Three Situations A Person Might Equate With A Prison Sentence

“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।।

It has been the primary means of punishment since before anyone can remember. From the petty to the serious, the degree of the offense determining the length of stay, the prison is one way to assess society. Those who are law-abiding live in the free and open. They can more or less come and go as they please.

If you violate a law of the state, however, there is the potential to be locked up. The threat of jail-time is one way to influence behavior in the positive direction. It is also an incentive for offenders to make deals with prosecutors, to give up valuable information in exchange for leniency.

The idea is that no one likes being confined. They would rather be anywhere else, in fact. Stuck in a single room, likely with other offenders, for days and months, sometimes years – not what the average person looks forward to.

Correspondingly, there are certain life situations that a person might compare to a prison sentence. It is like being stuck in jail for them; they would rather be anywhere else.

1. Working at an office, 9-5

Since this is the standard employment environment in industrialized nations, there are two periods during the day dubbed as “rush hour.” Everyone is trying to get to their respective offices at the same time, creating traffic on the roadways. The trains might be packed, as well, with people comparing themselves to sardines fit into a sealed can.

That references the difficulty in simply reaching the office and then leaving. There is the time in between, where you have to sit in a small space, with other people, and work for what seems like an endless amount of time. After you reach the end of the day, the lasting impression is that you have to repeat the same the following day.

Do this for five days a week, month after month, year after year and you begin to question the routine:

“How is this any different from prison? We are all stuck here. No one can go anywhere. We get a weekend furlough, but that is never enough. Sure, we get to go home at night. That is the lone solace. I just don’t know how people do this for an entire lifetime.”

2. Sitting in an airplane for a long-haul flight

If you are unaccustomed to the journey, this can be quite daunting. It is a microcosm of the office job, except with likely no ability to work on a computer or connect to the internet. The space is smaller, too, with passengers jammed in either side.

Others recommend different techniques to help pass the time.

“Take a pill that helps you sleep. Read a book. Watch movies on the in-cabin entertainment system. Listen to music.”

The hints are helpful, but the fact remains that you are forced to stay in one place for many hours, with no chance of escape. This is the inconvenience brought on by the convenience of air travel, which allows moving between destinations that could be separated by thousands of miles rather quickly.

3. Life in a palace without Shri Rama

Here there is no prison sentence. You are allowed to move around. You can enjoy nature and then return home to royal comfort at night. No need to shop for groceries. Food is in abundant supply and there are expert cooks ready to prepare.

Everything is quiet and peaceful, but to Shri Lakshmana the experience is hellish. This is because the beloved brother Shri Rama will not be there. He will be away from home on something like a prison sentence, but in the reverse. He will be exiled from the community, from the kingdom He was on the precipice of ruling in all dharma.

In the Ramayana we find the comparison to taking a fish out of water. Lakshmana references how the fish cannot survive when removed from its natural habitat. In the same way, neither he nor Sita Devi can survive without the association of Rama, who is the eldest son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya. Lakshmana is one of three younger brothers, and Sita is Rama’s beloved and devoted wife.

This is the mood of the devotee. Once they have returned to their original and eternal engagement of devotional service, life without the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the equivalent of hell. If they are forced to live without Him, being unable to serve with thoughts, words and deeds, then the life is not worth living. It becomes worse than prison.

Such issues can be resolved through a saving grace known as sound vibration. Uttering the name of Rama helps to remember Him. Remembering Him is like being with Him, and so the maha-mantra helps in coping with a prison-like experience, however it applies to each individual: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Job necessary I know,

But again don’t let me go.

Like prison for many hours sitting,

Dreams of how one day quitting.

Devotees the same to receive,

Like when Rama kingdom to leave.

Lakshmana rather at side to stay,

Divine life the only way.

Two Of The Most Amazing Sounds You Have Ever Heard

“Sometimes the naughty babies would crawl up to the cowshed, catch the tail of a calf and stand up. The calves, being disturbed, would immediately begin running here and there, and the children would be dragged over clay and cow dung. To see this fun, Yashoda and Rohini would call all their neighboring friends, the gopis.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality Of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 8)

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People make the complaint. It is legitimate in their eyes. After all, without precision where would we be in life? If the operators of the airplane promise to take passengers to the city of Chicago and they instead land in St. Louis, what will the reaction be to the following?

“Oh, it’s no big deal. You are close enough to Chicago. Just drive for a little bit. The cities are related, though typically in the sense of rivalry. I couldn’t find Chicago on the map, so I decided to land the plane here. Thank you for flying with us. We hope you choose our airline again.”

The charge as it relates to spiritual life is that words of Sanskrit origin must be pronounced properly. Moreover, the descriptions, accounts and teachings should be presented in a Sanskrit-derived language. Otherwise, the effect is not the same. The word mantra references delivering the mind through sound. If the sound produced through improper pronunciation is different from that intended, how can any help arrive? It would be something like calling out to emergency responders, but saying a different name. How would they know someone is asking for their assistance?

The counterargument is that there is an exception when the desire is for devotion, to serve the Divine with pure love. While every effort should be made to say the component words properly, a lack of success is not sufficient qualification for an offense. It is the object of service who makes the final determination, and from the interaction with parents and their children we see that imprecision is sometimes equivalent with the greatest offering.

1. Ahm

The child is barely a year old. They are walking like a seasoned toddler. They jump onto the sofa and slide off without issue. They turn around when hearing their name. They smile upon seeing the parents, which is a heartwarming sight.

On the television the sounds of the maha-mantra constantly play: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Since birth this child has not been able to fall asleep unless someone sings a version of this mantra to them.

Now that they are a little more mature, they actually try to say words. When hearing the mantra, they immediately reply with the sound, “Ahm.” They say it while smiling ear to ear. They greet visitors to the home with this word.

Due to their age, the child cannot yet pronounce the sound from the letter “r.” They are obviously trying to repeat the holy name of Rama, but the sound that emerges is “ahm.” The parents take so much delight from hearing this sound. In total innocence the child is trying their best.

2. Key-ka

A few weeks later the same parents notice the child repeatedly saying “key-ka.” At first the father thinks the child is offering advice to keep calm. Modern-day life is quite stressful, and the parents have been known to lose their cool now and then.

The mother interjects and correctly identifies the child’s attempt: it is the word “Krishna.” From then on the sound of “key-ka” becomes as welcome as the sound of “ahm.” Of all the words the baby could be trying to say, this is what they prefer the most.

…

This is a basic interaction between parents and children, but one can try to imagine the joy and happiness felt by the Supreme Lord when any person tries to say His name over and over. Whether the “r” sound has the proper rolling of the tongue is of little consequence. The mistake of the “i” in Krishna getting pronounced as a double “e” sound is also forgiven.

We know from His lila that the Supreme Lord delivered great joy to the parents in Gokula, Nanda and Yashoda. The mothers in the community would take fun in watching childish play, such as riding the tail of a calf through the mud. The sound of baby Krishna trying to talk warmed their hearts. Parents are known to be affectionate in this way, to be overwhelmed with loving emotion at the sight of their children endeavoring for success in various ventures.

The intent is what counts. With Sanskrit mantras for other purposes, such as advancing materially, removing distress or winning a specific ability, the exact pronunciation is a strict requirement. With bhakti-yoga, any person, from any place in the world, during any time period of life has the potential for complete and full connection that is equivalent with liberation.

In Closing:

Improper pronunciation finding,

But Shri Krishna not minding.

Like loving parent viewing,

Not for correctness reviewing.

Since humble attempt made,

So much honor to Him paid.

Even pleasing that sound,

Since bhakti within it found.

Four End Points In Time For Understanding God

“Brahma, it is I, the Personality of Godhead, who was existing before the creation, when there was nothing but Myself. Nor was there the material nature, the cause of this creation. That which you see now is also I, the Personality of Godhead, and after annihilation what remains will also be I, the Personality of Godhead.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.9.33)

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अहम् एवासम् एवाग्रे
नान्यद् यत् सद्-असत् परम्
पश्चाद् अहं यद् एतच् च
यो ऽवशिष्येत सो ऽस्म्य् अहम्

aham evāsam evāgre
nānyad yat sad-asat param
paścād ahaṁ yad etac ca
yo 'vaśiṣyeta so 'smy aham

A head-first dive is not required into what is mistakenly tagged as Hinduism, as if it were just another option in the basket of faith-based systems. There is a scientific basis to the principles presented in the Vedic tradition, also known as sanatana-dharma. This means a person should apply their intellect. Questions are not shunned away as too difficult to answer. The “trust us and everything will be alright” assurance is absent. Gain some practical realization, vijnana, to have confidence that this life is not the only one and that the soul continues to live on, despite the changes to the body.

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)

Without referencing the personal side of the Divine, His different visual manifestations and His transcendental features [gunas], even the most skeptical person of the idea of religion can understand the concept of God through an important factor of nature: time.

1. Adi

This Sanskrit word means “the beginning.” The keen observer will note that the description can only be relative to another period in time. Kala, which is the Sanskrit word to describe the great devouring enemy to progress and attachment to material objects, is infinite in both directions.

When we refer to adi in general conversation, the idea is to think of what existed prior to the universe and its population. Only a fool would deny that such a time period occurred. That would be like saying to someone that they were never born, that they never emerged from the womb of their mother.

The skeptic can take the adi time period to be God. It is synonymous with Him. Just think of the beginning of the creation. That is the Divine. Whether you believe nothing existed or that there were only a few chemicals, that is your basis for creation.

2. Anadi

This is a negation of adi. It means “without a beginning.” Lord Vishnu explains to Lord Brahma in the Shrimad Bhagavatam. Before there was anything, at that adi stage, there was the Supreme Lord. Again, a person need not be a true believer to understand the concept. Something had to be around before the beginning. We cannot think of a single thing that emerged from nothing. There is always a cause. When you find the cause of all causes, you have found God.

3. Anta

This is on the opposite side of the previously discussed time period; when nothing else will be around. We also have confidence in this principle, that when there is birth there must be death. What goes up must eventually come down.

जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्
ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च
तस्माद् अपरिहार्ये ऽर्थे
न त्वं शोचितुम् अर्हसि

jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur
dhruvaṁ janma mṛtasya ca
tasmād aparihārye 'rthe
na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi

“For one who has taken his birth, death is certain; and for one who is dead, birth is certain. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.27)

Take that endpoint as a concept and you have one way of understanding God. He is both the beginning and the end. The person who provided the potency for creation also draws everything back into Himself at some point in time.

4. Ananta

Another negation, know that there is a timeless principle. It continues on after the arbitrarily defined end to existence. We say arbitrary because the lack of a manifest world has no impact on the existence of something. The living principle remains intact, simply shifting to a different space.

God is without an end. No one can reach the limit to His glories, since the Vedas continue to sing of His gunas. He is not confined to any space nor to any span of existence. He is before time and after it. Acknowledging just these basic principles of an existence creates so much auspiciousness. The consciousness is then poised for full and complete purification, which brings the reward of timeless service to the one who is Himself eternal.

In Closing:

From basic knowledge auspiciousness,

Clearing path for pure consciousness.

Taking concepts of time,

For proof of God to find.

Existed at creation prior,

Infinity a concept higher.

Around also at end,

And beyond to extend.

Three Areas Of Living That Highlight The Benefit Of Numerical Strength

“There is no difference between the holy name of the Lord and the Lord Himself. As such, the holy name is as perfect as the Lord Himself in fullness, purity and eternity. The holy name is no material sound vibration, nor has it any material contamination.” (Padma Purana quoted from The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 13)

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“I understand the importance of chanting the holy name. That sacred sound is identical to the person it references. It’s not the same as saying the word ‘water’ over and over. You will actually get the Supreme Lord in your association if you follow the guidelines of authority, the acharyas appearing in the disciplic succession. The removal of anarthas speeds up the conversion, also. The more unwanted aspects of living that get removed, which cloud the consciousness, the closer a person will come to the state of bhava, which is transcendental ecstasy, with their chanting.

“The question I have is about the routine of japa. This is silent repetition of a mantra, which is a collection of words that may contain, among other things, the holy name. Why is there a set number of rounds prescribed? Wouldn’t it be better to say the name of Krishna perfectly just one time instead of needing to repeat in a military-style routine? It takes a while to complete sixteen rounds of japa on a given day, so I am just curious as to the benefit of the recommendation.”

1. Watching a movie

It’s the end of a difficult first week at a new job. In addition to learning who everyone is, there is the subtle reminder to keep a good face. You have to show diligence in order to impress the bosses. This means arriving home later at night than you did at the previous position.

At the beginning of this weekend you are ready to sit down, relax, and watch a film. The only issue is that you are getting interrupted every five minutes or so. You end up finishing the movie, but it takes a lot longer than normal. There is little enjoyment due to the lack of continuity in the viewing experience.

2. Assembling furniture

Corresponding with the new job is a new apartment. It is closer to the office. This allows you to sleep longer during the night. You can also see your children before they go to sleep. The one headache is moving in. New furniture arrives to help set the mood. You are not so good at assembling things, but you decide to give it a shot.

The task isn’t too difficult, except you get the same interruptions. You screw on a few columns in the lamp only to have to leave the room. When you continue later you are not sure where you left off. The entire process is so frustrating that afterwards you swear to hire people to do the work in the future.

3. Reading a book

You are trying to learn a new technology. The method proven to be most successful for you in the past has been reading books. Learn the principles while having a computer next to you. This way you can test out the technology as you learn.

The same problem in this situation. Every few minutes or so you get an email from work. You have to take care of a different task. The mind goes elsewhere. When you return to the book, you have forgotten at which point you left off. Learning is rather difficult in this environment.

And so the Vedas and the associated spiritual guides present a concept known as numerical strength. While pure bhakti is without motivation and without interruption, it is not that training will lack an impact. The chanting routine is there to build strength in numbers. The more you say the names of Krishna and Rama, the more comfortable you will get in pronunciation. You will also hopefully remember those names more than just during the time of chanting on beads.

If a person practices yoga for a few minutes a day and then the rest of the time is spent in ways that corrupt the consciousness, the process isn’t as effective as it could be. The acharyas bless the processes they recommend. They have seen the effectiveness themselves, and so they can pass on valuable wisdom to others. These are life tips helpful in rescuing a person from the cycle of birth and death, which should be the highest objective in a human birth. Even a little effort in devotional service, whether in ideal continuity or divided into phases, makes a lasting impact.

In Closing:

Even if entire time distracted,

Positively by bhakti impacted.

But better when numerical strength,

Such as japa routine length.

Where sitting in isolation,

Focused on meditation.

And producing the sound,

Where Krishna to be found.

The Two Games That Maya Plays With Me

“Illusion means to accept something which is not: maya. Maya means ‘what is not.’ Everyone is accepting the body as the self. If I ask you what you are, you will say, ‘I am Mr. John; I am a rich man; I am this; I am that.’ All these are bodily identifications. But you are not this body. This is illusion.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shri Ishopanishad, Introduction)

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Not quite the devil, as described in the popular faiths of the world. Not an adversary of equal potency compared to the Almighty. Not someone of wicked intent, wanting to bring people down for no reason.

The illusory energy known as maya is actually a great devotee of the Supreme Lord. She facilitates the desires of the conditioned living entity, jiva, the primary of which is forgetfulness of their true nature. In this way she plays two games with me. The time of engagement begins at birth and then continues until I finally become wise to her tricks.

1. She hides that which should be seen

I am spirit soul. Aham brahmasmi is the explanation in Sanskrit. Anyone who comes across this instruction is fortunate. The reason is that hardly anyone will know. The species lower than the human being have no chance. They simply cannot comprehend higher topics. No matter how much instruction gets passed on, even with willing participation the brain capacity is simply lacking.

Every human being should realize that they are Brahman, which is the spiritual energy. The questions should be asked:

“Then why not? It is such a simple concept to grasp. At the very least, I should know who I am. I know my name. I know my place of birth. I know who my parents are. Should I not be informed as to the true identity that exceeds the boundaries of time and space?”

The reason I am unaware is because of maya. She plays the game of hiding that which should be seen and known. At this game she is an expert. The meaning is that even if I wanted to see, there are so many obstacles, excuses, and impediments placed in the way to keep me in ignorance.

2. She shows that which is not actually real

The commonly invoked comparison is to the dream. I woke up this morning not feeling too good. It was because of the dreams I had last night. Put into this situation and that, one problem after another. At least now the illusion is over. Nothing from the dream was real, though my experience in it certainly did take place.

Another comparison is to watching a film in a cinema hall. There is a screen, a projector and one or more members of the audience. On the screen there are fires, explosions, rivers, bridges, guns, thunderstorms, and the like. Different scenes in different places, with a variety of characters.

Because there is a fire on the screen it does not mean that the movie theater will burn down. The oncoming truck does not burst out of the screen and onto the seated audience. The film is a depiction, but there is a kind of illusion. The person watching intentionally forgets that it is a scripted performance. This is for enhancing the enjoyment of the experience.

In the same way, maya plays the game of showing me things which are not actually real. I take that which is not to be my true identity. The body and its different parts go through a constant evolution of change. The trigger agent is kala, which is time. Kala’s final act is known as death. This is the complete destruction of the body, with the living entity poised to accept a new one and thus start another lifetime.

Maya plays these games because of my desire. The way out of illusion is to simply be engaged in the service of the Supreme Lord. This is the dharma of the soul, which is a particle of the Brahman energy. The instruction from Shri Krishna helps to solve the mystery, to clear the illusion. The more one advances in the culture of genuine religion, the more they appreciate every one of Krishna’s energies, including the expert magician known as maya.

In Closing:

Playing tricks on me,

Not true identity to see.

That to be known to hide,

When in her land to reside.

To my original desire due,

Maya playing these games two.

To dharma of the soul return,

And respect for her efforts earn.

Three Frustrations From Daily Life That Remind Me I Am Not The Doer

“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)

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प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि
गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः
अहङ्कार-विमूढात्मा
कर्ताहम् इति मन्यते

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate

One of the benefits of officially taking a vacation is that so many responsibilities get left behind. Not that the tasks somehow take care of themselves. Not that a mountain of work doesn’t await upon return. It is just that in a new setting it is not possible to handle this issue and that. The change of scene forces you to at least try to relax.

Even within that daily environment there is little control over outcomes. The human being thinks otherwise. Especially in the age of technological progress, it seems that so much can be done in an easier way as compared to times past. Yet on this one particular day there is a striking reminder of the verse from the Bhagavad-gita which explains the modes of nature to be the influencer in reactions. It is ahankara, the false ego, which leads me to believe that destiny is entirely within my control.

1. The dishwasher breaks

The dishes were piled up in the sink. Over a few days, enough pots, pans, glasses and plates to give you a headache upon a single glance. There is no cause for concern, however. The higher authorities gave man the dishwasher for a reason. Take a little time to rinse every item and transfer to the proper place. A few hours later everything is clean.

The issue on this day is that the dishwasher is not working. A sudden change to the situation, there is no easily discernable cause. The machine just won’t start. There is power coming. The electricity is on in the house. Pressing the start button causes a few rumblings in the machine, followed by failure.

2. The face-down parking receipt

You’ve moved to a new place recently. It is more urban in nature, but you’ve held on to your car. In calculating weekly trips to visit different people with your family, it makes economical sense to keep the car and pay the extra monthly fee for parking, exorbitant as it is.

Even with a garage close by, there is still the issue of loading and unloading, both with passengers and with heavy items. No problem, you think. There are metered parking spots available right in front of your apartment building. For a few weeks now this hasn’t been an issue. Put money in the meter, get a receipt, and place it on the dashboard.

On this day commemorated by the dishwasher failure, an issue with parking gets under your skin. After paying for the metered parking and placing the receipt on the dashboard in the car, you return an hour later to see an orange envelope on the windshield. It is a parking ticket. How can this be? You didn’t do anything wrong.

The problem is that the receipt for parking flipped over on the dashboard inside. The person checking the cars had no way to tell if you had a valid parking spot. This must have occurred when you went back into the car to get something. The wind blew inside and inverted the receipt. Nothing you can do now. The damage is done. Perhaps fight the ticket in court, but the hassle is not worth the money saved.

3. The washing machine breaks

Another big change with moving closer to a city-area, because of a new job in fact, is that the nearest laundry facilities are in the basement of the building. You also have to pay for each use. In the beginning, the choice is made to simply haul the dirty clothes once a week to the home of a relative, where you are visiting regularly anyway.

The problem is that the washing machine suddenly stops working. The display boasts of the ability to handle three times the number of clothes of a traditional machine, but now everything is stuck inside. The machine turned off in the middle of a cycle. The mechanism to release the locks did not trigger, so you are worried that perhaps a week’s worth of clothes is now out of reach.

Fortunately, you get the machine to turn on again for enough time to remove the clothes and find another way to wash them. You can’t help but exclaim, “Nothing works. Technology is terrible. Who wants to deal with these constant headaches?”

Shri Krishna says that the living entity is not the doer. They think they can control outcomes. That is one of the illusions created by the energy known as maya. A saving grace is that if the desire is to succeed in spiritual life, to genuinely connect with the Supreme Lord, help arrives from above.

व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिर्
एकेह कुरु-नन्दन
बहु-शाखा ह्य् अनन्ताश् च
बुद्धयो ऽव्यवसायिनाम्

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir
ekeha kuru-nandana
bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca
buddhayo 'vyavasāyinām

“Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.41)

The task is daunting enough, with so many issues to address in everyday life, but a little steadiness and determination go a long way. With some resolve in purpose, the focus remains on the target. Shri Krishna provides the necessary lift to cross over the boundary, where on the other side is the eternal engagement of devotional service, free of impediments.

In Closing:

Nature always to remind,

Especially on this day to find.

That sole doer not am I,

Outcomes beyond effort to try.

Like suddenly dishwasher breaking,

Wind my parking receipt taking.

Repeated failure carrying its toll,

But not when Shri Krishna the goal.

I Have A Hard Time Believing Krishna Is The Source Of Strength

“I am also the gambling of cheats, and of the splendid I am the splendor. I am victory, I am adventure, and I am the strength of the strong.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 10.36)

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द्यूतं छलयताम् अस्मि
तेजस् तेजस्विनाम् अहम्
जयो ऽस्मि व्यवसायो ऽस्मि
सत्त्वं सत्त्ववताम् अहम्

dyūtaṁ chalayatām asmi
tejas tejasvinām aham
jayo 'smi vyavasāyo 'smi
sattvaṁ sattvavatām aham

Friend1: Finally, Hiranyakashipu had enough. He tried everything. “All efforts exhausted” would be the status of the account if using a CRM system.

Friend2: You mean when trying to eliminate the saintly son named Prahlada?

Friend1: The father at last asked the son. What was the source of strength? Maybe Prahlada could teach Hiranyakashipu a thing or two. Perhaps work in tandem to take over the world. Share trade secrets in order to help each other.

Friend2: And Prahlada’s reply was excellent. The source of strength was the same in both of them. It is the same source for every application of human ability, paurusham.

Friend1: That is where I wanted to focus today. Let’s say that I am a skeptic.

Friend2: Of what?

Friend1: I don’t buy this idea that Vishnu, the personal God, is the source of strength in every person.

Friend2: Okay. What is your supporting evidence?

Friend1: I don’t need to go far. Look at the interaction between father and son. If Vishnu was behind the scenes for both parties, why did one fail and the other succeed?

Friend2: You really look at it that way?

Friend1: A person might. It’s something along the lines of, “If there is a God, then why do bad things happen to people? Why does one person live in a palatial mansion and another is homeless on the street?” If Vishnu is the powerhouse behind the scenes, why was there a divergence in outcomes?

Friend2: Okay, so you have one person who lives in a place with a warm climate. Plenty of sunshine. Another person resides in the same area. Are they both guaranteed to have the same physical makeup? Will they both live as long?

Friend1: I am not sure what you are getting at.

Friend2: The sun is there to benefit both. One person may be fit and healthy and the other diseased and weak.

Friend1: I see what you are saying, but we are talking about strength here. This is ability focused on a specific interaction in history. Why should I believe that Vishnu is behind the scenes if Hiranyakashipu was unable to succeed in killing his son? We know that the king sure did try, and in ways that would succeed for every other person.

Friend2: It is precisely that Vishnu is the source of the strength that causes the divergence.

Friend1: What do you mean?

Friend2: If there weren’t an intelligent being behind intelligence, then the application of force would work every single time. Feeding someone poison would have a one hundred percent success rate. The same for exposing to severe heat and cold, throwing off a cliff, attacking with pointed weapons, and the like. Because Vishnu was the source of the strength, one person was immune and the other left baffled.

Friend1: Okay, but what good does that knowledge do me? If I can’t always succeed in the output of effort, why even try?

Friend2: It is the type of effort that matters. Acknowledge that there is a sanctioning authority. Be aware that frustration will arise at some point, because you won’t be able to will your way into getting what you want. Hiranyakashipu used the strength he thought was his own for so long, and it got him pretty far. Not far enough, though, since he couldn’t get rid of Vishnu-worship in his kingdom, no matter how much he tried. Prahlada, on the other hand, did not specifically endeavor for strength, and yet his meditation was sufficient for protection against the worst kind of violence. If Vishnu wasn’t there protecting the entire time, no person could have survived in that situation.

Friend1: The father should have appreciated the sound words of advice, then?

Friend2: He should have realized that man has limitations. The evidence was plain before him, even before Prahlada spoke. It is there for every person to see, in fact. Thankfully, the Bhagavad-gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam give further clarity, explaining phenomena of nature already witnessed. If Vishnu is the ability in man, then use that ability for the right purpose. The Supreme Lord is the ultimate sanctioning authority, and through His feature of Paramatma He is the all-pervading witness.

In Closing:

Father finally to question came,

Son with reply that source the same.

The same potency from,

Hiranyakashipu and his son.

But different outcomes why?

Futile seems effort to try.

Idea that when in right direction facing,

Krishna on success track placing.