Assignment 2.

As I am in ISKCON for more than 2 years, I have written the answer from the
perspective of ISKCON.

Atyahara
 Eating not more than necessary keeps the body and mind fit to serve the
Lord. So if we follow it, we will be active in our Krishna conscious
activities.
 Collecting more funds than required creates laziness, quarrel and
increases Bhoga vrtti among devotees.
 Scriptural Reference – Bhagvat Gita 6.17, yuktahara viharasya

Prayasah
 If we do extra endeavour for mundane things we will end up with less
time for Krishna conscious activities, these endeavours will make our life
more complicated.
 Example – Working for 14 hours a day, working double shift.
 Scriptural Reference – Bhagvat Gita 6.17, yukta cestasya karmasu
SB 1.2.10, Jivasya Tattva Jigyasa
Prajalpah
 Prajalpa wastes our time and deviates us from the path of Bhakti.
 Example – unnecessary talks in mobile, reading newspaper, magazine
reading etc.
 Scriptural Reference – SB 1.16.6, Srila Prabhupada lecture

Niyamagraha
Following rules and regulations superficially makes us hypocrite and causes fall
down.
 Scriptural Reference – CC Madhya 23.105 purport

Janasanga
 Associating with worldly minded people creates thoughts (And gradually
develops actions) which are bad for our Bhakti.
 Example - associating with people who are into intoxications, meat
eating, gambling, illicit sex creates similar tendencies in us.
 Scriptural Reference – SB 4.26.13 purport, association of undesirable
persons makes us lusty and greedy and causes fall down.
Laulyam
 Greed for achieving mundane things engages our energy in non-Krishna
conscious activities, wastes our time, degrades our consciousness and
increases the tendency to do illicit things.
 Example- I have a Maruti 800 and I want Honda civic. Thus working very
hard, it wastes a lot of energy, time.
 Scriptural Reference – Bhagvat Gita 6.17, yukta cestasya karmasu

Assignment 2.2

The power of positive thinking for practising devotees can be explained as

below.
Utsahat
 He needs to be enthusiastic in performing devotional service.
 Example – though there were many disturbances in Gaudiya Math and
nobody helped Srila Prabhupada still he was very enthusiastic in serving
his Guru.
 Scriptural reference –
 CC Madhya 4.185, tathāpi utsāha baḍa candana lañā yāite,
Madhavendra Puri’s enthusiasm
Niscayat
 One should have confidence while serving Guru and Krishna.
 Scriptural reference - Avasya rakshibe Krishna biswas palana,
BG 6.24, sa niścayena yoktavyo
 Example – Srila Prabhupada had full faith in the power of the holy name
and based on that ISKCON is still preaching successfully.
Dhairyat
 One should patiently wait for Krishna’s mercy.
 Scriptural reference – SB 10.14.8, Tat te anukampam su-samiksamanah
 Example – Srila Prabhupada waited many months for help from Srimati
Morarjee for Jaladuta travel.

Tat-Tat-Karma-Pravartanat
 One should perform various activities favourable for devotional services.
 Example – Maharaj Ambarish, Srila Prabhupada very expertly performed
all the kinds of services for the pleasure of the Lordship.
 Scriptural reference – SB 9.4.18-20, sa vai manah Krishna padaravindayor
Sanga-Tyagat
 Avoiding association of nondevotees.
 We can understand it’s importance as it is mentioned in both text 2 and
text 3. Jana sanga and Sanga Tyagat.
 Example – Srila Prabhupada had to leave his family as his wife was not
cooperative towards following the 4 regulatory principles.
 Scriptural reference – CC 2.22.87, asat-saṅga-tyāga
Sato Vrtteh
 Following the footsteps of the previous Acharyas.
 Example – Srila Prabhupada had followed the instructions of the
previous Acharyas from his childhood, starting from his father Sri Gaura
Mohan De and later Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, his beloved
Guru Maharaj.
 Scriptural reference – BG 2.13-17, Srila Prabhupada lecture
So practising devotees have to follow these 6 principles to be successful in
Bhakti.