The Science Of SELF

REALISATION

A 6 Session
Course on
Essence of
Vedas
(Bhagavad
Gita)
The Bhagavad-
gita is the main
source-book on
yoga and a
concise
summary of
India's Vedic
wisdom.
 At the last moment before
entering battle, the great
warrior Arjuna begins to
wonder about the real meaning
of his life. Why should he fight
against his friends and
relatives? Why does he exist?
Where is he going after death?
 In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna,
Arjuna's friend and spiritual master,
brings His disciple from perplexity to
spiritual enlightenment. In the course of
doing so, Krishna concisely but
definitively explains transcendental
knowledge; karma-yoga, jnana-yoga,
and bhakti-yoga; knowledge of the
Absolute; devotional service; the three
modes of material nature; the divine and
demoniac natures;
and much more…
Bhagavad-gita
As It Is is the
largest-
selling,
most widely
used edition
of the Gita in
the world.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction to Bhagavad Gita
2. The Science of Soul
3. Who is God? Why Different Gods, D
4. Material Nature, Time and Karma
5. Different forms of Yoga & The Topm
6. Practical Application of Bhagavad G
 Session 1

Introduction to
Bhagavad Gita
 Humans Vs. Animals
Different animals and birds have
different abilities
Eating, sleeping, mating and
defending is common to animals
and humans
Human can inquire about cause of
suffering and destination of life
Animals act by instinct; Humans
are endowed with free will
 Quote
ahara nidra bhaya maithunam ca
samanyam etad pasubhir naranam
dharmo hi tesam adhiko viseso
dharmena hina pasubhir samanam
“The activities of eating, sleeping, mating and
defending are common in animals and
human beings. The human beings are
considered superior only when they inquire
about the Absolute Truth, otherwise they are
considered as good as animals.”
MAHABHARAT
 Why am I
suffering? What is
the actual
destination of life?
 3 Ways of Gaining Knowledge
1. Pratyaksa Praman: Empirical
sensual perception
We cannot obtain knowledge about the
Absolute Truth through material
senses because:-
a) Senses are imperfect
b) Senses put us into illusion
c) We commit mistakes
d) Cheating propensity
2. Anuman Praman: Theories
based on Evidence or process
of inference or hypothesizing on
the knowledge acquired by
direct perception
3. Sabda praman: Hearing from a
bonafide authority – knowledge
obtained through this process is
free from the four human
defects
 THE INFALLIBLE VEDIC
WISDOM
• Vedic scriptures are called
as ‘Apaurusheya’ – they
have no human author.
• Vedas are directly word of
God revealed at the time
of Creation
 Example of a manual
• When we buy a motor cycle, we get an
instruction manual explaining how to use
it
• Similarly, at the time of creation, God
gives us the Vedic scriptures for direction
on how to behave in this world
 Examples
• Vedas long ago revealed that the earth is
round and it has 7 continents which
information was not known to most of
Europe even 500 years ago
• Plants have life is asserted by the Vedas
and is proved now to be true
• Vedas present accurate predictions of great
personalities who will appear in future with
great detail and accuracy
 2 Systems of Knowledge
1. Inductive / Ascending Method:-
Not accepting any authority and
trying to find out truth by one’s
own endeavor or speculation

2. Deductive / Descending Method:-

Knowing things by hearing. Not
experimental knowledge.
 Example of finding one’s
mother
• If we want to know who our father is, we have to
accept our mother’s authority. If we want to test
and find out ourselves, even one’s lifetime may
not be sufficient.
• Similarly if we want to know something
beyond our experience, beyond our
experimental knowledge, beyond the
activities of the senses, then we have to
accept Vedas which is considered to be
like a mother
 Importance of
Bhagavad Gita
Amongst the Vedic
Literatures
 Bhagavad Gita
A transcendental literature
The summum-bonum of all Vedic
literatures
Can free one from all the miseries and
anxieties of life, if one follows the
instructions as they are
For Kali yuga people who are short
lived, Bhagavad Gita gives the guidance
about the way of perfecting one’s life
 Quote
Maline mocanam pumsam
jala-snanam dine dine
sakrd gitamrta-snanam
samsara-mala-nasanam
“One may cleanse himself daily by taking
a bath in water, but if one takes a bath
even once in the sacred Ganges water
of Bhagavad Gita, for him the dirt of
material life is altogether vanquished.”
[Gita Mahatmya 3]
 Quote
Sarvopanisado gavo
dogdha gopala-nandanah
partho vatsah su-dhir bhokta
dugdham gitamrtam mahat
“This Gitopanisad, Bhagavad Gita, the
essence of all the Upanisads, is just like
a cow, and Lord Krsna, who is famous as
a cowherd boy, is milking this cow.
Arjuna is just like a calf, and learned
scholars and pure devotees are to drink
the nectarean milk of Bhagavad Gita”
[Gita Mahatmya 6]
 Quote
ekam sastram devaki-putra-gitam
eko devo devaki-putra eva
eko mantras tasya namani yani
karmapy ekam tasya devasya seva
“Let there be one scripture only, one common
scripture for the whole world – Bhagavad Gita. Let
there be one God for the whole world– Sri Krsna, son
of Devaki. Let there be only one mantra, one hymn–
the chanting of His name: Hare Krsna Hare Krsna
Krsna Krsna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare. Let there be only one work–
the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
[Gita Mahatmya 7]
Requirements for
Understanding
Bhagavad Gita
 One should understand the
following points before
beginning to learn Bhagavad
Gita
1. Bhagavad Gita is a real historical
dialogue between Krsna, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead and Arjuna.
Kuruksetra and all characters like
Arjuna, Bhima and others are all real.
One should not twist this truth and
bring out some allegorical meaning.
2. Bhagavad Gita should be read and
understood as it is coming in
disciplic succession. Only this can
change the hearts of people and
free them from sinful activities and
purify their lives
3. Krishna is the goal of Bhagavad
Gita. Many editions of Bhagavad
Gita have brushed aside Krsna and
Arjuna and carry self-motivated
interpretations.
4. Krsna is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.
He is not an ordinary or
even an extra-ordinary
man. Bhagavad Gita
should be heard in the
spirit of devotion like
Arjuna.
5. Bhagavad Gita is spoken by the
Absolute person and it is the
Absolute knowledge. It is valid all
the time and never out-dated. It is
not like the relative knowledge that
the Scientists with imperfect
senses provide. The same
knowledge in Bhagavad Gita was
spoken 120 million years ago also
by Krsna.
6. Bhagavad Gita is a
Scientific Presentation of
Philosophy and true
Religion. The knowledge
given in Bhagavad Gita is
verifiable. This is confirmed
in Bhagavad Gita 9.2
‘Pratyaksavagamam
dharmyam’ by Krsna.
7. Word of Lord is as good as the
Lord. One should receive this
knowledge in a very respectful
mood with the desire to perfect
one’s life. Although the Lord is
not present personally before
us, his instructions are as good
as the Lord.
8. There is a significance why
Bhagavad Gita is spoken
on a battle field. Life is a
struggle just like a battle.
Bhagavad Gita is for those
who want to tackle the
battle of life and to deliver
us from the ignorance.
 From Whom Should I hear
Bhagavad Gita?
Tad vijnanartham sa gurum
evabhigacchet
samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistham
“In order to learn the transcendental
science, one must submissively
approach a bonafide spiritual master,
who is coming in disciplic succession
and is fixed in the Absolute Truth”
[Mundaka Upanisad 1.2.12]
Why do I need a Guru?
Why should I not think for
myself, Why should there
be one particular
authority? Why should I
not accept only those
things that I feel is
right/good and reject the
rest?
• By accepting the advice and
medicines from a qualified
physician, we are accepting the
Doctor’s authority.
• As soon as we ride in a bus we are
allowing ourselves to be controlled
by the bus-driver
• An Electrical Engineering student
accepts the authority of
B.L.Theraja.
• From Newspapers we understand that
such and such events took place in India
and America. We do not know if really
those incidents took place but we accept
the authority of Newspapers.
• A child accepts his mother as authority
and comes to know of everyone– his
father, brother, etc., only through her
These are some of the Everyday
Examples where we believe
authorities in order to get
knowledge
 The senses cannot give us
perfect knowledge of even
this material world, then what
to speak of things beyond
matter i.e., spiritual subjects?
No one should dare speculate
about spiritual subjects, it is
beyond our mind and senses.
We accept teacher in
every walk of life.
Why not accept the
authority of a
teacher in spiritual
life?
Even when the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, Sri Krsna descended to
this world, he has set an example by
accepting Sandipani Muni as His
Guru. Even Lord Ramacandra
accepted Vasistha Muni as His Guru
to set an example. So even the
Supreme Personality of Godhead
who is the source of all wisdom
accepts a guru to emphasize the
need of accepting a guru.
Disciplic Succession – The Guru
Parampara / Sampradaya
“evam parampara-praptam’ :
“This Supreme science
(bhakti yoga, knowledge
through devotional service)
was thus received through
the chain of disciplic
succession.” [B.G. 4.2]
The chain of masters
in which a particular
guru hears and
speaks the truth is
called his
SAMPRADAYA.
 For instance, in the Brahma
Sampradaya, Vedic
knowledge descends from
Brahma. Brahma gave this
knowledge to Narada. Narada
delivered to Vyasa and so on
without break and even today
continued by the disciples of
Srila Prabhupada.
 PADMA PURANA
Sampradaya-vihina ye mantras te
nisphala matah
atah kalau bhavisyanti chatvarah
sampradayinah
“If one is not connected with a
bonafide disciplic succession
namely – SRI, BRAHMA, RUDRA,
KUMARA sampradayas – whatever
mantras he chants will not bring the
desired result.”
sri-brahma-rudra-sanaka vaisnava
ksiti pavana
chatvaras te kalau bhavya hy
utkale purusottama
“Originally the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Krsna
delivered the message of Vedas to
SRI (Lakshmiji), BRAHMA, RUDRA
(Siva), KUMARA (Sanaka,
Sanatana, Sanatkumar,
Sananda).”
 Ramanujam-srihi-svichakre
madhvacaryam-chaturmuhash
sri vishnuswamino-rudro
nimbadityam chatuksanaha
“This message in Kali yuga (present
age) was carried on by
Ramanujacarya (SRI SAMPRADAYA),
Madhvacarya (BRAHMA
SAMPRADAYA), Vishnuswami (Rudra
Sampradaya) and Nimbarka swami
(Kumara Sampradaya).”
QUALIFICATIONS OF
THE GURU
 Fake or Professional Gurus…
• Charge fees for secret mantras giving
false promises
• Allow their students to disregard all
the Vedic regulative austerities
• Maintain that the purpose of yoga is
material well being and not as a
means of connecting one to God
• Defy the Vedas by saying ‘I am God,
You are God, Everyone is God’ and so
on.
A bonafide Spiritual Master
He has heard the Absolute Truth in a
disciplic succession coming from
Krsna Himself
He has realized the conclusions of the
scriptures by deliberation and is able to
convince others of these conclusions
He should teach by personal example
His senses must be controlled, must be
truthful, interested in the welfare of all
living beings
 3 Point Check
 There is also a check-and-balance
system called guru-sadhu-sastra.
 The teachings of guru must correspond
with the teachings of Sadhu (the
previous spiritual masters in the
disciplic succession) which in turn,
must all correspond with the direct
meanings of Sastra (the scripture).
 This is the proof of perfect knowledge.
QUALIFICATIONS
OF THE DISCIPLE
 A Disciple must …
• Sincerely inquire about the Topmost Long-
term Goal of life which is spiritual welfare
• Submissively inquire with an open mind
• Have service attitude
• Be a devotee of the Supreme Lord
• Have faith in the Spiritual Master
• Obedient to carry out the instructions of
his Guru
Bhagavad Gita deals with 5
basic truths
1) Isvara – the Supreme Controller, God
2) Jiva – the living entity, a subordinate
controller controlled by God
3) Material nature constituted of three
qualities: sattva, rajas, tamas
4) Eternal time – an energy of Krsna
5) Karma – activities performed by a
combination of 3 modes and under the
control and purview of eternal time
The knowledge of Bhagavad Gita
can be categorized into 3
headings:
1) Sambandha – Who is God? Who
am I? What is the relationship
between me and God?
2) Abhideya – process for reviving
that relationship
3) Prayojana – the mature result,
attainment of love of God
 Session
Session 23

The Science
of Soul
back
 What is Soul?
• The spark of life force that
activates every body
• The soul is compared to a driver
and the body to a vehicle
• The soul makes the body appear
alive and when the soul leaves
the body we say the person is
‘dead’
Scientific Proof of
the soul’s
existence
 Common Sense
• When a person dies we say “He
has passed away”.
• Who has passed away? The
body of the person is still there.
• The fact is that the source of
life, the soul has passed away
from the body.
Intuitive Understanding
We know that the real self, the
‘I’ is distinct from the body,
mind and intelligence.
We speak of ‘my eyes’, ‘my
hands’ etc., This means
these things belong to
somebody, an owner.
 Consciousness
It is the symptom of the soul.
Just like the sun spreads heat and light
all around, the soul spreads
consciousness all around the body,
from the tip of the toes and fingers to
the top of the head.
It is what distinguishes a dead body
from a living one
It gives the proof of the soul
Near Death Experience (NDE)
• Examples of findings show that the
mind is independent of the material
body and brain.
• Out-of-body experiences shows
that the person is able to observe
and relate to things that are
happening to his body from a
perspective outside the body
 Past life memories
• Rigorous, unbiased researches have
been carried out on past lie
memories.
• By thorough investigation of the
details of the things described by the
person, like the place and people
they were associated in their last life,
we get evidences of the conscious
self that travels from one physical
body to the next
 Although the above empirical
evidences confirm a conscious
self present in the body, still
speculative approach has its
own limitations. If one has to
wait for Science to provide
complete understanding of the
nature of the soul, and its
qualities, one may probably have
to wait a million years.
 We can get clear
information about what
is life and what is
death from the
scriptures directly
without any mental
speculation.
 Quote
avinasi tu tad viddhi
yena sarvam idam tatam
vinasam avyayasyasya
na kascit kartum arhati
“That which pervades the entire body is
indestructible. No one can destroy the
imperishable soul.” [B.G.2.17]
 Quote
bhumir apo nalo vayuh
kham mano budhir eva ca
ahankara itiyam me
bhinna prakrtir astadha
“Earth, water, fire, ether, air, mind, intelligence
and false ego are My eight separate inferior
energies” [B.G.7.4]
The gross body is made up of the above
mentioned 5 elements and it is called as
‘Sthula sarira’.
The mind, intelligence and
false ego constitute the
Subtle Body. It is also called
as ‘Sukshma sarira’.
True ego is to understand
that ‘I am spirit soul, eternal
servant of Krsna’.
False ego is to think in
illusion that ‘I am this body’.
A conditioned soul is
trapped in the Gross and
Subtle bodies.
One who is free from
these coverings attains
the spiritual world and is
called a ‘Liberated Soul’.
 Srila
Prabhupada
is such a
liberated
soul.
 Quote
Apareyam itas tv anyam
Prakrtim viddhi me param
Jiva bhutam maha baho
Yayedam dharyate jagat
“Besides this inferior nature, there is
a superior energy of Mine, that are
all living entities who are
struggling with material nature and
are sustaining the universe.”
[B.G.7.5]
Both inferior energy (matter) and
superior energy (spirit soul) are
subordinate to the Supreme
Lord.
 Knowledge of the Soul
The soul is Indestructible
The soul is an individual (B.G.2.12,
B.G.15.7)
Soul has form:- sac-cid-ananda
form
Spirit gives form to matter which is
asat-acit-nirananda
Soul is eternal (B.G. 2.20)
Spirit and Matter is an
incompatible combination
Soul is situated in the region of
the heart
Soul changes bodies
The size of the soul is 1/10,000
part of the tip of the hair
 Am I God?
The Bhagavad Gita clearly
states that you are not God.
Bhagavad Gita also
unambiguously declares
you can never become God
even after liberation.
 Quote
Dvav imam purusam loke
Ksaras caksaras eva ca
Ksarah sarvani bhutani
Kutastho ksara ucyate
“There are two classes of beings, the
fallible and the infallible. In the
material world every entity is fallible
and in the spiritual world every entity
is called infallible” [B.G.15.16]
 Quote
uttamah purusastv anyah
Paramatmety udahrtah
Yo loka trayam avisya
Bibharty avyaya isvarah
“Besides these two, there is the
greatest living personality, the Lord
Himself, who has entered into these
worlds and is maintaining them”
[B.G.15.17]
 Paramatma – Friend of
Jivatma
• Paramatma is the expansion of the
Supreme Lord who accompanies the
individual soul (Jivatma) who comes
into this material world in order to
take him to different bodies and to
take care of him and escort him. He
is situated within the heart of every
living entity and within every atom.
 The
Paramatma
 Quote
Anor aniyan mahato mahiyan
Atmasya jantor nihito guhayam
Tam akratuh pasyati vita-soko
Dhatuh prasadan mahimanam atmanah
“Both the Supersoul and the atomic soul are
situated on the same tree of the body within
the same heart of the living being and only
one who has become free from all material
desires as well as lamentations can be by the
grace of the Lord, understand the glories of
Soul.” [Katha 1.2.20]
 Samane vrkse puruso nimagno
‘nisaya socati muhyamanah
Justam yada pasyaty anyam isam asya
Mahimanam iti vita-sokah

“Although the two birds (the Supersoul and the

atomic soul are compared to two friendly
birds sitting on the same tree) are in the same
tree, the eating bird is fully engrossed with
anxiety and moroseness as the enjoyer of the
fruits of the tree. But if in some way or other
he turns his face to his friend who is the Lord
– at once the suffering bird becomes free
from all anxieties” Svetasvatara Upanisad
Differences between
Krsna and the living
entity with respect to
Consciousness
Krsna is Infinite but Living entity
is Infinitesimal. ‘nityo nityanam
cetanas cetananam eko
bahunam yo vidhadhati kaman’
– The Supreme Personality of
Godhead maintains the
innumerable living entities and
gives them all the facility for
enjoyment according to
different work.
 Living entities are one with
the Supreme Lord only in
quality not in quantity. This is
called ‘acintya-bheda-abheda
tattva’ meaning ‘simultaneous
oneness and difference’.
This is the philosophy of Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
  The living entity is knower of his body,
but Krsna is knower of all the bodies.
Krsna says, “I am also the knower, but I
am not the individual owner of the body. I
am the super-knower. I am present in
every body as the Paramatma, or
Supersoul.” [B.G. 13.2-3, B.G.15.15]
The body is called ‘ksetra’ and the knower
of the body is called ‘ksetrajna’.
Krsna knows what is going on in
everyone’s body.
The living entity is the proprietor of
his body, but Krsna is the
proprietor of all the bodies.
Krsna is the primary owner of the body
and the soul stays in this body for a
period of time according to it’s ability of
paying price (Karma). So the soul is the
secondary proprietor in every body.

The Supreme Lord knows both the

body and the owner of the body.
  Living entity can be put to
forgetfulness, but Krsna can never be
put to forgetfulness.
Krsna says to Arjuna, ‘Many, many
births both you and I have passed, I
can remember all of them, but you
cannot.”[B.G.4.5]
A liberated person like Arjuna is also
not equal to Lord.
Brahma Samhita describes the Lord as
infallible (acyuta), which means that
He never forgets Himself.
 Living entity has only direct
awareness, but Krsna has both
direct and indirect awareness.
In Srimad Bhagavatam, Krsna is
described as ‘svarat’, ‘Supremely
independent’. He does not depend
on anything for power and
knowledge. He controls everything
through the medium of His
energies. His potency is automatic
and spontaneous.
 We, the living
entities are
eternally a loving
servitor of the
Supreme Lord,
and God is
eternally our
loving master.
 Krsna,
the
father of
all living
entities.
 Session
Session 33

Who Is God? Why

Different Gods, Different
Scriptures?

back
 Message of God Presented
According to the Level of Audience
to Digest

Undiluted pure message for the

spiritually advanced.
Suitably modified message for
the morally and spiritually
degraded.
Elementary School
Maths
5-3=2

High School
3 - 5 = -2
Maths

College Maths, Differential

Calculus, Integral
Ph.D. Maths Calculus etc.,

All are Mathematics; Still the level of

knowledge is different.
Islam & Christianity – Taught According
to Time-Place-Circumstance
“ Do not have sex with your mother and
sister” - 16th Surah of The Koran
“Thou Shall Not Kill” – Ten
Commandments, Bible
Bhagavad Gita spoken to Arjuna – Best
human being when Indian Civilisation
was at it’s best
Srimad Bhagavatam spoken to Ascetics
dedicated to performing sacrifices for
the welfare of humanity
 Different Religions, Same
Message
Essence of all the major
religious scriptures:-
1. God is one and love of god
2. Obedience to the laws of god
3. Service to god
4. Return to the kingdom of god
1. Sin no more
2. Glory of the holy names
3. Sacrifice and renunciation
of material pleasure
4. Approach a spiritual
master
 Examples
Meat Eating Allowed for
Muslims except Pig and Dog
For Christians it is allowed
everyday except Friday
In Sanatana Dharma, meat
eating is prohibited (One of the
pillars of sinful life)
 Example
Sex Life
Islam permits to marry 4 wives at a
time
In Bible St. Paul says it is better to
marry than to burn with passion
Srimad Bhagavatam says we must
give up sex life completely except
for procreation of God conscious
children
How does one explain these
differences?

Although all empowered

messengers of God have
the same message they
restrict their teachings to
what their audience can
digest.
 Lord Sri Krishna tells Arjuna in
Bhagavad Gita,
‘jnanam te ‘ham sa-vijnanam
idam vaksyamy asesatah
Yaj jnatva neha bhuyo ‘nyaj
jnatavyam avasisyate’
“I shall now declare unto you in full this
knowledge both phenomenal and
nomenal, by knowing which there
shall remain nothing further to be
known.” [BG 7.2]
All religions - Same message
1. ‘Love Thy God with all thy soul and all
thy might’ (Bible)
2. Islam means ‘complete surender’
3. ‘sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam
saranam vraja’ (Bhagavad Gita)
Abandon all varieties of religion and
just surrender to Me’
4. Glorification of Holy Name – 99 names
of Allah, 1000 names of Visnu,
‘Hallowed by Thy Name’ (Bible)
Authorised religions like
Christianity, Islam are like
pocket dictionaries
(where there is partial
revelation of Truth
according to the level of
audience)
Scriptures of Sanatana
dharma is like Chambers
Dictionary (Where there
is complete knowledge)
Words like come, go…..are in
all dictionaries.
Similarly subjects on mode
of goodness like ‘do not
steal’, ‘Love everyone’,
‘forgive your enemy’, ‘always
do good to others’ are in all
religious scriptures
 Words like
‘cataclysm’,
‘corroborate’ etc.,
found only in bigger
dictionaries.
Similarly…
subjects on mode of PURE goodness,
like ‘surrendering to the will of God
out of unmotivated uninterrupted
love’, ‘thinking and serving God 24
hours a day’, ‘renouncing all worldly
pleasures and having a desire to
serve God birth after birth even
without desire for liberation’ found
only in most advanced scriptures of
Sanatana Dharma
(for eg in SB)
 Sanatana dharma
• Hinduism
• Islam – 1300 years
• Bible – 2000 years
• Buddhism – 2500 years
• Bhagavad Gita – re-spoken to
Arjuna 5000 years before
• Sanatana dharma coming
down from time immemorial
 Sanatana dharma –
assortment of religions
• The Matsya purana says that
there are 18 puranas.
6 puranas written for:
• People in mode of goodness
• People in mode of Passion
• People in mode of Ignorance
 Mode of goodness puranas
recommend the worship of
Lord Hari – Lord Krishna
 Mode of Passion puranas
recommend and glorify worship of
Brahma and other Demigods
 Puranas for mode of ignorance
people recommend worship of Lord
Siva and Durga
 My dear goat, in this life I sacrifice
you to Goddess Kali,
In the next life you may do the same
to me(!)
 If some kind of
regulation is not
there for people in
tamo guna, they
would anyway do
sinful activities
every day.
 Scriptures for Kali yuga?

Kali Santarana
Upanishad
Bhagavad Gita
Srimad Bhagavatam
 Kali Santarana Upanishad
 One of the 108 Upanishads
 The Upanishad to cross over
the ocean of Kali yuga
 The Hare Krishna maha
mantra, mentioned in this
Upanishad to attain SELF-
REALISATION
Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita is
spoken by Lord Krsna at
the conclusion of
Dvapara Yuga not only
for Arjuna but also the
people of the ensuing
Kali Yuga
Srimad Bhagavatam

Spoken by Sukadeva Gosvami

(and repeated by Suta Gosvami)
essentially for the people of Kali
Yuga to find relief from the
miseries of this age and attain
love of God
 God: Called by Different
Names
• ALMIGHTY: There is no one
mightier than God
• OMNIPOTENT: God is all potent
• JEHOVAH: ‘The Almighty
• ALLAH: The Greatest
• KRISHNA: The All-Attractive
• RAMA: The Supreme Enjoyer
 Definition of God
• ‘janmady asya yatah’ -
‘From whom everything
emanates’ [S.B.1.1.1]
• Parasara Muni, the father
of Vyasa Dev defines
God / ‘Bhagavan’
 The Supreme Personality of
Godhead has:
(1)all Riches
(2) all Strength
(3) all Fame
(4) all Beauty
(5) all Knowledge
(6) all Renunciation
 Anyone possessing all the
opulence in full is naturally
‘ALL ATTRACTIVE’
Krsna means ‘all attractive’ in Sanskrit

ALL RICH ALL

STRONG
ALL ALL
FAMOUS BEAUTIFUL

ALL
KNOWLEDGE ALL
RENUNCIATION
 WHO IS GOD?
IN BIBLE: JESUS - SON OF
GOD
IN KORAN: MOHAMMED -
MESSENGER OF GOD
IN BHAGAVAD GITA:
KRISHNA -THE SUPREME
PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD
IS GOD PERSONAL OR
IMPERSONAL?

LIGHT /
BRAHMA
JYOTI
Brahmajyoti is
the effulgence
from the body
of the
Supreme
Personality of
Godhead.
Jnanis realize
this Brahman
aspect of
God.
 Those who realize the
BRAHMAN feature of the
Absolute Truth is compared
to students interested in
studying the SUNSHINE or
energy of the sun
Students study the
sun disc through
it’s reflection in
the MIRROR
/ The knowledge of
the PARAMATMA
feature of the Lord
 Yogi
meditating
on the
Paramatma
Students who can enter
into the sun PLANET is
compared to those who
realize the PERSONAL
feature of the Absolute
Truth
 BRAHMA SAMHITA
Isvarah parama Krishna
Saccid ananda vigraha
Anadir adir govindah
Sarva karana karanam
“Krishna (God) is the supreme controller.
He has a form of eternity, knowledge
and bliss. He is the prime cause of all
causes.”
 Srila Prabhupada
used the words
‘SUPREME
PERSONALITY OF
GODHEAD’ meaning
there is form and
personality instead of
saying just ‘GOD’.
 Evidences for
Krishna’s Supremacy
Krishna says in
B.G. 10.8. that
He is the
source of all
spiritual and
material
worlds and
that everything
emanates from
Him.
KRISHNA: SOURCE
OF ALL QUALITIES
 “Intelligence
Fearlessness
Knowledge
Freedom Nonviolence
from doubt and Equanimity
delusion Satisfaction
… Austerity
Forgiveness Charity
Truthfulness Fame
Self-control Infamy
Calmness
…
Pleasure
are created
Pain
by Me
Birth alone”
Death
B.G. 10.4-5
Fear
Krishna:
Father of
all beings
 Krishna,
father of
all living
entities.
“aham bija
pradah
pita”
 sarva-yonisu kaunteya
murtayah sambhavanti yah
tasam brahma mahad yonir
aham bija-pradah pita
TRANSLATION
“It should be understood that all
species of life, O son of Kunti,
are made possible by birth in this
material nature, and that I am
the seed-giving father.”
Krishna: Fountainhead of all
Avatars
 There is mention of every
AVATAR of God in the
scriptures before He appears.
Lord Krishna is mentioned in
RIG VEDA.
Krishna is mentioned in
CHANDOGYA UPANISHAD as
DEVAKI NANDAN KRISHNA.
 BUDDHA is mentioned
in Srimad Bhagavatam
before He appeared.
The Caitanya Upanishad
portion of the Atharva
Veda foretells the
appearance of Lord
Caitanya.
Krishna: Source of all
Demigods
 KRISHNA & VISHNU
S.B.1.3.28. ‘ETE CAMSA
KALA PUMSAH…’ SLOKA
IS VERY IMPORTANT TO
LEARN BY-HEART TO
KNOW THAT KRSNA IS
THE SOURCE OF
EVERYONE.
Traffic police
at work and
at home
“O Arjuna,
there is no
Truth
superior to
Me.
Everything
rests upon
Me, as
pearls are
strung on a
thread.”
 Krishna: The Supreme
Knower
PAST SAMATITANI
PRESENT VARTAMANANI
FUTURE BHAVISHYANI

BG. 7.26
“Sarvam etad rtam manye”

“I accept
everything
You say
to be
true”
 Speciality of
Krishna’s Appearance
and Activities
 BG.4.9
Janma Karma ca me divyam
evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mam eti so ‘rjuna
 Krishna knows
past, present and
future
Krishna and His body are Not
Different
Krishna appears in the world in
His original eternal form, with
two hands, holding a flute. He
appears exactly in His eternal
body, uncontaminated and
untouched by this material
world.
 Avatara
The word
‘Avatara’ means
‘one who
descends from
the Spiritual Sky’
 Purusa Avatars
Krishna first incarnates as the
3 Purusa incarnations:
(i) Maha Visnu or
Karanodakasayi Visnu
(ii)Garbodhakasayi Visnu, and
(iii)Ksirodhakasayi Visnu
 Vishnu Tattva
• Krishna, Vishnu, Kurmavatar,
Matsyavatar etc.,
• Krishna and all Vishnu expansions
are like many candles equally
luminous;
• But Krishna is the original candle
• ‘krsnastu bhagavan svayam’
(S.B. 1.3.28)
 Sambu Tattva
• Lord Siva, a specific
expansion of Krsna to
control tamo guna
• Just as milk is
transformed into curd,
similarly Siva is an
expansion of Krsna
• No jiva can become
Siva
• Siva is the greatest
devotee of Krsna
• ‘vaishnavanam yatha
shambhu’ (S.B)
 Jiva Tattva
• Brahma, Indra, Vayu
etc., and all living
entities
• ‘All gods are equal’ is a
wrong philosophy;
there is only one God
Brahma, Indra are posts
as much as Prime
minister of India is a
post.
They are empowered
administrators of the
universe; They have
been appointed and
empowered by Krsna.
Demigods are empowered to
offer material benedictions
• Less intelligent persons
approach demigods for
material facilities
• An intelligent person
surrenders to Krsna, the
source of all demigods
How does a devotee deal with
the demigods?
• He understands that the
demigods are empowered
servants of Krsna who are
given a particular service to
do
• He is not offensive towards
demigods
A devotee sees the
demigods as part
and parcel of Krsna
and offers them
respect.
 Krishna Demigods
1. Supremely conscious 1. Individually conscious
2. Always God 2. Posted temporarily
3. Can give liberation 3. Cannot give liberation
4. Supremely Independent to their worshippers
5. Possesses spiritual 4. Dependent on Krsna
body 5. Possess material body
6. Beyond the influence of 6. Under 3 modes
3 modes
 Session 2

Material Nature, Time

and Karma

back
Everyone is full
of anxieties
because of the
material
existence.
Why am I
suffering?
Where do I
go after
this life?
 KRISHNA
ANSWERED
THESE
QUESTIONS
AND
RELIEVED
ARJUNA
FROM ALL
MISERIES
• Who are we?
We are spirit souls.
Originally we were in the
spiritual world.
We had a spiritual body
made of sat-cit-ananda
(ETERNITY KNOWLEDGE
AND BLISS)
When we desire to enjoy
the material world, we get
a material body which is
made of 5 Gross Elements
– Earth, Water, Fire, Air,
Ether; 3 Subtle Elements –
Mind, Intelligence, False
Ego.
The spirit soul first
accepts a body that
is human in form
but gradually
degrades to animal,
plant and aquatic
forms.
Process by which a
soul transmigrates
from one body to
another is known
as Reincarnation.
 Reincarnation
Life does not begin at birth nor
end with death
Widely accepted by philosophers
and scientists
Accepted by various religions like
Judaism, Christianity, Islam and
Sanatana Dharma
 Scientific Proof For
Reincarnation
Science can never actually “prove”
anything
Research work done in this field
brings decisive proof of
Reincarnation
Truthful memories of previous
lives
A real case History
Relevance of Reincarnation
in our life
When Reincarnation is
accepted to be true
then it implies we are
not these bodies;
we are spirit souls.
What can the soul carry
with him?
1.Pious Activities
2.Sinful Activities
3.Devotional Service
(Bhakti)
Scapegoats Example
Similarly in this material world,
we get small amount of sense
enjoyment, but one fine day, we
are chucked out of the body.
 Our life is a waste of
time and hard work if we
do not try to understand
the meaning of life by
asking questions like…
 “What is Reincarnation?
Why does it happen? Who
or What is Reincarnated?
How long you have to wait
between births? Does it
happen to all of us, or only
a few?”
Sure way to understand
a machine is to learn
about it from the person
who built it.
Similarly, the direct way to
understand the machinery
of the universe—including
the subtle machinery of
reincarnation—is to learn
about it from the person
behind it.
 One must enthusiastically
learn the truth from scriptures
like Bhagavad Gita and Srimad
Bhagavatam from a bonafide
spiritual master coming in an
unbroken chain of disciplic
succession.
 6 Changes of Body
1. Birth
2. Growth
3. Maintenance
4. Production of By-Products
5. Dwindling
6. Death / Destruction
 We cannot even
stop these changes
by scientific
advancement, where
is the question of
stopping death???
 A moon appears to be
absent on a no moon day,
then the moon goes on
waxing…then full moon day
comes.
Is the moon changing? No.
It is because of our relative
position we call it as ‘full
moon’ or ‘no moon’.
 Similarly, we identify
ourselves to the changing
body. Sometimes
childhood, boyhood, youth,
old age, death, sometimes
plant’s body, sometimes
animal’s body.
 We are identifying
ourselves with all these
different phases of
material existence, but
actually we are
unchangeable souls.
 Material Body – Changing
Dress for the Soul
Body only changes; the soul is
eternal
As a person puts on new
garments giving up old and
useless ones, similarly the soul
accepts new material bodies
giving up old and useless ones.
The External body is just a
like a coat for the soul
 Spiritual Evolution
Originally Spiritual Being
Due to desire for material
enjoyment, soul comes down
Accepts Human body
Falls into lower forms of life
due to degraded activities –
into plants, animals and aquatic
forms
 Quote
Brahma-Vaivarta purana says:
“One attains the human form of life
after transmigrating through
8,400,000 species of life by the
process of gradual evolution. That
human form of life is spoiled for
those conceited fools who do not
take shelter of the lotus feel of
Govinda[Krishna].”
 Quote
Padma Purana says…there are,
9,00,000
species of
aquatic
life
2,000,000
species
of Plants
and
Trees
1,100,000
species
of
insects
1,000,000
species
of bird
life
3,000,000 species of beasts
400,000 species of human life
 The meaning of “species”
used by biologists
applies to the gross
physical appearance of
the body.
The Vedic meaning is based
on the level of
consciousness of the
living being.
Biologists say that all human
beings belong to one
species, whereas the Vedic
literatures list 400,000
human species according
to consciousness of the
living entities.
In the lower of levels of consciousness,
a living entity, although in a human
body, behaves just like an animal.
In a higher level, his consciousness may
be slightly evolved and he may be selfish
for his family.
In a still higher level, he is concerned about
his, community, state, country, becomes an
philonthropist, social worker.
After many lifetimes one starts
to enquire about God.
 The living
entity
develops
several
conceptions
about God in
many, many
lifetimes until
he comes to
Krishna.
 The varieties of life
forms are products of
combinations and
permutations of the 3
modes of nature –
goodness, passion
and Ignorance.
 The life forms are just like
temporary houses of different
shapes, sizes, in which the
living being, temporarily
resides. The price for obtaining
a specific form is KARMA.
 The forms governed
by the 3 modes, puts
a constraint on the
qualities and activities
of living being’s
consciousness.
Although all animals are
in the mode of
ignorance,
they are influenced by
the modes of goodness
and passion in varying
degrees.
 Cow is very
simple, mild in
behaviour,
influenced by
mode of
goodness to
some extent.
The ferocious nature of Lion
reveals it’s passionate
consciousness.
 Camels are almost
completely in the mode of
ignorance.
3 Modes of Material Nature
1. Sattva Guna (Mode of
Goodness)
2. Rajo Guna (Mode of Passion)
3. Tamo Guna (Mode of
Ignorance)

Guna means “Rope”.

Rope is made by twisting fiber
in a threefold process.
Similarly, the 3 modes of
nature are “twisted together”
innumerable times.
In this way, the material
energy binds us more and
more.
 This bondage is known as
“PAVARGA”
• Pa – Parisrama = hard
struggle of existence
• Pha – Phena = Foam from
mouth coming due to
heavy hard work for sense
gratification
 Hard
Work
at day
and
Worn
Out at
night
• Ba – Bandha = bondage
• Bha – Bhaya = Fear
• Ma – Mrtyu = Death
 Through Krishna
consciousness one
attains ‘apavarga’,
where there is no hard
struggle for existence,
no material bondage,
fear or death.
Characteristics of one
in Goodness, Passion
and Ignorance
 Mode of Goodness
Wiser than others
Leads life according to
scriptures
Not so much affected
by material miseries
Sense of advancement
in material knowledge
Sense of happiness
More or less free from
sinful reactions
The representative type is a
brahmana.
Examples are the scientist,
philosopher and poet.
They become bound by the
pleasant sort of life and to
the goodness of material
nature. Although their life
may seem pleasant, they
are still in the bodily
concept of life which is
illusion.
A Goodness person thinks that
he is Dr. so and so, an
American (some national), a
middle-aged man, a husband, a
father, a reasonable, well-
educated gentleman. These
designations are all material;
they concern only the body and
mind.
He has not yet realized that he
is neither his body nor his
mind; he is a spirit soul, an
eternal servant of Krsna.
Since he misidentifies with
his body, he must come
under the influence of the
laws of nature governing that
body.
 Mode of Passion
Characterized by attraction
between man and woman.
Develops hankering for
material enjoyment.
Wants honor, prestige,
name, fame, good status
Works very hard
Spending for good causes
like building hospitals,
giving charity
They make a show of being
religious, but it is more or
less a social affair, since in
fact they disregard the
guidelines of scriptures
Today more or less the
whole world is in the
mode of passion.
The Vedic society is
considered to be in the
mode of goodness.
Man – Woman Attraction
Attracted to External
Beauty
He wants to enjoy sense
gratification and he runs
behind things that helps
him gratify his senses.
 In order to fulfill all
his desires, he works
very hard 24 hours a
day.
 Mode of Ignorance
• One cannot understand
what is what
• The person in MOI is very
lazy and unclean
• He has no interest in
spiritual life
• He is very inactive
and dull
• Sleeps atleast 10 to 12
hours a day
• Always appears to be
dejected
• He is addicted to
intoxicants and sleeping
• Whatever he does is good
neither for him nor for
anyone
• Always procrastinates
things
Distilled Mode of
Ignorance!!!
Addicted to Sleep
 Quote
Trai-gunya-visaya veda
Nistrai-gunyo bhavarjuna
Nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho
Niryoga-ksema atmavan
“The Vedas deal mainly with the subject of
the 3 modes of material nature. O Arjuna,
become transcendental to these 3 modes.
Be free from all dualities and from all
anxieties for gain and safety, and be
established in the self.” [B.G. 2.45]
What makes us act in a
particular way?
We generally think that we
are in control of our actions
and that we are making our
own decisions
But Krsna, the Supreme
Authority declares that this
is not the case.
 Quote
Prakrteh kriyamanani
Gunaih karmani sarvasah
Ahankara-vimudhatma
Kartaham iti manyate
“The spirit soul bewildered by the
influences of false ego thinks himself
the doer of activities that are in
actuality carried out by the 3 modes of
material nature.” [B.G. 3.27]
 People
are acting
as
PUPPETS
of the
forces of
nature
 3 modes bind us to the
material world
• There are 14 planetary systems, we are in
the 7th one known as ‘Bhu loka’;
• above this Bhuvaloka, svaloka, mahar
loka, jana loka, tapa loka, satya loka;
• Below atala, vitala, sutala, talatala,
mahatala, rasatala, patala.
 Pious beings are
elevated to higher
planets and
impious beings are
cast down into
lower planets.
 Quote
Urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha
Madhye tisthanti rajasah
Jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha
Adho gacchanti tamasah
“Those in the MOG gradually go upward
to the higher planets; Those in the
MOP live on the earthly planets; and
those in the abominable MOI go down
to the hellish worlds.” [B.G. 14.18]
Jail Example
 A class jail:- Devatas in mode of
Swimming pool, goodness have long
life and no sweat but
newspaper, no they have to die
freedom
B class jail:- Living beings in
Prisoners who mode of passion
have to work hard
C class jail:- kept In mode of
in strong ignorance like
confinement trees, animals
 “All men are forced to act
helplessly according to the
impulses born of modes of
material nature; therefore
no one can refrain from
doing something, not even
for a moment.”
B.G. 3.5
Our real life is eternal, blissful
and full of knowledge.
Under the illusion of
goodness, however, we look
for this reality in mundane
learning and a feeling of
material satisfaction.
 In passion, we seek it in sex
and possessions; and in
Ignorance, we seek it in sleep
and intoxication. Thus our
pure spiritual nature is
perverted by impure desires,
born of the modes of nature.
 Krsna is
‘svarat’,
completely
independent

He can do
whatever He
likes.
 Since living entities are
tiny parts of God, we also
have His quality of
Independence—but only in
a minute quantity,
proportionate to our size.
 According to our material
desires, our body acts either in
goodness, passion, ignorance
or some combination.
These desires spring from our
bodily concept of life.
The ways we try to fulfill these
desires are also material.
THE LAW OF KARMA:
THE INFALLIBLE
JUSTICE
MECHANISM OF
REINCARNATION
 The soul resides within
two types of material
bodies– the gross body
and the subtle body.
These bodies develop
and function only
because of the presence
of the self within them.
 Gross Body
The gross body is made up
of earth (solids), water
(liquids), fire (jataragni),
air (gases) and ether
(space and sound).
Gross body is called as
‘Sthula sarira’.
 Subtle Body
• It is made up of mind, intelligence
and false ego.
• It is called as ‘Sukshma sarira’.
• Mind is store house of previous
experiences, unfulfilled desires and
thoughts
• Intelligence is the decision maker
• False ego is to think in illusion that,
‘I am this body’.
 Subtle body and Gross body
are coverings on the soul.
Such a soul entrapped in these
coverings is called a
CONDITIONED SOUL. One who
becomes free from these
coverings and attains the
spiritual consciousness is
called a LIBERATED SOUL.
When the gross body
is worn out and
uninhabitable, the
soul and the subtle
body leave it. This is
what we commonly
call “death”.
 The subtle body
contains the record of
all the living entity’s
thoughts, activities and
desires, and it is these
that determine the
soul’s next gross body.
 By the laws of karma,
and under the direction
of Paramatma, the living
entity reincarnates in a
body just suitable to the
mentality – a change we
commonly call “birth”.
 Just like air carries
fragrance of a rose,
the subtle body very
subtly carries the
soul to another
gross body at the
time of death.
 According to the
condition of the mind at
the time of death, the
minute spirit soul enters
into the womb of a
particular mother
through the semen of a
father, and then…
The soul develops the body given by
the mother.
The soul can travel with the
subtle body under any
circumstances. OBE (out-
of-body experiences), NDE
(near-death experiences),
Hypnotic regression into
past lives, yogis’ siddhis
are therefore possible.
Bodies are Tailor-made’ to
satisfy soul’s desires
A tailor measures and
stitches a perfect suit
for us
 Krsna is capable of
fulfilling every living
entity’s desires. There
are 8.4 million
species for us to
choose.
Within Srimad Bhagavatam is the
potential basis of great scientific
research work, for it explains
how subtle forms are generated
from the ethereal element, how
the tangible elements, namely air,
fire, water and earth are
manifested from the subtle form.
 Mental activities, or
psychological
activities of thinking,
feeling and willing are
also activities on the
platform of ethereal
existence.
 Mental existence transforms
into tangible form as soon as
there is an opportunity. So,
the soul being carried by the
subtle body, occupies a
womb depending on the
unfulfilled desires stored in
the subtle body.
Do you like to sleep a lot?

You can have a polar

bear’s body and can sleep
for 6 months in a Year
without being ridiculed by
your friends or scolded by
your parents!
 Do you like to
eat flesh and
drink blood?
Nature says:
‘Come on! Take
this body of a
tiger or lion!’
 Do you like to be in
water always and keep
swimming? (Some
swimmers are mad.
They want to swim from
Palk Straight to English
Canal!)
 Nature says: ‘Come on!
Take the body of a fish and
swim to your heart’s
content!’
 Do you want to always
fly in aeroplanes, glides
etc.,?

Nature says” ‘Take the

body of a bird ! No
accidents,no hijacking!’
Some people don’t want
to wear proper clothes
in their body. They want
to expose major part of
their body and draw the
attention of opposite
sex.
 Nature says: ‘Take
the body of a Tree,
and stand naked to
your heart’s content
in all seasons like
summer, winter etc.’
 The living entity has a
particular form called as
‘Svaroopa’, which is his
eternal form in the spiritual
world. That does not
change when the living
entity moves from one
body to another body.
 Definition of Karma

The function and activity of

the living entity within the
framework of his free will
and under the influence of
the 3 modes of material
nature over a span of time.
 Every action has an
appropriate reaction
If someone is very charitable,
in his next birth he may be
very wealthy.
If someone performs abortion,
he or she will suffer the same
fate in the next life.
Good Karma & Bad Karma
There exist so many
disparities in the society…
some are poor while some
are rich etc.,
Some ask, ‘why is God so
unfair?”
This lifetime is not the
beginning of our existence.
 2 children are born on the
same day. One is born with a
silver spoon, bright, healthy,
wealthy, attractive with a
future full of promise.
The second child is born to a
mother, a good lady, who was
abandoned while pregnant.
 Just as a person selects
an automobile based on
personal driving needs
and purchasing power,
material nature
responding to our desires
and actions arranges our
body.
 If one performs action according
to the laws of God as given in the
scriptures, then it is called Karma
(or Good Karma)
If one wastes this human form of
life which is meant for self
realisation by engaging solely in
the animalistic activities then it is
Bad Karma (Vikarma)
 Ignorance of Law is no
Excuse
• Once a boy was waiting for electric
train in Bombay and all trains were full;
But by mistake, without knowledge he
got into first class which was less
crowded but very soon caught by ticket
checker and fined.
 Similarly Vedas are there;
authorised spiritual teachers
are there; knowledge is there.
These are meant for humans,
not for cats or dogs. If one
does not show interest in God
and remains in ignorance he
has to be punished.
Those who are in the
knowledge of
how
transmigration
takes place,
understand that:
Due to karma, a
king may become
a beggar in this
life or next….
 Either you take the body of
king or you take the body of a
dog, the body is miserable. It
does not mean that when
there is disease, only the
dog's body suffers, not the
king's body. Everyone has to
suffer.
 Quote
A-brahma-bhuvanal lokah
Punar avartino ‘rjuna
Mam upetya tu kaunteya
Punar janma na vidyate
“From the highest planet in the material
world down to the lowest, all are places
of misery wherein repeated birth and
death take place. But one who attains
to My abode, O son of Kunti, never
takes birth again.” [B.G. 8.16]
 If a man steals something
and has changed dress, he
cannot escape punishment.
The police will catch him
and punish him.
 Similarly we may have
performed some bad
activity in the past and now
have changed our dress
(body), but we have to reap
the bad result. That is why
sometimes good people
appear to suffer.
With a broader vision
of universal justice,
we can see how each
individual soul is
alone responsible for
his own karma.
 The laws of
reincarnation operate
impartially to award
each living being the
destiny he has earned
by his previous actions.
 God is an all-compassionate
being
Human form is very rare and
MEANT ONLY FOR SELF-
REALISATION.
One cannot misuse it.
Animals don’t get karma. So if we
want to be just animalistic, we
will be given an animal’s body.
What is Collective Karma?
Everyone of us have to
bear the reaction for our
individual actions in
future
But why sometimes a
whole family, society or
country suffers?
 Bosnia, Vietnam or Africa etc.,
suffer due to collective bad
karma.
Sometimes people who have
previously committed heinous
acts like cow-killing or
abortion are all pooled up
together in one airplane and
they are all finished by plane
crash.
 Eternal Damnation in
Hell after one sinful life?

Does everything rests

on our performance in
this one lifetime only?
 God is all-merciful. He gives
us innumerable opportunities
to develop our inherent
spiritual qualities through
many lives until we return to
our original home in the
spiritual world where there is
no reincarnation.
 Miseries of Material
Existence
Even if one is elevated to
heavenly planets due to
one’s good karma he has to
undergo the cycle of birth,
old age, disease and death.
 A company may give
some money and 20
days to its employee to
enjoy in some tourist
resort. Going to
heavenly planets is like
that.
 But after the leave is over, the
man has to come back to job and
work hard again. Similarly when
the ‘punya’ is over, ‘ksine punye
martya lokam visanti’ one falls
back into the same earth to again
continue birth and death. What is
the use of such temporary
elevation to heaven?
 Birth is so painful, the Vedas
say, that the process eradicates
any past-life memories one may
have retained.
The soul is so habituated to
living in the body that he must
be forced out by the laws of
nature at the moment of death.
 Even the tiniest insects will
display the most amazing
abilities and techniques for
avoiding death when their
lives are threatened. But as
death is inevitable for all
living beings, so are the fear
and pain associated with it.
 How to act without
Entanglement?

One must do A-KARMA

which means aligning
one’s activities to
Krsna’s desires.
 Example
There are two students, one a
devotee; other a materialistic
fruitive worker. The devotee
student is studying for Krsna.
The fruitive worker student
will make multiple future
plans and get more and more
entangled in the modes of
mat. Nature.
 A soldier in the army may
kill 100’s of people in the
opposite army and get
highest reward for it but
after his retirement, if he
kills some one due to some
enmity, he will be given
death sentence.
 The soldier in the first case
acted on Government’s
account (by their order) and
in the second case on his
own behalf.
Similarly we must perform
actions on Lord’s account
and not on our own account.
 Ideal example of Arjuna
and Duryodhana

Arjuna fought for the

pleasure of Krsna and is
glorified even today;
Duryodhana fought for his
own personal motives and
he became infamous.
 Arjuna knew that everything
is moving and acting under
the supreme will of Krsna and
that he is only an instrument/
puppet in Krsna’s hands, to
be used in the way Krsna
wanted to use him. This is the
way of acting without
entanglement.
 Similarly we should work
according to Krsna’s
interest as follows:
Yudhistir was asked to tell
a lie that Ashwattama died
Vibheesan left his
demoniac brother Ravana
and joined Lord Rama
 Although these activities
may apparently appear to
be contrary to moral
principles we should
understand that they are on
a transcendental plane.
Krsna is the father of
religion.
 In a dark room a candle
may certainly be good.
Mundane moral principles
are like that. But when sun
rises in the sky what is the
stand of an insignificant
candle? That sun is like the
will of Lord Krsna.
 Quote
Karmano hy api boddhavyam
Boddhavyam ca vikarmanah
Akarmanas ca boddhavyam
Gahana karmano gatih
“The intricacies of action are very hard
to understand. Therefore one should
know properly what action is, what
forbidden action is, and what inaction
is.” [B.G. 4.17]
Krsna is our mother, father,
relative, friend, be all and
end all. He knows what is
best for every living entity.
He acts in a way to bring
good to every living entity.
Lord is never immoral. HE
IS ALL GOOD.
 (eg) mother slaps or
embraces a child – but she
truly loves it. Similarly Krsna
may kill demons and favor
devotees but it is all for
everyone’s good. So Lord’s
activities are supramundane
and a devotee should just co-
operate with the Lord.
 Greatest Welfare Work
 Feeding the poor, doing charity,
opening hospitals are only
secondary to genuinely taking
care of the soul through
spiritual education and practices.
Parrot and the golden cage
The care taker of the
parrot spent all her
time in taking care of
the cage rather than
feeding the parrot;
the parrot eventually
died.
 Similarly in this age people
are outright body conscious.
They totally neglect feeding
spiritual food to the soul.
Real welfare work is realizing
and practicing one’s own
spiritual duty and teaching
the same to others.
 Once a millionaire went for
swimming and was being carried
by the current. A well-built young
man came over there; went into
the water and recovered the coat
of the rich man rather than
saving the man thinking that he
will get lot of money by selling
the golden coat!
 People in the shore chastised
him, “You fool! If you had saved
the rich man, he would have
given you millions of dollars
prize!”
The moral of this story:
we go on increasing the comforts
of the body which is no better
than a shirt and neglect our soul.
“How do you expect people to
understand God before filling
up their belly?”
“Yes, certainly we will
provide prasad which is all
good…for the satisfaction
of the belly as well as the
spirit soul!”
 “God has
provided for
everyone’s need,
but not for
everyone’s
greed”
 People are put into
problems because they
have ignored the
authority of the
Supreme Lord and are
engaging themselves in
sinful activities.
Until people give up their
tendency to lead a sinful
life, any solution in the
form of food, clothing,
shelter, job, money,
comfort is not going to
bring peace in their lives.
 I may provide food to a
person today, but
tomorrow he is going to be
hungry again. I may
provide a job to a beggar
today, but tomorrow he
may not be satisfied with
crores of money turnover!
Contentment, Satisfaction,
Happiness come only to
those whose purpose of
life is to please the
Supreme Lord.
There is a nice story
to illustrate that only
a person who gives
God consciousness
is the only greatest
well wisher.
 Once a multi-
millionaire lost his
small child in a big
festival. The child
was roaming in
the streets like a
pauper and came
across 4 people in
the street.
 First one gave the
child some food to
eat. The second
gave some dress
to wear. The third
gave some
medicines for it’s
wounds.
MEDICINES
The fourth man saw that
the child is the son of
millionaire. He felt great
compassion upon seeing
the present plight of the
child and took the child
back to his father.
 The father’s joy
knew no bounds.
He embraced the
child and soaked
him in an ocean
of love. He gave
child everything
– 64 varieties of
food to
choose….etc.,
 The child became very happy
after reunion with his father.
The fourth man who took the
child back to his father is
compared to a pure devotee
who delivers the living entity
from the material world and
takes him back to the supreme
abode of Krsna.
 Krsna is our
eternal well-
wisher and
father. Once
you go back to
Krsna, then all
your needs
will be fulfilled.
 Quote
Samo ‘ham sarva-bhutesu
Na me dvesyo ‘sti na priyah
Ye bhajanti tu mam bhaktya
Mayi te tesu sapy aham
“I envy no one, nor am I partial to
anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever
renders service unto ME in devotion is
a friend, is in ME, and I am also a friend
to him.” [B. G. 9.29]
ART OF DYING IN
KRISHNA
CONSCIOUSNESS
 Time and Tide wait for none
Lord Krsna exhibited His
Universal form to Arjuna. The
form was so fierce and fearful.
Arjuna asked Krsna the mission
of the form. Krsna replied that
This form is Time; Time is
Destruction; all manifestations are
to be destroyed by the desire of
the Supreme Lord. This is the law
of nature.
A conditioned soul lives in a
body for a fixed time and it is
recommended in the
scriptures that within that
small measurement of time
one has to perfect his Krsna
consciousness and thus gain
release from the influence of
the time factor.
“mrityu sarva haras caham” –
I will take away everything at
the time of death – B.G. 10.34.

Foolish people without

realizing the temporary nature
of their materialistic pursuits,
waste their valuable time.
 Death comes
without
Announcement
 Example
Once a lady had not paid the rent for
her house. One fine morning, the
policemen came and silently broke
open the house, chucked her out
while she was still sleeping and
before she could realize, she
along with her belongings were
out of the house. This is how
death comes to us.
One fine day we are going
to be chucked out of this
body for which we are
spending all time! It is not
pessimism as some people
think. It is a harsh reality!
Who can deny this?
 The foolish materialists say
that they do not want to
surrender to God, because
they want to ‘enjoy’. But when
they are put into trouble they
go for habits such as
smoking, boozing, drugs and
sex indulgence to temporarily
forget the reality.
 But devotees
have different
kind of
enjoyment. They
enjoy everything
through Krsna.
 They relish tasty Krsna
prasad. They dance gracefully
for the pleasure of the Dieties
of Radha-Krsna. They get
mental peace as well as
Intellectual satisfaction
through chanting and reading
of transcendental literatures.
 When all economic
development and
advancement are
utilized to advance in
Krishna consciousness,
a new phase of
progressive life arises.
 Death of a Devotee and a
Demon
• For Devotees Death comes as
Krsna
• For Demons Krsna comes as Death
• Example of a cat carrying it’s kitten
and a mouse; mouse is feeling the
jaws of death but kittens are
comfortable and safe.
 At the time of death the
devotees are transferred to
the spiritual realm, Vaikuntha,
whereas the ordinary sinful
man is dragged down to the
hellish regions by the
Yamdhutas, the Constables of
Yamaraja.
 Life is
Preparation,
Death is Final
Examination
 Quote
Anta-kale ca mam eva
Smaran muktva kalevaram
Yah prayati sa mad-bhavam
Yati nasty atra samsayah
“And whoever, at the end of his life,
quits his body remembering Me
alone at once attains My nature, Of
this there is no doubt” [B.G. 8.5]
 Quote
Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam
Tyajaty ante kalevaram
Tam tam evaiti kaunteya
Sada tad-bhava-bhavitah
“Whatever state of being one
remembers when he quits his
body, O son of Kunti, that state he
will attain without fail” [B.G.8.6]
 Quote
Tasmat sarvesu kalesu
Mam anusmara yudhya ca
Mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
Mam evaisyasy asamsayah
“You should always think of Me in the form
of Krsna and at the same time carry out
your prescribed duty of fighting. With
your activities dedicated to Me and your
mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you
will attain Me without doubt.”
All paths do not lead to the
same goal
It is important to know the
Siddhantha or ‘conclusion’ about
the ultimate destination of the
living entity to be achieved.
If I take a ticket to Calcutta I
cannot expect the train to take
me to Chennai.
 Unless one has aspired to
love and serve Krsna while
being in this body, he cannot
expect to go to the Supreme
abode to join the Lord in His
eternal pastimes.
 If someone imagines
God to have no form or
attribute and desires to
merge into brahman, he
will have to go to
brahma jyoti.
 Life is a Preparation period for
training our body and mind to
love and serve Krsna. Gradually,
we will be cleansed of all
misgivings (like lust, pride, envy,
anger and illusion) and develop a
spontaneous love for serving
Krsna.
 Quote
Abhyasa-yoga-yuktena
Cetasa nanya-gamina
Paramam purusam divyam
Yati parthanucintayan
“He who meditates on Me as the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, his
mind constantly engaged in
remembering Me, undeviated from the
path, he, O Partha, is sure to reach
ME.” [B.G. 8.8]
One’s thoughts during
the course of one’s life
accumulate to
influence one’s
thoughts at the
moment of death. So
the way we lead our
present life is going to
decide our next life.
ALWAYS THINK OF
KRISHNA!
NEVER FORGET
KRISHNA!!
(Padma Purana)

Example: Gopis
 A person who has led a
materialistic life throughout
cannot think of Krsna even if he
endeavors to, at the time of his
death. How can a student who
has not prepared anything for his
exam get a distinction?
By seeing our sincerity in serving
Him, Krsna gives His
remembrance at the time of our
death. This is His special mercy.
Otherwise, death is a very
agonizing experience involving
intense pain and it is impossible
to think of anything.
So one should tolerate all the
impediments in spiritual life
and continue to chant,
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna
Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare,
so that at the end of one’s life
one can have the full benefit
of Krsna consciousness
 Knowledge that one is not
the material body, but a spirit
soul, is not sufficient for
liberation. One must ACT on
the platform of spirit soul.
This is called Bhakti
(Devotional Service) which
includes...
 Practical
techniques for
becoming free from
Karma and
Reincarnation
The first principle of
devotional service is
that one should
regularly chant a
fixed number of
rounds of Hare
Krsna Maha Mantra.
 2. One should regularly study
the Vedic literatures especially
Bhagavad Gita and Srimad
Bhagavatam to develop a
thorough understanding of the
nature of the self, the laws of
karma, the process of
reincarnation and the means
for self-realization.
 One should eat only
spiritualized vegetarian
foods.
One should avoid meat,
fish, eggs, intoxicants.
One should not engage
in illicit sex.
One can offer the fruits
of one’s work to God.
Work has to be done as
a sacrifice for Lord
Visnu. Otherwise work
causes bondage.
 By following these simple
techniques , anyone can
become free from the effects
of karma. Conversely, if one
does not follow them, one is
sure to become entangled in
the actions and reactions of
material life.
 Session 5
• Different forms of
Yoga and the
Topmost Yoga
system
back
 What is Yoga?
• ‘Yoga’ in sanskrit means Union.
• It refers to the union, in love,
between the individual
consciousness and the Supreme
consciousness, the soul and the
Supersoul, i.e., the soul and
God.
 Yoga: What it is not
• Mere physical
exercise for
shaping the body,
good health and
long life
• Emaciating
renunciate in
meditation
Man with some extra
ordinary powers
Varieties of Yoga
1.Karma Yoga
2.Jnana Yoga
3.Dhyana Yoga
4.Bhakti Yoga
 Karma yoga
The process whereby
one performs his
work for God without
the selfish desire for
personal gain.
 Jnana Yoga
The process of elevation
to spiritual
consciousness
through the cultivation
of philosophical
knowledge.
Astanga yoga or Dhyana
Yoga
A mechanical meditative
practice meant to
control the mind and
senses and focus one’s
concentration on the
Supreme.
 Bhakti yoga
• The yoga of selfless, ecstatic,
devotional love of God, Krsna, as
Krsna Himself confirms: “Of all
yogis, he who always abides in
Me, with great faith, worshiping
Me in transcendental loving
service, is most intimately united
with Me in yoga and is the
highest of all” [B.G. 6.47]
 H u m a n
L a w L A a bw i d
K a rJ m n aDi s n h i Bys a h n a i k s t a

S a k N a i ms k a a m a
 Law Breakers (The Hard
Working Materialists)
• No Belief in God, rebirth or karma;
they say, “this world came by
chance”
• This world is all in all; there is
nothing beyond
• Sense Gratification is their goal [BG
16.11-12]
• Sophisticated animals conditioned to
the bodily concept of life
• Trying to find out better ways of Eating,
sleeping, mating and defending
• No discrimination between pious and
sinful activities
• Tirelessly endeavour for little sense
gratification
• “Those who are thus bewildered are
attracted by demoniac and atheistic
views. In that deluded condition, their
hopes for liberation, their fruitive
activities, and their culture of knowledge
are all defeated.” [B.G. 9.12]
 Karma Kandis – Fruitive
Workers following Scriptural
Injunctions
Those who want to follow scriptures,
besides having regulated sense
gratification are called ‘Karma Kandis’
Any thought, word, deed not
connected to the Supreme Lord is SIN.
So they are not ‘sinful’.
Instead of involving in improper ways
of sense gratification and inviting
severe wrath of Yama raja,…
Regulate sense gratification by
following scriptures; worshipping
the respective demigods
This way attain gradual detachment
from sense gratification
Meant for gradual upliftment, but
they are not end in
themselves
Less intelligent people think that
the purpose of Vedas is to elevate
one to the heavenly planets
 Trai-gunya-visaya veda
nistrai-gunyo bhavrjuna
nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho
niryoga-ksema atmavan
“The Vedas deal mainly with the
subject of the 3 modes of material
nature. O Arjuna, become
transcendental to these 3 modes. Be
free from all dualities and from all
anxieties for gain and safety, and be
established in the self.
 Real religious
principles are
‘nistraigunya’,
above the 3 modes
of nature, or
transcendental.
 Liberation from Material
Bondage
• This world is a place of
misery as certified by
Lord Krsna Himself.
• One must work for
freedom from the cycle
of birth and death.
 Temporary Stop-gap
Solutions
• Advancement in Science and Technology
aims at reducing the miseries of man and
providing comfort.
• For example, a fan is used to reduce the
miseries of sweating; a motor cycle is
used to avoid the miseries of pedaling a
cycle.
• If possible it wants to put an end to all
miseries of man
• But these advancements
only provides temporary
solutions to man’s
problems
• We will see these problems
once again come to the
surface in some other form
 Once a man got a boil. A
doctor gave him some
ointment to apply on it. But
after sometime he got a similar
boil in another part of his body
and again went to the same
doctor who advised him to
apply the medicine whenever
the boil comes…
 The poor man thought,
“Every time I get the boil,
it lasts for a week and I
have enormous pain. Is
there no way to put an
end to this problem
altogether?
He went to another doctor
who could understand the
root-cause of the problem-
impurity in the blood. He
treated the patient’s blood
and the patient was
permanently cured.
People do not know the
root cause of the
problem –
misidentification of
oneself to matter.
 Yaya sammohito jiva
atmanam tri-gunatmakam
paro ‘pi manuti ‘nartham
tat-krtam cabhipadyate
“Due to the external energy, the
living entity,although
transcendental to the 3 modes
of nature, thinks himself as a
material product and
undergoes material miseries.”
The real problems of life
are:
Birth
Old age
Disease
Death
 Birth
• Very painful
• For months, the fetus lies in a bow
like position bitten by hungry
worms in the abdomen of the
mother and eating it’s own stool,
hair, urine mixed with food and
jolted by sudden movements
 Old Age
No one wants to grow old due
to so much suffering due to it
These days old people are
forced to go to old age homes
and don’t get any love
Mental problem; body does not
cooperate
 Disease
One disease goes and next one
comes – Cancer, AIDS, etc.,
We may cure one disease for
sometime, but we cannot disease per
se
pain incurred through diseases is a
common experiences of anyone and
needs no explanation
 Death
Garuda Purana says that
death is extremely painful
and one experiences a pain
equivalent to 40,000
scorpion bites.
One has to be forced out of
the body
“In the moment of death, one’s
eyes bulge due to pressure of
air from within, and his glands
become congested with
mucus. He has difficulty in
breathing, and there is a
rattling sound within the throat
… He dies most pathetically.”
[S.B. 3.30.16-18]
 So it is very important to
have the perception of the
evil of birth, old age,
disease and death. So
unless one is utterly
convinced that material life
is utterly miserable, one
cannot take to spiritual life.
 3-fold miseries of material
nature
In prison, food, water, clothing and
shelter are given but under
punishment;
The rebellious living entities are put
into the prison house of the material
world with all facilities such as air,
water etc., under the punishment of
the 3-fold miseries of material nature
 Sanatana
Goswami
submitted to
Lord Caitanya on
behalf of us that
people respect
him as a great
scholar but he
does not know
who he is and
why is he
suffering.
3-fold miseries
Adhyatmika
Adhibhautika
Adhidaivika
 Adhyatmika
• Refers to the miseries caused by
mind and body
• Sometimes the living entity
suffers bodily and sometimes he
is distressed mentally
• We experience this even in the
womb of the mother
 Adhibhautika
Refers to miseries
caused by other
living entities
Even some small
insect can make us
miserable and give
us pain
 Adhidaivika
Miseries are natural disasters that
originate with the demigods of
higher planets.
For instance, severe cold, hot
weather, thunderbolt, earthquakes,
tornados, droughts etc.,
 Durga
• This material world is called
‘Durga’ which means fort.
 Trident
The Trident of Durga represents
the 3-fold miseries.
Durga pierces the hearts of the
living entities with this trident, in
order to remind them that they are
presently staying in an artificial
place, which is not their original
home.
The miseries should give us an
impetus to take to spiritual life
seriously.
 Mayadevi
/Durgadevi also is
a pure devotee of
Krsna and her
service is to
screen the living
entities and hand
over the pure
devotees back to
the spiritual world.
 Both the spiritual master and
Mayadevi are working for the
same goal – to reclaim the
conditioned souls and take them
back to Godhead. The difference is
that the spiritual master gives you
knowledge and instruction to
progress in Krsna consciousness,
Mayadevi gives you slap/kick to
remind you what you are doing is
not correct.
Sukadeva Gosvami & Maharaja
Pariksit
 The yogis are those who
understand the temporary
nature of this material
world, understand the role
of Maya and work for
liberation from material
bondage to return to
eternal life.
 Those who care only for
satisfying their senses and
not care for the laws of God,
whether such an uncontrolled
person is cultured or
uncultured, educated or
uneducated, weak or strong,
his actions are always bestial.
The can never benefit anyone.
The law abiding beings are
classified into:
Karmis
 Sakama
Niskama
Jnanis
Bhaktas
 The Sakama-Karmis or
Fruitive workers want to
enjoy the results of their
labour
and
The Niskama-Karmis
renounce the fruits of
action.
The ladder of Yogic Process

Bhakti Yoga – Loving

devotional service to
Krsna
Astanga Yoga – Meditation
on the Supersoul in the
heart
Jnana Yoga – Impersonalist,
Knowledge and Austerity
Karma Yoga – Renunciation of fruits of
one’s labour
 When a person is firmly
situated at one stage, he
then has to give up
attachment and adherence
to the practice of that stage
in order to elevate himself
to the next higher stage.
Karma Yoga
If You Do Fruitive Activity…
The fruitive acts gives fruits which when
experienced will create new activities
and a set of results…this go on
without an end like a mammoth tree
sprouting endless branches and
twigs.
 By performing fruitive
work in just one life time,
one gets entangled in the
cycle of Karma and as a
result the soul enters the
8.4 million species and
suffer the 3-fold miseries.
 If You Renounce Action…
 Trying to give up all activities is no solution
 Smrtis tell us that we inevitably commit 5
kinds of sins.
Sins committed by:-
1. Scratching
2. Rubbing
3. Starting a fire
4. Pouring water from a pot
5. Cleaning one’s house
 “Perform your
prescribed duties for
doing so is better than
not working. One cannot
even maintain one’s
physical body without
work.”
[B.G. 3.8]
 How to be active without
Material Entanglement?
To perform all activities only as
a sacrifice for the satisfaction of
Lord Visnu is true freedom from
the results of activities.
‘Naiskarmya’ – Activities
performed without expectation of
any sense gratification.
1. ‘Mayi sarvani karmani sanyasya’
2. ‘Adhyatma cetasa’ – Aware of the
constitutional position
3. ‘Nirasi’ – Work without desire for
fruit
4. ‘Nirmama’ – Give up
proprietorship and Controllership
5. ‘Vigata jvara’ – Work without
Laziness
[B.G. 3.30-31]
Jnana Yoga
 Transcendentalists
2 classes
1) Personalist
The devotee who engages himself
with all energy in the service of the
Supreme Lord.
2) Impersonalist
Engages in meditating the impersonal
Brahman, the unmanifested.
 Types of Worship
1) Saguna
Worship of Supreme in the form
within the temple possessing
attributes represented by material
qualities
2) Nirguna
Worship of Supreme not possessing
attributes
 Arca-vigraha
The arca-vigraha is not material.
It is same as the spiritual form of the
Lord.
Because we cannot see the spiritual
form of the Lord with our material
eyes, the form is represented by
material qualities such as stone,
wood or oil paint etc.,
 Troublesome path of
Jnana-yogis
The jnana-yogis have to:
• Understand the unmanifested rep. of the
Supreme thru Vedic literatures
• Learn the language
• Understand the non-perceptual feelings
• Analyse the differences between matter
and spirit by neti-neti process
• Perform lot of mental speculation and
realize the Supreme
“For those whose minds
are attached to the
unmanifested,
impersonal feature of the
supreme, advancement is
very troublesome.”
[B.G. 12.5]
A Krsna conscious person
engages in devotional
service.
Accepts the guidance of
the bonafide spiritual
master.
Offers regulated
obeisances unto the Deity.
 Hears the glories of the
Lord.
Eats the remnants of
foodstuffs offered to the
Lord.
Thus he realizes the
Supreme Personality of
Godhead very easily.
 Jnana Yogi gets
promoted to Bhakti-
yoga through
Association of a
Devotee.
Keshava
Kashmiri
meeting
Lord
Caitanya
 Bahunam janmanam ante
jnanavan mam prapadyate
vasudevah sarvam iti
sa mahatma su-durlabhah
“After many births and deaths,
he who is acting in knowledge
surrenders unto Me, knowing Me
to be the cause of all causes and
all that is. Such a great soul is
very rare.” [B.G. 7.19]
 Dhyana Yoga or Astanga
Yoga
Astanga yoga is the eight fold
procedure called Yama, Niyama,
Asana, Pranayama, Dharana, Dhyana,
Samadhi.
Pratyahara is the process of driving
out the sense objects and then keep
the vision of the eyes between the two
eyebrows and concentrate on the tip of
the nose with half closed eyelids.
The breathing movement is
restrained within the nostrils by
neutralizing the up-moving and
down-moving air within the body.
By controlling the senses,
refraining from external sense
objects, one prepares for
liberation.
This Astanga Yoga is the prelude
to Dhyana Yoga
Astanga Yoga
 For a beginner in the
Astanga Yoga, the bodily
exercises that assist
meditation are considered
material activities.
When he is accomplished in
that practice, he ceases
these activities, which are
called the means.
 The 8-fold Mystic perfections
1. Anima
2. Lagima
3. Mahima
4. Prapti
5. Isita
6. Prakamya
7. Vasita
8. Kamavasayita
 Anima-siddhi
 Refers to the power by which one can
become so small that he can enter
into a stone.
 Modern day subways and tunnels also
enable us to enter into stone!
 Laghima Siddhi
There is development of the power to
become so light that one can float in
the air or on water.
For instance, a mystic yogi can enter
into the sun planet simply by using
the rays of sunshine.
The modern scientists are flying in
the air, they are floating on the
surface of the water!
 Mahima Siddhi
Capacity to become heavier
than the mountain or any
other heavy thing.
 Prapti Siddhi
Acquisition
A yogi can touch the moon
with his finger
He can extend his hand
anywhere and take
whatever he likes, say a
fruit from a distant garden.
 Isita Siddhi
By this yoga-
siddhi one
can create
and destroy
an entire
planet simply
at will.
 Vasita Siddhi
By this perfection, one can bring
anyone under his control.
This is a kind of hypnotism which is
almost irresistible.
Even little perfection in this can
empower one to control the people’
mind in spite of their speaking all
nonsense; They sometimes exploit
those who want to get cheated and
take their money and go away.
 Prakamya Siddhi
By this power one can achieve
anything he likes
For example, one can make water
enter into his eye and then again
come out from within the eye
Simply by his will he can perform
such wonderful activities
 Kamavasayita Siddhi
The highest perfection of Mystic
power
 This is a magic by which one can do
the impossible simply by his will
He can contradict nature and create
wonderful effects beyond the scope
of nature unlike Prakamya which
only allows one to do things within
the scope of nature
 There is no
difference
between mystic
perfection and
materialistic
perfection.
Foolish people are enamored by
the glimmer of modern
materialistic advancement and
think that they are better off
being busy with material
comforts – maintaining a nice
apartment, family and sex life.
They do not know that they can
be kicked out of their material
situation at any moment.
A German Scholar once said that
the so-called yoga perfections
already (can be) achieved by
modern scientists and so he was
not concerned with them. He
intelligently went to India to learn
how he could understand his
eternal relationship with the
Supreme Lord by means of
bhakti-yoga, devotional service.
 After attaining one or two of
the above perfections, many
mystic yogis fall into the trap of
mental oscillation.
In such a state, the yogi fails to
attain the highest perfection,
namely, pure devotion to the
Supreme Personality of
Godhead.
 A Krsna conscious
person has no such fear
of falling down, for his
attention is already fixed
in the transcendental
service of Krsna.
 For the devotee, the
mystic perfections seem
insignificant due to the
ever-increasing
freshness of his object
of attention, Krsna.
 Rules of Regulations in
Astanga Yoga
1. Select a very secluded and sacred
place (8-fold meditation cannot be
performed in a fashionable city).
2. One should practice strict celibacy
and abstain from sex completely
3. One should not eat too much or
sleep too much
A Yogi should discipline his mental
activities by regulating eating,
sleeping, recreation and work
Completely devoid of material
desires the yogi should focus the
mind on the Supersoul
Like a lamp in a windless place
does not waver, the yogi whose
mind is controlled should remain
always steady in his meditation on
Krsna - SAMADHI
Lamp In a windless night

Yogi’s meditation
 Limitation of Astanga Yoga
Even 5000 years ago, when
circumstances in the world were
different, this yoga system was not
practicable
Arjuna who belonged to the royal family,
a great warrior, an intimate friend of
Krsna, said, “My dear Krsna, it is not
possible to follow this process of yoga
for the mind is restless and unsteady.”
It is not possible for an ordinary man
to leave home and go to a secluded
place in the mountains or jungles to
practice yoga in this Age of Kali.
Life is short and there is bitter
struggle for life
This system is generally impossible in
Kali yuga.
Those who are imitating this yoga
system in different modern societies
are certainly wasting their time.
 Bhakti Yoga
 Connecting oneself with Krsna
and reviving our relationship as
His eternal associate.
 Includes 3 items:
(1) The Servitor
(2) The Served
(3) The Service
Krsna is the served, living
entity is the servitor and there
are 9 processes of devotional
service to the Lord and a
candidate can choose to
adopt any one, two or three
or all however he likes.
All services rendered to
Krsna are absolute.
Nine-fold path of Devotional
Service
1. Sravanam – Hearing – King
Pariksit
2. Kirtanam – Recitation –
Sukadeva Goswami
3. Smaranam – Remembering –
Prahlad Maharaja
4. Arcanam – Worshipping – King
Prthu
5. Vandanam – Offering Prayers –
Akrura
6. Pada Sevanam – Serving – Lakshmiji
7. Dasyam – Carrying out orders –
Hanuman
8. Sakhyam – Making friends with the
Lord – Arjuna
9. Atma Nivedanam – Surrendering
Everything – Emperor Bali
King Ambarish adopted all the above 9
items and he attain perfect success.
‘Step-By-Step Gradual
Development Process
and
Direct Process
to attain Pure
Devotional Service’
 In the 12th Chapter, BG
entitled, “Devotional
Service” verses 8 to 12,
Krsna is offering various
opportunities for
conditioned living entities to
return back to Him
depending on their ability to
surrender.
“Just fix your mind upon
Me, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead,
and engage all your
intelligence in Me. Thus
you will live in Me always,
without a doubt.”
[B.G. 12.8]
 A devotee…
Chants Hare Krsna and fixes his
mind constantly on the lotus feet of
Krsna
Offers Krsna food and directly
accepts the eatables, and becomes
Krsnaized by eating the remnants
Performs all activities connected
only to Krsna
Thus a devotee always lives in Krsna.
 “My dear Arjuna, if you
cannot fix your mind upon
Me without deviation, then
follow the regulative
principles of bhakti-yoga.
In this way develop a
desire to attain Me.”
[B.G. 12.9]
 Love of Krsna
• The constitutional position of living
entity is : ‘Jivera svaroopa haya
Krsnera nitya dasa’ ‘living entity is
an eternal servant of Krsna’.
• This love is dormant within the heart
just like a fiery coal is covered by the
contamination of ashes. It has to be
revived just like red hot coal is
revived by blowing off the ashes.
 Under the direction of an
expert spiritual master, one
should follow certain
principles:-
one should rise early in the
morning
Take bath, enter the temple
Offer Prayers and chant Hare
Krsna
Hear Bhagavad Gita,
Srimad Bhagavatam
from pure devotees
Cook foodstuffs, offer
to the Deity, take
prasadam
and so on…
 “If you cannot practice the
regulations of bhakti-yoga,
then just try to work for Me,
because by working for Me
you will come to the perfect
stage.”
[B.G. 12.10]
Those who cannot directly
take up regulated
devotional service, can
help the propagation of
Krsna consciousness by
offering land, capital, in the
publication of Krsna
conscious books etc.,
Offering money for
building temples,
publishing Krsna
conscious books
etc.,
“If however you are unable
to work in this
consciousness of Me, then
try to act giving up all
results of your work and try
to be self-situated.”
[B.G.12.11]
 When one is not even
interested, or due to social,
familial, religious
considerations not able to
directly involve in the activities
of Krsna consciousness, and
gives charity to some social
institution like hospitals, he
gives up the hard-earned
results of his activities.
Opening Hospitals, Doing
charity, Planting trees…
 “If you cannot take to this
practice, then engage yourself
in the cultivation of knowledge.
Better than knowledge,
however, is meditation, and
better than meditation is
renunciation of the fruits of
action, for by such renunciation
one can attain peace of mind”
[B.G.12.12]
 The direct method is
devotional service in Krsna
consciousness.
The other method is the step
by step method involving
renouncing the fruits of one’s
activities, cultivating
knowledge, meditation and so
on.
 As far as Bhagavad Gita is
concerned, the direct method
is stressed.
Everyone is advised to take to
the direct method and
surrender unto the Supreme
Personality of Godhead,
Krsna.
 Bhakti Yoga:
The Culmination
of all Yoga
Systems
 Tapasvibhyo ‘dhiko yogi
jnanibhyo ‘pi mato ‘dhikah
karmibhyas’ cadhiko yogi
tasmad yogi bhavarjuna
“A yogi is greater than the ascetic,
greater than the empiricist and
greater than the fruitive worker.
Therefore, O Arjuna, in all
circumstances, be a yogi”.
[B.G.6.46]
 Yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
“And of all yogis, the one with great
faith who always abides in Me, thinks
of Me within Himself, and renders
transcendental loving service to Me –
he is the most intimately united with
Me in yoga and is the highest of all.
That is My opinion.”
[B.G.6.47]
 STEP 4: Bhakti Yoga
Astanga Yoga + Loving Devotional Service
to the Supreme Lord, Krsna
STEP 3: Astanga Yoga/ Dhyana Yoga V
Renouncing fruits + knowledge + Control of
A
mind and senses by 8-fold path + Meditation
on Paramatma in the heart I
STEP 2: Jnana Yoga D

Renouncing Fruits + Speculative H

knowledge about Brahman + Austerity I
STEP 1: Karma yoga / Niskama Karma +
Renouncing fruits of one’s labour R DIRECT
STEP 0: Karma Kanda METHOD
A
Fruitive worker performing rituals for elevating to
heavenly planets, Regulated Sense Gratification in G
accordance with scriptures
Staircase and lift example
 Qualities of a Pure Devotee

1. Never disturbed in any

circumstances. Not envious of
anyone. Does not act as his
enemy’s enemy – He suffers than
protesting
2. Always calm, quiet, patient, despite
any distressful circumstances;
Accepts all difficulties as Lord’s
mercy upon Him
3. Always kind to everyone, even to
his enemy. He does not attach
much importance to pains and
pleasures pertaining to his body
because he knows perfectly well
that he is not his body
4. No false ego
5. Tolerant, satisfied with whatever
comes by Lord’s mercy; does not
endeavor much to achieve
something, therefore he is always
joyful
6. Perfect mystic because he is
perfectly fixed in the
instructions received from the
spiritual master
7. Senses are controlled – he is
determined.
8. Fully conscious that Krsna is
the Supreme Lord, so no one
can disturb him.
Destination of
Different Yogis
After Death
 Dhyana Yogi
 At the end of one’s life, a Dhyana yogi,
fixes his mind on the Visnu Murti within
the heart, vibrates the syllable ‘Om’ and
quits his body after deciding where he
should go.
 He may enter into Goloka Vrndavan and
attain his svaroopa as Trees, Grass etc., in
Santa rasa – Neutral Relationship
 If he is not a personalist, he may enter into
the Brahma jyoti and exist just as atoms
exist within the sunshine
 Jnana Yogi
 They attain Brahma jyoti
 Since there is no variety in the Brahma
Jyoti, the Jnana yogi or the
impersonalist falls back to the material
world because he has neglected to
serve the Supreme Lord with love and
devotion
 They will want to have sense pleasure
again. This is the risk they take.
 Bhakti Yogi
Krsna’s planet is described in Brahma
Samhita (5.29):
cintamani-prakara-sadmasu
kalpa-vrksa
laksavrtesu surabhir
abhipalayantam
laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-
sevyamanam
govindam adi-purusam
tam aham bhajami
 “I worship Govinda, the primeval
Lord, the first progenitor, who is
tending the surabhi cows that fulfill
all desires, who is surrounded by
millions of purpose (wish-fulfilling)
trees and abodes built with spiritual
gems, and who is always served
with great reverence and affection
by hundreds and thousands of
goddesses of fortune”.
A Bhakti yogi at the time
of death enter into Krsna
loka, Krsna’s planet, and
enjoy in the association
of Krsna, the reservoir of
all pleasure.
Because we are conscious
of Krsna, we are already
living with Krsna. Krsna
becomes easily available to
a bhakti yogi. ‘Tasyaham
sulabhah partha’. – “I
become very cheap for
them!”.
 Rareness of a Pure
Devotee of Krsna
Brahmanda brahmite kona bhagyavan jiva
Guru Krsna prasade paya bhakti lata bija

“After transmigrating from one species to

another from time immemorial, a rare living
entity gets the seed of bhakti lata from Guru
and Krsna. Such a soul is very rare.”
 CHART TO
ILLUSTRATE THE
RARITY OF A PURE
DEVOTEE
 L I V I N G E N T I T

E T E R N EA T L E L R Y N A L L
L I B E R AC TO E N D D I T I O N

M O V I N NG O N - M O
( B I R D S & (B T E R A E S E T S

T H O S E T T H H O A ST E T T H H O A ST E T
S W I M I NF L W Y A I N T E TW R H A E L KS K O Y N
 T H O S E T H A
W A L K O N L

4 0 0 , 0 0 0 3 S , 0 P 0 E 0 C , 0 I E0
O F H U M A ON F B B E EI

A R Y A A N A R Y A
C I V I L IU S N E C D I V I L I S E D

R I G H T U E N O R U I GS H T E O U S
 R I G H T E

J N A NK I AS R

L I B E NR OA T E L DI B

D E S I KR ER F S O ND R EA S B I R H E
M Y S T I C P O WO EN R E S W
 SESSION 6
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
OF BHAGAVAD GITA IN
OUR DAILY LIFE

back
 Why Practice Krsna
consciousness?
• We are not this body; we are spirit souls
• Each soul has an eternal, dynamic
relationship with Krsna
• Our actual life is in the spiritual world
with Krsna
• There are variegated services like
singing, dancing, playing etc., with
Krsna
• This world is the prison house for
those inimical towards Krsna who
suffer repeated births and deaths
• Those who are intelligent take up
Devotional Service to revive their
dormant Krsna consciousness and
go back to Krsna
• KC is taught by Krsna Himself as
Lord Caitanya in Kali yuga through
Sankirtana movement
Krsna consciousness is not a
dull, dry and ritualistic religion
Krsna consciousness means
chanting the holy names, dancing in
ecstacy, feasting Krsna prasadam,
associating with saintly devotees,
serving Krsna in His Diety form,
appreciating the beauty of the
Dieites, understanding profound
philosophy, hearing about Krsna
and preaching His glories.
Krsna consciousness
• It is tried, tested and proven
method to achieve the
perfection of life
• Devotees develop all good
qualities through this - kind,
tolerant, humble, self-
controlled, peaceful and
pleasing to all.
 Deity Worship
• Deity is the beautiful form of the Lord
either in the temple or at our home,
which enables us to see Him and
serve Him
• Arca Vigraha is an incarnation of the
Supreme Lord
• Arca Vigraha is a Deity of Krsna
which is installed according to the
sastric standards by a pure devotee
of the Lord
What form of Deity is to be
worshipped?
• Brahma Samhita
verses 30 and 31
mention the form of
the Lord to be
worshipped by us
 Venum kvanantam aravindadalayataksam
Barhavatamsam asitambhuda-sundarangam
Kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham
Govindam adi purisam tamaham bajami

“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who

is adept in playing the flute, with blooming
eyes like lotus petals with head decked with
peacock’s feather, with the figure of beauty
tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and His
unique loveliness charming millions of
Cupids” [BS 30]
 Alola-cadraka-lasad-vanamalya-vamsi
ratnangadam pranaya-keli-kala-vilasam
shyamam tri-bhanga-lalitam niyata-prakasam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, round

whose neck is swinging a garland of flowers
beautified with the moon-locket, whose two
hands are adorned with the flute and jewelled
ornaments, who always revels in pastimes of
love, whose graceful threefold-bending form of
Syamasundara is eternally manifest.” [BS 31]
 Difference between Deity
and Idol worship
IDOL WORSHIP DEITY WORSHIP
JUST A PIECE OF STONE THE SUPREME LORD IS
OR WOOD WHICH IS PRESENT IN THE DEITY
GIVEN SOME SHAPE
UNAUTHORISED BY AUTHORISED BY
SCIPTURES SCRIPTURES
PRODUCES NO EFFECT ONE WHO SERVES THE
ON THE WORSHIPPER DEITY, ADVANCES
SPIRITUALLY
 POSTBOX EXAMPLE
• If we post our mails in authorized
mail boxes, the post will reach the
destination otherwise not.
Similarly, Krishna has
an authorized
representation in the
Deity form, which is
called
ARCA VIGRAHA.
 Mayavadis
• Followers of Mayavada or Impersonalism
• According to them, Krsna and Devotional
service to Him are products of maya
(illusion)
• They think that God is formless
• For them, everything is “one” and the
goal of spiritual life is to become “one
with God”
 Vaisnava Acaryas,
especially
Sripad Ramanujacarya,
Sripad Madhvacarya and
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
oppose Mayavada which
has created havoc in the
spiritual lives of the
people.
 God is a person and all
other living beings are His
servants eternally. We
should not try to become
God but simply accept our
subordination and
surrender to Him.
 Mayavadis are offenders of
Deity
Mayavadis also worship some
idol thinking that the
‘impersonal’ God can
reciprocate through a form but
all their worship are only for
reaching and merging into
Brahmajyoti which according
to them is the ultimate.
 Association of Mayavadis
should be given up.
Mayavadis worship God
trying to usurp His position
although it can never happen.
Such association will only
disturb us from our
Devotional Service.
 God is present everywhere.
He is present in everyone’s
heart. Why should one
restrict himself to temple
worship? What is the need of
going to temple? I can
worship Him within my heart.
 “If God is
everywhere, is
He not in the
temple or in the
Deity?”
The Deity in the temple is an
easy way of approaching
Krsna, and express our love
for Him, through nine
processes of devotional
service and by that receive
more and more mercy of the
Lord in advancing in
spiritual life.
 Prasadam
Prasadam is the food offered to
Lord Krsna
The devotees of Krsna vow that they
would never eat anything that is not
offered to Krsna first
Externally appears like any other
food but the difference is the
purification that comes about when
one consumes prasadam regularly.
 Offering foodstuffs with
love and devotion
• Krsna is a person; We should offer through the
medium of love
Patram pushpam phalam toyam
Yo me bhaktya prayacchati
Tad aham bhakty-upahrtam
Asnami prayatatmanah
“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a
flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it” [B.G.
9.26]
Krsna consciousness is very
easy and universal. Even the
poorest of the poor, without
any kind of qualification can
offer a leaf or a little water to
the Supreme Lord in genuine
love and the Lord will be
pleased to accept it.
 Krsna does not need
anything;
He is the source of
everything
• Just like a father happily
accepts anything that a child
offers to him with love, Krsna
becomes pleased with our love.
Krsna provides us everything,
and still He accepts our offering
when we offer Him with love.
 Those who do not
offer food as a
sacrifice, they are
verily eating only sin
 Yajna-sistasinah santo
mucyante sarva-kilbisaih
bhunjate te tv agham papa
ye pacanty atma-karanat
“The devotees of the Lord are
released from all kinds of sins
because they eat food which is
offered first for sacrifice. Others, who
prepare food for personal sense
enjoyment, verily eat only sin”
[B.G.3.13]
 How does Krsna eat our
offering?
• Krsna and His body are non-different.
• In the spiritual sphere there is no such
difference between the body and soul like
in the material world
• Krsna’s senses are transcendental and
each sense can perform the function of
any other
• Krsna’s hearing the devotee’s loving
words is wholly identical with His eating
and actually tasting.
 Krsna
glances upon
the material
world and
impregnates
the material
world with
living entities
 Bhoga: A medium to
carry our love to Krsna
Prasadam: A medium
to deliver Krsna’s
mercy to you
 Sravanam
 Hearing of the holy name
 Krsna katha – 2 types:
1. Words spoken by Krsna –
Bhagavad Gita – (Krsna-
Upadesa)
2. Words spoken about Krsna –
Srimad Bhagavatam
 Mac-citta mad gata-prana
bodhayantah parasparam
kathayantas’ ca mam nityam
tusyanti ca ramanti ca
“The thoughts of My pure
devotees dwell in Me, their lives
are fully devoted to My service
and they desire great
satisfaction and bliss from
always enlightening one another
and conversing about Me”
One should regularly hear about Krsna in
the association of devotees from pure
devotees coming in unbroken chain of
disciplic succession and not from non-
devotees who are professional reciters
of Scriptures.
One should give up the endeavor to
understand Krsna by speculative
methods
One should learn to become the servant
of those who are in knowledge of the
Supreme Lord
 Hearing about Krsna is a very
powerful transcendental method
for purging the mind of all
misgivings like lust, pride, anger,
greed, envy and illusion.
The more one hears about Krsna,
the more one becomes
enlightened and detached from
everything that draws the mind
away from Krsna.
Disease – Misidentification
of oneself with the body
Expert Treatment –
Hearing of transcendental
activities of Krsna
Appropriate Diet – Eating
the foodstuff offered to
Krsna
 Nivrtta-tarsair upagiyamanad
bhavausadhac chrotra-mano-’bhiramat
ka uttamas’loka-gunanuvadat
puman virajyeta vina pas’u-ghnat

“Descriptions of the Lord spoken by those

who are free of material desires are the
right meidcine for the conditioned soul
undergoing repeated birth and death, and
they delight the ear and the mind. Therefore
who will cease hearing such glorification of
the Lord except a butcher or one who is
killing his own self?” [S.B. 10.1.4]
Emperor Pariksit attained highest
perfection by Sravanam
 Kirtanam
Chanting the holy name of the
Supreme Lord
In Kali-yuga chanting of Hare Krsna
maha mantra is recommended
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna
Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
 Scriptural
Evidences for
chanting Holy
names
 Krte yad dhyayato visnum
tretayam yajato makhaih
dvapare paricaryayam
kalau tad hari-kirtanat
“The self realisation which was achieved
in the Satya millennium by meditation, in
the Treta millennium by the performance
of different sacrifices, and in the
Dvapara millennium by worship of Lord
Krsna, can be achieved in the age of Kali
simply by chanting the Holy names, Hare
Krsna” [S.B.12.3.52]
 Life Duration in Different
Ages
1.Satya Yuga – 1,00,000
years
2.Treta yuga – 10,000 years
3.Dvapara yuga – 1000 years
4.Kali yuga – 100 years
 Dhyayan krte yajan yajnais
tretayam dvapare ‘rcayan
yad apnoti tad apnoti
kalau sankirtya kesavam
“In this age there is no use in
mediation, sacrifice and temple
worship. Simply by chanting the
holy name of Krsna, Hare Krsna
– one can achieve perfect self-
realisation.” [Visnu-Purana]
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna
Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
iti sodas’akam namnam
kali kalmasa-nasanam
natah parataropayah
sarva-vedesu drs’yate
“The 16 words – Hare Krsna, Hare
Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama
Rama, Hare Hare – are especially
meant for counteracting the
contaminations of Kali. To save
oneself from the contamination of
Kali, there is no alternative but
the chanting of these 16 words”.
[Kali santarana Upanisad]
 Kaler dosa-nidhe rajan
asti hy eko mahan gunah
kirtanad eva krsnasya
mukta-sangah param vrajet
“My dear king, although Kali-yuga is
full of faults, there is still one good
quality about this age; simply by
chanting the Hare Krsna Maha
Mantra, one can become free from
material bondage and be promoted
to the transcendental kingdom.”
 Harer nama harer nama
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha
“In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy
the only means of deliverance is
chanting of the holy name of the
Lord. There is no other way. There is
no other way. There is no other
way.” [ Brhan naradiya Purana]
 Modern Man
Always disturbed
Misguided
Lazy
Quarrelsome
Have short lives
Unlucky
Chanting is the easy and sure method
of self realisation in this age
 Chanting
• Very simple and sublime
• Can be done at any time, any where,
by anyone
• If done in a very humble mood,
considering oneself lower than a
blade of grass, being more tolerant
than a tree, devoid of all sense of
false prestige, ready to offer all
respects to others, one can become
very peaceful and happy
 Tasmat sarvesu kalesu
mam anusmara yudhya ca
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
mam evaisyasy asams’ayah
“Arjuna, you should always think of
Me in the form of Krsna and at the
same time carry out your prescribed
duty of fighting. With your activities
dedicated to Me and your mind and
intelligence fixed on Me, you will
attain Me without doubt.” [B.G. 8.7]
 Example
Father in office always thinking of his
sick child at home out of his natural
affection
 If any one says he has
absolutely no time to
devote for hearing and
chanting, ‘sravanam,
kirtanam’, he/she should
consider how he uses his
time and live in a
different way!
 The case against Meat-
eating
1. Meat is not an essential diet for
humans
2. Meat is an unnatural and
unsuitable diet for humans
3. Meat eating actually has harmful
effects on various aspects of
human life including lot of bad
karma due to slaughtering
innocent animals
 Effect of meat eating on
the mind
1) Meat is the food in mode of passion
and ignorance which means it
increases lust and violence
2) Qualities of compassion, mercy, love
etc., are destroyed
3) Widespread violence in the world like
wars, terrorism, murder, rape,
vandalism etc., are mainly due to
slaughtering of animals for eating
 Vegetarians kill
too!
• Fruits, nuts, milk etc., need no killing
• Even if killing of plants required, the pain
involved is considerably less than when an
animal is slaughtered because plants nervous
system is less developed
• One living entity is food for another
• Our food is vegetarian food
 Human anatomical
considerations
1. Have no claws
2. Perspire through millions of pores on skin
3. No sharp pointed front teeth
4. Well developed salivary glands (needed to
predigest grains, fruits)
5. Stomach acid 20 times less than meat eaters
6. Intestinal track 4 times longer than meat eaters
Health considerations
Numerous Potential
Hazardous Chemicals,
preservatives, toxins are
present in meat and meat
products leading to Heart
disease and other
diseases.
 Nutritional Considerations
• Meat is not the only source of protein.
Dairy products, grains, beans, nuts are
all concentrated sources of protein
• Excess protein are stored as
nitrogenous wastes in the kidneys and
burden them
• A proper vegetarian diet gives all the
nutrients that the human body requires
 Higher Principle
Food we eat must just not
be vegetarian but also
must be offered to the
Supreme Lord. This
protects us from any kind
of karmic reactions.