How to meet Krishna?

Just imagine if you could personally meet God, how absolutely ecstatic that would be, how you would become completely free from all kinds of fears and anxieties. But how to meet Him? The answer is very simple. The Supreme Lord, the source of all existence, has fully manifested Himself in the form of the

Hare Krishna mahamantra

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama Rama, Hare Hare
Especially when this mantra is sung in the company of Krishna's pure devotees the Lord becomes easily accessible and showers sweet mercy on all who participate in the kirtan, the ecstatic transcendental chanting session. So make your appointment to meet God today. Participate in a Hare Krishna kirtan at your first available opportunity.

- Sankarshan Das Adhikari

My Spiritual Master, H.H. Shriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari, can be reached at: sda@backtohome.com. For an ecstatic e-course in self-realization through pure Krishna bhakti, please enrol with Him at: www.ultimateselfrealization.com

Can we chant any invented or

concoted mantras?

Srila Prabhupada stated in a lecture in Vrindavana on

November 3rd, 1976:


"There are so many they have invented. Just like

Hare Krishna mantra is prescribed in the sastras, and

they have invented so many. Although there is the

name of the Supreme Lord, still you have to follow

the sastra. If you say Rama Rama Rama, Radhe

Radhe Radhe, Krishna, there are so many mentioned.

That is also name, but you have to follow the sastra.

Sastra says: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna

Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama

Rama Hare Hare. You have to take that. Not that you

can say, nitāi-gaura rādhe-śyāma, hare krishna hare

rāma, no. Why? Is there any in the sastra? No, you

have invented. What is the value of your invention?

You are not perfect."


As the followers of Srila Prabhupada we are meant to

stick to his instructions and not introduce any

invented or concocted kirtans.


***

Krishna Story 14

IS IT “ONE DAY” OR “ONE YEAR”?
by J.K. Sivan

You are all aware that if something is extraordinarily done, it is remembered for long not because of the act itself, but because the person performing it becomes well known and is reputed. The incident of Agasuran, the giant snake demon having been killed by the small boy Krishna became a much talked about event, not only among the people in Brindhavan but by the Devas and demi gods, who witnessed the great feat of Krishna. The news of Krishna’s successful combats with various demons had already reached the ears of Lord Brahma, the God of Creation. He came to see himself personally when Agasuran swallowed Krishna and the other cowherd boys and wondered how this small cowherd boy Krishna was able to easily tackle and kill the various mighty demons. Brahma wondered if the boy Krishna really had the ability to deal with demons and wanted to convince himself by testing Krishna’s bravery and prowess. This is what happened as a result:

The moment the cowherd boys were saved by Krishna after Agasuran, the snake demon, suddenly swallowed them, they were not relieved of the shock of life they had. Krishna pacified them and tried to bring them back to their normal mood. It was lunch time for them So Krishna told the boys "Friends go and bring your lunch packets we brought this morning from home, Let us all sit under one of the shady trees on the banks of Yamuna and share them. We must all be hungry now"

He further told them "Let us free the calves to go and drink water. They have already grazed stomachful, in the yonder green fields. We will keep watch on them while we rest here for lunch and play”. He selected a big shady tree. The fragrance of the flowers charged the air, with gentle breeze spreading the enchanting sweet smell everywhere. Krishna plucked variety of fruits from the trees and served them.

Dear children, imagine the scene!.-- A beautiful, clean. free flowing river, sandy banks, surrounded by various big shady trees bearing fruits and sweet smelling multi color flowers, gentle breeze, velvety green graass on earth, Krishna sitting in their midst with the boys seated in a circle around him, all with their food packets open and sharing the variety of food brought by them among themselves with Krishna tasting every item they brought! Krishna in fact looked like a bluish bud amidst numerous beautiful lotus petals in the greenish graassy field they were sitting! They were not only enjoying the food but exchanged jokes and were singing in between with Krishna playing his flute melodiously. His hands, mouth, face, and body had patches of butter, curd, fruit pulp,various types of sweetmeats, eatables and milk which he shared with other boys tasting from each and every food packet.

As they were enjoying their lunch time happily one of the cowherd boys shouted “Krishna, look, there is no calf to be seen, where have they gone?” Everyone looked at the Yamuna river bank and adjacent fields. It appeared the calves after drinking water, slowly entered the green pastures inside the deep forest for further grazing and thus were out of sight. Probably, the calves after quenching their thirst were lured by the green pastures and so they slowly walked into the forest. Krishna then told them "all of you sit and enjoy your food and play. I will go and find them and bring here"

When Krishna looked for the calves, he could not find them anywhere even after walking for long inside the forest. He called them by names but no response. Usually they would answer him. Everything was silent and Krishnan realized he had covered the maximum area which could normally be covered by the calves in the circumstances. Their absence made him suspect some foul play. He realized it is no act of any rakshas or demon as they would only aim at him and not the little innocent calves. Who could have done this? What would have happened to the calves?This must really be some one else's clever act. He returned back to the banks of Yamuna to alert his friends and send them on different directions for tracing the calves.

"Alas!, there was no trace of the cowherd boys also!!! Under the tree there was not a single boy. He was surprised. Where had these boys gone? He looked in the river, in the forest nearby and everywhere. His calling them by names yielded no response. He realized someone much more intelligent than any demon had done this. Who could it be? If no demons involved then it must be Devas!

But Krishna had no time now to pursue this. It was already dusk. The cowherds back in the village will be looking for the boys and calves! He should not allow them to be panicked and worried ! What do do? where to go and get them back? After a minute’s thinking Krishna decided that he will multiply himself and take the exact forms as the calves and the cowherd boys of the village and go back to their respective homes until the boys and calves are restored safely. Also he MUST solve the mystery, latest by tomorrow!!. Dear Children, Do you realise Krishna's predicament?

That evening the cowherd families were exceptionally very happy with their children, unusually. They were given food and refreshments and found them very lovable than normal. The cows too licked their calves more than normal, with abundant love, Is it all because of all of them being Krishna and none else?

This went on for a year without anyone noticing any difference. Krishna had replaced exactly and adequately as the boys and calves, without raising any doubt or suspicion in the minds of the parents and cows. Meantime Krishna vigorously pursued the matter to find out who outwitted him. He ultimately narrowed down the suspects to Brahma and Indhra. Indhra too was eliminated after Krishna’s checking. Krishna now was convinced that it was Brahma who kidnapped the children and the calves!! He went to Brahmaloka and occupied the chair of Brahma much earlier than Brahma used to attend his Dharbar, the place of Creation.. When Brahma came there he was shocked to find another Brahma sitting before him in his place. When he loked around for his staff, what a wonder, everyone around him was a Brahma!!! Bewildered, Brahma then walked to his seat occupied by another Brahma and looked at him. Now everything and everyone was Lord Vishnu only for a fleeting second. The seated Brahma smiled at him and asked “do you wish to put me to any test further?” Brahma realized that in fact he had tested not the cowherd boy Krishna, but Lord Vishnu who took his form. Brahma prostrated before Vishnu and worshipped his feet. Then Vishnu appeared as Krishna, the cowherd boy before him and asked "where are the cowherd boys and calves you kidnapped? Brahma immediately brought them safely and admitted "I was wondering why no one had cared about the boys and calves kidnapped by him and realised Krishna had multiplied himself in their respective forms"

“Yes my lord I know now it is you, Lord Vishnu Himself who appeared as Krishna, and I am very happy to have your Dharshan.

Krishna then returned with the calves and the boys who were sleeping all the time in Brahmalokam under good care of Brahma to Brindhavan. That evening the real boys and the real calves returned to their respective homes.

But some thing funny happened in the homes of the cowherds in the village that evening. All the boys were telling their parents and others in the house, without exception, about how they all entered the mouth of a big black snake mistaking its mouth to be a stone cave entrance and and after it swallowed them, how Krishna redeemed them and saved them by killing the demon Agaasuran. Also they were mouthful of stories of how they enjoyed the food eating together under the tree and Krishna ran into the forest to look for the calves.

The parents were perplexed and wondered why all these boys are telling with so much emotion and enthusiasm what they ate one year ago, and the incident of Krishna killing Agaasuran and saving their lives, which was exactly one year ago, as if it happened that day!!

The secret of why the boys told about the incident exactly after one year is because what is one day for Devas in Brahmalokam is one year for us in this world!!! the time difference in space !!!! Krishna went the next day to Brahmalokam and retrieved the boys but it took one year for us. That is why in this story it is mentioned that Krishna kept the mystery not blown up during the one full year, by taking the forms of the boys and calves until they returned to their respective homes. But this took about an year . As for the boys, they came home "that evening" after their escape from Agasuran and a sumptuous lunch that afternoon, when the calves were lost and Krishna went after them to trace. They were totally oblivious of Brahma kidnapping them, and retained them at Brahmalokam, until the next day Krishna recovered them . Because they were asleep--- “for one day only” in Brahmalokam until Krishna recovered them which was "one year" for us !!

As for the cowherds’ families, they realized that during the last “one year” it was Krishna who was their children and calves until the “real ones” returned back to their normal life and praised Lord Krishna.





                                              The author can be reached at: jksivan@gmail.com

Q & A Column

My Spiritual Master Replies
 
Question: Can Eating Vegetables Also Be Sinful?

While discussing with one of my friends I got confused. According to the four regulative principles of Krishna consciousness, I gave up meat eating a long time ago as I wanted to refrain from killing. When I told my friend I left meat because I don't want to kill, he said that even the plants have life and therefore eating them would also be killing. So I told him that since we are offering food to Krishna it's not sinful. He then asked, "If you offer meat to Krishna wouldn't that also be free from sin, just as when you offer vegetables to Krishna?"

Somewhere I got angry inside and did not talk to him any more. But after thinking about it, this question comes to my mind: Am I sinning by eating vegetarian food?

Also it is said in scriptures that God is present in everything. Prahlada Maharaja insisted upon this, and God came out of the pillar to prove His devotee's words. Is it sinful then to eat anything since God is present everywhere?

One point that is given in Bhagavad-gita is that meat is tamasic, in the mode of ignorance. So to advance spiritually one must be sattvic, that is, in the mode of goodness. Could this be the answer of my question? Kindly clear my doubts.

Sushant

Answer: Yes, If You Don't Offer Them to Krishna


Your understanding from Bhagavad-gita that meat eating is in the mode of ignorance is a fact. The more one eats meat, the more he becomes ignorant.

It is a fact that eating vegetables is also killing. Therefore our vegetables must be offered to Krishna before eating. Meat cannot be offered because when Krishna specifies which types of foods are offerable, He does not include meat in the list. He only includes foodstuffs from the category of fruits, vegetables. dairy products, and grains.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

H.H. Shriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari can be reached at: sda@backtohome.come. Please visit Him at: www.ultimateselfrealization.com for an ecstatic e-course in self-realization through pure Krishna Bhakti

Krishna Story 13

Two More Demons Die

by J.K. Sivan

 Hope you enjoyed reading the 12 stories so far written for you.!!
"Misfortune doesn’t come singly", they say! It was so in the case of Kamsa. He was worried and frustrated when he learnt of the miserable death of Baka. But he could not relent. He immediately called for an urgent council of demons to discuss and select who should be the next to proceed to Brindhavan to kill Krishna.

Almost all the demons who assembled there volunteered to go and kill Krishna, the small wonder boy. Out of them Agasura however, was found fit as he had special reason for avenging the death of his sister Boothanaa,(the demoness who tried to breastfeed Krishna with poison tainted breasts and met with her death.)
He proceeded to Brindhavan, selected a spot where it will be favourable for him to draw Krishna and kill him. On the one end of Yamuna there were many rocks bordering the deep dense forest. Agasura took the shape of a huge black giant snake with its wide open mouth. He took such a shape that anyone would mistake the mouth of the black big snake to be a mountain cave as the coiled serpent looked like a rock positioned in between two huge rocks.

The cowherd children were playing on the banks of Yamuna that day and initially no one noticed the new “cave”. One of the boys saw this and drew the attention of the rest calling them “ let us go into the cave and see what is there in side” Their calves were resting under trees ,after grazing, chewing the cud.

The boys went near the cave and the still unmoving snake passed for a small rock cave. One of them went near and just peeped inside. There was nothing but a hollow passage. He was emboldened and stepped inside the open mouth of the snake and walked in. Two more boys followed the pioneer. Slowly and steadily almost all the boys now were inside the mouth of the snake. Agasuran was watching for Krishna’s movement. Krishna initially hesitated and looked at the rocks carefully. He has not seen this rock with its cave entrance before! However he smiled within himself and entered the cave after all the boys went inside.

The moment Krishna entered its mouth, Agasura closed his mouth and began twisting his body to crush the boys in his stomach. The boys shouted and cried in shock and fear of death. Krishna realized he did not have much time to save the boys. He immediately enlarged his size and added weight to his body. He now was too big for the space in the stomach of Agasura and started kicking the walls of the stomach firercey. Agasura tried to crush him but the pain created by Krishna made him suffer a lot. He was about to burst anytime which was what Krishna planned. Within a few moments, the snake’s body burst out and the children were ejected by Krishna’s powerful hands. Agasura was writhing in unbearable pain and was on his last throes until he was dead soon.

We need to deal with another demon who followed Agasura before ending this story.

Every demon seemed to have some clever idea of approaching the small boy Krishna hoping to kill him but the skill was not enough. This demon was named Vyomaasura. He was the son of a clever demon named Maayasura. He could take any form and shape.

Instead of taking the form of any bird, animal or reptile, Vyomaasura thought he would be able to kill Krishna as “one of the playmates”. He therefore came to Brindhavan with a novel idea.

One day when Krishna, Balarama and the other boys were playing "hide and seek" he was one of them. Initially nobody noticed him as a stranger among them. They were all playing for long and it was becoming dark as the evening advanced to night. "This is the time" thought Vyomaasuran. While playing with other boys he had already schematically chased a few boys and hid them in the forest. Krishna suddenly observed that the number of boys they started the game with, was slowly dwindling. He wondered "why some friends were missing?" He carefully looked at all the playmates.

When Krishna suspected something different with a boy, he slowly followed him and the demon was very happy that he was able to isolate Krishna from the rest, while running and chasing him in the game. When he found Krishna was running towards the deep forest, he happily chased Krishna. When Krishna was cornered, he held Krishna’s hands. The force which the "new boy " applied in holding Krishna’s hands made him realise that he has another demon to combat with that evening. Krishna pretended to be weak and surrender. He acted as if he was unable to free himself from the demon’s grip.

The demon took his real form now and laughed. “Atlast your end is through my hands!!” the demon cried in joy. Krishna decided to kill him before it was late and too dark. So he made himself strong. He caught hold of the demon's hands and twisted it. Unexpecting such a resistance the demon came with a force closer to Krishna to lift him up. Krishna avoided his approach by bending down and instantaneously caught hold of one of his legs and dragged him. The demon fell down. Krishna immediately caught hold of both his legs and swung him up in the air fast in circles and struck him down on a nearby rock, with a force. The demon crashed down on the rock with a thudding noise. He broke his bones and limbs bleeding all through with the impact. His condition was deplorable. He looked like a tender cucumber crushed under an elephant’s feet!!.

When the other boys rushed to the scene they were utterly shocked. They could hardly believe that one of the boys who played with them that evening was in fact a demon and Krishna as usual identified him and put him to death. The missing boys were released by Krishna and the entire village was discussing that night Krishna’s supernatural prowess.

The author can be reached at: jksivan@gmail.com

There is No One More Wonderful than Krishna

There is no person more wonderful than Krishna and no experience more nectarean than connecting with Krishna. Connecting with Krishna is very sublime and easy. Anyone can do it anywhere, whether on a beautiful mountain top or in a hellish city. All you have to do is to chant the holy names of the Lord with love and devotion:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama Rama, Hare Hare

 

***

A Must-read Column

[This is the real-life story of a great Krishna devotee in Russia who underwent undescribable torture in the hands of former communist regime for propagating Krishna bhakti. All Krishna bhaktas should read this. Ram]

Tribute to a Great Krishna Bhakta in Russia 

Shriman Ananta Shanti Prabhu

On 6 June 2013, we received the sad news that the great stalwart Vaishnava hero, Sriman Ananta Shanti Prabhu, left his body. This is a moment of great mourning for all Krishna devotees. This amazingly brave hero who risked everything for pushing forward this movement has been very nicely eulogized by Indradyumna Swami as follows in the form of a letter he addressed to the departed soul of Ananta Shanti Prabhu:

Dear Ananta-Shanti Prabhu,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

It was with great sadness that I learned of your recent departure. I rarely, if ever, express any deep emotion, but upon hearing of your demise I broke down and cried, for you have always been a true hero to me. By the Lord’s arrangement, you met our spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, on his first visit to the former Soviet Union in June, 1971. Knowing your heart, he initiated you after only a few days and instructed you to spread Lord Caitanya’s movement throughout your country. Srila Prabhupada’s confidence in you was revealed when he said of you, “Just as you can judge whether rice is properly cooked by picking out one small grain, so you can know an entire nation by observing one of its handpicked youths.”

With Srila Prabhupada’s blessings you fearlessly proceeded to spread the holy names around the Soviet Union, often at great risk. Your effort was initially single-handed, but you made devotees and soon their preaching was causing great alarm amongst the communist leaders of the time. In a 1981 issue of Kommunist, the official journal of the Communist Party, Semyon Tsvigun, the Deputy Chairman of the KGB secret police, wrote that “the three greatest threats to the Soviet way of life are Western culture, rock-and-roll music, and Hare Krishna.”

Such warnings did not deter you, however, and you continued preaching Krishna consciousness with great vigor. After 11 years, your efforts finally attracted the attention of the KGB who arrested you in 1982.

While awaiting trial, you were confined to the Butyrskaya Investigations Prison. In June, 1983, you were tried and found guilty of “infringement of person and rights of citizens under appearance of performing religious ceremonies.” As punishment you were committed to the dreaded Smolensk Special Psychiatric Hospital rather than being put into prison. This enabled the authorities to keep you for an indefinite period of time. In the psychiatric hospital, you were continuously administered haloperidol, a neuroleptic drug that caused convulsions in your facial muscles and deterioration of your mental condition. In April, 1986, you were transferred to the Special Psychiatric Hospital in Oryol where you received the same severe treatment.

By that time, you and the other imprisoned devotees in the Soviet Union had attracted worldwide attention from human-rights organizations and devotees from within our movement. When numerous parcels and letters began arriving at the psychiatric hospital, the staff responded by strapping you to your bed and administering large doses of the drug sulfazine. This caused you to suffer high fevers, pain, and hallucinations. When your wife visited the hospital and asked the doctors when you would be released they replied, “One’s understanding of life and reality are not so quickly cured."

Years later you were freed, but being acutely affected by the inhumane treatment you received in prison, you drifted away from devotional service and the association of devotees for some time. No one should hold this against you, however, for it was clearly the result of the hideous drugs administered to you during your confinement. In recent years, you re-established loving relationships with many devotees and took up the practice of Krishna consciousness again.

My dear Godbrother, Ananta-Shanti, I have no doubt that upon leaving your body you were delivered straight to the spiritual world where Srila Prabhupada personally received you and engaged you in service. Surely the residents of that transcendental abode must have arranged a magnificent festival to honor you on that day. Certainly you deserved it. The sacrifices you made in spreading Krishna consciousness, the suffering you underwent in executing that mission, and the determination you displayed to serve the order of our spiritual master are rare even amongst Gaudiya Vaisnavas.

May all Vaisnavas know of your exploits. May they honor the pain you endured and the faith you regained despite all efforts by communist authorities to destroy it. Lest we forget, may we constantly remember your unique contribution to Lord Caitanya’s sankirtan movement. From your transcendental position please look down upon this humble soul and grant me the same courage that you had to spread the glories of the holy names far and wide despite the greatest opposition.

With the deepest respect and admiration,

Your servant,

Indradyumna Swami

***

The Q & A Column

My Spiritual Master Replies


Question: How to Change Someone's Destiny?

It is appreciated that you are trying to live your life at every moment for the deliverance of the suffering souls of this material world. In this material world some are doomed to suffer due to their karma. When there is no escape from sufferings for such people how can you change their destiny ordained by themselves?

Janardan V.Mali

==================================================================
Answer: We Cannot, But Krishna Can.

We cannot change anyone's destiny. That is a fact. But if we can
convince someone to surrender to Krishna, He will change their
destiny by taking away all of their karma and delivering them back
to His eternal, all-blissful kingdom in the spiritual world.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

H.H. Shriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari can be reached at: sda@backtohome.com. Please visit Him at: www.ultimateselfrealilzation.com for an ecstatic e-course in self-realization through pure Krishna Bhakti

KRISHNA STORY 12

The Stork Demon

by J.K. Sivan

 

“Beware of Krishna growing bigger and stronger” ---Kamsa’s mind was all the time sounding alarms. He was becoming sleepless and began frantically sending one after the other, various demons to find and kill Krishna at Gokulam and Brindhavan.

You will agree that in history and legends, no other child than Krishna lived everyday growing and surviving all the attempts to kill him. In fact the story is otherway round. He was born to kill the demons!!!

Kamsa sent Trinavarta, the demon who took the form of a whirlwind and created dark clouds and strong winds uprooting the trees everywhere. Krishna was on the lap of Yasodha in Brindhavan, when the demon was destroying everything on his way, at Brindhavan. Yasodha was wondering why this storm suddenly but at the same time felt unusually Krishna was much heavier than normal on her lap! . Because she could not bear his sudden heavy weight she dropped him down on the mat below. The demon Trinavartan was happy that Krishna was unsupported. He created pitch dark clouds making visibility difficult for Yasodha and carried Krishna high up in the air. He was happy that he could now take the boy to Kamsa and kill Krishna right under Kamsa’s nose. But Krishna had other plans for Trinavarta. As he was in the air up, Krishna suddenly became more and more heavier and was sitting now tight on the demon crushing with both hands, Trinavarta’s neck. Trinavarta could not only bear the weight of Krishna but could not fly and move. He was slowly descending despite his efforts, due to Krishna’s weight. Krishna was strangulating his neck and choking his windpipe. Unable to breathe Trinavartan dropped dead before he could attempt to fly back to Kamsa. Both the storm and Trinaavartan’s life ended at once, where it started. Krishna was again a normal small boy running towards his mother Yasodha!!

The next demon Vatsasura to enter the scene after the mission of Trinavarta failed and he assured Kamsa there will not be any need to send any further demon to kill Krishna as he will close the chapter himself.

This demon thought he was clever and took the form of a beautiful calf and neared Krishna. He enquired and learnt that Krishna loved cows and calves and played with them. When Krishna saw the beautiful new calf in the village, he approached it. Vatsasura as the attractive calf played with Krishna for a while and ran with him hither and thither. He thus slowly dragged Krishna away to the forest area, far away from others to a lonely place and assumed the form of a powerful grown up calf and ran towards Krishna to trample and kill him. But Krishna was prepared for this. Avoiding the rushing calf, he caught hold of the calf by its neck and twisted it. With his neck broken the demon was unable to move and breathed his last. Poor Vatsasura too ended thus.

Kamsa was losing one by one his powerful demons. He was happy to find a volunteer now because the next one to rise to the occasion was Baka, the demon who took the form of a stork. He saw Krishna and other cowherd children playing in Yamuna river.

“Look here, a big white stork is landing on the shore” cried a boy. All the other children were startled to observe a big stork with its too large a beak now standing close to them. As it was still, the children slowly were near it. They thought that this big bird had stranded and lost its direction and wondered what it came for. Baka was waiting to find out who was Krishna among the boys and was listening to their talks.
The boys now lost their fear and neared the big bird.

“Krishna, look at its unusual long beak” said Balarama.

Krishna nodded his head but was thinking about this big bird. Now this gave an opportunity for Baka to identify who was Krishna!! He slowly walked towards Krishna. Krishna was looking at it in close quarters along with other boys. Suddenly the stork turned towards Krishna alone and opening its huge beak instantaneously swallowed Krishna. All the children were shocked and bewildered and ran home shouting and crying in agony “the big stork swallowed Krishna”. As for Krishna, the moment he entered the mouth of the stork he assumed the form of fire and began scorching the demon’s body. Bakan could not do anything as he had the problem within his own body!! Helplessly, he circled, spread his wings and tried best to eject Krishna from his body. But Krishna was burning him with increased heat. Unable to withstand the pain and agony anymore, Bakan opened his huge beak and with great difficulty, was able to spit out Krishna. There was no other way for him to get relieved from the scorching heat within him! Krishna already had done enough damage to the demon. Baka slowly fell down losing his life. His red eyes were now steady as his body was. Meantime all the Gopas and Gopis and the children have assembled to somehow save Krishna if they could. But Krishna needed no help. He was standing unperturbed looking at the deceased demon lying before him. Perhaps he was wondering “who it is going to be the next?”

                                   The author can be reached at: jksivan@gmail.com
 
 

The Beauty of Krishna Prasadam

Do you eat to live? Or do you live to eat? It is essential if you want to successfully awaken your dormant Krishna consciousness that you should take sufficient foodstuffs for good health, and not go beyond that.

Overindulging in eating or binge eating is a waste of money and is not good for your health and longevity. Plus it is immoral because it takes food away from those who are starving and malnourished. And even more importantly, it is not good for your Krishna consciousness. K

rishna consciousness means to take only as much Krishna prasadam as is necessary to keep yourself fit for Krishna's service. Krishna prasadam consists of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and grains which have been offered to Lord Sri Krishna with love and devotion.

The beauty of Krishna prasadam is that by taking it not only are you free from eating sin; you are also freed from the reactions to your previous sins. So who is that person who would not want to take advantage of Krishna prasadam for a healthy and happy life? Only an ignorant fool. Therefore we must enlighten everyone on the glories of Krishna prasadam.

 

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

 

H.H. Shriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari can be reached at: sda@backtohome.com. Please visit Him at: www.ultimateselfrealization.com for an ecstatic e-course in self-realization through pure Krishna Bhakti.

Krishna Story 11

The Fruit Basket

by J.K. Sivan

 

Before  we open the basket to see what is in it,  we have to move to the two villages  where Krishna lived most in his childhood. As  you would by now understood, the villages Gokulam and Brindhavan  are closeby and these two were very popular  and mostly busy villages.

Among the cowherds, there lived in Brindhavan village, a  ripe old woman who lived all by herself.   She  made her living by selling  fruits.  She would collect fruits from the nearby forests and from the gardens of many cowherds in Brindhavan

She used to collect various seasonal fruits, carry them in a basket on her head, and  roam about in the streets of Brindhavan and  sell them.  Her  special technique was to sing various  spiritual songs instead of crying and selling the fruits.   Whenever  her voice is heard, people would call her and buy whatever  fruits they want giving her money or food stuffs or  grains.

If she had enough fruits unsold  in Brindhavan, she would walk upto Gokulam also and sell them.   Thus she used to go to Gokuam from time to time. I must mention here that this grand old lady had a special liking for children and did not mind  giving the fruits free of cost to children  when she saw them and could not buy fruits from her.

News of  Krishna and Balaram  reached even this old lady in the Brindhavan village and she wanted to see them after hearing earful of their supernatural feats. And she was already informed of the beauty of  Krishna.  She felt like giving very good fruits to Krishna as her gift to him.

One day her desire was fulfilled.  That day she picked up good red pomegranate fruits and guavahs wishing to give some of these to Krishna at Gokulam.  With fruit basket on her head, she walked to  Gokulam village and  waited in front of the  gate of Nandagopan palace.  There was a guard on duty.

Nowadays,  strangers are not allowed to enter the palace and have access to the children after so many attempts were made to kill Krishna by Kamsan.

When the fruit vendor waited for long the guard took pity on her and asked her: 

- What do you want and why are are you waiting here?

- Are Krishna and Balaram living in this house?
- Yes
- I want to see them and give some fruits
- No. You cannot.  Better you go back.

She waited for some time and returned back and was unhappy that she could not  see the children whom she loved most.

She made another visit after a few days this time with some more fresh fruits including some jamboo fruits and was determined to somehow wait ande see   Krishna at least from a distance from the main door.  Luckily for her, this time the main door was open and she could see movement of people inside  Nandagopan palace.  Suddenly the guard appeared there

And the moment he saw her, he chided her “Paatti! (granny)  how many times to tell you not to come and disturb us. Get away.”

The old woman was clever.  She just moved a few inches from the gate and began singing loud  some songs on Narayana.   Her  voice was vibrant and this attracated Rohini who was in the palace to come out and see who was singing so nicely.   The moment she saw the fruit vendor, she  moved in and told Yasodha about the old woman with the basket waiting out.

Yasodha came out carrying Krishna.  He was very tired that day after hours of playing .

When Yasodha met the old woman, she recognized her because she had known her for long and many times bought fruits from her in the village.

- How are you patti.  Still you are selling fruits?

- Yes .  I have not seen you for a long time.  Is this little boy in your arms, the famous Krishnaa.  I     
   have heard enough of him and it kindled the desire in me to see him somehow.
- Yes  this Is Krishna, my son, replied the proud mother.

Meantime, while the two women were talking, Krishna  slipped down and slowly walked towards the basket which was kept on the floor.  He  looked at the fruits and was attracted by the red pomegranate fruit and without any hesitation went near the basket and grabbed a good one. 

The old woman  caught hold of his hand and embraced him and told strictly

- No little fellow,  You cannot have the fruit without paying for it.  Go and get something in return 

  to own this fruit for you

Krishna  took the fruit and walked inside while the women were still speaking of their old days of association. Krishna  looked for rice and found it stored in a container and picked up a handful of the rice grains and walked to where the old woman was waiting.

By the time he reached the vendor, almost all grains in the closed fist had spilled down and when he opened the palm there were only a few grains which he dropped into her basket.  The old woman was thrilled.

 

- My darling, you are so responsible and honest.  I wanted to give you the fruit without  anything from you  in return and just kidded but you took it seriously.

 

Again she hugged him and felt very happy.

When she returned from Gokulam she was the most happiest person on earth as she was lucky to see Krishna, hug him and give him a good fruit she selected for him.  Though she had disposed of all the fruits she was singing until she reached home.

She did not realise that her basket was still heavy until then. She wondered why still heavy even after selling the fruits?   When the basket was taken off her head and put down on the pial of her house, she  looked for the cause of the weight and was astonished to find the basket full of   precious stones like rubies, emeralds, corals, pearls and  so many other  stones the names of which both she and I don’t  know!  She recognized that all the rice grains  which were dropped down into her basket by Krishna had turned into these precious stones.

- Krishna,  is this what I demanded from you for parting with my fruit?

No,  it is no bargain.  Krishna knew what brought her to him.  She wished to give him what best she had, out of her pure love without seeking money in return, and He rewarded her for such an act.

The old woman was stunned and tears dropped down from her eyes in gratitude as  the words came out from the deep recesses of her heart  “K R I S H N A A A !”

Dear children, you know that Krishna worships His devotees  more than  their worshipping Him!

 

 

 

 

                                            The author can be reached at: jksivan@gmail.com