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"How to Spend Your Last Seven Days on Earth" Introduction
All Glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga
The Glories of Srimad Bhagavatam
At first, I beg to pay my most humble prostrated obeisance at the lotus feet of my most adorable Guru, Srila Prabhupada, who is a direct representative of Lord Sri Krsna, who is filled with divine vigor, who imparted transcendental knowledge unto me and rescued me from the ocean of rebirth and death, and who has now forever entered into the divine pastimes of Lord Sri Krsna being performed in the spiritual world. I beg for his blessings to narrate Srimad Bhagavatam to benefit those souls interested in stopping their cycle of rebirth and death. I beg for the blessings of Lord Sri Sri Radha Govindadeva and Sri Sri Radha Madana Mohana to please help in this grand task. Srimad Bhagavatam liberates those who seriously study it and it is the storehouse of nectar for the truly dedicated devotees of the Lord. Srimad Bhagavatam is a conversation between Sri Sukadeva Goswami and King Pariksit, which was put into writing over five thousand years ago by Srila Vyasadeva. Vyasadeva said that this same Srimad Bhagavatam was spoken at Haridwar by Maitreya Muni to Vidur Maharaja; then at Sukaraksetra by Sri Sukadeva Goswami to King Pariksit; and later at Naimisaranya by Sri Suta Goswami to eighty eight thousand sages headed by Sage Saunaka. Although Srimad Bhagavatam is depicted in three different conversations, it mainly takes place between Srila Sukadeva Goswami and King Pariksit. The speaker, Srila Sukadeva Goswami, is a pure devotee of the Lord and the listener, King Pariksit , is the most civilized royal personality on earth; and Srimad Bhagavatam includes every category of knowledge a person requires to live a peaceful life and reach the kingdom of God (after death). Srimad Bhagavatam propagates the process of devotion that is free from all deceit and hypocrisy. Just by studying it or listening to it the Lord comes and sits in the heart of the person. For example, if a worldly person reads Srimad Bhagavatam daily, in due course they will develop loving feelings in their heart for the Lord, and by those loving thoughts Krsna will manifest to them. In other words, just by studying or listening to Srimad Bhagavatam a special place for the Lord is created in the person’s heart, because the Lord in the form of Srimad Bhagavatam enters the heart and sweeps it clean from all contamination. Thus, by the contact of Srimad Bhagavatam a sinner becomes purified. It is the desire fulfilling scripture, and by studying it Lord Krsna becomes locked in the heart. Thus in all situations a devotee thinks, “It does not matter how many problems I face in life, I shall not relinquish my service to the Lord.” This is the result of studying Srimad Bhagavatam and chanting the Lord’s names, which is why all the sages recommend, sravana kirtana jale karaha sechana, “The creeper-like devotion to Krsna should be nurtured by daily watering it with the water-like chanting of the Lord’s glories and listening to and/or studying Srimad Bhagavatam.” The scriptures and Guru are on an equal level because they bring the conditioned soul to the spiritual path by authoritatively impelling them. Srimad Bhagavatam convinces the listeners or readers about what is beneficial and unbeneficial for a human being and reveals the correct spiritual path to them in a commanding spirit. There are many beneficial and non-beneficial things in this world for a human being, but only those who follow the commands from Srimad Bhagavatam correctly understand what is truly beneficial for them. Accepting scriptural guidance is the best method for obtaining the ultimate goal of life. How wonderful and surprising it is that the very same Lord, who is rarely understood even by great sages, who is the Lord of all movable and immovable entities, comes to sit in the heart of the sincere reader or listener of Srimad Bhagavatam! The narration of Srimad Bhagavatam mesmerizes and controls the Supreme Lord, which is why all the sages and saintly people listen to it in rapt attention. Lord Siva speaks Srimad Bhagavatam to his wife Parvati. The Serpent Sesa sings Srimad Bhagavatam with his unlimited hoods. The four Kumaras, namely Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Sanat Kumara, also speak Srimad Bhagavatam to glorify Lord Krsna, because every other spiritual and religious process fades before it. Srimad Bhagavatam, if read with full faith, transforms the reader very quickly and the reader receives its maximum benefit, whereas those who are hypocritical, insincere, lusty, wicked by nature, malicious in heart, envious, angry or jealous receive benefit based on their degree of material contamination. One does not have to first stop his/her bad habits to qualify to read Srimad Bhagavatam, nor first become pure to read it, one can read it at any stage and in any condition of life because it only rewards the participant. The sole remedy for removing contamination from the heart is reading Srimad Bhagavatam and chanting Krsna’s names. Performing devotion to Krsna removes all misery of life. Present miseries and losses are experienced only due to past karma, which can be mitigated by chanting Krsna’s names and engaging in His devotional service. Chanting Krsna’s names on Tulasi (holy plant) rosary beads is the perfect way to reform the soul; and hearing about Krsna, reading about Him, chanting His names and performing devotional service to Him are remedies to purify the soul. Therefore, the scriptures state that adopting these activities is very intelligent because they bring a change of heart, but while reading or listening to Srimad Bhagavatam one should examine if the narration is being understood properly. One should contemplate their own shortcomings and mediate about how best to remove them. While chanting or reading Srimad Bhagavatam one should consider that the Lord came to Prahlada, and the Lord rescued Dropadi, but why is He not coming to my aid? Such contemplation is called, “Seeing one’s own shortcomings.” Studying or listening to Srimad Bhagavatam, chanting Krsna’s names and accepting an authentic Spiritual Master are the remedies to protect oneself from misdeeds, and they are the pathways to liberation from this world. Every spiritual process remains ineffective as long as the desire to receive liberation remains in the heart, which is why Srimad Bhagavatam disproves all categories of austerities, ritualistic ceremonies and sacrifices and establishes the path of devotion to be supreme. But one needs to follow the commentaries of great spiritual teachers who are perfect examples of devotional life in order to receive the correct meaning of Srimad Bhagavatam. Accepting speculative interpretations of Srimad Bhagavatam will not help. Simply memorizing some Bhagavatam verses and giving lectures on them to earn one’s livelihood or respect are simply other ways to mislead the innocent. The speaker should be a living example of Srimad Bhagavatam, which reveals that the speaker firmly believes what he preaches and is not materially motivated. That is why Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu warned everyone stating, bhagavata padha giya vaisnavera sthane, “One must study Srimad Bhagavatam under a real devotee because he knows the correct meaning of it, thus he will reveal the truth.” Only a true Vaisnava can impart the real meaning of Srimad Bhagavatam. Those who are not sincere devotees may speak on it, but they have not yet understood the inner meaning of it. If they understood the real meaning of Srimad Bhagavatam they would have become real devotees themselves and would have stopped their hypocrisy. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu stated that one must study Srimad Bhagavatam under the guidance of a pure devotee, without which one cannot understand the real meaning of it. Srimad Bhagavatam is the book form of God; therefore only a real devotee who knows God can realize and explicate its true meaning. There is no other way. Therefore the scriptures state that the association of a pure devotee rewards all perfection in life. If one does not keep connection with a pure devotee or if someone lost such association it must be understood that Krsna could not be obtained by them. Srimad Bhagavatam includes the pure occupation of the soul and nowhere else can such a pure process to obtain Krsna be found. Therefore Srila Sridhara Swami states, atraiva avarudhyate, “Lord Krsna is locked within Srimad Bhagavatam and no where else, and those fortunate enough to understand what it instructs, obtain Him.” Srimad Bhagavatam is the summit of knowledge and there is no scripture that is equal to or greater than it. It is the culmination of all spiritual processes and nowhere else can absolute knowledge be found. Srimad Bhagavatam explains solely about Krsna in each verse. It states that Krsna is the creator, maintainer and destroyer of this universe and there is no other God than Him anywhere. It states that Krsna is the Absolute Truth and therefore at every moment one should meditate and serve Him only. Srimad Bhagavatam propagates what the soul is, with whom it is connected, and what its duty is. It instructs that performing devotional service helps develop relief from material influences, by which can help one obtain Lord Sri Krsna’s blessings, and to whom a human being should dedicate their life, and what will be obtained by dedicating it. Srimad Bhagavatam also vividly explains how to perform spiritual life and explains in detail the true goal of life. It states that while performing spiritual life one should not beg only for good health, wealth, respect, position and family relationships etc. from the Lord, because these things may jeopardize their spiritual advancement. Srimad Bhagavatam’s goal is to explain the soul’s real need, with whom it is really related to, and what its real duty is. It also explains that at the time of death there is no one capable of helping the person (soul) in this world, and that their only real shelter is the Supreme Lord. The Srimad Bhagavatam is the medium that introduces human beings to the Supreme Lord and makes them understand that except for God they have no shelter or real well-wisher. It also explains that in order to obtain Him one has to develop love for Him. It states that to truly love Krsna one has to follow the path of conjugal love as exhibited by all the Gopis (cowherd girls) of Vrindaban. The Gopis exemplify the proper quality of love one should strive for to attain Lord Krsna. Srila Sridhara Swami states: adyasya sresthasya janmadi yatah tatah sriman radha govindasya sannidhye itaratas carthesv abhijnah svarat “This transcendental love named conjugal love is the supreme way to please the Lord because it appeared from the relationship between Lord Sri Sri Radha Govinda and the Gopis of Vraja (Vrindaban area).” Srimad Bhagavatam is filled with such narrations that the Lord Himself hankers to hear it on a regular basis. The Lord Himself leaves His spiritual abode and comes down to the place where Srimad Bhagavatam is being read (spoken) and sits down to carefully listen. As He Himself stated to Narada Muni: naham vasami vaikunthe yoginam hrdaye na ca mad bhaktah yatra gayanti tatra tisthami narada “O Narada, I do not live in My spiritual abode, nor do I live in the hearts of great meditating yogis, but I live at the place where My devotees speak about My transcendental pastimes.” The proof of this incident is found in the history of Dwaraka, where Rohini (mother of Balaram) became the speaker of Lord Krsna’s pastimes and the queens of Dwaraka became the listeners of them. This narration was secretly done without informing Lord Krsna and Balaram. But because Lord Krsna is all knowing and because He had promised that wherever His narration is taking place He will be present, is why even though sixteen thousand one hundred eight queens had closed all the doors and windows of the palace, still the Lord entered and listened to His own glories. When He heard about the love of His Vraja Gopis for Him He became so astonished that His beautiful Govinda appearance shrank and turned into His Jagannatha form, which is worshipped in Jagannatha Puri (a city in India) today. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krsna, is omnipresent; therefore, even though the narration of Srimad Bhagavatam was spoken with all the doors and windows closed, still no one could prevent the Lord from participating. In other words, wherever Lord Krsna’s pastimes are being spoken, Krsna is present. As stated in the Padma Purana: tulasi kananam yatra yatra padma vanani ca purana pathanam yatra tatra sannihito harih “Wherever there is an abundance of Tulasi plants growing, wherever there is an abundance of lotuses growing, and wherever Srimad Bhagavatam is being narrated, Lord Krsna Himself is personally present.” The inner meaning of this verse is that wherever Lord Krsna’s pastimes are not narrated there cannot be any happiness, peace, prosperity or self improvement. Lord Sri Krsna personally resides in His own narration and that is why world peace, all auspiciousness, good fortune, all categories of happiness, all categories of prosperity and self-improvement reside where the narration of Lord Krsna’s pastimes take place. Those who study Srimad Bhagavatam obtain the highest abode of the Lord. The hearts of those who listen to Srimad Bhagavatam become purified from all contamination and become free from the entanglement of the cycle of rebirth and death. Thus they reach the abode of the Supreme Lord. Connecting oneself with Srimad Bhagavatam makes one become a devotee of the Lord, thus gradually becoming eligible to become dear to the Lord. Meaning all auspiciousness is included in Srimad Bhagavatam for those who become connected to it. This is the true benefit of studying Srimad Bhagavatam. It is found in the Padma Purana that Narada Muni (heavenly sage) once desired to know how many auspicious activities people on earth perform, so he proceeded towards earth to find out. When searching he did not find any place where people were engaged in heartfelt devotional service, but saw that everyone was engaged in sense gratification. Almost everyone was hankering for obtaining objects for sense gratification and practically everyone had given up the path for self realization. As confirmed in the Padma Purana: napasyat kutracic charma manah santosa karakam kalina dharma mitrena dhareyam badhita dhuna “Narada Muni did not see any peace or lasting happiness anywhere. Rather he saw Kaliyuga, with the help of Adharma (Irreligion personified), having everyone under his control. Everyone is under Kaliyuga’s grip. Seeing this situation, Naradaji became very morose.” For want of seeing devotees of Lord Krsna, Narada Muni also traveled to places of pilgrimage, but he could not find any real devotees of the Lord. At last he reached Vrindaban where he saw Bhaktidevi, (the personification of devotional service) despondent. Her misery was due to the sins of everyone on earth. Her two sons, Jnana (the personification of knowledge) and Vairajna (the personification of detachment) looked very old and were sitting near her. No one was following the path of transcendental knowledge and detachment, which is why Jnana and Vairajna were languished. Practically no one was interested in following the path of self-realization. Narada saw that everyone was engaged in social life, healthy living, endeavoring for prosperity and that practically no one was focusing on practicing spiritual life to obtain the Lord’s blessings. No one seemingly cared about their relationship with the Supreme Lord. Hence Bhaktidevi was despondent. Following the path of knowledge and detachment from material life make the soul peaceful and happy; and following Bhakti (path of devotion) makes one become very close to the Lord. But due to the influence of the age of Kaliyuga, people have ignored following these three auspicious paths, which is why Narada saw these three auspicious personalities in a miserable condition. Upon seeing Narada Muni, Bhaktidevi became hopeful thinking a saint has come and will help her in some way. Using welcoming words, Bhaktidevi addressed Narada thus, “O sage, be pleased with me and help me in some way to obtain peace. Please give me a space at your lotus feet. I am at your shelter. Due to the transcendental potency of Vrindaban I am young and healthy, but due to the influence of time my sons have become old.” Narada asked her to introduce herself and she said, “I was born in Dravida (province of Andhra, in Southern India) and was raised in Karnataka (a state in Southern India). Later I reached Maharastra (another state in Southern India) where many saintly persons welcomed me and I begot two sons named Jnana and Vairajna. But when I reached Gujarat (a state in Western India) I became miserable because there I saw people worshipping demigods in the name of devotional service. The influence of such heretics caused me and my sons to become old. I tolerated this condition for a long time and while wandering I reached Vrindaban. As soon as I touched Vraja land (Vrindaban) I returned to my original youthful state, but my sons remained old. You must be aware that my duty is to move around everywhere, but due to my sons being old my moving has been hampered. For the parent to be elderly and the children to be young is justified, but for the children to be older and the parent to be younger is unheard of. Therefore, O saint, why has such a situation occurred to me? Please tell me so my doubt is removed.” Narada Muni said, “O dear one, the land of Vrindaban is meant for Bhakti and is not meant for Jnana and Vairajna. That is why you are young and your sons are old. Furthermore, you are an associate of Lord Krsna and Vrindaban is the place of Lord Krsna, therefore Vrindaban is your playground. When Lord Krsna left this world you took your birth in the land of Dravida, but Vrindaban is your permanent place, therefore you please stay here. Your sons can go to holy places situated on the banks of Ganges, by whose influence they will also become rejuvenated. In holy places people search for transcendental knowledge, perform austerities and some follow the rules of detachment, hence your sons will receive respect in holy places like the Ganges etc. Jnana and Vairajna have no place in Vrindaban because Vrindaban is solely the place for Bhakti. The Supreme Lord Krsna Himself, before leaving this world, had ordered you that after His departure you should strengthen His devotees, for which you acquiesced His order by bowing your head. Being pleased with your acceptance, the Lord awarded you liberation personified (Muktidevi) as a maidservant to serve you. How surprising it is that Muktidevi, for which great sages hanker to receive, was given to you as a maidservant!” Which means whosoever has adopted Bhakti seriously has liberation on hand. Jnana and Vairajna are Bhakti’s sons, therefore wherever their mother is, they reside subtly. Hence complete scriptural knowledge and material detachment is seen in serious devotees, which means that when devotees perform pure devotional service to Lord Krsna, they do not need separate help from Jnana and Vairajna to achieve liberation from this world. To perform Bhakti a devotee requires love for the Lord, and when Bhakti is performed with love, Jnana and Vairajna automatically come to that devotee. As the poet Tualsidas states, “Bhakti (devotional service) is completely independent of everything and Jnana (knowledge) and Vairajna (detachment) stay under her control.” Therefore those who have real devotion for Krsna in their heart, have everything in their hands. It is not necessary to separately practice Jnana or Vairajna if someone has real devotion for Krsna. Just by practicing Jnana alone, or by practicing the process of Vairajna alone, or by practicing both, no one can bring about any substantial change in their life. For this reason the scriptures state that if someone has developed real devotion to Lord Krsna, they automatically obtain Jnana and Vairajna. In other words, by accepting Bhakti in its real sense, one at once brings about a true change in his/her life. The reading of Srimad Bhagavatam should be done after bathing, and it is always better to invite others to listen. One should keep their senses under control from the beginning of Srimad Bhagavatam till the end, and when the reading is completed, Prasadam (sanctified food) should be distributed. The reader of Srimad Bhagavatam should face towards the east and begin the recitation after Kirtan (singing of the Lord’s holy names) and offering incense to the Lord. If these rules are followed, the Lord Himself comes to that place together with the Goddess of Fortune to fulfill the desires of the participants. Those who study Srimad Bhagavatam on a daily basis are glorious, but people with a busy schedule who are unable to study daily can reserve seven days in a year from their busy schedule and study it. The Srimad Bhagavatam is the essence of all the scriptures, because all other scriptures become secondary before it. As stated in the Padma Purana: rajante tavad anyani puranani satam gane yavad bhagavatam naiva sruyate mrta sugaram “All other religious scriptures remain respected in an assembly of learned people as long as Srimad Bhagavatam, which is filled with nectar, does not enter their assembly. As soon as Srimad Bhagavatam comes to their hands, other spiritual scriptures become faded.” In Kaliyuga the Supreme Lord infused Himself into Srimad Bhagavatam, which is why everyone should relinquish all other religious and spiritual duties and solemnly dedicate themselves to studying it. The knowledge of those who do not study Srimad Bhagavatam but follow other religious duties remains incomplete. The Srimad Bhagavatam is very beneficial, pleasurable and easy to read, and every method for pleasing the Supreme Lord is included in it. It teaches how to properly perform devotional service to the Lord; and all the good qualities of the demigods manifest in those who perform truthful devotional service. But those who do not perform sincere devotional service remain bereft of good qualities, even though they may be well educated and well mannered. Such quality-less people do not obtain the Lord’s blessings. After seeing the pitiful condition of Bhaktidevi, Narada Muni understood that most people have avoided following Bhakti. Thinking this, Narada Muni, while pacifying Bhaktidevi, spoke the following to her: anya dharman tiraskrtya puraskrtya mahotsavan tada naham harer daso loke tvam na pravartaye “If I cannot establish you (Bhaktidevi) above all religious and spiritual practices I should not be called a servant of God. I hereby promise you that I shall make you known to everyone.” After saying this to Bhaktidevi, Narada Muni began pacifying Jnana and Vairajna and at that point an unseen voice came from the sky stating, “O Narada, search for true saints, they will tell you about Jnana and Vairajna.” Hearing these words, Narada proceeded in search of saintly people. He came across many saintly persons, but none of them could tell him about how Bhakti, Jnana and Vairajna could become firmly established in one’s heart. At last, in his quest to find real saints, Naradaji reached Badrinath in the Himalayas where he met the four Kumaras (Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Sanat Kumaras). When these four Kumaras heard about Narada’s search they said, “O Narada, as long as people do not hear Lord Krsna’s narrations Bhakti does not get established in their hearts. Without Bhakti no one can obtain real knowledge, nor can they understand the real meaning of true detachment. The only necessary thing to invite Bhakti, Jnana and Vairajna in one’s heart is hearing Srimad Bhagavatam. If preaching Krsna’s narrations is done the whole world will perform Bhakti; and Jnana and Vairajna will automatically manifest in their hearts. Therefore, O Narada, you must endeavor to preach Krsna’s narrations.” Hearing this Narada Muni said, “I cannot perform this endeavor alone, you please speak Krsna Katha (Krsna’s narration).” Following this request, the four Kumaras came down to Haridwar to speak Krsna Katha. Including Naradaji, many saints came in hope of listening to the nectar of Srimad Bhagavatam which would emanate from the four Kumaras. The leading sages among all gathered were Bhrgu, Vasistha, Bharadvaja, Saradvan, Angira, Vyasa, Chyavana and Gautama. After first glorifying Lord Krsna, the four Kumaras began speaking Srimad Bhagavatam saying: sada sevya sada sevya srimad bhagavatati katha yasyah sravana matrena haris cittam samasrayet “Srimad Bhagavatam must be read and heard at every step because just by hearing or reading it the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna Himself manifests in the heart.” Until Srimad Bhagavatam is heard, the tie to the cycle of rebirth and death is not severed and the illusion trapped in one’s mind cannot be cleared. In other words only through Srimad Bhagavatam can liberation from this world be achieved. No other spiritual processes, such as performing fire sacrifices, giving charity, the search for knowledge, going to holy places, performance of austerities, worship of demigods, bathing in the Ganges, or any other spiritual process can sufficiently help one attain spiritual peace. Only through Krsna Katha can one obtain lasting peace. Narada questioned the four Kumaras thus, “O worshipable ones, can a ghost also achieve liberation by listening to Srimad Bhagavatam?” The Kumaras replied, “O Narada, every category of living entity in the eight million four hundred thousands types of bodies and even ghosts can achieve liberation just by hearing Srimad Bhagavatam.” To help illustrate their statement the Kumaras narrated the following history: On the bank of the Tungabhadra River lived a Brahmana named Atmadeva. He was well versed in the scriptures and had all good qualities required for achieving liberation from this world. His wife’s name was Dhundhuli and she was very cunning, arrogant and barren. Atmadeva was very gentle by nature and did not interfere with anything Dhundhuli did, but he was in anxiety because they were childless. One day, without informing his wife, Atmadeva went to a forest where he met a swami whose face was filled with vigor. Atmadeva revealed to him that he had no children and the swami wanted to help him. The swami extended his mercy saying, “No one can remove what is written in their luck, but everyone should endeavor for their fulfillment.” The swami then gave a piece of fruit to Atmadeva and said, “This fruit is generative and is infallible, if your wife eats this fruit she will surely become pregnant.” When Atmadeva returned home he gave this piece of fruit to his wife and revealed the quality of this special fruit, but Dhundhuli, being unprincipled by nature, did not eat the fruit but instead fed it to their cow. A few days later Dhundhuli’s sister came to visit her and told her she was pregnant. Dhundhuli told her sister the history of the special fruit and that she did not want to take a pregnancy to term, so she fed the fruit to their cow. Dhundhuli then requested her sister to give up her newly born child for monetary compensation and her sister being poor, agreed to the transaction. Atmadeva was unaware of this covert scheme. The Sastra (ancient scripture) states that the luck of a man can be foretold through astrology, but what a cunning woman will do next cannot be foretold even by the creator of the universe, Lord Brahma. But well mannered ladies are glorified in the scriptures because they act properly at every step. After some time Dhundhuli’s sister gave birth to a boy and he was secretly taken to Dhundhuli, unknown to Atmadeva. When Atmadeva heard a child crying he came to know that a boy had taken birth in his house. After some time their cow also gave birth to a human looking child. Dhundhuli named her boy Dhundhukari; and because the cow’s offspring appeared human but had cow-like ears, Atmadeva named him Gokarna (for having ears resembling that of a cow’s). During the children’s upbringing, Dhundhukari did not learn anything in school, whereas Gokarna learned all the scriptures properly in a short time. When Dhundhukari reached youth, he was rowdy and mischievous, whereas Gokarna was very gentle and well mannered. Dhundhukari would daily engage with prostitutes, eat meat, took intoxication, stole, gambled, engaged in criminal acts, set fire to others’ houses, and kept the company of unwanted people. Seeing the undesirable acts of his son, Atmadeva became very morose and by the advice of Gokarna, left for the forest to perform austerity. Gokarna thought living with such a mischievous person is not good, so he left to visit places of pilgrimage. With his father and Gokarna gone, Dhundhukari squandered all the wealth of the house on prostitutes and then beat his mother for want of more money. But being unable to supply money to Dhundhukari, Dhundhuli committed suicide by jumping into a nearby well. Now Dhundhukari was free to do as he liked. Therefore he daily went to the forest and killed animals to bring home to eat and brought five prostitutes to live in the house. In order to fulfill the prostitutes’ demands he would gamble, commit robbery, and engage in many other illegal activities. For a normal man it can be difficult to fulfill the demands of one wife, therefore one can only imagine how much anxiety Dhundhukari was in to have to provide for five prostitutes. One day the prostitutes had a discussion and concluded that some day Dhundhukari will be caught by constables for robbing people, and when he is interrogated they will also be implicated and punished. Therefore they decided to kill Dhundhukari. One day when he was asleep, four of the prostitutes strangled him with a rope while the fifth one poured burning red hot charcoal into his mouth, killing him. The prostitutes then collected all the remaining wealth and left the house. Dhundhukari, being a very sinful person and having received such an untimely death, became a ghost and haunted the house. After some time Gokarna returned from pilgrimage and being tired, fell asleep in the house. In his ghostly existence, Dhundhukari made many disturbing noises, which disturbed Gokarna’s sleep. Gokarna then understood that the sinner Dhundhukari had died untimely and had become a ghost. A genuine devotee only thinks of benefiting others; thus Gokarna being a genuine devotee decided to liberate the ghost (Dhundhukari) from that existence. The result of associating with a great devotee is explained by King Muchukunda thus: bhavapavargo bhramato yada bhavet janasya tarhy acyuta sat samagamah sat-sangamo yarhi tadaiva sad-gatau paravarese tvayi jayate matih “The living entity entangled in the cycle of rebirth and death wanders all over the universe and takes countless births in the eight million four hundred thousand different species. When its time to receive liberation from this world arrives it gets the opportunity to associate with a real devotee of the Lord. Such a devotee has a direct connection with the Supreme Lord and the Lord does not want His devotee’s association to go in vain, therefore the Lord helps develop interest in that human being for chanting and worshipping the Lord, by which that human being receives liberation from this world.” To liberate the ghost from that existence, Gokarna decided to recite Srimad Bhagavatam in seven days in that house. He invited the local residents to attend and informed them that Dhundhukari had become a ghost. The local residents accepted the invitation and the recitation of Bhagavatam began on Asadha Sukla Navami day (which takes place in light part of June-July). Gokarna got a seven-knotted bamboo and erected it before the seat he would recite Bhagavatam from so that the ghost (Dhundhukari) could sit upon the tip and listen to the Bhagavatam narration (per the scriptures a ghost can only sit upon a bamboo and no where else). After the first day of narration was complete, the first knot of the bamboo cracked, which indicated that Dhundhukari was getting closer to liberation. Day after day the knots cracked until the seventh knot cracked, indicating that Dhundhukari had become free from that ghostly existence. Then a celestial Vimana aircraft arrived from the spiritual world to take him there. Upon seeing the spiritual Vimana aircraft, Gokarna asked the aircraft attendants, “Why have you brought only one aircraft? Other people have heard the Srimad Bhagavatam narration as well. Why haven’t you brought Vimana for them?” To this the aircraft attendants replied, “Even though the others have heard Srimad Bhagavatam, they did not develop sufficient faith as Dhundhukari has and they did not accept the ideals of Bhagavatam. After hearing Bhagavatam they remained fixed in their ways. Except for Dhundhukari, no one genuinely adopted the path of Srimad Bhagavatam, which is why only Dhundhukari is qualified to be liberated at this time. Only Krsna is the Supreme God, Lord of all the Lords, and no one other than Him is God. He is the ultimate well-wisher of all. Anyone who does not accept this absolute truth will never be benefited in life. Those who do not accept scriptural instructions and those who do not accept the Supremacy of Lord Krsna cannot be liberated from this world even though they are religious and/or are practicing spiritual life.” Upon hearing the Vimana attendants words, Gokarna again recited Srimad Bhagavatam, by hearing which all the listeners developed unshakable faith in Lord Krsna and concluded that He is the Supreme God; that glorifying the Lord and chanting His name is the sole goal of every human being; and that every living entity is His servant. With this firm faith and by Gokarna’s mercy, another Vimana came from the spiritual world and took everyone there to live eternally. While the four Kumaras were still speaking, both Jnana and Vairajna became youthful again and together with their mother, Bhaktidevi, began dancing while reciting the names of Lord Sri Krsna. Bhaktidevi then asked Narada Muni where their sitting place is. Witnessing this lady questioning Narada, the listeners of Bhagavatam asked, ”Who is this female?” To this Narada Muni replied, “She is the result of listening to Krsna’s narration with firm faith. This female is the wife of Lord Krsna and her name is Bhaktidevi. The two boys are her sons, named Jnana and Vairajna. These three personalities reward liberation to Srimad Bhagavatam listeners.” After answering the listeners questions, Narada Muni turned to Bhaktidevi and her sons and said, “Your appropriate sitting place is in the heart of Srimad Bhagavatam listeners. Please be seated in the hearts of the listeners.” Thus, following Narada Muni’s advice, the three of them entered into the hearts of the Bhagavatam listeners. When Lord Krsna found that His wife was sitting in the hearts of the Bhagavatam listeners, He left His spiritual abode and manifested inside the hearts of the Bhagavatam listeners as well, thus illustrating that wherever unalloyed Bhakti is being performed, Lord Krsna is surely found there. The essence of this history is that if Srimad Bhagavatam is heard with firm faith, one obtains all three divine qualities at once. After a person obtains Bhakti, Jnana and Vairajna, there is nothing else in this world needed to attain peace. The degree of happiness one obtains by listening to Srimad Bhagavatam cannot be obtained by achieving everything of this world, because when Krsna Himself comes and sits inside one’s heart, the soul inside the heart becomes overwhelmed with bliss. After listening to Narada Muni, all the Bhagavatam listeners present became jolly and started chanting the names of Lord Krsna. Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare The Srimad Bhagavatam has eighteen thousand Sanskrit verses, is divided into twelve cantos and is enveloped in the conversation between Sri Sukadeva Goswami and King Pariksit. Srimad Bhagavatam is the physical form of Lord Sri Krsna in this age of Kaliyuga. Just by touching Srimad Bhagavatam, just by daily studying it or just by daily listening to its narrations one receives the blessings of Lord Sri Krsna. For whosoever keeps Srimad Bhagavatam in their house and worships it daily the messengers of Yamaraja do not enter that house. For as long as a person does not listen to the narration of Srimad Bhagavatam, that person remains sinful. The Supreme Lord Sri Krsna appears in this world in each age by His own sweet will to reveal the true path of liberation. He tells everyone, “Become My devotee, think of Me, serve Me, chant My glories, worship Me and if you follow what I say you will reach My abode without fail.” The Lord is very merciful, which is why he appears in many forms in order to help everyone. Lord Krsna descended in the human form as Lord Rama, He appeared in an animal incarnation as a Bore, He appeared in aquatic incarnations as a Fish and a Turtle, and as books He appeared as Srimad Bhagavatam. His main purpose for descending is to guide everyone to liberation. Of all the many books there are in this world, Srimad Bhagavatam is the literary form of God. Thus at this present time, the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna is revealing the true path to liberation through Srimad Bhagavatam to benefit everyone. Krsna is God and can only be bound by the rope of love. The powerful Hiranyakasipu, Hiranyaksa, Ravana, Jarasandha, Kamsa and Duryodhana did not possess the ability to tie Lord Krsna because they were all bereft of any love for Him in their hearts, which is why they failed every time they attempted to control Him. The sole solution to tie Krsna is sincere love for Him, which can be developed through study of Srimad Bhagavatam. The scriptures state that love for the Lord is very rare; that those who work for result, speculators, performers of meditation, performers of austerity or performers of rituals do not possess it. But this rare love can easily be obtained by a person who daily studies and/or listens to Srimad Bhagavatam, meaning that the Lord easily rewards this love to His devotees. The narration of Lord Krsna is so powerful that it can bring Krsna and lock Him inside the heart of His devotee, by which that devotee crosses the ocean of rebirth and death. There is no example in any scripture where the Lord manifested in the heart of His devotee and left, but there are many examples stating that after manifesting in His devotee’s heart, He never left it. This is the result of listening to and/or reading Srimad Bhagavatam. People who avoid hearing about Lord Krsna, but rather perform or follow other spiritual or religious processes, do not obtain the goal of life. Processes devoid of devotional service do not bare sufficient results, whereas those who chant Krsna’s names and perform devotional service to please Him obtain Him. Hence, just by seriously chanting the Lord’s names and studying Srimad Bhagavatam, Krsna comes and lives in the heart of the person. But such a relationship is not coequal with taking and distributing Prasadam (sanctified food). One can take and distribute Prasadam to other family members and all parties are benefited, whereas developing a relationship with Krsna is an individual thing. Krsna revealing Himself to a sincere devotee is between Krsna and the devotee only; it cannot be shared with others like Prasadam. To know the Lord one has to develop a relationship with Him. If family members want Krsna’s blessings, they have to practice spiritual life and develop a relationship with the Lord themselves. But it is a blessing itself to have a devotee family member in the house, because the other residents can hear Krsna’s narrations from that devotee and be spiritually benefited and transformed into devotees themselves. Srila Vyasadeva removed all inauspiciousness, cheating, guile, hypocrisy and show off religions from Srimad Bhagavatam. Therefore the process of Bhakti taught in Srimad Bhagavatam is completely pure, there isn’t even a tinge of hypocrisy in it. It does not give priority to liberation, and this is signified by the fact that liberation personified is the maidservant of Bhakti. Srila Vyasadeva calls ritualistic processes existing in this world cheating religions, which is why he did not include them in Srimad Bhagavatam. Even though Vyasadeva revealed that all other spiritual processes are inferior to Bhakti and fall short of pleasing the Lord, some people are still illusioned and believe liberation to be the ultimate and thus follow inferior processes in an attempt to achieve it. Liberation from material existence is one thing, but then what? Those who do not know or consider what takes place after liberation are referred to as ignorant in Srimad Bhagavatam. Srila Sridhara Swami states that for as long as desire to receive liberation remains in the heart, one cannot obtain Krsna. Real devotees of Lord Krsna do not hanker for liberation; they only desire to be with Krsna, even if they have to take birth as a blade of grass, a plant, tree, animal or bird to be with Him. People unaware of the value of the land of Vraja desire liberation. They are unaware of the potency Vraja has, which the liberation processes lack. In the land of Vraja one learns the real way of performing devotional service. Srimad Bhagavatam states that performing meditation, following the path of knowledge, performing austerities, observing fasts, following ritualistic ceremonies, burning butter in fire sacrifices, or by chanting mantras, some flickering happiness may be obtained, but not the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna. But if one studies Srimad Bhagavatam and follows its commands, then Lord Krsna quickly comes to sit in the heart of that person. People claiming to be scholars are tested in Srimad Bhagavatam. vidyavatam bhagavate pariksa, “The test of those claiming to be learned is measured through their comprehension of Srimad Bhagavatam.” Srimad Bhagavatam is meant for highly advanced spiritual scholars and Krsna does not reveal the inner meaning of Srimad Bhagavatam to people who still have material desires. He only reveals it to those who have become free from sense gratification. Scholars who do not have the association of real devotees and thus still have material desires cannot understand the inner meaning of Srimad Bhagavatam, even though they may have memorized it by heart. Lord Siva states, “Everyone cannot understand Srimad Bhagavatam.” He further says, aham vedmi, “I know Srimad Bhagavatam,” and, suko vetti, “Sri Sukadeva Goswami knows Srimad Bhagavatam,” but vyaso vetti na vetti va, “I am not sure whether Vyasadeva knows it or not.” By considering this statement made by such a high authority about the author of Srimad Bhagavatam, one should contemplate the implied difficulty of understanding its true meaning. Still, people today learn some Srimad Bhagavatam verses, lecture on them and sing some devotional songs, thereby presenting themselves as learned scholars of it to the general public to gain wealth and respect. How surprising and alluring Kaliyuga is, that even a charlatan can divert innocent people away from God. How can anyone giving their own interpretation of Srimad Bhagavatam to earn money to maintain their family, know the essence of it, if Lord Siva even doubts the author’s (Vyasadeva’s) understanding of it? The Gopis of Vrindaban were not learned, but they understood the essence of Srimad Bhagavatam, which is why they did not care about anything except Krsna. They were not attached to family members, wealth, friends or relatives. They did not care about social shame. They even gave up their chastity for Krsna and abandoned their family dynasty traditions for Him. Such was their dedication. The Gopis could do this because they understood the culmination of Srimad Bhagavatam. According to Vaisnava philosophy, if someone understands the essence of something they relinquish everything else and surrender to that thing. This is the only way Krsna can be understood properly. At the battlefield of Kuruksetra Arjuna showed his religiosity to Lord Krsna and argued against Krsna’s will for him to fight. Arjuna said, “My grandfather, teacher, uncle and cousins are on the opposing side. I will not kill them but instead either get killed, live in a forest, or become a mendicant, but I will not kill any of my relatives, because by doing so I would implicate myself with sin by killing them.” At this point Arjuna did not understand Krsna, which is why he was presenting himself as a religious scholar. But after Krsna gave him the knowledge of Srimad Bhagavatam in the form of Bhagavad Gita, he then understood Krsna properly. At that point Arjuna understood the difference between Bhakti (Devotional service) and religion. After understanding Krsna, that same Arjuna who presented himself as a saintly person to Krsna, lifted his bow and arrows and killed everyone before him on the battlefield. Only by posing to be religious one cannot obtain Krsna, because following religious principles rewards material benefits, whereas Lord Krsna is obtained only through devotional service. This is the difference between spirituality and religion. Any prudent person can memorize Srimad Bhagavatam verses and give lectures, but those who have developed real love for Krsna and perform devotional service to Him from the core of their heart know what Bhagavatam actually means. The love that is stated in Srimad Bhagavatam should be learnt from an authentic Spiritual Master who has come down in an unbroken chain of disciplic succession. Only by following this type of spiritual chain can one understand the loving process to attain Krsna. Anyone can read Srimad Bhagavatam and give discourses, but not everyone can understand Krsna in essence and what Srimad Bhagavatam is aimed at. Even great sages could not understand the essence of Krsna (essence of God or essence of God consciousness), what to speak of people of Kaliyuga posing as devotees. As stated in the Chaitanya Charitamrta, bhagavata padhi-padhi karo buddhi nasa, “Even though some people read Srimad Bhagavatam regularly they may lose their reasoning power and come to a wrong conclusion.” In essence, without following an authentic Spiritual Master and having real dedication to the Lord, no one can understand Srimad Bhagavatam or Krsna in truth. But for one truthfully dedicated to the lotus feet of a real devotee, the spiritual path becomes easy to understand. As Lord Krsna states in the Bhagavad Gita: tad viddhi pranipatena pari prasnena sevaya upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva darsinah “To understand God one must reach a realized devotee Spiritual Master and inquire submissively and render service unto him. Such a self-realized soul will then impart knowledge unto you because he knows the truth perfectly.” The meaning of this verse is that only after fully surrendering at the lotus feet of a scripturally authentic Spiritual Master is one able to understand the essence of Srimad Bhagavatam. By studying it without accepting or without fully surrendering at the feet of an authentic Spiritual Master one can only understand the superficial meaning of it and thus cannot understand it in its proper sense. Without accepting an authentic Guru one cannot obtain Krsna. For example, entertainers acting like preachers and giving spiritual lectures may captivate an audience, but because their mind is not absorbed in God their habits and material desires do not change. Even though someone may give charismatic lectures about God, if they haven’t accepted initiation from an authentic Guru they are not freed from material desires, because they have not been placed on the right platform by the direct teachings of an authentic Spiritual Master. No one can reach the spiritual world by associating with such people, because it merely leads to more hankering for sense gratification, be it of a different type. Such performers make a nice show of spiritual life, but because their mind is rooted in sense gratification, the transference of spiritual knowledge is stagnant, whereas a saintly person’s mind, being fixed on the Supreme Lord, is filled with spiritual realizations. Therefore such devotees are via media God and thus are able to transfer the listener’s mind from material to spiritual. As the poet Tulasidasa states: eka ghadi adhi ghadi adhi ki puni adhi tulasi sangati sadhu ki harai koti aparadha “One moment, or half a moment’s, or even one half of a half of a moment’s association with a real devotee can remove millions of offenses from a person and bring them to the platform of liberation. Such is the potency of a pure devotee’s association.” Srimad Bhagavatam purifies and transforms all categories of sinners and rewards them liberation from this world. This is why the Padma Purana states that anyone who thinks that Srimad Bhagavatam is different from Lord Krsna Himself are equal to offenders of Brahmanas. There is no difference between Lord Krsna and Srimad Bhagavatam, but in order to receive full benefit one must listen to it from a real devotee. As confirmed in the Skanda Purana: avaisnava mukhac chastram na srotavyam kadacana suka sastram visesena na srotavyam avaisnavat “One should not listen to scriptures from those who are not real devotees. Srimad Bhagavatam especially should never be heard from a non devotee.” One may wonder how to detect who is a real devotee? To this the Skanda Purana states: avaisnavo’tra dvijo jneyo yo visnor mukham ucyate vipretara-gatam sastram asastratvam prapadyate “When a person is born in an unbroken Brahmana dynasty he is said to be the mouth of the Lord Himself. When such a person is initiated by a devotee Spiritual Master descending in an unbroken chain of disciplic succession and lives by scriptural rules he is said to be Vaisnava. One should listen to Srimad Bhagavatam from such a Vaisnava. Besides listening from such a Vaisnava, listening to Bhagavatam from others does not bear enough result.” It is further stated in the Skanda Purana: vaktaram vaisnavam vipram visuddhobhaya vamsajam sordhva pundram susilam ca kuryat krsna jana priyam “Therefore, the speaker of Srimad Bhagavatam should be born into an unbroken Brahmana dynasty connected to the Lord Himself and should be initiated by a devotee Spiritual Master coming in an unbroken chain of succession from the Lord Himself. He must have the flame-like holy mark of Tilak on his forehead. If such a devotee is found, one should listen to Srimad Bhagavatam from him because such a devotee is very dear to the Lord and the listener receives blessings from the Lord for hearing from such a devotee.”
Thus ends the introduction to the lectures of Srimad Bhagavatam by the Scripturally Authentic Guru, Mahamandaleshwar Mahant Sri Krsna Balaram Swamiji. Hari Om Tat Sat============== | Online books News This new book with a total of seven chapters will be published online. We will publish one new chapter every Month.
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