
should make our unreserved submission to
the saintly persons who will condescend to
impart to us the true vision that they
possessed, so that we may see the truth
divested of the cover of the delusive potency
of maya and feel the transcendental
existence of Bhagavan. Our words and for
the matter of that, our languages, being
divested of all grossness and as such cannot
convey their spiritual import to the minds of
readers and listeners. We are thus misled
by the recorded accounts of the birth, career
and departure of Sri Krishna and led to
believe that they relate to those of one of
the conditioned beings like ourselves who
might have had some outstanding
characteristics in his physical, intellectual and
psychic features not ordinarily found in us.
Even in the midst of this perplexity,
we are guided–if we are fortunate enough
to accept such guidance, by the holy texts
of Satvata scriptures leading to God’s
service. Krishna Himself has said to Arjuna,
‘‘Though I am unborn, I accept birth like
that of Jivas exercising My Prakriti or
Swarupa-shakti with My pure suddha-
sattva Murti.’’ (Gita IV.6-8).

ALMANAC for the months of MAY & JUNE 2011

15.05.2011 Sun Concluding day of ‘pouring water to Sri Sâlagrâm and Tulasi’ -- “Keshava
Vrata”
16.05.2011 Mon Sri Nrisimha Chaturdashi Fasting. Next day Pârana between 4.59
and 9.21 a.m. Appearance of Srila Mâdhavendra Puri and Srinivâsa
Âchârya. Disappearance of Srila Parameswaridâs Thâkur
17.05.2011 Tue Buddha Purnima
20.05.2011 Fri Appearance of Srimad Nimânanda Prabhu
22.05.2011 Sun Disappearance of Srila Râmânanda Râya
28.05.2011 Sat Aparâ Ekâdashi Fasting. Next day Pârana between 4.55 and 9.21a.m.
29.05.2011 Sun Appearance of Srila Brindâvan Dâs Thâkur
30.05.2011 Mon Demise of Srimad Bhakti Sudhir Yâchaka Maharâj
04.06.2011 Sat Demise of Simad Bhakti Vivek Bodhâyana Maharâj
05.06.2011 Sun Demise of Srimad Bhakti Gaurava Giri Maharâj
11.06.2011 Sat Appearance of Sri Gangâmâta Goswâmini, Sri Gangâpuja. Dassarâ.
Disappearance of Srila Baladeva Vidyâbhushan Prabhu
12.06.2011 Sun Pândavâ Nirjala Ekâdashi Fasting. Next day Pârana between 4.55
and 7.11 a.m.
14.06.2011 Tue The Festival of ‘the mixture of Parched rice, Curd and Milk’ done by 28.9
Srila Raghunâtha Dâs Goswâmi at Sri Pânihâti

4 THE GAUDIYA MAY 2011

 SRI GURU PRESHTHA
THE BELOVED OF SRI GURU
Sripad B.S.Narayan Maharaj

(Contd. from April issue) of Sri Vishwa Vaishnava Raj Sabha.

Goswami Maharaj spoke the following
All this has immensely proved the
words.
success and augmentation of Sri Gaudiya
Math’s grand preaching program. The act Sri Bhagavata Ratna Prabhu, the
of Calcutta Bagh Bazar’s Gaudiya Math beloved person of Srila Prabhupada, is
Temple construction through generous – verily the beloved of each and every
hearted Jagabandhu Bhakti Ranjan prabhu, Gaudiya servitor’s heart. He is known as
the act of constructing “Bhakti Vijaya ‘Kunjda’ amongst us; as such, he is the
Bhavan” at Sri Chaitanya Math, Sridham provider of Kunja (bower) of Hari Bhajan
Mayapur, through ‘Sri Bhakti Vijay Sakhi to all of us. Constructing Sri Gaudiya Math
Charan Roy Prabhu’ and arrangement of temple through Srila Jagabandhu
lighting through Bhaktiranjan
electrification of Sri P r a b h u ,
Mayapur, the act Note construction of Sri
of fixing various Wherever ‘Srila Prabhupad’ is Chaitanya Math
devotees in the mentioned it refers Srila Bhakti t e m p l e ,
service of Sri Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami construction of Sri
Guruji, in all these Thakur only, Who is the illustrious Guruji’s apartment
activities there exist Founder Acharya of Parent ‘Bhakti Vijaya
the prime partici- Organisation Sri Chaitanya Math,of Bhavan’ through
pation of Sri the present Gaudiya Vaishnava Sriyukta Sakhi
Acharyatrika Movement throughout the world. Charan Bhakti
Prabhu. Hence I Vijaya Prabhu,
conclude that, let us sincerely and without opening up of Sri Gaudiya Math’s theistic
any prejudice sing the glory of that ‘Beloved exhibition; Sri Kunjada is verily at the root
of Sri Gurudeva’, who is the Chief assistant of all these activities. Moreover, it is
in carrying out the hearty desires of Sri Kunjada who has introduced Srila
Gurudeva. Prabhupad to this world. Kunjada is always
engaged in appointing everyone in the
Extract from ‘Gaudiya’ 10th year, 33rd
service of Srila Prabhupada, by forgiving
Number Page No. 524.
all their defects. His degree of tolerance in
On the 9th of Chaitra month 1338 rendering service, and his ideal manner of
Bengali era, (1932 A D) during the session smilingly facing all kinds of tempestuous o
of Sri Dham Pracharini Sabha presided by calamities for the sake of Guru-Seva, all
Srila Prabhupad, Tridandi Swami Srimad these are not visible in this mortal world. In
Bhakti Pradip Tirtha Maharaj spoke about the fulfillment of the message of Srila Bhakit
Sri Kunjada, appreciating his ideals of Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur, Acharyatrika
superhuman devotional services, and Prabhu is the very personification of
felicitated Acharyatirka Prabhu, on behalf devotion or spiritual service.

MAY 2011 THE GAUDIYA 5

 The following is an extract from
‘Gaudiya’12th year 31st Number, Page 478.
In a devotional gathering held at Village
Purulia, the birth place of Sripad Kunjada,
presided over by Srila Prabhupad, the
‘Gaudiya’–Editor Sri Sunderananda Bhakti
Vinode Prabhu gave the following speech.
Today I have stood in front of all of
you, not for giving any lecture, but only to
beseech merciful benediction of Sri Guru and
Vaishanavas. Today I have had the fortune
of arriving to the place of my holy spiritual
Masters’ ‘beloved person’. Therefore, now
I feel quite avaricious to beg for the grace of
the Vaishanavas, with added enthusiasm.
This morning we have heard that, fourteen
years ago also Srila Guruji along with many
of his fortunate disciples had visited this
place. It was my misfortune that, during that
P time I did not had spiritual awakening.
Among those visitors Srimat Ananta
Vasudeva Prabhu also was there. I heard
through him that, in the place of this present
new house to be inaugurated now, there
stood a dilapidated thatched hut at that time.
It is quite wonderful that, even by himself
remaining in a hay-covered hut, whatever
dreams he had seen in his natural absorption,
in his trance of spiritual service, have today
materialized into reality. During that time,
when Srila Guruji and Vaishanavas arrived
here and saw the situation, they realized
about the magnanimous heart of the dweller
of that thatched hut, that made them quite
dumb-founded. It made them deeply
ponder over as to who is this great soul!
Staying himself in a dilapidated hut, the one
who strived, dreamt and struggled to build a
palatial skyscraper temple and luxurious
apartments for the dwelling of the Lord and
t the devotees, for the service of the Spiritual
Master, for the propagation of Lord
Chaitanya’s divine message, for the
comfortable stay of the group of devotees a
6 THE GAUDIYA
temple situated in the heart of the Calcutta
City, who is that magnanimous soul? Who
possesses such a large heart? It is not a
matter of wonder that, selfish-minded
householders like us, intending to enhance
our worldly enjoyments may dream of
acquiring millions of Rupees, even while
sleeping
P on a torn bed. Even we may rush
heaven to hell, to extend our lands and
buildings, which too is not a matter of
wonder; whereas, himself remaining in a
shattered hut and happily tolerating hundreds
of inconveniences, he conducted all out effort
o
for the construction of a superb palace for
the dwelling of the selfless devotees of the
Lord! Who can have such a generous and
liberal heart in this selfish world? Almost
hundred percent people of this world may
not understand, or may not accept the
necessity of any kind of house for the sake
of those who are humbly engaged in Hari
Kirtana. They know that, all such enjoyable
objects are the only monopoly of the worldly
enjoyers; so also all kinds of sumptuous
eatables (harmful for the patients) are
necessary
o be
for the patients! The common
ideology of the masses is that, only worldly
minded materialists are eligible to enjoy
everything of this world, and those who
pretend to be renounced for earning kudos
from all such materialists, are verily the
religious people! In contrast to these much
advertised and well rooted common
misconceptions, the one whose natural and
congenial tendency of serving Sri Hari-Guru-
Vaishnavas became well developed in due
rof course of time, and resulted in attracting the
attention of the religious world by radiating
the glorious divine halo of the skyscraper
Gaudiya Math temple, who is that
extraordinary person? That is why I said
that, I have stood here, just for receiving
mercy and blessings from that great soul,
about whom I know nothing.
(to be contd .....)
MAY 2011
 MAHÂBHÂRATA
Sri M.C.Mahesh
(Contd. from Apil issue)
Gandhari restrained herself with great
effort. She was trembling and perspiring in
agony.
Gandhari screamed out in her agony:
“Where is the victor? I want to meet the
just and sagacious emperor of Truth.”
Yudhishthira genuflected and touched
her feet.
Gandhari’s eyes were scorching with
the power of askesis and she turned her
face away. But a part of this energy slipped
through an opening in the scarf that
bandaged her eyes. This scorching energy
fell hissing on Yudhishthira’s toe nails. They
shrivelled in the heat and were charred
black!
Next Bheema came and knelt in silent
genuflection.
“Why did you strike below
Duryodhana’s navel? Did you not flout the
rules of combat then?”
“Your son was invincible in combat!
If I had adhered to the rules of war, I would
have never scored a victory over him.”
“I let it pass. But can any human drink
blood? Was it necessary to disgrace my
fallen son thus?”
“I smeared my lips with Duhshasana’s
blood, but did not taste even a drop of it!
Only Karna who stood nearby knew about
this.”
“You could have spared Vikarna and
killed my other ninety-nine sons. He was a
righteous person and would have been a
crutch to support us in the twilight of our
life.”
MAY 2011 THE GAUDIYA
“I was bound by my vows to do all
these shameful things.”
Gandhari’s great anger was still
smouldering, but she blessed Bheema.
The other Pandavas prostrated before
the queen and sought her blessings.
When Draupadi knelt in obeisance, the
stately matron was thoroughly shaken: “No
one can comfort either you or me! We have
both lost all our sons.”
Gandhari now turned her angry eyes
on Krishna: “Can you see the numberless
corpses that litter this field! I am witnessing
everything with my psychic vision.
Duryodhana’s wife is running hither and
thither between the corpses of her dear lord uq
and her son. All my umpteen daughters-in-
law are sobbing and wailing in grief!”
Gandhari knelt besides Duryodhana’s
corpse and gently caressed his brow. He
was cold and lifeless, and his long hair that "
cascaded down his neck was now stiff and
pale.
Gandhari worked herself up into a wild
frenzy and cursed Krishna: “You could have
prevented this disaster from occurring. You
are a God and peace was certainly not
beyond your reach! Thirty-six years from
now, the Yadavas will kill each other in a
fratricidal quarrel. Even as the Kuru women
are weeping now, the Yadava princesses will
wail over the corpses of their kinsmen. With
their hair dishevelled and flowing all awry,
they will bemoan their great losses!”
There were two Yadava princes who
detested war and cruelty––Balarama and
Uddhava, one of Krishna’s cousins. It is
seen in the epic that Gandhari’s curse did uoy
not affect them, miraculously! Balarama left "
7
 "
.
this world when he was meditating on his
spiritual plexuses, and was not slain due to
the curse.
Krishna was still smiling as
enigmatically as ever: “The Yadavas are so
powerful that no race or tribe on earth can
kill them in battle! They have to destroy
themselves. Had they remained alive and
strong, their numbers would have
burgeoned and would have spawned all over
the earth. I would have had to annihilate
them before I departed from earth. You
have lightened My task by cursing Me!”
The Pandavas looked pale when they
heard this prophecy of Krishna’s
disappearance.
Krishna now stared at Gandhari: “Did
you not yourself predict to Duryodhana what
the outcome of the war would be, when he
came to ask you for blessings!”
The sorrowing victor Yudhishthira made
all arrangements for cremating the dead. He
put the learned Dhaumya in charge of
executing the rites as enjoined in the
scriptures. The saintly Vidura and the
prescient Sanjaya were to take over the
responsibility of cremating all the dead
bodies. The righteous and energetic Yuyutsu
was put in charge of assisting them. They
collected all the necessary implements for
the funeral. Sandalwood and aloeswood
were hewn down and the logs were dragged
to Kurukshethra. The logs of wood were
smeared with clarified butter. The dead
were placed on these buttered stacks of
wood. The bodies of the dead were
besmeared with unguents, and perfumes
were sprayed on the corpses. The stacks
of wood were set afire and the mortal
remains of the warriors slowly began to burn.
A thick spire of smoke curled up in the skies.
The bodies were burnt to cinders even as
the priests chanted funeral hymns from the
8 THE GAUDIYA
Rig and Sama Vedas. The intonation and
cadence of the priests sounded like the shrill
boom of death. The Pandavas and Draupadi
went to the banks of a nearby river and
offered libations of water for satiating the
spirits of the dead. The Pandavas and
Draupadi then performed the obsequial rites
for all their kinsmen.
A sorrowing Kunti came sobbing to
Yudhishthira: “Offer your libations to Karna
also! He looked like the sun himself when
he stood at the front of the Kuru army clad
in golden armour. As an archer he was almost
uncanny in the way he shot!”
Yudhishthira was puzzled: “The priests
have offered their oblations to Karna. I am
personally offering the oblations to my
kinsmen.”
Kunti spoke in a harrowing voice: “He
is your honoured elder! The sun god made
him take birth using his etheric powers. As I
was not wedded then, I had to cast him
away…”
Kunti narrated the tale of Karna’s birth
and adoption, and the chain of catastrophes
that ruined his life. "
Seized by a poignant grief the gentle
Yudhishthira reminisced: “Karna was abusing
Draupadi lecherously during the game of
dice. The shameless princes Duryodhana and
Duhshasana were leering at her. I was in a
frenzy of anger then. When I looked at
Karna’s exquisitely chiselled feet, I was
reminded of your feet. All my anger vanished
in trice, as it were!”
Yudhishthira’s anger flared up and he
cursed all of womenkind: “You made me
contrive the death of my own elder. Even
this war could have been averted if I had
known this truth. May women never be able
to keep secrets in future!”
Yudhishthira offered the funeral libations
for Karna on the banks of a nearby river.
MAY 2011
 He was sobbing uncontrollably and was
racked by a severe psychological pain.
The heavenly sage Narada came
strumming on his lute. He soothed
Yudhishthira and narrated to him all the pain
filled events that made up Karna’s life.
Narada concluded apocalyptically:
“Fate brought about the death of Karna.
There were too many curses on him and
the very celestials destabilised his morale.
Karna was also shackled by the umpteen
vows he had himself made. The stratagems
of your charming Krishna were also
responsible for his downfall! You are not
the only cause of his untimely death.”
The compassionate Yudhishthira could
still not find any solace!
The mourners spent one month at
Kurukshethra observing austere vows.1(In
all the technically accurate translations of
the epic, a part of the melodramatic
lamentations that followed the funerals
occurred at Hastinapura. For instance, the
libations of water offered to satiate the
spirits of the warriors were the waters of
the river Ganga! This narrative does
injustice to the spirit of the epic, as the poet
unequivocally remarks that the bodies were
cremated at Kurukshetra. Along with the
corpses of the fallen chieftains even their
broken chariots and splintered weapons
were consigned to flames. Therefore it
must be construed that all these
melodramatic mournings also took place
on the battlefield.) The compassionate
sages Narada and Vyasa stayed back and
assuaged Yudhishthira’s gnawing grief. The n
sadness that overwhelmed Yudhishthira
time and again after the war is a leitmotif
that is often repeated in the epic. Krishna
also consoled him and asked him not to
grieve over the countless deaths. His
brothers jumped on the bandwagon and
MAY 2011 THE GAUDIYA
gave the same advice. Last of all was the
poignant and moving entreaty of the
ravishingly beautiful Draupadi.
Attaining a semblance of peace,
Yudhishthira accepted the offer of kingship.
Among all their towns Indraprastha was the
most beautiful, but tradition demanded that
Yudhishthira rule from the traditional capital
of Hastinapura. He left for this quaint old
city on a spacious chariot pulled by sixteen
white bullocks. The stentorian giant
Bheema sat on the front of the chariot, gently
flicking the bullocks with his whip and
prodding them on. The sky-blue
complexioned Arjuna crested Yudhishthira
with an exquisite parasol woven in golden
brocade. Nakula and Sahadeva fanned him
with fluffy yak-tails. Trailing the bullock-
drawn chariot were the carriages of Satyaki
e
and Yuyutsu, pulled by hardy ponies. Riding
on his flamboyant chariot that flew the
pennon of an eagle came Krishna, looking
as charming as a blue-lily. His face had not
y
outgrown the innocence of a mischievous
stripling!
The congregation entered the great
court-hall. On the dais were seated the
blind couple, Dhritarashtra and Gandhari.
Attending on them were their loyal servitors
Sanjaya and Vidura. The decrepit and
sorrow-laden dowager empress Kunti was !
seated very near them. All the dukes and
duchesses subservient to the imperial house
of Kuru were present. The other princes
were seen crowding round the sacrificial
altar––Yudhishthira’s brothers, Krishna,
Satyaki and Yuyutsu.
The sacrificial altar was facing the
north-east. It was built by staking up hard
bricks that had been baked in a kiln. On
this rectangular enclosure were logs of wood
smeared with clarified butter. The ancient
priest Dhaumya ritually lit up the holy fire.
9
 Near the altar sat Yudhishthira and Draupadi
on a seat covered with tiger-skin. This seat
was called Sarvatobadhra and was meant
to protect the worshipper on all sides. The
royal couple offered libations of ghee in the
ritual fire. They now occupied their stunning
thrones that were studded with gems and
crystals. Even as the priests chanted the
hymns for consecration, Dhritarashtra
e poured holy-water from his conchshell on
Yudhishthira’s head. Even as the waters
came spattering down on Yudhishthira’s
forehead, Krishna bathed him with theu
waters of all the holy rivers that he had
collected in his conchshell Panchajanya.
The wise and austere Dhaumya fitted the
gem bedecked coronet on Yudhishthira’s
brow.
Yudhishthira asked anxiously after the
celebrations came to an end: “Where is
Kripa?”
The audience looked crestfallen: “He
is still troubled by the fact that he waged an
unfair battle during the midnight massacre.”
The king answered compassionately:
“He was our tutor once. Call him in!”
The learned Kripacharya was inducted
into the royal assemblage of Hastinapura.
Next morning, the king went to meet
Krishna who now looked as pellucid as
lapis-lazuli. The golden gem Kaustubha was
seen swinging on a string of stunning crystals.
Around it was draped the garland of wild-
flowers and creepers. The jewel Kaustubha
juxtaposed aesthetically on the mole found
on Krishna’s chest. The devotees of
Krishna worship even this mole and adore
it as Srivatsa!
Krishna’s face transfigured into the
grace of a God when he spoke: “After a
few weeks, the sun will begin his apparent
journey towards the north. Very soon he
will be directly overhead the tropic of
10 THE GAUDIYA
Cancer. Bheeshma will give up his body
even before that, just when this Uttarayana
commences. It is meet that you pay your
respects to him and ask him to instruct you
on the principles of statecraft. He knows all
the nuances of moral and societal laws. He
is well-versed in the fundamentals of polity.
Bheeshma will also instruct you on the tenets
of our ancient wisdom and dharma….
When he was a stripling he had his !
education in the heavens. Brihaspati, the tutor
of the celestials, taught him the principles of
statecraft. The one-eyed priest
Shukracharya instructed him in the art of
leading a moral life. Vashishta imparted to
him the knowledge of the Vedas and their six
auxiliary branches of learning, the Vedangas.
The perennially youthful anchorite
Markandeya initiated him into the mysteries
of life and death and the art of renunciation.
And as you know, Parashurama taught him
how to wield the bow skilfully…
With his death all this celestial knowledge
will pass away into nothingness. You should
With Best Compliments from
SAI RAMANA CANCER TRUST
CHENNAI
CANCER PATIENTS' CARE
Our Trust does Free Healing,
Counselling
&
Anti-Cancer Initiation
Any stage of treatment
Any place of Stay
Mail to : srcancertrust@yahoo.co.in
or
Cell: 9884017256
9840496548
MAY 2011
 imbibe a fraction of it and keep the tradition
going.”
Daruka brought the stunning chariot
to Krishna’s doorstep. Arjuna and Krishna
climbed on to the chariot. Daruka lightly
flicked the horses with his whip and off they
broke into a cheerful gallop. The other
Pandavas followed in trail, riding their
chariots drawn by horses of variegated
colours. Riding two compact chariots
pulled by lithe ponies, the warriors Satyaki
and Yuyutsu followed behind. The horses
were prancing and lifting their forelegs,
raising a cloud in their trail. The elders
followed in a horse-drawn caravan:
Dhritarashtra, Sanjaya, Vidura and Kripa.
The stately queens Kunti and Gandhari
followed in their exquisitely embellished
caravans. The congregation reached
Kurukshethra and clustered around the.
spot where the great patriarch lay on a bed
of arrows. All the sages of earth and of the
heavens were seen crowding around
Bheeshma.
Krishna walked upto Bheeshma and
knelt beside him: “I cannot bear the pain
even if a pin pricks me. I am astonished by
the fact that you have conquered death!’’
Bheeshma turned his head that had
been propped up by arrows: “It is time to
put to use the boon given by my father
Shantanu, and summon death. I had
promised my step-mother Sathyavati that I
would stay alive till a ruler is established
firmly on the Kuru throne. The righteous
Yudhishthira will rule for years to come!
However, the sun must begin its apparent
journey towards the north.”
“Then very little time is left! Please
instruct the new king in the art of ruling the
kingdom.”
“You want me to teach Yudhishthira
when you are beside me! Will this not be
impertinence?”
MAY 2011 THE GAUDIYA
“I want you to acquire everlasting
fame.”
“But I am fatigued by hunger and thirst.
These arrows hurt me like terrible spikes!
My memory is clouded since my body is
racked by pain. I have forgotten everything
that I learnt in the heavens.”
With just one look of compassion
Krishna resuscitated the fallen patriarch.
Bheeshma turned his supine head and
praised the Lord.
“The miracle just happens
instantaneously! Ask Yudhishthira to come.”
“He is feeling guilty that he caused your
death.”
“That is the path every Kshathriya
takes! He only did his bounden duty in
trouncing his evil foes.”
Yudhishthira knelt beside his grandsire.
For weeks on end Bheeshma discoursed to
the attentive prince.2(Bheeshma’s discourse
to Yudhishthira takes up about 22,000
Sanskrit couplets. This is nearly one-fourth
of the length of the epic. Being unfamiliar
with a majority of these preachings, I have
skipped over the whole discourse in my
transcription of the epic. Too much of
didacticism weakens the plot of the ballad
and also tends to frustrate the general reader.
I have included just three of the many
didactic passages one finds in the epic––
Yaksha Prashna, Sanatsujatiya and
Bhagavadgita. Among these three Yaksha
Prashna and Bhagavad Gita from a part of
the intrinsic plot of the epic. These two
cannot be skipped over, and I have dealt
with them in a fairly exhaustive manner. The
discourse Sanatsujatiya was incorporated
for purely scholastic reasons. It is here that
we find a strangely innovate thinker who
influenced the medieval commentator
Shankaracharya. The architectonic of
11
 Shankara’s system of thought is partly
modelled on this work.) He taught him the
duties of a king, the duties of the members
of the four castes, the laws governing
societal institutions like marriage and laws
of inheritance and succession, the canons
and tenets of morality and the crux of
philosophical systems like Sankhya and
Yoga. One sees in this discourse the
imaginative hand of later interpolators. As
the priests forged new doctrines expounding
the fundamental tenets of a school of
philosophy like Sankhya, they interpolated
these in the epic itself. It is thus that this
didactic passage has burgeoned, spawning
to a length of over 22,000 Sanskrit
couplets! Vyasa’s Anushtup or eight-
syllabled metre is far simpler than Valmiki’s
embellished version of the same Anushtup
metre. Therefore, one finds a lesser number
of interpolated passages in the Ramayana,
though it was composed much earlier. The
simpler structure of Vyasa’s rhythm proved
to be a fatal flaw––His original epic is buried
amidst a mass of interpolations!
Bheeshma concluded the narrative
after reciting the thousand names of Lord
Vishnu. This Vishnu Sahasranama
portrays the Lord as the SUMMUM
BONUM of all existence.
A tired Bheeshma turned to the
flamboyant God Who produces the cosmic
illusion: “Can I now perceive your
Vishwarupa in my transparent psyche?”
The fallen patriarch witnessed the
stunning grandeur of the all-encompassing
cosmic form. The sun began its apparent
journey towards the north and Bheeshma
willed himself to die. He meditated on the
five psychic plexuses that are presided over
by the elements of earth, water, fire, air and
ether. These are graded in the succession
of increasing subtlety. Even as he did so,
12 THE GAUDIYA
his olfactory, palatal, visual, tactile and
psychic stimuli evaporated and got absorbed
into his life-essence. The arrow-heads that
had pierced his body fell and Bheeshma was
r now lying on a splinter of broken arrows.
His wounds healed mysteriously and his skin
was whole and smooth again! Bheeshma
now meditated on the sixth plexus that is
located in the subtle-body of the individual.
His mind, intellect and ego became pellucid
in turn. All hopes and frustrations, all joys
and sorrows, all vanities and caprices and
idiosyncrasies that taint one’s psyche
vanished into a mist of unadulterated
consciousness. He was now meditating on
the seventh and final plexus, that is picturised
symbolically as a thousand-petalled lotus
residing on top of the head. This is a
metacausal or a transphenomenal entity and
Bheeshma’s life left for the empyreans above.
(to be contd.)
With Best Compliments from
ROHIT S. SHELAT
SHELAT BROTHERS
20, Kesava Iyer Street
Park Town, CHENNAI - 600 003
d
Phone:
Off. 2535 2081, 2535 0032
Fact. 2494 0764
e. mail: shebro@rediffmail.com
MAY 2011
 How to Approach Absolute Knowledge
Acharya Yadunandan Adhikari
The very first stepping stone to enter
into the world of Absloute Truth is initiation
in some form or other. Every great
(spiritual) teacher has recognised this fact
in all ages. The Vedas are plainly emphatic
about it:
‘‘Rise up (from elevationism), awake
(from salvationism), enlighten (free from
ignorance and misappliance) after accepting
(boon) from the Absolute.’’
The sublime truth of the upanishads
was handed down through ages from the
preceptor to the devoted disciples.
‘‘Unto him alone is the Absolute
revealed by sages who has supreme faith
in, and are devoted, equally, to the
preceptor and God-head’’. None else can
gain it.
In a supremely serene tone the behest
of the Vedas comes to us: ‘‘With Samit
(preparatory ingredients) in thy hand dost
thou approach the true preceptor––one
thoroughly versed in the Vedas and given
to the practice of them, for he has dedicated
himself unto Brahma–indetermined or
Personal Absolute’’.
Lastly there is the authority of the
Geeta. In a quite clear voice has the
comman of the Lord been communicated
to the humble disciple––‘‘You can know
about the Absolute only from those who
are acquainted with the primal causes of
things, provided you attend them with
confidence bonafide enquiry, and serving
mood.’’ Thus Sri Krishna spoke to Arjuna.
But egoism will stand up in stern
opposition to such a spirit, or ignorance will
pervert it. Base self-seekers are not
MAY 2011 THE GAUDIYA
wanting––ready to turn it into a kind of
spiritual (?) profiteeering. So a right
understanding of the principle of spiritual
initiation is necessary for the regeneration
of the individual soul. Initiation is (also) an
outstanding feature of Indian philosophy
and religion. Our purpose is to have a
thorough and shifting enquiry into the matter
free from all national, local or social bias
and consider the obstacles that hinder us
from accepting it. Then we shall be able to
understand the true character of the
preceptor as it ought to be.
Egoism is the worst hindrance.
Egoistic philosophy in some form or other
prevails in every land. Its keynote is the
exaggerated assertion of individualism as
opposed to the authority of the sacred
scriptures:– although certain schools of
Indian philosophy like that of Mayavadins
have tried to veil such a spirit under a lip
homage to the Vedas. But what can be at
the root of such an assertion? The true
character of egoism has been plainly shown
in the Geeta.
‘‘Carried away by egoism do men
often perform dreadful, difficult penances
and acts, extorting admiration from others
and go against Shastras in their pride.’’ This
egoistic philosophy has given birth to
utiliterianism and has transformed itself into
pantheism of various types. Its history
elsewhere is interesting. Descarte started
with the data––‘‘I think, therefore I am’’
and this thinking ego is the basis of all
knowledge. In his deep disgust for the then
prevailing mode of religion specially
Catholicism, did he discard everything from
his philosophy that savoured of authority
13
 and started with the above data. But that is
carrying things to extreme. Let us examine
the data a little and notice its development.
Yes, one can assert the existence of
the self and therefrom of all knowledge
through its thining capacity.
But every man thinks in his own way.
What guarantee is there that my thoughts
reflect the true nature of my soul or self?
Then when variety of thought in different
persons is inevitable how can I assert the
identity of self or soul in all beings? And
how can I know its true nature as it is in
essence? The high priest of modern western
philosophy admits of his failure. Kant says
that we cannot know ‘‘a thing in itself.’’ All
knowledge is possible only through such
categories as time, space, etc. themselves,
as they now are, are but refractions of
thought. In our land more clever thinkers
have cut this Gordian knot in egoistic
philosophy rather drastically. In trying to
find out the true nature of the soul or self
through this process of thinking, they have
ultimately denied any positive existence to
it. And thus Mayavadins and his school have
practically become preachers of spiritual
nihilism as Kant was an agnostic, of
necessity. Then comes the question –– ‘Is
the soul an isolated phenomenon in creation?
If not what then must be its relation with
things or that which exists? And how can
we know that relation?’ This question
remaining unsolved, the problem of the
relation between spirit and matter has
remained an yawning gulf in the world of
Western philosophy. The Shankara school
has made a short cut of this problem. Unable
to find any positive existence of the self, they
have denied absolute existence to anyting
knowable. And all botherings as to the true
relation among things have been sedulously
silenced.
14 THE GAUDIYA
Perversions of this egoistic trend of
thought prevail in India in their most rank
and monstrous forms. For here philosophy
does not remain satisfied within its
speculative region but imperatively requires
to be translated into action. And abuses
crop up initially round the selection of the
spiritual preceptor. This cult of ego-worship
is given either to the exaltation of passion
and sentimentality or to the mutilation of the
senses as false asceticism. It has tried to
nru
pollute and obscure pure theism in many
ways.
We notice its influence also on modern
Indian literature and on the outlook of the
educated Indians of today.
Our present day literature is saturated
with pantheistic ideas. In an over indulgent
mood literatures, in this country, take
everything as object for the gratification of
their aesthetic sense. Even God Himself
does not escape the invasion of this attitude–
which is attributed to their anthropomorphic
strivings. Their shamelessness knows no
bounds. Carried away by carnal, though
exquisitely aesthetic propensities, they do not
scruple to exploit the supersensuous beauty
of the Divine Lila and degrade it into means
of gratification of their sensuous literary
tastes. As for example certain poets in
Bengal have tried to drag down the divine
events of Vrajaleela into the mire of their
intensely sensual aesthetic revelry.
Inherently materialistic in life and aim, they
cannot know that such unclicensed
indulgence of poetic imagination constitutes
the most objectionable prostitution of the true
aesthetic faculty. Enslaved by nature, with
things of three demensions they cannot know
the supersensuous. So is it not wise that
they should know their limitations and remain
satisfied within them?
(to be continued)
MAY 2011 tuo
 Vaishnavas are Credulous
Prabhupad Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur
(Contd. from April issue)
Those who choose to disbelieve the
devotee on principle have to thank only
themselves for the misfortune of missing the
only method of attaining the knowledge and
service of the Truth. Such is also the fate
of those who are siply content to watch
approvingly from a distance without placing
themselves really at the disposal of the
devotee. Such people are no wiser than
the fool in the fable who proposed to get
into water after he had learnt to swim, lest
he might be drowned. This is more specially
the attitude of scepticism and is really
tantamont to wilful refusal to submit to
anything under the hypocritical solicitude of
not going against the Truth !
The right method would be to seek
the society of the real devotees of God with
the sincere desire of serving them
unconditionally as a matter of pressing and
imperative necessity for finding the Truth.
The concrete and personal are as much a
part and parcel of the Truth as the abstrat
and the impersonal. Our ignorance is the
result of undue devotion to an isolated and,
therefore, delusive aspect of the Truth Who
is One and indivisible. The empiricist with
all his pedantic profession of preference for
abstraction is really at the core of his heart
a votary of the phenomenal concrete in line
with himself as a being of flesh and blood.
Let him, discarding all hypocrisy, transfer
his allegiance to the devotee of God who
can put him into personal relationship with
the living world of undisorted Reality where
every existence is consciously engaged in
the perfect service of the Truth Who is no
other than the Supreme person Himself.
MAY 2011 THE GAUDIYA
Abstract thought in its perfect form is but a
faint, distant, reflected gleam of the Truth
surrounded by His servitors and
paraphernalia who has His eternal dwelling
in the realm that dispels all ignorance and
untruth as being wholly foreign to its nature. m.
It is rarely that abstract thought is capable
of attaining this supreme elevation, the
highest point of its ascending effort, and
thereby being enabled to realise the absolute
necessity of cultivating the service of the
devotee of God for obtaining entry into the
actual world of Truth in which it can have
no access by means of its own resources
but into which it can enter easily in the
company of one who is a denizen of that
transcendental realm and has been mercifully
authorized by the Supreme Lord Himself to
show the way thither to all erring souls, who
would have otherwise no alternative but to
depend in perpetual hopelessness on their
own misdirected, futile efforts.
The process of leading into the
transcendental realm on the part of the
devotee consists in making the willing soul
to accept the life eternal by actually living
the same. The sincerity of the service
rendered is tried to the utmost by every
device of the deluding energy. So long as
the neophyte retains his taste for sensuous
enjoyment he cannot distinguish between
reality and hallucination, between service
and enjoyment. The devotee who is fully
established in the service of the Godhead is
thereby placed above hallucination. The
temptations of the flesh then lie fully exposed
to his pure serving disposition and can never
mislead him. As soon as one puts himself
wholly under the guidance of the pure
15
 devotee he finds himself in the marginal
position which is subject to the pull of the
delusive energy on the one hand and of the
spiritual energy on the other. If at this critical
stage he casts his lot without reservation
with the latter he is gradually extricated from
the weaknesses of the flesh.
The disposition to serve the Truth is
as much a constituent part of our nature as
that of lording over the Truth. This is the
implication of our freedom of will. Reason
helps us to make our choice between the
two. But the two never appear
h
-
simultaneously to the reason. If and when
our reason sets itself up as umpire it is by
this very attitude reduced to the necessity
of having to choose between deceptive
phases of the deluding energy. There is no
scope nor necessity for such dominating use
of our reason when the spiritual energy itself
is present. The function of the reason in the
transcendental realm is to seek to realise
n the Truth in every alternative and not to pick
and choose. It is the recipient of perpetually
fresh enlightenment from everything in the
realm where nothing hides anything that is
necessary for the service of the Truth Who
demands the perpetual and fullest service
from all His votaries. The reason is there
the learner and never the guide. The
business of guiding, of choosing, of accepting
and rejecting, seems to belong to the reason
only in this phenomenal world.
As soon as we choose to give up all
our present so-called equipments, which are
foreign to our real nature, and to receive
other faculties in their stread that are wholly
unknown to us at present but which are
nothing short of the very stuff or our real
nature we are in a position to appreciate
the benefit of following unconditionally the
unerring lead of the devotee of God. It may
take a long time for us to be fully established
in this new attitude so as to imbibe a real
16 THE GAUDIYA
liking and firm conviction for it not for any
worldly utility but through the mere fact of
being acquainted with it. Reason is able to
realise but is unable to explain our natural
liking for the Reality. Our liking for the Reality
is spontaneous and cause-less. Can reason
explain our present liking for this world? That
is never the province of reason. The empiric
philosopher irraationally exaggerates the
jurisdiction of perverted reason. Reason in
its normal condition is a humble servant and
on the pane that is free from error is fully
cognisant of its subordinate function.
The choice of course is made not by
reason but by the possessor of reason viz.,
the soul. Reason cannot be responsible for
the choice of the soul. It is the function of
pure reason to always uphold and justify the
choice of the soul because it is the servant
and not the master. The non-spiritual reason
plays the role of master in this world.
(to be contd....)
With Best Compliments from
30 YYears
ears of Ser vice in Adver
Service tising
Advertising
Off: 28522128, 28521957
Resi: 24714046
Fax: 044-28521007
JAYATIYAAR
SERVICES
Advertising &
Public Relations Consultants
Accredited to INS., Doordarsan &
All India Radio !
3, Mahatma Complex, II Floor
13,Whites Road, CHENNAI-600 014
MAY 2011
 Vaishnavism & Civilization
Sri Narayan Das Bhakti Sudhakar
The claim that Vaishnavism embodies
the eternal and only function of the jiva soul
in his eternal state of perfect rational
existence may appear at first sight to be
opposed to the experience of this world.
Vaishnavism is no doubt represented by a
vast and varied literature in almost all the
languages of India and all persons are in a
position to appreciate more or less the
devotional fervour and aesthetic quality that
are the special characteistics of this
literature. But in spite of the admitted
sweetness, gentleness, beauty and fervour
that permeate every part of the Vasihnava
literature and make it, in the opinion of many
competent persons, perhaps the most
glorious heritage of India, there seems to
be lacking any historical evidence to prove
that the community professing the Vaishnava
faith has been able to attain any signal,
social, political or economic success. On
the contrary there are not wanting hostile
critics who do not hesitate to regard
Vaishnavism in some of its forms as a main
cause of the backwardness of India which
they attribute to the influence of Vaishnava
teachings and practices involving, in their
opinion, the virtual denial of the ordinary
principles of moral life as well as the most
elementary needs of advanced material
civilization. The apostles of Puritanism and
Activism are not likely to accept a creed
which may be suspected of a partiality for
sexuality, passivism, childish ceremonial and
credulity and which declares all secular
effort whether moral, social, political or
philanthropic as utterly powerless for the
amelioration of the lot of man, –– nay which
regards them as the root cause of all the
MAY 2011 THE GAUDIYA
troubles that afflict this miserable world.
Modern India has failed in achieving
any triking success in her efforts for the
betterment of the material condition of her
people. In the resources of material wealth
and political power India is the most
bankrupt of all among the modern nations
of the world. Is not this a proof that
something is wrong with her very
civilization? Does it not go a long way to
prove that modern India is spiritually interior
to all the other countries?
Before we attempt an anwer to such
questions it is necessary to pause and try to
realise as clearly as possible the nature of
the relationship if any, that may subsist
between religion and material civilization.
The ordinary view on which the
questions mooted above are based is that
religion is the ‘inside’ of worldly civilization,
that the material civilization is the ‘result’ of
a pure religion, that the decline of material
prosperity is a proof of the decay of religion.
This connection between the two is sought
to be established by means of the principle
of ‘virtue’, ‘goodness’ or ‘morality’. Pure
religion makes a man moral. Morality
consists of those qualities that make their
possessor successful in worldly affairs. The
possession of virtue makes man superior to
brutes by making systematic and collective
effort possible. There can not be any
civilized society without virtue.
The view set forth above may be said
to represent with tolerable fairness the
philosophy of life underlying civilized life in
every Age. Virtue, therefore, must needs
be cultivated by social man in as much as it
appears to form the very basis of human
17
 society. To the social and political man, it is
worth while to worship God if such worship
make them virtuous. It is believed that
without faith in God it is not possible to have
that disinterestedness which is the essence
of virtue. Man is selfish by nature in this
world. Religion in the pure form is believed
to make him disinterested. Worldly
prosperity is the un-sought reward of
disinterested virtue which never yields to the
seductions of selfishness. Disinterested
virtue can alone promote impartially the
well-being of everybody as it makes a man
brave, enterprising, patient, meek, steady
of purpose, unselfish, eager to know, to
improve and to help others to improve. Is
there any human being who does not covet
these qualities? What is universally
recognised as desirable appears to be
necessarily true. This therefore, seems to
be the practical and living side of religion.
Faith in God makes a man virtuous for the
sake of virtue. If a man attempts to be
virtuous from a consideration of its social
or worldly results he or she is bound to fail.
By such reliance on one’s own utilitarian
judgment, one is sure to be turned into an
opportunist. But there can well be no worse
form of association than a society of moral
opportunists. It is the special merit of virtue
that worldly prosperity is not coveted by
the virtuous for its own sake. Religion is
valued because it is supposed to confer on
an individual this ‘inner’state of which his
or her worldly prosperity is the external
result.
In this way by means of the principle
of morality a causal connection is sought to
be established between religion and worldly
prosperity. In accordance with the view set
forth above material prosperity must needs
go hand in hand with spiritual well-being. It
thus becomes an easy task on this basis to
prepare a comparative table of spiritual
18 THE GAUDIYA
values of individuals and communities of a
particular Age. By such test India of to-day
of course is found to occupy the very bottom
position. I am not sure that this test has been
consistently rejected by any of the Indians
themselves of this Age. It is subscribed to,
in one form or another, in their
pronouncements by high personages who are
claimed to represent at the present day the
spiritual life of India. The Non-Co-
operators, Swarajists, Responsivists,
Liberals or Moderates, the Minor as well as
the Major Communities, would be alike
untrue to the basic principle of their
constitution if they object to accept this
causal connection of mind with matter by
means of the principle of virtuous conduct
rendering by possible co-operation for
general material well-being.
Western Psychology boasts of its
superiority to the Indian in having been
apparently able to establish by careful
observation, introspection and experiment
the above invariable connection between
mind and matter and thereby demonstrating
the superfluity of the ‘assumption’ of the
existence of a ‘soul’apart from mind. The
‘soul-theory’ of India is sought to be
explained away as a survival of primitive,
crude, ‘materialistic’ conception of the mental
principle. The notion of an immaterial mind
as identical with the soul is claimed as the
original product and distinguishing mark of
modern scientific thought. According to this
view the aggregate of our present mental
states is the soul ! It is this exclusive and
ultramentalism which passes as ‘spiritual’
with almost all current schools of western and
eastern thought.
Western empiric Psychology is
supported by the Indian transcendentalists
in its view that the mental has a close
correspondence to the physical.
(to be continued)
MAY 2011
 The Conception of Salvation
Sri Sunil
The message of salvation represents
the advanced stage in the evolution of the
empiric quest of hypothetical truth. It has
no reference to the Absolute Who is
declared by the Scriptures, as well as by
the unprejudiced rational instinct inherent in
us, as wholly inaccessible to our present
limited cognitive faculty. The Absolute
position is logically the only natural position.
From the hypothetical position we can have
only a negative surmise of the Absolute. We
should not advertise this negative concoction
as the desirable ultimate goal. This should
be recognised as an abnormal counsel by
all seekers of the Truth. It is only an
unbalanced judgment that can retain any
interest for a quest if he is told beforehand
that it is to lead to a void, after the
adumbration of a long series of inconclusive
hypotheses, for being convinced (?) of the
utter futility of such a quest. In other words
the failure of the quest should not be offered
to be accepted as a positive guiding of the
goal. This finding should not also be
advertised as a form of inconceivable felicity
(?)
No person can ever want to be
delivered from his own self. All persons
want to get rid of disease in odrer to regain
the natural state of health. No person should
relish the counsel of the doctor who
recommends the commission of suicide for
getting rid of a disease. Salvationism
proposes to heal the disease of mortality
by the suppression of the mortal state and
recommends the state of void as this
desideratum. It is not possible to create
such a void, neither in the spiritual realm nor
in this mundane world. The very idea of
MAY 2011 THE GAUDIYA
the void is a conception of the mere
correlation of the complementary aspects of
a hypothesis and is part and parcel of the
same. It is an aspect of the disease and is
never the healthy state. Where is the entity
that will enjoy (?) any felicity (?) in the
inconceivable position that is simply devoid
of all mundane content (?)
No person in his natural position ever
seeks to be delivered from the same.
Salvation is a product of hypothetical
thinking that is natural to the diseased state.
It does not require to be classed as a
Revealed Doctrine.
It is necessary to take prominent note
of the fact that the natural state is not any
modification of the unnatural. Abnormal
thinking is categorically different from normal
thinking. Hypothetical thinking is a
necessary evil as long as we are not in the
state of health. Absolute thinking is both
inevitable and natural to the unconditioned
healthy existence. Even in the diseased state
it should be possible to understand that the
deliberate substitution (?) of one hypothesis
for another, the deliberate replacing (?) of
one ailment by another, is not equivalent to
restoration to the state of health. Any
hypothetical state is only a changing form of
the disease and should not be accepted or
offered as the equivalent of the really healthy
condition.
Any idea of the natural state that we
may attempt to form in our conditioned state
needs must be altogether misleading. This
defect will not be cured by the mere weight
of opinion of the diseased persons in its
favour. No empiricist can consistently assert
that the thoughtless or dishonest approbation
19
y
r Y K * q w s v x ge
h a fgszxaAvfkc f a*.tewq
of empiric thinkers will endow any doctrine
with the absolute character. The attribute,
that pretends that it cannot find any
distinction between the absolute and the
hypothetical, deserves to be described as
cultivated deliberate aversion against the
Truth or, in the language of Theology, as
the only real Atheism. It will not do to
estimate the absolute quality of a conception
by counting the number of its followers in
the conditioned state. As a matter of fact
the Absolute requires no witness to His
Existence and it is a profanation to suppose
that any erring hypothesis made by the
‘‘puppy brain’’ of man can be a condition
for the valid existence of the Absolute.
The Salvationistic idea makes its
appearance in this world when the distracted
human mind is prepared to entertain the
principle of amelioration of the human lot
as distinct from causeless love for the Truth
HAPHAPPINESS FOREVER
V. P. Satish Kumar 9884003811
VENUS ASTROLOGY
Old #3/2, New #11, 2nd Street
Gopalapuram,
CHENNAI - 600 086
1
www : venusastrology.in
mail : venussatish@gmail.com
20 THE GAUDIYA
as the basis of right conduct. The sine qua
non of the spiritual is that it has no genesis
in any mundane condition, either diretly or
indirectly. Salvationism always boasts of
its undoubted mundane origin and mundane
purpose. It sometimes seeks to support its
pretension to revelation by the manipulation
or fabrication of Scriptural evidence.
Salvationism has accordingly been branded
by the vaishnavite schools as the
consummation of hypocrisy in the domain
of religious life. This is actually borne out
by the form of the prayers of the
salvationists. These prayers always suggest
the remedy to be prescribed by the doctor
whose advice they pretend to seek.
Thorough-going empiricism, logically
represented by Buddhism, discords the
scriptural support and relies fully on itself.
In this respect Salvationism within the
Scriptural sphere is distinct from Buddhism.
(to be contd.......)
We Create / Design
New style of clothing,
Giving the Right Cut,
to the Right Fabric,
&
Sewing it with the
Right Accessories
Call : 9884387503
MAY 2011
n
mun
 »y »y TϪ TÁ{∫ÁWÁ{ \Æo:
SRIMAD BHAGAVADGITA
»y™ÙTƒËyoÁ
YoÏsÁ|zDÜÆÁÆ: CHAPTER-IV
rÁåuƒßÁTÆÁzT: JNÂNA VIBHÂGA YOGA
(Contd. from April issue)
Æ–XZÁ¬ÁßÃÊoÏ…eÁz ˚ã˚ÁoyoÁz uƒ™nÃ∫: @
Ù: uÃÚÁƒuÃÚÁ{ Y Nw˛nƒÁuú å uå§ÜÆoz ˛˛@@22@@˛
Yaddricchâlâbhasamtushtho
dwandwâteeto vimatsarah |
samah siddhâvasiddhau cha
kritvâpi na nibadhyate || 22
ÃÊoÏ…b: = Quite content, ¬Áß = with
whatever he gets, Æ–XZÁ = by chance i.e.,
without effort, Eoyo: = and who
treanscended, ˚ã˚ = the pairs of opposites,
uĪn̺: = who is free from ill-will towards
anyone, Ù: = treating as equal, uÃÚÁ{ = in
success, EuÃÚÁ{ Y = as well as in failure,
Nw˛nƒÁ Euú = although fully engaged in actions,
å uå§ÜÆoz = he is not bound (by samsara).
Quite content with whatever he gets
by chance i.e., without effort and whob
transcended the pairs of opposites, who is
free from ill-will towards any one, treating
as equal in success as well as in failure,
although fully engaged in actions, he is not
bound (by samsara). 22
To ÃWïÀÆ ™ÏO˛ÀÆ rÁåÁƒuÀso YzoÃ: @
ÆrÁÆÁY∫o: N˛™| ÙT¿Ê üuƒ¬yÆoz ˛˛@@23@@˛
Gata sangasya muktasya
jnânâvasthita chetasah |
yajnâyâcharatah karma
samagram pravileeyate || 23
To ÃWïÀÆ = Free from all mundane
attachments, ™ÏO˛ÀÆ = the liberated (person),
YzoÃ: = mind, EƒuÀso = engaged, rÁå = in
MAY 2011 THE GAUDIYA
pure intelegence i.e., engaging himself in
unalloyed loving devotion to the Supreme
Lord Sri Krishna, EÁY∫o: ÆrÁÆ = by doing
every thing for the pleasure of the Supreme
Lord Sri Krishna, ÙT¿Ê = all, N˛™| = his
previous actions, üuƒ¬yÆoz = are destroyed.
Free from all mundane attachments, the
liberated person, mind engaged in pure
intelligence i.e., engaging himself in unalloyed
loving
nk Devotion to the Supreme Lord Sri
Krishna, by doing everything for the pleasure
of the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna, all his
previous actions are destroyed.
Refer Srimad Bhagavatam IV.29.59.
23
§¿÷Áú|mÊ §¿÷ “uƒ§¿|÷ÁTíÁ{ §¿÷mÁ “Ïo™Ω @
§¿÷{ƒ ozå Tão√ÆÊ §¿÷N˛™| ÙÁuáåÁ ˛˛@@24@@˛
Brahmârpanam brahma havi-
rbrahmâgnau brahmanâ hutam |
brahmaiva tena gantavyam
brahma karma samâdhinâ || 24
§¿÷“uƒ: = The sacrificial ghee which is
Brahman, “ÏoÊ = is offered, §¿÷mÁ = by the
priest who is Brahman, §¿÷Áú|mÊ = the offerings
which are Brahman, §¿÷ÁTíÁ{ = into the fire
which is also Brahman, ozå = by the person
who has the pure intelligence of viewing the
objects in relation to Brahman, who is
concentrating on Brahman, §¿÷N˛™| ÙÁuáåÁ
= who is deeply absorbed in meditation
seeking Brhaman and engaging in doing
actions which please Brahman, §¿÷{ƒ Tão√ÆÊ
21
 = ultimately obtains Brahman only.
The sacrificial ghee which is Brahman,
is offered by the priest who is Brahman, the
offerings which are Brahman, into the Fire
which is also Brahman, by the person who
has the pure intelligence of viewing the
objects in relation to Brahman, who is
concentrating on Brahman, who is deeply
absorbed in meditation seeking Brahman
and engaging in doing actions which please
Brahman, ultimately obtains Brahman only.
Please refer also Taittareeya
Upanishad 2.5; Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
3.9.28. 24
Different forms of Yajnas
t{ƒ™zƒÁú∫z ÆrÊ ÆÁzuTå: úÆÏ|úÁÃoz @
§¿÷ÁTíÁƒú∫z ÆrÊ Ærzå{ƒÁzú\Ϥuo ˛˛@@25@@˛
Daivamevâpare yajnam
yoginah paryupâsate |
brahmâgnâvapare yajnam
yajnenaivopajuhvati || 25
Eú∫z = Some, ÆÁzuTå: = Karma yogis,
úÆÏ|úÁÃoz = perform, ÆrÊ = Yajna, t{ƒÊ Lƒ = to
please minor gods such as Indra, Varuna and
others, to whom are delegated some special
powers by My Mahamaya, Eú∫z = some
others i.e., Jnana yogis, Gú\Ϥuo = pour, ÆrÊ
= their ownself (in their pure intelligence) as
Ghee, Ærzå Lƒ = by chanting the Divine
Mantra ‘Om’or Pranava, §¿÷ÁTíÁ{ = into the
Fire which represents Brahman.
The yajnas vary according to the
spiritual maturity of different yogis.
Some Karma yogis perform Yajnas to
please minor gods such as Indra, Varuna and
others, to whom are delegated some special
powers by My Maha-Maya. Some others
i.e., Jnana Yogis pour their ownself (in their
pure intelligence) as Ghee, by chanting the
Divine Mantra ‘Om’ or Pranava into the Fire
which represents Brahman. 25
22 THE GAUDIYA
»ÁzfiÁtyåyuã¸ÆÁlÆãÆz ÃÊÆ™ÁuTí Ï \Ϥuo @
∆£tÁty uムÆÁåãÆ Fuã¸ÆÁuTí Ï \Ϥuo ˛˛@@26@@˛
Shrotrâdinindriyânyanye
samyamâgnishu juhvati |
shabdâdee nvishayânya
indriyâgnishu juhvati || 26
EãÆz = The life-long celibates i.e.,
Brahmacharis, \Ϥuo = perform havana,
»ÁzfiÁtyuå Fuã¸ÆÁum = by offering their senses
such as ears etc. (as sacrificial ghee), EuTí Ï
= in the fire of , ÃÊÆ™ = self control, EãÆz =
some others i.e., house holders, \Ϥuo = do
homa, ∆£tÁtyåΩ uƒ ÆÁåΩ = by offering their
sense-percepts such as sound, taste, smell,
sight, touch etc., EuTí Ï = to the fire of , Fuã¸Æ
= senses i.e., they absorb themselves in the
practice of experiencing the sense-objects
without attachment.
The life-long celibates, i.e.,
Brahmacharis perform homa by offering their
senses such as ears etc. (as sacrificial ghee)
in the fire of self-control. Some others i.e.,
householders do homa by offering their
sense-percepts, such as, sound, taste, smell,
sight, touch etc. to the fire of senses, i.e.,
they absorb themselves in the practice of
experiencing the sense objects without
attachment. 26
ÃÁ|myuã¸ÆN˛™Á|um üÁmN˛™Á|um YÁú∫z @
EÁn™ÃÊÆ™ ÆÁzTÁTíÁ{ \Ϥuo rÁå tyuúoz ˛˛@@27@@˛
Sarvâneendriyakarmâni
prânakarmâni chapare |
âtmasamyama yogâgnau
juhvati jnâna deepite || 27
Eú∫z Y = Other yogis like Patanjali, \Ϥuo
= do homa, ÃÁ|um = of all, Fuã¸Æ N˛™Á|um = the
actions of the ten senses, üÁm N˛™Á|um Y =
(and) of the ten vital airs, ETíÁ{ = in the fire of,
EÁn™ ÃÊÆ™ ÆÁzT = pure and controlled self,
rÁå tyuúoz = lit by the knowledge of Kaivalya.
(contd. on page 24)
MAY 2011
 With Best Compliments from

Ph: 2538 8124

Fax: 2538 8184

M/S. V.T.C.FABRICS
that the hu

and
Specialist in Uniforms & Special Supplies

Distributors of
S.Kumar's Uniform Materials
Century Fabrics etc.

d
65, (New No.78),i Godown Street,
P.B.No: 133,
CHENNAI - 600 001

MAY 2011 THE GAUDIYA 23

 Other yogis like Patanjali, do homa of
all the actions of the ten senses, (and) of the
ten vital airs in the fire of pure and controlled
self, lit by the knowledge of Kaivalya.
The vital airs (Prânas) –– Prâna
(goes outward i.e., exaling); Apâna (goes
downwards i.e., expelling); Samâna
(assimilates food and drink); Udâna (leads
upwards); Vyâna (is pervading, regulating
the other Prânas); Nâga (governs belching);
Kurma (causes opening of the eyes);
Krikara (causes sneezing and hunger);
Devadatta (causes yawning and sleep) and
Dhananjaya (pervading the whole body,
lingers after death, causing decomposition).
(Gherandha Samhita 5.64)
Prâna, located in the chest area, is
associated with breathing and speech.
Apâna, located below the naval, is responsi
le for excretion and gives energy to the lower
organs in the body, including intestines,
genital and anus. Samâna, located in the
solar plexus, is responsible for digestion and
assimilation of food. Udâna, controls the
head region, swollowing, movement of limbs
and erect posture. Vyâna, pervading the
whole body, causes circulation of blood and
coordinates the activities of the other
Prânas. 27
¸√ÆÆrÁ ÀoúÁzÆrÁ ÆÁzTÆrÁ ÀosÁú∫z @
ÀƒÁÜÆÁÆ rÁåÆrÁ≥Á ÆoÆ: ÃÊu∆oƒ¿oÁ: ˛˛@@28@@˛
Dravyayajnâ stapoyajnâ
yogayajnâ stathâpare |
svâdhyâya jnânayajnâscha
yatayah samshritavratâh || 28
(Nz˛uYoΩ) ¸√ÆÆrÁ: = Some are engaged
doing charitable actions, (Nz˛uYoΩ) oúÁzÆrÁ: =
and some are performing austerities like
Chândrâyana etc., osÁ Eú∫z ÆÁzTÆrÁ: = and
some others are engaged in Astânga Yoga,
Nz˛Yå ÀƒÁÜÆÁÆ-rÁå Ær≥Á = some others put
effort into engaging in knowledge by studying
242 4 THE GAUDIYA
the Vedas, LozÃz| ÆoÆ: = all these yogis
engaged in great endeavour, ÃÊu»oƒ¿oÁ: = and
asceties of severe vows.
Some are engaged doing charitable
actions; and some are performing austerities
like Chândrâyana etc; and some others are
engaged in Astânga Yoga; some others put
effort into engaging in knowledge by studying
the Vedas, –– all these yogis engaged in great
endeavour and ascestics of severe vows.
EúÁåz \Ϥuo üÁmÊ üÁmzDúÁåÊ osÁú∫z @
üÁmÁúÁåToy ªÜƒÁ üÁmÁÆÁ™ ú∫ÁÆmÁ: @ 5
Eú∫z uåÆoÁ“Á∫Á: üÁmÁãüÁmz Ï \Ϥuo @@29@@˛
Apâne juhvati prânam
prânopânam tathâpare |
B
prânâpânagatee rudhvâ
prânâyâma parâyanâh |
apare niyatâhâh
prânânprâneshu juhvati || 29
Eú∫z = Some others, EúÁåz = in Apâna,
üÁm™Ω = Prâna, \Ϥuo = by stopping, osÁ =
(and) similarly, üÁmz EúÁåÊ = vice-versa, ªÜƒÁ
üÁmÁúÁåToy = and gradually stop the
movements of both, üÁmÁÆÁ™ ú∫ÁÆmÁ: = practise
prânâyâma, Eú∫z = others (desiring to
conquer the senses), uåÆoÁ“Á∫Á: = control
the eating process, i.e., they eat little, üÁmz Ï
= (and) offer their Prânas, üÁmÁåΩ = to the
fire of Pranas. e
Some others in Apâna, Prâna by
stopping and similarly vice-versa; and
gradually stop the movements of both,
practise Prânâyâma. Others (desiring to
conquer the senses) control the eating
process, i.e., they eat little and offer their
Prânas to the fire of Prânas.
Refer also Srimad Bhagavatam XI.15.1 ro
(to be contd.......)
“∫z Nw˛…m “∫z Nw˛…m Nw˛…m Nw˛…m “∫z “∫z @
“∫z ∫Á™ “∫z ∫Á™ ∫Á™ ∫Á™ “∫z “∫z @@
MAY
ar 2011