Four People Worthy Of The Name Ramanuja

“That best among men would not go to sleep without Him, nor would he eat without Him, even if the food brought was very palatable.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Bala Kand, 18.30)

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न च तेन विना निद्रां लभते पुरुषोत्तम ।।
मृष्टमन्नमुपानीतमश्नाति न हि तं विना ।

na ca tena vinā nidrāṃ labhate puruṣottama ||
mṛṣṭamannamupānītamaśnāti na hi taṃ vinā |

A wonderful name that evokes memories of great people who have made a significant impact on the world, who have rescued countless souls, who were courageous, fearless, knowledgeable, and dedicated to the Absolute Truth, Ramanuja is a direct reference to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

1. Bharata

Of Ramayana fame, he is the eldest of the three younger brothers to Shri Rama, the prince of Ayodhya. The literal translation of Ramanuja is “younger brother of Rama.” If we further define anuja, we see that it is someone who follows faithfully. The eldest, agraja, takes the lead. Based on seniority, Rama is the one to follow in the next generation in the family of King Dasharatha.

Bharata is worthy of this name through his deeds. He has the misfortune of being away from home when tragedy strikes. There is strong infighting within the family, and it is Bharata’s own mother who instigates the ouster of Rama from the kingdom for fourteen years. The eldest son was on the precipice of taking over for the father, of succeeding in the proper way.

When Bharata returns home, it is too late. The father has passed due to the pain of separation from Rama. The damage is done. Though Bharata is now the king, he does not desire the post. He tries his best to persuade Shri Rama to return home. In the end, a compromise is reached. Rama will rule the kingdom in absentia; symbolically on the throne through His sandals placed there by Bharata, who voluntarily takes up the life of an ascetic until the elder brother’s return home.

2. Lakshmana

He is one of two sons born to Queen Sumitra. Dasharatha’s three wives welcome the expansions of Vishnu into this world. Kausalya gives birth to Rama, Kaikeyi to Bharata, and Sumitra to Lakshmana and Shatrughna.

Lakshmana is Ramanuja because of the close proximity in association. He is always by Rama’s side. The tendency is there since birth. In a large family, it is sometimes seen that the children pair up. Likely the older generation plays together and the younger forms their own group.

In Dasharatha’s household, Rama and Lakshmana were always together, and so were Bharata and Shatrughna. It is said that Lakshmana would not eat or sleep unless Rama had done so first. This extended to life in the forest, where the younger brother kept watch at night while Rama and His wife Sita slept.

Lakshmana is something like a bodyguard, a person who is always there to protect the elder brother, even though Rama is fully capable of defending Himself. Rama is powerless in prohibiting the exercise of devotion; therefore He cannot keep Lakshmana or Sita away from Him.

3. Shatrughna

The third younger brother, he is Ramanuja because of the same eagerness for service. His opportunity arrives after Rama’s return home and full ascension to the throne. Shatrughna volunteers to take on a powerful enemy known as Lavana. The one whose name means destroyer of the enemy has to subsequently rule over the conquered kingdom, meaning that his sacrifice results in unwanted separation from Rama.

4. The acharya

There is the well-known acharya of the same name, who is actually considered an incarnation of Lakshmana. The origin of the guru is Ananta Deva, who is like the number one servant of God in the form of Vishnu.

The guru has specific traits that identify them. One is fearlessness. Ramanujacharya was bold in his preaching, especially in defeating the philosophy of Monism that still plagues the areas where Vedic culture is prominent. Ramanuja firmly established the duality between the individual soul and the Supreme Soul, meaning that there is a difference between me and God, even though I am the same as Him, also.

In Closing:

Ramanuja sacred name,

Worthy that acharya of fame.

Also brothers following at home,

Lakshmana never to leave alone.

Bharata an ashrama making,

Kingdom not for himself taking.

Shatrughna the enemy to defeat,

From challenge never to retreat.

If Devotees Share In Bhagavan’s Fortunes Then Why Are They Known To Be Poor

“If one feeds Narayana sumptuously, the goddess of fortune, Lakshmi, automatically becomes a guest in one's house, which means that one's home becomes opulent.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 2, Ch 26)

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Friend1: I will raise two known principles within the Vedanta school of teaching and you will try to resolve.

Friend2: What is there to resolve? You see a contradiction?

Friend1: Yes. An obvious one.

Friend2: Alright. Start with the first teaching.

Friend1: God is Bhagavan. This means “the most fortunate person.“

Friend2: He possesses every bhaga simultaneously and to the fullest extent.

Friend1: He is also married to the goddess of fortune, Lakshmi Devi. She is a chaste and faithful wife.

Friend2: Married in dharma; not stolen or brought to His side by a bribe or threat of force.

Friend1: She is a pure devotee, the energy of God. He is the energetic and she the energy. The combination naturally attracts. Separation is not possible.

Friend2: Any fortune that we receive should be considered a blessing from her. It should be utilized for the same purpose: pleasing her husband.

Friend1: I am getting there. The idea is that Bhagavan has all the luck. Vishnu never falls on hard times. He is never daridra, or poor. We, on the other hand, change situations as often as the waves of the ocean hit the shore.

Friend2: That is the meaning of duality. Nothing is fixed. Rain is harmful to my morning commute but helps the farmer living in the same city. A unseasonably warm day is soothing for my fever, whereas it is debilitating for someone doing physical labor outside, under the sun.

Friend1: This first principle states that a person needn’t feel down on their luck. Simply through connecting with Bhagavan, they share in His glory. Vishnu’s fortune is theirs. It is something like being the son of a millionaire.

Friend2: You have this giant inheritance coming your way. Even prior to that, there is nothing to worry about in terms of life’s needs. They will be met, for sure.

Friend1: The comparison is to the animal community. They lack that kind of concern since they don’t know better, but at the same time nature already provides everything for them.

Friend2: It is simply an issue of remembrance. Know that I am spirit soul, part and parcel of God. He is always with me through the expansion of Supersoul, Paramatma. Atma and Paramatma are meant to always be together. He never forgets, but I fall down in the sense that I think I am alone.

Friend1: A person becomes a devotee by remembering. They practice yoga, where the link gets created. They chant the holy names in order to help them remember: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Friend2: Exactly. I no longer have bad luck. I share in the wealth of Lakshmi-Narayana.

Friend1: Okay, so the second principle says that devotees of Vishnu tend to be poor. The juxtaposition is with worshipers of Mahadeva, the great god. They tend to be wealthier, though their object of worship is the most renounced person ever known.

Friend2: So much to analyze there. If you stop and think about it, you will wonder why to even ask anything material from Lord Shiva, as he has no need for the boons he distributes to others.

Friend1: We can discuss that further another time, but you see the contradiction, right?

Friend2: About devotees of Vishnu generally being poor?

Friend1: Yes. If they are connected in yoga to the husband of the goddess of fortune, Madhava, how does this happen?

Friend2: There are several explanations. One is that ever since Bhrigu Muni kicked Vishnu in the chest as part of his scientific experiment in determining the superior object of worship, Lakshmi has been upset with the brahmana community in general. She withholds some of her blessings as retaliation.

Friend1: Oh, interesting.

Friend2: The actual reason is that the Vaishnava does not require much. They are wealthy in the sense that they get to worship, no matter the situation. They do not need a palatial mansion, a large bank balance, or fancy cars. None of those are automatic disqualifiers to the proper consciousness, but the simple life is generally more conducive for remembering the all-pervading one.

Friend1: You have the story of Sudama Vipra.

Friend2: He was a poor brahmana, but a pure devotee of Shri Krishna, who was the king of Dvaraka. On the insistence of his wife, he visited Krishna to ask for some financial assistance. In the end, he couldn’t get up the courage to make the request. Nevertheless, Rukmini Devi, who is an incarnation of the goddess of fortune, blessed the entire family with tremendous wealth. It was not deleterious to their religious practices, so we see that sometimes Vaishnavas do become wealthy. The idea is that there never should be worry. Whatever is necessary will arrive in due course.

In Closing:

How investments to be directed,

And net worth to be protected?

Or even just food to put on table,

In poverty condition not able.

Idea that with Bhagavan no need,

Since Lakshmi sufficiently to feed.

Poor perhaps His devotees found,

But wealthy through consciousness bound.

Five Areas Where Shri Rama Has The Best People Associated With Him

“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।।

The name is befitting. The Sanskrit word Bhagavan is appropriate for describing the Supreme Lord. He has all the luck. Nothing goes wrong for Him, precisely because correct and incorrect, high and low, warm and cold, and other such dualities only apply to a temporary existence in a world that is like a shadow-copy of the original thing.

ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः।
मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति।।

mamaivāṃśo jīvaloke jīvabhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ।
manaḥṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛtisthāni karṣati।।

“The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.7)

Time and space are infinite, and so the Vedas continue to expand since they glorify Bhagavan. Still, a short period of time suffices as an appropriate sample size for proving the concept, for showing that the Almighty indeed has the best of everything.

1. Wife

Shri Rama is the Divine avatara appearing in the age known as Treta. This is similar to the Golden Age, except man’s adherence to dharma [duty and high responsibility] diminishes slightly. Rama is one of the notable exceptions, appearing in the pious family of rulers started by King Ikshvaku.

श्री-भगवान् उवाच
इमं विवस्वते योगं
प्रोक्तवान् अहम् अव्ययम्
विवस्वान् मनवे प्राह
मनुर् इक्ष्वाकवे ’ब्रवीत्

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ
proktavān aham avyayam
vivasvān manave prāha
manur ikṣvākave ’bravīt

“The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikshvaku.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.1)

A handsome, strong and chivalrous prince deserves the best partner for life. Rama earned such a princess in the most amazing way. He won a contest. The participation was limited to the most powerful people in the world. Only the strong attempted to lift Lord Shiva’s bow, and only Rama could even move it.

King Janaka held the contest in Videha to determine the appropriate husband for his daughter Sita. Rama has the best wife because she is the goddess of fortune. She is completely devoted to her husband, and she forgoes personal comfort for the sake of helping Rama in whatever way she can. She refuses the advances of other men like Ravana, where the threat of physical violence and the allure of additional riches make no impact.

Sita follows Rama to the ends of the earth, accepting His fate as her own. If He must live in a hellish place for a set period of time, Janaka’s daughter will not back away from the pressure. Through her asceticism she has the full potency to deal with attacking enemies, but she defers to her husband to carry out the work in order to increase His fame.

2. Brother

Rama has three younger brothers, and they are all devoted to Him to an unimaginable level. They practice in different ways, and Lakshmana is known to be the one closest in terms of personal association. He one time remarked that neither he nor Sita can live without Rama. To be separated from Rama is something like a fish being taken out of water.

If living in a forest area, with danger surrounding them, Lakshmana foregoes sleep. He keeps watch during the nighttime in order that his elder brother may get some much needed rest. He promises to serve Rama for a hundred years or more, if necessary. Rama is the leader, and the three younger brothers each deserve the name Ramanuja due to their dedication.

3. Father

Shri Rama has the best father, who is named Dasharatha due to his past ability in helping the demigods. He can fight against chariots attacking from the ten directions simultaneously. He is pious enough to earn not only Rama as a son, but three other partial expansions of Vishnu, as well. He is so well-known for his truthfulness that Rama would not let a blemish occur due to a temporary fall into envy from one of the queens, Kaikeyi.

4. Servant

Likely the most popular song in history wasn’t recorded in a studio. It did not have elite songwriters helping the cause, and neither was there a high-priced producer. The author was a great devotee of Shri Rama, and he understood that more beloved than the master is the servant. That is to say Bhagavan derives more pleasure out of the glorification of those closest to Him than He does praise directed at Himself.

The Hanuman Chalisa is in glorification of the Vanara warrior who helped find Sita after she went missing in the Dandaka forest. Hanuman is not of the human community, and he has a stature greater than that of an ascetic or priest. He is well-versed in the Vedas and he is expert at glorifying Rama, an effort which occurs simultaneously.

नानृग्वेदविनीतस्य नायजुर्वेद्धारिणः |
नासामवेदविदुषश्शक्यमेवं विभाषितुम् ||

nānṛgvedavinītasya nāyajurveddhāriṇaḥ|
nāsāmavedaviduṣaśśakyamevaṃ vibhāṣitum ||

“One cannot speak this way without having been well-trained in the Rig Veda, memorized the Yajur Veda, and thoroughly understood the Sama Veda.” (Lord Rama speaking to Lakshmana about Hanuman, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 3.28)

5. Biographer

Famous people have a difficult time with legacy due to the fact that enemies and skeptics may assume the role of biographer. Such writers view it as their duty to find areas to criticize, to not be known as sycophantic in their community.

As Bhagavan is without flaws, only those purely devoted to Him are qualified to write about His instructions and pastimes. Shri Rama has the best biographer in Maharishi Valmiki, who is initiated by Narada Muni, the traveling saint who spreads the glories of Narayana, which is another name for Vishnu.

The work is never complete, and so empowered people are further inspired to continue in the glorification. For the Hindi language, there is Goswami Tulsidas, who is also the author of the Hanuman Chalisa. He glorifies Rama in such a way that one is left wondering how the Divine couple could have found such a wonderful person to be associated with them.

In this way Rama is the most fortunate. He also has the best home in the spiritual world, a place that welcomes the return of any souls who had previously lost their way, unfortunately trapped in a seemingly endless spiral of birth and death.

In Closing:

To best home welcoming back,

Any souls veered off track.

Most skilled His biography to write,

Tulsi’s words creating direct sight.

A father battle-ready beyond belief,

Sita chaste despite torture and grief.

Hanuman a servant like no other,

Lakshmana most amazing brother.

Can You Find The Four Castes Outside Of India

“According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And, although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.13)

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चातुर्-वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं
गुण-कर्म-विभागशः
तस्य कर्तारम् अपि मां
विद्ध्य् अकर्तारम् अव्ययम्

cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ
guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ
tasya kartāram api māṁ
viddhy akartāram avyayam

Friend1: Likely one of the more controversial aspects of Hinduism, or Vedic culture, if you want to use the appropriate term, is the caste system.

Friend2: Well, a correction is required. It is actually varnashrama-dharma. Three Sanskrit terms combined to define the way of living for every individual.

Friend1: Extending beyond the human society, as well?

Friend2: For sure. The spirit soul is atma, and dharma is specifically defined for the characteristic that gives the atma its essence. Varnashrama-dharma is one manifestation of what you could call the single religion, the universal way towards transcendence.

Friend1: Alright, before we go too far down the avenue of philosophical terms and explanation, we know that the caste system as understood today relates to having seniority by birthright.

Friend2: Special privileges. Lower status based on your last name. High honor due to an ancestral link to a saintly person from the past, whose noteworthy deeds may have occurred thousands of years ago.

Friend1: “I am a Brahmin. Give me respect. Don’t mess with me. Only I am eligible for returning to the spiritual world. The rest of you will have to wait your turn.”

Friend2: Haha, yeah, something like that.

Friend1: I know that the proper understanding relates to guna and karma.

Friend2: Material qualities and fruitive activity. Essentially, who you are as a person and the kind of work you do.

Friend1: Yes, and so a brahmana would have certain qualifications, a kshatriya their own, and so forth.

Friend2: Nine qualities for the priestly person, seven for the warrior, three for the businessman, and one for the laborer. At least as far as I remember. You can get the detailed list from the Bhagavad-gita.

Friend1: Here is my question today. Are these divisions reserved for the area of India?

Friend2: Are you saying that material qualities and work only apply to people born in a certain place in the world?

Friend1: Hey, it’s an argument I hear a lot. Your qualities may determine the varna, or occupation, but you still have to be born into the system.

Friend2: That is a preposterous argument. That is like saying you can only find soldiers, doctors, programmers, lawyers, waiters and other people in a specific region of the world. It makes no sense. We are talking about qualities here. As long as you are a human being, you have the potential to fall into these categories. Actually, you will most definitely fall into at least one of them.

Friend1: What is the process for identification within an area that has no traces of varnashrama?

Friend2: You mean they don’t know about the divisions or they are seeking a Utopian vision of equality, where everyone is the same?

Friend1: Could be either situation. I imagine that an outsider stepping into the situation and identifying varnas based on qualities would ruffle some feathers.

Friend2: Oh, listen, the divisions are already there. A company has its leader. It has the positions requiring higher intelligence, such as coding. It has other positions requiring physical strength and service, such as for moving furniture, setting up office infrastructure, and the like. Someone else manages the books. The security guards protect the premises. The idea is to find your proper occupation and dovetail it with service to the Supreme Lord.

Friend1: How do we do that? How do I know that my occupational duties are fulfilling a higher purpose?

Friend2: Consciousness is the key. That is why His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada translates bhakti-yoga as “Krishna consciousness.” These things generally sort themselves out through proper participation in the bhakti culture. Chant the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Follow the four regulative principles and take the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master.

Friend1: I see.

Friend2: Understand that men of the teaching order in terms of spiritual life can be found anywhere. Birthright can play a significant role, but it is not the sole deciding factor. The brahmanas are needed everywhere, and they are very dear to Shri Krishna.

In Closing:

Though original not totally preserved,

Varnashrama not for India reserved.

Natural divisions everywhere to find,

Such as laborer or one of excellent mind.

Idea that with service to combine,

Work but properly refined.

So that every person advancing,

And spiritual welfare enhancing.

How Do You Curb The Appetite For Cinema And Television In General

“No one can check the thinking activities of a living being, nor the feeling, willing or working processes. But if one wants actual happiness, one must change the subject matter only. Instead of talking of the politics of a dying man, one might discuss the politics administered by the Lord Himself. Instead of relishing activities of the cinema artists, one can turn his attention to the activities of the Lord with His eternal associates like the gopis and Lakshmis. The almighty Personality of Godhead, by His causeless mercy, descends on the earth and manifests activities almost on the line of the worldly men, but at the same time extraordinarily, because He is almighty.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.6.34 Purport)

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Friend1: I think people following the bhakti path will always run into a popularity problem.

Friend2: How so?

Friend1: Take this scenario. Say on a given day I am spending time with two family members. They live away from me, so it is not like I see them every day.

Friend2: Is this a vacation or are you at home?

Friend1: Let’s say that we are in a city foreign to us. Vacation is fine, or maybe just a weekend getaway.

Friend2: Alright.

Friend1: On a given day I want to visit a local temple. The presiding deities are Lakshmi-Narayana.

Friend2: The goddess of fortune paired with her husband. The energy side of God along with God Himself, who is the energetic.

Friend1: Yes, the archa-vigraha. God is both nirguna and saguna. He is never bound to material qualities but for our benefit, to help us in understanding Him, He displays distinguishable features.

Friend2: To facilitate worship. Hence the deity in the temple, who is like the chief resident. Supposedly material elements crafted together to form an image, but in fact the entire process is authorized.

Friend1: Making the deity spiritual, non-different from the person it represents. I get it. That is why I want to visit. I have seen pictures on the internet, but the in-person connection is a whole new experience. You feel something.

Friend2: Like you are meeting a long-lost friend, someone who has had your best interests at heart since before you can remember.

Friend1: I am excited, but the relatives are not. Their face turns sour as soon as they hear the suggestion. They would rather go to the cinema.

Friend2: Makes sense.

Friend1: That is what I mean. We will always run into this problem. Television and movies are always more popular than devotion to Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Friend2: That is the meaning of maya. The material world is maya’s kingdom.

Friend1: I have heard many spiritual leaders bemoan the situation. They think the pop culture is the main reason for the degradation of society as a whole. What can be done?

Friend2: I heard a very interesting take from His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He says that if you create a void relating to the Supreme, unnecessarily at that, people will try to fill that void in other areas.

Friend1: Can you explain further?

Friend2: If you keep telling people that God is without form, that He is this attribute-less energy, that we are all God, then that diminishes the appeal of worship. If you and I are both God, then why do I need to visit a temple? What good is that going to do for me? Why should I chant the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare?

Friend1: Yet the attraction towards variety remains.

Friend2: The tendency will lead you elsewhere. It is only natural. The spirit soul is individual. Individuality does not prefer to merge into nothingness, which the impersonal side of religion describes as the ultimate end. Rather than end my existence, I will look to continue my individuality through other paths.

Friend1: I see. And if we explain that there is indeed a personal side to religion, to Vedic culture, we stand a better chance of making the sale, so to speak.

Friend2: Oh, for sure. Bhakti-yoga is full of variety. Vedic literature is so expansive for that very reason. Otherwise, there would only be Vedanta-sutra or maybe a few verses from the Bhagavad-gita. Even in that discourse between Krishna and Arjuna, which is philosophy in the truest sense, there is so much potential for variety based on the references to personalities, places, situations, history and the like.

Friend1: That is true. You could talk about the history of Arjuna and the Pandava brothers. There is mention of saintly people like Prahlada and Vyasa.

Friend2: And don’t forget Krishna’s pastimes. The lila of Bhagavan is endless. The stories nourish the soul and give enthusiasm to continue in service, to find new ways to put a smile on His face. Something as basic as a visit to the temple becomes an eagerly anticipated excursion, such as in your hypothetical situation. The satisfaction derived is so great as to dwarf anything that may result from watching a scripted performance of the mundane variety.

In Closing:

When in popularity scale comparing,

Not well your preference faring.

For television and cinema greater taste,

Temple visit viewed as a waste.

Reason that in religion attributes eliminated,

But individual existence not terminated.

The personal side making better appeal,

That endless lila of Bhagavan to reveal.

What Is The Issue With Research Work

“There are many research scholars and philosophers who study sex life or some other subject, but according to Bhagavad-gita, such research work and philosophical speculation have no value. That is more or less nonsensical. According to Bhagavad-gita, one should make research by philosophical discretion into the nature of the soul. One should make research to understand with what the self is concerned.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 13.8-12 Purport)

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Friend1: Do you ever run into people that feel the need to praise science?

Friend2: As in the class taught in school? The one included amongst math, history, social studies, gym, and the like?

Friend1: No, more abstract than that. Just in general. Anytime a new story gets published hailing a particular advancement in therapy. A new finding related to the solar system.

Friend2: I see. I know that such people exist, but I have never really encountered them.

Friend1: It always seems weird to me.

Friend2: Why?

Friend1: It is like they are defensive about something, but I don’t know who is challenging them.

Friend2: If I had to guess, it is a response to the insistence on religion.

Friend1: What do you mean?

Friend2: Such as one particular faith says that the earth is a certain number of years old. Accept it as truth. Do not question. Believe only in what the book says.

Friend1: Oh, right. You might be on to something there. Question for you, then. Is Vedic culture the same way?

Friend2: The same as what?

Friend1: Insisting on only accepting what the books say. Don’t venture into science. No need for observation and experiment.

Friend2: Hmm. There is that whole difference between the two types of knowledge gathering: ascending and descending.

Friend1: And isn’t the ascending process matched with what modern science is trying to accomplish?

Friend2: You could definitely say that.

Friend1: Then it is condemned. Would not someone raise objections to that? Modern science has done so much good for people. You no longer have to suffer through the brutal winters. Man has figured out how to drill into the earth to extract petroleum, which is then converted into home heating oil. The same on the other side with air conditioning. Do your sacred texts allow the same ability?

Friend2: Well, first I would tell you that happiness and sadness have not changed. Neither have the seasons:

मात्रा-स्पर्शास् तु कौन्तेय
शीतोष्ण-सुख-दुःख-दाः
आगमापायिनो ऽनित्यास्
तांस् तितिक्षस्व भारत

mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ
āgamāpāyino ‘nityās
tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata

“O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.14)

I never said that the ascending process was condemned outright. The idea is that it is a waste of time when trying to figure out the meaning of life.

Friend1: How so?

Friend2: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada describes it as a revolt against the established truth. The meaning is that the highest truth is already there. No need to discover it. The truth is passed down from the original person. That is the meaning of the descending process. Accept from a valid authority and save valuable time.

Friend1: Well, how do we determine which authority is genuine and worth trusting?

Friend2: There is always that issue, no matter which option you choose. Even in the ascending process people extend so much faith. Look at what they said about hydrogenated fats. No problem. Keep eating them. Sure beats eating butter.

Friend1: And then they recently reversed course.

Friend2: Now not only are such fats bad for you, they actually accelerate heart disease. People accepted based on the authority of a medical degree, but that trust was misplaced. Anyway, there are tests for validity with respect to the Absolute Truth. Find the right source and then accept the information. Don’t be blind, either. Make a test of it yourself. That is called vijnana, or practical realization. See for yourself if the principles recommended make a difference in life. These truth-bearers have experienced everything themselves. That is to say they firmly believe in the Absolute Truth and the need for connecting with Him. They see Him in every aspect of life, and so He is never lost to them.

यो मां पश्यति सर्वत्र
सर्वं च मयि पश्यति
तस्याहं न प्रणश्यामि
स च मे न प्रणश्यति

yo māṁ paśyati sarvatra
sarvaṁ ca mayi paśyati
tasyāhaṁ na praṇaśyāmi
sa ca me na praṇaśyati

“For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 6.30)

In Closing:

Hydrogenated fats the way,

Now something different to say.

Science reversing on cure,

But trust them again for sure.

Acharyas as wasted time viewing,

Better the Absolute principles reviewing.

Whose Truth valid in every time,

Only in descending process to find.

Three Things Hiranyakashipu Should Have Stopped To Consider

“Narada Muni continued: Lord Brahma was very much satisfied by Hiranyakashipu's austerities, which were difficult to perform. Therefore, when solicited for benedictions, he indeed granted them, although they were rarely to be achieved.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.4.1)

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श्री-नारद उवाच
एवं वृतः शत-धृतिर्
हिरण्यकशिपोर् अथ
प्रादात् तत्-तपसा प्रीतो
वरांस् तस्य सुदुर्लभान्

śrī-nārada uvāca
evaṁ vṛtaḥ śata-dhṛtir
hiraṇyakaśipor atha
prādāt tat-tapasā prīto
varāṁs tasya sudurlabhān

Man is fallible. To err is human. No one is perfect. One of the four principal defects is the vulnerability to mistakes. The error could be something as simple as eating an extra slice of pizza for dinner or as grave as leaving a wallet full of cash in a crowded public place.

Bearing the tendencies in mind, it is understandable that someone might lose their way in life, reaching the point of requiring an intervention. Well-wishing friends and family gather together in a formal meeting to better highlight the severity of the situation.

“You need to change your ways. Straighten up. You are headed in the wrong direction. We wouldn’t say these things if we didn’t care. Please, listen to us. It is for your own good.”

In the case of Hiranyakashipu, the realization arrived too late: at the time of death. He had plenty of early warnings; many moments where he could have paused to reassess the situation.

1. Others could worship Brahma for the same purpose

The beginning was euphoric. It was a rapid rise to the top. From austere meditator to king of the world. From going without food and water to controlling the air supply. From staying in a remote place with no one to bother him to having your influence so well-known that prominent figures go into hiding out of fear.

Hiranyakashipu rose to power on the strength of boons provided by the creator, Lord Brahma. If you had general assurance that no one could defeat you in battle, that you were safe from attack in ninety-nine percent of situations, how would you react?

Peace of mind would be an appropriate response, but with Hiranyakashipu greed took over. He wanted to rule the world, essentially taking up a post equivalent with the concept of God. He did not believe in a higher authority, though he had just worshiped one in order to achieve success.

It never dawned on the leader of the Daityas that someone else could easily have won the same favor. That is to say the worship of Brahma is not exclusive to one person. The devas respond to the level of worship and sacrifice. Another person could have gone down the same route, received the same perfections, and essentially clashed on even terms with the best of the demon race, asura-varya.

2. If I have to rise to power, an accompanying fall is likely

There is the saying, “What goes up must come down.” It is commonly pointed out that the lone exception is age. I am forty years old today, and that number will only increase. Of course, the rule gets invalidated through the transmigration process, wherein the individual eventually travels to a different body, essentially resetting the number.

Hiranyaksha met death at the hands of Vishnu, who is the person worshiped by the demigods. The claim is that Vishnu is God. Hiranyakashipu did not like to hear this, but he should have at least stopped to think of the fate of his brother. Hiranyaksha did not live forever, and so neither would Hiranyakashipu.

The rapid rise to the top would one day be paired with a fall. Understanding this undeniable reality of life, a wise person considers the proper way to spend the time in between. What will yield the best result moving forward? Is not paramartha more important than svartha? Should not the long-term interest take precedence over flickering satisfaction in the immediate term?

3. How can a five-year old beat me at both peace and survivability

The story famously described in the Shrimad Bhagavatam, one of Hiranyakashipu’s sons defied the asura way and instead chose the side of Vishnu. Much to the chagrin of his father, Prahlada could not be dissuaded, even by force.

Hiranyakashipu should have considered how a young child could be just as powerful as an elder supported by Brahma. The son did not yet have enough time to practice intense worship of the demigods. The father eventually reached such questions, but he did not take them seriously enough. The thought was that Prahlada might have been a powerful mystic who used his abilities to defy the laws of nature.

The truth was that Vishnu supported Prahlada the entire time. The side of good would eventually win. The saintly people of the world simply had to wait out the storm that was the rise of the Daityas. It would eventually pass for better weather. In the process the power of devotion would be on full display, bringing down the most formidable atheist without the need of extraordinary weapons.

In Closing:

Narasimha with nails proceeding,

Powerful weapons not needing.

Those boons anyone could get,

Not exclusively for Daitya set.

Similar potency in five year old seen,

Surviving attacks wicked and mean.

Hiranyakashipu not stopping to pause,

That behind each failure a cause.