Three Kinds Of Calculations Which Fail To Provide An Accurate Understanding

“O Arjuna, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I know everything that has happened in the past, all that is happening in the present, and all things that are yet to come. I also know all living entities; but Me no one knows.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.26)

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वेदाहं समतीतानि
वर्तमानानि चार्जुन
भविष्याणि च भूतानि
मां तु वेद न कश्चन

vedāhaṁ samatītāni
vartamānāni cārjuna
bhaviṣyāṇi ca bhūtāni
māṁ tu veda na kaścana

I was not around to witness everything firsthand. I can only be in one place at a time. The Supersoul is different. Paramatma is everywhere simultaneously, and His potency is not diminished through this amazing outreach. It is not like being weighed down through carrying several objects in each hand. It is not like getting stressed from the pressure of having to complete multiple tasks of high urgency with the same anticipated completion date.

Statistics are a method of reporting what happened. They can point to the recent past, such as mere seconds ago, or give a broader perspective utilizing data from months and years. Even if a person did experience everything personally, they may not remember. They are not familiar with processing and computing for the purpose of explaining to others who were occupied in their own experiences at the time.

One issue is that none of the statistical methods can accurately predict the future. Moreover, there may be an anomaly or two that causes the number to appear the way it does.

1. Average

We can use professional sports as an example. They say that the average salary of a particular kind of athlete is such and such. The method of computation is rather straightforward. First take a tally; get the salary of each individual and then aggregate. This is your total salaries.

You also have the total number of players. Divide the first by the second and you get an average. A person may be quite astonished to see just how much a professional athlete can earn in a given year. Perhaps that is the field of endeavor for which to strive.

At the same time, the average could be misleading. One player might have recently signed a rather large contract. A single value skews the final number, since it inflates the total value. In fact, a player is likely to earn a much lesser salary than the average calculation.

2. Median

One way to mitigate the issue of anomalies is to use median instead of average. Here the number of players becomes important. Instead of totaling the salaries and then dividing, first get an ordered list of the salaries. Take each player and their salary and generate an order based on the salary number.

Using the total number of players, find the point in the table that is exactly in the middle. For instance, if one hundred and one players were ordered, then the point of reference is player number fifty-one in the ordered ranking. The corresponding salary would be the median.

The real-world translation is that there is an equal number of salaries above that number and also below it. This helps to understand where the random player might end up in terms of salary, with a significantly low or high value not factoring into the result.

3. Mode

Here we order the numbers and find any that repeat. For the salary example, this value wouldn’t be that helpful. As contracts are negotiated individually and every year some players have expiring contracts, it is highly unlikely for two players to have the exact same salary value.

In other areas mode can be helpful, since it shows the likelihood of a particular number appearing. The value that occurs the most number of times within a set becomes the mode. If you had a cube with a number written on each side, if one number happened to be written more times than the other, the mode value will immediately discover the trend.

…

These are statistics based on easily identifiable values, but what if we want to study trends? Here big data analysis and advanced computation get used. The end result is similar; some kind of report from which to hopefully get an accurate idea on the situation.

In truth, even with the numbers overwhelmingly providing a specific forecast, the future can break the trend. In sports there are some players who have never lost an important game while playing in their home field. This pattern is established over many years and a variety of situations. The signs point to the player emerging victorious in the upcoming match.

And yet the opposite takes place. Everyone is surprised. The analysts remind the viewers of the saying, “That is why you play the games.” On paper everything can point in a certain direction, but this world is unpredictable. Even the seasons have variety to them. In a particular area a certain amount of snow falls on average in the month of January, but this year there was not a drop of snow. The temperatures were also warmer than normal.

Only the Supreme Personality of Godhead truly knows. As explained in the Bhagavad-gita, He is the beginning, middle and end of an existence. He is omnipresent through the Supersoul expansion. No matter how much effort may go into influencing the future, man is more or less helpless. The comparison is to being seated on a machine. I can steer the car in this direction and that, but unless someone properly constructed the machine and the individual parts remain in a useable state, my desires will not manifest.

Bearing this in mind, the promises of the original engineer having the greatest creative ability should hold more weight. That is to say the predictions coming from Shri Krishna, who is the only person who can properly analyze previous data and even turn it on its head, mean the most. When He says, for instance, that the soul continues to live on, through the final bodily change known as death, His word should be accepted.

वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय
नवानि गृह्णाति नरो ऽपराणि
तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णान्य्
अन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही

vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya
navāni gṛhṇāti naro 'parāṇi
tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāny
anyāni saṁyāti navāni dehī

“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.22)

When He says that the consciousness while quitting the body determines the next kind of existence, the response should be to try to influence that consciousness in the best possible way. When He says that one who thinks of Him at the time of death never has to take birth again, the wise person uses that as impetus to always stay connected to Him, especially through chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

The average value taking,

For statistical analysis making.

Or median for better understanding,

Mode with most frequent landing.

Despite efforts made the best,

Models failing future’s test.

Only Shri Krishna everything to know,

Aware next of where soul to go.

Five Settings To Describe The Natural Situation In Vrindavana

“The elderly persons like Nanda Maharaja and Yashodadevi, the friends like Shridama, Sudama and the other cowherd boys, the gopis like Shrimati Radharani and Her associates, and even the birds, beasts, cows and calves are attracted. The flowers and fruits in the gardens are attracted, the waves of the Yamuna are attracted, and the land, sky, trees, plants, animals and all other living beings are attracted by Krishna. This is the natural situation of everything in Vrindavana.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.14 Purport)

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Though the reference is for the specific Vrindavana of the spiritual world, in the Vaikuntha realm, it is said that the place in the manifest world is actually the same. The subtle distinction is that the proper set of eyes is needed to detect the situation. There is the butter thief roaming about, having a rendezvous in the night with the people who love Him in the most intimate way, dancing under the brightest moon of the year.

There is basic commerce taking place in the trade of milk and milk products, in the protection of the cows, and in the growing of food. It is the most natural atmosphere, though seemingly on the verge of increased pollution through the construction of modern technology.

The situation in manifest Vrindavana accurately depicts the attitude found within each of us. Prahlada Maharaja tried to explain this to the teachers working for the royal family, but they would not understand. Vrindavana shows the proper way through the spontaneous attraction exhibited by the residents.

1. Nanda and Yashoda’s attraction

They do not understand that their child is the Supreme Lord Himself. Shri Krishna is so endearing that everyone rushes to His service. Even when He is up to no good and requires mild punishment, there is love at the foundation. Yashoda spends a significant amount of time with Him during each day in the early years, and she cannot think of anyone else.

Yashoda’s husband Nanda is the same way, though as the leader of the farm community of Gokula the daily responsibilities take him away from home during the day. He playfully asks Krishna to fetch the slippers. Yashoda and her friends ask Krishna to dance for them. Though they are not consciously aware of His Divine status, their attraction to Him is the embodiment of pure devotion.

2. The attraction of the cowherd boys

Imagine that your best friend lives around the corner. There is no harm from stating your preference. That is to say if you want to play with them on a given day, there is no reason to be shy. This friend would never reject you. Even though he has so many other friends with a similar attitude, there is no jealousy.

The cowherd boys behave this way with Krishna. Nanda gives the son the important task of tending to the calves. Krishna and His elder brother Balarama depart for the fields every day, taking their friends with them. Each friend has a unique relationship with Krishna. One takes pleasure in eating the tastiest sweets. Another prefers to mock-fight in a competition with spoils for the victor. One friend is eager to massage Krishna after the jewel of Vrindavana becomes fatigued from playing.

3. The attraction of the gopis

Shrimati Radharani and her friends have work to do during the day, but they always think of Krishna.

“When will the next meeting occur? Does He remember us? Does He think of us the way we think of Him?”

Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu declared the love exhibited by the gopis of Vrindavana to be the topmost service in transcendental life. No one can surpass them, and Krishna openly admits that there is no way for Him to repay the kindness and affection they show for Him.

4. The attraction of the birds, beasts, cows and calves

The branches on the trees lean downwards as a way to pay obeisance. The parrots follow along and repeat what they have witnessed to others. The cows love Krishna so much that they produce milk immediately upon sight, as if He were their child. The calves are under Krishna’s protection, who is thus rightfully referred to as Govinda.

5. The attraction of the fruits and flowers

Krishna is beautifully adorned. The all-attractive one has such an effect that the ornaments actually increase in attractiveness instead of the other way around. He wears a garland of flowers, who get rewarded for their attraction by staying close to the Supreme Lord’s body. The bees use the excuse of the flowers to hover around Yashoda’s son, creating a buzzing sound pleasing to the ears.

Fruits get their desires satisfied through the conduit of the vendor lady visiting from home to home. She fills Krishna’s lotus-like hands with fruits, and He rewards her with a basket full of the most valuable jewels; despite the fact that she doesn’t intentionally seek reciprocation.

As explained in the Bhagavad-gita, everyone follows Krishna in all respects. The reward is according to the degree of surrender. Hiranyakashipu and others like him only appreciate the shadow copy, the material energy. The rewards on that side are temporary, and negative conditions accompany, such as constant worry and fear over the future.

Prahlada was totally surrendered, and he was rewarded with continued devotion, enduring the toughest tests, both physical and emotional. Despite being so materially powerful, Hiranyakashipu’s reign did not last; making it clear that the side of devotion is superior.

In Closing:

Not explicit instruction required,

By devotion itself inspired.

The natural situation so,

That thoughts always to go.

Towards Nanda and Yashoda’s son,

Like with friends in fields to run.

Gopis under bright moonlight to meet,

And bees sound on flower garland sweet.

Like Iron Towards A Magnet

“For iron to be attracted by a magnet is natural. Similarly, for all living entities to be attracted toward Krishna is natural, and therefore the Lord's real name is Krishna, meaning He who attracts everyone and everything.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.14 Purport)

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It’s one of those neat tricks to show children. They can’t believe what they are seeing. There is eagerness to try it out for themselves. There are also some questions along the way:

“How is there no other force? Where is the rope holding the two objects together? Is it electricity? Is it glue? There must be some kind of adhesive. But that only explains the attachment after the fact. We see that if you put the objects close enough, they will automatically come together. Take the opposite ends and no matter how much you try there will be repulsion.”

Prahlada Maharaja uses the attraction between iron and a magnet to explain the natural affinity towards service to the Supreme Lord, who carries a disc in His hand. This references one particular personal manifestation of the Divine. Known as Vishnu, He has four hands, is opulently adorned, and has a permanent home in the spiritual realm of Vaikuntha.

Krishna is another manifestation of the same person. The same identity, but with a different transcendental form. His name explains everything: Krishna is all-attractive. Everyone is attracted to Him, regardless if they are aware of His name and image. Everyone follows Him in all respects.

ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते
तांस् तथैव भजाम्य् अहम्
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते
मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः

ye yathā māṁ prapadyante
tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham
mama vartmānuvartante
manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ

“All of them - as they surrender unto Me - I reward accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pritha.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.11)

The reason this is true is because nothing is separate in its existence from God. It appears that nature operates independently, but there is an underlying force. It looks like the body only moves when I make the decision to, but in truth my situation is something like being seated on a machine.

ईश्वरः सर्व-भूतानां
हृद्-देशे ऽर्जुन तिष्ठति
भ्रामयन् सर्व-भूतानि
यन्त्रारूढानि मायया

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati
bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni
yantrārūḍhāni māyayā

“The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.61)

The dividing line between the atheist and the devotee, the asura and the sura, is the side to which they are attracted; all energies emanate from Krishna regardless. In the kingdom of Hiranyakashipu, practically everyone was focused on the illusory energy. Something like a false reality created intentionally to meet specific desires, the attraction can increase to such a level that even after hearing of Vishnu and the transcendental side to living a person remains obstinate.

Prahlada was a rare exception. He happened to appear in the king’s family, and the devotion to Vishnu was not accepted. The teachers were ordered to change the situation, to try to deprogram the knowledge that some unknown person must have fed into the young child.

Prahlada explained that the attraction is natural, that every person feels the same way on the inside. This truth is exhibited in the amazing transformation that takes place in people who were previously engaged in every kind of sinful activity. Voluntarily, without any remuneration, they give up habits like smoking, drinking, gambling and eating meat. The renunciation is dovetailed with dedicated practice in devotion, through chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

If the attraction weren’t there from the beginning, if a situation similar to an iron to magnet did not already exist, then the transformation would not be possible. The child eventually learns how to talk because the capability is there. Education and training are wonderful, but the same will not work on a dog or a cat.

To convince others of the truth is not easy. Someone brave and courageous like the king’s son tried his best, though the success rate was not very high. This was not taken as a failure, as Prahlada continued in his devotion. The attraction was impossible to break; even lethal force applied by the crown could not bring him down.

In Closing:

Nothing could bring him down,

Not even force from the crown.

Like iron to magnet attracted,

Prahlada with survival protracted.

Since to devotional life dedicated,

That spirit never eliminated.

Everyone following in every respect,

Bhakti when maya viewing suspect.

Don’t You Think That Man Is Ultimately Evil

“Happiness is the nature of the spirit, as stated in the Vedanta-sutras: anandamayo 'bhyasat—the spirit is by nature full of happiness. Happiness in spiritual nature always increases in volume with a new phase of appreciation; there is no question of decreasing the bliss.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.6.18 Purport)

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Friend1: I know there have been debates over this issue for centuries. Great philosophers, religious leaders, and the generally curious have opined. Many of them consider man to be evil, a defective breed, in a sense hardwired to follow destructive behavior.

Friend2: And that is the reason they need to repent? Admit that you are a sinner and pave the way towards entering the light.

Friend1: Not only one time, either. Go to confession on a regular basis. Realize just how ingrained the sinful tendencies are inside of you.

Friend2: This applies to every person, correct?

Friend1: Under that model, yes.

Friend2: Oh boy.

Friend1: Couldn’t the argument be made, though? Turn on the news on a given day. So many bad things happen. People commit unspeakable violence. They are unfaithful to their spouse. They inflict damage upon the family and neighborhood.

Friend2: You could say the news itself is just as culpable. They bring the stories that push their agenda. They are not interested in a fair presentation at all. They create the illusion that something is happening, when in fact the majority opinion may be on the other side.

Friend1: Is it fair to say that man is indeed evil? What is the Vedic opinion on this?

Friend2: Well, what do you think it is?

Friend1: I know there is the concept of falling from the spiritual world. Then revolving on the wheel of suffering, the samsara-chakra, which involves reincarnation.

Friend2: The acceptance and rejection of temporary bodies.

Friend1: There is the idea of forgetfulness, which is actually caused by the Supreme Lord. He is behind remembrance, as well.

सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो
मत्तः स्मृतिर् ज्ञानम् अपोहनं च
वेदैश् च सर्वैर् अहम् एव वेद्यो
वेदान्त-कृद् वेद-विद् एव चाहम्

sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo
mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca
vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo
vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham

“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)

Friend2: Sure, and you can live in any of the three modes: goodness, passion and ignorance.

Friend1: Okay, so ignorance would easily translate to the horrible deeds aspect. But would people in the modes of goodness and passion be considered evil? They are still attached to material life, which means rebirth in the future.

Friend2: Is that your final answer?

Friend1: Haha, I’m not sure. I think it would be an easy case to make. To say that man is not inherently evil is more difficult to prove.

Friend2: Actually, you are forgetting the tendency towards service. This is the dharma of the individual; the characteristic that defines them. Even in the case of evil tendencies driven by anger, lust and greed, the same dharma is there at the foundation.

Friend1: Are you saying that a mass murderer is involved in some kind of service when they go on a killing spree?

Friend2: Absolutely. The truth is that the tendency can never be removed; that is the meaning to dharma. When we see evil manifest, the cause is the inversion of the service spirit. More specifically, there is a tendency towards love.

Friend1: What do you mean by inversion?

Friend2: Think of driving a car in reverse. The proper procedure when trying to get somewhere is to put the car in the “drive” mode. This allows you to move forward. A person puts the car in reverse by mistake and ends up striking another vehicle in the rear. Another time an elderly person actually maneuvers the vehicle into a house. This does not mean that the car is at fault. The person has committed an error, but there is no proof of an underlying wicked intent.

Friend1: Okay, but that is only one example. How do you say that the tendency is towards love with respect to the entire body?

Friend2: The Sanskrit word is ananda. Every being is inclined towards this objective. That is the purpose of living. The ananda gets inherited from the origin of everything, the Supreme Lord. He is complete bliss. The distinction is that the ananda never leaves Him. There is no inversion with His attitude, whereas falling to the material world can cause us to behave in the wrong way.

Friend1: Are you saying that it is more the place than the person?

Friend2: Certainly, the material world is conducive towards forgetting the Almighty and service to Him. That is the meaning to maya, which is the illusory energy. At the same time, falling to the material world does not take place accidentally. The choice is made, though we may have difficulty in establishing the precise time and location of the original decision.

Friend1: I see. Man isn’t inherently evil, then. You’re saying that they are actually good on the inside.

Friend2: Transcendentally good. The soul is without blemishes. The illusion is actually only a mentality. We think that we are far away from God, in a land devoid of His presence, when in fact the situation can change in an instant, without the requirement of physical travel. Through the exercise of bhakti-yoga a person’s outlook begins to change. At the highest stage the devotee is likened to an incredibly discerning swan, who sees only the good in everything. The paramahamsa notices the presence of the Divine in every aspect of living, including in the behavior we would typically categorize as evil.

In Closing:

Shooting, killing and stealing,

To worst instincts appealing.

Why not man as evil viewed,

Based on evidence reviewed?

Towards bliss actual tendency,

Though reversed in maya generally.

Service for highest being intended,

Paramahamsa with vision extended.

Two Things To Which Janaka Was Not Attached

“While he was tilling a field with a plow in his hand, it is said that I, the daughter of that king, arose from underneath the earth’s surface.” (Sita Devi speaking to Anasuya, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 118.28)

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तस्य लाङ्गलहस्तन्य कर्षतः क्षेत्रमण्डलम् |
अहं किलोत्थिता भित्वा जगतीं नृपतेस्सुता ||

tasya lāṅgalahastanya karṣataḥ kṣetramaṇḍalam|
ahaṃ kilotthitā bhitvā jagatīṃ nṛpatessutā ||

The spirit soul is actually without a body, in the context that we commonly understand. Hands, legs, eyes, ears – these accompany a material form. The variety in type of vessel is due to the expert craftsmanship of the creator, Lord Brahma. He takes the ingredients of goodness, passion and ignorance, otherwise known as gunas, and generates an output of up to 8,400,000 distinct species.

It is actually the soul which makes a species. Without the spark of life inside, nothing would occur. Proof is there in the event known as death. Once the animating force exits, the exact same form could remain, completely intact, but now no longer viable.

Through the process of yoga the individual can break free of the attachment to the body prior to death. Indeed, the end of life is no guarantee of a permanent release from the cycle of acceptance and rejection. The objects on which the consciousness dwells lead to the next kind of existence, as explained in the Bhagavad-gita.

श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च
रसनं घ्राणम् एव च
अधिष्ठाय मनश् चायं
विषयान् उपसेवते

śrotraṁ cakṣuḥ sparśanaṁ ca
rasanaṁ ghrāṇam eva ca
adhiṣṭhāya manaś cāyaṁ
viṣayān upasevate

“The living entity, thus taking another gross body, obtains a certain type of ear, tongue, and nose and sense of touch, which are grouped about the mind. He thus enjoys a particular set of sense objects.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.9)

Upon learning that yoga is for the ultimate benefit, the next question relates to working. If a person stays in their occupation, how can they be in yoga? How can any person carry on with their prescribed duties when such effort automatically involves attachment to a body?

King Janaka of Videa is an ideal example in the purpose of exhibiting the ability to transcend the attachment to the forms created by Lord Brahma while continuing with occupational duties. That great yogi lacked attachment in key areas.

1. Objects

My car. My house. My wife. My children. Vedic teachings reveal that the individual falls into illusion through the concepts of “I” and “mine.” For starters, the “I” is a misidentification. I consider my body to identify me. This begins at the time of birth, and without specific outside instruction the mistaken identity lasts for the duration of the lifetime.

The mistaken “I” extends to the concept of objects. I think that the house is mine, though the raw materials were in existence prior to my arrival in this world. I think that the land belongs to me, though I was not responsible for placing it there. It is “my” country, though in the next life there is every chance of taking birth in an area today considered a rival.

Janaka did not carry such false conceptions. He was not attached to objects, though they were all around. He was king, so this meant that any enjoyment would be available to him. Like getting an idea and quickly conducting a search using the smartphone nearby, Janaka could have the desired object manifest before him soon after conceiving the idea.

2. Objectives

Interview for a new job and you are likely to be asked questions such as these:

“What are your goals and objectives? What do you hope to accomplish at work? Where do you see yourself in ten years?”

The rationale makes sense. Who would work without considering the consequence? Why apply effort unless there is a desired result on the other side? Indeed, the promise of enjoyment is the stimulus; otherwise remaining asleep in bed is the preferred option.

Janaka was not attached to objectives, though he continued to work. Take the time he worked to plough a field for a sacrifice. He had no need for bringing piety to the area since he was himself pious. A saintly person is considered a travelling tirtha. People travel from far and wide to visit pilgrimage sites in hopes of accumulating punya [pious credits]. The potency of a true saint is such that they bring the piety with them, to wherever they go.

Janaka followed yajna as a matter of duty. Whether the proper reward arrived made no difference to him. To show that such detachment coupled with respect to prescribed duties is rewarded, the wife of the Supreme Lord appeared before Janaka. She was in the ground in the form of a baby. The king who was not attached to anything developed instant affection for her, taking her in his arms.

This did not disqualify the Videha status. We can therefore deduce that something beyond strict detachment exists. There is substance to the life in liberation, wherein pure emotions can be exhibited. This reveals what exists on the other side of yoga practice. Unlike with attachment to the temporary body, the association with the Divine through consciousness can last forever, lifetime after lifetime.

In Closing:

Reward for allegiance pious life,

Appearing there Vishnu’s wife.

As small baby in the ground,

Janaka with joy abound.

Not the Videha status breaking,

Since bhakti spirit taking.

Objects or objectives of no concern,

Now Lakshmi his daughter to learn.

Four Ways To Understand What Selfless Devotion Means

“O Rama, You should know that just as fish cannot survive when taken out of water, neither Sita nor I can live without You for even a moment.” (Lakshmana, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 53.31)

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न च सीता त्वया हीना न चाहमपि राघव।
मुहूर्तमपि जीवावो जलान्मत्स्याविनोद्धृतौ।।

na ca sītā tvayā hīnā na cāhamapi rāghava।
muhūrtamapi jīvāvo jalānmatsyāvinoddhṛtau।।

A person starting bhakti-yoga in earnest is sure to receive challenges from opposition. After all, the native spirit in the material world is to go the other direction. Against God, pursue excellence at the personal level, through isolated effort in the ideal scenario. Only as much outside intervention as tolerated, even though the truth is that no outcome can be produced without the help of other factors.

प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि
गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः
अहङ्कार-विमूढात्मा
कर्ताहम् इति मन्यते

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate

“The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.27)

Work involves cause and effect. Do something and then see what happens. Hopefully, the consequence is desired. I begin a particular task in order that I may receive a specific outcome.

Because of this basic trend it is only natural for someone to ask questions along these lines:

“Why exactly are you chanting the maha-mantra on a daily basis? What is the phala you expect to receive? Good health? A long duration of life? Financial security? In that case, I’ve heard that it’s better to try other avenues first. Worship these gods. Vishnu is for people who are at the tail end of life.”

Phala is a Sanskrit word that means “fruit,” and it gets invoked in the context of a reward to activity. Bhakti-yoga is actually selfless. There is no personal motivation. This concept is difficult to understand because even in supposedly amorous affairs there is some expectation of reciprocation. If the other party, the object of the love, does not respond satisfactorily, the relationship likely will not materialize.

Vedic literature provides many comparisons and examples to help explain the attitude of the pure devotee. That state of perfection is known as bhava, wherein the connection to the Divine essentially becomes a part of the individual. It could no more be stripped away than a person’s very essence.

1. Child seeking out food from the mother

There isn’t necessarily a direct reference in Vedic literature, but the behavior is both easy to understand and perfectly illustrative of the level of attachment the devotee has to their service to the Supreme Lord.

A child is growing up. Approaching a year old, behavior is changing by the day. They can walk so fast that crawling is not even considered. They can eat solid food, sitting down at the dinner table with the adults. They can voice displeasure through more ways than just crying.

There is one problem. The child refuses to drink anything except milk from the breast of the mother. The desire is clear and out in the open. Sometimes it is every five minutes that they request feeding. Try to shove a bottle in their mouth and they won’t have it. They have made it clear that nothing is more important to them in this world than the milk the mother provides.

2. The chakora bird

This bird described in Vedic literature has a unique behavior. It lives off the rays of the moon. It essentially can’t live with anything else. The devotion to the object of affection is fixed. There are no blemishes. There is no deviation. There is no question of receiving a fruit, phala, since to consider any other way of living is not possible.

3. The chataka bird

Similar to the chakora, this bird lives off of rain water. Goswami Tulsidas makes many comparisons to this bird when describing how he feels about devotion to the Supreme Lord in the form of Shri Rama. The chataka has the opportunity to get sustenance from other places. In defiance, it waits for the rain. It constantly stares at the sky, not deviating in its devotion.

4. A fish out of water

This often invoked comparison is usually used to describe a person being out of place. When they are out of their element, in an uncomfortable situation, it is like they have been taken out of their natural habitat.

The connection to bhakti is natural because the fish is so attached to the water that it cannot live otherwise. Lakshmana, the younger brother of Rama, makes this comparison in the Ramayana. It is one of the reasons he and Sita Devi, Rama’s wife, stayed with the beloved prince of Ayodhya no matter His fate. They would follow Rama to the hellish region if they had to.

In none of these situations is the reward given any kind of consideration. There is no attention paid to a routine or discipline. There is no distinction between different ways of living because the strong attachment means that there can only be one way. That is the essence of bhakti-yoga, wherein the people residing in the spiritual world have no concept of dharma and adharma. Piety and sin are of no concern since they are always close to the person who is virtue personified.

In Closing:

Every person with a price,

But devotee not thinking twice.

Not by any amount bought,

Since by bhakti’s network caught.

Like child only mother seeking,

Chakora at moon always peeking.

Or like fish the water calling home,

Bhakti for Lord’s pleasure alone.

Digging My Way To Something Better

“While he was tilling a field with a plow in his hand, it is said that I, the daughter of that king, arose from underneath the earth’s surface.” (Sita Devi speaking to Anasuya, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 118.28)

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तस्य लाङ्गलहस्तन्य कर्षतः क्षेत्रमण्डलम्।
अहं किलोत्थिता भित्वा जगतीं नृपतेस्सुता।।

tasya lāṅgalahastanya karṣataḥ kṣetramaṇḍalam।
ahaṃ kilotthitā bhitvā jagatīṃ nṛpatessutā।।

“I think we all carry a little doubt. How can we be entirely sure that the effort is paying off? There is work; no doubt. Shri Krishna explains in the Bhagavad-gita that no one can stop doing anything. Though He is the creator of the entire universe, though the incomprehensible task does not fatigue Him in the slightest, He still continues to act, to show the proper example.

न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं
त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन
नानवाप्तम् अवाप्तव्यं
वर्त एव च कर्मणि

na me pārthāsti kartavyaṁ
triṣu lokeṣu kiñcana
nānavāptam avāptavyaṁ
varta eva ca karmaṇi

“O son of Pritha, there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three planetary systems. Nor am I in want of anything, nor have I need to obtain anything—and yet I am engaged in work.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.22)

“The thing is, sometimes a little confirmation goes a long way. I would feel better if I knew I was on the right track. I chose spiritual life for a reason. Obviously, I’m looking to get something out of it. I don’t mean to be selfish or greedy, but if not for the promise of some future benefit, there is no reason to go against what was previously experienced, i.e. material life.”

In the verses where Shri Krishna explains to Arjuna the need to continue working, to some capacity, there is the example of King Janaka. A famous king described in Vedic literature, having control over the area known as Videha he actually lived up to the title. He was bodiless in the sense that there was no attachment to external objects. Neither was He too concerned with objectives.

If you have someone at the office who does not care about the results to their work, of what value will they actually be? Will they not simply sit in front of the computer and do nothing the entire day? Will they feel the heat of the pressure to deliver on time, to attend to critical systems, to work feverishly to remedy disasters that strike?

A moment from history described in the Ramayana perfectly symbolizes the cause and effect of following the pious route. It involves Janaka, as well, and though without attachment to the body there is work applied. The respected yogi in the true sense did not abandon his post or leave behind critical responsibilities.

One time he was preparing a field with a plough in his hand. Literally digging his way towards something better, the purpose was yajna. This Sanskrit word is synonymous with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yajna is sacrifice, and the ultimate enjoyer of the effort is Bhagavan.

Janaka followed yajna as a matter of duty. He was not specifically looking for a reward, though the most amazing one arrived at his feet. He happened to discover a baby girl in the ground. As Sita Devi later described to Anasuya, who is a respectable lady without envy, Janaka was childless at the time.

An immediate transformation took place. The bodiless one was completely attached. He held the baby in his arms and felt great affection. He did not want to let her go. As if reading his mind, an akasha-vani appeared on the scene. The celestial announcement assured Janaka that this girl was his in all righteousness, dharma.

The respect given to dharma for such an extended period of time delivered the benefit of the opportunity to show love, attention, and care to the goddess of fortune. The baby girl was none other than Lakshmi Devi, appearing on earth to correspond with the pastimes of Vishnu, who appeared as Shri Rama. Janaka named the girl Sita, and he eventually arranged her marriage to Rama.

The attention to spiritual life never goes unnoticed by the higher authorities, the people whose opinion truly matters. The incident also reveals that transcendental love is higher than any other kind of way of living. Attention to detail in terms of right and wrong is a means to an end, and that end actually brings a timeless way of life, wherein the reservoir of love continues to remain filled.

In Closing:

Though body attachments not minding,

Janaka one day amazingly finding.

A baby girl in the ground,

Affection to whom immediately bound.

Higher authorities to him giving,

A daughter from righteousness living.

To Brahman life something more,

Goddess of fortune to adore.