Glories of Sri Lord Ramachandra

My dear Lord you appear in so many incarnations as Rama, Narsimha but you are the original supreme personality of Godhead Krsna. He appears in so many incarnations to install the principles of religion. This incarnation of Sri Rama are very unique and special. These two incarnations as Krsna and Balaram and his incarnation as Sri Rama are leela avatars because he's performing leelas with his devotees. The others were for a specific reason. Narsimha to kill Hiranyakasyapu, Vamana dev for another reason etc. But Sri Rama came to perform leelas with his devotees and also essential lessons and loving nature of the lord. 

Often times we see in India we see lot of awe and reverence to Sri Rama - he is maryada purshottam and Krsna is leela purshottam. Rama performed his leelas in his limits in maryada - ideal king, ideal husband, ideal brother. But Krsna we can't follow and copy. Example is a moon the full moon day moon is full and waxing to the waning moon the portion of the moon is reduced. We can only see portions of the moon but the full potency is still there. Similarly when Rama comes we can only see a portion of Rama's great qualities. It is only people with limited vision make conclusion that it's the same Lord who is in different mood, different bhava who appears here as Lord Rama. 

Lord Rama - Treta yuga. (Lord Krsna in Dvapara yuga) Hanumanji has a benediction that he will never die he is even present here today. Once Krsna called Garudji when he was in Dvarika and asks him to appear in front of him.But Hanumanji is chanting the names of Rama rama rama... So Garudji went back to Krsna and said he didn't speak to me. Then Krsna said now he goes back to Hanumanji and says Rama is in Dvarika. As soon as he said he appeared in front of the lotus feet of Krsna in Dvarika in the form of Ramachandra. So the appearance of Lord Rama is the same supreme personality Krsna. 

He appeared for a reason. to teach us the ideal way to be a devotee, ideal husband, ideal brother etc. In NOD, it is said that the Lord gives shelter to the devotees. When Vibhishan is kicked out by Ravana for giving advise that he is doing adharma of keeping Sita mata there, vinashakale vipreta buddhi - 

Vibhishan is the true devotee of Lord Rama and he was giving advise. But when giving advise to somebody murkha, you will be put into danger. He is giving good advise and he is put into danger. We may make mistakes and we can continue in our life. But when we make a vaishnava apradha then it is worse than commiting a sin. If we commit a sin we may be purified by bhakti but when we do Vaishnava apradha the Lord takes away the bhakti element and then it is very difficult to come back to the path of bhakti. Ravana one after another committed Vaishnava apradha - taking away mother Sita, Killing jatayu and then kicking out Vibhesan. So please remember it is very important to not commit Vaishnava apradha.

Hence, Vibheesan came with 4 associates comes to see Lord Rama. Then Lord Rama consulted with all his commanders about what should we do? Sugreev sends a spy to find out and Vibheesan says I've come to take shelter of the supreme Lord. One after another the commanders gave advise to Lord that actually he is a demon and now we aren't sure if he is pure in his heart and we shouldn't not trust him. Then Hanumanji's turn comes. He says, even though he is living in Lanka for so many years, even though he is associated to Ravana, even though he was born a demon, yet he has comes to take your shelter. Hence, that is the quality we should get - don't look at anybody with the past background but as soon as he has taken shelter of the Supreme Lord that is the greatest quality. To think Shaligrama an ordinary stone, Guru to be an ordinary person and a Vaishnava to be judged by his past karma is to be moorkha. 

Example - Srila Prabhupada took offense when critics would say why are you teaching these melechaas who can't even say Rama properly. But SP following in the footsteps of Mahaprabhu, knew that as soon as you surrender to Krsna by Krsna and Guru's mercy, immediately their past karmas are burnt away. Another example is Sri Rama gave mercy to even to the animals - jatayu gave his life to protect mother Sita - a bird not even a person - he gave up his life even though Jatayu knew he is going to die yet his mood was let me die serving my Lord. The Lord actually gave the position of Jatayu better than his father as he himself created the last rites which he didn't even do for his father.

Another example is Yamunacharya - He performed last rites of a Vaishnavas and smarta brahmins chastised him but then Yamunacharya spoke about this past time that when my Lord performed the last rites of a bird not thinking he is a person or not then what is my position. 

So this is our teaching - Once we take shelter of the Lord, then the Lord himself reciprocates and takes care of us completely. Just surrender to the Lord - Say My dear Lord I'm yours and then Krsna himself will help you. 

So even though Rama is the supreme lord and he could kill Ravana just by his glace, yet because Vibheesan surrendered to Rama and told all the secrets of Ravana, Rama after the war gave him all the credit to have won the war. See the mercy of Rama.

Another example is Sabri - she's a bheelni, very very low caste and she was actually tasting the berries to make sure it is only sweet berries he was eating and when Lakshman said what is this - Rama stopped him and said wait she is offering me with a pure heart with complete love and devotion - That is another teaching we should take - Surrender and offer to Krsna with love and devotion. He doesn't care about the birth, the past karma might be he doesn't care - if we just surrender to Krsna with our heart and also offer everything to Krsna with Love and Devotion he will take care of us completely.

In any position we are in, we should just surrender to Krsna with our heart - by practical devotional service - sravanam, kirtanam ..... (hearing and chanting are the most important) Reading from SP's books. Rama also says, if Ravana comes to me and surrenders to me, I will forgive him. His quality to forgive surpasses even his quality of punishing. Hence, we should learn this from this past time. 

Another past time is the story of Kaikai - why it's so important to be in the association of pure devotees - even though you might be very close to the Lord, if you are with non-devotees then you can fall down. 

Another past time is the boat man, love of Bharat and Rama, surrender of Lakshman - he didn't sleep for 14 years actually - he would keep watch of Rama and in the morning he would serve the Lord. He is service personified. Another past time is Lakshman watching Sita mata when Rama went to kill marichi. Sita mataji was actually criticizing him that after Rama dies you want to enjoy with me and then Lakshmanji was still TOLERATING to serve the Lord. So this is another learning for us that bhakti is not easy - pure devotional service is very difficult and not easy. The Lord tests to see if we ar erealy searious inspite of so many difficulties. We will be criticized and lot of impediments will come but still we should serve the Lord just like Lakshman in spite of lot of impediments.

Vipra-lambha bhava - Rama actually told Sitamata that I will come as Gauranga in Kali yuga and hence they had the past time of Lanka so both of them could understand the service of separation - we should hence learn from this that we should always keep serving our Guru and Krsna in service of separation. Similarly, SP served all his life in separation to his Guru maharaj. He met his GM only 4/5 times, but his full life he served GM and Krsna in service in separation.

Only way to prevent from committing Vaishnava apradha is to take a humble position - trinad api sunicena taror api sahshnuna ..... It's like hati mata disease. You might have taken years and years of cultivation of your bhakti garden, but when you commit Vaishnava apradha, then it's like mad elephant disease, the elephant complete destroys the bhakti garden. The only way to save ourselves from Vaishanav apradha (criticise, blasphame against anybody performing bhakti to Krsna) is to go downhill, taking a humble position, tolerate, surrender, submit ourselves and only then you can not commit Vaishnava apradha. Example of mad elephant when chasing you the only way to protect yourself is to go downhill, because then the elephant also has to slow down and then you will be saved - same way we should take a humble position when trying to criticize anybody, especially a Vaishnava and just tolerate - don't say anything and hence you will be saved from Vaishnava apradha. 

BG 11.55 Summary by HG Shyamsundar Prabhu

My dear Arjuna, he who engages in My pure devotional service, free from the contaminations of fruitive activities and mental speculation, he who works for Me, who makes Me the supreme goal of his life, and who is friendly to every living being — he certainly comes to Me.

This verse is considered to be the essence of Bhagavad-gītā. .  One should understand, therefore, that the purport of this Eleventh Chapter is that the form of Kṛṣṇa is essential and supreme.
Very nice purport, please read it - http://vedabase.net/bg/11/55/en

Usually the last verse of every chapter is like the concluding summary of each chapter and here also we see that SP is saying that this verse is the essence of BG. The specific words in the translation "He certianly comes to me". The purpose of BG is for the souls to come to Krsna and in this verse he is specifying how to come to Krsna. He who engages himself in pure devotional service. This type of bhakti is the pre-requisite or the way by one actually one can make rapid devotional service in their life. What is the pure devotional service - free from contamination of fruitive activities and mental speculation. 

When the sages of Naimisaranya questioned that what is that one activity that gives satisfaction to the heart - devotional service. What is that? Ahituki - no other motivation except to please Krsna. It is unmotivated and uninterrupted - you can't say today I will chant and tomorrow I won't chant. It needs to be uninterrupted. If we go by the mood swings then it's not bhakti. Our mood should be - irrespective of anything I will continue to chant, continue to read, continue to deity worship, continue to associate with devotees.

Work for Krsna - what does that mean? When somebody cuts the check and gives it to us we are working for that person. So what does working for Krsna mean - one who is engaged in an activity and offers the fruits of that activity to Krsna that is working for Krsna. Like Arjuna is about to engage in working for Krsna. Krsna is saying you have your mood swings - today you are saying I don't want to fight, yesterday you said you want to fight - actually your mood swings don't matte.r I have decided to establish dharma and you need to work for me to fight and remove undharma.

Grahasta ashram - We are working everyday and if we offer the fruits to Krsna then we are also working for Krsna. Since the deities have come into the house, we are constantly thinking about the deities. How can I serve the deities. The goal of life is to serve the vaishnavas and example of a prabhuji who is working hard to invite the vaishnavas home and is able to serve the vaishnavas and serving the deities - that is working for Krsna. SP is making a very nice point - if a businessman has thousands of dollars and if he wants to give everything to Krsna that is Krsna conciousness:

"No work should be done by any man except in relationship to Kṛṣṇa. This is called kṛṣṇa-karma. One may be engaged in various activities, but one should not be attached to the result of his work; the result should be done only for Him. For example, one may be engaged in business, but to transform that activity into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one has to do business for Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of the business, then Kṛṣṇa should enjoy the profit of the business. If a businessman is in possession of thousands and thousands of dollars, and if he has to offer all this to Kṛṣṇa, he can do it. This is work for Kṛṣṇa. Instead of constructing a big building for his sense gratification, he can construct a nice temple for Kṛṣṇa, and he can install the Deity of Kṛṣṇa and arrange for the Deity's service, as is outlined in the authorized books of devotional service. This is all kṛṣṇa-karma. One should not be attached to the result of his work, but the result should be offered to Kṛṣṇa, and one should accept as prasādam the remnants of offerings to Kṛṣṇa. If one constructs a very big building for Kṛṣṇa and installs the Deity of Kṛṣṇa, one is not prohibited from living there, but it is understood that the proprietor of the building is Kṛṣṇa. That is called Kṛṣṇaconsciousness. If, however, one is not able to construct a temple for Kṛṣṇa, one can engage himself in cleansing the temple of Kṛṣṇa; that is also kṛṣṇa-karma. One can cultivate a garden. Anyone who has land — in India, at least, any poor man has a certain amount of land — can utilize that for Kṛṣṇa by growing flowers to offer Him. One can sow tulasī plants, because tulasī leaves are very important and Kṛṣṇa has recommended this in Bhagavad-gītā. Patraḿ puṣpaḿ phalaḿ toyam. Kṛṣṇa desires that one offer Him either a leaf, or a flower, or fruit, or a little water — and by such an offering He is satisfied. This leaf especially refers to the tulasī. So one can sow tulasī and pour water on the plant. Thus, even the poorest man can engage in the service of Kṛṣṇa. These are some of the examples of how one can engage in working for Kṛṣṇa."

One who is giving Krsna to others that is very very pleasing to Krsna. That is not going to be easy but Krsna is going to be very pleased (Book Distribution). Constructing temple is good, but more important is to spread the teaching of KC so people are attracted to the teachings and can come to love Krsna. What is the use of a large temple if nobody is coming to them. But if there is a sincere effort to give Krsna to people that is the essence of BG. So this paragraph is very important for us:

"A devotee of Kṛṣṇa is friendly to everyone. Therefore it is said here that he has no enemy (nirvairaḥ). How is this? A devotee situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness knows that only devotional service to Kṛṣṇa can relieve a person from all the problems of life. He has personal experience of this, and therefore he wants to introduce this system, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, into human society. There are many examples in history of devotees of the Lord who risked their lives for the spreading of God consciousness. The favorite example is Lord Jesus Christ. He was crucified by the nondevotees, but he sacrificed his life for spreading God consciousness. Of course, it would be superficial to understand that he was killed. Similarly, in India also there are many examples, such as Ṭhākura Haridāsa and Prahlāda Mahārāja. Why such risk? Because they wanted to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and it is difficult. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person knows that if a man is suffering it is due to his forgetfulness of his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, the highest benefit one can render to human society is relieving one's neighbor from all material problems. (Family is easy, but neighbors are more important - hence it is important to help them to come to the stage of love of Godhead) In such a way, a pure devotee is engaged in the service of the Lord. Now, we can imagine how merciful Kṛṣṇa is to those engaged in His service, risking everything for Him. Therefore it is certain that such persons must reach the supreme planet after leaving the body."

RISK is very important - all of us don't want to take risk because we want a peaceful life. When we change jobs we take risks in the hope to improve our situation. The devotee takes the risk because he wants to spread KC. and it is difficult! SP's own example he struggled for 14 years of his life. He was trying to write magazine, print, personally walked in the hot sunny days, in the hope that someone would take it. He struggled to come out of India, he got heart attack.....who said it's easy? It is difficult. We should try to serve Krsna by cleaning the temple floor, helping in constructing a temple for Krsna - we need to take the risk. SP risked his life for us - so we can all sit in our homes so comfortably to chant Hare Krsna, read the books so nicely and comfortably, get devotee association and hence it our duty to give this mercy to others and hence Krsna says - that such devotees preaching this merciful message is engaged in Krsna's service. So, now we can imagine imagine how merciful Krsna is to those engaged in His service, risking everything for him and hence such persons must reach the supreme planet. 

What is the 2 most important thing we are careful in spending - time and money. When the perfection of money and time is employed in KC that is the most important thing. When we die all the money we have accumulated has been lost. Time lost is lost forever. But when time and money is put into KC and that becomes the goal of life then you are making your life successful and he doesn't waste a single moment. Every moment must be employed in Krsna's service. Every action, every talk, every activity we do, we should think are we pleasing Krsna with this activity and then Krsna says the 4th point.

Who comes to me?

1.Always in devotional service - free from contamination and fruitive activities.

2. Always works for Krsna.

3.  Making Krsna the supreme goal of life.

4. Friendly to every living being - Wants to help everyone and what is the best way to be friendly to everybody by giving them KC. These are the 4 ways if we do sincerely we can come to Krsna definitely. Devotee hence wants to always serve and do devotional service to the SHYAMASUNDAR form of Krsna. Krsna has so many forms and so many names but when Krsna is referred to be in the personal abode of Vrindanvan the word used for Krsna is said to be Shyamasundar. Hence in Vrindavan ISKCON the name of the deity is Shyamasundar that form is the focus of every devotee and that is the all attractive form of Krsna.

That should be our goal of life to serve this form of Krsna having 4 ways as described above.

How to not have unwanted association - at every moment we should think - is this going to be favorable to our KC if yes accept it, if not, reject it. So slowly slowly every action of ours will be favorable for Krsna. We talk, we hear ... any action we do we are always doing things to accept what is favorable to Krsna and KC. Every thought, every word, every activity - if favorable to KC then we accept it and other things we reject and slowly we will become purified and everything we do will be KC. Haribol!