Classes and Bhajans

Prahladananda Swami speaking at a Book Distribution discussion regarding "Value Awareness."

Dallas, TX
2010-12-11 

Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 10, Chapter 1, Texts 18-19 by Prahladananda Swami - "Demons and Devotees".  

Dallas, TX
2010-12-10

10.1.18

gaur bhutvasru-mukhi khinna
krandanti karunam vibhoh
upasthitantike tasmai
vyasanam samavocata

TRANSLATION

Mother earth assumed the form of a cow. Very much distressed, with tears in her eyes, she appeared before Lord Brahma and told him about her misfortune.

10.1.19

brahma tad-upadharyatha
saha devais taya saha
jagama sa-tri-nayanas
tiram kshira-payo-nidheh

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, having heard of the distress of mother earth, Lord Brahma, with mother earth, Lord Siva and all the other demigods, approached the shore of the ocean of milk.

PURPORT

After Lord Brahma understood the precarious condition of the earth, he first visited the demigods headed by Lord Indra, who are in charge of the various affairs of this universe, and Lord Siva, who is responsible for annihilation. Both maintenance and annihilation go on perpetually, under the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (4.8), paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca dushkritam. Those who are obedient to the laws of God are protected by different servants and demigods, whereas those who are undesirable are vanquished by Lord Siva. Lord Brahma first met all the demigods, including Lord Siva. Then, along with mother earth, they went to the shore of the ocean of milk, where Lord Vishnu lies on a white island, Svetadvipa.

Prahladananda Swami speaking on Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1, Chapter 15 - "Pandavas Pass the Test".  Follow along at: http://vedabase.net/sb/1/15/en1.

Dallas, TX
2010-12-10

Prahladananda Swami singing the Nrsimhadev Prayers.

Dallas, TX
2010-07-10 

Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 9, Chapter 13, Texts 7-9 titled "Maya, An equal opportunity employer" by Prahladananda Swami.

Dallas, TX
2010-07-14

Text 9 TRANSLATION

Maharaja Nimi continued: Mayavadis generally want freedom from accepting a material body because they fear having to give it up again. But devotees whose intelligence is always filled with the service of the Lord are unafraid. Indeed, they take advantage of the body to render transcendental loving service.

PURPORT

Maharaja Nimi did not want to accept a material body, which would be a cause of bondage; because he was a devotee, he wanted a body by which he could render devotional service to the Lord. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura sings:

janmaobi more iccha yadi tora
bhakta-grihe jani janma ha-u mora
kita-janma ha-u yatha tuya dasa

"My Lord, if You want me to take birth and accept a material body again, kindly do me this favor: allow me to take birth in the home of Your servant, Your devotee. I do not mind being born there even as an insignificant creature like an insect." Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also said:

na dhanam na janam na sundarim
kavitam va jagadisa kamaye
mama janmani janmanisvare
bhavatad bhaktir ahaitukyi tvayi

"O Lord of the universe, I do not desire material wealth, materialistic followers, a beautiful wife or fruitive activities described in flowery language. All I want, life after life, is unmotivated devotional service to You." (Sikshashtaka 4) By saying "life after life" (janmani janmani), the Lord referred not to an ordinary birth but a birth in which to remember the lotus feet of the Lord. Such a body is desirable. A devotee does not think like yogis and jnanis, who want to refuse a material body and become one with the impersonal Brahman effulgence. A devotee does not like this idea. On the contrary, he will accept any body, material or spiritual, for he wants to serve the Lord. This is real liberation.

If one has a strong desire to serve the Lord, even if he accepts a material body, there is no cause of anxiety, since a devotee, even in a material body, is a liberated soul. This is confirmed by Srila Rupa Gosvami:

iha yasya harer dasye
karmana manasa gira
nikhilasv apy avasthasu
jivan-muktah sa ucyate

"A person acting in Krishna consciousness (or, in other words, in the service of Krishna) with his body, mind, intelligence and words is a liberated person even within the material world, although he may be engaged in many so-called material activities." The desire to serve the Lord establishes one as liberated in any condition of life, whether in a spiritual body or a material body. In a spiritual body the devotee becomes a direct associate of the Lord, but even though a devotee may superficially appear to be in a material body, he is always liberated and is engaged in the same duties of service to the Lord as a devotee in Vaikunthaloka. There is no distinction. It is said, sadhur jivo va maro va. Whether a devotee is alive or dead, his only concern is to serve the Lord. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti [Bg. 4.9]. When he gives up his body, he goes directly to become an associate of the Lord and serve Him, although he does the same thing even in a material body in the material world.

For a devotee there is no pain, pleasure or material perfection. One may argue that at the time of death a devotee also suffers because of giving up his material body. But in this connection the example may be given that a cat carries a mouse in its mouth and also carries a kitten in its mouth. Both the mouse and the kitten are carried in the same mouth, but the perception of the mouse is different from that of the kitten. When a devotee gives up his body (tyaktva deham), he is ready to go back home, back to Godhead. Thus his perception is certainly different from that of a person being taken away by Yamaraja for punishment. A person whose intelligence is always concentrated upon the service of the Lord is unafraid of accepting a material body, whereas a nondevotee, having no engagement in the service of the Lord, is very much afraid of accepting a material body or giving up his present one. Therefore, we should follow the instruction of Caitanya Mahaprabhu: mama janmani janmanisvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi. It doesn't matter whether we accept a material body or a spiritual body; our only ambition should be to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Prahladananda Swami leading a Hare Krishna bhajan at a home program.

Dallas, TX
2010-07-10

Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 9, Chapter 13, Text 6 titled "Don't criticize those in difficulty" by Prahladananda Swami.

Dallas, TX
2010-07-13

TRANSLATION

After saying this, Maharaja Nimi, who was expert in the science of spiritual knowledge, gave up his body. Vasishtha, the great-grandfather, gave up his body also, but through the semen discharged by Mitra and Varuna when they saw Urvasi, he was born again.

PURPORT

Mitra and Varuna chanced to meet Urvasi, the most beautiful prostitute of the heavenly kingdom, and they became lusty. Because they were great saints, they tried to control their lust, but they could not do so, and thus they discharged semen. This semen was kept carefully in a waterpot, and Vasishtha was born from it. 

Prahladananda Swami leading a Hare Krishna bhajan.

Dallas, TX
2010-07-09 

Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 9, Chapter 13, Texts 4 & 5 given by Prahladananda Swami titled "Vasistha vs. Vishvamitra".

Dallas, TX
2010-07-12

Text 4 TRANSLATION

After completing the sacrificial performance for King Indra, the spiritual master Vasishtha returned and found that his disciple Maharaja Nimi had disobeyed his instructions. Thus Vasishtha cursed him, saying, "May the material body of Nimi, who considers himself learned, immediately fall."

Text 5 TRANSLATION

For unnecessarily cursing him when he had committed no offense, Maharaja Nimi countercursed his spiritual master. "For the sake of getting contributions from the King of heaven," he said, "you have lost your religious intelligence. Therefore I pronounce this curse: your body also will fall."

PURPORT

The religious principle for a brahmana is that he should not be greedy at all. In this case, however, for the sake of more lucrative remunerations from the King of heaven, Vasishtha neglected Maharaja Nimi's request on this planet, and when Nimi performed the sacrifices with other priests, Vasishtha unnecessarily cursed him. When one is infected by contaminated activities, his power, material or spiritual, reduces. Although Vasishtha was the spiritual master of Maharaja Nimi, because of his greed he became fallen.