Srimad Bhagavad Gita AS IT IS

Bhagavad Gita:   Chapter 7 - Knowledge of the Absolute

   TEXT 7
   mattah parataram nanyat
   kincid asti dhananjaya
   mayi sarvam idam protam
   sutre mani-gana iva
 
WORD FOR WORD
mattah--beyond Me; para-taram--superior; na--not; anyat kincit--anything else; asti--there is; dhananjaya--O conqueror of wealth; mayi--in Me; sarvam--all that be; idam--which we see; protam--is strung; sutre--on a thread; mani-ganah--pearls; iva--like.
 
TRANSLATION
O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.
 
PURPORT by HDG Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad:
There is a common controversy over whether the Supreme Absolute Truth is personal or impersonal. As far as Bhagavad-gita is concerned, the Absolute Truth is the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, and this is confirmed in every step. In this verse, in particular, it is stressed that the Absolute Truth is a person. That the Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Absolute Truth is also the affirmation of the Brahma-samhita: isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah; that is, the Supreme Absolute Truth Personality of Godhead is Lord Krsna, who is the primeval Lord, the reservoir of all pleasure, Govinda, and the eternal form of complete bliss and knowledge. These authorities leave no doubt that the Absolute Truth is the Supreme Person, the cause of all causes. The impersonalist, however, argues on the strength of the Vedic version given in the Svetasvatara Upanisad (3.10): tato yad uttarataram tad arupam anamayam/ ya etad vidur amrtas te bhavanti athetare duhkham evapiyanti. =ECIn the material world Brahma, the primeval living entity within the universe, is understood to be the supreme amongst the demigods, human beings and lower animals. But beyond Brahma there is the Transcendence, who has no material form and is free from all material contaminations. Anyone who can know Him also becomes transcendental, but those who do not know Him suffer the miseries of the material world.=EE

   The impersonalist puts more stress on the word arupam. But this arupam is not impersonal. It indicates the transcendental form of eternity, bliss and knowledge as described in the Brahma-samhita quoted above. Other verses in the Svetasvatara Upanisad (3.8-9) substantiate this as follows:

                      vedaham etam purusam mahantam
                     aditya-varnam tamasah parastat
                      tam eva vidvan ati mrtyum eti
                      nanyah pantha vidyate 'yanaya

                    yasmat param naparam asti kincid
                   yasman naniyo no jyayo 'sti kincit
                  vrksa iva stabdho divi tisthaty ekas
                     tenedam purnam purusena sarvam

  "I know that Supreme Personality of Godhead who is transcendental to all material conceptions of darkness. Only he who knows Him can transcend the bonds of birth and death. There is no way for liberation other than this knowledge of that Supreme Person."

   "There is no truth superior to that Supreme Person, because He is the supermost. He is smaller than the smallest, and He is greater than the greatest. He is situated as a silent tree, and He illumines the transcendental sky, and as a tree spreads its roots, He spreads His extensive energies."

   From these verses one concludes that the Supreme Absolute Truth is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is all-pervading by His multi-energies, both material and spiritual.

- His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.

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Prabhupada Uvacha:
(here's some nectar, sometimes it comes in the form of Srutakirti prabhu's diary, other times from Govinda dasi's diary, Hari Sauri prabhu's Transcendental Diary, Bhurijan prabhu's book, or sometimes from a letter, or other related source, but still nectar...)

Higher Realizations

Some devotees become very excited about sadhus with "higher realizations," who regularly speak about confidential Vrndavana lilas in an intimate, attractive manner. Such devotees seem to think that Srila Prabhupada had a "lower realization" because he almost always spoke the simple, basic philosophy of Krsna consciousness and was most cautious about speaking of esoteric subjects. However, simply speaking about "high topics" does not constitute the highest realization. The highest realization is to sacrifice everything to serve Krsna as He wants. Krsna wants prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama -- preaching in every town and village.

Srila Prabhupada was always absorbed in preaching Krsna consciousness. He generally spoke in a simple manner, at a philosophical level accessible to all. He hardly ever discussed the subtleties of rasa-tattva or other intimate topics. Some people have concluded, therefore, that Srila Prabhupada is a lesser guru who teaches only on a lower level. Maybe they have not heard that even higher than madhurya (the sweet exchange of Krsna and the gopis in Vrndavana) is audarya (the mood of liberal distribution of Krsna bhakti exhibited by Lord Caitanya). Even if we consider madhurya-rasa, what is the essence of madhurya? Sacrificing everything for Krsna, just as the gopis did. No one of his generation sacrificed even a millionth of what Prabhupada did.

Others may speak of prema, but Srila Prabhupada practically demonstrated his prema by going all over the world, preaching and convincing the atheists and demons, or at least taking them on. Others may talk, but they have no potency to convince atheists and indeed, have no taste for such activities. They are on such a "high" level, they could hardly condescend to come down among nondevotees. They may attract many followers, but only those who have already been made devotees. In this way they collect around them groups of sentimental sycophants who discuss the teachings of the previous acaryas, as if to evince themselves as very learned and qualified. But in the opinion of our previous acarya, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, the position of a Vaisnava can be tested by seeing how good a touchstone he is -- that is, by seeing how many Vaisnavas he has made during his life. This is the highest realization and Srila Prabhupada had it. There is no one in this world more dear to Krsna, nor will there ever be one more dear.

- From the "My Memories of Srila Prabhupada" by HH Bhakti Vikas Swami

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"The Natural World -- Unnatural"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.1
Johannesburg, October 20, 1975

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Prabhupada:

sri-rsabha uvaca
nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke
kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye
tapo divyam putraka yena sattvam
suddhyed yasmad brahma-saukhyam tv anantam
 [SB 5.5.1]

This is a verse, verse number one, Fifth Canto, Fifth Chapter, of Srimad-Bhagavatam. We are publishing Srimad-Bhagavatam, twelve cantos in sixty volumes, and this is the latest volume, just received today. Therefore I am taking advantage of this volume and reciting one verse. This is in connection with Rsabhadeva's instruction to His sons. Rsabhadeva was a king, and He had one hundred sons. Of all of them, the eldest was Maharaja Bharata, under whose name India is called Bharatavarsa since the time of Maharaja Bharata. So the instruction was being discussed amongst the royal family members. Formerly all Vedic instructions were discussed amongst the very topmost class of men. Yad yad acarati sresthas lokas tad anuvartate [Bg. 3.21]. That is the instruction in the Bhagavad-gita. If the higher level class of men accepts something as truth, then the ordinary, common man follows that.

So the problem of life is discussed here by Rsabhadeva. He says, "My dear boys," nayam deha deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye [SB 5.5.1]. Ayam. Ayam means "this," this body, this human form of body. It is also a body, and the dog's body is also a body, material body. It is also made of blood and bone and urine and stool and so many other things. The dog's body is also made the same ingredients. But what is the difference between dog's body and this human body? He advises, ayam deha: "This human form of body..." Deha-bhajam nrloke. And where this body is obtained? It is obtained in the human society. This intelligent brain and good form of body, it is to be found in the human society. In the human society you will find from this body, big, big professors, big, big philosophers, scientists, mathematicians and..., they are coming, not from the dog society. That is not possible. Therefore it should be properly utilized. Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke. Nrloke means in human society. So how it should be utilized? He says, kastan kaman arhate, arhate vid-bhujam ye. Kastan. Kastan means very, very hard labor, kastan. And kaman means necessities of life we require. The necessities of this body, that is required. We want to eat something, we must have a shelter to live, Bhagavata.-bhaya, and we must defend from the enemies or from the attack of other living beings. Kastan kaman. So we require all these things, but not very hard labor, working day and night. That is for the lower animal. Kastan kaman na arhate vid bhujam ye. As the animal is working very hard day and night for meeting their necessities of life, the human form of life is not meant for that purpose. This is the basic principle of instruction. Ayam deha. This deha, this body, is meant for higher purposes, not for simply meeting the necessities of life. This is the basic principle of instruction. They have no other way. The cats and dogs and hogs, they are working day and night where to find out some stool and eat it, and as soon as the body is filled, then sense gratification, sex life This is going on in the lower class of animal life.

So does it mean that human life also will be utilized only for this purpose? No. That is his advice. "This is not meant for wasting our time and living like the lower animals, cats and dogs and hogs." Then what it is meant for? He says, tapo divyam: [SB 5.5.1] "My dear sons, this body is meant for tapo, austerity." Austerity. What is that austerity? Divyam, to realize God. That is the whole Vedic principle, that human body, human society should be trained intelligently in such a way that he can understand God. This is the goal of life. In the Vedanta-sutra... Those who are philosophically advanced, they might have studied the Vedanta-sutra or Brahma-sutra. So the first aphorism of the Brahma-sutra is athato brahma jijnasa: "Now this human form of life is there..." We have got it by the material nature's grace. There are 8,400,000 different forms of life, transmigration or evolution, as you say.

jalaja nava-laksani
sthavara laksa-vimsati
krmayo rudra-sankhyakah
paksinam dasa-laksanam

In this way there are aquatics, 900,000 different forms of life. And then, from aquatics to plants and trees, two million forms. Then insects, different insects, eleven..., 1,100,00. Then birds, ten..., one million different forms. Then beasts, three million different forms. In this way there are eight hundred millions. Hm? Eight?

Pusta-krsna: 8,400,000.

Prabhupada: Eight millions. And human being, 400,000 species form, there are. So out of that, the civilized man, the best form of human body, that is meant for this purpose, tapo divyam putraka yena suddhyed sattvam [SB 5.5.1], that: "My dear boys, you should not waste your time simply for finding out the necessities of this body and work very hard day and night and forget your own business." What is that own business? Self-realization, "What I am." This is called own business. "Am I this body or something else?" We can understand it that "I am not this body," because as soon as I, you, leave this body, the spirit soul, it is nothing but lump of matter. That we can understand. That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gita lesson, to understand that "I am not this body." If we live under the conception that "I am this body," then, the sastra, Vedic literatures, condemns, "Then you are no better than the cats and dogs, because they also live under the bodily concept of life." And if you do not understand that you are not this body, you are spirit soul and you are changing different forms of body for realization of the higher, the highest goal of life... That you should understand. That is called tapasya.

So if we do not become very sober... Tapo divyam [SB 5.5.1]. Then, to become sober, dhira... Dhiras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13]. Dhira means sober. If we remain restless like animals, then we cannot achieve the goal of our life. We do not know how the laws of nature is working. We can experience how the laws of nature is working in our present life. Present life... Just like a young man, if he thinks that "I shall not become old man. I shall remain young man," will the nature's law allow it? No. You must become old man. There is no question of saying that "I don't want to become old man." So, no, nature's law will not allow you. You must become old man and suffer the old age's disadvantages. That you must. Similarly, if the old man says, "Never mind. I have become old man. I will not die," no. Nature's law will not allow. He must die. Similarly, after death, if you think foolishly that there is no more life, that is also wrong. Nature's law is that you must accept another body. This is nature's law. So we are dependent on nature's law. However foolishly we declare that "We are independent. We don't care for anything," that will not stay. We are under the clutches of material nature's law. In this law, by evolutionary process we have come to this human form of life, and if we don't utilize it properly, then we are missing the chance.

So our Krsna consciousness movement is reminding the whole human society that "Don't lose this chance of getting a human body." You must properly utilize it. And how it is to be utilized? That is stated here by Rsabhadeva: tapo divyam putraka yena sattvam suddhyet [SB 5.5.1]. Sattvam, our existence, is now polluted. Therefore we are getting this material body and changing this material body. And as soon as we get a material body, then our miserable condition begins. In this material body nobody can say that there is no miserable condition. It is full of miserable condition. There are three kinds of miserable conditions: adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. Adhyatmika means pertaining to the body and pertaining to the mind. There are so many miseries. Otherwise... The other day Swami Pusta-krsna was telling that in this country there is maximum number of suicide. Is it not? So, why one commits suicide unless he feels bodily position very uncomfortable, mental condition very disturbing? So this is called adhyatmika, pertaining to the body and mind. There are many troubles. Every one of us, we have got that experience, that there are troubles. I may be very rich, I may have immense wealth, but if my body and mind is not in order, I am in trouble. So simply material opulence, material wealth will not satisfy us. We require bodily comforts. And if I have got millions of dollars and if I am diseased man, I cannot enjoy; I cannot be in happiness. So these are one type of miserable condition. Similarly, there are other types of miserable condition as adhibhautika. I do not wish to create any misunderstanding with a friend, but automatically there is some misunderstanding between friends, neighbors, nation, man to man, business friend. There are troubles. So this is called... And not only... If not human being, human being, but other, lower animals. Just like there are insects, there are cockroaches, there are so many other living bodies -- they are giving us trouble. That is called adhibhautika. And adhidaivika. Adhidaivika is nature's disturbance.

So there are three kinds of miserable condition in this material world, and either of them or all of them, they are always troubling us. This is our position. We have to understand that. We are suffering. That everyone knows. But by illusion we think that "This is not suffering. This is natural." No. It is not natural. Just like if you have got fever, it is disease. Don't think that it is natural. Why you should be suffering from all these troubles? That is not natural; that is unnatural. Because we are part and parcel of God, we living entities, we should be as happy as God is. That is our position. Sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah. God is described isvarah paramah krsnah sac cid ananda vigrahah. Sat, cit, ananda [Bs. 5.1]. This is three different features of God's body. What is that? Sat. Sat means eternal. Sat. And cit. Cit means knowledge, full of knowledge. And ananda means full of bliss. That is ananda. So this is God's body. And we are part and parcel of God. Just like gold and particle of gold. It may be very small particle, but one shall say it is gold. It is not anything else. Similarly, in quality we are same as God. Now we have got this body which is not eternal. God's body is eternal and my, this body is not eternal. And sat, cit... God is full of knowledge, omniscient, but my body is full of ignorance. Why these universities are there? Because we do not know what it what. Therefore we are being educated. So that means this body is not full of knowledge. It is full of ignorance. So And again, God's body is blissful, and our body is miserable.

So the aim should be how again we come to the original position like God or the same type of body -- blissful, full of knowledge and eternal. That is the aim of human life. Therefore it is said, tapo divyam: [SB 5.5.1] "My dear son, don't become like cats and dogs and work hard for the bodily necessities of life. This human form of life is meant for austerity." "Why austerity? Let us enjoy." "No." Tapo divyam putraka yena sattvam suddhyet: "If you accept the path of austerity, then your existence will be purified." Now, at the present moment, the existence is not purified; therefore we have to accept birth, death, old age and disease. This is not our business. But because we have got this material body, the nature's law forces to accept all these things -- birth, death, old age and disease. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. We are trying to be happy fighting with unhappiness, but we do not know our real unhappiness are that we have to die, we have to take birth again, we have to become diseased and we have to accept old age. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi duhkha-dosanudarsanam. This is intelligence, that "I am trying to solve all the problems of life by advancement of civilization, education, scientific knowledge and so many things. That's all right. But what is the solution of my, these four principle of miserable condition: birth, death, old age and disease?" And because we cannot make any solution, we set aside these four problems. We go on with the temporary problems and become busy to solve it, and in this way we waste our, this valuable human form of life like the cats and dogs. This is the instruction.

So we should not do that. We must be sober, and we must... And it is not very difficult. The knowledge is there in the Vedic literature. And it is... Everyone can accept it. It is not a sectarian, so-called religious principle. It is scientific. Every human being should understand his position. Every human being should not waste his valuable time. So therefore Narottama dasa Thakura, a great devotee and a great Vaisnava acarya, he has sung a nice song, that hari hari biphale janama gonainu: "My dear Lord, I got this chance of human form of body. Unfortunately I have wasted my time without any self-realization." Hari hari biphale, janama gonainu. Manusya janama paiya, radha krsna na bhajiya: "I got this very valuable form of life, human form of life, but instead of understanding what is God, Radha-Krsna, janiya suniya bisa khainu, "knowingly I have drunk poison." This is the opportunity to understand God and make solution of all different types of births and deaths and transmigration from one body to another.

And as soon as I get a material body, immediately there are so many miserable condition. But I am... As spirit soul, part and parcel of God, I have nothing to do with all these things, but I have been forced to be working with these problems of life. This is human intelligence. Therefore he requires to live a saintly life. It is not possible, of course, that everyone should become saintly. That is not possible. Therefore in the Vedic civilization it is prescribed, varnasrama-dharma. Varnasrama-dharma. Varna means four classification of the society, and asrama means four division of spiritual life. The society, it is not meant for any particular nation or particular community. It is meant for the whole human society. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. The human society should be divided into four groups. What is that? The first-class men. There are first-class, second-class, third-class, fourth-class men. We have got our experience. Not that everyone is equally intelligent. No. There is difference of classification or intelligence or genuineness. There are so many things, division. So here also you have got division, classification. That is natural.

So first-class, the first-class men, means they should be trained as brahmana, at least one class of men. Catur-varnyam maya srstam [Bg. 4.13]. In order to realize the highest goal of life there must be division in the society and there must be division in spiritual life. The social life is divided into brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. Brahmana means the most intelligent class of men, one who can understand God. That is brahmana. Brahma janatiti brahmanah. First-class man means not first-class dress. First-class man means he has got full knowledge: jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.42]. Full knowledge. He knows what is God. That is first-class man. So the second-class men means the ksatriyas, the administrators, the administrative class of men, because government men, they must be very sober to rule over the citizens. There are varieties of men, and, to regulate them so that the state may go on very peacefully, so this is dependent on the ksatriyas. And they must be prepared to fight to the enemies. Everything is described in the sastra, in the Bhagavad-gita. Tejo sauryam yuddhe capy apalayanam. The administrator should be so brave that whenever there is war they must first of all come forward to fight so that soldiers and others may follow him. So they are second-class men, and they should be instructed by the first-class men. Then their activities will be nice.

Brahmana-ksatriya-vaisya. Vaisya means the productive class of men. Their business is how to produce food for all the society and give protection to the cows. Krsi-goraksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam [Bg 18.44]. There must be sufficient milk in the human society. If you drink more milk and milk products, then your brain will be very sharp. You will understand things very nicely, corectly. Therefore milk is very important. In the Vedic sastra cow protection is recommended. Why? Because milk is very, very important thing. Milk is... What about the meat-eaters? If there are meat-eaters, they can eat other animals, but especially they should not eat the cow. They should give them protection. So because the vaisyas, the first class, second class, third class, they are meant for producing food for the society... So milk is very important. Therefore it is recommended, krsi-goraksya-vanijyam. And if there is excess, they can trade. And this is the first class, second class, third class. And those who cannot act as first-class men or as second-class men or third-class men -- that means fourth-class men -- they are called laborer or worker class of men.

So it is not that because one person is belonging to the worker class and another person is becoming the first class, there is differentiation. No. Everyone is important. Just like in this body the head is very important. That is a fact. If the head is cut off, then whole body is finished. But that does not mean that head is simply required without leg. Leg is also required; the hand is also required; the belly is also required. Similarly, the first-class man, the second-class man, the third-class man and the fourth-class man, all of them are equal provided they are adjusted for the higher aim of life, the higher aim of life -- the brain. The brain means... First-class brain means to realize self, to understand God, and do accordingly. This is required. This is called varnasrama-dharma. So unless one takes to the varnasrama-dharma as they are prescribed, it is not human society. It is cats' and dogs' society, and you cannot be happy, however you may adjust, in a society who is filled up with cats and dogs. That is not possible.

So this Vedic instruction, it is not meant for any particular person, any community or any country. It is meant for everyone. So we should take advantage. We are therefore publishing in English so many books so that people may understand. English language is spoken practically all over the world, and we are selling also. These books are being appreciated by the professors in university and highly learned circles, and common men also. So I am lecturing for, say, half an hour or forty-five minutes -- it is not possible to explain all the Vedic intelligence -- but we are distributing these books. I request you to read all these books as far as possible and take advantage of do not spoil your life simply for meeting the necessities of this body very hardly like cats and dogs. It is not required. The real business is to realize your self." That is Tapo divyam [SB 5.5.1]. For which And actually we do not require very much to work for meeting the necessities of life, because from the sastras we can understand that our necessities of life are already there. They are. Tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido [SB 1.5.18]. The sastra says that "Don't bother yourself about the necessities of life. This is already there, settled. You will get it. Depend on the supplier of the necessities of life. The supplier of necessities, life, is God." That is the description in the Vedic literature. Therefore we see practically that Christians, they go to church and they request God, "O God, father, give us our daily bread." Actually it is supplied by Him. So there are 8,400,000 different forms of life, and God is the creator of them, and He is supplying all the necessities of them. We human being, we have got different enterprises, but what the enterprises have got the elephant in Africa? There are millions of elephants. Who is feeding them? And the ant also. There are trillions and millions of ant in your room. Who is feeding them? So we do not believe in God. That is our defect. Otherwise, if God is providing food for the lower animals, why not for us if we become God conscious?

So there is no reason. We shall get. But we have been habituated for economic development. Let us do it. It doesn't matter. But don't forget God. That is wanted. If you forget God, then you are no better than dog. This is the movement of Krsna consciousness movement, that we are reminding everyone that "Don't remain like lower animals. You have got this opportunity of human life. You go, accept little austerity." So what we are prescribing, austerity? Just like these European, American boys. They are under training. Our first business is to take declaration that the devotee will not indulge in illicit sex life, not meat-eating, no intoxication and no gambling. This is austerity. And chant Hare Krsna. It is very easy. It is not very difficult. Just like these boys, girls, they are chanting Hare Krsna, and they are undergoing the austerity. So they have not died. Not they are unhealthy. You can see. They are living, and they will live. But they have become purified. Tapo divyam yena sattvam suddhyet [SB 5.5.1]. This is purifying our existence. Purifying existence means no more material body. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. These are the information we get, that if we purify our existence, our existential position, then the result will be that... Tyaktva deham. We have to give up this body. The cats and dogs also will give up, and I'll also give up. That's a fact. But the cats and dogs, they'll get another material body, but if you purify your existential position, then tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9], you'll not to have, accept any more material body. You shall stay in your spiritual body. And when you stay in your spiritual body you become equal with God -- sac-cid-ananda: eternal, ananda, blissful, and full of knowledge. That is the human form of life..., er, aim of human mission. Don't miss this. There is ample information. The practice is very easy. Anyone can do it.

So our only request is take advantage of this Krsna consciousness movement. Try to understand it properly. It is not meant for any particular person, nation, or community. It is for every human being. So we request you to study this movement and take to it seriously. Then you will be all happy.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. [break]

Yes. Creation means this material world. There are two worlds: material world and spiritual world. Spiritual world is eternal, and material world is created. We can experience. Anything material is created, it is maintained for some time, then it is annihilated. Nothing remains forever. So when... Creation means this material world, not the spiritual world. So when Krsna says, aham adir hi devanam [Bg 10.2], aham sarvasya prabhavah [Bg. 10.8], that means God is not within this material world, created being. He is the creator. So creator was there in the beginning, and then the created material world was in existence or is in existence. Therefore God is not one of these created things. He is beyond created. He is transcendental. If we accept God is also one of the created beings, that is our mistake. Because if God created this material world, He was existing before the creation. Therefore He is not one of the product of this creation. Therefore He is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. His body is eternal, full of bliss and full of knowledge. Creator means He must have full knowledge.

How God creates this material world? That is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: janmady asya yatah anvayat itaratas ca arthesu abhijnah svarat [SB 1.1.1]. This creator is well conversant directly and indirectly every details of the universe. Just like we are trying to study how this material world is going on, how the big, big planets are floating in the air. We cannot understand properly. There are so many scientists, but they do not understand what are these. There are innumerable universes. This is only one universe. So He must have full knowledge how He is maintaining this material world. Therefore He is called abhijna. He is not dull-headed. He has got full knowledge. That is God, omniscient. He has got full knowledge. We may not have because we are very tiny. A child may not have knowledge, but the father knows everything. Similarly, He is the supreme father. He knows everything. He has got full knowledge. Anvayad itaratas ca arthesu. There are things, indirect and direct. In both ways He is abhijna; He is well aware, everything. Then the next question is svarat. Svarat. Because we are thinking in our own way of life, that "If God has got so much knowledge, wherefrom He got it?" Because we have got experience that whenever we require knowledge we go to a superior person and take knowledge from him -- "Then wherefrom God has got so much knowledge?" Therefore the answer is svarat. Svarat means He is fully independent. He is not dependent for knowledge to anyone else. So these things are there. We have to study very nicely.

So your question about the creation, maintenance and annihilation... It is being done by the Supreme Lord. The material world is... Our body is also like that. It is created at a certain date, it exists for a certain time, and it is annihilated. This is being done by God. This is the law, nature. Nature means an instrument in the hands of God. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. This is the information. Don't think that material nature is working automatically. No. This is not possible. Behind this material nature, the big machine, there is the operator, God. That you should understand. [break] This is meditation. If you become sober and think of everything, that is meditation. Meditation means the subject matter must be very sober and you think over and find out the solution. That is meditation. (end)
 
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975

Srila Prabhupada's letter:
...
Although there may be some difficulties within our Society, these things are not very important. What is important is that we should simply fix our mind on Krishna's Lotus Feet. This is His instruction in the Bhagavad Gita. So we associate with one-another so that we can assist each other in hearing and chanting about Krishna. That is the purpose of our Society. This you will not find in the materialistic society where all hearing and chanting is simply concerned with sense gratification. So our desire is Krishna and we want to go back home-- Back to Godhead where Krishna lives eternally. So you simply follow my instructions as I have given to you and surely your life will be a success.
...
Letter to: Nrhari Bombay 22 November, 1974
 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna then replied, “O best of kings, because you desire to hear, I shall fully describe to you the glories of the Pausha-krshna Ekadasi.
 “I do not become as pleased by sacrifice or charity as I do by My devotees observance of a full fast on Ekadasi. To the best of one’s ability, therefore, one should fast on Ekadasi, the day of Lord Hari.
 “O Yudhisthira, I urge you to hear with undivided intelligence the glories of Pausha-krshna Ekadasi, which falls on a Dwadasi. As I explained previously, one should not differentiate among the many Ekadasis. O king, to benefit humanity at large I shall now describe to you the process of observing Pausha-krshna Ekadasi.
 “Pausha-krshna Ekadasi is also known as Saphalaa Ekadasi. On this sacred day one should worship Lord Narayana, for He is its ruling Deity. One should do so by follow the previously described method of fasting. Just as among snakes Shesha-naga is the best, and among birds Garuda is the best, among sacrifices the Ashvamedha-yajna is the best, among rivers Mother Ganges is the best, among gods Lord Vishnu is best, and among two-legged beings the brahmins are the best, so among all fasting days Ekadasi is by far the best. O foremost of kings who took your birth in the Bharata dynasty, whoever strictly observes Ekadasi becomes very dear to Me and indeed worshippable by Me in every way. Now please listen as I describe the process for observing Saphalaa Ekadasi.

“On Saphalaa Ekadasi My devotee should worship Me by offering Me fresh fruits according to time, place and circumstance, and by meditating on Me as the all-auspicious Supreme Personality. He should offer Me jaambira fruit, pomegranate, betal nuts and leaves, coconut, guava, varieties of nuts, cloves, mangoes, and different kinds of aromatic spices. He should also offer Me incense and bright ghee lamps, for such an offering of lamps on Saphalaa Ekadasi is especially glorious. The devotee should try to stay awake all the Ekadasi night.
“Now please hear with undivided attention as I tell you how much merit one gets if he fasts and remains awake throughout the entire night singing and chanting the glories of Narayana. O best of kings, there is no sacrifice or pilgrimage that yields merit that is equal to or better than the merit one gains by fasting on this Saphalaa Ekadasi. Such fasting – particularly if one can remain awake and alert the entire night long – bestows the same merit upon the faithful devotee as the performance of austerity for five thousand earthly years. O lion among kings, please hear from Me the glorious history that made this Divine Ekadasi famous.
“Once there was a City called Champaavati, which was ruled by the saintly King Maahishmata. He had four sons, the eldest of whom, Lumpaka, always engaged in all manner of very sinful activities – illicit sexual encounters with the wives of others, gambling, and continual association with known prostitutes. His evil deeds gradually reduced the wealth of his father, King Maahishmata. Lumpaka also became very critical of the numerous devas, the empowered universal attendants of the Lord, as well as toward the brahmins, and every day he would go out of his way to blaspheme the Vaishnavas. At last King Maahishmata, seeing the unrepentant brazen fallen condition of his son, exiled him to the forest. Out of fear of the king, even compassionate relatives didn’t come to Lumpaka’s defense, so angry was the king toward his son, and so sinful was this Lumpaka.
“Bewildered in his exile, the fallen and rejected Lumpaka thought to himself, ‘My father has sent me away, and even my kinsmen do not raise but a finger in objection. What am I to do now?’ He schemed sinfully and thought, ‘I shall sneak back to the city under cover of darkness and plunder its wealth. During the day I shall stay in the forest, and as night returns, so shall I to the city.’  So thinking, the sinful Lumpaka entered the darkness of the forest. He killed many animals by day, and by night he stole all manner of valuable items from the city. The city-dwelling folk apprehended him several times, but out of fear of the king they left him alone. They thought to themselves that it must have been the accumulated sins of Lumpaka’s previous births that had forced him to act in such a way that he lost his royal facilities and became to act so sinfully like a common selfish thief.
“Though a meat-eater, Lumpaka would also eat fruits every day. He resided under an old banyan tree that unknown to him happened to be very dear to Lord Vaasudeva. Indeed, many worshipped as the demi-god (representative departmental head) of all the trees in the forest. In due course of time, while Lumpaka was doing so many sinful and condemnable activities, the Saphalaa Ekadasi arrived. On the eve of the Ekadasi (Dasami) Lumpaka had to pass the entire night without sleep because of severe cold that he felt due to his scanty bedclothes (bedding). The cold not only robbed him of all peace but almost of his very life. By the time the sun rose, near dead, his teeth chattering and near comatose. In fact all that Ekadasi morning, he remained in that stupour and could not awaken out of his near comatose condition.
“When midday of the Saphalaa Ekadasi arrived, the sinful Lumpaka finally came to and managed to rise up from his place under that banyan tree. But with every step he took, he stumbled and fell to the ground. Like a lame man, he walked slowly and hesitantly, suffering greatly from hunger and thirst in the midst of the jungle. So weak was Lumpaka that he couldn’t even concentrate to nor muster strength to go and kill even a single animal that whole day. Instead, he was reduced to collecting whatever fruits had fallen to the ground of their own accord. By the time he returned to his banyan tree home, the sun had set.
“Placing the fruits on the ground next to him (at the base of the sacred banyan tree), Lumpaka began to cry out, ‘O, woe is me ! What should I do ? Dear father, what is to become of me? O Sri Hari, please be merciful to me and accept these fruits as an offering !’  Again he was forced to lie awake the whole night without sleep, but in the meantime the all merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Madhusudana, had become pleased with Lumpaka’s humble offering of forest fruits, and He accepted them. Lumpaka had unwittingly observed a full Ekadasi fast, and by the merit he reaped on that day he regained his kingdom with no further obstacles.

“Listen, O Yudhisthira, to what happened to the son of King Maahishmata when but a fragment of the merit spouted up within his heart.
“As the Sun beautifully rose in the sky on the day following Ekadasi, a handsome horse approached Lumpaka as if seeking him out, and stood next to him. At the same time, a voice suddenly boomed out from the clear blue sky saying, ‘This horse is for you, Lumpaka! Mount it and ride swiftly out of this forest to greet your family! O son of King Maahishmata, by the mercy of the Supreme lord Vaasudeva and the strength of the merit you acquired by observing Saphalaa Ekadasi, your kingdom will be returned to you without any further hindrances. Such is the benefit you have gained by fasting on this most auspicious of days. Go now, to your father and enjoy your rightful place in the dynasty.’

“Upon hearing these celestial words resounding from above, Lumpaka mounted the horse and rode back to the city of Champaavati. By the merit he had accrued by fasting on Saphalaa Ekadasi, he had become a handsome prince once more and was able to absorb his mind in the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari. In other words, he had become My pure devotee.
“Lumpaka offered his father, King Maahishmata, his humble obeisances and once more accepted his princely responsibilities. Seeing his son so decorated with Vaishnava ornaments and tilak (udhvara pundra) King Maahishmata gave him the kingdom, and Lumpaka ruled unopposed for many, many years. Whenever the Ekadasi came, he worshipped the Supreme Lord Narayana with great devotion. And by the mercy of Sri Krishna he obtained a beautiful wife and a fine son. In old age Lumpaka handed his kingdom over to his son – just as his own father, King Maahishmata, had handed it over to him. Lumpaka then went to the forest to dedicate his concentrate attention to gratefully serve the Supreme Lord with controlled mind and senses. Purified of all material desires, he left his old material body and returned back to home, back to Godhead, attaining a place near the lotus feet of his worshipful Lord, Sri Krishna.
 “O Yudhisthira, one who approaches Me as Lumpaka did will become completely free of lamentation and anxiety. Indeed, anyone who properly observes this glorious Saphalaa Ekadasi – even unknowingly, like Lumpaka – will become famous in this world. He will become perfectly liberated at death and return to the spiritual abode of Vaikuntha. Of this there is no doubt. Moreover, one who simply hears the glories of Saphalaa Ekadasi obtains the same merit derived by one who performs a Rajasurya-yajna, and at the very least he goes to heaven in his next birth, so where is the loss?”

Thus ends the narration of the glories of Pausha-krshna Ekadasi, or Saphalaa Ekadasi, from the Bhavishya-uttara Purana.

These stories have been summarised and slightly changed, abbreviated or added to from how they are found in the celebrated book, "Ekadasi: The Day of Lord Hari" 1986. HH Krishna Balaram Swami. Bhaktivedanta Institute Press.

This particular Ekadasi is found on pages 29-32.

---

PutradA EkAdasii

---

The pious and saintly Yudhisthira Maharaj said, “Oh Lord, You have so nicely explained to us the wonderful glories of the Saphalaa Ekaadasi, which occurs during the dark fortnight  (Krishna paksha) of the month of Pausha (December – January). Now please be merciful to me and explain to me the details of the Ekaadasi that occurs in the light fortnight (Shukla or Gaura paksha) of this month. What is its name, and what Deity is to be worshipped on that sacred day? Oh Purushottama, Oh Hrishikesha, please also tell me how You can be pleased on this day?

Lord Sri Krishna then replied, “Oh saintly king, for the benefit of all humanity I shall now tell you how to observe fasting on the Pausha-shukla Ekaadasi.
 As previously explained, everyone should observe the rules and regulations of the Ekaadasi vrata, to the very best of their ability. This injunction also applies to the Ekaadasi named Putradaa, which destroys all sins and elevates one to the spiritual abode. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Shri Narayana, the original personality, is the worshippable Deity of the Ekaadasi, and for His faithful devotees He happily fulfills all desires and awards full perfection. Thus among all the animate and inanimate beings in the three worlds (lower, middle and higher planetary systems), there is no better personality than Lord Narayana.
 “Oh King, now I shall narrate to you the history of Putradaa Ekaadasi, which removes all kinds of sins and makes one famous and learned.

 “There was once a kingdom named Bhadraavati, which was ruled by King Suketumaan. His queen was the famous Shaibyaa. Because he had no son, he spent a long time in anxiety, thinking, ‘If I have no son, who will carry on my dynasty?’ In this way the king meditated in a religious attitude for a very long time, thinking, ‘Where should I go? What should I do? How can I get a pious son (putra)? In this way King Suketumaan could find no happiness anywhere in his kingdom, even in his own palace, and soon he was spending more and more time inside his wife’s palace, gloomily thinking only of how he could get a son.

 “Thus both King Suketumaan and Queen Shaibyaa were in great distress. Even when they offered tarpana (oblations of water to their forefathers), their mutual misery made them think that it was as undrinkable as boiling water. They thus thought that they would have no descendants to offer tarpana to them when they died and thus become lost souls (ghosts). The king and queen were especially upset to learn that their forefathers were worried that soon there would be no one to offer them tarpana also.

 “After learning of their forefathers unhappiness, the king and queen became more and more miserable, and neither ministers, nor friends, nor even loved ones could cheer them up. To the king, his elephants and horses and infantry were no solace, and at last he became practically inert and helpless.

 “The king thought to himself, ‘It is said that without a son, marriage is wasted. Indeed, for a family man with no son, both his heart and his splendid house remain vacant and miserable. Bereft of a son, a man cannot liquidate the debts that he owes his forefathers, the demigods (devas) and to other human beings. Therefore every married man should endeavour to beget a son; thus he will become famous within this world and at last attain the auspicious celestial realms. A son is proof of the pious activities a man performed in his past one hundred lifetimes, and such a person achieve a long duration of life in this world, along with good health and great wealth. Possessing sons and grandsons in this lifetime proves that one has worshipped Lord Vishnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the past. The great blessing of sons, wealth, and sharp intelligence can be achieved only by worshipping the Supreme Lord, Shri Krishna. That is my opinion.’

 “Thinking thus, the king had no peace. He remained in anxiety day and night, from morning to evening, and from the time he lay down to sleep at night until the sun rose in the morning, his dreams were equally full of great anxiety. Suffering such constant anxiety and apprehension, King Suketumaan decided to end his misery by committing suicide. But he realized that suicide throws a person into hellish conditions of rebirth, and so he abandoned that idea. Seeing that he was gradually destroying himself by his all consuming anxiety over the lack of a son, the king at last mounted his horse and left for the dense forest alone. No one, not even the priests and brahmins of the palace, knew where he had gone.

 “In that forest, which was filled with deer and birds and other animals, King Suketumaan wandered aimlessly, noting all the different kinds of trees and shrubs, such as the fig, bel fruit, date palm, jackfruit, bakula, saptaparnaa, tinduka, and tilaka, as well as the shala, taala, tamaala, saralaa, hingotaa, arjuna, labheraa, bahedaa, sallaki, karondaa, patala, khaira, shaka, and palaasha trees. All were beautifully decorated with fruits and flowers. He saw deer, tigers, wild boar, lions, monkeys, snakes, huge bull elephants in a rut, cow elephants with their calves, and four tusked elephants with their mates close by. There were cows, jackals, rabbits, leopards, and hippopotamuses. Beholding all these animals accompanied by their mates and offspring, the king remembered his own menagerie, especially his palace elephants, and became so sad that he absentmindedly wandered into their very midst.

 “Suddenly the king heard a jackal howl in the distance. Startled, he began wandering about, looking around in all directions. Soon it was midday, and the king started to tire. He was tormented by hunger and thirst also. He thought, ‘What sinful deed could possibly have done so that I am now forced to suffer like this, with my throat parched and burning, and my stomach empty and rumbling? I have pleased the devas (demigods) with numerous fire sacrifices and abundant devotional worship. I have given many gifts and delicious sweets in  charity to all the worthy brahmins too. And I have taken care of my subjects as though they were my very own children. Why then am I suffering so? What unknown sins have come to bear fruit and torment me in this dreadful way?’

 “Absorbed in these thoughts, King Suketumaan struggled forward, and eventually, due to his pious credits, he came upon a beautiful lotus bearing pond that resembled the famous Lake Maanasarova. It was filled with aquatics, including crocodiles and many varieties of fish, and graced with varieties of lilies and lotuses. The beautiful lotuses had opened to the Sun, and swans, cranes and ducks swam happily in its waters. Nearby were many attractive ashramas, where there resided many saints and sages who could fulfill the desires of anyone. Indeed, they wished everyone well. When the king saw all this, his right arm and right eye began to quiver, a sakuna sign (for a male) that something auspicious was about to happen.

 “As the king dismounted his horse and stood before the sages, who sat on the shore of the pond, he saw that they were chanting the holy names of God on japa beads. The king paid his obeisances and, joining his palms, addressed them with glorified praises. Observing the respect the king offered them, the sages said, ‘We are very pleased with you, Oh king. Kindly tell us why you have come here. What is on your mind? Please inform us what is your heart’s desire.’

 “The king replied, ‘Oh great sages, who are you? What are your names, surely your presence reveals that you are auspicious saints? Why have you come to this beautiful place? Please tell me everything.’
 “The sages replied, ‘Oh king, we are known as the ten Vishvadevas (the sons of Vishva; Vasu, Satya, Kratu, Daksha, Kaala, Kaama, Dhriti, Pururavaa, Maadrava, and Kuru). We have come here to this very lovely pond to bathe. The month of Magha (Madhava mase) will soon be here in five days (from the Magh nakshatra), and today is the famous Putradaa Ekaadasii. One who desires a son should strictly observe this particular Ekaadasii.’

 “The king said, ‘I have tried so hard to have a son. If you great sages are pleased with me, kindly grant the boon of having a good son (putra).’
 “ ‘The very meaning of Putradaa,’ the sages replied, ‘…is “giver of a putra, pious son.” So please observe a complete fast on this Ekaadasii day. If you do so, then by our blessing – and by the mercy of Lord Sri Keshava invested in us – surely you will obtain a son.’
 “On the advice of the Vishvadevas, the king observed the auspicious fast day of Putradaa Ekaadasii according to the established rules and regulations, and on the Dvaadasii, after breaking his fast, he paid obeisances again and again to all of them.

 “Soon after Suketumaan returned to his palace and united with his queen. Queen Shaibya immediately became pregnant, and exactly as the Vishvadevas had predicted, a bright faced, beautiful son was born to them. In due course of time he became famous as an heroic prince, and the king gladly pleased his noble son by making him his successor. The son of Suketumaan took care of his subjects very conscientiously, just as if they were his own children.

 “In conclusion, Oh Yudhisthira, one who wises to fulfill his desires should strictly observe Putradaa Ekaadasii. While on this planet, one who strictly observes this Ekaadasii will surely obtain a son, and after death he will achieve liberation. Anyone who even reads or hears the glories of Putradaa Ekaadasii obtains the merit earned by performing an horse sacrifice. It is to benefit all humanity that I have explained all this to you.”

Thus ends the narration of the glories of Pausha-shukla Ekaadasii, or Putradaa Ekaadasii, from the Bhavishya Purana of Veda Vyaasadeva.

These stories have been summarized and slightly changed, abbreviated or added to from how they are found in the celebrated book, "Ekadasi: The Day of Lord Hari" 1986. HH Krishna Balaram Swami. Bhaktivedanta Institute Press.

This particular Ekaadasii is to be found between Pages 33-38.

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Sat-TilA EkAdasii

---

Sri Daalbhya Rishi said to Palastya Muni, "When the spirit soul comes in contact with the material energy, he immediately begins to perform sinful activities, such as stealing, killing, and illicit sex. He may even perform many other terrible deeds, such as killing a brahmin. Oh purest of personalities, please tell me how these unfortunate souls may escape the punishment of being sent to hellish regions of creation. Kindly inform me how, by giving even a little in charity, one may be easily released from the reactions of his sins."

Pulastya Muni replied, "Oh fortunate one, you have asked me an important and confidential question, which not even Brahmaa, Vishnu, Shiva or Indra has ever asked. Please listen very carefully to my answer.
    "With the arrival of the month of Magh (January - February), one should bathe, carefully control his senses by giving up lust, anger, pride, jealousy, faultfinding, and greed, and meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna. One should then gather up some cow dung before it touches the ground and, after mixing it with sesame seeds and cotton, form 108 balls. This should be done on the day when the constellation of Purva-ashadha nakshatra arrives. then one should follow the rules and regulations of Sri Ekaadasii, which I shall now explain to you.
    "After bathing, the person who intends to observe Ekaadasii should worship the Supreme Lord. While praying to Lord Sri Krishna by chanting His holy name, he should promise to observe the Ekaadasii fast. He should remain awake overnight and perform a homa (fire sacrifice). Then the devotee should perform an Arati ceremony for the pleasure of the Lord - Who holds a conch, disk, club, and so on in His hands - offering Him sandalwood paste to his feet, incense, camphor, a bright ghee lamp, and delicious food preparations. Next the devotee should offer the 108 balls of cow dung, sesame seeds, and cotton wool into the sacred fire whilst chanting such holy names of the Lord as Purusha sukta, and other names. Throughout the whole day and night he should also observe the standard Ekaadasii vrata (fast, which in this case is a fast from all kinds of grains and beans). On this occasion one should offer the Lord pumpkin, coconut, and guava. If these items are unavailable, betel nut may be substituted.
    "The devotee should pray to Lord Sri Janardana, the benefactor of all living beings, in this way; 'Oh Lord Sri Krishna, You are the most merciful Personality of Godhead and the giver of liberation to all fallen souls.  Oh Lord, we have fallen into the ocean of material existence. Please be kind to us. Oh lotus-eyed divinity, please accept our most humble, affectionate and respectful obeisances. Oh protector of the entire world, we offer You our humble respects again and again. Oh Supreme Spirit, Oh Supreme One, Oh source of all our forefathers, may You and Your eternal consort, Srimati Laxmi-devi, please accept these humble offerings.'
    "The devotee should then try to please a qualified brahmin with a warm welcome, a pot full of water (purna kumbha), an umbrella, a pair of shoes, and clothes (cloth - dhoti, and anga vaastra), requesting him at the same time to bestow his blessings, by which one may develop unalloyed love for Lord Sri Krishna. According to one's ability, one may also donate a black cow to such a brahmin, particularly to one who is very well versed in all the injunctions of the Vedic scriptures. One should also offer him a pot full of sesame seeds.
    "Oh exalted Daalbhya Muni,  black sesame seeds are especially suitable for formal worship and fire sacrifices while white or brown ones are meant to be eaten by a qualified brahmin. One who can arrange to give both kinds of sesame seeds (black and white or brown) especially on this Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii day will be promoted to at least the heavenly planets after leaving this present body, for as many thousands of years as the number of seeds that would be produced if the seeds he donated were sown in the ground and grew into mature, seed bearing plants.
    "On this Ekaadasii a faithful person should (1) bathe in the water mixed with sesame seeds, (2) rub sesame seed paste on his body, (3) offer sesame seeds into the fire in sacrifice, (4) eat sesame seeds, (5) give sesame seeds away in charity, (6) accept charitable gifts of sesame seeds. These are the six (sat) ways in which sesame seeds (tilaa) are utilised for spiritual purification on this Ekaadasii. Therefore it is called Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii.
    "The great Devarishi Naarad Muni once asked the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, 'Oh mighty armed Lord, Oh You who are so affectionate to Your loving devotees, please accept my most humble obeisances. Oh Yaadava, kindly tell me the result one obtains by observing Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii.'
    "Lord Sri Krishna replied, 'Oh best of the twice born brahmins, I shall narrate to you an account of an incident I personally witnessed. Long ago on earth there lived an old female brahmini who worshipped Me every day with controlled senses. She very faithfully observed many a fast, especially on special days honouring Me (My various appearance days Janmaasthami, Rama-navami, Vaman Dwadasi, Nrisimha Chaturdasi, Varaha Dwadasi, Gaura Purnima, etc. - Calendar) and served Me with full devotion, devoid of any personal motive. Her rigorous fasting made her quite weak and thin. She gave charity to brahmanas and to young maidens (kanyas), and even planned to give away her house in charity.  Oh best of the brahmanas although this spiritually minded woman gave charitable donations to worthy people, the odd feature of her austerity was that she never gave food to brahmanas or the devas (demigods).
    "'I began to reflect on this curious omission:  "This fine woman has purified herself by fasting on all the auspicious occasions and by offering Me strict devotional worship.  Therefore she certainly has become eligible to enter My personal abode, which is unattainable by ordinary persons."  So I came down to this planet to examine her, disguising Myself as a follower of Lord Shiva's, complete with a garland of skulls draped around My neck and a begging pot (kumandalu) in My hand.
    "'As I approached her, she said toMe, "Oh respectful one, tell me truthfully why You have come before me."
    "'I replied, "Oh beautiful one, I have come to get some sacred alms from you" - whereupon she angrily threw a dense lump of mud into My begging pot!  Oh Naarada Muni I simply turned around and went back to My personal abode, astonished at this fine brahmani's peculiar mixture of great magnanimity and stinginess.
    "'At last this austere lady reached the spiritual world in her self-same body, so great were her efforts at fasting and charity.  And because she had indeed offered Me a lump of mud, I transformed that mud into a beautiful home.  However, Oh Naradaji, this particular house was just like that mud completely devoid of any edible grains, as well as any furniture or ornamentation, and when she entered it she found only an empty structure.  She therefore approached Me and said with great anger, "I have fasted repeatedly on so many auspicious occasions, making my body weak and thin.  I have worshipped You and prayed to You in so many different ways for You are truly the master and protector of all the universes.  Yet despite all this there is no food or wealth to be seen in my new home, Oh Janardana, please tell me.  Why is this?"
    "'I replied, "Please return to your house.  Sometime later the wives of the devas (demigods) will pay you a visit out of curiosity to see the new arrival, but do not open your door until they have described to you the glories and importance of Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii."
    "'Hearing this, she returned to her house.  Eventually the devas' wives arrived there and in unison said, "Oh beautiful one, we have come to have your darshan.  Oh auspicious one, please open the doorto your house and let us see you.
    "'The lady replied, "Oh most dear ones, if you want me to open this door, you will have to describe to me the merit one obtains by observing the sacred fast of Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii."  But to this request, not even one of the wives responded.
    "'Later, however, they returned to the house, and one of the wives nicely explained the sublime nature of this sacred Ekaadasii.  And when the lady at last opened her door, they saw that she was neither a demigoddess, a Gandharvi, a she-demon, nor even a Naga-patni.  She was simply an ordinary human lady.
    "'From then on the lady observed Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii, which awards ALL material enjoyment and liberation at the same time, as it has been described to her.  And she finally received the beautiful furnishings and grains she had expected for her home.  Moreover, her once ordinary material body was transformed into a beautiful spiritual form made of sac-cid-ananda (eternality, knowledge,and bliss), with a fine complexion.  So, by the mercy and grace of Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii, both the lady and her new home in the spiritual world were at last radiantly splendid and lustrous with gold, silver, jewels, and diamonds.
    "'Oh Naradaji, a person should not ostentatiously observe Ekaadasii out of greed, with the hope of attaining wealth dishonestly.  Selflessly, he should simply donate sesame seed, clothes, and food according to his capacity, for by doing so he will achieve good health and exalted spiritual consciousness, birth after birth.  Ultimately, he will begiven release from the bonds of this world (liberation) and admittance into the Lord's supreme abode will be his to enjoy.  That is my opinion, Oh best of the demigods deva-rishis).'
    "Oh Daalbhya Muni," Pulastya Rishi concluded, "one who properly observes this wonderful Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii with great faith become free from all kinds of poverty - spiritual, mental, physical, social, and intellectual - as well as all kinds of ill luck and evil omens (sakuna).  Indeed, following this Ekaadasii fast by donating, sacrificing, or eating sesame seeds frees one of all past sin, without a doubt. One need not wonder how this happens.  The rare soul who properly performs these acts of charity in the right devotional mood, following the Vedic injunctions, will become utterly free of all sinful reactions and go back to Godhead, back home to the spiritual world."

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Xmas Madness

Here we are taking a non-sentimental look at "the festive season" where in the name of religiosity millions of innocent animals are slaughtered; where alcoholism and drugs are used by millions in "celebration"; where mindless frivolity, gambling and other time wasting activities are rife; and where numerous unwanted by-products of loose sexual encounters take their conception, to burden society, and add to the social bill the rest of us carry.

Accordingly we must understand what the authorised scripture calls the modes of nature that such "festivities" come under. Factually what value these festivals hold to benefit human society in any way, if any. Also whose "culture" they belong to... (here we use this word culture in its loosest possible meaning).

Ancient solstice meaning

Christmas, ironically, antedates the Nativity of Christ, and December 25th is a fudge. In the third century A.D. the Church fathers chose that day as Christ’s birthday, with good reason. It happens to fall approximately on the Northern Hemisphere’s Winter Solstice, and December 25th (Midwinter’s Day) which has been from time immemorial a day sacred to the rebirth of the light of the sun in the depths of winter.
  This day was the Festival of Natalis Sol Invictus (the Birth of the Undefeated Sun) in ancient Rome. Ancient peoples of the region also commemorated the Babylonian Queen of Heaven, Osiris in Egypt, Dionysus, Helios, Adonis, the Celtic Cernunnos, the Syrian Baal, Attis, Mithras, Balder and the Norse goddess Frey - all celebrated on the ancient Winter Solstice, and mostly solar saviours and dying gods. Most of these deities were given similar titles: the Light of the World, Sun of Righteousness, and Saviour. Among these huge celebrations the optimists within the newly founded Christian Church decided to cash in on the festivities and usurp them for their own end in swinging their influence toward the celebration of Jesus the Christ's birth.

As you can testify, it was a great success for them, so much so that through their zealousness the original events were eclipsed into near oblivion - who of us learned about them at school, or in our religious instruction? No they were purposefully hidden, as has so much been over the past several hundred years by missionaries obviously so inferior that they had to erase all other cultures world wide to have their new cult of Christianity stand alone as "the one true way".

By the way did you know that Santa Claus used to wear green until some advertising materialist decided to change the color scheme on behalf of Coca Cola in the 1930’s? Commercialism at its "best".............

The original nature of the event that has become known as XMAS has been further brought out in the following Xmas pages that reveal how it has degenerated. Get an in-depth view of the origin of Xmas and it's present form at this other Xmas page HERE

All the details of Christmas from different cultures around the world have been compiled by Pip Wilson in his Almanac HERE

The Pope begs for forgiveness for sins that the Church has done against other cultures and religions:
 

St Nick - Santa Claus page

Christmas Catching On in India
Source: http://www.hinduism-today.com/1995/11/1995-11-14.html

NEW DELHI, INDIA, December 24, 2002: A recent New York Times article describes Hindus in India taking to the Christian holiday of Christmas. While devout Hindus never start their day without lighting at least an incense stick and offering prayers to their chosen Hindu deity, come December many begin planning for Christmas. "It doesn't matter if I'm a Hindu. Christmas stands for love, affection, sharing, renewing family bonds. It's a festival for everyone," said one of the Hindus interviewed, as she shopped for tree decorations at New Delhi's upscale Ansal Plaza mall. Not surprisingly are the many echoes of complaints heard in the West about Christmas becoming commercialized. The popularity of Christmas does not extend to the religious themes associated with the festival. It's only Christians who attend midnight church services on Christmas Eve and nativity scenes can be seen only in Christian institutions and churches. For a Hindu perspective during this season of worldwide celebrations, see "source" above for a description of Pancha Ganapati, a modern festival or "Hindu Christmas," that is a time of gift giving and home religious observances honoring a family's love and togetherness, community harmony and cultural celebrations.

This article was by courtesy of http://www.HinduismToday.com/

Little-Known Stories Show Christmas Has Some Contentious - and Pagan - Origins - From the Religion News Service

USA, December 24, 2003: This interesting piece on the origins of Christmas appeared in the Religion News Service and is written by Yvonne Betowt: Did you know Alabama was the first state to declare Christmas an official holiday? That happened in 1836, 71 years before the last state -- Oklahoma -- followed suit in 1907. Christmas is the only legal national religious holiday in the United States. While it has been less than 100 years since all 50 states recognized Christmas as an official holiday, Dec. 25 has been celebrated for centuries by Christians as Jesus' birthday. But until 245 A.D., when a group of scholars tried to determine the date of Christmas, the question had never been addressed, according to a 1995 article by Victor M. Parachin in the Christian Reader. However, the project by the early church theologians was denounced by a church council, which thought it wrong to celebrate Jesus' birthday "as though he were a King Pharaoh." That didn't prevent the scholar-theologians from continuing their quest to determine the day Jesus was born. They originally listed four dates -- Jan. 1 and 6, March 25 and May 20 -- as possibilities, according to Parachin's research.

It wasn't until 349 A.D. that Dec. 25 was formally chosen as Christmas Day by Pope Julius. The date was already celebrated as the Natalis Solis Invicti in honor of the sun god, Mithras, by Roman citizens. They decorated their homes with greenery, exchanged gifts and gathered for festive meals on that date, observed just after the winter solstice. Many scholars believe Pope Julius picked Dec. 25 as Christmas Day to convert followers of Mithras, in addition to providing Christians with an opportunity to celebrate Jesus' birth. Christmas continued, however, to be a contentious issue.

In 17th century England and early America, English Puritans said the Bible offered no clear basis for celebrating Jesus' birth. In 1643, the English Parliament outlawed not only Christmas, but Easter and other Christian celebrations. But by 1660, Christmas had become such a popular holiday, the law was repealed. After the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth, Mass., in 1620, their English misgivings about Christmas celebrations continued. In 1659, people in Massachusetts who celebrated Christmas were fined. The law was struck down in 1681 because the popularity of observing Christmas had grown immensely.

However, Christian groups remained divided over whether Christmas should be celebrated because of its ties to pagan observances. The Lutherans, Dutch Reformed, Catholic and Anglican churches forged ahead with the celebrations while the Baptists, Presbyterians, Quakers and Puritans continued to rail against it. Even today, some Christian groups, including many Churches of Christ and Seventh-day Adventists, do not acknowledge Christmas as a religious observance.

Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami created the modern-day festival of Pancha Ganapati to coincide with the Christmas celebrations for Hindus living in the West. It's a means to participate in the festive season without the trappings of another religion's holiday. Click http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/1995/11/1995-11-14.shtml for the details.

This article is by courtesy of http://www.HinduismToday.com/  (24th December 2003)