Three Valuable Jewels Worn By Lord Vishnu

“Lord Vishnu is always decorated with many valuable jewels, such as the chandrakanta stone and the suryakanta stone.” (The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 36)

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He is the source of both material and spiritual worlds. Everything emanates from Him, and despite being responsible for the most important and difficult work, nothing affects Him. That is to say He is neither exhausted nor troubled. The many universes come into existence through His breathing. Exhale and there is manifestation. Inhale and there is annihilation.

The personal side to the Divine, Lord Vishnu is also known as Bhagavan. One way to translate this Sanskrit term into English is to say, “Supreme Personality of Godhead.” There are also non-different forms like Krishna, Rama, Narasimha and others. The distinction with Vishnu is that He is opulently adorned. He has four hands, holding the conch, the disc, the club and the lotus. The visual matches the typical mood of interaction: awe and reverence.

1. The chandrakanta stone

The chandrakanta is one of the jewels that Vishnu wears. This is the moonstone. The moon is an integral part of life on earth. Without the presence of the moon so much would go wrong. From Vedic literature we learn that the moon is considered one of the heavenly planets. Demigods, living entities in the mode of goodness, reside there. Naturally, the stone tied to the moon would be considered valuable.

2. The suryakanta stone

Paired with the sun is the moon. There are presiding deities for each place. When Vishnu incarnates on earth He usually appears in one of these families. Shri Ramachandra is in the solar dynasty. The family of rulers traces its lineage back to the sun-god, Surya. Shri Krishna appears in the Yadu dynasty, which is linked to the moon-god. The suryakanta stone is from the sun, and it is not surprising to find it on the transcendental body of Vishnu.

3. The Kaustubha

“The Personality of Godhead, appearing on the shoulder of Garuda, seemed like a cloud resting on the summit of the mountain known as Meru. The transcendental body of the Personality of Godhead was covered by attractive yellow garments, and His neck was decorated with the jewel known as Kaustubha-mani. The bodily effulgence of the Lord dissipated all the darkness of the universe.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 4.30.5)

A combination of matter and spirit identifies a conditioned living entity. The qualifier “conditioned” means that there is a natural state existing previously and with the potential still, but there are outside factors that result in a specific condition, namely the susceptibility to birth and death.

The way out of that cycle, when the “conditioned” label gets removed, is the path of liberation. In the liberated state there are different options for the individual spirit soul. One type of liberation is getting the same features as Vishnu. The individual resides on His spiritual planet and achieves a beautiful transcendental body with four arms.

One of the ways to tell who is actually the Supreme Lord is the Kaustubha gem. This was produced once when the ocean of milk was being churned by the gods and the demons. Vishnu took this gem for Himself, and it has been associated with Him ever since.

While ornaments typically are used to enhance a person’s appearance, with God the order is switched. The ornaments become more attractive since they are associated with Him, instead of the other way around.

A similar transformation occurs with conditioned souls. When they practice bhakti-yoga, they become more attractive due to their intimate association with the Supreme Lord. Merged together in a similar interest, having a devotional consciousness that can’t be broken, they inherit the beauty of the all-attractive one, who is ready to bestow His mercy on anyone who approaches Him.

In Closing:

Beautifully adorned is He,

With valuable jewels to see.

Like suryakanta from the sun,

Stone of moon another one.

In liberation similar body to get,

But distinction with Kaustubha set.

Where on Vishnu’s chest found,

To whose feet devotees bound.

The Three Subjects Of the Upanishads

“Negation of material existence is only one of the subjects of the Upanishads. The next subject concerns becoming situated in the impersonal realization. And then, after penetrating through the impersonal Brahman, when one comes to the platform of associating with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one reaches the ultimate goal in studying the Upanishads.” (The Nectar Of Devotion, Ch 35)

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A person interested in Vedic literature has many options from which to choose. The Vedas are compared to a blossoming tree, with many branches of knowledge. Like different departments of study at a university, there is information about both material and spiritual life.

Choosing the Upanishads is often the scholarly move. That is to say a person not drawn by compelling narratives and descriptions of amazing feats, conducted both by the Divine and people trying to imitate Him, takes the philosophical approach. The higher topics, requiring logic, reasoning, and intelligence to understand, do not scare them.

Yet in fact all paths have the same goal. A person who hears the Puranas or reads the Ramayana, describing aspects of the personal side of the Divine and illustrating principles of spiritual life through real-life events, is on track to reach the same destination as the one who studies Vedanta described in the Upanishads. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, which is also known as the Gitopanishad, where Shri Krishna reveals that following sankhya, or analytical study, and doing works in devotion, karma-yoga, yield the same benefit.

“Only the ignorant speak of karma-yoga and devotional service as being different from the analytical study of the material world [sankhya]. Those who are actually learned say that he who applies himself well to one of these paths achieves the results of both.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 5.4)

According to expert opinion, there are three subjects of the Upanishads. The first two are rather obvious, but the third involves the subject sought out directly in the bhakti path.

1. Negation of material existence

This is likely one of the reasons for consulting Vedic literature in the first place. Material life is a struggle. I wanted this thing and that. I chased after it. I worked really hard, only to find out that there was no happiness in the end. In many cases the miseries only increased.

What is this life about? Why am I here? Where will I go after death? Where was I prior to birth? The first teaching of Vedanta is the difference between spirit and matter. I am not this body. There are both gross and subtle elements to it, i.e. those which can be seen and those which can’t. I am neither. I am the finest substance.

“Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego-altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.4)

It is not proper to say, “I have a soul,” because the soul is not separate from my existence. I am the soul. The first subject is to negate material existence through this knowledge. Do not become attached to the temporary. Keep the big picture in mind, that everything in the manifest world is destined for destruction.

2. Becoming situated in impersonal realization

Negating is not easy, but if success should come the destination is the impersonal realization. I am one with Brahman, the spiritual energy. I no longer make distinctions between rich and poor, young and old, man and woman, human and animal. I see the spirit inside of everyone.

I have no reason to be upset at the outcome to events since they are just different manifestations of matter based on the influence of all-powerful time. Everyone is equally a spirit soul, but they may not realize it yet.

3. Associating with the Supreme Personality of Godhead

Impersonal realization brings a kind of enjoyment known as Brahma-sukha. It is the happiness of being above the material nature. While this stage is considered liberation, which brings immunity from the cycle of birth and death, there is more happiness to be found.

For proof we have many examples described in Vedic literature. The four Kumaras were Brahman-realized and happy to be above the material nature. Shukadeva Gosvami was born a liberated soul. King Janaka was known throughout the world for his dispassion, his masterful ability to be a yogi and ruler at the same time, not slacking in either role.

They all found a higher level of happiness through association with the Supreme Brahman, who is a person. This was the objective of studying the Upanishads all along. There is no secret to discover. There is no mystery. A fortunate person receives this association because of their sincerity of purpose and their service to a bona fide spiritual master.

In Closing:

Not stories wishing to hear,

Drawn towards philosophy near.

The route of Upanishads taking,

Analytical study of world making.

Negation of the material first,

Even with happiness still a thirst.

That to the same destination the trend,

Association of Supreme Lord in end.

Four Reasons Not To Be Jealous

“I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.15)

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It’s difficult to not be a little envious. After all, the material existence is a constant struggle. You solve one problem only to have five more arise. There are miseries galore. Sometimes just sitting at home causes so much distress. The place where you are supposed to be able to relax has heating or cooling issues. The weather changes by the hour, and you have no idea how to prepare.

When we see others supposedly enjoying more than us, how can envy not kick in? When our friends tell us about something bad happening to them, we feel better than when they describe their excitement at getting a new job or finding the house of their dreams.

Fortunately, Vedic knowledge covers all aspects of living, both material and spiritual. Man is born with four principal defects, with one of them being imperfect senses. Perception is attached to those senses, and from connecting with the knowledge coming from the vision of shastra, we learn that there is no reason to be envious.

1. Remember your own struggles

In the Bhagavad-gita, Shri Krishna says that He is the source of knowledge and remembrance. Forgetfulness is due to Him, as well. He acts as the Supersoul, residing in the heart next to the individual. He can change the situation of material life very quickly, should He be approached.

He also empowers an illusory energy known as maya. The two forces combining, we see how easy it is to forget. Do we remember what we ate for breakfast a year ago today? Do we remember every significant event from childhood? At those times the events were important, but not enough so to be retained in memory.

An easy way to avoid envy is to try to recall our own struggles. Then apply the same principle to others. That is to say every person has their difficulties in a material existence. They struggle with forgetfulness, also. Therefore when something good happens to them, there should be happiness at the personal level. Good for them that they found some fortune in an otherwise bleak existence destined for destruction.

2. Images don’t tell the entire story

I may be envious that my friend seems to be enjoying married life. The children are well-behaved, the wife performs amazing service, ready to step up in important situations. They have a nice home and everyone looks happy.

That is the surface view, but behind the scenes there may be a different image. There could be constant fighting in the home. The couple may be on the path to divorce. The children might only behave themselves when around strangers.

The same illusion applies to the entire material creation. Images are not perfect in their depiction of emotions and situations. Thus no reason to be envious of something that might not even exist.

3. Past karma

At the foundation of Vedic knowledge is the difference between matter and spirit. I am individual soul, part and parcel of God, who is the Supreme Soul. The things I use to identify myself at present are actually part of the body, which is temporary and destructible. I have lived in the past and I will live in the future. That is the meaning to spirit.

When something good happens to someone, it is due to past karma. They had some pious credits, sukriti, accumulated that were awaiting redemption. It might have been unknown to them, ajnata, but there was some action taken nonetheless. Lakshmana remarks on this in the Ramayana. He says that the results of actions, good or bad, are unseen and indefinite in duration, but there is always some original work performed as the cause.

“Unseen and indefinite are the good and bad reactions of fruitive work. And without taking action, the desired fruits of such work cannot manifest.” (Lakshmana speaking to Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 66.17)

No reason to be jealous of someone who did something good in the past. The system of karma should be appreciated. It is always fair, even if the present situation says otherwise. I might be unlucky right now, but that could change in the future.

4. Fortunate only right now

Without knowledge of the spiritual science, it is only natural to think that a successful life is one where wealth and fame are acquired. Hence derogatory terms like “lucky sperm club” and “winners of life’s lottery” emerge. These are rooted in envy.

“Here I am working my tail off to earn a living and that guy over there didn’t have to do anything. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. That other guy started a business that happened to take off. It went public and now his shares in the company are worth millions. The products his company produces aren’t even that great. What a lucky guy.”

Time is always on the march. It is the greatest subduing agent, yet to be defeated. No reason to be jealous, since time will eventually take everything away from everyone. Then the slate gets wiped clean, where the individual has to start over.

The truly fortunate person is the one who has the close association with God the person. As mentioned before, the Supreme Lord is already nearby, residing within the heart. Due to forgetfulness and the influence of maya I don’t make the connection.

The fortunate person is in yoga. They have made the link, with the process taught to them by a previously realized soul. The change is not difficult to make; consciousness is the lone requirement. There is no reason to even be jealous of such a person, as they tend to be the most benevolent, wishing the same success for everyone they meet. For this reason they discuss topics of Vedic wisdom with others and share the sacred sounds of the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

From success of others to see,

How jealous not to be?

First illusion of image know,

Different when behind curtain to go.

From good deeds worthy of esteem,

In this life now to redeem.

Way of world that always changing,

Better to worship one who arranging.

The Irony Of Thieves Setting Rules

“And that understanding which cannot distinguish between the religious way of life and the irreligious, between action that should be done and action that should not be done, that imperfect understanding, O son of Pritha, is in the mode of passion.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.31)

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Friend1: You ever meet people that are illogical?

Friend2: In general or in certain situations?

Friend1: They are unable to see the irony to their behavior. They don’t put two and two together. It’s like their memory is erased only when it pertains to things they have done.

Friend2: You will have to give me some examples here.

Friend1: A friend calls you constantly, to the point of being out of control.

Friend2: Like consecutive missed calls, when they should know that you can’t talk?

Friend1: Exactly. They later claim it was an emergency situation, but it really wasn’t.

Friend2: I get it.

Friend1: After some time has passed, with a new issue they complain about the same behavior in someone else.

Friend2: You mean someone keeps calling them repeatedly, without any consideration for the person’s time?

Friend1: Yes.

Friend2: Oh, sure. That happens all the time. I’m sure we do it to other people, too.

Friend1: I guess, but no way at this level. You get the person who doesn’t have the best record of attendance at the office. They aren’t known for going the extra mile to get work done. Then they later start complaining about someone else having the same faults.

Friend2: You could say that is hypocritical.

Friend1: Okay, but sometimes the logical side is missing. Here is one for you. It applies especially to the modern day, with the advent of the internet and the popularity of smartphones. You know that there are ways to illegally download stuff.

Friend2: Movies, television shows, music, software, books and the like.

Friend1: So a lot of people set up their own servers. In this example we’ll take bootleg concerts.

Friend2: Where someone in the audience records the show?

Friend1: Yes. There is this server hosting so many shows from one particular band. Both audio and video. Now, the person hosting creates all these rules. You can only download a certain amount. You have to share a certain amount, also.

Friend2: Maintain a good ratio.

Friend1: Wow, so you’ve heard of this?

Friend2: Yes.

Friend1: What really gets me is when the people “authoring” the content start making rules.

Friend2: You mean like the guy who filmed or recorded the show?

Friend1: Doesn’t have to be. Sometimes just the guy who converted it to digital format, like a DVD with a menu.

Friend2: Okay.

Friend1: They make rules. “Don’t alter the presentation. Don’t upload this to other online streaming services. Don’t re-author and present the work as your own.”

Friend2: Sure, they are trying to protect the work they have done.

Friend1: But they are thieves! This is stolen content. What they are doing is illegal. How in the world do they expect other people to follow rules when they have broken the law?

Friend2: It’s funny, I know. Makes you think.

Friend1: How can someone be so dense? How do they get to that level?

Friend2: Shri Krishna explains this in the Bhagavad-gita. Sense gratification reaches a point where you lose sight of right and wrong. You don’t know what should be done and what shouldn’t.

Friend1: Do these people not realize that adharma is unsustainable?

Friend2: What do you mean?

Friend1: If you want to lie, will it help you if others lie, as well? If I steal something, I naturally expect my property to be protected. I wouldn’t like it if others stole from me.

Friend2: You are spot on. Adharma is the perfect word. It is going against the proper way. It is not righteous. It is irreligious, or whatever your preferred term to use.

Friend1: What is the solution? If you try pointing out the obvious error to these people, they will flip out on you.

Friend2: The solution is the same to every problem. You can try elevation to the mode of goodness, but who wants to hear about that? They think it’s torture to avoid meat eating, gambling, intoxication and illicit sex. They think such a person is only torturing themselves to reach some higher destination in an afterlife that no one is sure of.

Friend1: That is the perfect presentation of the opposition’s mentality. The solution is bhakti, then?

Friend2: Bring them closer to God the person. Bhakti-upasana. Worship the Supreme Lord. Even if you are not inclined, at least hear transcendental discussions, Hari-katha. Hear the sounds of the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Who hasn’t fallen victim to the perils of the mode of passion? Who hasn’t been so invested in a specific outcome tied to sense gratification that they lost sight of the bigger picture? We humans come with defects, and Shri Krishna is always standing close by, waiting to purify.

In Closing:

When in sense gratification falling,

Others as hypocrite calling.

Since first myself to steal,

Then towards rules appeal.

That do this but that not,

But how that property got?

Purification from Krishna to come,

Bhakti the solution one.

Four Aspects Of Bhakti life That Are Anathema To Popular Religions

“Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.6)

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Bhakti-yoga might not be met with open arms in the beginning.  In fact, there are several aspects that will be strongly objected to, depending on the audience.

1. The four regulative principles

No meat eating? No gambling? Not allowed to drink alcohol? Wait a second, sex only for the purpose of having children? Are you intentionally trying to make life torturous? No need to wait for punishment in the afterlife, since you are creating such a distressful situation right now.

Religion doesn’t have to be like that. Follow the faith of your choice, usually that inherited from the parents. Be a good person. Don’t steal. Don’t cheat others. Believe in the savior and reach a higher destination after this life is over. Stop making things so complicated. People quickly turn fanatical in the name of religion.

2. Chanting a mantra with Sanskrit words

I can’t even pronounce what you are saying. We live in a culture that doesn’t speak this way. I have never heard of Krishna or Rama, and certainly not the words put together in what you call the maha-mantra. We go to church on a weekly basis. That is sufficient. We pray when we are in trouble. Let everything be understood in the mind. No need to keep repeating a specific sound vibration.

3. Worshiping a statue

As mentioned above, keep it to yourself. Beware of idolatry. I don’t know who this person is standing there on the altar, smiling and holding a flute in His hands. I don’t know who that woman is next to Him, either. In some places you have a group of three with a diminutive monkey kneeling before them.

No offense to your culture, but this is strange to us. We don’t openly worship a statue. It is actually condemned. We could suffer in hell for following that path. Yes, we believe in the savior, but the worship is done within the mind. I understand that there is honor paid to living people and creatures, but that is different. If we could see God in front of us, that would change things. For right now, we are not going to worship a statue.

4. Reading books that focus on birth and death

Why the constant focus on birth and death? It’s cool that you talk about the soul, but there is life everywhere. This understanding of the difference between body and spirit is not necessary. You can’t prove the existence of previous lifetimes, either. Nowhere in our sacred books is such a thing mentioned. You die when you die, and if you’re good you go to heaven. If you’re bad you go to the other well-known place. Case closed, end of story.

Indeed, a person following bhakti has a unique way of life as compared to followers of other popular spiritual traditions. Not that God is divided or distributed in different ways. He is a single person, the origin of everything. There is merely a different understanding based on time, place and circumstance.

Vedic culture provides the most complete understanding, at least as much as there can be known about the Almighty. He is constantly expanding, just like recorded history. His glories know no end, and His mercy continues to be showered on His innumerable sons and daughters.

Going beyond blind faith and sentiment is helpful since the intelligent human being then makes an informed decision in favor of spiritual life. That is to say they are more likely to stay with the path and also derive more benefit from it. If the consciousness gets purified quickly enough, there is liberation even before the end. A person experiences the bliss of surrender to the Divine without having to wait until the unknown afterlife.

Speaking of the next life, Vedic texts like the Bhagavad-gita give an easy to understand explanation. Whatever state of being a person is in at the time of death, that state they attain in the next life. “State” refers to consciousness, and the next life refers to a new set of material elements covering the imperishable spirit soul.

For example, if I think of a dog while dying, I will likely take birth as a dog the next time around. This isn’t cruel or mean, it is simply the way of material nature. If I think of God the person, I will attain His nature. That is to say I will be one with body and spirit and get to enjoy with Him, side by side. The deity in the temple provides a glimpse into this blissful, eternal life. Avoiding the four most dangerous sins helps to clear the consciousness more quickly.

In the game of “my faith against your faith,” bhakti life certainly looks strange. When the playing field changes to logic, reason, understanding, insightful inquiries, and contemplation over the entire picture, both spiritual and material, the faith viewpoint quickly dissipates. Real religion should be a way of life, dharma, and it should be eternal just like the individual who is following, sanatana.

In Closing:

“To worship a deity no need,

Strange depiction indeed.

Or focusing on birth and death,

And in-depth study the rest.

Just in the savior believe,

And later reward receive.”

No harm in further knowledge precision,

From bhakti culture informed decision.

Four Reasons Brahma Did Not Decline To Help Hiranyakashipu

“Lord Brahma said: O son of Kashyapa Muni, please get up, please get up. All good fortune unto you. You are now perfect in the performance of your austerities, and therefore I may give you a benediction. You may now ask from me whatever you desire, and I shall try to fulfill your wish.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.3.17)

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He’s a bad guy, after all. The other side is the embodiment of sattva-guna, the mode of goodness. The species are created by him, giving meaning to the name Vidhata. Goodness, passion and ignorance – combine in different proportions to generate the 8,400,000 different species.

Brahma was there at the beginning. He received transcendental wisdom through the heart, after properly meditating. Empowered by Vishnu, he subsequently went to work creating. He is the original father of every living being. Every person is thus related to him, and by extension to one another.

With such an amazing pedigree, how did Brahma not foresee the effects of his boons? Hiranyakashipu worshiped properly, but there was ill-intent. There was a score to settle, revenge for the death of his brother Hiranyaksha at the hands of Vishnu in the incarnation of a boar.

1. Not in his role

Brahma agreed to give Hiranyakashipu whatever was asked because of the role. Brahma is a kind of deputy, a manager of the material creation. The manager receives his tasks; duties appointed by a higher authority. If there is good or bad that results, the consequences attach to the top executive, not the deputy.

Therefore Hiranyakashipu was able to procure amazing boons like immunity from death in so many situations. Immortality was off the table since Brahma himself doesn’t possess it. Despite living for an unfathomable length of time, there eventually comes an end. The soul inside travels to a different body.

2. Like a business transaction

Hiranyakashipu knew what he was doing. Vishnu is the origin of both material and spiritual worlds. He is the personal side to God, the detail behind the abstract. He is the source of the brightest light that is Brahman. He is the person from whom the expansion known as Supersoul comes.

The king could have worshiped Vishnu and received immortality and whatever else he wanted. The problem is that Vishnu is not obliged to give anything to anyone. A person can try to worship him in the manner of a business transaction, but success is not guaranteed.

With Brahma and other demigods, sufficient payment is the only requirement. That is in the form of austerity and penance, and Hiranyakashipu reached a level that deserved appreciation. Catching Brahma’s eye is not easy, but Hiranyakashipu knew how to do it.

3. Material benedictions don’t mean that much

The subsequent terror and destruction could have been predicted. It didn’t take a genius to know that Hiranyakashipu was a Daitya by both spirit and birth. His kind were not inclined towards real dharma. They didn’t appreciate righteousness. Surely they expected to be respected by others, though not extending the same in their dealings.

Brahma and other demigods are not implicated in the use of the boons they hand out because material accumulation is not really that important. It is an illusion to consider fame, power, strength and wealth to be the height of an existence. It is the work of maya, fooling the individual into taking something temporary as real and permanent.

4. A higher purpose to fulfill

Hiranyakashipu‘s example is recorded in shastra for a reason. It is an example of the heights to which a person can ascend in a material mindset. Despite having the entire world afraid of him, the now-powerful king was not satisfied. His senses were not under control, and so the mind was like a chariot trying to travel in many directions simultaneously.

There was a higher purpose to fulfill. From receiving these benedictions, the king created a situation that warranted a Divine appearance. It was a special form. Not the boar that dealt with his brother previously, this time it was a half-man/half-lion. While annihilating the miscreant king, the saintly son named Prahlada was protected. Brahma’s grace was a catalyst to this amazing pastime, and so the deputy shares in some of the accolades of that celebrated moment.

In Closing:

Why Brahma to demon to give,

So that terrorizing force to live?

Could not the future foresee?

Since in mode of goodness is he.

Like a business transaction made,

Boon after sufficiently paid.

Material not so important in end,

Also caused Narasimha to descend.

What Is The Ultimate Goal Of Life

“In the Shrimad-Bhagavatam it is said that the foolish do not know that Vishnu is the ultimate goal of life. According to the conclusion of all authoritative Vedic scriptures, when a person comes to the stage of appreciating Vishnu, he is at the beginning of devotional service. If one cultivates devotional service further and further, under proper guidance, other features of devotional service will gradually become manifest.” (The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 35)

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Friend1: Svartha-gatim hi vishnu.

Friend2: I believe that’s a quote from Prahlada Maharaja.

Friend1: In the Shrimad Bhagavatam.

Friend2: Do you know what it means?

Friend1: Going to Vishnu?

Friend2: Not just the destination. It’s talking about svartha. This is the interest, artha, of the self, sva. Reaching the destination of Vishnu is the most important.

Friend1: There is an associated term, right?

Friend2: Paramartha?

Friend1: Yes. Does that mean the same thing?

Friend2: In philosophical discussions svartha typically refers to interest in the present lifetime and paramartha the afterlife. Sort of like earthly rewards versus heavenly ones.

Friend1: And Prahlada specifically mentions svartha.

Friend2: I am glad you picked up on that. The idea is not to relegate spiritual life to something mysterious, beyond our understanding. It’s not something to be believed in only through faith. It’s not like saying, “My religion is to go to Vishnu.” No, the destination of the personal God is in your best interest right now, today.

Friend1: I’m assuming the paramartha aspect is implied.

Friend2: Both are the same, if you really think about it. This is the way the Vaishnava thinks. Goswami Tulsidas has written similarly. Stop thinking in terms of this life, heaven or hell in the next life, and then enjoying or suffering. Think about the right now. Associating with God is in your best interest, always, for any duration of time.

“When your personal and supreme interests can be easily obtained from one place, it is not sensible for you in weakness to beg at the doors of others, O Tulsi.” (Dohavali, 54)

Friend1: Would you say that is the ultimate goal of life?

Friend2: In the Nectar of Devotion there is the specific reference made to Vishnu being the ultimate goal of life. Do you understand how that works?

Friend1: It’s supposed to be juxtaposed with other stated goals of life.

Friend2: Well, everyone is searching for higher knowledge to some degree. People are looking for the essence, the origin, what have you. Vishnu is the soul of the universe. He is the atom, paramanu, and He is the Supersoul inside of every living thing. Without knowing Him you don’t really know much.

Friend1: I see.

Friend2: Knowing Him is the beginning. Naturally, there will be some appreciation. This is called shanta-rasa, or the interaction in neutrality.

Friend1: Awe and reverence.

Friend2: Notice that even this is beyond the stage of fear. It is God-appreciating instead of God-fearing.

Friend1: Which a lot of people are happy to acknowledge.

Friend2: At least appreciate Him. No need to be so afraid. The more you know Him, the closer the relationship becomes.

Friend1: Like the gopis, who actually chastise Him.

Friend2: Right. The parents, Nanda and Yashoda, think that God will not survive unless He is taken care of. Step back and ponder that for a moment.

Friend1: It is a pretty amazing attitude.

Friend2: That is what awaits a person who reaches the ultimate goal of life. Vedic literature and Vedic culture are passed down to facilitate this objective. There is no other purpose. Living comfortably through wealth, beauty, and fame is not the highest goal.

Friend1: Animals already have a lot of stuff, if you think about it.

Friend2: They get sense enjoyment already.

Friend1: In a lot of cases, their enjoyment is superior to the human beings, who have to struggle so much.

Friend2: So the solution is to stop struggling. Find Vishnu. Appreciate Him. Learn more. Serve through different ways described by the same Prahlada Maharaja. Live happily ever after.

In Closing:

Searching here and there,

But of real goal not aware.

That devotion to Vishnu to taste,

And all other pursuits a waste.

The current and future interest too,

His association the best for you.

Like Prahlada Maharaja saying,

And other Vaishnavas displaying.