Five Reasons It Is Important To Hear Krishna-Katha

“Even at the risk of death such a devotee is never bereft of the transcendental loving service of the Lord. A glorious example of this ecstatic love was exhibited by King Parikshit when he was at the point of death. Although he was bereft of his entire kingdom, which spread over all the world, and although he was accepting not even a drop of water in the seven days remaining to him, because he was engaged in hearing the transcendental pastimes of the Lord from Shukadeva Gosvami, he was not in the least distressed.” (The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 37)

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“One thing I constantly hear emphasized is the importance of Krishna-katha. These are discourses or discussions on the Supreme Lord in the two-handed manifestation, considered the original by certain Vaishnavas. Within that discussion there is particular importance given to the lila, or pastimes. The suggestion is to listen with rapt attention to the daily activities of the avatara who so kindly graced the sacred land of Vrindavana.

“Just to take the skeptic’s point of view, what is so special about what anyone does on a regular basis? If death is the guaranteed end to life, then everyone is pretty much on equal footing. One guy drinks adult beverages every day for forty years. Another person runs for miles and miles and consumes a healthy diet. The end-result is the same. Therefore, what is significant in hearing about Krishna stealing butter, dealing with bad characters, and speaking the wisdom of the ages to the bow-warrior named Arjuna?”

1. They are nice stories

A wicked ruler of the town called Mathura wants a baby dead. This is the king’s own nephew. Kamsa will stop at nothing to get the job done, as a prophecy warned him of the worst fate. The eighth child emerging from the womb of Devaki would signal Kamsa’s demise.

To hear how an infant and then later a toddler reacted to and triumphed over bad characters is heartwarming. No one likes it when evil wins over good. Even the thieves are upset should one of the members of their band of criminals happen to walk away with a larger portion than what was originally agreed upon.

Krishna deals with a witch who tries to kill through poison on her breast. He defeats a powerful creature who takes the shape of a false cave. He weighs down a whirlwind who was so proud of his ability to ascend high into the sky.

There is the lila associated with Bhagavan’s other avataras, as well. As Shri Rama, the Supreme Lord honors the commitment to honesty in the father, Dasharatha. He defends the innocent sages residing in the forest against the attacks of night-ranging ogres who are known to change their shapes at will.

2. There is already the tendency to hear about others

Newspapers stay in business for a reason. They discuss other people. They can make an ordinary person famous, and they can take down the most powerful person in the world, if they so choose.

Books, television and audio recordings belong to the same category. People have a tendency to hear about others. This is nature’s way. The mind can escape to a different environment and setting without having to change physical location.

Why not use the tendency for good? Bhagavan’s lila is endless. While there may be a limit in terms of page-count for the total of available published volumes describing His accounts, that only begins to scratch the surface. The Vedas are ever-expanding for a reason. The glorification of Bhagavan’s gunas is as endless, ananta, as Bhagavan Himself.

3. It is better than fiction

The less intelligent will not believe that an empowered individual in a monkey form could leap over an ocean. The cheaters and the mental speculators will vehemently argue against taking any of the Vedas literally.

“Understand it for the symbolism only. Take it as allegory. The rishis intentionally hid the truths in these mythical accounts in order to attract people towards the Divine way of life.”

As Bhagavan is the very source of life, His pastimes are better than art. He has the most artistic mind, and so His play in the manifest world defeats anything a fictional writer could ever imagine.

Deep down, the non-believers understand that there is something significant to the pastimes of the Lord. Otherwise, they would happily dress up as the different characters and celebrate at regular intervals, as they are known to do with popular fictional television and movie franchises.

4. Why not be happy

Even if you are the greatest skeptic, where you swear to never believe in God and the concept of an intelligent designer to the creation, you still have to pass the time in some way. Why not make the experience enjoyable? Why not be happy instead of miserable? The material path guarantees only that: continued misery.

Even if you succeed in something, you have to deal with time’s devouring nature, which thereby limits the enjoyment. If you take pleasure in someone else’s misfortune, then why not hear about the catastrophic fall from grace of Ravana, the ten-headed king of Lanka? Bhagavan is accessible from all angles of vision, and so every person has the chance to pass the time with Him by their side.

5. The best way to end life

Take it from someone who had everything going for him. He enjoyed life to the fullest. Near the end, he had the blessing of knowing the precise arrival of death. He chose to spend the remaining time listening to Krishna-katha. This was the best way to pass the days, which are limited for everyone. It also guaranteed the best end moving forward.

Just as school is in preparation for the next phase of life known as adulthood, this entire lifetime paves the way for the next birth. If the trailing moments are spent contemplating the Absolute, then the duality of birth and death no longer take effect. The ultimate end is reached, and easily at that: through hearing.

In Closing:

Fruits of work not sustaining,

Since limited time remaining.

Why not in Krishna-katha spend?

Where benefits to future to extend.

Great stories and historical too,

Benefit even if thinking untrue.

Be happy and the consciousness clear,

Like Parikshit steady in attention to hear.

Five People You May Have Trouble Accessing

“This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.14)

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दैवी ह्य् एषा गुण-मयी
मम माया दुरत्यया
माम् एव ये प्रपद्यन्ते
मायाम् एतां तरन्ति ते

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te

1. Customer Service

You recently signed up for this streaming service. The monthly rate is good; about the same as a cup of coffee from a national retail chain. While there is a lot of programming offered, you are specifically interested in select games airing during the month of one of the major professional sports.

Everything was going well until one day you turned on the television to learn that the service was offline. This was after racing home to make it in time. The game could not be seen. You thought maybe it was just the particular device. You tried on a tablet and also a smartphone. No luck.

You wanted to get in contact with the company. Call into their customer service telephone number. Only one problem. No number. Nothing on the internet. No online chat. There was literally no way to get in contact with this company.

You later learned from an online forum that the service had an outage for a few hours, which is during the time the game was on. Viewing this as an unforgiveable offense, you subsequently cancelled the service. In their online interface there was not one question as to the reason or even an input box for providing comments. It’s as if they don’t even care that you are cancelling.

2. CEO of a company

You’ve been at this company for a few months. It was a leap of faith to take a new job, in a different city, with a drastically different pace of life. Nevertheless, the job is suited to your skills and the pay is good. Why not take a chance?

A few months in, you are quite happy. This is a publicly traded company, and the CEO is on television a lot discussing the financial markets. It dawned on you one day that since the business is so large the higher ups would not recognize you if you were to run into them on an elevator. To get a meeting with the CEO would be nearly impossible, as they are viewed as one of the most important people at the firm; VIP.

3. Mayor of the city

Pothole problem down the street? Trucks not stopping by often enough to clean the snow? That traffic light been out of commission for over a week? These are the kinds of issues the mayor of the town should be dealing with, but good luck getting ahold of him directly. He may show up during an election year, in full campaign swing, knocking on the door asking for a vote, but unless you have a large amount of money to donate, don’t expect to be able to get his attention.

4. President of the country

This is the same kind of official, but on a larger scale of importance. They specifically restrict access due to the threat of violence. A political adversary may try to infiltrate the campaign and cause havoc. A deranged person may bring a weapon with them to cause harm. Therefore, to actually meet the president while they hold the office is rare.

5. The creator

The Vedas describe that there is a person responsible for the entire creation. For any result to manifest, there has to be some work applied in the beginning. The tall building doesn’t go up on its own. The smartphone requires expert engineering and assembly in order to function properly.

Though a person can meet the creator, the achievement is not easy. There is the famous case of Hiranyakashipu, the leader of the Daityas. He underwent severe austerities, to a level that no one would believe. He finally caught the attention of Brahma, the original person, but the case was extraordinary.

…

Take these conditions and run a comparison with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the Bhagavad-gita Arjuna describes Him to be the best of everything. Bhagavan is the supreme resting place, the leader of even the devas. He is the greatest person, pure in every way. That person happened to be standing right next to Arjuna as Shri Krishna.

Goswami Tulsidas remarks similarly. He says that Shri Rama, which is another manifestation of the single God, is the best of the celestials. Rama is the king of kings and the life breath of life-breaths, prana. He is also the controller of time.

While Rama is the most important person on any scale of analysis, He is easily accessible. You may not be able to talk to the creator of the universe, but you can connect with the person who empowered that creator. You can approach Him at any moment through something as simple as chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

This further underscores the benevolent nature found in the all-compassionate one. Though He is above everyone, He is never too busy to spend time with those who desire His association. It is for this reason that a person who simply attempts the path of liberation is already on their way towards success. Shri Krishna makes the difficult passage across the ocean of nescience easy.

In Closing:

Candidate at election time greeting,

But later as president not meeting.

Customer service like highest mountain scaling,

No luck in contact when product failing.

Mayor in emergencies standing still,

Attention only when pockets to fill.

Shri Krishna most important of all,

But accessible with holy name call.

Three Things Prahlada Could Have Taught His Classmates

“In the tender age of childhood, when everyone is bewildered, one passes ten years. Similarly, in boyhood, engaged in sporting and playing, one passes another ten years. In this way, twenty years are wasted. Similarly, in old age, when one is an invalid, unable to perform even material activities, one passes another twenty years wastefully.” (Prahlada Maharaja, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.6.7)

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मुग्धस्य बाल्ये कैशोरे
क्रीडतो याति विंशतिः
जरया ग्रस्त-देहस्य
यात्य् अकल्पस्य विंशतिः

mugdhasya bālye kaiśore
krīḍato yāti viṁśatiḥ
jarayā grasta-dehasya
yāty akalpasya viṁśatiḥ

“I know you don’t like to criticize other Vaishnavas. You consider them saintly because they chant the maha-mantra with others. They put themselves out in public, giving a face to the devotional culture. They sacrifice so much for the benefit of others. They risk being ostracized by community and family.

“I get all that, but at the same time there are the prominent leaders who have turned into life coaches. That is not my term; they openly promote themselves in this light. They can help others to deal with issues. They are equipped to counsel others, for they have received assistance themselves.

“The big problem I have is that they never mention Krishna. They mostly don’t wear the symbol of the lotus footprint of Vishnu on the forehead, also known as tilaka, but even when they do they speak nonsense that would only benefit a child of kindergarten age.

“How to view the situation? Is it proper to criticize? One of the justifications they make is that they are trying to attract more people. If they speak directly about the science of self-realization, the audience won’t be very receptive. I don’t know if I buy that. To me it seems like a kind of cheating. The bhakti way of life provides so much jnana that even material life becomes easier. But I don’t think we should be helping others to advance in material life; there are plenty of coaches for that already.”

An appropriate juxtaposition is to Prahlada Maharaja, the famous son of the Daitya king named Hiranyakashipu. Well-known for what he taught to others in a specific setting, equally as significant is what Prahlada did not teach.

1. Find your passion in life

The instruction was offered specifically in two places. The first was in the royal palace, directly to the father. The stimulus was a question to the boy, inquiring as to the most important topic learned in school.

The second setting was the tiffin hour in school. It would be the equivalent of the modern-day recess period. The father was not very receptive to the message; he was asking more out of politeness. There was affection, as well, at least in the beginning.

The students were ready to hear from Prahlada. Since they were young, their minds had yet to be polluted. Prahlada had a saintly character, and so the children were all ears. The child of five years of age easily could have went in the following direction:

“Life is about finding what you love to do. Once you reach success in that area, never let go. They say that if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. Obviously, you will be working, but the engagement will be something like leisure. There won’t be as much pressure, and you will be excited to wake up in the morning. So many people struggle because they haven’t found this passion, so make the attempt as soon as possible in life. Try to get a head start.”

2. God is love

Another option:

“The purpose of life is love. Love is everything. Always love everyone, no matter what. Never criticize. Before you speak ill of others, consider your own faults. If you see someone heading in the wrong direction, stop and ask yourself if you actually know what the right direction is. Would you like it if others were always criticizing you?

“If you want to know what God is, where He lives, what He is doing – know that God is love. Wherever you see love, there is God. Whenever you love someone else, that is also God. God always loves and so we must always be loving of others.”

3. Learn to listen to others

The saintly student could have dumbed down the message even further:

“My dear friends, before we get on our high-horse and criticize others, let us first learn to listen. In adulthood we might have to manage projects and work collaboratively. In such an environment it is critical to be able to listen. Try to empathize with others. Take into consideration their viewpoints. Only then will you learn something, and the key to life is to always be willing to learn more.”

…

Of course Prahlada did not go down any of these paths. Instead, he went straight into the embarrassment that is accepting a material body. He warned his friends that so much of the experience in life is wasted due to useless activities and sleeping. A child is bewildered, a boy plays the day away, and in old age a person is too crippled to be able to do anything significant.

What remains is the period of vitality, but even that gets squandered due to excessive sleep. Therefore, the waking hours should be spent in self-realization. Ask yourself why you are here. Why is the human birth significant? Sense enjoyment automatically arrives in any form of body, so this human one should be treated differently.

Prahlada faced the most hostile audience in his father. There was no convincing the leader of the Daityas, who could retaliate with lethal force if he so desired. That would indeed be the outcome, as he was sick of hearing tattva from the son. The children in school were also offspring of Daityas, which is a body type that typically leans towards sin.

Sin is nothing more than turning further away from the Supreme Lord, and so Prahlada had the most difficult task in front of him. He did not mask his beliefs or present arguments rooted in duality that could be easily nullified through the opposing view. He shared what Narada Muni previously passed on to him, and that wisdom can save any person, at any stage of life.

In Closing:

Why not life coach becoming?

Where message to wide audience coming.

That for personal purpose to strive,

Live each day happy to be alive.

Always love and towards others forgive,

But Prahlada something different to give.

That much time in valuable form squandered,

Better if on Vishnu topics pondered.

Three Phases In Life Where Time May Go To Waste

“Without Krishna consciousness, one wastes twenty years in childhood and boyhood and another twenty years in old age, when one cannot perform any material activities and is full of anxiety about what is to be done by his sons and grandsons and how one's estate should be protected. Half of these years are spent in sleep. Furthermore, one wastes another thirty years sleeping at night during the rest of his life. Thus seventy out of one hundred years are wasted by a person who does not know the aim of life and how to utilize this human form.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.6.7 Purport)

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Prahlada’s audience was quite young. They were not yet fully aware of the typical cycle of life. But how would Prahlada know? He was their peer. At only five years of age, what could he have learned? Actually, he was fully enlightened due to the contact with the saint named Narada. So inspired was he towards the Divine way of life that Prahlada was not afraid to share with his classmates.

The teachers certainly weren’t going to cover this topic. Even if they wanted to, it was strictly forbidden. Orders from on high, the aim of life is to enjoy the senses. Think first of material comfort. If there are any powerful figures controlling the universe, view them as kind of order-suppliers. Something like a store which you visit to purchase goods, make a formality of ritual and worship, for the underlying purpose of advancing the material condition.

One aspect of Prahlada’s teachings was the emphasis on wasted time. Man has conducted a similar analysis over the years, particularly with the area of sleeping. The son of the Daitya king emphasized that there is a certain time when everything should work in the favor of the sincere seeker of the truth. In other eras of life there is the increased chance of allowing the time to go to waste.

1. Childhood

Prahlada was trying to make his classmates be the exception to the rule. Otherwise, who really remembers what they did in the first ten years of life? Maybe certain experiences stand out here and there, but rarely does any documented evidence exist, such as notebooks, journals or lengthy conversations with friends and classmates.

It is not the child’s fault. They were bewildered by the world which they newly entered. There is school for a reason. It is compulsory in most places due to the importance. The child does not understand, but the adults do. They see better into the future, that an education will serve a person well.

2. Boyhood

In this phase of life there is sporting and playing. Think video games, outdoor sports, spending time with friends and so forth. This is the natural way, as the adults often lament that youth is wasted on the young. The children have more energy, so they are almost inexhaustible in their engagements.

Ten years easily pass by in this phase of life. Rarely is there contemplation on the destined end to life, as so many changes take place. The mind focuses on the new environments and what should be accomplished moving forward.

3. Old age

Prahlada references the time when the body drastically starts to diminish. With financial advisors, the typical assumption is that the retired person will need their savings to last for at least twenty years. Death can arrive at any moment, but if life extends to the average expectancy, there needs to be sufficient money saved in order to pay for necessities.

Retired means that there is no work. This can be a voluntary decision, but there is the accompanying factor of deterioration of the body. The abilities are not the same. The greatest professional athletes of the past no longer compete in the arena. This is because their bodies changed. Youths entered the scene and they displayed superior ability in comparison to those on the way out of the sport.

…

If you incorporate sleep into the mix, then it seems that almost half of life goes by without any contemplation on higher matters. The human birth is especially made for this kind of inquiry. Sporting, playing, eating, relaxing, sleeping – these can take place in any kind of birth. There is nothing unique about sense gratification for the human being, except for the increased contemplation and associated anxiety on the subject.

Whatever time remains should be spent in spiritual life. That is Prahlada’s message. He revealed this due to his compassionate nature. He was not afraid to speak the same to the hostile father, who was the greatest atheist in the world. The Divine consciousness, connected to the Supersoul, understanding the personal side and the all-attractiveness of the Almighty, is the way towards transcendence. That devotional life is the best use of time and it brings happiness to anyone engaged, whether young or old, fully able or of diminishing capacity.

In Closing:

When close to life cycle finishing,

Body of capacity diminishing.

In youth focus only to enjoy,

Occupied with newfound toy.

Maturing playing sports and running,

Sleep then when tired becoming.

With so little time make the best,

Prahlada’s focus on spiritual quest.

Five Situations In Which You Can Already Find Happiness And Distress

“Material happiness and distress come as soon as we accept a material body, regardless of what form. We cannot avoid such happiness and distress under any circumstances. The best use of human life, therefore, lies in reviving our relationship with the Supreme Lord, Vishnu.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.6.3 Purport)

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Prahlada Maharaja tried to stress the importance of making the most of the human form of body. The audience was people who were barely old enough to realize that humans are different from other species, that the same spark of spirit is the animating force inside every living being.

“Devote your life to Vishnu. That will bring the greatest happiness. In fact, there cannot be an accurate comparison. Like with the mathematical concepts of divide by zero and conducting null or infinity comparisons, the ananda from bhakti will be beyond anything else experienced.”

Prahlada’s message was something like this. One point of contention may be that children are meant to be happy, to match their carefree attitude. If they get too much caught up in the serious issues pertaining to life and death, they will miss out on the fun. The saintly son of the Daitya king therefore highlighted the fact that such happiness and distress are automatically found. In other words, there will be nothing to miss.

1. As an animal

The behavior of a dog is an easy example to understand. They are happy when the owner arrives at home. It is like they are saying, “Where have you been all day? I missed you.” They also feel distress when separated from the same person. They are pleased to get good food to eat and unhappy when disease strikes.

The same is found across the entire animal community. The degree of covering of the consciousness varies, which in turn affects the ability to experience different emotions, but the pain and pleasure are there all the same. It is something like the changing of seasons described by Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita.

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)

2. As a child

The conversation took place during recess session. Rather than run around and play to release energy built up while sitting in the classroom, Prahlada thought it was the perfect opportunity to share real jnana with others. Why keep everything to yourself, especially if you hold the key to happiness?

Even without trying, a child will find happiness and sadness. One day they are so pleased to discover an empty box. They play with it for hours. A few moments later they are upset to be forced into a diaper change. They put up a struggle, not realizing the necessity of the process.

3. As an unmarried adult

On the happiness side, you are free to do whatever you want. Perhaps there are responsibilities pertaining to the job, but once the clock hits five in the evening, nobody is around to watch over you. No deadlines to meet. No concern over staying awake for several hours at a stretch while sitting at a desk. Complete freedom, or so you think.

On the distress side, there is the feeling of loneliness. You see others spending time with their significant others and family members. You can’t help but wonder when the same will happen for you. As time passes, people around grow more concerned.

“When are you getting married? Don’t you think it is time already? Do you want to stay a bachelor forever?”

The questions arrive so frequently that you begin to choose isolation. Why meet with others when they are only going to nag you, bringing you down for no reason?

4. As a married adult

Married with children. Problem solved, or so you think. Constant companionship. People in the home happy to see you, for the most part. No issues in social circles. When meeting strangers, you can always make jokes about your wife and how much pressure she puts on you. It is easier to fit into the societal structure around you.

On the unhappiness side, the added pressure is significant. Previously, you could quit your job if you wanted to, at any time. Enough money saved up to live like you are on vacation for a while. But now that option is gone. You have to work. You have to pay the bills. Otherwise, the dependents won’t eat.

Forget about living someplace nice. You have to be closer to the business center of the city in order to earn a high enough salary to satisfy everyone at home. No more watching television sitcoms or sporting events. The only respite is sleep at night, but there the pressure of the next day weighs on your mind.

5. As king of the world

Prahlada’s father held this post. He was the most feared person, for even the powerful celestials felt the need to assume disguises in order to avoid his potential wrath. Hiranyakashipu had the happiness that you would naturally expect from world domination.

At the same time, he was terribly distressed due to the devotional nature found in Prahlada, who was only five years old at the time. So much power in that king of the Daityas, and yet he was helpless in removing the influence of Vishnu from the kingdom.

…

The happiness and distress from sense interaction can arrive in any situation and in any existence. A special endeavor is not required. Therefore, why make it the primary focus? Prahlada and Vaishnava saints like him recommend reaching for a higher taste. That is the boon of the human existence, as it brings the potential to ask sobering questions and receive both philosophical and practical evidence of the solutions.

In Closing:

Even as child for devotion ready,

Happiness and distress already.

Like the single person without wife,

Free without a care in life.

Later on family and children accepting,

Their needs priority now respecting.

Same duality in wherever to place,

Thus for bhakti Prahlada making the case.

Five Activities Children Might Copy From Adults

“Shrila Jiva Gosvami remarks in this connection that every child, if given an impression of the Lord from his very childhood, certainly becomes a great devotee of the Lord like Maharaja Parikshit. One may not be as fortunate as Maharaja Parikshit to have the opportunity to see the Lord in the womb of his mother, but even if he is not so fortunate, he can be made so if the parents of the child desire him to be so.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.12.30 Purport)

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As much as we would like it to be, life isn’t all fun and games. As a parent you have to eventually get serious, if you haven’t already. While it would be great to sit around and enjoy video games with the children, where there is no need to search for a playing partner, the realities of growth and maturity dictate otherwise. You could spend a significant amount of time in leisure activities, but there is the nagging feeling in the background that you should be doing more:

“How will I instill values in them? Everything that I have learned in this lengthy journey through life, I don’t want them to require experience in the same areas. Let them take the advice from me. But what if they don’t listen? What if they are rebellious, thinking that the parents are fools who know nothing?”

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada gives a helpful reminder that children simply imitate the adults. If the desire is to pass on good activities, then just show them what those look like. Indeed, children are known to imitate the adults in so many areas.

1. Speaking on the phone

You didn’t even know that you were doing it; a habit developed over time. Taking business phone calls is not fun. Those conversations require a little more thinking than the typical chats with friends and family. As if to match the tension, you start pacing back and forth.

The young child obviously notices. A few days later she is seen holding a mobile phone in her hands, walking back and forth in the living room. As she is too young to speak many words, she makes a sound every few seconds that is awfully similar to the grunt of agreement in typical adult conversations. In between those sounds she speaks some unintelligible words. The behavior is quite endearing, as she is obviously imitating what she sees with you.

2. Turning on the fan

After doing some work in the living room, you decide to head to the bedroom to take rest. The child follows right behind. Before she settles onto the bed to relax, she reaches down towards the fan that is placed on the floor. She presses a few buttons and then continues on her way. She doesn’t know what she is doing. She saw the parents turning on the fan before, so now she thinks that is part of the routine of entering the room.

3. Washing the windows

Coming back from a corporate lunch, one of your colleagues has to stop at home to pick up something. You decide to remain in the car. From your position in the driveway you notice something interesting. A young child is washing one of the windows in the upstairs bedroom. They are not using the typical cleaning product, but the behavior is endearing nonetheless. When your colleague returns, he explains that the child sees the mother washing in such a way on a daily basis and now wants to try for himself.

4. Reading a book

After a long day at the office, when you arrive home you decide to relax for a little bit in the living room. Sitting in one of the comfortable chairs near the window, your child comes up to you holding a book. They try to force it into your hand; their way of persuading to open and read. They are too young to speak many words, but they see you reading books all the time. They want to be able to do the same, to be like an adult.

5. Worshiping the Supreme Lord

It doesn’t take much in this area, either, but the benefits are beyond measure. Vedic teachings put forward this idea of the auspiciousness of the human birth. Athato brahma-jijnasa. “Now is the time for inquiring about Brahman, or spiritual life.” Brahman is also the true identity of the individual.

श्री-भगवान् उवाच
अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं
स्वभावो ऽध्यात्मम् उच्यते
भूत-भावोद्भव-करो
विसर्गः कर्म-संज्ञितः

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
akṣaraṁ brahma paramaṁ
svabhāvo ‘dhyātmam ucyate
bhūta-bhāvodbhava-karo
visargaḥ karma-saṁjñitaḥ

“The Supreme Lord said, The indestructible, transcendental living entity is called Brahman, and his eternal nature is called the self. Action pertaining to the development of these material bodies is called karma, or fruitive activities.” (Bhagavad-gita, 8.3)

How to get the urgency across to people in a world where illusion takes hold immediately upon entering it? Children want to play, after all. As adults they will be busy with daily responsibilities, which revolve around survival, i.e. eating and sleeping. For someone to just take the time to hear about devotional service, the essence of living, and the need for connecting in yoga is rare.

Yet just as the child will imitate basic activities like reading and talking on the phone, when they see the adults engaged in regular worship of the Supreme Lord, they can’t help but follow along. The activity could be something as simple as sitting down in front of an altar for japa meditation, chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Perhaps the father waves a lit incense stick as a kind of offering. There may be distribution of prasadam afterward. The sanctified food has a purifying effect on the consciousness. The child doesn’t know the ins and outs or even the justification for such routine practices, but they have the ability to love. Through the connection to the Supreme Lord, the loving tendency finds its proper outlet, and if the habit remains into adulthood then the parents have done their job.

In Closing:

Child with phone in hand pacing,

Holding book towards you facing.

Turning on fan without a thought,

Repeating sounds previously caught.

Parent concerned over how to teach,

But easy with imitation in reach.

Worship of the Supreme Lord show,

And likewise towards bhakti to go.

Two Ways Hiranyakashipu Was Easily Taken Down

“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

An interesting juxtaposition. The before and after. The Daitya side against the saintly side, though in fact the competitor was from the same family. He was Daitya by ancestry due to the link to the woman named Diti, but he had qualities from the daivi side since birth. This is similar to the great bow-warrior named Arjuna, who received assurance of his nature from the judge with the most discerning eye, Shri Krishna.

दैवी सम्पद् विमोक्षाय
निबन्धायासुरी मता
मा शुचः सम्पदं दैवीम्
अभिजातो ऽसि पाण्डव

daivī sampad vimokṣāya
nibandhāyāsurī matā
mā śucaḥ sampadaṁ daivīm
abhijāto 'si pāṇḍava

“The transcendental qualities are conducive to liberation, whereas the demonic qualities make for bondage. Do not worry, O son of Pandu, for you are born with the divine qualities.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 16.5)

One could hardly blame Hiranyakashipu for choosing the route that he did. In many respects, it is no different than modern-day life. Work hard. Earn sufficient money. Advance your material condition. Have associated physical evidence of the achievements, such as a large property, an expensive car, trophies, and children growing up on the path to becoming doctors or lawyers.

Yet on the other side, there was barely any effort. There was no intention of starting conflict, either. They were something like innocent bystanders who would normally become collateral damage in the path of destruction of the powerful atheist. Not in this instance, though.

1. A five-year old son

Hiranyakashipu’s intense effort was directed at immortality. He wanted to stay in his body forever, which is not possible. For starters, eternity involves the past, as well. Easy to overlook, but if you want to become immortal, you had to have been that way prior to birth. If you were compelled to appear in this world from the womb of a mother, it means that in the past there was an exit from a body. The same process will repeat moving forward.

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)

Blinded by his hatred of Vishnu and his ignorance of the real purpose of an existence, Hiranyakashipu went through severe austerities, voluntarily imposed, for winning the favor of Lord Brahma, the creator. There was success, to the point of receiving immunity from death in so many situations.

If you know that no animal or man can kill you and that no weapon will be able to cause harm, why not take advantage and terrorize all the powerful leaders of the world? Hiranyakashipu did just that, and he quickly rose to the heights of influence and enjoyment.

The streak of success broke when the son named Prahlada appeared in the family. He was neither sent by Brahma nor looking to take down anyone within the family. Prahlada simply had a natural affinity towards Divine life. Though he was born in the class of atheists, his nature was entirely different.

Hiranyakashipu’s first defeats were mental. The struggle to reprogram the mind of Prahlada was too much to bear. The father could not succeed, no matter how much force he applied. Then he chose lethal punishment, but that didn’t work, either. All that austerity and penance that provided so much strength, and still unable to take down a defenseless son.

2. Nails on the hands of a half-man/half-lion

Vishnu could have cheated, in a sense. He could have nullified the boons Brahma gave. But then what purpose would that serve? It would only diminish the creator’s stature, and it would lead to less people associating with someone who is directly in link with the Supreme Lord.

Instead, Bhagavan chose to show Hiranyakashipu what true potency is. Real immortality is having the same ability and existence pervading throughout time and space. In any form, Vishnu retains His amazing and inconceivable potency.

Hiranyakashipu had protection against weapons, but not nails on the hands of a half-man/half-lion figure. In one sense the Daitya leader should have felt honored. His carefully crafted boons led to the appearance of one of the most amazing avataras of the Supreme Lord.

The nails ripped Prahlada’s father apart at the stomach. The punishment was justified, as the demigods had been seeking relief for too long. Prahlada did not mind either way, though he felt compassion for the father who had turned the wrong way in life. The child’s saintly nature guaranteed liberation for the departed father, who had the great fortune of seeing Vishnu at the time of death.

In Closing:

Working hard for boons to get,

That close to immortality set.

But easily later defeat to find,

Unsteady in purpose and mind.

Since son Prahlada wanting to kill,

Unsuccessful but persisted still.

Until Narasimha with pointed nail,

Proving immortality quest to fail.