ÿþ<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"> <html><head><title>The Sampradaya Sun - Independent Vaisnava News - Editorial Stories - July 2011</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=EmulateIE7"> </head> <body bgcolor="white" width=800 link="#990000" alink="#990000" vlink="#000088"> <table width=750 border=1 bordercolor="#CC9933" bordercolordark="990000" bordercolorlight="CC9933" cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0 bgcolor="white"> <tr> <td valign=top><font size=2><font face="Verdana"><font size=2> <center><P> <img src="../head1.gif" width=605 height=99 border=0 usemap="#nav1"></center> <center><table width=700 border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 bgcolor="white"> <tr> <td valign=top colspan=2><font size=2><font face="Verdana"><font size=2> <MAP NAME="nav1"> <AREA COORDS="23,17,110,82" SHAPE="rect" HREF="../../index.htm"> <AREA COORDS="1,87,46,98" SHAPE="rect" HREF="../../../media/mantra.wav" target="_blank"> <AREA COORDS="76,86,111,97" SHAPE="rect" HREF="../../news/news.htm"> <AREA COORDS="121,86,189,97" SHAPE="rect" HREF="../../editorials/editorials.htm"> <AREA COORDS="199,86,256,97" SHAPE="rect" HREF="../../features/features.htm"> <AREA COORDS="266,86,329,97" SHAPE="rect" HREF="../../sunblogs/sunblogs.htm"> <AREA COORDS="339,86,412,97" SHAPE="rect" HREF="../../classifieds/classifieds.htm"> <AREA COORDS="421,86,466,97" SHAPE="rect" HREF="../../events/events.htm"> <AREA COORDS="476,86,539,97" SHAPE="rect" HREF="../../recipes/recipes.htm"> <AREA COORDS="549,86,796,604" SHAPE="rect" HREF="../../podcasts/podcasts.htm"> </MAP> <P><BR> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width=700> <P><BR> <blockquote> <font face="verdana"><FONT SIZE=+2><p style='text-align:justify'> Bhagavad Arka Marichi Mala, Part 70 </font></font> <P> <font face="verdana"><font size=2><p style='text-align:justify'> BY: SUN STAFF </font></font> <p><center><img src="bvt139.jpg" width=297 height=427 border=1> <P> <font face="verdana"><font size=-2><B> Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur </b></font></font></center> </FONT></FONT><P><BR><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2><B>Jul 31, 2011 &#151; CANADA (SUN) &#151; Bhagavad Arka Marichi Mala by HDG Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur. </B> </font></font><p><BR><center><font face="verdana"><font size=+1>CHAPTER FIFTEEN <BR> Analysis of Favorable Conditions for Bhakti <BR> (bhakti anukulya vicarah) </font> </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>10.14.36 Brahma to Shri Krishna </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>My dear Lord Krishna, until people become Your devotees, their material attachments and desires remain thieves, their homes remain prisons, and their affectionate feelings for their family members remain foot-shackles. </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>10.14.08 Brahma to Shri Krishna </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim. </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>10.22.35 Krishna to His Cowherd Friends </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others with his life, wealth, intelligence and words. </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>10.88.08 Krishna to Maharaja Yudhisthira </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>The Personality of Godhead said: If I especially favor someone, I gradually deprive him of his wealth. Then the relatives and friends of such a poverty-stricken man abandon him. In this way he suffers one distress after another. </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>10.41.51 Sukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Pariksit </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>Sudama chose unshakable devotion for Krishna, the Supreme Soul of all existence; friendship with His devotees; and transcendental compassion for all living beings. </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>05.18.12 Prahlada Maharaja to Lord Nrsimhadeva </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>All the demigods and their exalted qualities, such as religion, knowledge and renunciation, become manifest in the body of one who has developed unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva. On the other hand, a person devoid of devotional service and engaged in material activities has no good qualities. Even if he is adept at the practice of mystic yoga or the honest endeavor of maintaining his family and relatives, he must be driven by his own mental speculations and must engage in the service of the Lord's external energy. How can there be any good qualities in such a man? </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>03.22.37 Maitreya Rsi to Vidura </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>Therefore, O Vidura, how can persons completely under the shelter of Lord Krishna in devotional service be put into miseries pertaining to the body, the mind, nature, and other men and living creatures? </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>11.20.19 Shri Krishna to Uddhava </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>Whenever the mind, being concentrated on the spiritual platform, is suddenly deviated from its spiritual position, one should carefully bring it under the control of the self by following the prescribed means. </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>11.14.18-19 Shri Krishna to Uddhava </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>My dear Uddhava, if My devotee has not fully conquered his senses, he may be harassed by material desires, but because of his unflinching devotion for Me, he will not be defeated by sense gratification. (18) </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>My dear Uddhava, just as a blazing fire turns firewood into ashes, similarly, devotion unto Me completely burns to ashes sins committed by My devotees. (19) </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>11.14.21-22 Shri Krishna to Uddhava </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>Only by practicing unalloyed devotional service with full faith in Me can one obtain Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I am naturally dear to My devotees, who take Me as the only goal of their loving service. By engaging in such devotional service, even the dog-eaters can purify themselves from the contamination of their low birth. (21) </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>Neither religious activities endowed with honesty and mercy nor knowledge obtained with great penance can completely purify one's consciousness if they are bereft of loving service to Me. (22) </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>11.14.23 Shri Krishna to Uddhava </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>If one's hairs do not stand on end, how can the heart melt? And if the heart does not melt, how can tears of love flow from the eyes? If one does not cry in spiritual happiness, how can one render loving service to the Lord? And without such service, how can the consciousness be purified? </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>11.03.23-24 Prabuddha to Maharaja Nimi </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>A sincere disciple should learn how to dissociate the mind from everything material and positively cultivate association with his spiritual master and other saintly devotees. He should be merciful to those in an inferior position to him, cultivate friendship with those on an equal level and meekly serve those in a higher spiritual position. Thus he should learn to deal properly with all living beings. (23) </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>To serve the spiritual master the disciple should learn cleanliness, austerity, tolerance, silence, study of Vedic knowledge, simplicity, celibacy, nonviolence, and equanimity in the face of material dualities such as heat and cold, happiness and distress. (24) </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>11.03.25-26 Prabuddha to Maharaja Nimi </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>One should practice meditation by constantly seeing oneself to be an eternal cognizant spirit soul and seeing the Lord to be the absolute controller of everything. To increase one's meditation, one should live in a secluded place and give up false attachment to one's home and household paraphernalia. Giving up the decorations of the temporary material body, one should dress himself with scraps of cloth found in rejected places, or with the bark of trees. In this way one should learn to be satisfied in any material situation. (25) </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>One should have firm faith that one will achieve all success in life by following those scriptures that describe the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan. At the same time, one should avoid blaspheming other scriptures. One should rigidly control his mind, speech and bodily activities, always speak the truth, and bring the mind and senses under full control. (26) </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>11.03.27-28 Prabuddha to Maharaja Nimi </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>One should hear, glorify and meditate upon the wonderful transcendental activities of the Lord. One should specifically become absorbed in the appearance, activities, qualities and holy names of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus inspired, one should perform all of one's daily activities as an offering to the Lord. One should perform sacrifice, charity and penance exclusively for the Lord's satisfaction. Similarly, one should chant only those mantras which glorify the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And all one's religious activities should be performed as an offering to the Lord. Whatever one finds pleasing or enjoyable he should immediately offer to the Supreme Lord, and even his wife, children, home and very life air he should offer at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (27-28) </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>10.81.04 Krishna to Sudama Brahmana </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it. </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>06.09.49 Lord Narayana to the Demigods </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>Those who think material assets to be everything or to be the ultimate goal of life are all misers [krpanas]. They do not know the ultimate necessity of the soul. Moreover, if one awards that which is desired by such fools, he must also be considered foolish. </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>06.11.27 Vrtrasura to the Supreme Lord </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>O my Lord, my master, I am wondering throughout this material world as a result of my fruitive activities. Therefore I simply seek friendship in the association of Your pious and enlightened devotees. My attachment to my body, wife, children and home is continuing by the spell of Your external energy, but I wish to be attached to them no longer. Let my mind, my consciousness and everything I have be attached only to You. </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>11.02.42 Kavi to Maharaja Nimi </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>Devotion, direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from other things - these three occur simultaneously for one who has taken shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the same way that pleasure, nourishment and relief from hunger come simultaneously and increasingly, with each bite, for a person engaged in eating. </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>05.19.27 The Demigods Chant </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>The Supreme Personality of Godhead fulfills the material desires of a devotee who approaches Him with such motives, but He does not bestow benedictions upon the devotee that will cause him to demand more benedictions again. However, the Lord willingly gives the devotee shelter at His own lotus feet, even though such a person does not aspire for it, and that shelter satisfies all his desires. That is the Supreme Personality's special mercy. </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>07.06.19 Prahlada Maharaja to the Sons of the Demons </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>My dear sons of the demons, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, is the original Supersoul, the father of all living entities. Consequently there are no impediments to pleasing Him or worshiping Him under any conditions, whether one be a child or an old man. The relationship between the living entities and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is always a fact, and therefore there is no difficulty in pleasing the Lord. </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>07.06.01,04,05 in Beng, not in English </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>11.25.25 Shri Krishna to Uddhava </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>Residence in the forest is in the mode of goodness, residence in a town is in the mode of passion, residence in a gambling house displays the quality of ignorance, and residence in a place where I reside is transcendental. </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>11.25.27-28 Shri Krishna to Uddhava </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>Faith directed toward spiritual life is in the mode of goodness, faith rooted in fruitive work is in the mode of passion, faith residing in irreligious activities is in the mode of ignorance, but faith in My devotional service is purely transcendental. (27) </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>Food that is wholesome, pure and obtained without difficulty is in the mode of goodness, food that gives immediate pleasure to the senses is in the mode of passion, and food that is unclean and causes distress is in the mode of ignorance. (28)_ </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>11.05.04 Camasa Rsi to Maharaja Nimi </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>There are many persons who have little opportunity to take part in discussions about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, and thus it is difficult for them to chant His infallible glories. Persons such as women, sudras and other fallen classes always deserve the mercy of great personalities like yourself. </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>10.14.58 Sukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Pariksit </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>For those who have accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Murari, the enemy of the Mura demon, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf's hoof-print. Their goal is param padam, Vaikuntha, the place where there are no material miseries, not the place where there is danger at every step. </blockquote> <P><br><p style='text-align:justify'><p><p> <center><a href="../../index.htm"><img src="../../leftarrow.gif" width=20 height=15 border=0 alt="Homepage"></a></center> <P><BR> <!-- ========================END NOTES===================== --> <blockquote> <font size=2><font face="Verdana"><font size=-2><center> | <a href="../../index.htm">The Sun</a> | <a href="../../news/news.htm">News</a> | <a href="../../editorials/editorials.htm">Editorials</a> | <a href="../../features/features.htm">Features</a> | <a href="../../sunblogs/sunblogs.htm">Sun Blogs</a> | <a href="../../classifieds/classifieds.htm">Classifieds</a> | <a href="../../events/events.htm">Events</a> | <a href="../../recipes/recipes.htm">Recipes</a> | <a href="../../podcasts/podcasts.htm">PodCasts</a> | <P> | <a href="../../about.htm">About</a> | <a href="../../submit.htm">Submit an Article</a> | <a href="mailto:sun@harekrsna.com">Contact Us</a> | <a href="../../ads/advertise.htm">Advertise</a> | <a href="../../../index.htm">HareKrsna.com</a> | </center> </blockquote> <P> <center><b>Copyright 2005,2011, HareKrsna.com. 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