Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.7.42 and more

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Dear Prabhus,

Please accept my humble obeisances at the lotus feet of

Srila Prabhupada.

om namo bhagavate vasudevaya

om namo bhagavate vasudevaya

om namo bhagavate vasudevaya

Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.7.42

"The demigods said : Dear Lord, formerly, when there was a devastation,

You conserved all the different energies of material manifestation. At

that time, all the inhabitants of the higher planets, represented by such

liberated souls as Sanaka, were meditating on You by philosophical speculation.

You are therefore the original person, and You rest in the water of devastation

on the bed of the Shesha snake. Now, today, You are visible to us, who

are all Your servants. Please give us protection."

Srila Prabhupada teaches us (partial purport) : "... Another significant

point in this verse is that the demigods said, 'We are all Your servants

(bhrityan). Give us Your protection.' The demigods depend

on the protection of Vishnu : they are not independent. Bhagavad-gita

therefore condemns the worship of demigods because there is no need of

it and clearly states that only those who have lost their sense go asking

favors of the demigods... So those who are servants, or devotees of the

Lord, are not very much concerned with fruitive activities, the performance

of the prescribed yajanas, or mental speculation. They simply serve

the Supreme Personality of Godhead sincerely, with love and faith,

performing everything with that loving service, and the Lord gives such

devotees direct protection. In Bhagavad-gita Lord Krsna says, 'Simply

surrender unto Me, and I will give you protection from all the reactions

of sinful activities.' This material world is so created that one has to

act sinfully, knowingly or unknowingly, and unless his life is dedicated

to Vishnu, he has to suffer all the reactions of sinful activities. But

one who surrenders and dedicates his life for the service of the Lord has

direct protection from the Lord. He has no fear of suffering from sinful

activities, nor does he desire, willingly or unwillingly, to do anything

which is sinful."

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Srila Prabhupada teaches us (partial purport) : "... A person who has

completely ended the reactions of all sinful activities and who is fully

engaged in pious activities, being freed from the duality of this material

world, becomes engaged in devotional service to the Supreme Personality

of Godhead, Krsna. In other words, those who are actually engaged in the

devotional service of the Supreme Lord are already freed from all reactions.

For those who are engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality

of Godhead, all sinful reactions, whether fructified, in the stock, or

in the form of a seed, gradually vanish. Therefore the purifying potency

of devotional service is very strong, and it is called pavitram uttamam,

the purest. Uttamam means transcendental. Tamas means this

material world or darkness, and uttamam means that which is transcendental

to material activities. Devotional activities are never to be considered

material, although sometimes it appears that devotees are engaged just

like ordinary men. One who can see and is familiar with devotional service,

however, will know that they are not material activities. They are all

spiritual and devotional, uncontaminated by the material modes of nature.

It is said that the execution of devotional service is so perfect that

one can perceive the results directly. This direct result is actually

perceived, and we have practical experience that any person who is chanting

the holy names of Krsna (Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare) in course of time

feels some transcendental pleasure and very quickly becomes purified of

all material contamination. This is actually seen. Furthermore, if one

engages not only in hearing but in trying to broadcast the message of devotional

activities as well, or if he engages himself in helping the missionary

activities of Krsna consciousness, he gradually feels spiritual progress.

This advancement in spiritual life does not depend on any kind of previous

education or qualification. The method itself is so pure that by

simply engaging in it one becomes pure...." (to be continued)

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Your Ever Well-Wisher

(the following letter was by Srila Prabhupada

to a disciple in 1972.. I have edited to preserve the privacy of the recipient,

personal content and length)

My Dear S...devi,

Please accept my blessings. I have duly received your

letter dated January...

So your husband has gone but you should not be too much

worried, your husband will come back to Krsna consciousness, if not now

then later. Anyone who has tasted the bliss of Krsna consciousness he cannot

stay away for a very long time. So you should not be too much concerned.

Do not be too much worried--forget the past, do not be attached to it for

we are only thinking of how we may now please the Supreme Personality of

Godhead and the devotees are always optimistic for the advancement of their

spiritual progress....

I thank you for your statement. "I beg

to always be of sound mind so that I may serve you unconditionally."

And to answer your last question, where will I go at the

time of death if I am thinking of my spiritual master? You will go to Him

just as Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita chapter 8-9 that whatever we are thinking

about at the time of death--we shall attain to that nature without fail.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

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(from My Relationship With Lord Krsna, by His Holiness Satswarupa

das Goswami, chapter 'My Constitutional Position' p.38)

"... Lord Krsna is His name. He is all attractive. Krsna is in the scriptures.

'Thus established in the mode of unalloyed goodness, the man whose mind

has been enlivened by contact with devotional service to the Lord gains

positive scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead in the stage

of liberation from all material association. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.20)

We're not just creatures with so many bodily parts whose

minds reflect only the senses' signals - 'Is it too cold in here? Should

I turn the heater on?' We are spirit soul.

We are not atheists or agnostics whose sharp minds cut

down the impulse to turn to Krsna. We go to the shastra to change all that..."

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Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

your servant.....

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