How Bhagwat Gita can transform Your Life?

If Bhagwat Gita becomes a part & parcel of your life then it shall totally transform your life. It not only shall guide you through your life journey but shall also shape the way you live your life. In my case it all started when I was 15 years of age. One day I found a portable, very old copy of Bhagwat Gita by Gita Press in my family cupboard. I started reading that at the age of 15 & my fascination for Lord Krishna grew very much. Since then I have become a staunch devotee of Lord Krishna & His teachings of Bhagwat Gita. I have been reading the Bhagwat Gita all these years which taught me many lessons & transformed my life on the way to Karma Yoga. Below are some of the great lessons that I have learnt from Bhagwat Gita through many yoga paths as taught by Lord Krishna in this great book.

1) How to remove Stress, pessimism in our Life: In our day to day life we all encounter myriads of problems, gets work pressure, stress etc. Now if we can find some way in which you can de-stress ourself & find peace of mind within ourselves then how good it be in our life. The great philosophy of Bhagwat Gita not only tells us about the Yoga technique which can make our body stress free but also gives many ways by which we can calm our mind. Other than that it tells us about the mystery of Life & Death.

In the battle field of Kurukshetra, when Arjuna, the disciple of Lord Krishna got infatuated & forgot his prescribed duty to fight, then Lord Krishna reminded Arjuna of his duty to fight a lawful, justful war & gave him the teachings of Bhagwat Gita. Lord Krishna through Bhagwat Gita teachings removed all dejection, pessimism in Arjuna’s Life. Similarly, whenever, dejection, despondency, pessimism comes in my life, I reach out to Bhagwat Gita which tells me that I should do my duty, do good to society & be a devotee of Lord Krishna, which removes all pessimism from my Life.

2) We need to be a true KarmYogi : This whole world is a creation of God / Lord Krishna, so we should work for Him only. If we develop this sense that we are working selflessly to sustain this world created by God only, then also we shall develop an affinity towards God. Lord Krishna tells in Bhagwat Gita that if a person offers all his work & activities to God, thinking this world to be a creation of God only, then that person is called KarmYogi.

By devoting all our Karmas to God our mind gets purified of all the impurities & our mind receives the Godly light, Godly grace and Godly knowledge. If we do Service of humanity then also it is the service of God as God sits in the heart of all human beings. Let’s work without attachment and egoism & offer all the good works of ours to God.

By practicing Karma Yoga our heart reaches out to other people & through it we see God in all people’s hearts. By such devotional practice, divine virtues such as love, mercy, tolerance, kindness, patience, self-restraint, etc. are developed in us. Karma Yoga destroys jealousy, hatred, malice and the idea of superiority in us.

So I am also offering all my Karmas to God only& work for God only. This thinking & way of working by offering all my actions to God has brought peace in my life.

3) We need to motivate ourselves to do good to society: When Arjuna listened to all these great teachings of Bhagwat Gita from Lord Krishna, Arjuna's mental health became well & he became motivated & energetic to fight the war. At times we find ourselves in demotivated, depressed state of mind in our life. Same thing happened many times in my life but through the teachings of "Bhagwat Gita", my state of mind got changed to a motivated energetic state of mind Through these teachings I find peace in my life & came out of many crisis situations in my life. The teachings of "Bhagwat Gita" can simply transform a person.

4) Finding our Inner Soul Strength: Inner Strength is our Soul strength, Mental strength or Personal Strength which comes into action in our hard times to defeat all such negative symptoms of sadness, depression etc. in our life. In hard times it helps in building our low esteem and loss of confidence. When we are passing through bad times, we have a feeling of self dejection & a feeling that we will not succeed in life. In all such times, our Inner Soul Strength comes into play. Inner Strength is basically an exploration to find our authentic self. Bhagwat Gita teaches us to peep into & explore our original inner self which is our Soul. "Bhagwat Gita" is a reservoir to answers to all such questions. "Bhagwat Gita", time & again tells us that we have a Soul inside our human body & this Soul has infinite potential. As this Soul of ours is a spark of the Infinite all powerful, all pervasive Universal Soul (God), so Soul’s powers are also limit less. This Soul present inside our human body, in fact gives strength to our mind to carry out all difficult tasks. Believing in oneself is nothing but believing in one's inner Soul. All fountains of knowledge & strength come out of this inner Soul only. So knowing this Soul strength through the teachings of Bhagwat Gita one attains one’s true self which is Soul.

5) Mind Control through Bhagwat Gita teachings: Bhagwat Gita teaches us about the "Mind Control" & a controlled mind not hankering after things of the world can do many good works for the society. As per Bhagwat Gita, “For those people whose mind is unbridled, uncontrolled & wandering, peace of mind cannot be attained but those people whose mind is controlled and who strive by appropriate means is assured of success in every walk of life." So it has given lots of peace to my mind by following the teachings of Bhagwat Gita.
We can also make our mind Conflict-Free by following the teachings of Bhagavat-Gita. In our life if we have control over your mind i.e. if there is equilibrium of Emotions and Intellect in your mind then we shall be peaceful & happy in life.

6) Work without caring for the fruit arising out of that work: One teaching of "Bhagwat Gita" is to do one's work for the sake of work only without caring for the fruit arising out of that work. That simply means to get deeply involved in one's work or just be single minded about performing the best in one's job without thinking about the results arising out of those actions. Just concentrate on your work, that's it. Same is in "Bhagwat Gita: Chapter 2 verse 47” where "Lord Sri Krishna said: You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty."

7) Have Devotion in God through Bhakti Yoga: Bhakti is nothing but devotion towards God. Bhakti is the relationship between a soul (that of the devotee) and God. As per Bhagwat Gita, Bhakti is a yogic path, through which a devotee gets a union with God. Through these teachings of Bhakti Yoga I have developed a great Love for Lord Krishna which has made my life quite peaceful & enriching.

In Bhagwat Gita, Lord Krishna is assuring Arjuna 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 Lord & Lord 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. So lets have devotion to Lord Krishna.

In Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 68, 69, Sri Krishna says: “O Arjuna, For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed to him, and at the end he will come back to Me. There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear to Me.”
Following these words of Lord Krishna I though that in this Digital Age, it shall be good to serve Lord Krishna by disseminating His teachings of Bhagwat Gita through a Blog. So in year 2006, I started writing & sharing Bhagwat Gita teachings through this Bhagwat Gita Blog which is read by large section of Lord Krishna devotees all around the world.

As Bhagwat Gita has transformed my Life completely so I wish that it should also transform your life if you follow these teachings religiously. I pray for you to Lord Krishna & May God Bless You.

Jai Shri Krishna

Always be Krishna Conscious

When Prahlada Maharaja met Nrsimhadeva, he said,

naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaranyas
tvad-virya-gayana-mahamrta-magna-cittah
soce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyarthamaya-
sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan

"My dear Lord," Prahlada says, "I am not very anxious for my own deliverance."
"I have no anxiety for myself because somehow or other I have been trained to be always Krishna conscious."
"There is only one source of anxiety for me."
soce tato vimukha-cetasah: "I am anxious for those persons who are not Krishna conscious. That is my anxiety. For myself I have no anxiety, but I am thinking of those who are not Krishna conscious." !!

As per the Bhagwat Gita, devotion is the easiest method to develop "Bhaav" & get close to the God. God himself declares about the glory of devotion in Bhagwat Gita:

"man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaishyasi satyam te
pratijane priyo ’si me" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 65)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend."

Jai Sri Krishna

'Kripa' (कृपा) - God's Grace

God  is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you are always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. This unspeakable gift of grace is offered to all the world. Have you accepted it?

God is great & all merciful. His Divine grace or Blessing or 'Kripa' (कृपा) happens on all creatures. Divine grace is of two types. First one is Normal mercy & second one is Special mercy. Normal mercy is the one which is happening on all creatures, equally by God. Like Sun is shining on all beings equally or God provides for the water, air & food etc. for all the creatures, irrespective of whether these creatures love Him or not. Say there are many people who do not like or believe in God & rather there are many people who abuse the God or say ill of Him but still God never stops providing sunshine, air, water, food etc. to such people. This is called God's Normal mercy.

Other than that is Special mercy of God. This type of mercy happens on God's devotees. Such special Divine grace on devotees in Hinduism is the central tenet of Bhakti Yoga and Bhakti movements. It is a key towards realizing the spiritual path of self-realization in which God embraces His devotee. When Special mercy of God happens on any person then God gives that person, whatever, that person is lacking in life & also protects his/her life & belongings. In fact that person is always protected in life by God. Such type of Special mercy of God only happens on a person who engages his/her mind always in thinking of God, becomes God's devotee, offers obeisance's to God and always worships the God. Being completely absorbed in God, surely that person becomes eligible for God's Special mercy.

That is the reason that Adi Shankaracharya composed his famous verse Bhaja Govindam in 8th century, where he declared:

"bhajagovindam bhajagovindam
govindam bhaja muudhamate
sampraapte sannihite kaale
nahi nahi rakshati dukrijnkarane"

Worship Govinda, Worship Govinda,
Worship Govinda. Oh fool!
Nothing else will save you
at the time of your death.

Similarly below verses of Bhagwat Gita explain that:

"samo ’ham sarva-bhutesu
na me dvesyo ’sti na priyah
ye bhajanti tu mam bhaktya
mayi te tesu chapy aham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 29)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna: I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him."

"ananyas cintayanto mam
ye janah paryupasate
tesham nityabhiyuktanam
yoga-ksemam vahamy aham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 22)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna: But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have."

"sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
mokshayisyami ma suchah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 66)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Abandon all varieties of religion or Setting aside all meritorious deeds, just surrender unto Me. I shall liberate you from all sins. Do not fear."

Jai Shri Krishna

God works Invisibly to answer your Prayer

Have you ever felt God answering your prayers? How does God answers your prayers. Many people have told that their prayers were answered by God & God acted in their case to fulfil the wish of theirs or saved them in difficult times. Yes God is omnipresent, means He sits in every place & in every corner of this world. He is sitting in everyone’s heart also & knows everything what we are feeling or going through in our life. God answers to our calls if we call Him with full faith.

The things which are impossible with men are possible with God as He is all powerful. All around you there is a world of sin and sorrow but remember, God is there all powerful; God is stronger. Only pray on & wait on God. "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." Get linked to God. Adore and trust Him as the omnipotent One & He shall certainly answer to your prayer. Never pray without adoring His omnipotence, saying: "Mighty God, I claim Your almightiness. " And the answer to the prayer will come.

Prayer is an act of addressing the God with devotion for the purpose of worship. Prayer is a way of having a personal experience and intimate connection with our loving God. Prayer can be done during the worship or can be done just silently in our mind. Through prayer we have a personal experience & an intimate connection with our loving God. If we pray to God with sincerity then He shall answer to our prayers immediately. Through Prayer a person can address the Lord, his/her feelings & mind. God is willing to listen to you and responds with love and concern, all the time. The method of such calling our Lord is PRAYER. Those who have faith in Lord, generally Pray for Him. Prayer can be done during the worship or can be done just silently in our mind. If we pray to the Lord with sincerity then He shall answer to our prayers immediately.

Below are few Bhagwat Gita quotes on the same.

"tad-buddhayas tad-atmanas
tan-nisthas tat-parayanah
gacchanty apunar-avrttim
jnana-nirdhuta-kalmasah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Five verse 17)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: When one’s Intelligence, Mind, Faith and refuge are all fixed in the God, then one becomes fully cleansed of misgivings through complete knowledge and thus proceeds straight on the path of liberation." Such a person is really called a wise man.

asraddadhanah purusha
dharmasyasya parantapa
aprapya mam nivartante
mrityu-samsara-vartmani (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 3)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: Those who are not Faithful in this devotional service, cannot attain Me, O Arjuna. Therefore they return to the path of birth and death in this material world."

"shraddhaval labhate jnanam
tat-parah samyatendriyah
jnanam labdhva param shantim
acirenadhigacchati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Four verse 39)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: A faithful man who is dedicated to transcendental knowledge and who subdues his senses is eligible to achieve such knowledge, and having achieved it he quickly attains the God & spiritual peace."

Jai Shri Krishna

Bhakti Yoga : भक्ति योग

Bhakti Yoga : भक्ति योग is a Spiritual discipline in which through the cultivation of Love and devotion towards God one attains to the highest state of Nirvana. It is a practice of devotion towards God, solely motivated by the sincere, loving desire to please the God, rather than the hope of divine reward or the fear of divine punishment. It is a means toward a state of spiritual liberation or enlightenment through the "realisation", or the attainment of "oneness" with God. Bhakti yoga is often considered by Hindus to be the easiest way for ordinary people to attain such a spiritually liberated state, because although it is a form of yoga, its practice is not as rigorous as most other yogic schools, and it is possible to practice bhakti yoga without needing to become a full-time yogi.

As per the Hindu mythology, in other paths like "Jnana Yoga", the path of Knowledge or "Dhyana Yoga", the Yoga of Meditation etc. it is essential that one practices self discipline, masters his senses, passions etc. to realize the God. But Bhakti Yoga, the path of devotion is Unique in that sense.

Bhakti is a Sanskrit term that signifies an attitude of devotion towards God which is similar to a number of interpersonal relationships between humans, such as between lovers or friends. The difference is that in bhakti, the relationship is between a soul (that of the devotee) and a "Supersoul" (God). Bhakti is a yogic path, in that the devotee's aim is of loving union with God.

As per the great saint Sri Ramakrishna:

" Is it possible to realize God unless one’s passions have already been controlled? In a sense not. But that is true only of Jnana Yoga, the path of Knowledge. The knowing one says, “One must first be pure if one desires to see God. One must first control one’s passions. First self-discipline, then knowledge of God.”

There is however, another path leading to God – the path of devotion (Bhakti Yoga). If one man gains love of God, if once the chanting of His holy name begins to thrill the devotee with joy, what effort is needed for the control of passions afterwards? The control comes of itself. Can a man suffering from intense grief be in a mood to enter into a quarrel, or to enjoy a feast, or to give his mind up to the pleasures of the senses? So one absorbed in the love of God cannot think of sense-pleasures.

A poet has compared devotion to God to a tiger. As the tiger devours animals, devotion also swallows up all the ‘arch-enemies’ of man, such as lust, passion and the rest. Once the devotion to God is fully awakened, all evil passions like lust and anger are completely destroyed."

In "Bhagwat Gita", Lord Krishna Says that if a person is devoted to God only then God rescues that person from ocean of Birth & Death i.e. that man becomes eligible for permanent life beyond death forever with God.

As per (Gita: Chapter XII verse 8) God says that:

"mayy eva mana adhatsva
mayi buddhim nivesaya
nivasisyasi mayy eva
ata urdhvam na samsayah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 8)

" Fix Your mind on Me (God) and establish your reasoning in Me (God) alone; thereafter doing so you shall abide in Me (God) only. There is no doubt about it. "

' Ye tu srvani krmani
myi sanyasya mat-para
anany-naiv yogen
maam dhyayant upasate '
' Tesham-aham samud-dharta
mrityu-sansar-saagrat
bhavami na-chirat parth
mayy-avesita-chetsam ' ( Bhagwat Gita: Chapter XII verse 6-7 )

'Those people, who worship Me by surrendering all their activities unto Me, are always devoted to Me, always meditate upon Me, Having always fixing their minds upon Me, O Parth - to them, I swiftly rescue from the ocean of birth and death.'

So as per assurance given by God in Gita, Lets all be devotees of God only & let's pray for Him (God) daily.

Jai Shri Krishna

Wonderful God – Lord Krishna

Lord Krishna is considered as the Supreme Deity & is worshipped across Hinduism as the Supreme God. Lord Krishna is the Wonderful God of Hinduism. He is recognized as the eighth incarnation (avatar) of Lord Vishnu, and one and the same as Lord Vishnu, one of the Trimurti and as the Supreme God in his own right. Lord Krishna gave spiritual knowledge to Arjuna as the Bhagavat Gita, also known as the Divine Song of God.

Lord Krishna has all the qualities of Godhead. He is very beautiful, pleasing, ever youthful, effulgent, strong, truthful, highly learned & highly knowledgeable. Lord Krishna talks very pleasingly, is very fluent, is highly intelligent & is a genius. He is the authority of Vedas & all the scriptures. He is magnanimous, compassionate, forbearing & always forgiving. He is the well-wisher of devotees & is controlled by love only. He is all-auspicious, very powerful, worshiped by all, all-opulent & the supreme controller of this Universe. Uncountable universes come out from His body & He is the source of all creations. He is also the source of all incarnations that happen from time to time.

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. Lord Krishna is ‘Supreme Deity” & praying Him, having devotion in Him will remove all sins of a person & that person shall get divine bliss in life.

In "Bhagwat Gita", Lord Krishna Says that if a person is devoted to God only then God rescues that person from ocean of Birth & Death i.e. that man becomes eligible for permanent life beyond death forever with God.

"Ye tu srvani krmani
myi sanyasya mat-para
anany-naiv yogen
maam dhyayant upasate '
' Tesham-aham samud-dharta
mrityu-sansar-saagrat
bhavami na-chirat parth
mayy-avesita-chetsam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter XII verse 6-7)

'Those people, who worship Me by surrendering all their activities unto Me, are always devoted to Me, always meditate upon Me, Having always fixing their minds upon Me, O Parth - to them, I swiftly rescue from the ocean of birth and death.'

"sarva-bhuta-sthitam yo mam
bhajaty ekatvam asthitah
sarvatha vartamano ’pi
sa yogi mayi vartate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Six verse 31)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Such a yogi, who engages in the worshipful service of the Super soul, knowing that I and the Super soul are one, remains always in Me in all circumstances."

"satatam kirtayanto mam
yatantas cha drdha-vratah
namasyantas cha mam bhaktya
nitya-yukta upasate"  (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Always chanting My glories, endeavouring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion."

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

Best Purifier of Soul – Devotion to Lord Krishna

Devotion to God, Devotion to Lord Krishna is the best thing in Life as it brings the most Positive effects in one’s life. Lord Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is Supreme Love, Supremely powerful & Supreme bestower of all boons. If one has Devotion to Lord Krishna then Lord enriches the life of that person with all the Happiness, Love & Wealth.

In our life, we knowingly or unknowingly, sometimes commit the sin. In scriptures there are many ways such as penance, charity etc. are told, through which atonement to such sins can be attained. But there is no way more swift, fast for atonement to sins than Devotional service to Lord Krishna. In this regard Bhagwat Puran & Bhagwat Gita, both explain about this assurance in detail that Devotion to Lord Krishna is the supreme purifier for all the sins that a person commits in life time. Below are few verses from Bhagwat Puran regarding this:

"Some manage, in relying on nothing but an unalloyed devotion towards Lord Krishna, to destroy all their badness beyond revival, like the sun does with fog."

"A man full of sin, o King is for certain not as much purified by penance, as the devotee who has surrendered his life to Lord Krishna in dedicated service unto the original person of God."

"In this world there is this path that is really appropriate & the one that is followed by the well-behaved, fearless and auspicious, saintly people; that is in surrendering oneself to Lord Krishna.

"Most of the atonement, well performed by a nondevotee will not purify, o King, like all the rivers can't purify a liquor jar with their regular washing of it."

"Once the mind is of full of surrender to the two lotus feet of Lord Krishna & the mind is full of hankering after Lord's qualities, then that person shall never encounter Yamarâja (Lord of death) and his superintendents, or even in one's dreams meet his servants carrying the ropes to bind, because doing such devotional service to Lord Krishna is the right atonement for all sins."

In Bhagwat Gita also God himself is giving that assurance:

"sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
mokshayisyami ma suchah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 66)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear."

"karma-jam buddhi-yukta hi
phalam tyaktva manisinah
janma-bandha-vinirmuktah
padam gacchanty anamayam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 51)

"Sri Krishna said: By thus engaging in Devotional service to the God, great sages or devotees free themselves from the results of work in the material world. In this way they become free from the cycle of birth and death and attain the state beyond all miseries."

So let's always pray to Lord Krishna & let's always engage our mind in devotional service of Him. Let's read religious texts, scriptures & literature regarding the Lord Krishna. Let's always sing His glories so that He can always be merciful on us. If we shall do such devotional service to God then we shall get special mercy of Lord Krishna & we shall be purified of all the sins in our life.

Jai Sri Krishna.

How to overcome Maya & see God?

Maya is something which separates us from the divine power called GOD. GOD created Maya so that everyone in the world gets busy in the materialistic world. Maya of God is very powerful & God has covered our minds with the power of Maya. Maya keeps ourselves involved in this world & hence away from the God. In general, individual’s money, relationships, desire, selfishness etc. are characteristics of Maya. Individual’s true nature is divine, but through Maya, or ignorance, that divinity in us is covered.

Maya creates ignorance of God. For the people whose mind is involved in this world, it is not possible to see God or know His ways. Everyone in this world is under the spell of this world bewitching Maya. This Maya is like a cloud. The sun cannot be seen on account of this screen of the cloud. When the clouds disappear, one sees the sun. If by the grace of God one's ego vanishes, then one sees God. Man’s true nature is divine, but through some power, known as Maya, or ignorance, that divinity in us is covered.

In Bhagwat Gita, Lord Sri Krishna says; “It is very hard to break this veil of Maya, Made of Tri-Gunas. But he who takes refuge in Me only passes Through this Maya.” To take refuge in God, to surrender ourselves completely to him, is the way to go beyond Maya. Sri Krishna also says “ If a man worships Me with unfaltering love, he will go beyond this Maya.”

"daivi hy esa guna-mayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said: This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature (Maya), is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross over it."

Sri Ramakrishna, saint of Bengal, illustrates about the true nature of God. Through this we can understand how God is present near us while He is hiding through Maya from us & how we are not able to see Him.

"Hide and Seek" game has many versions & people of different countries play it in many different ways. In one form which is played in some countries, the one who hides is called "Granny" & all others are seeker of her. This "Granny" blindfolds the eyes of other persons and then hides herself. These blindfolded persons are to seek that hidden "Granny" one by one. Whosoever can find and touch the "Granny" has the blindfold removed from his/her eyes and is "free". So the game goes like that. In the philosophical sense same is the case with us. God is similarly nearby us (like Granny) & has covered our eyes with ignorance and hidden Himself here. If you are able to find Him, touch Him, then you are freed of Maya (the blindfold, the illusion, the duality).

Actually "Maya" is the energy of God which creates illusion about God & blindfolds our inner eyes (our knowledge) of God. When we are under the influence of "Maya" energy then we are not able to see God or know our true Soul nature. Here below are verses from "Bhagwat Gita" which describe about the nature of this "Maya", how this illusive energy of God deludes the human beings & puts a veil of ignorance on human mind. This veil of ignorance just disappears from the human mind once he/she starts having faith in God & have devotion in that Almighty. God himself in below verses is declaring that one who is engaged in pure devotional service goes beyond this illusion of "Maya" easily & attains to the God in no time.

"dhumenavriyate vahnir
yathadarso malena cha
yatholbenavrto garbhas
tatha tenedam avrtam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Three verse 38)

"Sri Krishna said: As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, so is the living entity (Individual Soul) is covered by different degrees of this Ignorance."

Below are verses of Bhagwat Gita which explain, how one can be free of the influence of "Maya" by having devotion towards the God:

"man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaishyasi satyam te
pratijane priyo ’si me" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 65)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend."

"sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
mokshayisyami ma suchah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 66)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions (shall be freed of Maya). Do not fear."

So let's devote our heart, mind & Soul to God as by doing so we shall be free of the power & influence of the illusory nature of Maya. Once we are able to find God, touch Him with our heart then we shall be a Free Soul & shall be eligible to live in His Divine Abode ultimately. So let's through devotion of God be the ultimate winner in "Hide and Seek" game (Maya) of the God.

Jai Sri Krishna

Read also............................God Assures you that He shall protect you
Read also............................Lord, Fill the Cup of my life

Krishna Bhakti Is The Best Purifier

"Krishna Bhakti" simply means "Devotion to Lord Krishna". One who does such Bhakti or Devotion to the Lord is called a devotee. Lord Krishna is dear to his devotees & they too are dear to Lord Krishna. In such a devotion to Lord, devotees have a burning desire to meet Lord Krishna. Gopis of Vrindavan, including Sri Radharani were such devotees who fell in Love with Lord Krishna.

Sri Radharani was a Gopi who was most near to Lord Krishna’s heart. Sri Radha's devotion and dedication towards Lord Sri Krishna was complete that is the reason that she was most dear to Lord Krishna. Sri Radha was not married to Lord Krishna but still she was most dear to Him even more than His wives. It was because Sri Radha was always full of devotion towards the Lord & never thought of anyone besides Lord Krishna. In pictures Sri Radha is almost always depicted alongside Lord Krishna.

Similarly we too should have devotion or Bhakti towards Lord Krishna.

As per the Bhagwat Gita, devotion is the easiest method to know the truth about self knowledge / soul knowledge & get close to the God. God himself declares about the glory of devotion in Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 65 & 66 which are here given below.

Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 65:

"man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaishyasi satyam te

pratijane priyo ’si me" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 65)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend."

Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 66:

"sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo

mokshayisyami ma suchah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 66)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear."

In the above verses of Bhagwat Gita, Lord Krishna is assuring Arjuna 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 Lord & Lord 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. So lets have devotion to Lord Krishna. Remaining in Krishna consciousness is good for everyone. Krishna is one of the names of God and it means all-attractive. So Praise to such a Lord.

Jai Shri Krishna

How Can Our Sins be Purged?

In Bhagwat Gita, we find many quotes which explain about how we can eliminate our sins. As per Bhagwat Gita there are two main ways to get rid of your sins. One way is to to learn the truth about soul knowledge & God by approaching a spiritual master, inquiring from him submissively and rendering service unto him. The self-realized souls (Gurus, masters having the true knowledge) can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth. So by having the transcendental knowledge you shall burn & get rid of all your sins.

"tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darshinah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Four verse 34)

"Sri Krishna said: Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth."

"api ced asi papebhyah
sarvebhyah papa-krt-tamah
sarvam jnana-plavenaiva
vrjinam santarisyasi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Four verse 36)

"Sri Krishna said: Even if you are considered to be the most sinful of all sinners, when you are situated in the boat of transcendental knowledge you will be able to cross over the ocean of miseries."

"yathaidhamsi samiddho ’gnir
bhasma-sat kurute ’rjuna
jnanagnih sarva-karmani
bhasma-sat kurute tatha" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Four verse 37)

"Sri Krishna said: As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all sins & reactions to material activities."

One other way to get rid of all your sins is to take refuge in God through "Devotion". In Bhagwat Gita, God assures his disciple Arjuna in many ways & asks him to take refuge in Him & says that He shall emancipate him of sin in all ways, shall rescue him in his life always. Many times we think that we have done many sins in life & how God shall accept us, but God makes very clear in Bhagwat Gita that once a person become devoted to Him, He does not considers that person a sinner, rather God considers that person to be a Saint as he has taken the right decision in his life to become devoted to God.

Api chet su-duracharo
bhajate maam ananya-bhak
sadhurev sa mantavya
samyag vyvasito hi sah' (Gita: Chapter IX verse 30 )

'Even if the vilest sinner worships Me with full devotion, he should be considered a noble soul or saint; as he has taken the right step by worshipping me.'

'kshipram bhavti dharmatma
shasvac-chantim nigachati
kauntey pratijanihi
na me bhaktah pranashyati' (Gita: Chapter IX verse 31)

'He speedily becomes virtuous and secures lasting peace. O son of Kunti, know it for certain that My devotee never falls.'

Through above verse 31, God is telling Arjuna that such a sinful person after becoming His devotee becomes a person of good virtues and always remain in peace & such a peace is not temporary but is ever lasting. God is assuring the son of Kunti ( another name of Arjuna, his disciple) that his devotee never falls again in life as He always protect him. So let's all worship the God always so that He can protect us always.

'man-mna bhav mad-bhakto
madhyaji maam namaskuru
maam-evaishyasi yuktvaivam
atmanam mat-parayanah' (Gita: Chapter IX verse 34)

'Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to me, worship Me & offer obeisance's to Me. In this way, linking to Me, you shall surely come to Me.'

Through above verse 34, God is asking Arjuna to fix his mind on God as after worshipping Him & paying obeisance's to God, he shall automatically come to Him. We should also follow the same path & let's become devoted to him by praying Him daily. God is very clear that once a person comes in God's refuge, then all his problems are solved & God becomes his protector in this life & life beyond.

Jai Shri Krishna

Follow Lord Krishna through 'Bhakti Yoga' (Path of Devotion)

Lord Krishna is all powerful, all-mighty. He lifted Govardhan Mountain on His finger in His youth only. In fact He holds & sustains all this visible universe. All the big saints are called great Yogis. Lord Shiva is called Yogishwar, which means He is Eashwar (God) among all Yogis. Lord Krishna is loved & prayed by Yogishwar Lord Shiva also. So Lord Krishna is ‘Supreme Deity” & praying Him, having devotion in Him will remove all sins of a person & that person shall get divine bliss in life.

So if a person follows the path of devotion (Bhakti Yoga) towards Lord Krishna then that person gets the unalloyed Bhakti of Lord Krishna. If a person gains love of Lord Krishna, if once the chanting of Lord Krishna’s holy name begins to thrill the devotee with joy, what effort is needed for the control of passions afterwards? The control of senses, passion comes of itself. So one absorbed in the love of Lord Krishna cannot think of sense-pleasures.

As per the Bhagwat Gita, devotion is the easiest method to know the truth about self knowledge / soul knowledge & get close to the God. In "Bhagwat Gita", Lord Krishna Says that if a person is devoted to God only then God rescues that person from ocean of Birth & Death i.e. that man becomes eligible for permanent life beyond death forever with God. God is very clear that once a person comes in God's refuge, then all his problems are solved & God becomes his protector in this life & life beyond. God assures that his devotee never falls again in life as He always protect him.

God himself declares about the glory of devotion in Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 65 & 66 which are here given below.

"man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaishyasi satyam te
pratijane priyo ’si me" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 65)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend."

"sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
mokshayisyami ma suchah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 66)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear."

In "Bhagwat Gita", Lord Krishna Says that if a person is devoted to God only then God rescues that person from ocean of Birth & Death i.e. that man becomes eligible for permanent life beyond death forever with God.

As per (Gita: Chapter XII verse 8) God says that:

"mayy eva mana adhatsva
mayi buddhim nivesaya
nivasisyasi mayy eva
ata urdhvam na samsayah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 8)

"Fix Your mind on Me (God) and establish your reasoning in Me (God) alone; thereafter doing so you shall abide in Me (God) only. There is no doubt about it. "

' Ye tu srvani krmani
myi sanyasya mat-para
anany-naiv yogen
maam dhyayant upasate '
' Tesham-aham samud-dharta
mrityu-sansar-saagrat
bhavami na-chirat parth
mayy-avesita-chetsam ' (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter XII verse 6-7)

'Those people, who worship Me by surrendering all their activities unto Me, are always devoted to Me, always meditate upon Me, Having always fixing their minds upon Me, O Parth - to them, I swiftly rescue from the ocean of birth and death.'

So as per assurance given by Lord Krishna in Gita, Lets all be devotees of Lord Krishna only & let's pray for Him daily.

Jai Shri Krishna

God Loves & Protects His Devotees

Here below is a story from Mahabharata war:

“During the Mahabharata war between the Pandavas and Kauravas, Lord Krishna, took the decision not to fight from any side or lift any type of arms. But Lord Krishna broke His promise for His devotees. Duryodhana once incited Bhishma that he was not fighting to his best of the ability as the Pandavas were his lovely grandchildren. Bhishma got very disturbed on this charge and made a declaration that the next day he would kill all the Pandavas.

Bhishma, also made another commitment that he would kill Arjuna that day or he would end up giving his life. Bhishma fought very fiercely and in the fight, Arjuna’s chariot got broken. At that time Arjuna became completely unarmed and helpless. At that time Lord Krishna took up the chariot wheel and went straight to Bhishma so that he could save Arjuna. At seeing, Lord Krishna coming toward him, Bhishma happily threw his weapons away. Lord Krishna by this act of running with the chariot wheel, broke His promise, not to carry any type of arms & hence He saved two of his great devotees (Arjuna & Bhishma) from perishing.

So in this way Lord Krishna could break His promise but he would never break his devotee’s promise. So any person who has resorted to Lord Krishna will never be destroyed & Lord will protect him always."

In Bhagwat Gita Lord Krishna tells Arjuna to always have faith in Him only as, whosoever, keeps faith in Lord Krishna, He always protects that devotee.

'Ye tu srvani krmani
myi sanyasya mat-para
anany-naiv yogen
maam dhyayant upasate '
'Tesham-aham samud-dharta
mrityu-sansar-saagrat
bhavami na-chirat parth
mayy-avesita-chetsam ' (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter XII verse 6-7 )

'Lord Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Those people, who worship Me by surrendering all their activities unto Me, are always devoted to Me, always meditate upon Me, Having always fixing their minds upon Me, O Parth - to them, I swiftly rescue from the ocean of birth and death.'

"ananyas cintayanto mam
ye janah paryupasate
tesham nityabhiyuktanam
yoga-ksemam vahamy aham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 22)

"Lord Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have."

"ananya-cetah satatam
yo mam smarati nityasah
tasyaham sulabhah partha
nitya-yuktasya yoginah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eight verse 14)

"Lord Sri Krishna says: Whosoever, always & constantly remembers Me with undivided mind; by that person, I am easy to obtain, O Arjuna, because of his constant engagement in the devotional service to Me."

So If a person has the above said assurance of the God, then one should make a resolve that one shall not let God slip out of his/her mind till he/she lives on this earth. Do not let anything else take control of your mind & let God be always on your mind. By doing so God shall always be with you in all of your circumstances & shall protect you always from all troubles of life. Then God shall be your Savior always.

Jai Sri Krishna

How to get rid of Sins as per Bhagwat Gita

In Hinduism, Pāpa is the word generally used for Sin. Sin is nothing but doing acts which go against the will of God, or going against the laws of nature or rules of scriptures given by God. Now how we can get rid of our sins?

In Bhagwat Gita, we find many quotes which explain about how we can eliminate our sins. As per Bhagwat Gita there are two main ways to get rid of your sins. One way is to to learn the truth about soul knowledge & God by approaching a spiritual master, inquiring from him submissively and rendering service unto him. The self-realized souls (Gurus, masters having the true knowledge) can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth. So by having the transcendental knowledge you shall burn & get rid of all your sins.

"tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darshinah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Four verse 34)

"Sri Krishna said: Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth."

"api ced asi papebhyah
sarvebhyah papa-krt-tamah
sarvam jnana-plavenaiva
vrjinam santarisyasi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Four verse 36)

"Sri Krishna said: Even if you are considered to be the most sinful of all sinners, when you are situated in the boat of transcendental knowledge you will be able to cross over the ocean of miseries."

"yathaidhamsi samiddho ’gnir
bhasma-sat kurute ’rjuna
jnanagnih sarva-karmani
bhasma-sat kurute tatha" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Four verse 37)

"Sri Krishna said: As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all sins & reactions to material activities."

One other way to get rid of all your sins is to take refuge in God through "Devotion". In Bhagwat Gita, God assures his disciple Arjuna in many ways & asks him to take refuge in Him & says that He shall emancipate him of sin in all ways, shall rescue him in his life always. Many times we think that we have done many sins in life & how God shall accept us, but God makes very clear in Bhagwat Gita that once a person become devoted to Him, He does not considers that person a sinner, rather God considers that person to be a Saint as he has taken the right decision in his life to become devoted to God.

Api chet su-duracharo
bhajate maam ananya-bhak
sadhurev sa mantavya
samyag vyvasito hi sah' (Gita: Chapter IX verse 30 )

'Even if the vilest sinner worships Me with full devotion, he should be considered a noble soul or saint; as he has taken the right step by worshipping me.'
'
kshipram bhavti dharmatma
shasvac-chantim nigachati
kauntey pratijanihi
na me bhaktah pranashyati' (Gita: Chapter IX verse 31)

'He speedily becomes virtuous and secures lasting peace. O son of Kunti, know it for certain that My devotee never falls.'

Through above verse 31, God is telling Arjuna that such a sinful person after becoming His devotee becomes a person of good virtues and always remain in peace & such a peace is not temporary but is ever lasting. God is assuring the son of Kunti ( another name of Arjuna, his disciple) that his devotee never falls again in life as He always protect him. So let's all worship the God always so that He can protect us always.

'man-mna bhav mad-bhakto
madhyaji maam namaskuru
maam-evaishyasi yuktvaivam
atmanam mat-parayanah' (Gita: Chapter IX verse 34)

'Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to me, worship Me & offer obeisance's to Me. In this way, linking to Me, you shall surely come to Me.'

Through above verse 34, God is asking Arjuna to fix his mind on God as after worshipping Him & paying obeisance's to God, he shall automatically come to Him. We should also follow the same path & let's become devoted to him by praying Him daily. God is very clear that once a person comes in God's refuge, then all his problems are solved & God becomes his protector in this life & life beyond.

Jai Shri Krishna

Read also............................God Assures you that He shall protect you
Read also............................Lord, Fill the Cup of my life

When Greatest Sinners became Saints

In scriptures, there are many stories, when robbers and murderers were converted to monkhood and to sainthood. Below are two stories in brief of persons, who were great robbers but were converted to saints by the divine people.

Story of Rishi Balmiki :

In ancient times in India, there was a robber named Ratnakar who lived in the forests. He was a cruel hunter and a robber who did all the heinous Karmas in life. Everyone in the forest, from birds to animals to humans was afraid of him. One day, he was looking for a victim in the forest, when he came into contact with great sage Narada, who was chanting the names of God. Ratnakar wanted to rob him but sage Narada advised him to stop stealing and killing the creatures as it was a very sinful act. He advised Ratnakar to start meditating & chanting the names of Lord Rama. Somehow he could not chant the name of Rama so he advised him to chant “Mara, Mara”, which he chanted but it responded in a reverse sequence like Rama, Rama only. Through reciting the names of Lord Rama he became a great saint who wrote the great epic ‘Ramayana’.

Story of Angulimala :

Similarly in the times of Lord Buddha, there was a deadly robber named Angulimala. He was so cruel that after looting people, he used to cut the fingers of people & take it with him. Once that robber and murderer came into contact with Lord Buddha & got converted to monkhood and later to sainthood. Lord Buddha did not judge Angulimala from his appearances and his external behavior. but saw the potential to reform him & make him a saint & did so by his divine capacity.

In Bhagwat Gita also, God assures his disciple Arjuna in many ways & asks him to take refuge in Him & says that He shall emancipate him of sin in all the ways, shall rescue him in his life always. Many times we think that we have done many sins in life & how God shall accept us, but God makes it very clear in Bhagwat Gita that once a person becomes devoted to Him, He does not consider that person a sinner, rather God considers that person to be a Saint as he has taken the right decision in his life to become devoted to God.

Api chet su-duracharo
bhajate maam ananya-bhak
sadhurev sa mantavya
samyag vyvasito hi sah' (Gita: Chapter IX verse 30)

'Even if the vilest sinner worships Me with full devotion, he should be considered a noble soul or saint; as he has taken the right step by worshipping me.'

'kshipram bhavti dharmatma
shasvac-chantim nigachati
kauntey pratijanihi
na me bhaktah pranashyati' (Gita: Chapter IX verse 31)

'He speedily becomes virtuous and secures lasting peace. O son of Kunti, know it for certain that My devotee never falls.'

Through above verse 31, God is telling Arjuna that such a sinful person after becoming His devotee becomes a person of good virtues and always remains in peace & such a peace is not temporary but is ever lasting. God is assuring the son of Kunti (another name of Arjuna, his disciple) that his devotee never falls again in life as He always protects him. So let's all worship the God always so that He can protect us always.



Jai Sri Krishna

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

Only God Can Save Us

In ancient times in India, there lived a very famous Sculptor. He was very much proud of his achievements and was very ambitious to achieve more. Once an astrologer told him that he would die within few years.

He was very upset and wanted to outsmart God's decision to take away his life. So instead of spending the rest of his precious time in the service of God, he decided to make 10 statues of himself perfectly resembling him in every way, except that they did not have life. On the day he was destined to die, he stood among those statues like a statue. As the astrologer predicted, Yamarâja (Lord of death) came to take him and Yamarâja was very confused to see the eleven statues. He found it hard to differentiate the real sculptor from his perfect statues. Then Yamarâja meditated on Lord Vishnu and a bright idea came to his mind.

Yamarâja said loudly to himself: "One of these statues is defective. Not all of them are equally perfect & same."

The arrogant, real sculptor who was pretending to be a statue jumped out and shouted: "Who is a better sculptor than me to say that one of my statues is defective? All of them are perfect replicas of myself."

Yamarâja confusion was cleared instantly and he took the sculptor away against all his protest. He tried to resist, he cried, he tried to hang on to his beloved statues, but nothing helped him to stay back in the same body.

Yamarâja said: "Nobody can outsmart God. If only you had surrendered to God and spent your remaining life in the service of Him, then end of your life in this body would have been more peaceful and smooth and you would have been experiencing eternal bliss. Arrogance and selfishness destroys one. When I was confused, did you see what I did? I meditated on Lord Vishnu and He persuaded me to say that "one of the statues is defective". Now I have to take you. Please remember Lord in pain and pleasure alike. He is the only one who can change or not change things."

May Lord bless us with an attitude of total surrender!

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita which tells that Lord Krishna too loves His devotees & always fulfills their desires & always protect them:

"sannyasas tu maha-baho
duhkham aptum ayogatah
yoga-yukto munir brahma
na cirenadhigacchati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Five verse 6)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: Merely renouncing all activities yet not engaging in the devotional service of the Lord cannot make one happy. But a thoughtful human being engaged in devotional service can achieve the God without delay."

"tesam jnani nitya-yukta
eka-bhaktir visisyate
priyo hi jnanino ’tyartham
aham sa cha mama priyah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 17)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: Of these, the one who is in full knowledge and who is always engaged in pure devotional service is the best. For I am very dear to him, and he is dear to Me."

"purushah sa parah partha
bhaktya labhyas tv ananyaya
yasyantah-sthani bhutani
yena sarvam idam tatam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eight verse 22)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: The Lord / God, who is greater than all, is attainable by unalloyed devotion. Although He is present in His abode, He is all-pervading, and everything is situated within Him."

So let's have full devotion towards Lord Krishna. As per the "Bhagwat Puran":

"Once the mind of a person is full of surrender to the lotus feet of Lord Krishna & the mind is full of hankering after Lord's qualities, then that person shall never encounter Yamarâja (Lord of death) and his superintendents, or even in one's dreams meet his servants carrying the ropes to bind, because doing such Devotional service to Lord Krishna is the right atonement for all sins."

Jai Sri Krishna

Prayers that God hears

Those who have faith in God, generally Pray for Him. Prayer is an act of addressing the God with devotion for the purpose of worship. Prayer is a way of having a personal experience and intimate connection with our loving God. Prayer can be done during the worship or can be done just silently in our mind. Through prayer we have a personal experience & an intimate connection with our loving God. If we pray to God with sincerity then He shall answer to our prayers immediately.

Below are some beautiful Prayers that God responds to very quickly:

1) "O My Lord, You are My Supreme God. You are the Giver of everything in my Life. Each and every moment, You cherish and nurture me; I am Your child, and I rely upon You alone. Your greatness cannot be described by the tongue as you are Unlimited, Infinite Lord and Master of everything in this world & no one knows Your limits.

2) "O My Lord, as I am ignorant one, so You destroy all of my sins and teach me in different ways. O Lord, be always merciful on me & always save me. I seek Your Sanctuary as You are my only hope. You are my companion and my best friend. Save me, O Merciful Savior Lord."

3) "O My Lord, Give me the strength and understanding to resist anxiety, anger, envy, depression, bitterness, hopelessness, loneliness, fear and guilt. Help me to live in Your joy and peace. Save me when “my heart within me is distressed. Pl. help me so that my life is free from all such negative emotions. When I am tempted to give in to them, show me Your Truth & Grace."

4) "O My Lord, I give you my hands to do Your work; I give You my feet to go Your way; I give You my eyes to see as You see; I give You my tongue to speak Your words; I give You my mind that You may think in me; I give You my spirit that You may reveal in me. Above all, I give You my heart that You may love in me - love the Lord and love all humankind. I give You my whole self, Lord, that You may grow in me, so that it is You who lives, works and reveals in me."

5) "O My Lord, You Are My Mother, Father, You Are My Kinsman And Friend, You Are My Wealth Of Knowledge, Strength, Power And Velour, You Are My All God Of Gods, so have mercy on me".

6) "O My Lord, by the power of Your quickening Spirit, let me touch the lives of others for good, whether through the word I speak, the prayer I speak, or the life I live. O Lord give me the strength to live in Your Spirit".

Just like Prayer to God, Chanting is also used to invoke the God. Chanting can be done individually or as a group practice. "Divine Chants" are chanting the names of God which give peace of mind. Listening to these chants regularly gives lot of peace of mind. These Divine Chants can make people dancing to it's tune to ecstasy. Some of the beautiful chants are here. Just click on the link to see these chants.........Divine Chants.

Below are verses of Bhagwat Gita in which Lord Krishna is telling about His devotees & how He always protects them:

"ye tu sarvani karmani
mayi sannyasya mat-parah
ananyenaiva yogena
mam dhyayanta upasate"

"tesam aham samuddharta
mrityu-samsara-sagarat
bhavami na cirat partha
mayy avesita-cetasam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 6-7)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, But those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me, O son of Pritha—for them I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death."

"mayy eva mana adhatsva
mayi buddhim nivesaya
nivasisyasi mayy eva
ata urdhvam na samsayah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 8)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Just fix your mind upon Me and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt."

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

"Sri Krishna said: 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 always engage in devotional service of Lord. Let's read spiritual literature, always sing His glories so that He can always be merciful on us. If we shall do such devotional service to God then we shall get special mercy of the Lord & we shall attain to the devotion of the Lord.

Jai Shri Krishna

Uniqueness of Bhakti (Devotion) - The path of Love

As per the Hindu mythology, in other paths like "Jnana Yoga", the path of Knowledge or "Dhyana Yoga", the Yoga of Meditation etc. it is essential that one practices self discipline, masters his senses, passions etc. to realize the God. But Bhakti Yoga, the path of devotion is Unique in that sense.

As per the great saint Sri Ramakrishna:

" Is it possible to realize God unless one’s passions have already been controlled? In a sense not. But that is true only of Jnana Yoga, the path of Knowledge. The knowing one says, “One must first be pure if one desires to see God. One must first control one’s passions. First self-discipline, then knowledge of God.”

There is however, another path leading to God – the path of devotion (Bhakti Yoga). If one man gains love of God, if once the chanting of His holy name begins to thrill the devotee with joy, what effort is needed for the control of passions afterwards? The control comes of itself. Can a man suffering from intense grief be in a mood to enter into a quarrel, or to enjoy a feast, or to give his mind up to the pleasures of the senses? So one absorbed in the love of God cannot think of sense-pleasures.

A poet has compared devotion to God to a tiger. As the tiger devours animals, devotion also swallows up all the ‘arch-enemies’ of man, such as lust, passion and the rest. Once the devotion to God is fully awakened, all evil passions like lust and anger are completely destroyed."

In "Bhagwat Gita", Lord Krishna Says that if a person is devoted to God only then God rescues that person from ocean of Birth & Death i.e. that man becomes eligible for permanent life beyond death forever with God.

As per (Gita: Chapter XII verse 8) God says that:

"mayy eva mana adhatsva
mayi buddhim nivesaya
nivasisyasi mayy eva
ata urdhvam na samsayah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 8)

" Fix Your mind on Me (God) and establish your reasoning in Me (God) alone; thereafter doing so you shall abide in Me (God) only. There is no doubt about it. "

' Ye tu srvani krmani
myi sanyasya mat-para
anany-naiv yogen
maam dhyayant upasate '
' Tesham-aham samud-dharta
mrityu-sansar-saagrat
bhavami na-chirat parth
mayy-avesita-chetsam ' ( Bhagwat Gita: Chapter XII verse 6-7 )

'Those people, who worship Me by surrendering all their activities unto Me, are always devoted to Me, always meditate upon Me, Having always fixing their minds upon Me, O Parth - to them, I swiftly rescue from the ocean of birth and death.'

So as per assurance given by God in Gita, Lets all be devotees of God only & let's pray for Him (God) daily.

Jai Shri Krishna