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Bg 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

2008-05-17T06:49:00.000-07:00

BG 1.20: At that time Arjuna, the son of Pāndu, seated in the chariot bearing the flag marked with Hanumān, took up his bow and prepared to shoot his arrows. O King, after looking at the sons of Dhrtarāstra drawn in military array, Arjuna then spoke to Lord Krsna these words.

atha vyavasthitān drstvā
dhārtarāstrān kapi-dhvajah
pravrtte śastra-sampāte
dhanur udyamya pāndavah
hrsīkeśam tadā vākyam
idam āha mahī-pate

SYNONYMS
atha — thereupon; vyavasthitān — situated; drstvā — looking upon; dhārtarāstrān — the sons of Dhrtarāstra; kapi-dhvajah — he whose flag was marked with Hanumān; pravrtte — while about to engage; śastra-sampāte — in releasing his arrows; dhanuh — bow; udyamya — taking up; pāndavah — the son of Pāndu (Arjuna); hrsīkeśam — unto Lord Krsna; tadā — at that time; vākyam — words; idam — these; āha — said; mahī-pate — O King.

TRANSLATION
At that time Arjuna, the son of Pāndu, seated in the chariot bearing the flag marked with Hanumān, took up his bow and prepared to shoot his arrows. O King, after looking at the sons of Dhrtarāstra drawn in military array, Arjuna then spoke to Lord Krsna these words.

PURPORT

The battle was just about to begin. It is understood from the above statement that the sons of Dhrtarāstra were more or less disheartened by the unexpected arrangement of military force by the Pāndavas, who were guided by the direct instructions of Lord Krsna on the battlefield. The emblem of Hanumān on the flag of Arjuna is another sign of victory because Hanumān cooperated with Lord Rāma in the battle between Rāma and Rāvana, and Lord Rāma emerged victorious. Now both Rāma and Hanumān were present on the chariot of Arjuna to help him. Lord Krsna is Rāma Himself, and wherever Lord Rāma is, His eternal servitor Hanumān and His eternal consort Sītā, the goddess of fortune, are present. Therefore, Arjuna had no cause to fear any enemies whatsoever. And above all, the Lord of the senses, Lord Krsna, was personally present to give him direction. Thus, all good counsel was available to Arjuna in the matter of executing the battle. In such auspicious conditions, arranged by the Lord for His eternal devotee, lay the signs of assured victory.

Bg 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

2008-05-17T06:48:00.000-07:00

BG 1.19: The blowing of these different conchshells became uproarious. Vibrating both in the sky and on the earth, it shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhrtarāstra.

sa ghoso dhārtarāstrānām
hrdayāni vyadārayat
nabhaś ca prthivīm caiva
tumulo 'bhyanunādayan

SYNONYMS
sah — that; ghosah — vibration; dhārtarāstrānām — of the sons of Dhrtarāstra; hrdayāni — hearts; vyadārayat — shattered; nabhah — the sky; ca — also; prthivīm — the surface of the earth; ca — also; eva — certainly; tumulah — uproarious; abhyanunādayan — resounding.

TRANSLATION
The blowing of these different conchshells became uproarious. Vibrating both in the sky and on the earth, it shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhrtarāstra.

PURPORT

When Bhīsma and the others on the side of Duryodhana blew their respective conchshells, there was no heart-breaking on the part of the Pāndavas. Such occurrences are not mentioned, but in this particular verse it is mentioned that the hearts of the sons of Dhrtarāstra were shattered by the sounds vibrated by the Pāndavas' party. This is due to the Pāndavas and their confidence in Lord Krsna. One who takes shelter of the Supreme Lord has nothing to fear, even in the midst of the greatest calamity.

Bg 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

2008-05-17T06:38:00.000-07:00

BG 1.16-18: King Yudhisthira, the son of Kuntī, blew his conchshell, the Ananta-vijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughosa and Manipuspaka. That great archer the King of Kāśī, the great fighter Śikhandī, Dhrstadyumna, Virāta, the unconquerable Sātyaki, Drupada, the sons of Draupadī, and the others, O King, such as the mighty-armed son of Subhadrā, all blew their respective conchshells.

anantavijayam rājā
kuntī-putro yudhisthirah
nakulah sahadevaś ca
sughosa-manipuspakau
kāśyaś ca paramesv-āsah
śikhandī ca mahā-rathah
dhrstadyumno virātaś ca
sātyakiś cāparājitah
drupado draupadeyāś ca
sarvaśah prthivī-pate
saubhadraś ca mahā-bāhuh
śańkhān dadhmuh prthak prthak

SYNONYMS
ananta-vijayam — the conch named Ananta-vijaya; rājā — the king; kuntī-putrah — the son of Kuntī; yudhisthirah — Yudhisthira; nakulah — Nakula; sahadevah — Sahadeva; ca — and; sughosa-manipuspakau — the conches named Sughosa and Manipuspaka; kāśyah — the King of Kāśī (Vārānasī); ca — and; parama-isu-āsah — the great archer; śikhandī — Śikhandī; ca — also; mahā-rathah — one who can fight alone against thousands; dhrstadyumnah — Dhrstadyumna (the son of King Drupada); virātah — Virāta (the prince who gave shelter to the Pāndavas while they were in disguise); ca — also; sātyakih — Sātyaki (the same as Yuyudhāna, the charioteer of Lord Krsna); ca — and; aparājitah — who had never been vanquished; drupadah — Drupada, the King of Pāñcāla; draupadeyāh — the sons of Draupadī; ca — also; sarvaśah — all; prthivī-pate — O King; saubhadrah — Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadrā; ca — also; mahā-bāhuh — mighty-armed; śańkhān — conchshells; dadhmuh — blew; prthak prthak — each separately.

TRANSLATION
King Yudhisthira, the son of Kuntī, blew his conchshell, the Ananta-vijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughosa and Manipuspaka. That great archer the King of Kāśī, the great fighter Śikhandī, Dhrstadyumna, Virāta, the unconquerable Sātyaki, Drupada, the sons of Draupadī, and the others, O King, such as the mighty-armed son of Subhadrā, all blew their respective conchshells.

PURPORT

Sañjaya informed King Dhrtarāstra very tactfully that his unwise policy of deceiving the sons of Pāndu and endeavoring to enthrone his own sons on the seat of the kingdom was not very laudable. The signs already clearly indicated that the whole Kuru dynasty would be killed in that great battle. Beginning with the grandsire, Bhīsma, down to the grandsons like Abhimanyu and others — including kings from many states of the world — all were present there, and all were doomed. The whole catastrophe was due to King Dhrtarāstra, because he encouraged the policy followed by his sons.

Bg 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

2008-05-13T04:54:00.000-07:00

BG 1.15: Lord Krsna blew His conchshell, called Pancajanya; Arjuna blew his, the Devadatta; and Bhīma, the voracious eater and performer of herculean tasks, blew his terrific conchshell, called Paundra.

pancajanyam hrsikeso
devadattam dhananjayah
paundram dadhmau maha-sankham
bhima-karma vrkodarah

SYNONYMS
pancajanyam — the conchshell named Pancajanya; hrsika-isah — Hrsikesa (Krsna, the Lord who directs the senses of the devotees); devadattam — the conchshell named Devadatta; dhanam-jayah — Dhananjaya (Arjuna, the winner of wealth); paundram — the conch named Paundra; dadhmau — blew; maha-sankham — the terrific conchshell; bhima-karma — one who performs herculean tasks; vrka-udarah — the voracious eater (Bhima).

TRANSLATION
Lord Krsna blew His conchshell, called Pancajanya; Arjuna blew his, the Devadatta; and Bhima, the voracious eater and performer of herculean tasks, blew his terrific conchshell, called Paundra.

PURPORT

Lord Krsna is referred to as Hrsikesa in this verse because He is the owner of all senses. The living entities are part and parcel of Him, and therefore the senses of the living entities are also part and parcel of His senses. The impersonalists cannot account for the senses of the living entities, and therefore they are always anxious to describe all living entities as senseless, or impersonal. The Lord, situated in the hearts of all living entities, directs their senses. But He directs in terms of the surrender of the living entity, and in the case of a pure devotee He directly controls the senses. Here on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra the Lord directly controls the transcendental senses of Arjuna, and thus His particular name of Hrsikesa. The Lord has different names according to His different activities. For example, His name is Madhusūdana because He killed the demon of the name Madhu; His name is Govinda because He gives pleasure to the cows and to the senses; His name is Vasudeva because He appeared as the son of Vasudeva; His name is Devaki-nandana because He accepted Devaki as His mother; His name is Yasoda-nandana because He awarded His childhood pastimes to Yasoda at Vrndavana; His name is Partha-sarathi because He worked as charioteer of His friend Arjuna. Similarly, His name is Hrsikesa because He gave direction to Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra.
Arjuna is referred to as Dhananjaya in this verse because he helped his elder brother in fetching wealth when it was required by the king to make expenditures for different sacrifices. Similarly, Bhima is known as Vrkodara because he could eat as voraciously as he could perform herculean tasks, such as killing the demon Hidimba. So the particular types of conchshell blown by the different personalities on the side of the Pandavas, beginning with the Lord's, were all very encouraging to the fighting soldiers. On the other side there were no such credits, nor the presence of Lord Krsna, the supreme director, nor that of the goddess of fortune. So they were predestined to lose the battle — and that was the message announced by the sounds of the conchshells.

Bg 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

2008-05-13T04:52:00.000-07:00

BG 1.14: On the other side, both Lord Krsna and Arjuna, stationed on a great chariot drawn by white horses, sounded their transcendental conchshells.

tatah svetair hayair yukte
mahati syandane sthitau
madhavah pandavas caiva
divyau sankhau pradadhmatuh

SYNONYMS
tatah — thereafter; svetaih — with white; hayaih — horses; yukte — being yoked; mahati — in a great; syandane — chariot; sthitau — situated; madhavah — Krsna (the husband of the goddess of fortune); pandavah — Arjuna (the son of Pandu); ca — also; eva — certainly; divyau — transcendental; sankhau — conchshells; pradadhmatuh — sounded.

TRANSLATION
On the other side, both Lord Krsna and Arjuna, stationed on a great chariot drawn by white horses, sounded their transcendental conchshells.

PURPORT

In contrast with the conchshell blown by Bhismadeva, the conchshells in the hands of Krsna and Arjuna are described as transcendental. The sounding of the transcendental conchshells indicated that there was no hope of victory for the other side because Krsna was on the side of the Pandavas. Jayas tu pandu-putranam yesam pakse janardanah. Victory is always with persons like the sons of Pandu because Lord Krsna is associated with them. And whenever and wherever the Lord is present, the goddess of fortune is also there because the goddess of fortune never lives alone without her husband. Therefore, victory and fortune were awaiting Arjuna, as indicated by the transcendental sound produced by the conchshell of Visnu, or Lord Krsna. Besides that, the chariot on which both the friends were seated had been donated by Agni (the fire-god) to Arjuna, and this indicated that this chariot was capable of conquering all sides, wherever it was drawn over the three worlds.

Bg 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

2008-05-13T04:50:00.000-07:00

BG 1.13: After that, the conchshells, drums, bugles, trumpets and horns were all suddenly sounded, and the combined sound was tumultuous.

tatah sankhas ca bheryas ca
panavanaka-gomukhah
sahasaivabhyahanyanta
sa sabdas tumulo 'bhavat

SYNONYMS
tatah — thereafter; sankhah — conchshells; ca — also; bheryah — large drums; ca — and; panava-anaka — small drums and kettledrums; go-mukhah — horns; sahasa — all of a sudden; eva — certainly; abhyahanyanta — were simultaneously sounded; sah — that; sabdah — combined sound; tumulah — tumultuous; abhavat — became.

TRANSLATION
After that, the conchshells, drums, bugles, trumpets and horns were all suddenly sounded, and the combined sound was tumultuous.

Bg 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

2008-04-27T02:54:00.000-07:00

BG 1.12: Then Bhisma, the great valiant grandsire of the Kuru dynasty, the grandfather of the fighters, blew his conchshell very loudly, making a sound like the roar of a lion, giving Duryodhana joy.

tasya sanjanayan harsam
kuru-vrddhah pitamahah
simha-nadam vinadyoccaih
sankham dadhmau pratapavan

SYNONYMS
tasya — his; sanjanayan — increasing; harsam — cheerfulness; kuru-vrddhah — the grandsire of the Kuru dynasty (Bhisma); pitamahah — the grandfather; simha-nadam — roaring sound, like that of a lion; vinadya — vibrating; uccaih — very loudly; sankham — conchshell; dadhmau — blew; pratapa-van — the valiant.

TRANSLATION
Then Bhisma, the great valiant grandsire of the Kuru dynasty, the grandfather of the fighters, blew his conchshell very loudly, making a sound like the roar of a lion, giving Duryodhana joy.

PURPORT

The grandsire of the Kuru dynasty could understand the inner meaning of the heart of his grandson Duryodhana, and out of his natural compassion for him he tried to cheer him by blowing his conchshell very loudly, befitting his position as a lion. Indirectly, by the symbolism of the conchshell, he informed his depressed grandson Duryodhana that he had no chance of victory in the battle, because the Supreme Lord Krsna was on the other side. But still, it was his duty to conduct the fight, and no pains would be spared in that connection.

Bg 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

2008-04-27T02:43:00.000-07:00

BG 1.11: All of you must now give full support to Grandfather Bhisma, as you stand at your respective strategic points of entrance into the phalanx of the army.

ayanesu ca sarvesu
yatha-bhagam avasthitah
bhismam evabhiraksantu
bhavantah sarva eva hi

SYNONYMS
ayanesu — in the strategic points; ca — also; sarvesu — everywhere; yatha-bhagam — as differently arranged; avasthitah — situated; bhismam — unto Grandfather Bhisma; eva — certainly; abhiraksantu — should give support; bhavantah — you; sarve — all respectively; eva hi — certainly.

TRANSLATION
All of you must now give full support to Grandfather Bhisma, as you stand at your respective strategic points of entrance into the phalanx of the army.

PURPORT

Duryodhana, after praising the prowess of Bhisma, further considered that others might think that they had been considered less important, so in his usual diplomatic way, he tried to adjust the situation in the above words. He emphasized that Bhismadeva was undoubtedly the greatest hero, but he was an old man, so everyone must especially think of his protection from all sides. He might become engaged in the fight, and the enemy might take advantage of his full engagement on one side. Therefore, it was important that other heroes not leave their strategic positions and allow the enemy to break the phalanx. Duryodhana clearly felt that the victory of the Kurus depended on the presence of Bhismadeva. He was confident of the full support of Bhismadeva and Dronacarya in the battle because he well knew that they did not even speak a word when Arjuna's wife Draupadi, in her helpless condition, had appealed to them for justice while she was being forced to appear naked in the presence of all the great generals in the assembly. Although he knew that the two generals had some sort of affection for the Pandavas, he hoped that these generals would now completely give it up, as they had done during the gambling performances.

Bg 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

2008-04-27T02:40:00.000-07:00

BG 1.10: Our strength is immeasurable, and we are perfectly protected by Grandfather Bhisma, whereas the strength of the Pandavas, carefully protected by Bhima, is limited.

aparyaptam tad asmakam
balam bhismabhiraksitam
paryaptam tv idam etesam
balam bhimabhiraksitam

SYNONYMS
aparyaptam — immeasurable; tat — that; asmakam — of ours; balam — strength; bhisma — by Grandfather Bhisma; abhiraksitam — perfectly protected; paryaptam — limited; tu — but; idam — all this; etesam — of the Pandavas; balam — strength; bhima — by Bhima; abhiraksitam — carefully protected.

TRANSLATION
Our strength is immeasurable, and we are perfectly protected by Grandfather Bhisma, whereas the strength of the Pandavas, carefully protected by Bhima, is limited.

PURPORT

Herein an estimation of comparative strength is made by Duryodhana. He thinks that the strength of his armed forces is immeasurable, being specifically protected by the most experienced general, Grandfather Bhisma. On the other hand, the forces of the Pandavas are limited, being protected by a less experienced general, Bhima, who is like a fig in the presence of Bhisma. Duryodhana was always envious of Bhima because he knew perfectly well that if he should die at all, he would only be killed by Bhima. But at the same time, he was confident of his victory on account of the presence of Bhisma, who was a far superior general. His conclusion that he would come out of the battle victorious was well ascertained.

Bg 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

2008-04-25T07:17:00.000-07:00

BG 1.9: There are many other heroes who are prepared to lay down their lives for my sake. All of them are well equipped with different kinds of weapons, and all are experienced in military science.

anye ca bahavah sura
mad-arthe tyakta-jivitah
nana-sastra-praharanah
sarve yuddha-visaradah

SYNONYMS
anye — others; ca — also; bahavah — in great numbers; surah — heroes; mat-arthe — for my sake; tyakta-jivitah — prepared to risk life; nana — many; sastra — weapons; praharanah — equipped with; sarve — all of them; yuddha-visaradah — experienced in military science.

TRANSLATION
There are many other heroes who are prepared to lay down their lives for my sake. All of them are well equipped with different kinds of weapons, and all are experienced in military science.

PURPORT

As far as the others are concerned — like Jayadratha, Krtavarma and salya — all are determined to lay down their lives for Duryodhana's sake. In other words, it is already concluded that all of them would die in the Battle of Kuruksetra for joining the party of the sinful Duryodhana. Duryodhana was, of course, confident of his victory on account of the above-mentioned combined strength of his friends.

Bg 1 : Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

2008-04-21T14:14:00.000-07:00

BG 1.8: There are personalities like you, Bhisma, Karna, Krpa, Asvatthama, Vikarna and the son of Somadatta called Bhūrisrava, who are always victorious in battle.

bhavan bhismas ca karnas ca
krpas ca samitim-jayah
asvatthama vikarnas ca
saumadattis tathaiva ca

SYNONYMS
bhavan — your good self; bhismah — Grandfather Bhisma; ca — also; karnah — Karna; ca — and; krpah — Krpa; ca — and; samitim-jayah — always victorious in battle; asvatthama — Asvatthama; vikarnah — Vikarna; ca — as well as; saumadattih — the son of Somadatta; tatha — as well as; eva — certainly; ca — also.

TRANSLATION
There are personalities like you, Bhisma, Karna, Krpa, Asvatthama, Vikarna and the son of Somadatta called Bhūrisrava, who are always victorious in battle.

PURPORT

Duryodhana mentions the exceptional heroes in the battle, all of whom are ever victorious. Vikarna is the brother of Duryodhana, Asvatthama is the son of Dronacarya, and Saumadatti, or Bhurisrava, is the son of the King of the Bahlikas. Karna is the half brother of Arjuna, as he was born of Kunti before her marriage with King Pandu. Krpacarya's twin sister married Dronacarya.

Bg 1 : Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

2008-04-21T14:10:00.000-07:00

BG 1.7: But for your information, O best of the brahmanas, let me tell you about the captains who are especially qualified to lead my military force.

asmakam tu visista ye
tan nibodha dvijottama
nayaka mama sainyasya
samjñartham tan bravimi te

SYNONYMS
asmakam — our; tu — but; visistah — especially powerful; ye — who; tan — them; nibodha — just take note of, be informed; dvija-uttama — O best of the brahmanas; nayakah — captains; mama — my; sainyasya — of the soldiers; samjña-artham — for information; tan — them; bravimi — I am speaking; te — to you.

TRANSLATION
But for your information, O best of the brahmanas, let me tell you about the captains who are especially qualified to lead my military force.

Bg 1 : Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

2008-04-18T12:01:00.000-07:00

BG 1.6: There are the mighty Yudhamanyu, the very powerful Uttamauja, the son of Subhadra and the sons of Draupadi. All these warriors are great chariot fighters.

yudhamanyus ca vikranta
uttamaujas ca viryavan
saubhadro draupadeyas ca
sarva eva maha-rathah

SYNONYMS
yudhamanyuh — Yudhamanyu; ca — and; vikrantah — mighty; uttamaujah — Uttamauja; ca — and; virya-van — very powerful; saubhadrah — the son of Subhadra; draupadeyah — the sons of Draupadi; ca — and; sarve — all; eva — certainly; maha-rathah — great chariot fighters.

TRANSLATION
There are the mighty Yudhamanyu, the very powerful Uttamauja, the son of Subhadra and the sons of Draupadi. All these warriors are great chariot fighters.

Bg 1 : Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

2008-04-16T02:06:00.000-07:00

BG 1.5: There are also great, heroic, powerful fighters like Dhrstaketu, Cekitana, Kasiraja, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and saibya.

dhrstaketus cekitanah
kasirajas ca viryavan
purujit kuntibhojas ca
saibyas ca nara-pungavah

SYNONYMS

dhrstaketuh — Dhrstaketu; cekitanah — Cekitana; kasirajah — Kasiraja; ca — also; virya-van — very powerful; purujit — Purujit; kuntibhojah — Kuntibhoja; ca — and; saibyah — saibya; ca — and; nara-pungavah — hero in human society.

TRANSLATION
There are also great, heroic, powerful fighters like Dhrstaketu, Cekitana, Kasiraja, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and saibya.

Bg 1 : Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

2008-04-15T04:23:00.000-07:00

BG 1.4: Here in this army are many heroic bowmen equal in fighting to Bhima and Arjuna: great fighters like Yuyudhana, Virata and Drupada.

atra sura mahesv-asa
bhimarjuna-sama yudhi
yuyudhano viratas ca
drupadas ca maha-rathah

SYNONYMS
atra — here; surah — heroes; maha-isu-asah — mighty bowmen; bhima-arjuna — to Bhima and Arjuna; samah — equal; yudhi — in the fight; yuyudhanah — Yuyudhana; viratah — Virata; ca — also; drupadah — Drupada; ca — also; maha-rathah — great fighter.

TRANSLATION
Here in this army are many heroic bowmen equal in fighting to Bhima and Arjuna: great fighters like Yuyudhana, Virata and Drupada.

PURPORT

Even though Dhrstadyumna was not a very important obstacle in the face of Dronacarya's very great power in the military art, there were many others who were causes of fear. They are mentioned by Duryodhana as great stumbling blocks on the path of victory because each and every one of them was as formidable as Bhima and Arjuna. He knew the strength of Bhima and Arjuna, and thus he compared the others with them.

Bg 1 : Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

2008-04-14T10:34:00.000-07:00

BG 1.3: O my teacher, behold the great army of the sons of Pandu, so expertly arranged by your intelligent disciple the son of Drupada.

pasyaitam pandu-putranam
acarya mahatim camum
vyudham drupada-putrena
tava sisyena dhimata

SYNONYMS
pasya — behold; etam — this; pandu-putranam — of the sons of Pandu; acarya — O teacher; mahatim — great; camum — military force; vyudham — arranged; drupada-putrena — by the son of Drupada; tava — your; sisyena — disciple; dhi-mata — very intelligent.

TRANSLATION
O my teacher, behold the great army of the sons of Pandu, so expertly arranged by your intelligent disciple the son of Drupada.

PURPORT

Duryodhana, a great diplomat, wanted to point out the defects of Dronacarya, the great brahmana commander in chief. Dronacarya had some political quarrel with King Drupada, the father of Draupadi, who was Arjuna's wife. As a result of this quarrel, Drupada performed a great sacrifice, by which he received the benediction of having a son who would be able to kill Dronacarya. Dronacarya knew this perfectly well, and yet as a liberal brahmana he did not hesitate to impart all his military secrets when the son of Drupada, Dhrstadyumna, was entrusted to him for military education. Now, on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, Dhrstadyumna took the side of the Pandavas, and it was he who arranged for their military phalanx, after having learned the art from Dronacarya. Duryodhana pointed out this mistake of Dronacarya's so that he might be alert and uncompromising in the fighting. By this he wanted to point out also that he should not be similarly lenient in battle against the Pandavas, who were also Dronacarya's affectionate students. Arjuna, especially, was his most affectionate and brilliant student. Duryodhana also warned that such leniency in the fight would lead to defeat.

Bg 1 : Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

2008-04-03T18:53:00.000-07:00

BG 1.2: Sanjaya said: O King, after looking over the army arranged in military formation by the sons of Pandu, King Duryodhana went to his teacher and spoke the following words.

sanjaya uvaca

drstva tu pandavanikam

vyudham duryodhanas tada

acaryam upasangamya

raja vacanam abravit

SYNONYMS
sanjayah uvaca — Sanjaya said; drstva — after seeing; tu — but; pandava-anikam — the soldiers of the Pandavas; vyudham — arranged in a military phalanx; duryodhanah — King Duryodhana; tada — at that time; acaryam — the teacher; upasangamya — approaching; raja — the king; vacanam — words; abravit — spoke.

TRANSLATION
Sanjaya said: O King, after looking over the army arranged in military formation by the sons of Pandu, King Duryodhana went to his teacher and spoke the following words.

PURPORT

Dhrtarastra was blind from birth. Unfortunately, he was also bereft of spiritual vision. He knew very well that his sons were equally blind in the matter of religion, and he was sure that they could never reach an understanding with the Pandavas, who were all pious since birth. Still he was doubtful about the influence of the place of pilgrimage, and Sanjaya could understand his motive in asking about the situation on the battlefield. Sanjaya wanted, therefore, to encourage the despondent king and thus assured him that his sons were not going to make any sort of compromise under the influence of the holy place. Sanjaya therefore informed the king that his son, Duryodhana, after seeing the military force of the Pandavas, at once went to the commander in chief, Dronacarya, to inform him of the real position. Although Duryodhana is mentioned as the king, he still had to go to the commander on account of the seriousness of the situation. He was therefore quite fit to be a politician. But Duryodhana's diplomatic veneer could not disguise the fear he felt when he saw the military arrangement of the Pandavas.

Bg 1 : Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

2008-03-29T15:26:00.000-07:00

BG 1.1: Dhrtarastra said: O Sanjaya, after my sons and the sons of Pandu assembled in the place of pilgrimage at Kuruksetra, desiring to fight, what did they do?

dhrtarastra uvaca
dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre
samaveta yuyutsavah
mamakah pandavas caiva
kim akurvata sanjaya

SYNONYMS
dhrtarastrah uvaca — King Dhrtarastra said; dharma-ksetre — in the place of pilgrimage; kuru-ksetre — in the place named Kuruksetra; samavetah — assembled; yuyutsavah — desiring to fight; mamakah — my party (sons); pandavah — the sons of Pandu; ca — and; eva — certainly; kim — what; akurvata — did they do; sanjaya — O Sanjaya.

TRANSLATION
Dhrtarastra said: O Sanjaya, after my sons and the sons of Pandu assembled in the place of pilgrimage at Kuruksetra, desiring to fight, what did they do?

PURPORT

Bhagavad-gīta is the widely read theistic science summarized in the Gīta-mahatmya (Glorification of the Gīta). There it says that one should read Bhagavad-gīta very scrutinizingly with the help of a person who is a devotee of srī Krsna and try to understand it without personally motivated interpretations. The example of clear understanding is there in the Bhagavad-gīta itself, in the way the teaching is understood by Arjuna, who heard the Gīta directly from the Lord. If someone is fortunate enough to understand Bhagavad-gīta in that line of disciplic succession, without motivated interpretation, then he surpasses all studies of Vedic wisdom, and all scriptures of the world. One will find in the Bhagavad-gīta all that is contained in other scriptures, but the reader will also find things which are not to be found elsewhere. That is the specific standard of the Gīta. It is the perfect theistic science because it is directly spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord srī Krsna.
The topics discussed by Dhrtarastra and Sanjaya, as described in the Mahabharata, form the basic principle for this great philosophy. It is understood that this philosophy evolved on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, which is a sacred place of pilgrimage from the immemorial time of the Vedic age. It was spoken by the Lord when He was present personally on this planet for the guidance of mankind.

The word dharma-ksetra (a place where religious rituals are performed) is significant because, on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was present on the side of Arjuna. Dhrtarastra, the father of the Kurus, was highly doubtful about the possibility of his sons' ultimate victory. In his doubt, he inquired from his secretary Sanjaya, "What did they do?" He was confident that both his sons and the sons of his younger brother Pandu were assembled in that Field of Kuruksetra for a determined engagement of the war. Still, his inquiry is significant. He did not want a compromise between the cousins and brothers, and he wanted to be sure of the fate of his sons on the battlefield. Because the battle was arranged to be fought at Kuruksetra, which is mentioned elsewhere in the Vedas as a place of worship — even for the denizens of heaven — Dhrtarastra became very fearful about the influence of the holy place on the outcome of the battle. He knew very well that this would influence Arjuna and the sons of Pandu favorably, because by nature they were all virtuous. Sanjaya was a student of Vyasa, and therefore, by the mercy of Vyasa, Sanjaya was able to envision the Battlefield of Kuruksetra even while he was in the room of Dhrtarastra. And so, Dhrtarastra asked him about the situation on the battlefield.

Both the Pandavas and the sons of Dhrtarastra belong to the same family, but Dhrtarastra's mind is disclosed herein. He deliberately claimed only his sons as Kurus, and he separated the sons of Pandu from the family heritage. One can thus understand the specific position of Dhrtarastra in his relationship with his nephews, the sons of Pandu. As in the paddy field the unnecessary plants are taken out, so it is expected from the very beginning of these topics that in the religious field of Kuruksetra, where the father of religion, srī Krsna, was present, the unwanted plants like Dhrtarastra's son Duryodhana and others would be wiped out and the thoroughly religious persons, headed by Yudhisthira, would be established by the Lord. This is the significance of the words dharma-ksetre and kuru-ksetre, apart from their historical and Vedic importance.

Hare Krishna Bhajan by Gopi Gita

2008-03-15T04:40:00.000-07:00

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare...Nitai Gaura Haribol....Haribol.Haribol.....Jaya Gurudev

2008-03-14T10:52:00.000-07:00

iskcon krishna wallpaper

2008-03-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

Flower shower - Radha-Madhava pushpa abhishek in Mayapur

2008-03-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

hare krishna

2008-03-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

From the blogger's desk

2008-02-27T17:20:00.000-08:00

Dear loyal readers and new visitors, new postings and wallpapers are coming soon with newer blog design. Check it out soon. Please email your ideas and suggestions to gokulbrindavan@gmail.com or vjworld@hotmail.com. thank you.. Hare Krsna Hare Krsna.. Krsna Krsna Hare Hare.. Hare Rama Hare Rama... Rama Rama Hare Hare...

Exclusive nrisimha abishek pictures

2008-02-12T01:46:00.000-08:00

Exclusive Nrisimha abishek pictures (click to enlarge)

Fight with Determination

2008-02-10T05:17:00.001-08:00

Becoming Krishna consciousness means that we have to do battle on a daily basis with the material energy. In order to be successful in this struggle we must fight with great determination. We have the six material senses including the mind that must be conquered. If we can subdue our senses by keeping them always engaged in Krishna's service, we will emerge victorious as conquerors over the material energy and will able to enter into the sublime atmosphere of the spiritual world.

How do we keep them engaged in Krishna's service? This process begins with the tongue. If we can utilize our tongues as far as possible only for glorifying the Lord and partaking of vegetarian foodstuffs that are offered to Him with love and devotion (prasadam), we gradually will become highly advanced in Krishna consciousness and always taste the sweetest pleasure. This principle is confirmed by Srila Rupa Goswami:

ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi
na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ
sevonmukhe hi jihvādau
svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ

"Material senses cannot appreciate Krishna's holy name, form, qualities and pastimes. When a conditioned soul is awakened to Krishna consciousness and renders service by using his tongue to chant the Lord's holy name and taste the remnants of the Lord's food, the tongue is purified, and one gradually comes to understand who Krishna really is."
--Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.234)

Is Ignorance Bliss?

2008-02-10T05:12:00.000-08:00

There is a saying: It is folly to be wise in that place where ignorance is bliss. We can see practically how true this is. In this world 99.99% of the population is deeply engrossed in the ignorance of misidentification with their material bodies. Everywhere we see propaganda promoting the illusory concept that one can be happy by material sense gratification. And what do people think about those who take to the path of self realization? They consider them to be foolish. So it is a fact that real wisdom is taken to be folly in that place where ignorance is bliss.

We then have a choice. We can go along with flow of the material society and be a fool and a rascal like everyone else, or we can dare to be different even at the risk of being considered weird or crazy. One has to consider what is ultimately beneficial for one's eternal well being and then do the needful.

iskcon krishna wallpaper

2008-01-31T19:02:00.000-08:00

Why Were We Created

2008-01-29T17:52:00.001-08:00

We always hear from the scriptures of the world how God created us. But in the Bhagavad-gita Krishna states that there was never a time that we, the living beings, did not exist. So how can God have created us if we have always existed? It seems contradictory.

Actually there is no contradiction. We are all the eternal emanations of the Lord. Krishna confirms this in chapter 10 of the Bhagavad-gita in which He states:

aham sarvasya prabhavo
mattah sarvam pravartate

"I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. "
Bhagavad-gita 10.8

So it is very clear that we are dependent upon the Supreme Lord for our existence. We are clearly not self-manifested. We are God-manifested. So we can understand that God created us by manifesting us from Himself in way similar to the way that the sun emanates sunshine. And He is presently emanating us from Himself. Were He not doing so, we would not exist. We know that He will eternally emanate us from Himself because He promises us in the Bhagavad-gita that we will always exist along with Him for all of eternity.

The other day someone asked me if God could choose not to manifest us and thus zap us out of existence. Of course, the fact is that God can do anything He chooses. But this does not mean that He will do this. Just as an ordinary parent of this world would never think of killing his children, the Lord, Who is unlimitedly more merciful than any being of this world, would never consider the annihilation of His beloved spiritual children. Indeed He is eternally emanating us from Himself simply for the purpose of expanding His own enjoyment by having loving relationships with us.

So what should this mean to us? This means that we exist for one purpose and for one purpose only, to love God. So do you think you can be happy if you don't love God? Can a fish be happy if it is out the water? No way! It is simply a matter of sanity. We have to learn how to love God perfectly and completely. This and this only will fulfill the purpose of our existence.

Our ultimate self-realization system, Krishna consciousness, is custom designed by God Himself to bring us back to our original, pure, enlightened state of perfect consciousness. Kindly accept this process now with full determination, patience, and enthusiasm. Your life will be unlimitedly sublime.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Stories of Krishna Part 6 (The Story of Krishna and Narakasura)

2008-01-29T08:30:00.001-08:00

Bhoomi Devi (mother Earth) had a son named Naraka. Even though Naraka was the son of a divinity, he had the nature of a demon. Naraka was powerful and he took pleasure in terrorising the inhabitants of the three worlds.

Narakasura would raid and plunder the kingdoms of the three worlds. He did not even leave the women and would kidnap them for his own personal harem. Narakasura heard that Indra, the king of the devas, had thousands of divine elephants in his army. Now Narakasura, greedy that he was, wanted to possess everything, so he attacked the heavens.

Indra was helpless as he watched Naraka's minions plunder the heavens. Naraka himself began pursuit of the devas. While pursuing the devas, a glimmering object far away caught his eye. Upon inspection, he realised that the glimmering object was mother Aditi's (the mother of the devas) earrings. He assaulted mother Aditi and grabbed her earrings.

Now Indra, feeling humiliated at his loss and even worse that his mother was assaulted, wanted revenge and he knew that there was only one person who was a match for Naraka. It was Krishna.

Indra reached Krishna's palace when Krishna was spending quality time with his wife Satyabhama. He told Krishna about the happenings and begged him for his help. Krishna was enraged that Naraka might lay his hands on mother Aditi and said that Naraka must die for his insolence.

Satyabhama looked annoyed because Krishna was about to leave her. Wanting to please both Satyabhama and Indra, Krishna decided to take Satyabhama with him into battle.

Krishna summoned his mount Garuda (a giant eagle) and made way towards Naraka's fortress. An impenetrable barrier of magic mountains surrounded Naraka's fortress. The mountains were such that a barrier would come up from any side that Krishna tried to enter the fortress. Krishna, unperturbed, hurled his mace at the barrier and shattered the entire mountain range in one blow. A downpour of magical weapons rained down on them. Krishna fired multiple arrows and destroyed all the weapons. In this manner Krishna destroyed countless other magical barriers and finally reached Naraka's fortress.

Naraka's palace was guarded by the five-headed demon Mura. Mura hurled countless weapons at Krishna, but Krishna shot each one down with his bow and arrow. Then Krishna picked up his flying discus and hurled it towards Mura dislocating Mura's five heads. Mura fell to the ground, dead.

Krishna challenged Naraka to battle and killed him easily. Bhoomi Devi then sang hymns in praise of Krishna and begged him to take Naraka's son Bhagdatta under his protection. Krishna placed Bhagdatta on the throne and then freed all of Naraka's prisoners. The devas showered Krishna with flowers from the heavens.

Stories of Krishna Part 5 (The Story of Krishna and Jarasandha)

2008-01-27T17:07:00.000-08:00

King Brihadratha of Magadha was married to the twin daughters of the King of Kashi. Brihadratha loved both his wives equally and had all the material joys of the world, but no son. This left him in a depressed state.

The sage Chandakaushika visited his kingdom and Brihadratha served him with respect. Being pleased with his service, the sage granted Brihadratha a boon. Brihadratha asked the sage for a son and the sage gave him a mango, which Brihadratha was to give one of his wives. Now Brihadratha loved both his wives equally so he cut the mango in two equal halves and fed both of them.

Nine months later, both his wives gave birth to a child, or rather half a child each. Seeing this the queens attendants were horrified and decided that they must dispose of the two halves, so they dumped them outside the kingdom. Now outside the kingdom, there lived a demoness named Jara. Sensing human flesh, she found the two halves of the child. Hoping to carry them home to eat them, she placed both the halves side by side in a basket and lo behold the halves miraculously joined up, making one complete human child. Jara realized that this must be the son of the King of Magadha, and wanting a reward, took the child to the palace. The King was overjoyed and named the child Jarasandha in order to honor Jara, the demoness who had saved him.

Jarasandha grew up and became a very powerful king. He defeated many other kings and made them promise their allegiance to him making him supreme emperor. He gave both his daughters in marriage to Kamsa of Mathura.

Now Krishna killed Kamsa, making Jarasandha an enemy. Jarasandha attacked Mathura seventeen times and Krishna decimated his army, sparing Jarasandha alone.

Krishna had five cousins, the Pandavas, who had just acquired a kingdom -Indraprastha. The eldest Pandava, Yudishtra wanted to perform the Rajasuya Yagya. In order to perform the Rajasuya Yagya, a king had to be declared emperor and all the surrounding kingdoms had to recognize the emperor as their overlord. In order for this to happen, Yudishtra would have to defeat Jarasandha and obtain the title of emperor. Yudishtra, not knowing how to go about this, asked Krishna for help. Krishna said that he, Arjuna (the third Pandava) and Bheema (the second Pandava) would dress up like brahmans and go to Magadha and challenge Jarasandha to a wrestling match.

Upon reaching Magadha, Krishna, Arjuna and Bheema challenged Jarasandha to a wrestling match. Jarasandha seeing their physiques realised that these were not brahmans and asked them who they were. Krishna revealed their identities and told Jarasandha that they had come to challenge him and that Jarasandha must pick an opponent. Jarasandha said that he would not fight Krishna as he was a cowherd and he did not match his dignity and social standing. He then refused to fight Arjuna saying that Arjuna was too young, but he agreed to fight Bheema as Bheema seemed mighty and a worthy opponent.

Bheema and Jarasandha fought for days, both equally matched and neither succumbed to the other's blows. Bheema realizing that Jarasandha was an equal match looked to Krishna for help. Now Krishna who knew the story of Jarasandha's birth, picked up a twig from the floor, broke it in two halves and threw the two halves far away from each other.

Bheema now knew what he must do. He threw Jarasandha to the ground, held his legs and split his body in two. He then threw the two halves of Jarasandha far away from each other so that they might not join. Bheema had defeated Jarasandha and Krishna installed Jarasandha's son as the king of Magadha. In return, Jarasandha's son agreed to be a vassal to the Pandavas.

Arjuna's Illusion

2008-01-18T23:40:00.001-08:00

Arjuna has fallen into illusion. He is forgetting the underlying spiritual reality behind the façade of material existence. He doesn't see that the material world is simply a theatrical display enacted for the rectification of those living beings who have foolishly turned their backs on the Lord. He should be realizing that his only duty is to execute the instructions of the Lord. But because he has fallen into bodily consciousness, considering that he is his body and that his kinsmen are also their bodies, he is now in great anxiety. If he would only hear Krishna's words of absolute truth and fully surrender unto them, all of his anxieties would be dissipated. But he instead stubbornly holds onto to his illusory conceptions thus casting himself even deeper into the ocean of grief. Actually Arjuna is a liberated soul, an eternal associate of the Lord. He can never be in any kind of illusion. However, for the sake of enabling Krishna to speak the Bhagavad-gita for our benefit Arjuna is placed by the Lord into an apparently deluded condition like the one that we are in. By the Lord's arrangement Arjuna is playing the role of someone who is in our position of bodily consciousness. Therefore when we study the Bhagavad-gita we should understand that the instructions given are for us, to pull us out of our illusory state of consciousness. Even though Arjuna is one of the most powerful and confident warriors in world history, he declares to Krishna, "I shall not fight." We may think that this is a very nice quality to refuse to fight. But when an enemy comes to conquer a country, it is the duty of the soldier to protect the nation from the belligerent aggressors who are coming to exploit the citizens. Such defending of the nation is considered glorious and heroic. The rightful kingdom of Arjuna and his brothers had been unlawfully usurped. Lord Krishna wanted that the pious devotees of the Lord should be the rulers, not greedy, wicked-minded exploiters. All attempts were made to recover the hijacked kingdom by peaceful negotiations. But when all alternatives were exhausted there was no other option but to challenge the usurpers, headed by Duryodhana, on the battlefield. Krishna has made all the arrangements to rectify the injustice, but now Arjuna is foolishly refusing to co-operate with Him. Arjuna has given many arguments, which on the surface sound quite reasonable. However, when examined minutely from the spiritual platform they all fall apart. Krishna chastises him for his foolishness indirectly calling him a fool, "While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor for the dead."

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

"You've Got a Human Form. Now What?"

2008-01-18T23:35:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the human form of life. There is no greater opportunity than the human form of life for achieving permanent relief from all the miseries of material existence. This is why the Vedanta Sutra enjoins, "athato brahma jijnasa--Now that you've got a human form you must utilize it to realized the Absolute Truth." Just as a fish feels happy and enlivened in the water, similarly as soon as we seriously take up the pathway of reviving our original divine consciousness we become naturally ecstatic. There is a tremendous resurgence throughout the world of souls who are seeking relief from the pangs of material existence. What is the reason for such an upsurge of seeking out the Absolute Truth? When a great spiritual master comes the atmosphere of the universe is uplifted. Recently one of the greatest spiritual masters of all times graced this universe with the touch of his lotus feet. That spiritual master is His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He appeared in Calcutta, India in 1896 and disappeared from this mortal realm in Vrindavan, India in 1977. In the 81 years he spent on this planet he had a far more enlightening impact than any other teacher in world history. Srila Prabhupada taught the science of bhakti (devotion to God) in its original pure form. Fortunately for the great majority of the world population that did not get the chance to personally meet him, he made all of his teachings fully available and accessible in his books. The best entry point into his teachings is his translation and commentary on the greatest spiritual classic, the Bhagavad-gita. His edition is called "Bhagavad-gita As It Is" because it stands in stark contrast to the hundreds of other editions that are available. While other authors have given Bhagavad-gita as it is not, Srila Prabhupada has given Bhagavad-gita as it is. In the other editions invariably there are interpretations added by the translator that minimize the person Krishna. Some authors draw the conclusion that the person Krishna is simply a poetic symbol for the unborn, unmanifested that is within you, me and everything. Using the very words of Krishna they try to kill Krishna by twisting His words. Some editions state that by worshipping Krishna you will become Krishna. Such things are nowhere stated in the Bhagavad-gita. They are simply the fanciful imaginations of the translators/commentators. In Bhagavad-gita As It Is Srila Prabhupada simply takes the original Sanskrit and translates it into English without any distortion. Since the Bhagavad-gita is spoken in very simple Sanskrit, those who are skeptical can take a semester or two of introductory level Sanskrit at their nearest university and see for themselves the accuracy of Srila Prabhupada's translation. In the Bhagavad-gita God Himself is directly speaking to us. By His divine arrangement His devotee and eternal companion Arjuna plays the role of someone who has fallen into illusion for the purpose of enabling the Bhagavad-gita to be spoken for our benefit. We are ones who are actually in illusion. The Bhagavad-gita was spoken 5,000 years ago on a battlefield called Kurukshetra. That place is still there today. Even today you can go there by train. You will get down at the Kurukshetra station. Some commentators say that Kurukshetra is simply a symbol for the human body. But we can go to Kurukshetra and see the actual spot where the Bhagavad-gita was spoken. If you are serious to know the absolute truth you must carefully study the Bhagavad-gita. This is what we are going to do now in our Ultimate Self Realization Course (TM). By carefully studying and applying the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita you will in fact fully realize the highest truth. We guarantee it.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Stories of Krishna Part4 ( Krishna and the Syamantaka Gem )

2008-01-14T05:22:00.000-08:00

Satrajit, a nobleman of Dwarka, was a devotee of Surya, the sun God. Surya being pleased with Satrajit's devotion appeared before him and gifted him the Syamantaka gem. The Syamantaka gem's specialty was that it could magically produce eight measures of gold a day.
Satrajit became a really wealthy man. Krishna then approached Satrajit and told him that he should share the gem with the other people of Dwarka and give it to King Ugrasena. Satrajit declined saying that the jewel belonged to him.
A few days later, Satrajit's brother Prasena wore the jewel as a necklace and went out on a hunt. He climbed a tree waiting for some game, a lion came by and just as Prasena was about to shoot it, a snake, which dropped from the branch above, surprised him. Now Prasena was startled and he fell from the tree. As he was falling, the necklace with the Syamantaka gem got caught in a branch and Prasena hung by the neck, and was killed instantly.
Now the lion below, being attracted to the glow of the gem, picked it up and carried it away. As the lion walked away with the gem, Jambavan the king of the bears saw him. Being seduced by the glow of the gem, he attacked the lion and killed it and took the gem to his cave and gifted it to his infant son.
Prasena did not return to Dwarka and people were wondering what had happened to him. Satrajit suspected that Krishna might have killed Prasena in order to attain the gem. Krishna, in order to prove his innocence, gathered a search party and went into the forest.
A few hours later, they found Prasena's body. Krishna noticed lion tracks around the body and assumed that a lion must have killed Prasena. On following the lion tracks, they came across the body of the dead lion. Krishna noticed that the lion had the marks of a bear's claws and noticed that there were bear tracks around the body. On following the bear tracks Krishna reached Jambavan's cave. Krishna sensing the danger ordered the rest of the party to stay outside while he entered the cave alone. Krishna found Jambavan's son playing with the Syamantaka gem. Frightened by the stranger, Jambavan's son let out a wail that alerted Jambavan. Now Jambavan thought someone was attacking his child and attacked Krishna. Krishna fought Jambavan for twenty-eight days after which Jambavan recognised Krishna's divinity and surrendered to him. Along with the gem, Jambavan offered Krishna his daughter Jambavati's hand in marriage. This Krishna accepted.
Krishna then returned to Dwarka with the Syamantaka gem and his new bride. Krishna returned the gem to its rightful owner Satrajit who by then was ashamed of accusing Krishna. In order to make up for his accusations and show his good will towards Krishna, Satrajit offered his daughter Satyabhama to Krishna.
But Satyabhama already had three suitors - Akrura, Kritavarma and Shatadhanwa. They were angered by the fact that Satrajit have given Satyabhama to Krishna and not to one of them. Shatadhanwa in his rage killed Satrajit while he slept and stole the Syamantaka gem from him. On realizing what he had done, Shatadhanwa left the gem with Akrura and fled from Dwarka. Krishna and Balrama gave chase and killed Shatadhanwa for his crime. Not finding the gem on Shatadhanwa, Krishna knew that he must have left it with Akrura for safekeeping.
Krishna approached Akrura and requested him to tell the people of Dwarka that he possessed the gem otherwise the people of Dwarka would think that he had killed his father in law in order to possess the gem. This Akrura did and Krishna's name was cleared.

Stories of Krishna Part3 (Krishna and Rukmini)

2008-01-08T19:08:00.000-08:00

Bheeshmaka, the king of Vidarbha had two children, Prince Rukmi and Princess Rukmini. Bheeshmaka had heard many stories of Krishna's valor and secretly wished him to be his son-in-law. He knew that it might not be possible as Kamsa's father in law, Jarasandha, was their overlord and he was Krishna's sworn enemy.

Now Rukmi was a friend of Kamsa and owed his allegiance to Jarasandha. He wanted his younger sister to marry Shishupala, the crown prince of Chedi, who also was favored by Jarasandha.

Rukmini had heard stories of Krishna's valour from her childhood and she had her heart set on marrying him. When she heard that Rukmi had chosen Shishupala for her, she resolved that she would only marry Krishna or die.

She sent for her trusted aid Sunanda, a wise old Brahman. She wrote a note to Krishna telling him that he was the only husband for her and asked if he would come and take her away. She wrote to him, that if he wouldn't have her, she would give up her life. She also begged him that he spare the lives of her family whilst kidnapping her. She wrote that on the day of the wedding, she would go to the temple of the Goddess Parvati (their family deity) and if he would, that was the right time to kidnap her. She sent Sunanda with the note to Dwarka (Krishna's new fortress home).

Krishna had heard a lot about Rukmini's beauty too. He longed to have her but wasn't sure if he should approach her family, as they owed their allegiance to Jarasandha. Upon receiving the message from her, he resolved to kidnap her. Now Jarasandha who knew that Krishna might try something like that to humiliate him, filled Vidarbha with people loyal to him.

Krishna went to Vidarbha first and Balrama followed with the army. On the wedding day, when Rukmini was leaving the temple, she looked in the crowds for Krishna. She did not see him. As she was about to enter her chariot and leave, she felt someone hold her from behind. It was Krishna. He lifted her into the chariot and sped away.

Jarasandha was furious. He rallied all his men and ordered them to chase Krishna. Jarasandha's men followed Krishna but were ambushed by Balrama and his army on the outskirts of the city. Now Rukmi managed to go through Balrama's army and catch up with Krishna and Rukmini. He swore that he would not return to his city without his sister.

Rukmi fired an arrow at Krishna, but it did not even make a dent in Krishna's divine armour. Krishna then fired multiple arrows, which first killed Rukmi's horses and then shattered his chariot. Rukmi then picked up his bow again, but before he could fire, Krishna shot another arrow and shattered Rukmi's bow. Rukmi now mad with rage picked up his sword and ran towards Krishna. Krishna fired another arrow and split Rukmi's sword in two. Krishna then picked up his sword and was about to attack Rukmi when Rukmini begged her lord to spare her brother's life. On Rukmini's saying, Krishna spared Rukmi's life but cut half the hair on his head and half the moustache on his face, the worst insult a warrior could face, and then let him go.

Krishna returned to Dwarka with Rukmini and made her his bride.

Who is Srila Prabhupada

2008-01-07T00:44:00.000-08:00

His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada appeared in this world in 1896 in Calcutta, India. He first met his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami in Calcutta in 1922. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta the foremost scholar and devotee of his time had founded the Gaudiya Matha (a Vedic institute with sixty-four branches throughout India). He liked this educated young man and convinced him to dedicate his life to teaching Vedic knowledge. Srila Prabhupada became his student, and eleven years later (1933) at Allahabad he became his formally initiated disciple.

At their first meeting in 1922. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura requested Srila Prabhupada to broadcast Vedic knowledge through the English language. In the years followed, Srila Prabhupada wrote a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, the most important Vedic text, and he assisted the Gaudiya Matha in its work. In 1944 he single-handedly started an English fortnightly magazine called Back to Godhead. He edited and typed the manuscripts, checked the galley proofs and even distributed the copies for free and struggled to maintain the publication.
Recognizing Srila Prabhupada's philosophical learning and devotion, the Gaudiya Vaisnava Society honored him in 1944 with the title "Bhaktivedanta." In 1950, at age fifty-four, Srila Prabhupada retired from family life. Four years liter he adopted the vanaprastha (retired) order to devote more time to his studies and writing, and soon he traveled to the holy city of Vrndavana. There he lived in a small room in the historic Radha-Damodara temple and engaged in several years of deep study and writing In I 959 he accepted the renounced order of life (sannyasa). At Radha Damodara, Srila Prabhupada wrote Easy Journey to Other Planets and started his life s masterpiece – a multivolume translation of and commentary on the eighteen-thousand-verse Srimad Bhagavatam, the cream of the Vedic literatures.

After publishing three volumes of the Bhagavatam Srila Prabhupada came to the United States in 1965 to fulfill the mission of his spiritual master. After that time, His Divine Grace wrote some eighty volumes of authoritative translations, commentaries, and summary studies of the philosophical and religious classics of India. When he first arrived by freighter in New York City Srila Prabhupada was practically penniless. But after nearly a year of great difficulty, he founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in July of 1966. Before his much-lamented passing on November 14 1977 he guided the Society and saw it grow to a worldwide confederation of more than one hundred ashrams, schools, temples, institutes, and farm communities.

In 1968, Srila Prabhupada created New Vrndavana, an experimental Vedic community in the hills of West Virginia. Inspired by the success of New Vrndavana (now a thriving farm community of more than one thousand acres), his students have since founded several similar communities in the United States and abroad.

In 1975 Srila Prabhupada s magnificent Krsna-Balarama Temple and International Guesthouse opened in Vrindavana, India. In 1978 a four-acre cultural complex (including a temple, modern theater, guesthouse, and vegetarian restaurant) opened at Juhu Beach, in Bombay. Perhaps Srila Prabhupada s most ambitious project is a planned city of fifty thousand residents in Mayapur, West Bengal. Sridhama Mayapur will stand as a model for the whole world — a microcosm of Vedic life as it was five thousand years ago.

In addition, Srila Prabhupada gave the West the Vedic system of primary and secondary education. The gurukula ("the school of the spiritual master") started only in 1972, but already it has hundreds of students and many branches around the world.

Srila Prabhupada's most significant contribution, of course, is his books. The academic community respects them for their authoritativeness, depth, and clarity, and has made them standard textbooks in numerous college courses. In addition, translations of Srila Prabhupada s books now appear in twenty-five languages. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, established in 1972 primarily to publish the works of His Divine Grace, has thus become the world s largest publisher of books in the field of Indian religion and philosophy. A recent project has been the publishing of a seventeen-volume translation and commentary—which Srila Prabhupada completed in only eighteen months—on the Bengali religious classic Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. In just twelve years, in spite of his advanced age, Srila Prabhupada circled the globe fourteen times on lecture tours that took him to six continents. In spite of such a vigorous schedule, Srila Prabhupada continued to write prolifically. His writings are a library of Vedic philosophy, religion, and culture.

(Reprinted from the BBT publication "The Science of Self Realization"— "About the Author.")

Reconnecting with Krishna

2008-01-06T11:12:00.002-08:00

Even though this material world is a special reconnection facility arranged by the Lord for those who have become disconnected from Him, due to ignorance 99.99% of the world population is misusing this wonderful facility to become even more disconnected from Him. Hence we see a planet that is being plunged into an ever-increasingly chaotic condition. But if we will simply utilize this world in the proper way according the instructions given in the Bhagavad-gita, we will achieve a state of unlimited happiness, and upon leaving this body we will rejoin Lord Krishna in His eternal pastimes in the spiritual world.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Iskcon Krishna Wallpapers

2008-01-05T09:12:00.001-08:00

The Greatest Conversation in World History

2008-01-04T02:01:00.000-08:00

My dear reader, there is no reason for anyone to continue suffering in this material existence any longer. Of course, many people consider that they are already completely free from suffering. In this connection it should be clearly understood that as long as we are in this material world we must be repeatedly subjected to so many varieties of suffering conditions:

1. Sufferings caused by our mind and body
2. Sufferings caused by other living beings
3. Sufferings caused by natural disasters

Sometimes we think that this material world is a place of enjoyment and sometimes things happen to us that make us realize that this is miserable place. The fact is that if this were actually a place of enjoyment, we would find it to be enjoyable all the time. But this is clearly not the case. The spiritual existence, on the other hand, is a place of unlimited ever-increasing enjoyment, a place where all varieties of miseries such as birth, death, old age, and disease are conspicuous by their absence.

That spiritual existence can easily be obtained if we take full advantage of the wisdom given by Lord Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita. Of all books of wisdom the Gita stands supreme. Lord Sri Krishna describes in Chapter 9:

raja-vidya raja-guhyam
pavitram idam uttamam
pratyaksavagamam dharmyam
su-sukham kartum avyayam

"This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed." Bhagavad-gita 9.2

The Ultimate Self Realization Course is our humble attempt to connect you with the supreme state of consciousness, the ultimate level of spiritual enlightenment, known as Krishna consciousness. We were blessed by our spiritual master with this, and now on his order we want you to be thus blessed also. In spite of our innumerable disqualifications we are confident that you can also achieve this supreme state of consciousness. How is this possible? Because we are purely presenting the teachings of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada and the predecessor acharyas, by their divine potency the full saving grace of these teachings will be present, and you will be uplifted out of this temporary, miserable, ignorant situation to an eternal life, full of knowledge, and bliss.

The greatest conversation in world history is the dialogue spoken between Lord Krishna and Arjuna 5,000 years ago on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Although Arjuna is an eternally liberated soul, an eternal associate of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna, he plays the role of a conditioned soul so that Lord Krishna can speak the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita for our benefit. Arjuna faces a dilemma. Should he act out of ordinary sentiment or should he act for the pleasure of the Lord? For a pious soul ordinary sentiment and the Lord's pleasure are often the same. But sometimes our ordinary sentiments run contrary to the will of the Lord. Such are the times that are a true test of our surrender. Such was the dilemma of Arjuna. He caved in to his ordinary sentiments and could not execute what was desired by the Lord. He gave argument after argument after argument to try to justify his unsurrendered position, but this was not accepted by the Lord. Finally he realized that all his attempts to rationalize his refusal to serve the Lord's will were a fruitless waste of time, and he then fully submitted himself unto Lord Krishna for instruction.

This is what each of us has to do. Each of us has to overcome the tendency to think that we know everything and humbly submit ourselves unto the Lord, or His representative, the bona fide spiritual master, so that we can gain the necessary knowledge of how to successfully tread the pathway out of this material existence back to our eternal home.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Stories of Krishna - Part 3 (Krishna Returns to Mathura)

2007-12-31T13:23:00.000-08:00

Now stories about Krishna's deeds spread far and wide. When Kamsa heard about Krishna, he was sure that Krishna was Devaki's eight born child, born to destroy him. He, in turn, planned to invite Krishna to Mathura and have him killed. He summoned an old minister by the name of Akrura and sent him to Gokul with an invitation. Now Akrura was wise. He knew the real story of Krishna. That Krishna was a divine being born to kill Kamsa. He also knew that Nanda and Yashoda were not really Krishna's parents. On arriving in Gokul, Akrura told Krishna and his parents everything. Nanda and Yashoda were horrified, they wondered how a teenager like Krishna could take on a warrior like Kamsa. But Krishna insisted on going and he and Balrama left for Mathura.

In the mean time, back in Mathura, Kamsa was thinking of ways of having Krishna killed. He asked an elephant trainer to have a mad elephant trample Krishna. Failing that he was sure that his best wrestlers Mushtika & Chanura could challenge Krishna & Balrama to a match and kill them.

When Krishna arrived in Mathura, the elephant trainer was waiting for him at the gate. He sent the mad elephant Krishna's way. Krishna picked up the elephant by its trunk, hurled it into the air and killed it.

Krishna and Balrama then made way for the wrestling arena where Kamsa was. Kamsa then told Krishna and Balrama that his foremost wrestlers Mushtika and Chanura had heard of their strength and valor and would like to challenge them. Balrama killed Mushtika in mortal combat and then Krishna fought and killed Chanura.

Krishna then rushed towards Kamsa, grabbed his sword and killed him. Krishna then lifted the crown from Kamsa's severed head and walked towards the dungeon where King Ugrasena was imprisoned, freed him and offered him the crown. King Ugrasena was touched that Krishna would make him King again. Krishna then freed his parents Devaki and Vasudeva and had a joyous re-union with them.

Lord krishna pictures

2007-12-28T10:25:00.000-08:00

Lord Krishna wallpapers

2007-12-27T05:25:00.000-08:00

Stories of Krishna - Part 2 (Krishna's Life in Gokul)

2007-12-26T19:21:00.000-08:00

The next morning in Gokul, the word spread that Nanda had a little boy and he was named Krishna. Now kansa knew that his would be slayer was still alive and was in Gokul, so he summoned a wicked demoness name Putana. He ordered Putana to go to Gokul and kill every baby born in the month of Shravan. Now Putana using her magic turned into a beautiful woman, she then applied poison on her breasts.

In Gokul she then searched for all the babies of the right age. She would act as if she was playing with them and then she would nurse them with her poisoned breasts. In this way, she killed many babies. Finally she came to Nanda's house and found baby Krishna there. She acted as if she was playing with the child, and then she picked him up and started to feed him. Now baby Krishna being divine, instead of succumbing to her evil ways, sucked the life out of her.

Krishna grew up a playful, mischievous child. He grew up amongst the cowherds of Gokul and even came in contact with his brother Balrama. Another miracle Krishna performed as a teenager was the taming of Kaliya. Kaliya was a poisonous snake with many heads, and inhabited a lake in Gokul. Kaliya would devour any cow that would drink from the lake. Krishna, angered by this, took a vow to tame Kaliya. He jumped into the lake and fought Kaliya. Alarmed by this, his friends ran to the village and informed his parents. Upon returning to the lake they found pools of blood on the surface of the lake. They though that surely Krishna was dead. After a while, the many headed Kaliya rose to the surface with Krishna dancing on top of him. Kaliya was tamed. Krishna then ordered Kaliya to leave the lake and the inhabitants of Gokul alone.

The people of Gokul used to worship Indra, the arrogant King of the devas, more out of fear than of love of him. Krishna thought that this was wrong. He said that they should instead worship the Mountain Govardhana (Gokul was on the foothills of this mountain) who had given them so much. The people started to worship Govardhana, this made Indra really angry. Indra, in order to punish them for their insolence, sent storms their way. It rained for many days and Gokul was flooded. The people of Gokul approached Krishna for help. Krishna lifted the entire mountain Govardhana with his little finger and gave shelter to the people of Gokul under it.

What is Janmashtami?

2007-12-26T08:19:00.001-08:00

Janmashtami, the birth of Lord Krishna is celebrated with great devotion in the August/September months, on the Ashtami of Krishna Paksh or the 8th day of the dark fortnight in the month of Bhadon, in the whole of north India. Temples and homes are beautifully decorated and lit. An attractive feature of the celebrations are cribs & other decorations depicting stories of Lord Krishna's childhood. There are five main "jhankis" of Janmashtami which depict the entire sequence of events from Lord Krishna's birth to his being discovered in Gokul.

The "jhankis" include the birth of Krishna in jail, Vasudev carrying Krishna to safety across the river Yamuna amidst thunder and lightning, Vasudev's return to the jail, Kansa killing Yashoda's daughter and finally the little Krishna in the cradle in Gokul. "Jhankis" are created out of dolls dressed up as kids, men and women with lehangas, chunnis, dhotis & kurtas. Raslila of every type are also performed - Janmlila, Shankarlila, Putnalila and Naglila. In the evening bhajans are sung which end at midnight, the auspicious moment when Lord Krishna was born. Thereafter arti is done, prasad distributed and flowers showered on the idol.

Stories of Krishna - Part 1 (Krishna's Birth)

2007-12-24T00:32:00.000-08:00

Old King Ugrasena of Mathura had two children, Prince Kamsa and Princess Devaki. While King Ugrasena was a good king, Prince Kamsa was a ruthless tyrant. Now Princess Devaki was to wed a nobleman named Vasudeva.

Kamsa out of the love he bore for his sister decided to be the bride and groom's charioteer for the day. While Kamsa drove the chariot bearing Devaki and Vasudeva out of the wedding hall, a voice from the heavens boomed informing Kamsa that Devaki's eight child would be his slayer.

Kamsa being the superstitious type would take no chances. He wanted to strike down Devaki that very moment. Vasudeva intervened, he begged Kamsa not to slay Devaki and show her some mercy. He further promised Kamsa that he would hand over any child born to them, if he would let Devaki live. Now Kamsa not wanting to have the blood of his sister on his hands agreed and instead placed them under house arrest.

Every time a child was born, the guards would inform Kamsa and he would take the child and kill it. Six of Devaki and Vasudev's children met their death this way. It so happened that the seventh child was born at night, and Devaki and Vasudeva seeing the opportunity decided to try to save the child.

The guards were asleep, so Vasudeva easily slid out of the palace undetected. He went to neighboring Gokul and left the child with his second wife Rohini and quickly returned to the palace (this child was named Balrama). In the morning he sent word to Kamsa that the child was still born.

Kamsa was pleased, he knew the next child was prophesized to be his slayer. Not wanting to take chances with the birth of the eight child, Kamsa had Vasudeva and Devaki thrown into the dungeon chained.

The eight child was born on the eight night of the month of Shravan. It was raining heavily and the skies thundered as if the Gods were trying to pay homage to the new born child. Then the miracle happened, Vasudevas chains fell off and the prison door opened by itself. Vasudeva found the guards to be asleep, so he decided that he would escape with the child and leave him at his friend Nanda's place in Gokul.

Picking up the child, Vasudeva placed him in a basket. He then carried the basket on his head and made his way to Gokul. Now Gokul was on the opposite bank of the river Yamuna. Because of the thundering and the rain, the river Yamuna was in a state of turmoil. Vasudeva, wondering how he would cross the river prayed for a miracle. Then it happened!. The waters of the Yamuna parted and made way for him. Vasudeva then crossed the Yamuna and reached Gokul.

On reaching Nanda's house in Gokul, Vasudeva realised that Nanda's wife Yashoda had given birth to a baby girl. While Nanda and Yashoda were asleep, he placed his child in the cradle and took Nanda's daughter instead. He presumed that since it was a baby girl, Kamsa would not kill her. He then made the journey back to Mathura and he took the baby girl with him. As soon as Vasudeva reached the dungeon, the dungeon doors closed behind him and the baby girl started to cry. Awakened by the cries, the guards rushed to tell Kamsa of the birth of the eight child.

Hearing the news, Kamsa rushed to the dungeon and picked up the child and was about to dash it to the ground. Vasudeva begged Kamsa not to kill the child as it was only a girl and that a girl could do him no harm. The wicked Kamsa paid no heed and dashed the baby to the floor. As the baby was about to hit the floor, it suddenly flew up and told Kamsa that the one who was born to kill him still lives and is in Gokul. Then she disappeared.

Hare Krishna Wallpapers

2007-12-24T00:10:00.001-08:00

Tasting the Unlimited Ecstasy of the Eternal Spiritual Self

2007-12-20T15:24:00.000-08:00

Why are we suffering in the cycle of birth and death? This is the most important question to ask and the most important question to get answered.

If you think that you not suffering wait a few a minutes, a few hours or days and carefully consider again if you are actually completely free from suffering. Suffering is constantly coming and going in this material world. It's always either fading in or fading out. It never fades completely out. When it fades in, depending on its degree, we are uncomfortable, unhappy or devastated. When it fades out to varying degrees we feel good or better because it's not as bad as it was before. But the suffering is still there.

We are always being hounded by at least one of the three types of material miseries. These miseries are, 1) miseries caused by the mind and body, 2) miseries caused by other living beings, and 3) miseries caused by natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis. We like to imagine that the suffering is completely gone when it fades out, but the fact is that it is always there to one degree or another. Even if it is faded out, today or tomorrow it will surely fade back in again. The underlying dread of when the next fade in will occur is in itself a tangible suffering of the mind.

Why do we suffer? Our suffering is due to false identification with the temporary body. We are not these bodies. We are eternal spirit souls fully blissful in nature. The body, on the other hand, is bound for suffering under the influence of the laws of material nature. So as soon as we foolishly think, "I am this body," we cast ourselves into a suffering situation that is incompatible with our actual nature and identity. When the eternal, all-knowing, and all-blissful living being casts himself into temporality, ignorance, and misery the resultant situation is bound to be intolerably dissatisfying.

How does this false identification with matter take place? The spirit-soul originally exists with Krishna or God in a pure loving relationship in the spiritual world. But if he misuses his free will and becomes envious of the Lord wanting to compete with Him for supremacy, he is allowed entrance into this material world where he can aggressively compete with so many other imitation "gods" who share the same envious mentality. Such an awkward, untoward living condition is for convincing the soul to regain his original position of loving service to the Supreme Lord in the Spiritual Sky.

Once we understand why we are suffering we can then undertake the proper remedial measures for reviving our dormant enlightened consciousness. This process of becoming enlightened is the sum and substance of our course. To come to the spiritual platform we need the mercy and guidance of someone who is already liberated. A drowning man cannot help a drowning man. It takes a man who is not drowning to rescue a man who is drowning. The person who is not drowning in this material existence is known as a bona fide spiritual master. By taking shelter of such a liberated soul we can quickly and easily regain our original, eternal, all-knowing, all-blissful nature. Therefore there is nothing more important than to find out such a qualified teacher.

How will we find him? The good news is that the Lord within your heart knows your innermost yearnings perfectly well. When He sees that you are eager to become enlightened by a bona fide spiritual master, He will bring you into contact with one, so that the light of spiritual knowledge within your heart can become flipped on and you will for first time in millions of lifetimes see things as they actually are.

Of course there is a qualification for such enlightenment. One must approach the spiritual master in complete humility, inquire from him submissively, and render service unto him. It's not that you can approach him as equal and argue with him. You must submit to his authority as a realized soul. If you will seriously adopt this prescribed method, what amazing revelations you will receive from him! By his mercy you will be awakened to your eternal spiritual identity as a servant of God and derive unlimited pleasure by serving God and by chanting and hearing the Lord's glories as much as possible 24 hours a day. You won't care a fig for ordinary entertainments such as cinemas, restaurants, sports, card games, or chess. You will be swimming in an unlimited ocean of nectar simply by fully absorbing yourself in Krishna Consciousness or God Consciousness.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Names of Krishna (images) 1-5

2007-12-18T14:08:00.001-08:00

Perfect Questions And answers - 1.1

2007-12-18T13:57:00.000-08:00

BOB: Is Krsna attractive to rascals?
SRILA PRABHUPADA:Oh, yes! He was the greatest rascal also.

BOB: How is that?
SRILA PRABHUPADA:[laughing] Because He was always teasing the gopis.

BOB: Teasing?
SRILA PRABHUPADA: Yes. Sometimes when Radharani would go out, Krsna would attack Her, and when She would fall down-"Krsna, don't attack me in that way"-They would fall down and Krsna would take the opportunity to kiss Her.[He laughs.] So, Radharani was very pleased, but superficially Krsna was the greatest rascal. So unless rascoldom is in Krsna, how could rascaldom be existent in the world? Our formula of God is that He is the source of everything. Unless rascaldom is in Krsna, how can it be manifest. . . because He is the source of everything. But His rascaldom is so nice that everyone worships His rascaldom.

to be continued...

Awesome Graphics by a Krsna Lover

2007-12-18T13:35:00.000-08:00

108 Names of Lord Krsna ( krishna )

2007-12-17T05:41:00.000-08:00

NAMES	MEANING
Achala	Still Lord
Achyuta	Infallible Lord
Adbhutah	Wonderful God
Adidev	The Lord Of The Lords
Aditya	The Son Of Aditi
Ajanma	One Who Is Limitless And Endless
Ajaya	The Conqueror Of Life And Death
Akshara	Indestructible Lord
Amrut	One Who Is Sweet As Nectar
Anaadih	One Who Is The First Cause
Anandsagar	Compassionate Lord
Ananta	The Endless Lord
Anantajit	Ever Victorious Lord
Anaya	One Who Has No Leader
Aniruddha	One Who Cannot Be Obstructed
Aparajeet	The Lord Who Cannot Be Defeated
Avyukta	One Who Is As Clear As Crystal
Balgopal	The Child Krishna, The All Attractive
Bali	The Lord Of Strength
Chaturbhuj	Four-Armed Lord
Danavendra	Granter Of Boons
Dayalu	Repositiory Of Compassion
Dayanidhi	The Compassionate Lord
Devadidev	The God Of The Gods
Devakinandan	Son Of Mother Devaki
Devesh	Lord Of The Lords
Dharmadhyaksha	The Lord OF Dharma
Dwarkapati	Lord Of Dwarka
Gopal	One Who Plays With The Cowherds, The Gopas
Gopalpriya	Lover Of Cowherds
Govinda	One Who Pleases The Cows, The Land And The Entire Nature
Gyaneshwar	The Lord Of Knowledge
Hari	The Lord Of Nature
Hiranyagarbha	The All Powerful Creator
Hrishikesh	The Lord Of All Senses
Jagadguru	Preceptor Of The Universe
Jagadisha	Protector Of All
Jagannath	Lord Of The Universe
Janardhana	One Who Bestows Boons On One And All
Jayantah	Conqueror Of All Enemies
Jyotiraaditya	The Resplendence Of The Sun
Kamalnath	The Lord Of Goddess Lakshmi
Kamalnayan	The Lord With Lotus Shaped Eyes
Kamsantak	Slayer Of Kamsa
Kanjalochana	The Lotus-Eyed God
Keshava	One Who Has Long, Black Matted Locks
Krishna	Dark-Complexioned Lord
Lakshmikantam	The Lord Of Goddess Lakshmi
Lokadhyaksha	Lord Of All The Three Lokas (Worlds)
Madan	The Lord Of Love
Madhava	Knowledge Filled God
Madhusudan	Slayer Of Demon Madhu
Mahendra	Lord Of Indra
Manmohan	All Pleasing Lord
Manohar	Beautiful Lord
Mayur	The Lord Who Has A Peacock Feathered-Crest
Mohan	All Attractive God
Murali	The Flute Playing Lord
Murlidhar	One Who Holds The Flute
Murlimanohar	The Flute Playing God
Nandgopala	The Son Of Nand
Narayana	The Refuge Of Everyone
Niranjana	The Unblemished Lord
Nirguna	Without Any Properties
Padmahasta	One Who Has Hands Like Lotus
Padmanabha	The Lord Who Has A Lotus Shaped Navel
Parabrahmana	The Supreme Absolute Truth
Paramatma	Lord Of All Beings
Parampurush	Supreme Personality
Parthasarthi	Charioteer Of Partha - Arjuna
Prajapati	Lord Of All Creatures
Punyah	Supremely Pure
Purshottam	The Supreme Soul
Ravilochana	One Who Eye Is The Sun
Sahasraakash	Thousand-Eyed Lord
Sahasrajit	One Who Vanquishes Thousands
Sahasrapaat	Thousand-Footed Lord
Sakshi	All Witnessing Lord
Sanatana	The Eternal Lord
Sarvajana	Omniscient Lord
Sarvapalaka	Protector Of All
Sarveshwar	Lord Of All Gods
Satyavachana	One Who Speaks Only The Truth
Satyavrata	The Truth Dedicated Lord
Shantah	Peaceful Lord
Shreshta	The Most Glorious Lord
Shrikanta	Beautiful Lord
Shyam	Dark-Complexioned Lord
Shyamsundara	Lord Of The Beautiful Evenings
Sudarshana	Handsome Lord
Sumedha	Intelligent Lord
Suresham	Lord Of All Demi-Gods
Swargapati	Lord Of Heavens
Trivikrama	Conqueror Of All The Three Worlds
Upendra	Brother Of Indra
Vaikunthanatha	Lord Of Vaikuntha, The Heavenly Abode
Vardhamaanah	The Formless Lord
Vasudev	All Prevailing Lord
Vishnu	All Prevailing Lord
Vishwadakshinah	Skilfull And Efficient Lord
Vishwakarma	Creator Of The Universe
Vishwamurti	Of The Form Of The Entire Universe
Vishwarupa	One Who Displays The Universal Form
Vishwatma	Soul Of The Universe
Vrishaparvaa	Lord Of Dharma
Yadavendra	King Of The Yadav Clan
Yogi	The Supreme Master
Yoginampati	Lord Of The Yogis

Perfect Questions And answers - 1.0

2007-12-17T00:36:00.000-08:00

conversations between His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedantha Swami Prabuphada and Bob Cohen a Peace Corps worker in India

Krsna, the All-Attractive

February 27, 1972

BOB: What is a scientist?
SRILA PRABHUPADA: One who knows things as they are.

BOB: He thinks he knows things as they are.
SRILA PRABHUPADA: What?

BOB: He hopes he knows things as they are.
SRILA PRABHUPADA: No, he supposed to know. We approach the scientist because he is supposed to know things correctly. A scientist means one who knows things as they are. Krsna means "all-attractive"

BOB: All-attractive.
SRILA PRABHUPADA: Yes. so unless God is all-attractive, how can he be God? A man is important when he is attractive. It is not?

BOB: It is so?
SRILA PRABHUPADA:So, God must be attractive and attractive for all. Therefore, if God has any name, or if you want to give any name to God, only "Krsna" can be given.

BOB: But why only the name krsna?
SRILA PRABHUPADA: Because he is all-attractive. Krsna means "all-attractive"

BOB: oh, I see.
SRILA PRABHUPADA: Yes, God has no name, but by his qualities we give Him names. If a man is very beautiful, we call him 'beautiful". If man is very intelligent, we call him "wise". So the name is given according to the quality. Because God is all-attractive, the name Krsna can be applied only to him. Krsna means "all-attractive". It includes everything.

BOB: But what about a meaning "all-powerful"?
SRILA PRABHUPADA: Yes... unless your powerful, how can you be all-attractive?

SYAMASUNDARA (an American devotee, Srila Prabhupada's secretary) : it includes everything.
SRILA PRABHUPADA: Everything. He must be very beautiful, He must be very wise, He must be very powerful, He must be very famous...

BOB: Is Krsna attractive to rascals?

to be continued...

Iskcon Krishna Wallpapers

2007-12-16T09:44:00.000-08:00

ISKCON Myths and Facts

2007-12-16T07:55:00.000-08:00

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) belongs to the Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya (denomination or tradition), an ancient monotheistic tradition within Vedic or Hindu culture. ISKCON was established on July 11, 1966 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (affectionately called Srila Prabhupada). It began in a small storefront in New York and has since developed into a worldwide confederation of over 11,000 temple devotees, 980,000 congregational devotees, and is comprised of more than 350 centers, 60 rural communities, and 55 restaurants worldwide. The mission of this nonsectarian, monotheistic movement, popularly known as the Hare Krishna movement, is to promote the well being of society by teaching the science of Krishna consciousness according to the Bhagavad Gita and other ancient Vedic scriptures of India

With the growing influence and awareness about ISKCON, have also come many misconceptions, some of them trivial, bordering humorous (like do I have to become bald to join ISKCON?) to much more serious (like does ISKCON deny the existence of other religions?). In this article, we will examine the more common myths related to ISKCON and explain the facts.

Myth: ISKCON is an American organization.

Fact: ISKCON is non-sectarian in all respects, including nationality. It has temples all over the world managed and attended by local people of that region. Devotees often travel to different temples all over the world serving the deities, preaching and performing temple services as and when needed.

Myth: ISKCON propagates a predominantly Hindu religion.

Fact: Hindu culture is vast, and the term encompasses numerous theologies, philosophies religious traditions and spiritual cultures. ISKCON propagates the timeless Vedic philosophy which is not limited to any religion. The concept of God consciousness, devotional service and associating with God by remembering His name, His pastimes and following His instructions is universally preached in all spiritual walks of life and is explained in the Vedas as the 'sanatana dharma', the basic duty of all living entities.

Myth: ISKCON is a new-wave religion

Fact: ISKCON belongs to the Brahma Sampradaya, emanating from Lord Brahma and is one of the four authorized Vaishnava sampradayas (the other three are the Sri or Lakshmi, Rudra and Kumara sampradayas). The founder acarya Srila Prabhupada belongs to an unbroken disciplic succession started by Sri Krishna through Lord Brahma and includes authorities like Narada Muni, Srila Vyasadeva, Sripada Madhavacarya and Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Myth: ISKCON uses American wealth to fund its project over the world.

Fact: All temples in ISKCON are mostly self sufficient and rely on their local congregation, book distribution and festivals to sustain and expand.

Myth: ISKCON is very aggressive in its preaching.

Fact: Devotees are naturally very compassionate and eager to share their love of Godhead with others. The Vedic scriptures enjoin that there is no activity as holy as spreading the name and teachings of God. However they also respect the views, background and practices of different people at all times. ISKCON does see it as its mission to accept with open arms any sincere soul who declares a need for spiritual shelter and guidance. There is a definite missionary spirit in Vaishnavism and Hinduism, but its practice is not governed by an exclusionist conversion model. From a Gaudiya Vaishnava perspective, ISKCON works not at 'conversion' but spiritual development.

Myth: ISKCON has been altered to suit the westerners

Fact: ISKCON is based on the potency of disciplic succession. The original word is passed from spiritual master to disciple without any modifications. The philosophy, practices, principles and any apparent deviation have been clearly enunciated and authorized by the Vedic scriptures. ISKCON requires that all initiated devotees strictly follow the four regulative principles (no meat eating, no intoxication, no gambling, no illicit sex), chant at least sixteen round of Japa daily and seriously study, understand and assimilate the Vedic scriptures like Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam etc.

Myth: ISKCON has turned religion into a public show.

Fact: People are often bemused and some times angered by the public sankirtans performed by ISKCON. However the scriptures recommend sankirtan as the yuga dharma for the current age of Kali. The traditional ratha yatra held annually in Puri is a classic example of this. The Nagara Sankirtana (town chanting) movement inaugurated by Caitanya Mahaprabhu has been followed in India for centuries and spontaneously engages even unwilling people into devotional service by sravana (hearing) and kirtana (singing) the Lord's name. However, these public displays are sustained by serious introspection, study of the scriptures. and hours of daily Japa meditation and deity worship.

Myth: Deity worship standard in ISKCON does not come up to the level of traditional temples in India.

Fact: ISKCON temples are highly acclaimed in India and the rest of the world for exactingly high standard of deity worship. There are daily six aratis, regular bhoga offering beginning from early morning at 4:30AM, qualified priests and Brahmans expertly trained in deity dressing and worship.

Myth: ISKCON has very few people from Brahman families.

Fact: In Bhagavad Gita (18.42-44), Sri Krishna clearly states that the Varna (caste) of a person is decided by his activities, not by birth. At ISKCON all devotees follow rigorous regulative principles and are carefully guided and observed by their spiritual masters before they become eligible to receive their first (Harinam) or second (Brahamanical) initiation. All initiated devotees in ISKCON take a vow to adhere to the four regulative principles (no meat eating, no intoxication, no gambling and no illicit sex) and chant at least sixteen rounds of Japa every day.

Myth: ISKCON propounds a culture of conversion

Fact: ISKCON has the basic belief that God consciousness is universal and all major religions are bona fide. With this understanding, ISKCON does not have a mission to proselytize members of other faiths. There are fully practicing Christians and Moslems who are active members of ISKCON. Similarly there are many that have whole heartedly embraced the Vedic teachings explained in the ISKCON temples. Conversion is a an individual experience, a very personal spiritual journey that transcends religious institutions and sectarian affiliations. Conversion models that depend on exclusionist demands of affiliation may often do so without considering the Lord's supremacy, independent in truth.

Myth: ISKCON like other temples and churches is always asking for money.

Fact: It is customary for religious organizations, engaged in spiritual service, to depend on the congregation for support. While our temples do need money to support, they are ultimately only dependant on the mercy of Sri Krishna for this. People contribute voluntarily, only when they are eager to utilize their wealth in the service of Sri Krishna, and ISKCON takes utmost care that this is done optimally. However no one is excluded on the basis of their wealth or contributions. The greatest spiritual realizations that one can have is that he is not the proprietor of anything - every thing belongs to Krishna and is best used in His service.

Myth: ISKCON has diluted religion by making it high-tech.

Fact: Temples in ISKCON are known to rely on latest technology to attract visitors. Sannyasis fly around the world and keep in touch using Email from their laptops. But all this is being used in the service of Sri Krishna. In itself technology is neither good or bad, it is the intent of its use that makes the difference. The concept of 'yukta vairagya' using everything in the service of Krishna is fully understood and carefully followed in ISKCON.

Myth: ISKCON does not have any social obligations.

Fact: ISKCON is the largest Vegetarian Food Relief organization in the world. It distributes a plate of prasadam every five seconds, some times in the midst of war and famine situations. At different places, depending on the resources and interest, ISKCON has established hospitals, schools, farm communities and restaurants. However, they do not distribute just food, they distribute prasadam (food that has been sanctified by offering to Krishna), which not only alleviates physical hunger but also provides spiritual nourishment. The focus is always on the spiritual growth of a person, not just the temporary material body.

Myth: ISKCON requires its members to shave up and become bald !

Fact: The only basis of joining ISKCON is simple: a sincere desire to develop God consciousness. There are attendant processes while making spiritual advancements, like austerity, simplicity and frugalness. Becoming bald is simply one of the prescribed ways to lead a simple, austere life.

We hope that this has cleared many common misconceptions about ISKCON held by people in different countries and denominations. As always, we welcome from our readers, discussions on any of these points.

compliments to: ISKCON UK