BG 12.10 - 11; HG Shyamsundar prabhu

Bg 12.10 — If you cannot practice the regulations of bhakti-yoga, then just try to work for Me, because by working for Me you will come to the perfect stage.

One needs to fix their mind upon me and engage with intelligence doing work for Krsna. When the mind is fixed upon Krsna, then the mind is always peaceful. To understand Krsna is the supreme enjoyer, personality is fixing your mind upon Krsna. But fixing the mind on Krsna is the most difficult task, as we have been conditioned for so many years. Sadhu Sanga is always such a feast - senior devotees and so many devotees was like a wonderful Sanga - it is so easy to think about Krsna 24*7. But still the mind is not able to focus and that is how difficult it is to engage your mind. But Krsna wants us to appear for our test and he wants to test that if you aren't in a sanga, is your mind going to be fixed upon Krsna or not? Hence, Krsna says, just follow the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga - chant early in the morning, cook for Krsna, collect flowers for Krsna 12.9. So, how do we apply it to our condition - by following 12.10. As bhakti-yoga regulative principles we should chant early in the morning, cook for Krsna. SP was very good cook and he used to cook regularly for Krsna. We should read and hear BG and SB all the time. Aarti, japa, reading, sravanam, kirtan etc - when we do all this, the kids watch this and they then follow it. Also, end of each month - we should support KC by giving some % of money to Krsna.

Bg 12.11 — If, however, you are unable to work in this consciousness of Me, then try to act giving up all results of your work and try to be self-situated.

We should encourage people at whatever level they are and we should respect others - if somebody is doing charity, Krsna is happy, his mercy is always going to be on that soul. Whenever some retreats are there of Sadhu Sanga we should run as we have the mercy of chanting with such elevated souls and we forget the miseries of material world. We should grab these opportunity. It is like a group petition to Krsna that Krsna please engage us in your service. Such Sadhu Sanga is very very important and chanting the holy name of Krsna in the association of devotees makes it even more sweet.

There are 9 processes of devotional service - Sravanam, Kirtanam, Vishnusmaran ..... So we should try to do these 9 processes of devotional service. But in this verse connection - when we do this work for our Spiritual Master, he is so merciful that he offers it to Krsna and prays that Krsna accepts our work as dasyam - So it is very important to be very intense in our sadhana bhakti - so the 8 hours of work we put into our day is accepted by Krsna as bhakti and our Spiritual Master accepts and offers it to Krsna.

Pure devotee has the power to pray to Krsna to qualify our work as bhakti. Please write down what are you doing to please Krsna through your senses, your mind and your intelligence and then actually do it for Krsna. The best way to come to the point of doing everything for the pleasure for Krsna is to chant very sincerely without offenses and other activities like reading SP's books, cooking for Krsna etc - start with these basics and then you are always thinking of Krsna all the time and doing things for Krsna 24*7.

Haribol!

Here's some Srila Prabhupada nectar

Los Angeles, August 02, 1970

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Everything all right?

Devotees: Jaya.

Prabhupāda: Chant Nṛsiṁha mantra. (they chant together)

namas te narasiṁhāya
prahlādāhlāda-dāyine
hiraṇyakaśipor vakṣaḥ-
śilā-ṭaṅka-nakhālaye

ito nṛsiṁhaḥ parato nṛsiṁho
yato yato yāmi tato nṛsiṁhaḥ
bahir nṛsiṁho hṛdaye nṛsiṁho
nṛsiṁham ādiṁ śaraṇaṁ prapadye

tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-śṛṅgaṁ
dalita-hiraṇyakaśipu-tanu-bhṛṅgam
keśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare
jaya jagadīśa hare jaya jagadīśa hare

Nṛsiṁhadeva may save you. Lord Nṛsiṁha, prahlāda āhlāda-dāyine. And to the Hiraṇyakaśipu, śilā-ṭaṅka-nakhālaye. Both ways Kṛṣṇa is protecting. And Viṣṇu, you see He has got four hands. In two hands He's carrying śaṇkha, cakra and in two hands gadā, padma. This śaṅkha and padma is for the devotees, and gadā and cakra for the demons. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, yadā yadā hi... paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām BG 4.8 . He has got two business. To give protection to the devotee and to kill the demons. But the result is one. He does good to the demons by killing him and He does good to the devotees by giving him protection.

Nṛsiṁhadeva will give you protection in my absence. I am now going to Japan to get some books printed personally and after that my program is to go to India. Maybe I shall be able to establish some temples there. Of course in India there are many temples, but it does not mean that I shall not also establish some temples. Just like there is overpopulation. It does not mean that one should not beget child. Similarly, there may be many hundreds of thousand temples in India, still our this society, ISKCON, should have their own temples. That is the way since time immemorial. There are hundreds and thousands of temples. So my advice to you, I am old man. So even I may not return, you shall continue this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This is eternal and I shall request you to keep the standard as I have already given you the program. The Deity worship, the kīrtana, the street saṅkīrtana, distribution of literature, books. You should carry on this program with great enthusiasm. That is my request.

In the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness the first principle is enthusiasm. If you lack enthusiasm then other things will not happen. And you can keep enthusiastic if you follow the rules and regulation and chant regularly Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Otherwise that enthusiasm also will dry. So six things are required for advancing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The first thing is enthusiasm. Utsāhān dhairyāt. And patient. And niścayād, with conviction, firm conviction. Utsāhān dhairyāt niścayād tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. Following the rules and regulation, chalked out plans. And sato vṛtteḥ, dealing very straightforward. No diplomacy, no politics, no duplicity. That will not help. Sato vṛtteḥ. Vṛtteḥ, his profession should be very straightforward. No underhand dealings. Sato vṛtteḥ and sādhu-saṅga CC Madhya 22.83 , and in the association of devotees. Six things. Enthusiasm, patience, firm conviction, following the rules and regulations, dealing straightforward, no duplicity, and in association of devotees. If you can keep these six principles always in front then your progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is sure. There is no doubt about it. So as far as possible I've tried to train you and you are doing nice. I'm satisfied. So keep the standard and go on. March forward and Kṛṣṇa will bless you. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Chant. [break] ( prema-dhvanī ) (end)

Lord Nrsimhadev's apperance day

If you really love somebody become like Prahalad maharaj. He loved his father so much so - he became a pure devotee and hence all his family members became liberated. He could have pleased his father by giving up KC, but he didn't have material love for his father. It wasn't temporary love, but it was spiritual love. We should inculcate this teaching from Prahalad maharaj. If you really love somebody and care for somebody truly, become a pure devotee and then automatically, the Lord will destroy all your material desires from within and will protect you on your devotional path. Bhakti yoga isn't easy. Maya devi will test you with lots of sharp teeth just like the crocodile on Gajendra's foot, but we need to be sincere, determined and have paitence. When you water the root, all branches are watered in due course of time. So let's pray to Lord Nrsimhadev on this day to give us strength and FAITH like prahlad maharaj to continue inspite of any problems and difficulty we may face. Let's pray to him so he can take away all 6 bad things from our system - lust, anger, greed, illusion, pride and envy. Hare Krsna!