Sunday Feast Lecture titled “Lean to Krishna” given by Badrinarayan Prabhu.
This series of lectures was given during the 2011 TP/GBC Meetings held here in Dallas.
Dallas, TX
2011-01-30
Ram Pandit singing a Hare Krishna bhajan for Dallas’ New Year’s 24hr Kirtan.
Dallas, TX
2010-12-31
Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 10, Chapter 2, Text 15 titled “Dealing with Reversals” given by Romapada Swami.
This series of lectures was given during the 2011 TP/GBC Meetings held here in Dallas.
Dallas, TX
2011-01-29
TRANSLATION
When the child of Devaki was attracted and transferred into the womb of Rohini by Yogamaya, Devaki seemed to have a miscarriage. Thus all the inhabitants of the palace loudly lamented, “Alas, Devaki has lost her child!”
PURPORT
“All the inhabitants of the palace” includes Kamsa. When everyone lamented, Kamsa joined in compassion, thinking that perhaps because of drugs or some other external means, Devaki had undergone this abortion. The real story of what happened after Yogamaya attracted the child of Devaki into the womb of Rohini in the seventh month of Rohini’s pregnancy is described as follows in the Hari-vamsa. At midnight, while Rohini was deeply sleeping, she experienced, as if in a dream, that she had undergone a miscarriage. After some time, when she awoke, she saw that this had indeed happened, and she was in great anxiety. But Yogamaya then informed her, “O auspicious lady, your child is now being replaced. I am attracting a child from the womb of Devaki, and therefore your child will be known as Sankarshana.”
The word yoga-nidra is significant. When one is spiritually reconnected through self-realization, one regards his material life as having been like a dream. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (2.69):
“What is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings is night for the introspective sage.” The stage of self-realization is called yoga-nidra. All material activities appear to be a dream when one is spiritually awakened. Thus yoga-nidra may be explained to be Yogamaya.
Govinda Caran das singing a Hare Krishna bhajan for Dallas’ New Year’s 24hr Kirtan.
Dallas, TX
2010-12-31
Vrinda singing a Hare Krishna bhajan for Dallas’ New Year’s 24hr Kirtan.
Dallas, TX
2010-12-31
Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 10, Chapter 2, Texts 13-14 titled “Respecting other Faiths” given by Anuttama Prabhu.
This series of lectures was given during the 2011 TP/GBC Meetings held here in Dallas.
Dallas, TX
2011-01-28
13 – TRANSLATION
The son of Rohini will also be celebrated as Sankarshana because of being sent from the womb of Devaki to the womb of Rohini. He will be called Rama because of His ability to please all the inhabitants of Gokula, and He will be known as Balabhadra because of His extensive physical strength.
PURPORT
These are some of the reasons why Balarama is known as Sankarshana, Balarama or sometimes Rama. In the maha-mantra — Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare — people sometimes object when Rama is accepted as Balarama. But although devotees of Lord Rama may object, they should know that there is no difference between Balarama and Lord Rama. Here Srimad-Bhagavatam clearly states that Balarama is also known as Rama (rameti). Therefore, it is not artificial for us to speak of Lord Balarama as Lord Rama. Jayadeva Gosvami also speaks of three Ramas: Parasurama, Raghupati Rama and Balarama. All of them are Ramas.
14 TRANSLATION
Thus instructed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Yogamaya immediately agreed. With the Vedic mantra om, she confirmed that she would do what He asked. Thus having accepted the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, she circumambulated Him and started for the place on earth known as Nanda-gokula. There she did everything just as she had been told.
PURPORT
After receiving the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Yogamaya twice confirmed her acceptance by saying, “Yes, sir, I shall do as You order,” and then saying om. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura comments that om signifies Vedic confirmation. Thus Yogamaya very faithfully received the Lord’s order as a Vedic injunction. It is a fact that whatever is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is a Vedic injunction that no one should neglect. In Vedic injunctions there are no mistakes, illusions, cheating or imperfection. Unless one understands the authority of the Vedic version, there is no purpose in quoting sastra. No one should violate the Vedic injunctions. Rather, one should strictly execute the orders given in the Vedas. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (16.24):
tasmac chastram pramanam te
karyakarya-vyavasthitau
jnatva sastra-vidhanoktam
karma kartum iharhas
“One should understand what is duty and what is not duty by the regulations of the scriptures. Knowing such rules and regulations, one should act so that one may gradually be elevated.”
Raja singing a Hare Krishna bhajan for Dallas’ New Year’s 24hr Kirtan.
Dallas, TX
2010-12-31
Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 10, Chapter 2, Texts 11-12 titled “Material Miseries” given by Tamohara Prabhu.
This series of lectures was given during the 2011 TP/GBC Meetings held here in Dallas.
Dallas, TX
2011-01-27
Madhava Hari das singing a Hare Krishna bhajan for Dallas’ New Year’s 24hr Kirtan.
Dallas, TX
2010-12-31
Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 10, Chapter 2, Text 10 titled “Demigod Worship” given by Malati Mataji.
This series of lectures was given during the 2011 TP/GBC Meetings held here in Dallas.
Dallas, TX
2011-01-26
TRANSLATION
By sacrifices of animals, ordinary human beings will worship you gorgeously, with various paraphernalia, because you are supreme in fulfilling the material desires of everyone.
PURPORT
As stated in Bhagavad-gita (7.20), kamais tais tair hrita jnanah prapadyante ‘nya-devatah: “Those whose minds are distorted by material desires surrender unto demigods.” Therefore the word manushya, meaning “human being,” here refers to one who does not know the actual goal of life. Such a person wants to enjoy the material world by taking birth in a highly elevated family with the benefits of education, beauty and immense wealth, which in this material world are desirable. One who has forgotten the real aim of life may worship goddess Durga, maya-sakti, under various names, for different purposes, and in different places. As there are many holy places for the worship of Krishna, there are also many holy places in India for the worship of Durgadevi, or Mayadevi, who took birth as the daughter of Yasoda. After cheating Kamsa, Mayadevi dispersed herself to various places, especially in Vindhyacala, to accept regular worship from ordinary men. A human being should actually be interested in understanding atma-tattva, the truth of atma, the spirit soul, and Paramatma, the supreme soul. Those who are interested in atma-tattva worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead (yasmin vijnate sarvam evam vijnatam bhavati). However, as explained in the next verse of this chapter, those who cannot understand atma-tattva (apasyatam atma-tattvam) worship Yogamaya in her different features. Therefore Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.1.2) says:
srotavyadini rajendra
nrinam santi sahasrasah
apasyatam atma-tattvam
griheshu griha-medhinam
“Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth, have many subject matters for hearing in human society, O Emperor.” Those who are interested in remaining in this material world and are not interested in spiritual salvation have many duties, but for one who is interested in spiritual salvation, the only duty is to surrender fully unto Krishna (sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]). Such a person is not interested in material enjoyment.
