Sunday, April 28, 2013

God Is Always Right, Never Wrong

God is almighty & perfect. All of His actions & his words are also perfect without any impurities. He is the way of all those people who trust in Him. God knows past, present, future & never makes any mistakes.

In our life when something bad happens to us then we think that God is doing something bad for us. Often we complain about our life and negative things that happen to us, forgetting that nothing is random and that everything has a purpose. In this cause & effect world God does everything in our life for our betterment only. Below is a story which illustrates that, whatever, happens in our life, always happens for the Good only.

“In the ancient times in India, there was a king who did not believe in the goodness of God. He had a slave who, in all circumstances, said: My king, do not be discouraged, because God always does that is good for us! Everything God does is perfect, without any mistakes!

One day they went hunting and along the way a wild animal attacked the king. His slave managed to kill the animal, but could not prevent his majesty losing a finger.

Furious and without showing his gratitude for being saved, the nobleman said "Is God good? If He was good, I would not have been attacked and lost my finger."

The slave replied: "My king, despite all these things, I can only tell you that God is good, and He only knows "why" of all these things. Whatever God does is good for us! Everything God does is perfect, without any mistakes! He is never wrong!" Outraged by the response of the slave, the king ordered the arrest of his slave. Later, he left for another hunt and was captured by the wild men who made human sacrifices.

In the altar, ready to sacrifice the king, the savages found that the victim had not one of his fingers, so he was released. According to them, a person without a finger was not so complete to be offered to the gods. Upon his return to the palace, he authorized the release of his slave that he received very affectionately.

"My dear, God was really good to me! I was almost killed by the wild men, but for lack of a single finger, I was let go! But I have a question: if God is so good, why did he allow me to put you in jail?"

"My King, if I had gone with you in this hunt, I would have been sacrificed in place of you, because I have no missing finger. So always remember that, everything God does is good for us! Everything God does is perfect, without any mistakes! He is never wrong."

So always have faith in the God & always think:

"Whatever happened in the past, it happened for the good; Whatever is happening, is happening for the good; Whatever shall happen in the future, shall happen for the good only. Do not weep for the past, do not worry for the future, concentrate on your present life."

He who has faith in God is strong. He who doubts about God is weak. Strong faith in God precedes great actions. Faith illumines the spiritual path, builds a bridge across the gulf of death, and takes one to the other shore of fearlessness and deathlessness. Below verses of Bhagwat Gita on Faith says everything:

"yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
shraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Six verse 47)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: And of all yogis, the one with great Faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to Me—he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion."

"ye tu dharmamritam idam
yathoktam paryupasate
sraddadhana mat-parama
bhaktas te ’tiva me priyah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 20)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: O Arjuna, Those who follow this imperishable path of devotional service and who completely engage themselves with faith, making Me the supreme goal, are very, very dear to Me."

So let’s not doubt about the God & just have Faith in Him. Let’s accept the will of God in all circumstances of life & have faith that whatever, happens in our life, happens for the good only. If you have Faith in God & words of the Lord Krishna, then you shall be able to turn toward the God. It's Faith in God only which determines how you can lead your life in a better way.

Jai Sri Krishna

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Cult of Devotion to Lord Krishna


Lord Krishna is almighty, all powerful & everyone prays to Him but there is a cult of devotion in which a person falls in Love with Lord Krishna & there is a burning desire in that person's mind to meet Lord Krishna. Gopis of Vrindavan, including Sri Radha Rani are of that cult only who fell in Love with Lord Krishna. Meerabai also considered Lord Krishna like that only. Such devotee’s state of mind is the one who always think madly of Lord Krishna. This is the state of the highest devotion to the God, in which a person always yearns to meet Lord Krishna. Gopis & Sri Radha's love for Lord Krishna is so strong that in His absence their mind always yearns for Him.

In "Bhagwat Gita" Lord Krishna is saying to Arjuna:

Be aware of me always,
adore me, make every
act an offering to me,
and you shall come to me;
this I (Krishna) promise,
for you are dear to me. (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 65)

Abandon all supports and
look to me for protection.
I shall purify you from the
sins of the past; do not grieve. (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 66)

Lord Krishna is assuring Arjuna in Bhagwat Gita that He shall always be with him in all circumstances if he is always in devotion to Him. Same thing applies to every human being also. If a person remains devoted to Lord Krishna then Lord promises that He shall deliver that person of all the sins of the past & purify that person. By doing such loving service to the Lord, certainly that person shall be in the eyes of God always & God shall always protect that person.

So let's be devoted to Lord Krishna always. Let's sing His Glories, read literature regarding Him & also do loving service to humanity (charity etc.) in His name.

Jai Sri Krishna

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Just Serve as a medium of God


In one place in Bhagwat Gita, Lord Krishna is telling Arjuna, ”All those great warriors, Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna and the others have already been destroyed by Me (God). Therefore, kill them and do not be disturbed. Simply fight and you will vanquish your enemies in battle.”

We in our life, unnecessarily think that we are the “Doers”, however we are just a medium of God. We are just playing a role in the already scripted play of God. So we should not think that we are the doers but just think that we are the actors on this world stage of God. We are just playing a role in this play of God. In this way all our ego shall vanish & we shall surrender ourselves completely to God.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita which tell that God is all powerful & He has already scripted everything & we just have to play a role in His worldly play:

"sri-bhagavan uvacha
kalo ’smi loka-ksaya-krt pravrddho
lokan samahartum iha pravrttah
rte ’pi tvam na bhavisyanti sarve
ye ’vasthitah pratyanikesu yodhah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eleven verse 32)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: Time I am, the great destroyer of the worlds, and I have come here to destroy all people. With the exception of you [the Pandavas], all the soldiers here on both sides will be slain."

"tasmat tvam uttistha yaso labhasva
jitva satrun bhunksva rajyam samrddham
mayaivaite nihatah purvam eva
nimitta-matram bhava savya-sacin" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eleven verse 33)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: Therefore get up. Prepare to fight and win glory. Conquer your enemies and enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement, and you, O Arjuna is an instrument in the fight."

"dronam cha bhismam cha jayadratham cha
karnam tathanyan api yodha-viran
maya hatams tvam jahi ma vyathistha
yudhyasva jetasi rane sapatnan" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eleven verse 34)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna and the other great warriors have already been destroyed by Me. Therefore, kill them and do not be disturbed. Simply fight, and you will vanquish your enemies in battle."

So let’s shed our ego that we are the doers but just surrender our ego at the feet of God. Let’s Just Serve as a medium of God. By doing so, we shall be doing our duty & also surrendering at the feet of God by acknowledging that we are doing all work for God.

Jai Sri Krishna

Sunday, April 07, 2013

Quotes by Lord Krishna on the Soul

Whole philosophy of Bhagwat Gita is about "Body & Soul" & what is the difference between the two. On the one hand Body is said to be perishable while the Soul is immortal which never dies. Lord Sri Krishna in Bhagwat Gita is only teaching that we should consider ourself, as that immortal Soul & that we all are immortal if we do not think ourselves, as this Body but Soul.

Soul, Spirit, Atman, Self etc. are words which are used to define subtle nature of ourselves which is invisible & mysterious. Soul is something which is within this body & something which can exist without this body. When soul lives in this physical body then it enjoys the different sensory objects through this body. Soul is indestructible & immortal. It moves from one body to the other. As we are not able to see this Soul due to it's subtle nature so it looks mysterious to us.

Now let's understand about the Soul through the Bhagwat Gita. As per Bhagwat Gita both God (Super soul) and the Individual Souls do exist & It also believes in the incarnation of the individual souls, their delusion and bondage to the cycle of births and deaths because of desire ridden actions. As per this, Soul at death gets released from this body, rises to the higher worlds (heaven etc.) or to the lower wombs (animals, birds etc.) & reincarnates or return to the earth to continue its cycle of births and deaths.

Below are Quotes in Bhagwat Gita, which describe the Soul, or Atman, in detail:

"dehino-asmin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvnam jara
tatha dehantar-praptir-
adhiras tatra na muhyati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 13)

"Sri Krishna said: Just as boyhood, youth & old age are attributed to the soul & the embodied soul continuously passes through these cycles, similarly the embodied soul passes into another body at death. The wise man does not get deluded & bewildered with such a change."

"avinasi tu tad viddhi
yena sarvam idam tatam
vinasam avyayasyasya
na kascit kartum arhati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 17)

"Sri Krishna said: Know that to be imperishable & indestructible, by which all this is pervaded; for none can bring about the destruction of this indestructible substance, the imperishable soul."

"antavanta ime deha
nityasyoktah saririnah
anasino ’prameyasya
tasmad yudhyasva bharata" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 18)

"Sri Krishna said: All these bodies pertaining to the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal living entity / soul are spoken of as perishable; therefore, fight, Arjuna."

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, neither slays not can it be slain (Chapter 2.19).

"ya enam vetti hantaram
yas chainam manyate hatam
ubhau tau na vijanito
nayam hanti na hanyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 19)

"Sri Krishna said: They are both ignorant, he who knows the soul to be capable of killing and he who takes it as killed; for verily the soul neither kills, nor is killed."

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, is never born, never dies and after coming into existence never ceases to be. It is nitya (always), shasvatah (permanent) and purana (very ancient) (Chapter 2.20).

"na jayate mriyate va kadacin
nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah
ajo nityah sasvato ’yam purano
na hanyate hanyamane sarire" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 20)

"Sri Krishna said: The soul is never born nor dies at any time. Soul has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. Soul is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. Soul is not slain when the body is slain."

"vedavinasinam nityam
ya enam ajam avyayam
katham sa purushah Arjuna
kam ghatayati hanti kam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 21)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, how can a human being who knows that the soul is indestructible, eternal, unborn and immutable kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?"

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, does not suffer & cannot be tainted. At the time of death it does not die, but leaves the body and enters into a new one (Chapter 2.22).

"vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya
navani grhnati naro ’parani
tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany
anyani samyati navani dehi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 22)

"Sri Krishna said: As a human being puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones."

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman has the properties that Weapons cannot pierce it, fire cannot burn it, water cannot moisten it and wind cannot dry it (Chapter 2.23).

"nainam chindanti shastrani
nainam dahati pavakah
na chainam kledayanty apo
na sosayati marutah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 23)

"Sri Krishna said: The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind."

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, is impenetrable, incombustible, all pervading, stable and immobile (Chapter 2.24).

"acchedyo ’yam adahyo ’yam
akledyo ’sosya eva cha
nityah sarva-gatah sthanur
achalo ’yam sanatanah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 24)

"Sri Krishna said: This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same."

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, is invisible, imperceptible and immutable (Chapter 2.25).

"avyakto ’yam acintyo ’yam
avikaryo ’yam ucyate
tasmad evam viditvainam
nanusocitum arhasi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 25)

"Sri Krishna said: It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable and immutable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body."

"atha chainam nitya-jatam
nityam va manyase mrtam
tathapi tvam maha-baho
nainam socitum arhasi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 26)

"Sri Krishna said: If, however, you think that the soul [or the symptoms of life] is always born and dies forever, you still have no reason to lament, O mighty-armed."

"prakriteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Three verse 27)

"Sri Krishna said: The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature."

Lord Krishna knew the limitations of human consciousness to gauge the true nature of the inner soul. So in the Bhagwat Gita it concurs that no one can exactly know what a soul is. Someone looks at It with great surprise, another speaks about It with great surprise, some another hears about It with incredulity and yet another after hearing about It knows it not (Chapter 2.29).

"ascharya-vat pasyati kascid enam
ascharya-vad vadati tathaiva chanyah
ascharya-vac chainam anyah srnoti
srutvapy enam veda na chaiva kascit" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 29)

"Sri Krishna said: Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all."

Below verse tells how Soul is superior to matter; mind, senses & intelligence:

"indriyani parany ahur
indriyebhyah param manah
manasas tu para buddhir
yo buddheh paratas tu sah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Three verse 42)

"Sri Krishna said: The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence."

So in this way Soul is a Mysterious thing & can be understood if you have faith in God & in religious scriptures.


Jai Shri Krishna