Hare Krishna

1. Theoretical and academical knowledge has been ruler to determine the intelligence of a
person in material platform. However, the so called learned person is not intelligent if he
does not know how to end the miserable cycle of births and deaths. Academic knowledge
has its main limitation, which is the lacking of information on presence of soul and
supersoul. The modern science now approves that life is cycle, but until now it can not
certain what is missing in a dead body. The end is not death because it is a cycle. So such
knowledge is incomplete. Without knowing the self realization and without the knowledge
of the relationship between athma and paramathma, an academician works under the
influence of false ego. Sometimes, it is very much easier to convince a not so educated
person to accept Krishna than the so called learned persons.
There is two types of knowledge: absolute and relative. The knowledge in material realm is
relative – always change in time, some things that thought wrong long time ago can be
proven to be true now. However the spiritual knowledge is absolute truth: it does not
change. Facts remain the same. A person who knows the absolute truth is the real
intelligent person. He knows his job as servitor of Krishna and remain in self control without
any attachments in his life. In BG 9.2 Krishna tells that raja vidya raja guhyam: this
knowledge(spiritual knowledge) is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. So
that makes a person real intelligent, not just the material academic qualification.

2. The simplified understanding of verse 34 is, the senses are naturally wanting to be satisfied,
abstaining from them is not practical, however the senses should be enganged in Krishna
consciousness to avoid bondage. Still, the regulated sense gratification if not carefully
maintained can still lead to falling down. Mahamaya holding the entire material worlds with
her strong complicated networks like a spider web. A person becomes trapped in this
network when he starts to work on sense gratification. For example when a person is
attracted to a beautiful woman, he wants to own her. He gets married, and becomes father.
He is not responsible to take care of his family, his commitments grow. He has the urge to
find more and more wealth for comfort living. All of this will make him to forget his ultimate
aim in life which is to work for Krishna. Attachments to material affair is the commonest
stumble block towards spiritual advancement. However, a person already trapped in so
many commitments, still can transcend the effects of mahamaya simply by becoming a pure
bhakta. When the senses are enjoyed in regulated manner, he is purified. But he must
remember to stay in detachments, once attachment develops, even the regulated
enjoyments can lead to fall down. Therefore one must be very very careful in executing all
the material responsibilities. Our consistent daily sadhanas and reading bhaktivedantha
books are ways to keep us on track, so that the mind does not get deviated towards material
attachments.
HK.

1. The first verse of Sikshastakam,

cheto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam
sreyah-kairava-chandrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam
anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamrtasvadanam
sarvatma snapanam param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam

The holy name of Krishna cleanses all impurities of the soul. The various degrees of lust as Krishna
said in BG 3.38 as analogy mirror with many layers of dust, smoke covering fire and fetus inside of
womb. No matter in what impurity we are the holy name of Krishna can cleanse it all. All phases of
the self of which we may conceive are fully satisfied and purified, and at last conquered by the all-
auspicious influence of the Holy Name of Krishna.”

This is the main reason why Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was emphasizing on chanting
Mahamantra. A mirror if not clear due to dust, one can not see properly. Simillarly when we are
mundane and covered by thick layer of lust, we can see things as it is. The chanting of Mahamantra
will clean the mind, slowly the layer of dust will disappear and we will be able to see the reality
clearly. The first effect of sankkirtana is cleansing the mind. The next stage is purification of the
intelligence, that process extinguishes the fire of material existence in the forest of repeated birth
and death. The constant chanting of Sri Krishna’s holy name will become higher pleasure and at the
next stage, we develop intimate relationship with Krishna. The next stage is anandambudhi-
vardhanam when we are in complete surrender, we will achieve ecstasy. The final stage of effect of
the chanting is purification of the existence. Chanting is something achievable regardless of our
material designation. It should be taken up seriously and constantly to purify ourseves. The
experiences may vary among individuals but the end result is guaranteed: purification and liberation.

2. Kama rupena kaunteya duspuenanalena ca: eternal enemy is lust which is never satisfied
and burns like fire.

In this verse Krishna is explaining the real problem of this material existence. We are in the influence
of Maya. Everything looks so real yet nothing is permanent, the time kills everything. Why we see
something which is illusion as real? That is because our consciousness is covered by lust. I want this,
I want that and the desire has no end. We work so hard to satisfy our desires. In fact we are trapped
in the material network is due to our lust. We want to enjoy because we have forgotten that there is
only one enjoyer and that Is Sri Krishna.

Ravana was a king. He had all his needs, but he wanted more. He wanted power, he wanted more
land and so on. Eventually all his desires destroyed him. Just like that we will become miserable due
to our own desires. Lust is eternal enemy because we have been struggling with it for long long time.
Many many births we have underwent and until now we are not free of this lust.

We know lust or desires are very difficult to overcome. Therefore instead of suppressing the lust, we
can actually channel to the right direction. Our lust and desire should be Krishna, in that way, the
constant enemy, lust becomes our friend. By cultivating the love towards Krishna we can rise above
Kama and get moksha. Practical examples to make this happen is chanting the holy name Sri Krishna
and eating prashad. It will cleanse the impurities and direct us towards the real satisfaction.
In BG 7.14 Krishna says, the material nature is difficult to overcome but those who surrendered unto
Me can easlily cross beyond it. Therefore, we must work towards cleansing our dusty mirror with the
help of clean cloth which is Krishna Bhakti.

HK prabhu

1. Without considering impersonal voidness the ultimate end.

This phrase is pointing out that, liberation is not becoming united with nothing. This concept
is very popularly preached at this modern era, where everyone is told to meditate and
practice yoga to attain peace in life and moksha afer life (i.e.nirvana). That is very wrong
because, moksha is attaining our real position back as eternal servitor at the abode of Sri
Krishna. We will be maintaining our individualities all time. We have something to do,
inaction is not our nature. The action need to be directed to The Lord. Moreover, meditating
on voidness is just impossible, because of the nature of the mind. Mano durnigram calam: it
is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless mind (BG 6.37)
In BG 2.12, Krishna says, never there was a time when I did not exist nor you, nor in the
future shall any of us cease to be. The ultimate end is full of action, nothing as voidness. In
chapter 3, Krishna is explaining how by performing prescribed duties(action) in fixed
consciousness able to deliver us from the material miseries.
2. Yogic postures and philosophical speculations can’t help one towards spiritual life.
Real yoga means to link with The Supreme Person. But the yoga that we are attempting to
practice in our daily life is just posture that is nothing more than physical exercise. It can
help us to improve the material bodies’ health but not improve our spiritual life. The yoga
that can elevate us spiritually is bhakti yoga. Bhakti yoga is our daily sadhanas, where we
remaining in our material jobs and duties yet being able to perform as bhaktas: chanting,
preparing prashads, thulasi worship, pooja, fasting and so on. In BG 6.47 Krishna says, of all
yogis, he who worship Me in transcendental loving service, is the most intimately united
with Me. That is what we want to achieve.
Philosophical speculation will obviously won’t work towards liberation, simply because its
just speculation, product of someone’s thought process. This some one’s thought process is
not perfect because of his mind is not perfect. Perfect is only Krishna and therefore The real
spiritual knowledge should be Sri Krishna’s perspective only. Krishna says in BG 2.55, sarvan
partha mano gathan…one should arise fromall sorts of mental speculations to achieve the
transcendental position.
The real knowledge is absolute truth which is free from mental speculation and pass
through generations by generation in a disciplic succession. Working under speculated
hypothesis is like throwing a ball into a dark room with the hope that it will fall in the right
basket. Pseudo acaryas in the modern world are making profits by selling such speculations
due to the ignorance of the society. The base of spiritual life is the right intelligence that
comes from vedic literatures under the guidance of a bona-fine guru, a true devotee.
Hk prabhu

1. In Ch 3.21, Krishna says, what a great man acts the common man follows and great men set
standards, by exemplary acts all the world pursues. This means the guidance is very very
important as protection for all the living beings from material temptations and lust which
result in further bondage. The guidance comes from Sri Krishna Himself. In time immemorial,
the knowledge was passed to sun-God, Vivasvan who was the king of all planets (BG 4.1). It
is very important what is being instructed to a king as he will be the guidance and he will act
as exemplary for the citizens to follow. The knowledge that was passed to Vivasvan is
Bhagavad Gita. That is how ancient The gita is. From Vivasvan the knowledge was passed to
Manu and then Iksvaku( the origin of current humans). This confidential knowledge is pass
through a lineage or disciplic succession. Therefore Gita can not be some mental speculation
or mythology. Due to course of time, the chain was broken and Krishna appeared 5
thousands years ago, to again impart the same knowledge as Bhagavad Gita to his cousin
Arjuna. It is being passed through generations in a discplic succession which includes Lord
Caitanya Mahaprabhu(Krishna Himself as acarya) and Srila Prabhupad the saviour acarya of
the current modern world. Great acaryas like them set regulations and rules which are
practical yet without deviation from the knowledge. We follow them as our guidance and we
will attain the freedom from material bondage.
2. The word apauruseya means that which is from superbeing or immortal. Many theortical
and hypothetic guidances and books are created by mere motrals, they are widely available
in this modern era and those are the examples of the non-apauruseyas. When the person
who writes the guide is not perfect, how to expect the knowledge to be perfect? It is like the
blind leading another blind, and at the end all are doomed. Bhagavad Gita is apauruseya as it
was spoken not by an ordinary person but The perfect Personality: Sri Krishna, Bhagavan.in
Bhagavad Gita Kṛṣṇa has established, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: “I
am the origin of everything; everything emanates from Me.” The only He knows the best.
Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ. Vedas are also to know Him. He is Veda Vit, the knower
of vedas and origin of vedas. All these make Him as the only authority to impart the right
guidance to save the entire fallen souls to travel back towards Him, simultaneously free
them from neverending material miseries.

Hk prabhu and Happy Nityananda Trayodasi.

1. Spirit of demon has no believe in God but enjoys everything that belongs to God. Demoniac
persons, being envious of The Lord, they like to use God’s words in their perverted
speculations for the gain of material benefits. These scammers prey on frustrated people
who are always in search of Ultimate Truth. This is why, it is very important to verify the
 knowledge being offered before processing it in. In BG 4.2 Krishna clearly guides everyone:
adhere to the authorized disciplic succession. We are lucky to have Srila Prabhupada in our
lienage of disciplic succession as he gave us proper translation of gita for us to accurately
understand the subject matter in world wide. Without him, we would have been some
speculated version of Gita by mundane scholars. In Bg 16.2 Krishna says, na śhauchaṁ
nāpi chāchāro na satyaṁ teṣhu vidyate , there is no purity, no good conduct nor
truthfulness in these demonic people. We must be able to see which is proper and improper
before accepting everything we read as the real knowledge.

2. If bhagavad Gita as it is, is accepted as treatise of philosophical speculations, then it is waste

of time.

Bhagavad Gita has its purpose. Not only Gita, the entire vedas have only one aim, which is to know
and understand Krishna. He is Veda Vit, the knower of all Vedas and to be knowns in all vedas. If this
is not clearly understood by reading Gita without proper guidance or with disbelief, then the
purpose can never been achieved.

The conclusion of Bhagavad Gita is one should give up all other engagements and adopt the service
of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead (BG18.66). If one is convinced of this
philosophy of life, that is faith. If a person reads Gita like reading some speculations or like reading a
story book, then there is no faith and without faith no one can cross this miserable material ocean to
attain The Lord. Bhagad Gita is like the torch Krishna has given us although we are fallen down to
these miseries. If we forsake His guide, how then can we ever end this cycle of births and deaths?
We have no much time, there is no time to be wasted. Therefore Bhagavad Gita as it is, must be our
daily study. The words are from Krishna Himself. The guidance to study this holy book, must be from
the authorized discplic succession, then there is hope to get back Krishna. Let’s be thankful to each
and every devotee who working hard to distribute the books of BBTs at all nook and corner of the
world. Jai!
HK prabhu

1. Srjami in this verse means manifest. Krishna manifests as Himself when there is a need. Just
like sun rise, He descends to earth at times. Krishna is not bound to any rules and
regulations. when there is decline in religious principle He decides to manifests as Himself to
re-establish such principles. Only Krishna can manufacture a system of religion. Paritranaya
sadhunam He says, in BG 4.8, Krishna says, to reestablish
the principles of
religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium.
When He says I appear, He appears as Himself. As a a charming extraordinary cowherd boy who
plays flute and very very attractive. These are the eternal attributes of Krishna. Just like the sun,
whether or not sun is at rise or already down, the attributes of sun is same. So when Krishna
descends to earth, He displays Himself as Himself. He was just a baby when Putana wanted to
poison Him, although in baby form He could kill Her unlike any other ordinary baby. He is
Himself at all time. When He is manifests on earth He is still The Bhagavan. Manifestation of The
Lord is on His will, His mercy to destroy the miscreants and to protect His devotees. It should not
be manipulated according to own mental speculation.

2. Religion has been always related to civilization. Throughout earth, when civilization began,
the society followed some faith. In the modern world today, there are so many religions and
faith. New religions are also being created in daily basis. Can faith/religion created?
Law is set by government, which is the nation’s authority. The only authority that can create
religion is Sri Krishna, TSPOG. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat pranitam, only Bhagavan is the
authority and His words are to be followed as religion. We call ourselves as Hindu, Muslim,
Christians and so on, those are just some material designation. Our sva-dharma is same,
universal: aham brhamasmi, we are all spirit soul. SO the real religion to be followed should
be one, and that one is all that Krishna spoke. No mediator or no prophet, straight from Hi.
He spoke this science to Vivasvan and The King of Manu, Iksvaku in ancient time. Till today
the knowledge is present as the same, this because it has been passed through a discplic
succession. Therefore no one can create religion, but only Krishna.
Faith or Dharma is surely important because we are no better than animals if we have no
faith in God. Dharmena Hina Pasubhih Samana, without God conception we are equal to
animal. However, the faith that we follow must be the one from the right authority. The only
right authority is Sri Krishna. We need to know His laws. Whether we know or we don’t
know, we are all subjected to that law. Mayadyaksena prakrtih suyate sa caracarma BG9.10,
we are astonished with the flawless system of this material nature, and all of this nature is
working under the law of Krishna. When we are not abiding the law of Krishna, we will face
the consequences. Yamaraj The King of patalaloka is one of the selected authority to keep
law and order. He is the responsible to give punishment accordingly to the sinful souls.
Krishna is merciful. He wants us to know the dharma or His law accurately, the janana. When
we know and follow His guidance, there is liberation. We get to trancend all these miseries.
Hk prabhu

1. Reasons for Krishna’s appearance

a) He appears to deliver or to save His devotees(sadhus)
- Krishna is all loving, and He is impartial to everyone. But Krishna is very very dear to His devotes. He has
mentioned this in BG 7.17, ahaṁ sa ca mama priyaḥs : I am very very dear to devotees. So
when He sees the bhaktas going through miseries He won’t be able to bear. He knows He has to descend.
When Draupati was disthrobed in public, she cried for Krishna and Krishna appeared to rescue.
In current life, we are praying to Krishna yet sometimes we are in great distress. We must trust that Krishna
will take care of us and whatever He has arranged for us is the best for us. Although He is not appearing
right in front of our material eyes, we must not lose faith. We are suffering for a reason therefore need to fix
our mind in Lord and keep going in detachments.

b) He appears to destroy the miscreant or duskrtas

- Duskrtam are the foolish and lowest among mankind as they do not care to gain Krishna consciousness.
These people create troubles and always in the mission of harassing the devotees. Like how, Hiranyakasipu
torture his own son bhakta Prahlad just because the son was a devotee. As a an unalloyed bhakta Prahlad
bravely stood against his father to overcome all the torture the father implemented. Krishna came as the
furious Nrsimha Dev to kill the demon Hiranyakasipu.
c) Krishna appears to reestablish the principle of dharma
- As the Supreme Personality of Godhead only Krishna has the authority to reestablish the religious principles.
When there is serious declination in faith or dharma is lost, Krishna manifests on earth as Himself. He came
to speak Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna, indirectly reestablished the knowledge which appared to be lost. In BG
4.2 Krishna tells that the knowledge has been passed to devas and humans even in ancient time, but the
succession somehow broken and the knowledge appears to be lost. Therefore Krishna came back again to
deliver the same knowledge as guidance of religion for the entire human society.
2.  Age of Kali is called age of hippocricy. There is abundance of ignorance, atheism, irreligion, short life span, crime
and nonexistent of true virtue. Kali lasts for 432 000 years and we have only passed about 5000 years. The chaos
of Kali will increase gradually and at one point it will reach the peak, and Krishna will appear as Kalki avatara to
vanquish the demons and saves His devotees. This will be the beginning of another Sathya yuga (Srila
Prabhupad’s commentary on Bg 8.17).
Just 5000 years into Kali, we can see so much of injustice and that is very disturbing.All the basic religious
principles are modified according to sense gratifications. We are seeing man and women living together without
wedlock, Same gender unions and increase of unwanted children and baby dumpings. Eating meat is accepted as
civilization, gambling is legal and so on.
At least we are still able to practise Krishna consciousness lifestyle, as Kali matures, there won’t be any God’s
conception. In this Kali yuga, we had Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s appearance, so we must make full benefit out of it.
He thaught us easy way out which Harinam sankirtan or chanting. Harer harer nama harer nama, harer nama
kevalam, kalua nasty eva nasty gathi any gathaa…means the only way of liberation in this chaotic kali yuga is
chanting of God’s name. We must not be taking repeated births to see more of Kali as it is never going to be
pleasant.
Hare Krishna Prabhu

1. In Purusa Bodhini upasad it is stated, “The one Supreme Personality of

Godhead is eternally engaged in many, many transcendental forms in
relationships with His unalloyed devotees.”
This means that The Supreme Lord comes as Himself in various
transcendental forms for His devotees. There is no end to the
expansions and incarnations of Krishna. He is full of activities. This is
because He is a person, The Supreme Personality of Godhead.
In BG 15.7 it is stated that, mamaivamso jiva loke, all living entities
are part and parcel of Krishna. We are from Him and our relationship
with Him is eternal. Materially speaking child who has placental bond
with his mother possess such strong love and passion towards her.
We are eternally related to Krishna. We have forgotten Him and
forsaken Him, but the bond is still there, He is merciful on us. He still
appears from time to time to deliver us from the miserable material
world. The Pandus are examples of His unalloyed devotees. He
descended to save them from being subjected to unlawful dismissals.
We must have strong faith, that Krishna is The Supreme Lord, He is
the highest authority and only He can appear to initiate a religion.

2. In this verse, BG 4.9 Krishna says janma karma ca me divyam: My birth and My activities. He is The Supreme
Person, He has birth and activities, but all of them are transcendental. This proves that Krishna is an individu, not
just light or sound or void. The brahman platform which is the effulgence of The Lord call Brahmajyothir can
never be the end point of liberation and there is risk of falling down after attaining that impersonal platform. The
sun ray is not the sun. Brahmajyothir is analogically similar to the sunrays, and the sun is Krishna.

He is extraordinary being and He has displayed various kind of passtimes for the devotees to cherish and to think
about. This is a way to cultivate bhakti. Krishna is not here now, but we still get to talk about His wpnderful
passtimes. In this verse Krishna is promising, for those who know His appearance and activities, liberation is
guaranteed. Advaitam acyutham anadim anantha rupam :He is absolute, infallible and without beginning. The
eternal, blissful and knowledgable Lord is easily understood by the devotees rather than the scholars. As a person
Krishna has characteristics. If we know Krishna as just some light or effulgence, it is equal to just licking the honey
bottle. To enjoy more honey, we need to open the bottle. Just like that we need to see Krishna beyond the
impersonal Brahman platform. In such way we can cultivate bhakti and gets to enjoy the understandings of His
activities and also about the absolute knowledge He passed to us through a bonafide Guru.
HK PRABHU

1. Comparing the living entities to the bubbles in ocean, merging in to the ocean.

Most people would want to believe that liberation is to merge with The Supreme Power. This is because they are so afraid
to become person again and to go through troubles. The fear is making them to believe somwthing which can never be
true. This is because Krishna says, BG 2.12, There was never a time when I did not exist, nor you. Nor
will there be any future in which we shall cease to be. We will maintain our individualities even
after liberation. There is nothing to be fear od this. Krishna is The Supreme Master and us, The
living entities, are His eternal servants. We shall continue our activities in endless joy after
llberation to Goloka. In Bg 15.6 Krishna says, those who reach Goloka never returns. So there is
no falling down again, therefore there is nothing to be fear.

Although we are part and parcel of Krishna, we can never become one with Krishna. Attaining
the brahman platform is brahmajyothi, has the risk of falling down again. So there should not be
any doubts on the real meaning of liberation. Liberation is reaching Krishna in Goloka, but not
merging with Him. But to serve Him as His eternal devotees with so much of love and pleasure.

2. Three stages of material consciousness:

-attachment to material life: when the life is sailing happily, we naturally
become deluded as this body as our identity. We develop attachement
towards family and society. We enjoy the timely happiness and we think
we possess everything that belongs to us. All of these will prevent us
from thinking of our real self(jiva) and our relationship with The Supreme
Person, Krishna.
- fear of a spiritual personal identity: Knowing death is unevitable, we are
not sure what is beyond death and what to do after death. This subject
matter generally brings fear and common man wants to avoid thinking
about it.
- the conception of void that arises from frustration in life: material
miseries makes a man to think that there is an end and the end is void.
However this is wrong concept as in reality we never become nothing.
We exist and we will continue to exist. Merging into void is not only
impossible but also not a logic solution for material frustrations. Material
frustrations becomes of our own mind which chooses to dwell in
dualities. When we transcend all the desires and develop detachment,
we will be able to understand our eternal individual identity and
Krishna’s identity and both our relationships.
In bhakti rasamrtha sindhu 1.4.15–16, the science of devotional service is
explained in stages:
 - Preliminary desire for self realization
- Initiation by a bonafide spiritual master
- Devotional service(daily sadhanas)
- Free from material attachments
- Steadiness in self-realization
- Taste to hear about Krishna
- Krishna prema (the highest level devotional service)

HK PRABHU

1. Why surrender to Krishna?

Living beings surrender to God for various reasons. Commonly, a person
surrenders at the time point when he realizes that his in so much of miseries
and troubles, but he is not in any state to find the solution. Some surrenders
to gain some material benefits, other surrenders in the ordeal to find
knowledge. In BG 7.16 Krishna says catur-vidha bhajante mam
janah sukrtino ’rjuna.

4 types of men surrender to me: the distressed, the wealth seeker, the inquisitive and the
knowledge seeker.

Material world is sustained by three modes of material nature, they bind us every day in different
patterns that we are so conditioned to keep wandering around, sometimes happy and sometime
miserable. A person whom able to see this will know that there is no other way to end all of these
miseries except for surrendering the Lord. Krishna says in BG 7.14, daivi hy esa guna-mayi
mama maya duratyaya: This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material
nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who surrender unto Me can easily cross beyond it.
The real surrender is when we surrender to The Lord, accepting Him as The Supreme Person,
rendering service to Him with steady mind, without expecting anything in return. This is what has
been mentioned in Bhakti rasmrtha sindhi: 1.1.11,

Anyabhilasita-sunyam, jnana-karmady-anavrtam: One should render transcendental

loving service to the Supreme Lord Krishna favorably and without desire for material profit or gain
through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.”
Krishna knows what to give us when. There is no reason to ask for anything. Our job is to trust
Him, to surrender to Him and to render Him service, He will take care of the rest in the best way
for the best reasons.

2. Spiritual suicide:
Suicide is ending the life or forcefully making the jiva to leave the body without waiting for the
destined time. Spiritual suicide is annihilating the individual property of the jiva by desiring to
become one with the Supreme. For a person with such desire, Krishna absorbs him into His
effulgence or Brahman platform. The risk of such spiritual suicide is that he has risk of returning
back to the material worlds as he still holds his lust in dormant state within him. Whereas a
person whom able to see Krishna as the Supreme Person and develops personal relationship in
premabhakti, gets to enter Goloka where there is no return to this material miseries ever
again(BG 15.6)

Krishna treats everyone equally. Some sees Him as a friend, some sees Him as a lover, some
sees Him as child. He entertain our love the way how we desire Him. Even the impersonalists
and the materialists(karmis who pray to Him for material gain) gets Krishna’s love in the way they
want it.
Those who fix
The perefect way to worship or surrender to Krishna is explained in BG 12.2,
their minds on My personal form and are always engaged in worshiping Me
with great and transcendental faith are considered by Me to be most
perfect.

HARE KRISHNA PRABHU

1. Devas and Narayana

Hinduism is religion of polytheism with many worshippable personalities, mainly, Siva, Brahma
and Vishnu. Narayana is Vishnu. As a baby, Krishna showed His Narayana form to His birth
parents, Devaki and Vasudev. Narayana and Krishna are non- different.
After listing many incarnations of God, the Srimad- Bhagavatam states that Krishna is the origin of all
incarnations and that He alone is the Supreme God (krishnas tu bhagavan svayam). The Brahma-
samhita (5.1) states, “Krishna, who is known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has an
eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause
of all causes.” Krishna is described here as the original controller. His position is unique: There can be
only one original controller, and He is God.
It is true that Devas are powerful personalities and they will be in charge of certain material areas. For
example, Goddess Lakshmi bestows wealth to her devotees and Goddess Saravathi rewards
knowledge to her devotees. Whereas, what is Krishna’s duty? He is the Supreme Lord. He is
indirectly fulfilling the desires of the worshippers of devas as well. The jiva and devas both are
subordinates to the will ofKrishna, the devas can’t bestow any benediction without the Supreme’s will.
Not even a blade of grass moves without the will of Narayana.
So in a bigger picture, Krishna/Narayana is like the managing director and the devas are like the
incharge officers.
A person who sees Narayana and all other devas are as same, is considered to be an atheist.
We must have clear understanding about Krishna/Narayana as The Supreme Person. Without
knowing Him, we can never reach Him.

2. A person who is motivated by smaller desires or to enjoy the material world: e.g.perfect
family, wealth and prosperity is encouraged to pray to the devas. Such material
paraphernalia is only temporary. The effect manybe immediate but it wont be last long. In
Bg 7.20 Krishna has mentioned this: those whose minds are distorted by material desires
surrender unto the demigods. In vedas there are recommendations for worshipping
different devas for different purposes. In this material world, there are arranged facilities
to attain the temporary happiness. The jivas are given the independence to choose what
they desire. If they choose shortlived material happiness, they fall further deeper into this
illusory material network.

A person who has higher taste for real happiness, motivated to end all the material miseries
will choose to pray to The Supreme Personality of Godhead. An intelligent person has no
 need to ask anything from Krishna, he knows Krishna is aware of his needs and will provide
the necessities. A pure devotee with clear mind, has no material desire. He only desires The
Lord’s satisfaction. Devotees of Krishna, attain His abode where they successfully end all this
material miseries, this is stated in 15.5: gacchhanty padam avyayam tat.
Whereas those who dedicate their life in worship of devas, they will attain the devalokas, as
stated in BG 9.25te punyam asadya Surendra lokam asnanti divyan divi deva bhogan. They
will enter and attain the pleasures in heaven or higher planets. But as stated in BG 9.21,
upon exhaustion of their merits(punya), they return to the human plane.

Hk prabhu

1. Varnashrama-dharma is not a man-made system but refers to natural classifications that

appear to various degrees in all human societies. Individuals have different innate
tendencies for work and exhibit a variety of personal qualities. There are also natural phases
in life, when it is easier and more rewarding to perform certain activities. Individuals best
realise their potential by taking into account such natural arrangements, and that society
should be structured and organised accordingly.
Each varna and ashram has its own specified dharma. What may be desirable for one section of
society may be degrading for another. For example, absolute non-violence, which includes refraining
from animal sacrifice, is essential for the priestly class but considered wholly unworthy of
a kshatriya (warrior). Generating wealth and producing children are essential for householders, but
intimate contact with money and women is spiritually suicidal for the renunciate. Underlying all
these apparent differences is the common goal of advancing in spiritual life based on sanatana-
dharma. Varnashrama dharma is based on birth, justified by our own karma and the three modes of
material nature. This system is still relevant as it focuses in execution of our prescribed duties.
Everyone has fair chance to transcend towards mode of pure goodness with the practise of
bhaktilife. A person in Krishna consciousness is transcendental to all divisions of human society. That
is why, Srila Prabhupad, successfully made many Americans of all sorts into wonderful devotees. The
social order we are born to is due to our own karma but the life we lead can transcend even above
the brahmana with our own sadhanas.

2. The word srstam is very significant in this verse(BG4.13), which means created. The
common modern misconception of modern world is to relate varnashrama dharma to the
abusive caste system. Therefore the activists tend to accuse the varnashrama dharma as
man made system. In this verse Krishna says very clearly that, the four divisions of
human society is created by Him. He is the only authoritative person to create any social
system which will benefit the entire humankind. Society without a regulative system nor
dharma is no better than animal society.
Akartaram ,means non-doer. Krishna being the creator of the varnashrama system, He is
the non-doer and unchangeable. He is not in any of the divisions. The four classes of
human society is regulated by three modes of material nature, and Sri Krishna is above
and remain untouched by the modes of material nature. In Bg 7.13 Krishna says mam
ebhyam param avyayam…I am above the modes and inexhaustible. That is the position
of Krishna as The Supreme Person. He lives in our hearts as Paramathma and He is
aware of all our desires. The ones seek for the absolute truth, the pathway will be
arranged by Krishna. The ones seek material enjoyment, again and again fall down and
rise up as pulled and pushed by the modes of material nature.
 Hk prabhu

1. ‘na bhadyate’’ means never entangled.

The web of maya or material nature is very very complicated and any conditioned soul is
vulnerable to get more and more entangled in her web. This is due to the desire to enjoy the
material nature for sense gratification. The Supreme Lord is superior and not in contact with such
desires nor the effects. A person who knows that the Supreme Lord is above material law and
effects, he naturally not attracted to fruitive results of activities.
A person who is always in desire to enjoy his current life or heavenly planets after his death, he
surely has to go through the consequences: sometimes favourable when his merits(punya) high
and goes through miseries when he is in exhaustion of the merits. For e.g. a man gets attracted
to a woman. He desires to enjoy her. He gets married and he has to work to maintain the
demand and needs of his wife and children. Now he need to look for money and wealth to keep
his family in comfort. His commitments grow higher. If he does not follow the regulative
principles, he acquires more and more karma in daily basis while he is working to satisfy
everyone around him. He is in miseries as he always want positive results for his activities, which
is not possible. Thus he spent his entire life time wandering around to keep himself and people
around him happy but not achieving it. He takes births after births repeating this, until one day he
realizes he only need to work for one person’s satisfaction and that person is The Supreme
Personality Of Godhead whom is aloof to the material existence. That he will be able to free
himself from this entanglement and achieve the real happiness in liberation. The real problem is,
we not knowing Krishna. In BG 7.3 Krishna says, out of many thousands of men wanting
perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth. So our way out from this web is to know Krishna and to
work for Him. There is no other way.

2. Vedanta Sutra 2.1.34 is actually giving us the better illustration of the material system
associating to Jivas and the position of The Supreme Lord.
vaiṣamya-nairghṛṇye na sāpekṣatvāt: the Lord is never partial to any living
entity. The living entity is responsible for his own acts.
The living entity left The Lord, misusing the given minute independence. This
is due to it’s own lust or desire to lord over the nature. At this point, jiva
refusing to accept the Lord as the master. He wants to be the master. The
Supreme Lord, through material nature makes all the arrangement and
facilities to fulfil the desires of the jiva. Although He makes such
arrangements, He is not subjected to any of this system/ law just like how
the lotus leaf is not touched by the water. He is equal to everyone. Even if
the worst of the sinners, repent and accept The Lord as His master and
starts to work in devotion, Krishna immediately make the pathway for such
soul to attain Him. Such a devotee, who knows Krishna as The Absolute
Truth, has no taste to material enjoyment. He knows well the Karma law
and he will only act in Krishna consciousness and all his actions are
automatically karma-free. While performing his prescribed duties in the
material platform, he is always in fixed consciousness to bothering about
the result of his activities. His mind only dwells around Krishna. Such a soul
is very rare therefore, association with such devotees can help us in our way
to achieve better bhaktilife. Krishna says in Bg 7.19 vasudevam sarva iti, sa
mahathma suduhr labhah.
HARE KRISHNA PRABHU

1. The attitude of neophythe devotee is based on his motive, some neophytes are sincere
to seek for Krishna consciousness to gain freedom from material bondage and to attain
Krishna. Some neophytes retire from all their prescribed duties and responsibilities to
show to the world as if they are in full focus of Krishna. Krishna recommends devotees
to work in bhaktiyoga in full determination to gradually rise up in devotional service, yet
being able to discharge the prescribed duties. This is why Krishna is advising Arjuna to
perform his prescribed duty as a ksyatria, and not to use bhakti as the reason not to do
his job. Such escapism is not recommended in Krishna consciousness. A person can not
simply wear saffron and say, This is it, I am leaving my family and job because only
Krishna is important, I am going after Krishna. They become burden of the society and
there is no chance of advancement in devotional life as they are neglecting their
designated duties. Krishna says we still need to work without being attached to the
fruitive results of the work.
Krishna tells in BG 12.9, if you can not fix your mind upon Me without deviation, then
follow regulative principles of bhakti yoga. In this way develop a desire to attain Me. This
is how Krishna guides the neophytes towards cleansing of material impurities.

2. To act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one has to follow the leadership of

authorized persons who are in a line of disciplic succession. The bona
fide, displic succession has Krishna as The original source of
knowledge. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam, only Krishna has
the authority to create religion. He passed this knowledge through a
chain of disciplic succession. A Krishna conscious person must be able
to recognize the right authorized guidance for spiritual advancement.
In such manner, the person will be able to learn what is action and
inaction. He will realize action in Krishna consciousness is the way to
attain liberation.
Inaction is not the svarsharma of the spirit soul. Jivas always in action
in past, present and future. Merging to the effulgence of The Lord is
not action. But to keep working for the satisfaction of The Lord is the
real action. Such practise is the ticket to Goloka,there too we will
beperforming activities in Krishna consciousness eternally.

HARE KRISHNA

1. Karma,akarma and vikarma

- Karma: any action that is performed according to the designated bodies. For
example, a person who works in the slaughter house is given the task to slaughter
 animals, to use the meat as food. He is bound to the karma, he needs to go through
the same fate as animals that he has been slaughtering. He might take birth as
animal in slaughter house or ends up in hell. All karmic activities has equal
repercussion: actions that can result in merit or actions that can result in demerits.
- Akarma: actions that are free from material repercussions (birth,death, happiness or
sufferings). In this modern era, we often hear, vegan and vegetarianism, people are
concern about hurting animals to use them for our benefits. However, we can not
refuse that even plants are embodied being too, with lower consciousness in
comparison to animals. Therefore plain vegetarians or vegans are not entirely
akarmic. On the other hand, devotees who prepare bhoga using plants and grains,
only eat the food that is offered to The Lord. The food in purified and free form karmic
reactions. That is akarma. Anyone who eats anything other than offered food is
bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ
considered to eat only sins. In Bg 3.13 Krishna says,
pāpā,ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt. Person eating for sense enjoyment
is just eating sins.
- Vikarma: actions that are forbidden by misusing the given minute independence.
These are the actions that are against even the material law: homicides, rape,
burglary and so on. These actions are for surely will end in negative percussions
where the person has to go through sufferings corresponding to the weightage of the
forbidden action performed
Intelligent men knowing that all actions in this material plane will result in reactions, may that be
positive or negative; such men will ensure that all activities performed are for Krishna and upon
Krishna, they engange only akarmic activities and ultimately reach The Supreme Personality Of
Godhead at the end of this endeavour.
2.
- Inaction in action is  staying unattached amidst action and performs action
amidst unattachment. In BG 2.47 Krishna says perform your duties but don’t
be concern over the results. Arjuna is a ksyatria, he is required to fight in the
battlefield, he should not been concern of the outcome. Activities that are
performed for Krishna without personal motivation, are akarma. Materially we
can be some professional, a parent, a child or anyone: we need to make sure
that the activities that we perform does not base on any expectations. We
focus on satisfying The Lord, in any given position; this is the art of Krishna
consciousness.
- Action in inaction: A person who just wants to sit at a place and meditate,
does not want to perform any activities to avoid the reactions of the activities
may appear as inaction. But the mind can wander around and think of so
many things, such person still eats to maintain the body. All of these are also
subjected to material reactions. These are the actions in inaction.
A person on Krishna consciousness, performs his daily sadhanas and engages himself in
devotional service amidst of performing his material responsibilities. He seems to be very busy,
but all his activities are karma free and he is never disturbed by material outcomes of his
prescribed duties.
HK PRABHU

1. The sensual enjoyment can only be cured by the prefect knowledge.

All living beings in contact with matter, are like mirror covered by thick layer of dust which
represents material desires/temptations. Perfect knowledge is the tool to clear up the
dust, so that the living entitiy will be able to see the reality of material nature, its own
position as jivaathma and the presence of the Paramathma, The Supreme Soul and the
relationship between them. In Ch 2.58, Krishna says, prajna prathisthah or persons in
fixed consciousness will be able to withdraw the senses just like the tortoise withdraw his
limbs within the shell. The common problem of everyone in this era is, our senses are are
free to desire and they are being our master. To gratify the senses we work hard all day
long, all the demands of senses being fulfilled yet they crave more and more. This is very
bad because senses are like serpents, they will ensure that we falldown further if we
keep working of them. Instead, we have to become the snake charmer to keep the
senses in control. The temptation of matter can be very very strong and we need to learn
the art to withdraw our senses from such temptations. That art is Krishna consciousness.
The need and desire needs to be well differentiated. When there is thirst, we drink water.
Drinking water is action, karma. When we drink something which is offered to The Lord,
our action of drinking becomes akarma or action that won’t inflict reaction. Just like that
the senses need to be engaged in everything that is related to Krishna. In this endeavour
we can avoid matter, but we can lead a careful life so that we are free from the bondage
of reactions from our activities. Such life style only can be achieved by perfect knowledge
which is obtained through a bona-fide spiritual master. A spiritual master opens our eyes
with the torch of knowledge to save us from the darkest ignorance.

2. Mahārāja Ambarīṣa was the emperor of the entire world, but he

considered his opulence temporary. Indeed, knowing that such
material opulence is the cause of downfall into conditional life, he was
unattached to this opulence. He engaged his senses and mind in the
service of the Lord. This process is called yukta-vairāgya, or feasible
renunciation, which is quite suitable for worship of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Because Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, as the emperor,
was immensely opulent, he performed devotional service with great
opulence, and therefore, despite his wealth, he had no attachment to
his wife, children or kingdom. He constantly engaged his senses and
mind in the service of the Lord. Ambarisa was able to execute his
designated material duty as king and ksyatria but he was never
attached to the fruitive results. Serving Krishna, The Supreme
Personality Of Godhead, day and night, he did not even desire
liberation. His bhakti was also not self-motivated. This is the great
example of a devotee who engange in all kind of activities
HARE KRISHNA PRABHU:

1. Sariram kevalam karma:

This phrase means to work just to maintain the soul within the body. Living entities need to
differentiate what are the needs and what are the desires. Needs are the basic necessities to
keep the soul within the body or in other words to be alive. For example, water is basic need to
keep being alive. But instead of drinking water, if a person drinks abominable drink like alcohol
that shows that he is working on the drive of his own desires. when we work to satisfy our desires
and senses, there is no end to it. Never will be time where the desires become null nor the
senses will permanently satisfied. This is because we are in existence, not to satisfy ourselves
but to satisfy The Supreme Person. Any action in association with Krishna is inaction. That is
what we want to aim. Everything should be enganged to Krishna. Whatever which may seems
like ours in this material life, is never actually ours as this life is very short. There is no point to
claim proprietorship over temporary things. We should be working to execute our prescribed
duties with fixed consciousness and without thinking of the result of the work. That is the remedy
to the material life.

2. Envy is hindrance to rise above dualities

Envy is the main reason why we are unable to differentiate between desires and needs. We
all need shelter to liv. That is need. But when we see in social media, people are buying real
nice big houses, our desires grow to own such a place. We work hard to buy luxury house. In
order to achieve that desire we will be wanting more and more money. We only want
positive outcomes in our career: promotions, bonus,etc. When there is loss or when the
money is not accumulating, frustration sets in. When we are entangled in such material
dualities, we naturally forget Krishna. We falsely think that we are the controllers of the
outcome and we work hard to yield result positive results. We become more and more lost
in this material nature.
When we work towards desires rather than necessities, we are actually misusuing the
minute independence given to us. Krishna never stopped us to desire. But we must know
that there is nothing else to be desired when Krishna provides us everything that is required
for us to live this life. This reminds me of a beautiful tamil song which goes, Kurai ondrum
illai, marai Moorthy Kanna…means there is nothing lacking in our lives that we need to ask
God for it.
Krishna is the Supreme Master. Our job is to work for His satisfaction. When we envy His
position as the master and enjoyer, we desired to satisfy ourselves. The miseries began and
till now we are struggling hard to find a way out. Krishna says “yajñārthāt karmaṇo ’nyatra
loko ’yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ BG3.09, work has to be done for satisfaction of The Lord, any
work other than that will cause bondage in this material world.

Hare Krishna prabhu

1. An embodied jiva, existing in the material nature, he is pulled and pushed by three
modes of material nature: goodness, passion and ignorance. This causes pleasure
sometimes and miseries some other time. Everyday every second the effect maybe
different. According to the changes, the soul thinks and acts: like a kite wandering on
 the sky being pulled by the attached string. However one can rise above these
modes with the help of transcendental knowledge.
In material existence without knowledge, we surrender to maya: we let ourselves to
be pulled and pushed by the material modes. When we have the knowledge, that we
need to surrender to Krishna, we are not bound by the modes: we have no
attachment towards dualities. That is the weakness of maya. When we have the
transcedental knowledge that Krishna is the Supreme Lord, we work in a mode
above all these three modes. That mode is called suddha-sattva or pure goodness.
Actions in pure goodness does not cause bondage. All activities in bhakti platform
are activities in Sudha sattva because it is done as sacrifice to The Lord. In BG 14.26
Krishna says, sa guṇān samatītyaitānbrahma-bhūyāya kalpate, a person enganged in
devotional service transcends three modes of material nature, and attains
brahman(Krishna). Saying that, does this mean, devotee won’t go through any mishappens
in life? As long as devotees live in this material world, there is no way they can lead happy
life without any material mayhems. The only difference is that, they will take it as a chance
to burn the karma and they won’t dwell very much at the effect of the mishap. It wont cause
devastation as they know that there is only one way out from

2. Brahmarpanam brahma means sacrifice to the Brahman. We know from chapter 10

BG that paramabrahman is Krishna, sacrifice/work/contribution to Krishna, (brahma
avir) is like spiritual butter for the yajna. That will surely helps one to attain the
parambrahman whom is Sri Krishna.
This verse is giving an assurance that, when we lead a bhaktilife we can attain
liberation, attain Krishna, hence we get to end all the miseries of material nature. So
how to do that? The only was is to approach the right person, a selfless devotee, a
bondafide guru, learn this transcedental subject matter then lead a Krishna
conscious life and transcend the material nature.
A person needs to eat to feed his belly to stay alive. The process or act accumulates
reactions. When a person prepares food which is to be offered to The Lord first, the
whole process becomes yajna or sacrifice. The purified food maintains Krishna
conscious and keeps one karma-free.
This is also what Krishna says in BG 3.9 yajñārthāt karmaṇo ’nyatra
loko ’yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṇu has
to be performed; otherwise work causes bondage in this material
world.

HARE KRISHNA PRABHU

1. The sacrifices or yajnas are of many kind depending on the motive of the person performing.
Some desires material opulences and some desire knowledge and some desires The Bhagvan
Sri Krishna. According to the different desires, our sacrifices differs. For example if there is
no rain, traditionally people perform yajna to Lord Indra to gain his mercy. Demigods are like
the incharge officers of certain subject matters and they are very powerful. The request of
the performed yajna will be fulfilled as fast as possible as the devas are pleased with yajnas.
However we must understand that, factually yajna means sacrifice to please Vishnu. ye
yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham, I reward them
accordingly says Krishna. Krishna is like the main tree and other devas
are like the branches of the tree. One just need to pour the water to
the tree’s root. From there water can reach all the branches, just like
that, performing any yajna or in fact any activities to satisfy Krishna,
will make all the Devas happy. Therefore we need to know what is the
right thing to seek for in this life? Material oppulences are not
permanent and not worth of any efforts. The highest yajna is Krishna
conscious bhaktilife: The perfect yoga. We seek for only Krishna’s
mercy. We want to cross the miserable material ocean to attain Him,
to serve Him eternally. For this age of Kali, only one yajna is
recommended to save us and that is sakirtana yajna. In Bg 9.14
Krishna says, chant My glories in devotion. That is all what need to be
done.
3. The real purpose of yoga is to control the senses. Our material activities are to enjoy the
sense in one way or other, and the yoga system is to teach one towards sense control and
detachment from material enjoyment. This is because if senses not regulated, they lead us
to further fall down, as Krishna says in BG 2.62, a person whom become attached to objects
of sense enjoyment devolops attachment towards them and from such attachment lust and
anger arises, which will lead one to further miseries.
The secret of yoga system is indriya-samyama. The samyama or restrain is to be achieved
and considered to the purpose and motive of all sacrifices/yajna/yoga. Without restrain, the
senses are not regulated. For example, a person sees durian as the worst smelly fruit on
earth. For another person the smell and the taste of durian is very pleasurable. So the senses
are actually can be regulated by the mind. When there is higher pleasure, like activities in
Krishna consciousness, the senses are very much inclined to them. The senses are for us to
develop Krishna consciousness within us. We need restrain ourselves from material
temptations, but the process is easy when we develop higher taste which is Krishna bhakti. A
person when he restrains his senses from material temptations he is considered to be
performing yajna and if enganges his senses in Krishna consciousness he will surely be
successful in attaining The Lord.
 HARE KRISHNA PRABHU

1. PURAKA- breathing the opposite way until the currents are

neutralized into pūraka, equilibrium
KUMBHAKA: when both inhalation and exhalation is withhold, scientifically apeneic
state
RECAKA: transforming exhaled breath to inhaled breath, opposite to the normal process
of respiration

2. The above process of Yoga system, is definitely not easy. Generally such practise gives
longevity and a person gets to achieve self realization subsequently reaches Krishna.
However Bhakti process is simpler and practical, achievable for everyone. For an
anology, let’s assume the destination desired is America. There are many routes to
reach America, via air or sea. Quite obvious that air journey will be smoother and faster
compare to the sea. Just like that, pranama yoga to reach Krishna and bhakti yoga to
attain Krishna are different routes to reach Krishna. In this age of Kali, to practise strict
yoga is just not possible. The mind very easily distracted to the temptations to sense
gratification. In such condition, when one practises Bhakti yoga, he enganges all his
sense to the service Lord, hence his existence becomes purified. All his daily routine
activities are on-going as usual, but all of his activities are associated to Krishna, for
example he eats, but he only eats food that is offered to The Lord. He has social
gatherings but his gatherings are to discuss about Krishna. Krishna says in BG 6.47,
yoginam api sarvesam…and of all yogis, he who abides in Me with great faith,
worshipping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with ME in
yoga and is the highest of all.
The determination and enthusiasm in devotional service will surely elevate us to wards
path of liberation. Any yoga system aims to control the senses. In Bg 14.26 Krishna says,
māṁ ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa
bhakti-yogena sevate
one who engages in unalloyed devotional service to the Lord transcends the modes of
material nature and is immediately elevated to the spiritual platform.
When one strictly follows the path of devotion, naturally he is trained to control the
senses. Following the 4 regulative principles on bhakti yoga, not only the senses are well
controlled but they develop higher pleasure by enjoying everything in the service of The
Lord. That is the easiest and fail proof way to attain Krishna.

HK PRABHU

Explain the relevance of tx 34 in a disciple's spiritual evolution emphasising on the key

requirements of the disciple and the qualification of the Bona fide guru.

Our lives are in darkeness until we come in contact to a bona fide guru. The bona fide
guru is a qualified devotee, only he can impart the Knowledge about The Absolute truth
to us. That knowledge is the only required treatment for our neverending material
miseries. Such great souls like our bona fide guru is very rare: Krishna says this in
BG7.19, sa mahatma sudhurlabhah: such a soul is very rare, so when we get the chance
to be a disciple of any bonafide guru is priceless opportunity. Therefore one must take
the learning process very seriously.
 Ultimately we need to know who is a bona fide guru. What are the symptoms of a bona
fide guru:
In the Padma Purāṇ a, the characteristics of the guru, the bona fide spiritual master, have
been described:

mahā-bhāgavata-śreṣṭho
brāhmaṇ o vai gurur nṛṇ ām
sarveṣām eva lokānām
asau pūjyo yathā hariḥ
mahā-kula-prasūto ‘pi
sarva-yajñeṣu dīkṣitaḥ
sahasra-śākhādhyāyī ca
na guruḥ syād avaiṣṇ avaḥ
The guru must be situated on the topmost platform of devotional service. There are three
classes of devotees, and the guru must be accepted from the topmost class. The first-class
devotee is the spiritual master for all kinds of people. It is said: gurur nṛṇ ām. The word
nṛṇ ām means “of all human beings.” The guru is not limited to a particular group. It is stated
in the Upadeśāmṛta of Rūpa Gosvāmī that a guru is a gosvāmī, a controller of the senses and
the mind. Such a guru can accept disciples from all over the world

A bona fide guru, belongs to the disciplic succession and he will be a Gosvami: a person whom able
to control his senses. He will teach and display the highest level of devotion in fixed mind. He has the
ability to impart the knowledge without mental speculation and he is free from material motivation.
Krishna lives in our hearts

When a disciple gets the greatest opportunity to be blessed by such a guru, he must seriously follow
his instructions.
The disciple must have the following qualifications. He must give up interest in
the material bodily conception. He must give up material lust, anger, greed,
illusion, madness and envy. He should be interested only in understanding the
science of God, and he should be ready to consider all points in this matter. He
should no longer think, “I am this body,” or, “This thing belongs to me.” One
must love the spiritual master with unflinching faith, and one must be very steady
and fixed. The bona fide disciple should be inquisitive to understand
transcendental subject matter. He must not search out faults among good
qualities, and he should no longer be interested in material topics. His only
interest should be Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
(From Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition: commentaries by Srila Prabhupad)

One should be very submissive and be able to render service to Spiritual Master. Such a
bonafide spiritual master should be very much respected and approached in full faith.
HARE KRISHNA PRABHU

1. Verses 38 and 39 give us tremendous hope but what is the price one has to pay...please
elaborate.
The price we need to pay to get the transcendental knowledge is faith or Krishna consciousness. We
need to believe in Krishna. In Bg 2.7 Arjuna said, now I am your disciple, and a sould surrendered
unto You. Please instruct me. This is faith, Arjuna surrendered everything upon Krishna to achieve
the transcendental knowledge.
Krishna lives in everyone’s heart as Paramathma. He knows very well what we desire. When we
desire answers to all our miseries, when we desire to end all of these miseries, He will clear our
pathway towards the right knowledge. When we finally get our pathway towards the transcendental
knowledge, we must consider ourselves very fortunate and use this lifetime chance to gain as much
knowledge as possible. The spiritual master need to be respected and listened submissively. Only
this sort of attitude and discipline will make us successful.

2. Sradhavan means a faithful person who must subdue his senses.

However, the Lord warns against pretence in Ch 3.
Search for that verse in Chapter 3 and explain the depth of that verse in relation to Ch4 tx 38.

Krishna is telling a faithful person can achieve the transcendental knowledge. A faithful person is a
person who is in control of his senses and surrenders completely to The Lord. However, we must
agree that this process does not happen overnight. It need to practised in patience and
perseverance. If a person thinks he is already in full Krishna consciousness but actually his senses
including mind are not in control, then he is just pretending.

In BG 3.6 Krishna says,

karmendriyāṇi saṁyamya
ya āste manasā smaran
indriyārthān vimūḍhātmā
mithyācāraḥ sa ucyate
One who restrains the senses of action but whose mind dwells on sense
objects certainly deludes himself and is called a pretender.
Such pretenders not only deluded themselves, but they tend to mislead
others to deviate away from Krishna. They take the absolute knowledge is
not as it is, but the contaminate with their own philosophy. This is very
dangerous. Whenever we are getting our knowledge from an unauthorized
source(not from parampara chain) we are at the risk of falling down.
Therefore the faith must be towards the right direction: to a bonafide guru
and to Krishna. We will learn the art of controlling the senses through a
gradual process known as bhatiyoga and eventually will become successful
to attain the transcendental knowledge.
Hare Krishna prabhu

1. Jnaantsinanah is referring to the weapon of knowledge. Only the

weapon of knowledge can slash the ignorant and doubtful mind.
Without proper guidance mind can trick us with its doubts, as result
we keep falling down. The commonest example is, like how the mind
is tricking us to see our gross material body as ourself. When we don’t
feed the mind the knowledge, the lost doubtful mind becomes the
master of us, the senses too will work in the direction of the mind.
The absolute knowledge gives self realization to the soul and keeps
the mind and senses in control. Self realization also means realization
of our eternal relationship with The Lord. That realization is required
for us to go back to Krishna. If our weapon of knowledge is not sharp,
we will easily succumb to the material temptations or might get lost in
the direction of wrong philosophy. Therefore, the transcendental
knowledge need to be acquired from the bonafide spiritual master as
Krishna recommended in Bg 4.2, Evam Parampara praptam…the
supreme science of Transcedental knowledge is received in discpilic
succession.
2. Armed with yoga, O bharata stand and fight..
In the battle field, Arjuna’s mind was so clouded that he could not see The
Absolute Truth. He was entertaining all the doubts of his mind and he
appeared very lost. Krishna as The Supreme Person and also as Arjuna’s
friend, He spoke about the Transcedental Knowledge which comprise of 2
parts: self realization(aham brahmasmi: I am soul not the body) and
realization of our relationship with Bhagavan( Krishna as the Supreme
Master and jivas as His servitors). When a person is factually be in self
realization, whatever turbulence may arise from the material nature, he will
be able to remain in steady state. He will be able to execute the prescribed
duty without any attachment towards fruitive result. In fixed mind he will be
able to rise beyond this material dualities.
This is the art of Bhakti Yoga. Remaining in our material designations, we
still can purify our existence. Bhakti is love. When a young boy is attracted
to a girl, he will keep making efforts to know about her: he wants to know
wehere she lives, what she likes, what is her character, what will please her
and so on. In order to get Krishna, we need to know Him. Krishna is so
merciful that He keeps sending us great acarya vaishnavas for us to learn
Him and also about our eternal relationship with Him:The Absolute
Knowledge.
Krishna is expecting us to be armed with weapon of knowledge, to fight the
material world of temptation, hence to reach Him at the end of this life.
Srimad Bhagavatam 4.24.75 reveals the secret - “In this material world there are
different types of achievement, but of all of them, the achievement of knowledge is
considered to be the highest because one can cross the ocean of nescience only on
the boat of knowledge. Otherwise the ocean is impassable.” 

1-How have these impurities come upon you ? – BG 2.2

2-One must learn how to tolerate. Bg 2.14

3-Some look on the soul as amazing Bg 2.29

4-Do thou fight for the sake of fighting bg 2.38

5-Anyone who has completely surrendered unto Krsna, Mukunda, giving up all other
duties is no longer a debtor. Bhagavatham 11.5.41 – mentioned in purport of BG
2.38

6-Being desirous of sense gratification and an opulent life they say that there is
nothing more than this: bg2.42-43

HK

1. Arjuna's cause of perplexity: unable to understand whether renunciation or work in devotion is

superior. Arjuna at the battlefield, was at a very confused state. In chapter 2, Krishna spoke the
science of soul and supersoul. He wanted Arjuna that the fear that caught him is unreasonable, as
what ever that he sees in material world is only temporary. In chapter 3 Krishna spoke that a
knowledgable person who is detached, as no longer any duties to perform. In chapter 4 He spoke
about how important it is to carryout the prescribed duty yet be detached from the fruitive result.
Therefore now Arjuna is curious about which way is better. Arjuna thinks that renunciation is free
from all work which is inactivity and work is activity: both are contrast to each other. Now Arjuna
trying to implement that can he choose not to fight as he can say renunciation is ceasing all work in
the platform of knowledge.

2. All action is material world has equal reactions as per Karmic law. Unless or until we find a way to
live our daily activities transcending this law, we shall take repeated births and deaths, in a cycle
which sometimes we are in pleasure and sometime we are in miseries. So the non-reactive work is
work in knowledge, or the formula to live karma-free. For example, person A sees a man begging on
street for money. Person A chooses to give him the money. However the so called beggar, uses the
money on sinful activity. Although the desire of person A is noble to help the beggar, he will still be
subjected to some degree of negative reactions. Now person B sees the same beggar, he chose to
offer him some prashad and gives him knowledge about Krishna. This is work with knowledge. Such
activity transcends the Karmic law and his actions are Karma free.
To remain inaction in action is bhatiyoga. As long as all our activities are centering Krishna The
Bhagavan, our life is karma free and the existence is purified. In BG 4.18 Krishna confirms this:
karmaṇyakarma yaḥ paśhyed akarmaṇi cha karma yaḥ Those who see action
in inaction and inaction in action are truly wise amongst humans. Although
performing all kinds of actions, they are yogis and masters of all their
actions.