BG 10.16,17 Summary

The lord's energy can't be concieved by our 3d brain. Just to show his devotees he came as Narasimha deva.

BG 10.16,17, - "Please tell me in detail of Your divine opulence by which You pervade all these worlds."
"O Krsna, O supreme mystic, how shall I constantly think of You, and how shall I know You? In what various forms are You to be remembered, O Supreme Personality of Godhead?"

We are looking for absolute shelter and when we see everyone around us is so frustrated and all can't give us that shelter and we understand that Krishna is our supreme shelter, it brings about a great sense of relief and peace in the mind of the agitated soul. After he has described his position, Arjuna is relieved, he's happy, he is completely peaceful. All the 9 dev processes helps us to touch Krishna's consciousness - hearing chanting, reading.... This brings about peace in our lives. So after this particular fact that Krishna has now given his position to Arjuna, Arjuna is now peaceful. But a sincere devotee on one hand is very satisfied but on the other hand he's very eager. A devotee who has chanted his rounds very sincerely, he is more eager to do more service for Krishna, not that oh I've done my 16 rounds now I'm done.

Greed is the price we actually have to pay to get Krishna. A devotee is very greedy for serving Krishna. He wants to increase the dev service for Krishna. He's very happy that Krishna is in control and he's taking care of me but at the same time he's very greedy to serve Krishna. This is what Arjuna is saying here. He says my dear Lord, I'm greedy to know about your opulence and how I can keep thinking of you and how will I know you. Here is another great phenomenon in the life of a devotee - that Krishna cannot be understood by our effort. Krishna has to himself reveal him to us. He has to unfold to us. Because Krishna is always covered by yoga maya. The foolish and unintelligent ppl can't understand me as I'm always covered by yoga maya. So we cannot know him unless Krishna himself shows himself to us.

So here Arjuna is saying please lift this curtain of yoga maya and show yourself to me. once you lift up this curtain of yoga maya, how can I see you in the material things, because I can't see your spiritual form as I'm still not there yet my Lord. Please help me see you because I'm not on the spiritual platform but on the material platform. These are the Qs Arjuna is asking for our benefit.

Actually Krishna is under the supreme control. Everything direct and indirect is happening under his control. Krishna is our best friend, when these 2 points are put together - because when something bad is happening we can understand how Krishna our best friend can cause this? We can then think that Krishna is actually helping me to see something in this situation so I can learn and become a better devotee and I can become closer to truth and reality. That pushes us to actually do the right thing.

Ex - Prisoner for stealing put in the prison is a good thing, because by punishment it is forcing us to come closer to the reality so we can become purified faster. So when we think of these 2 points - 1. Krishna is in full control 2. Krishna is our friend. When we know Krishna is in full control we become very peaceful and happy. When we understand that this is our status quo and we say we want to become KC and want to remember him 24*7 - HOW? That is where Arjuna is coming from and the next verses will tell us how...

For devotees they are always thinking of Krishna in the 2 handed Shyamsundar form of Krishna. When they close their eyes they are thinking of Krishna's personal form, when they open their eyes they see Krishna's form. Arjuna here is asking this question for the mercy of the common man so they can try to see Krishna in material plane as well.

Glories of Lord Narasimha and Prahalad maharaj's prayers.

05/23/2013 (Narasimha Chaturdashi):
Glories of Lord Narasimha Dev:

SB starts where BG ends. Jay Vijaya were the doorkeepers and they were cursed. Hiranyaksa - killed by boar. Hiranyakasypu went for tapasya for 1000 of years and got benediction from Brahma that he will be immortal. Such are deamons. When they get power they think they can do anything.


Prahlad Maharaj was insignificant and he said one who has accepted that this is a temp body and one should go to Vrindavan and take the shelter of Krishna. Prahalad maharaj is a great mahajan. He said my conciousness is attracted by Lord Krishna and told his father to take up the 9 processes of dev service. He also said you can't get out of this material world till you give up the sense gratification. Hiranyakasipu said where are you getting this power and he said from the same person who is giving you this power - Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakasipu said is your Lord in this pillar and he said yes. Then Narasimha bhagav came out of the pillar and killed Hiranyakasipu.


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05/30/2013

Prayers by Prahlada Maharaj:

Last time we discussed how Narasimha bhagavan appeared to protect his devotee. Actually when Hiranyakasipu was offending prahalad, he was being protected by Krishna. He didn't manifest himself but he was always with Prahalad. That is the faith of a devotee, whether good times or bad times Krishna is always with me. Such a devotee is always protected by Krishna.
This story is a comparison b/n Hiran disturbed conciousness vs peacefulness of Prahlada. Wherever there is a devotee like Arjuna and Krishna there is always victory. Similarly, wherever there is prahlad maharaj and Krishna there is a victory. Hiranyakasipu was being challenged by his son who is 5 years old was actually defeating him. When he couldn't tolerate that a young boy was defeating him and when he asked where your power is coming and Prahalad said from the same place your power is coming. Hiranyakasipu became very angry.

Same way sometimes we don't even see Krishna in the deity and here Prahlada is saying Krishna is also in the pillar. Krishna always keeps the word of the devotee. Lord Narasimha dev appeared from the pillar. The pillar cracked and out of the pillar came a roaring sound. Everyone in the planetary systems became afraid hearing the sound. There was a roar from the Lord. It shows us when the Lord becomes angry then he has a terrifying form. Why was he angry, because his devotee was being threatened.

Mahaprabhu is saying when we are cultivating our bhakti lata beej, we should protect the beej from - the mad elephant which is going to stomp on all the plants. After destroying the entire field, they roll on the ground and destroys all the plants of anything. What is the mad elephant - Vaishnava aprad. Vaishnava aprad will destroy the bhakti of a sadhaka. Krishna can't tolerate it. When Krishna was angry because his devotee is in danger, he took the anger personified form as Lord Narasimhadev and killed the demon. He sat on the throne of Hiranyakasipu and tore him apart taking the intestines out and garlanded himself.

Krishna is so merciful that he also knew that Jay, vijay were devotees of Krishna but yet he sat on the throne of the king as a mercy to him saying that he accepts his service. When Krishna was so angry nobody could pacify him - Brahma, Laxmidevi nobody could pacify him. At that point Brahmaji requested Prahalada to go forward and appease the Lord.

Prahlad walked to Krishna and fell down at his feet. When he saw that his devotee has fallen down at his feet, he was estatic in joy seeing his devotee. The Lord is always ready to put his hand on his devotees. Because Lord's hand mean mercy. Prahalada's heart was filled with love and bliss and hence he started saying his prayers to Lord Narasimhadev.

These prayers give us a glimpse of the conciousness of a heart of the devotee. SB is actually teaching us not only the glories of Krishna but also the glories fo THE DEVOTEES who are leading a life of KC. The character and conciousness of a devotee.

1. My dear Lord how is it possible for me who is born in the fam of asuras to have suitable prayers to you. Even though Brahmaji and other demigods were not able to provide prayers to you. It is no possible for me to chant prayers to you for your pleasure. - This is the essence of Bhakti. Bhakti means humility. A devotee never ever feels himself qualified for anything. Prahalada isn't thinking that good Brahmaji you chose me as I'm the chosen one etc....Unless one is meek and humble, to make progress is spiritual life is not possible. We can make progress in the mat world being arrogant but in spiritual life it is not possible. A devotee a sadhaka should tkae example from this experience that Lord we aren't qualified. When one starts thinking in this way, the Lord in the heart will start helping the devotee. When the devotee thinks I'm not qualified, then Krishna will help you.
2. Examples - Beauty, wealth, austerity and all qualifiecations in the mat world will not satisfy the Lord. The only thing needed is dev service - ex, Gajendra offered only a Lotus flower with all devotion.
3. By doing vandanam (offering prayers) one can become purified. So Prahalad maharaj is trying his best that by humility accepting one is not qualified and then trying devotional service with love not with false ego.

In this way he begins to glorify Lord Narasimha.
4. Only to protect your devotees and kill the demons - that is why you have appeared.
5. Now my dear Lord he is killed, please give up your anger. Then he says
6. My dear Lord, I have been put into the association of the demons as a result of my past Karma and hence I'm afraid very much of my condition of life. When will that moment come when you will call me to your lotus feet!!!! A devotee is always afraid of the material world. Which is the forgetfulness of Krishna, not engaging in Krishna's service. He is afraid what will happen if I don't engage in KC. Such is a pure devotee he is afraid of the material world and is afraid of the conditioned life and he is always looking for the moment that he will go back to Krishna. 5 year old boy is able to say such prayers because he is truly KC. He is also saying
7. When doing dev service in the presence of Devotees then I shall be purified. Why assoc of devotees when you have the Lord in front of you? We are sometimes not focusing on serving the devotees while we serve Krishna. This is the point Prahalada is making, if we are in front of Krishna or not in front of Krishna - Serving the devotees is the most important. Birth after birth, my lord my prayer is to be in the association of devotees.
8. Unless one is cared by the Lord, one can't survive in this mat world. Ex - father mother can't take care of the child. doc can't care for patient or boat can't prevent a man drowning without the mercy of Krishna.

Hearing these prayers Lord Narasimha is very happy and says Prahalada ask for a benediction. He says, I was born in an atheistic fam and have natural tendencies of material sense enjoyment, so he says please don't give me these illusions - I want to give us everything, please don't tempt me.  A servant who asks from a master is not qualified to be a servant. He says, please in the core of my heart, there is no material desires. This is the benediction of Maharaj Prahalad. The lord still says, please ask me something, I order you to enjoy the opulences and be absorbed in my thoughts. In this way you can engage in my service. Because you are such a pure devotee your activities will be heard in all planetary systems and whoever listenings to these activities will be benefited.

9. Then Prahlada again asks a very important prayer - please forgive my father. The quality of forgiveness. Somebody who is giving love all the time and once they don't love we can't forgive him and here Prahalada maharaj asking to forgive his father.

Then Lord says not only his father but 21 generations above and below have been excused. Canto 7.



Who is a devotee? Mahaprabhu says when somebody who has chanted the Hare Krishna mantra is a devotee. But even if we are chanting, or initiated we shouldn't be proud that we are devotees, but like Prahalada maharaj we should be always be on guard on how to improve in our spiritual path. If we aren't going upward, we are going downward. When we look upon others, we look with great respect and take care of vaishnavas and inwards we are on guard and are always trying to improve our bhakti. And in this way we should alwayd keep improving our sadhana.