May 2015 – Page 2 – Light of Godhead

SB 1.2.1-5: Vaishnava is a true brahmana

SB 1.2.1: Ugraśravā [Sūta Gosvāmī], the son of Romaharṣaṇa, being fully satisfied by the perfect questions of the brāhmaṇas, thanked them and thus attempted to reply.

SB 1.2.2: Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī said: Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto that great sage [Śukadeva Gosvāmī] who can enter the hearts of all. When he went away to take up the renounced order of life [sannyāsa], leaving home without undergoing reformation by the sacred thread or the ceremonies observed by the higher castes, his father, Vyāsadeva, fearing separation from him, cried out, “O my son!” Indeed, only the trees, which were absorbed in the same feelings of separation, echoed in response to the begrieved father.

light-of-godhead2015-09-07T22:46:59+00:00May 8th, 2015|Categories: Advaita Acarya, Brahmana, Canto 1, Haridasa Thakura, Srimad Bhagavatam notes, Vaishnava|

Only a Vaisnava is a true brahmana

Source: Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava

Even while executing his vow, Śrī Siddhānta Sarasvatī occasionally went outside Māyāpur for preaching, especially to attack the apa-sampradāyas for misleading people with their bogus interpretations and practices. He particularly agitated the smārta-brāhmaṇas and jata-gosanis (caste Goswamis) by insisting that the position of a brāhmaṇa and post of guru are not hereditary professions. Such assertions were intolerable to the smārta-brāhmaṇas and jata-gosanis, who were keeping a stranglehold on Hinduism in Bengal by maintaining that only persons born into families of supposed brahminical lineage could be counted

light-of-godhead2015-05-22T05:04:21+00:00May 7th, 2015|Categories: Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Brahmana, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, Stories, Vaishnava|Tags: Smārta paṇḍitas and jata-gosanis|

I have made your qualifications

Speaker: Radhanath Swami
Source: Offering to Srila Prabhupada

Gaudiya math’s biggest sanyasis were getting a lots of money to start centres. Here are just some new devotees, some foreign hippies, who just became devotees, who were just struggling to follow the principles and chant their rounds, and they don’t have any money, all they have is the inspiration, the example of Prabhupada and they are starting centres, and there is hundreds and hundreds of people coming everywhere, transforming their lives, becoming devotees. How is that possible? And some of those people didn’t even last

light-of-godhead2015-06-05T15:33:21+00:00May 7th, 2015|Categories: Guru-nista, Inspiration, Miracle, Pastimes of Srila Prabhupada|Tags: Faith in Guru|

Five principles that awaken one’s love for Krsna

Source: CC Madhya 22.128

The five potent ways that awaken one’s dormant love for Krsna, as given by Caitanya mahaprabhu are:

Association of devotees
Chanting the holy name of the Lord
Hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
Residing at Mathurā
Worshiping the Deity with faith and veneration.

‘The power of these five principles is very wonderful and difficult to understand. Even without faith in them, a person who is offenseless can awaken his dormant love of Kṛṣṇa simply by being a little connected with them.’ (CC Madhya 22.133)

light-of-godhead2015-10-09T00:48:57+00:00May 7th, 2015|Categories: Caitanya Caritamrita, Lord Caitanya, Prema|

Transforming bell metal into gold

Source: SB 5.24.17 Purport

Srila Sanatana Gosvami also states that when bell metal is treated with mercury, it can produce gold. Srila Sanatana Gosvami mentions this in regard to the initiation of low-class men to turn them into brahmanas. Sanatana Gosvami said:

yatha kancanatam yati
kamsyam rasa-vidhanatah
tatha diksa-vidhanena
dvijatvam jayate nrnam

“As one can transform kamsa, or bell metal, into gold by treating it with mercury, one can also turn a lowborn man into a brahmana by initiating him properly into Vaisnava activities.” The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is trying to

light-of-godhead2015-06-11T21:33:25+00:00May 7th, 2015|Categories: Analogies, Brahmana, Initiation, Regulative principles, Sanatana Gosvami|Tags: No discrimination|

Take you to your father

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: Disappearance day of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati

A rich man’s son is loitering in the street, forgetting his father’s opulence and property. And somebody, out of sympathy, giving him some food. But other person comes to him and says, “Oh, my dear boy, I know you. You are the son of such and such rich man. Why you are loitering in the street? Come on, I shall take you to your father.” So if that gentleman takes that loitering boy to his father, the father is glad, and

light-of-godhead2015-08-31T21:13:19+00:00May 7th, 2015|Categories: Analogies, Eternal father, Social welfare, Videos|Tags: Panacea|

Questions about Krsna are loka-hitam

Source: SB 2.1.1

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, your question is glorious because it is very beneficial to all kinds of people. The answer to this question is the prime subject matter for hearing, and it is approved by all transcendentalists.

Questions of Parikshit maharaja are described as loka-hitam or beneficial to everyone because:

Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said that the highest perfection of life is to achieve the transcendental loving service of Krishna. Questions and Answers about Krishna elevate one to that transcendental position that is why

light-of-godhead2015-05-18T03:37:57+00:00May 7th, 2015|Categories: Krsna katha, Parikshit maharaja, Srimad Bhagavatam|Tags: Questions about Krsna|

Better spend time curing the disease

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: Crow-And-Tal-Fruit Logic

Srila Prabhupada encourages us to get out of the material world – not endlessly speculate on how we got here.

Srila Prabhupada dictated this essay in reply to a question about the origin of the living entity: Were we originally with Krishna, or did we fall from Krishna’s impersonal energy, the brahmajyoti? The essay was an addendum to a letter Prabhupada wrote to his disciple Madhudvisa Dasa in June of 1972.

Because he

light-of-godhead2015-10-17T22:23:32+00:00May 6th, 2015|Categories: Analogies, Fall-down, Pastimes of Srila Prabhupada, Videos|Tags: How we fall, No wasting time|

Again become a mouse!

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: Divinity, Demon & Devotee

Punar musiko bhava: “Again become a mouse.” You know this story? Punar musiko bhava. There is a story. There is a very nice story. One rat, mouse, he came to a saintly person. Everyone comes to saintly person for some blessing, you see. Real blessing they don’t want. Some material blessing. Real blessing, Krsna, they don’t want. If you give him some blessing that “You become very rich man and…” These… they’ll be very much pleased. are all very well, this.

light-of-godhead2015-05-17T23:51:23+00:00May 6th, 2015|Categories: Service attitude, Stories|Tags: Mouse|

Licking on a bottle of honey

Source: BG 2.12 Purport

Those who are envious of Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead have no bona fide access to the great literature. The non-devotee’s approach to the teachings of the Gītā is something like that of a bee licking on a bottle of honey. One cannot have a taste of honey unless one opens the bottle. Similarly, the mysticism of the Bhagavad-gītā can be understood only by devotees, and no one else can taste it, as it is stated in the Fourth Chapter of the

light-of-godhead2015-10-05T22:03:43+00:00May 6th, 2015|Categories: Analogies, Bhagavad Gita, Mayavadi, Videos|Tags: Bee, Honey, Who can understand Gita|

Vaishnava is greater than foremost brahmanas

Source: CC Antya 3.222

“Feeding you is equal to feeding ten million brāhmaṇas,” Advaita Ācārya said. “Therefore, accept this śrāddha-pātra.” Thus Advaita Ācārya made him eat.

Purport: Śrāddha is prasādam offered to the forefathers at a certain date of the year or month. The śrāddha-pātra, or plate offered to the forefathers, is then offered to the best of the brāhmaṇas in society. Instead of offering the śrāddha-pātra to any other brāhmaṇa, Advaita Ācārya offered it to Haridāsa Ṭhākura, considering him greater than any of the foremost brāhmaṇas. This act by Śrī Advaita Ācārya proves that Haridāsa Ṭhākura was always situated in a transcendental position

light-of-godhead2015-05-18T04:03:50+00:00May 6th, 2015|Categories: Advaita Acarya, Brahmana, Haridasa Thakura, Stories, Vaishnava|Tags: Sraddha|

Do not be like camels

Source: SB 1.3.9

So to become obedient servant and to have no discrimination of sex and food, that means dogs and they are not human beings. And camel, although he is a big animal, he takes pleasure in eating his own blood. How is that? You will find the camels are very fond of eating thorns. So the thorns they eat, and the thorns cut the tongue, and the blood comes out. It makes a taste, and he is thinking that the thorns are very tasteful. That is camel.

light-of-godhead2015-05-25T00:18:56+00:00May 6th, 2015|Categories: Analogies, Sex-life|Tags: Camel, Illusory enjoyment|