Author: charanpahari

Trinad api sunicena misnomer

Trinad api sunicena , Taror api sahishnunaam says Sriman Mahaprabhu. This is the start of the 3rd shloka of His creation the Shikshashtakam. To be humble like the blade of grass and to be tolerant like a tree , is the hall mark of Vaishnava says He. We see that almost all Vaishnavas of the popular movements claiming to belong  to the cult of Sriman Mahaprabhu display such characteristics of being very humble and also as being tolerant. There is no doubt about this. In a way almost all followers wearing the holy Tulsi “kanthi mala” or neck-band and the Gopi Candana tilaka easily follow this dictum and easily display these characteristics. Yet the larger question remains ; are the qualities of an ideal Vaishnava really evident through such behaviour? The answer is a simple “No”. Continue reading “Trinad api sunicena misnomer”

Nobody but the Lord

There is a heavy veil of ignorance that covers the intelligence of living entities. This is relevant more so with the human beings; animals being disabled by nature herself to be categorized under the domain of intelligence since they work on instincts and not intelligence. The topic of intelligence is relevant  only amongst the human species. Having said so, human beings although they appear to be intelligent; operate far below their intelligence capacity. The veil of ignorance that grips human beings thwarts human beings to operate intelligently. Hence even human beings, most of them behave under the grip of instincts where mind rules over intelligence. Human mind is prone to be infected with mundane tendencies with strong likes and dislikes that freezes human potential itself. People thrive on social identity and this is the greatest debacle where everyone is striving constantly in pursuit of name and recognition. Continue reading “Nobody but the Lord”

Bhakti Tattva – Part Six

The Lord spent great time with all His associates and His mother at the house of Sri Advaita Acarya and then proceeded towards Jagannath Puri. He heard the story of His parama guru (His guru’s guru) Madhavendra Puri and also heard the story of how Sri Gopal was installed. The Lord heard the story of Sri Kshira Chora Gopal, the thief of sweet rice, from the mouth of Sri Nityananda Prabhu. During the course of journey to Sri Jagannath Puri, Sri Nityananda Prabhu broke the Sanyasa rod of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Sriman Mahaprabhu apparently was very angry with His elder brother Nityananda Prabhu and angrily left His company to reach the Jagannath temple before His elder brother Nityananda Prabhu. Continue reading “Bhakti Tattva – Part Six”

Seva with Money

Spiritual sadhana in Vaishnavism is carried out at various levels. When one is attracted towards satvikka seva or seva in the mode of goodness, one is attracted towards Vaishnavas and the various forms of Vishnu and Krishna. One thus enters into the mode of initial service towards the Lord and Vaishnavas. The mode of such service in the very beginning is usually money. On who serves the Lord with money is indeed fortunate. More important is to serve the Vaishnavas with available resources at one’s disposal and the pertinent use of money. However the results of such services also depend on the intention of the patron or aspiring sadhaka who wants to enter the pure path of Bhakti. Continue reading “Seva with Money”

Bhakti Tattva – Part Five

The Gopis are personifications of the highest mood of transcendental eroticism, which is unknown to an embodied living entity on the material plane. This mood of erotica can have no mundane equivalent and represents the pure milieu of Bhakti Rasa.  This is the pinnacle of “Prayojana” or ultimate objective of the living entities. Sriman Mahaprabhu established this principle through His own life and teachings of which the six Goswamis were successors. About 530 years ago, the inner mood of Srimad Bhagavatham was revealed by the Lord in His most munificent Kaliyuga Avatara form. A special delicacy in the field of spiritualism was thus served by Sriman Mahaprabhu and the most confidential aspect of Godhead was thus revealed by Him. Continue reading “Bhakti Tattva – Part Five”

A bazaar back to Godhead

The aspect of Krishna Bhajana that deals with the living entity’s ultimate goal or Prayojana has three touch points. These are the Sadhu, Sadhguru and Shastra. Any other means that is used to relate the living entity and Krishna Bhajana may appear to be useful but it is not quite so. Depending on the hidden desires and motives of human beings (living entities who take up to Bhakti) ; various arrangements are done by the Supreme Lord usually arranged by an aspect of His sandhini potency or Yogmaya. Yogmaya has setup various institutions and setups that dish out various flavours of how to perform Krishna Bhajana and the means to reach Him so that “One goes back home, back to Godhead”. The offer is quite attractive but not entirely useful in achieving the objective. Depending on the sincerity and the spiritual greed of living entities; Yogamaya takes the living entity to the widely spread out Spiritual Bazaar so to say. Continue reading “A bazaar back to Godhead”

Honouring Prasadam

Prasadam is Thakurji Himself. Both Krishna and Prasadam are non-different. This we all know as we do Krishna Bhajana. However in Raganuga Bhajana, the concept of honouring Krishna Prasadam goes a little bit deeper as compared to other systems of Bhakti. Especially people at the stage of Nishtha or steadfastness in devotional activity abide by a customized rule book which is in direct resonance with Braja Bhakti. Continue reading “Honouring Prasadam”

Bhakti Tattva – Part Three

The transcendental position of Vishuddha Sattva is also described in Bhagavat Sandarbha.The Bhagavata Sandarbha establishes that the Personality of Godhead is the original compiler of the Vedic system and thus establishes the aspect of Bhagawan that is the form of Parabrahman or the original Purusa, Sri Krishna.The Paramatma Sandarbha describes the particular aspect of Godhead that exists in the heart of every living entity. Continue reading “Bhakti Tattva – Part Three”