Friday, December 31, 2010

Bhagavad Gita As It Is

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Chapter 15. The Yoga of the Supreme Person

TEXT 9

srotram caksuh sparsanam ca
rasanam ghranam eva ca
adhisthaya manas cayam
visayan upasevate

SYNONYMS

srotram--ears; caksuh--eyes; sparsanam--touch; ca--also;rasanam--tongue; ghranam--smelling power; eva--also; ca--and;adhisthaya--being situated; manah--mind; ca--also; ayam--this;visayan--sense objects; upasevate--enjoys.

TRANSLATION

The living entity, thus taking another gross body, obtains a certain type of ear, tongue, and nose and sense of touch, which are grouped about the mind. He thus enjoys a particular set of sense objects.

PURPORT

In other words, if the living entity adulterates his consciousness with the qualities of cats and dogs, in his next life he gets a cat or dog body and enjoys. Consciousness is originally pure, like water. But if we mix water with a certain color, it changes. Similarly, consciousness is pure, for the spirit soul is pure. But consciousness is changed according to the association of the material qualities. Real consciousness is Krsna consciousness. When, therefore, one is situated in Krsna consciousness, he is in his pure life. But if his consciousness is adulterated by some type of material mentality, in the next life he gets a corresponding body. He does not necessarily get a human body again; he can get the body of a cat, dog, hog, demigod or one of many other forms, for there are 8,400,000 species.

 

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Sri Isopanisad

rk 1

Mantra 4

TRANSLATION

Although fixed in His abode, the Personality of Godhead is swifter than the mind and can overcome all others running. The powerful demigods cannot approach Him. Although in one place, He controls those who supply the air and rain. He surpasses all in excellence.

PURPORT

Through mental speculation, even the greatest philosopher cannot know the Supreme Lord, who is the Absolute Personality of Godhead. He can be known only by His devotees through His mercy. In the Brahma-saàhitä (5.34) it is stated that even if a nondevotee philosopher travels through space at the speed of the wind or the mind for hundreds of millions of years, he will still find that the Absolute Truth is far, far away from him. The Brahma-saàhitä (5.37) further describes that the Absolute Personality of Godhead has His transcendental abode, known as Goloka, where He remains and engages in His pastimes, yet by His inconceivable potencies He can simultaneously reach every part of His creative energy. In the Viñëu Puräëa His potencies are compared to the heat and light that emanate from a fire. Although situated in one place, a fire can distribute its light and heat for some distance; similarly, the Absolute Personality of Godhead, although fixed in His transcendental abode, can diffuse His different energies everywhere.

Although His energies are innumerable, they can be divided into three principal categories: the internal potency, the marginal potency and the external potency. There are hundreds and millions of subheadings to each of these categories. The dominating demigods who are empowered to control and administer such natural phenomena as air, light and rain are all classified within the marginal potency of the Absolute Person. Lesser living beings, including humans, also belong to the Lord's marginal potency. The material world is the creation of the Lord's external potency. And the spiritual sky, where the kingdom of God is situated, is the manifestation of His internal potency.

Thus the different energies of the Lord are present everywhere. Although the Lord and His energies are nondifferent, one should not mistake these energies for the Supreme Truth. Nor should one wrongly consider that the Supreme Lord is distributed everywhere impersonally or that He loses His personal existence. Men are accustomed to reach conclusions according to their capacity for understanding, but the Supreme Lord is not subject to our limited capacity for understanding. It is for this reason that the Upanisads warn us that no one can approach the Lord by his own limited potency.

In the Bhagavad-gita (10.2) the Lord says that not even the great rsis  and suras can know Him. And what to speak of the asuras, for whom there is no question of understanding the ways of the Lord? This fourth mantra of Sri Isopanisad very clearly suggests that the Absolute Truth is ultimately the Absolute Person; otherwise there would have been no need to mention so many details in support of His personal features.

Although the individual parts and parcels of the Lord's potencies have all the symptoms of the Lord Himself, they have limited spheres of activity and are therefore all limited. The parts and parcels are never equal to the whole; therefore they cannot appreciate the Lord's full potency. Under the influence of material nature, foolish and ignorant living beings who are but parts and parcels of the Lord try to conjecture about the Lord's transcendental position. Sri Isopanisad warns of the futility of trying to establish the identity of the Lord through mental speculation. One should try to learn of the Transcendence from the Lord Himself, the supreme source of the Vedas, for the Lord alone has full knowledge of the Transcendence.

Every part and parcel of the Complete Whole is endowed with some particular energy to act according to the Lord's will. When the part-and-parcel living entity forgets his particular activities under the Lord's will, he is considered to be in maya, illusion. Thus from the very beginning Sri Isopanisad warns us to be very careful to play the part designated for us by the Lord. This does not mean that the individual soul has no initiative of his own. Because he is part and parcel of the Lord, he must partake of the initiative of the Lord as well. When a person properly utilizes his initiative, or active nature, with intelligence, understanding that everything is the Lord's potency, he can revive his original consciousness, which was lost due to association with maya, the external energy.

All power is obtained from the Lord; therefore each particular power must be utilized to execute the will of the Lord and not otherwise. The Lord can be known by one who has adopted such a submissive service attitude. Perfect knowledge means knowing the Lord in all His features, knowing His potencies and knowing how these potencies work by His will. These matters are described by the Lord in the Bhagavad-gita, the essence of all the Upanisads.

 

Saturday, October 2, 2010

New Vrindaban Remembers Hladini devi dasi

By New Vrindaban Communications

Sunday, October 3, is the anniversary of the day on which Hladini devi dasi was brutally gunned down by an extra-judicial firing squad in war-torn Liberia in western Africa. The death squad arrived at the Hare Krishna temple in the capital city of Monrovia in the early morning hours, and ordered the devotees to come out. Seven devotees, five men and two women, exited the temple and filed into the waiting jeep. They were driven a short distance to the Sturton Bridge, where the devotees were forced out at gunpoint and herded onto the sand next to the river. The leader announced that only the men would be killed. Thus Hladini, a woman, knew she would not be killed.

As the leader raised his weapon to fire the first execution volley, Hladini leapt forward and attacked him with her bare hands. She shouted, “How dare you kill the devotees of Krishna? Better you kill me than kill them!” Hladini was the first to be shot.

Hladini was born on January 16, 1949. Her parents gave her the name Linda Jury. Later, she received the name Hladini from her beloved Guru Maharaja, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

Hladini grew up in a suburb of Detroit with her older brother and sister. She had many friends and lots of pets, including a dog named Pepperdoodle and a frog named Herbie. She spent her summers at the family’s vacation cottage. Hladini had a happy childhood.

In 1969, Hladini married Mike Ryon. Like many young people, Hladini and her husband were searching for the truth and a sense of fulfillment. Mike read different books about Zen, Taoism, and other eastern religions to find answers to their many questions. After Mike read a book entitled “The Wisdom of God” by Prabhupada, heard the devotees chanting the Hara Krishna maha-mantra, and tasted the free vegetarian food they served, he was convinced that he belonged with the devotees.

Mike and Hladini moved into the Detroit temple. At first, Hladini joined the Hare Krishna temple simply because it was what her husband had wanted. Soon, however, Hladini became convinced that the temple was the right place for her. In March 1970, she wrote to Prabhupada and asked for spiritual initiation. Prabhupada replied immediately by letter, in which he gave her the name Hladini.

In 1972, Hladini and Mike moved to New Vrindaban. Later that year, Mike left New Vrindaban permanently, while Hladini chose to stay. New Vrindaban was her home. Soon, Hladini became one of the most popular devotees in New Vrindaban.

“I moved to New Vrindaban from Zambia [in southern Africa] in 1986 with my husband and four children,” said Manasa Ganga devi dasi. “Hladini blew my mind. I had never before met anyone who was so blissful. She always had a beautiful smile on her face and she was kind and gentle with everyone, especially the children. Hladini loved the children and encouraged them.” For eighteen years, Hladini lived and served in New Vrindaban.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In December 1990, Hladini made the painful decision to leave the place that was so dear to her, and traveled to west Africa. The devotees there so much appreciated Hladini’s service and inspiration that she was given the honor of being the regional secretary. In this capacity, Hladini traveled from center to center, teaching and assisting the devotees in every possible way.

By the time Hladini reached Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, the country was entrenched in a fratricidal civil conflict. The warlords of the seven rivaling parties were fighting for power, while there was wide-spread starvation amongst the people. Seeing the suffering of the people, the devotees of the Hare Krishna temple in Monrovia approached the warlords and arranged to start a Food for Life program.

The warlord who controlled Monrovia, Prince Johnson, agreed to the proposal and the devotees began the free food distribution program. Prince Johnson visited the temple more than once and accepted a Bhagavad-Gita As It Is from the devotees.

As the war intensified, the US government ordered all US citizens to evacuate the country. Hladini had to decide whether to stay in Monrovia or return to safety in Nigeria. True to her nature, Hladini’s compassion and mercy for others outweighed any concern she had for her own safety. She opted to stay. Hladini was the only senior devotee in Monrovia, and her presence gave solace to the native African devotees who could not leave.

On June 14, 1990, Hladini wrote in a letter to Radhanath Swami, a friend from New Vrindaban:

[T]here is never a dull moment. Now I’m stranded in Liberia in the middle of a war to overthrow the government. The airport has been seized and they asked all Americans and foreigners to leave the country immediately. American marines sent 6 battleships and 2000 marines to evacuate the citizens. I’m just going to assist the devotees through the hard times. There’s scarcity of food as all the roads are blocked and no supplies can come in. 150,000 people fled the country in the last few weeks. Every day at least 10 people get beheaded and the rebels are still 35 miles from the city . . .

Prince Johnson was killing all suspected friends and soldiers of the former president. Johnson was also known for killing his own men at a faster rate than the enemy. The warlord’s reputation for insane murder bothered some of the devotees, who therefore wrote a letter to him saying that he should stop killing people.

Johnson, who would not tolerate the slightest criticism of his actions, was angered by the letter. A well-wisher passed a message to the devotees that Johnson was likely to get rid of them. At that time, it was too late to leave the temple and take shelter elsewhere, as many of the buildings in the area were either destroyed or being controlled by Johnson’s troops. The devotees stayed at the temple and left their fate in the hands of Lord Krishna.

The death squad arrived in the early morning hours. Johnson and his men carried away by jeep the seven devotees who had been captured.

Two devotees managed to escape through the back door and climb up trees to take cover. Suddenly, those two devotees heard gun shots from the direction of the bridge. They saw that the captured devotees were being shot by Johnson’s men. At daybreak, they came down from the tree. Instead of going to the temple, they walked to the river where they saw Hladini’s sari floating on the water. Hladini, along with the five male devotees, had become a martyr of the Liberian War. Hladini was the first one shot.

“When we heard in New Vrindaban that there had been a coup in Liberia and Hladini was trapped, the whole community came together at the Palace of Gold and prayed,” remembers Manasa Ganga. “When we heard Haldini had been killed, it was a huge shock. We held a memorial service and everyone came because she was one of the most loved devotees in the community. She always had a smile on her face and she was always ready to help out.

“Nothing was ever a bother,” said Manasa Ganga with a sad smile. “For Hladini, taking care of others was always a pleasure. That’s what she gave her life for – taking care of others.”

New Vrindaban Community is located south of Moundsville – Wheeling, off Route 250. For more information, contact (304) 843-1600 or visit

www.NewVrindaban.com.

http://www.dandavats.com/?p=8886

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Radha Krishna

rk2Radha Krishna

Excerpts

Chapter 14: The Ecstasy of the Lord and His Devotees
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Even the transcendental relationship experienced by a devotee of Näräyaëa in Vaikuëöha is incomplete in that it is not realization of a relationship with Kåñëa in Goloka Våndävana. The devotees of Kåñëa do not relish devotional service to Näräyaëa because devotional service to Kåñëa is so attractive that Kåñëa's devotees do not desire to worship any other form. Thus the gopés of Våndävana do not like to see Kåñëa as the husband of Rukmiëé, nor do they address Him as Rukmiëéramaëa. In Våndävana Kåñëa is addressed as Rädhäkrñëa, or Kåñëa, the property of Rädhäräëé. Although the husband of Rukmiëé and Rädhä's Kåñëa are on the same level in the ordinary sense, still, in the spiritual world, the names indicate different understandings of various aspects of Kåñëa's transcendental personality. If one equalizes Rukmiëéramaëa, Rädhäramaëa, Näräyaëa or any other name of the Supreme Lord, he commits the fault of overlapping tastes, which is technically called rasäbhäsa. Those who are expert devotees do not accept such amalgamations which are against the conclusions of pure devotional service.

Although Çré Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, embodies all superexcellence and beauty, when He is amongst the damsels of Vraja, He is known as Gopéjanavallabha. The devotees cannot relish the beauty of the Supreme Lord more than the damsels of Vraja. In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.33.7) it is confirmed that although Kåñëa, the son of Devaké, is the last word in superexcellence and beauty, when He is amongst the gopés it appears that He is a sublime jewel set amongst divine golden craftsmanship. Although Lord Caitanya accepted this as the highest realization of the Supreme Lord as conjugal lover, He nonetheless requested Rämänanda Räya to proceed further.

Upon hearing this request, Rämänanda Räya remarked that this was the first time that he had been asked to go further than the gopés in an attempt to understand Kåñëa. There is certainly transcendental intimacy between the damsels of Vraja and Kåñëa, Rämänanda pointed out, but out of all the relationships, the relationship between Rädhäräëé and Kåñëa in conjugal love is the most perfect. No common man can understand the ecstasy of transcendental love between Rädhäräëé and Kåñëa, nor can he understand the transcendental flavor of the transcendental love between Kåñëa and the gopés. Yet if one tries to follow in the footsteps of the gopés, he may become situated in the highest stage of transcendental love. Thus one who wants to be elevated to the transcendental stage of perfection should follow in the footsteps of the damsels of Vraja as an assistant maidservant of the gopés.

Lord Caitanya exhibited the mode of Çrématé Rädhäräëé when She was contacted from Dvärakä by Çré Kåñëa. Such transcendental love is not possible for any common man; therefore one should not imitate the highest perfectional stage exhibited by Caitanya Mahäprabhu. If, however, one desires to be in that association, he may follow in the footsteps of the gopés. In the Padma Puräëa it is stated that just as Rädhäräëé is dear to Kåñëa, similarly the kuëòa known as Rädhäkuëòa is also very dear to Him. Rädhäräëé is the only gopé who is dearer to Kåñëa than all the other gopés. In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.30.28) it is also stated that Rädhäräëé and the gopés render the highest perfectional loving service to the Lord and that the Lord is so pleased with them that He does not wish to leave the company of Çrématé Rädhäräëé.

Spiritual sex is of two kinds: one in accordance with the constitutional position of the self and the other in accordance with the object. When one understands the truth about this life but is not completely cleansed of material contamination, he is not factually situated in the transcendental abode, Våndävana, although he may understand spiritual life. When, however, one becomes free from the sex urges of the material body, he can actually attain the supreme abode of Våndävana. When one is so situated, he can utter the käma-gäyatré and käma-béja mantra.

In His spiritual form, Kåñëa enjoys His spiritual energy, and that is the sum and substance of the Rädhä-Kåñëa pastimes. These pastimes can only be understood by elevated devotees. One should not try to understand the Rädhä-Kåñëa potencies and pastimes from the mundane platform. Generally people misunderstand these as being material.

When the pleasure potency is further condensed, it is called mahäbhäva. Çrématé Rädhäräëé, the eternal consort of Kåñëa, is the personification of that mahäbhäva. In this regard, in Ujjvala-nélamaëi (4.3) Rüpa Gosvämé states that there are two competitors in love with Kåñëa, Rädhäräëé and Candrävalé. When they are compared, it appears that Rädhäräëé is superior, for She possesses mahäbhäva-svarüpa. Mahäbhäva-svarüpa, the personification of mahäbhäva, is applicable to Rädhäräëé only. Mahäbhäva is full of the pleasure potency, and it is an exhibition of the highest love for Kåñëa. Rädhäräëé is therefore known throughout the world as the most beloved of Kåñëa, and Her name is always associated with Kåñëa as Rädhä-Kåñëa.

 

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Bhagavad Gita As It Is

image

Chapter 11

TEXTS 26-27
TEXT

amé ca tväà dhåtaräñörasya puträù
sarve sahaivävani-päla-saìghaiù
bhéñmo droëaù süta-putras tathäsau
sahäsmadéyair api yodha-mukhyaiù
vakträëi te tvaramäëä viçanti
daàñörä-karäläni bhayänakäni
kecid vilagnä daçanäntareñu
sandåçyante cürëitair uttamäìgaiù

SYNONYMS

amé—all those; ca—also; tväm—You; dhåtaräñöasya—of Dhåtaräñöra; puträù—sons; sarva—all; saha eva—along with; avanipäla—warrior kings; saìghaiù—with the groups; bhéñmaù—Bhéñmadeva; droëaù—Droëäcärya; süta-putraù—Karëa; tathä—also; asau—that; saha—with; asmadéyaiù—our; api—also; yodha-mukhyaiù—chief among the warriors; vakträëi—mouths; te—Your; tvaramäëäù—fearful; viçanti—entering; daàñörä—teeth; karäläni—terrible; bhayänakäni—very fearful; kecit—some of them; vilagnäù—being attacked; daçanäntareñu—between the teeth; sandåçyante—being seen; cürëitaiù—smashed; uttama-aìgaiù—by the head.

TRANSLATION

All the sons of Dhåtaräñöra along with their allied kings, and Bhéñma, Droëa and Karëa, and all our soldiers are rushing into Your mouths, their heads smashed by Your fearful teeth. I see that some are being crushed between Your teeth as well.

PURPORT

In a previous verse the Lord promised to show Arjuna things he would by very interested in seeing. Now Arjuna sees that the leaders of the opposite party (Bhéñma, Droëa, Karëa and all the sons of Dhåtaräñöra) and their soldiers and Arjuna's own soldiers are all being annihilated. This is an indication that Arjuna will emerge victorious in battle, despite heavy losses on both sides. It is also mentioned here that Bhéñma, who is supposed to be unconquerable, will also be smashed. So also Karëa. Not only will the great warriors of the other party like Bhéñma be smashed, but some of the great warriors of Arjuna's side also.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Obama Responsible: Poison in the Well…

obama-oil

Currently there is discourse over the accountability of President Barack Obama in the Gulf Oil Spill. Some observers have postulated this event as Obama’s Katrina in reference to the slow response of then President Bush in the same area.

I was in Ehrenberg AZ – Blythe  California along the Colorado River on April 20, 2010.

THIS RIVER HAS BEEN CHEMICALLY DESPOILED SINCE AT LEAST NOVEMBER OF 2009.

Several bodies of water as the Owens River and Lake Mono must be despoiled around me as move the Mt.Shasta area for the summer.

The Gulf Oil Spill has to be taken into the context of real concrete circumstances.

The right to drill was awarded by the federal government. Therefore the government ultimately is liable for direct and the negative externality in regulation of the drilling and safety practices of BP.

It is too hasty to determine the  exact ratio of liability.

Ignorance is not a credible defense for Obama or BP. The politically duplicity of many opinions is not equal protection.

Those competent authorities whether public or private need to be held accountable for performance or ommisive behavior.

The behavior of the president in real world scenarios is impacting both corporate and faith based leadership in the United States and the international environment. A state of entropy has occurred where the leaders of this systems are incapable or organizing resources to maintain homeostasis or equilibrium.

QUESTION PRESIDENT OBAMA AS TO HIS LIABILITY IN THIS SPILL.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/president-obama-makes-statement-economy-and-oil-spill

Friday, April 30, 2010

Bhagavad Gita As It Is

TEXT 8
na tu mäà çakyase drañöum
anenaiva sva-cakñuñä
divyaà dadämi te cakñuù
paçya me yogam aiçvaram


na—never; tu—but; mäm—Me; çakyase—able; drañöum—to see; anena—by this; eva—certainly; sva-cakñuñä—with your own eyes; divyam—divine; dadämi—I give; te—you; cakñuù—eyes; paçya—see; me—My; yogam aiçvaram—inconceivable mystic power.

TRANSLATION

But you cannot see Me with your present eyes. Therefore I give to you divine eyes by which you can behold My mystic opulence.

PURPORT

A pure devotee does not like to see Kåñëa in any form except His form with two hands; a devotee must see His universal form by His grace, not with the mind but with spiritual eyes. To see the universal form of Kåñëa, Arjuna is told not to change his mind but his vision. The universal form of Kåñëa is not very important; that will be clear in the verses. Yet because Arjuna wanted to see it, the Lord gives him the particular vision required to see that universal form.

Devotees who are correctly situated in a transcendental relationship with Kåñëa are attracted by loving features, not by a godless display of opulences. The playmates of Kåñëa, the friends of Kåñëa and the parents of Kåñëa never want Kåñëa to show His opulences. They are so immersed in pure love that they do not even know that Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In their loving exchange they forget that Kåñëa is the Supreme Lord. In the Çrémad-Bhägavatam it is stated that the boys who play with Kåñëa are all highly pious souls, and after many, many births they are able to play with Kåñëa. Such boys do not know that Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They take Him as a personal friend. The Supreme Person is considered as the impersonal Brahman by great sages, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by the devotees, and as a product of this material nature by ordinary men. The fact is that the devotee is not concerned to see the viçva-rüpa, the universal form, but Arjuna wanted to see it to substantiate Kåñëa’s statement so that in the future people could understand that Kåñëa not only theoretically or philosophically presented Himself as the Supreme but actually presented Himself as such to Arjuna. Arjuna must confirm this because Arjuna is the beginning of the paramparä system. Those who are actually interested to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa, and who follow in the footsteps of Arjuna should understand that Kåñëa not only theoretically presented Himself as the Supreme, but actually revealed Himself as the Supreme.

The Lord gave Arjuna the necessary power to see His universal form because He knew that Arjuna did not particularly want to see it, as we have already explained.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Caitanya Caritamrta

Adi Lila

Chapter 1.2

TEXT 101

TEXT

cic-chakti, svarupa-sakti, antaranga nama
tahara vaibhava ananta vaikunthadi dhama

SYNONYMS

cit-sakti--spiritual energy; svarupa-sakti--personal energy; antah-anga--
internal; nama--named; tahara--of that; vaibhava--manifestations; ananta--
unlimited; vaikuntha-adi--Vaikuntha, etc.; dhama--abodes.

TRANSLATION

"The cit-sakti, which is also called svarupa-sakti or antaranga sakti, displays many varied manifestations. It sustains the kingdom of God and its paraphernalia.

TEXT 102

TEXT

maya-sakti, bahiranga, jagat-karana
tahara vaibhava ananta brahmandera gana

SYNONYMS

maya-sakti--the illusory energy; bahih-anga--external; jagat-karana--the
cause of the universe; tahara--of that; vaibhava--manifestations; ananta--
unlimited; brahma-andera--of universes; gana--multitudes.

TRANSLATION

"The external energy, called maya-sakti, is the cause of innumerable universes with varied material potencies.

TEXT 103

TEXT

jiva-sakti tatasthakhya, nahi yara anta
mukhya tina sakti, tara vibheda ananta

SYNONYMS

jiva-sakti--the energy of the living entity; tata-stha-akhya—known as marginal; nahi--there is not; yara--of which; anta--end; mukhya--principal;tina--three; sakti--energies; tara--of them; vibheda--varieties; ananta--unlimited.

TRANSLATION

"The marginal potency, which is between these two, consists of the numberless living beings. These are the three principal energies, which have unlimited categories and subdivisions.

PURPORT


The internal potency of the Lord, which is called cit-sakti or antarangasakti, exhibits variegatedness in the transcendental Vaikuntha cosmos. Besides ourselves, there are unlimited numbers of liberated living beings who associate with the Personality of Godhead in His innumerable features. The material cosmos displays the external energy, in which the conditioned living beings are provided all liberty to go back to the Personality of Godhead after leaving the material tabernacle. The Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.8) informs us:

na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate
na tat-samas cabhyadhikas ca drsyate
parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate
svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca

"The Supreme Lord is one without a second. He has nothing to do personally, nor does He have material senses. No one is equal to Him or greater than Him. He has unlimited, variegated potencies of different names, which exist within Him as autonomous attributes and provide Him full knowledge, power and pastimes."

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Caitanya Caritamrta Chapter Five

TEXT 10

TEXT
srsty-adika seva,----tanra ajnara palana
'sesa'-rupe kare krsnera vividha sevana

SYNONYMS

srsti-adika seva--service in the matter of creation; tanra--His; ajnara—of the order; palana--execution; sesa-rupe--the form of Lord Sesa; kare--does;krsnera--of Lord Krsna; vividha sevana--varieties of service.

TRANSLATION

He executes the orders of Lord Krsna in the work of creation, and in the form of Lord Sesa He serves Krsna in various ways.

PURPORT

According to expert opinion, Balarama, as the chief of the original quadruple forms, is also the original Sankarsana. Balarama, the first expansion of Krsna, expands Himself in five forms: (1) Maha-sankarsana, (2) Karanabdhisayi, (3) Garbhodakasayi, (4) Ksirodakasayi, and (5) Sesa. These five plenary portions are responsible for both the spiritual and material cosmic manifestations. In these five forms Lord Balarama assists Lord Krsna in His activities. The first four of these forms are responsible for the cosmic manifestations, whereas Sesa is
responsible for personal service to the Lord. Sesa is called Ananta, or unlimited, because He assists the Personality of Godhead in His unlimited expansions by performing an unlimited variety of services. Sri Balarama is the servitor Godhead who serves Lord Krsna in all affairs of existence and knowledge. Lord Nityananda Prabhu, who is the same servitor Godhead, Balarama,
performs the same service to Lord Gauranga by constant association.