Lost in Ignorance

“Arrogance, pride, anger, conceit, harshness and ignorance—these qualities belong to those of demonic nature, O son of Pritha.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 16.4)

All individual souls are equal in their constitutional position. Similar to how we are advised to not judge a book by its cover, the outer dress of the spirit soul is misleading with respect to identification and attribute possession. The spirit soul – an entity which is anatomically independent and yet dependent on the divine will at the same time - forms the basis of identity in all forms of life. This soul is so amazing that its presence can only be realized through outwards symptoms such as the movements and growth cycles of material bodies. The presence of the soul is best exhibited during the events of birth and death, wherein the soul respectively enters and exits its temporary apartment. Once this dwelling is entered, it starts to grow and leave byproducts. Upon the exit of the soul from the dwelling, the same body immediately starts to decay. Therefore it can be concluded that the soul itself is the master of the house, the guiding force behind the changes we see around us.

Though the soul is powerful and naturally knowledgeable, when it gets placed into one of these temporary homes, its natural splendor is hidden. This is similar to how darkness prevails over the land when the sun sets. The sun really hasn’t gone anywhere, for the earth’s rotation has caused it to be temporarily taken out of sight. Darkness is simply the absence of light, the covering up of the immense spark known as the sun. When the soul is covered up by material elements, the natural propensity for knowledge is similarly shrouded, with the most obvious indication of this cloak being the false identification that is adopted by the majority of the conditioned souls. This false identification can take many forms but it begins with the use of the terms “I” and “Mine”. “I” is taken to be the body, and anything it interacts with and enjoys is considered to be “Mine”. In reality, these external objects are merely manifestations of material elements, those created by divine beings. The soul has no more possession of these objects than does the matter itself, which is by constitution lifeless and incapable of action. One may own a particular car, but it would be silly to say that the person is the car. Saying that “I am the car” is as silly as the car saying “I am you.” Yet this is precisely what occurs with the false identifications that manifest through the practices of nationalism, racism, and sectarianism.

In its constitutional position, the soul is a lover of God. The spiritual spark is simply an emanation from the original source of energy that is God. Since the energy and the energetic are linked in terms of makeup, there is an inherent relationship between the two entities. Naturally the more powerful entity will take on a prominent role in the relationship, with the inferior entity offering its service and loving sentiments. This isn’t to say that either party is superior in the grand scheme of things, for if both parties adhere to their roles, there is oneness in the emotions that are exchanged. The energetic party, represented by God, never changes its makeup, but the energy expansions have a choice in where they reside. When the consciousness of the spiritual spark is pure, the individual remains in the company of the energetic and thus takes part in the bliss experienced through sharanagati, or complete surrender. When the individual instead takes to pleasing itself, the connection with the Divine Being is broken, and the soul is cast off into a temporary realm where knowledge of its relationship to its eternal lover is forgotten.

Dharma, or religiosity, is instituted in the temporary realm as a way to allow the wayward soul to reassume its natural position in the spiritual sky as servitor of the Supreme. Abiding by dharma is not easy, so steadfast dedication to rules and regulations, along with adherence to the practice of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, is required. The highest dharma, or system of religion, is a discipline involving positive and negative activities, with the restricted activities often receiving more attention than the assertive ones. The positive activities of devotional service involve hearing, remembering, worshiping, and surrendering unto the lotus feet of the Lord, who appears in the temporary world in various non-different forms. Of all His forms that are perceptible to the conditioned entity, none is more powerful than the sound vibration representation. This audible form can be regularly created and honored by chanting, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”.

The assertive aspects of devotional service are quite harmless and easy to follow, but the restrictive actions are more likely to be the subject of controversy. Though there are a variety of sins and restricted activities, the Vedic seers have highlighted the four most dangerous ones: meat eating, gambling, illicit sex, and intoxication. These four activities stand out above all the rest because they prove to be the most effective at maintaining the cloud of ignorance that envelops the conditioned soul. Every living entity possesses the same level of knowledge and love for the Supreme Lord. But in the conditioned state, there are differences in the density levels of the clouds that surround the soul. The path to liberation is found through taking to activities which help remove this cloud of ignorance. The four pillars of sinful life are the most dangerous because they help increase one’s ignorance, and thus keep the individual firmly grounded in material life. One’s stay in the temporary realm doesn’t end with the death of the body or the destruction of the universe. Reentry into the spiritual world is not so simple. The conditioned living entity remains separated from its divine lover for as long as it desires to. If this desire remains at the time of death, the spirit soul is again cast into the ocean of nescience, wherein they are again given a temporary body which clouds their natural intelligence.

The sincere souls will gradually make progress in their spiritual pursuits, taking to various aspects of devotional service and making a good-faith effort to refrain from the most sinful of activities. There are others, however, who are so clouded in ignorance that not only will they shun devotional service, but they will actively seek to thwart the activities of those who are trying to return to the spiritual world. Attacking the positive activities of devotional service is a little difficult to do, as they are harmless in and of themselves. How can one argue against chanting and dancing in transcendental ecstasy when similar activities are already adopted by the non-devotees? No, the asuras, the demoniac non-devotees, will focus their criticisms on the restrictive aspects of devotional service, especially that of no meat eating.

Those who are unfamiliar with Vedic traditions will certainly find the restriction on meat eating a little strange at first. Anytime we encounter a new tradition or way of life, we are sure to find it odd. Many people who take to devotional service are actually so enamored by the restriction on meat eating that they will divert their attention towards advancing the cause of vegetarianism. While it is certainly noble to lead the crusade against the practice of unnecessary animal killing, it should be noted that the constitutional position of the soul and its relationship with the Supreme Lord have nothing to do with any positive and negative activities, or the piety and sin related to any action. Rather, the soul’s nature is to be a lover of God, so any activity which can maintain this bond of affection, and which at the same time doesn’t deviate from the Lord’s wishes, is deemed worthy of adopting.

“The animals are also making progress in their evolutionary life by transmigrating from one category of animal life to another. If a particular animal is killed, then his progress is checked. If an animal is staying in a particular body for so many days or so many years and is untimely killed, then he has to come back again in that form of life to complete the remaining days in order to be promoted to another species of life. So their progress should not be checked simply to satisfy one's palate.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 16.1 Purport)

The restriction on meat eating is simple enough to understand. Since every individual is a soul at the core, all forms of life must be treated with respect and love. This includes the animals. A cow or a chicken may not be as intelligent as a human being, but it still eats, sleeps, mates, and defends. It has a spirit soul inside of it, and it is simply going through its life cycle of karma, gradually ascending to the human species. Only the human being is capable of understanding the soul, dharma, and bhakti. When an animal is killed unnecessarily simply for the satisfaction of the taste buds of the killer, the activity certainly can’t be considered a religious one. Not only is the natural progress of the animal checked, but the laws of karma will force the killer to suffer in the future. While a government may be lax in its administration of justice and fairness, karma spares no one. It is completely fair and just, so if we kill another entity without cause, we will surely suffer the same fate in the future. In addition, eating meat keeps one attached to the sense demands brought forth by the taste buds. If this attachment remains at the time of death, liberation cannot be achieved.

The asuras, those who don’t believe in a soul or a God, have no problem eating meat. They think that everything begins and ends with the current life, so the natural occupation is to try to enjoy the senses as much as possible. Luckily, this line of thinking, which is completely rooted in ignorance, doesn’t resonate well with others. But the asuras are not so faint of heart; they have a deep attachment to their sinful way of life. In order to convince others of their ways, the asuras will take to criticizing the Vedic traditions and the various incarnations of Godhead who have appeared on earth. One area of criticism focuses on meat eating, wherein the asuras claim that Shri Rama, a famous incarnation of the original Divine Being, roamed this earth and killed many innocent animals and then ate them. Raising this apparent contradiction, the asuras hope to convince others that Rama cannot be God and that meat eating is certainly not a problem. It is not uncommon to find such persons at social gatherings, where wanton talk of all subjects flows very freely. Such people, who are usually unabashed smokers, drinkers, and meat eaters, hold much anger and resentment towards Shri Rama, Lord Brahma, and other popular figures of the Vedic tradition. Their criticisms directed at worshipable divine figures certainly can dishearten those devotees who are not familiar with the full breadth of Vedic instruction. This is precisely the intention of the asuras, for they themselves are lost in a sea of ignorance, and instead of trying to elevate themselves to safety, they would rather take everyone else down with them.

Lord Rama appeared on this earth many thousands of years ago during the Treta Yuga in the guise of a warrior prince, one of the kshatriya order. During His time, pious kings would regularly perform grand sacrifices as a way of blessing their kingdom and its inhabitants. Many of these sacrifices involved the killing of animals. This shouldn’t be mistaken to mean that the kings were avid meat eaters or that they were attached to violence. These animal sacrifices were religious functions, wherein the souls of the animals would automatically be promoted to a higher species in the next life. The kings were also in charge of protecting the innocent, so they had to be expert fighters. In order to become an expert bow warrior, one has to regularly practice. This practice came in the form of hunting, wherein deer and other animals were killed in the forest and then offered up as sacrifice. Again, there was no sense gratification involved in such activity.

There is some controversy as to whether or not Lord Rama and His three younger brothers ate meat or not. From the Valmiki Ramayana, the original composition describing the life and pastimes of Shri Rama, we see that the Lord on several occasions had to shoot deer in the forest. One of the most notable time periods of Rama’s life was His fourteen year exile in the forest, where He had to live as a recluse with no claim to the regal life. Prior to leaving, Rama made mention of the fact that He would have to live without eating nice food, including meat. Taking His younger brother Lakshmana and wife Sita Devi with Him, Rama embarked on His journey. Early on, the group created a cottage in an area pointed out to them by the sage Bharadvaja. Prior to entering this newly erected cottage, Lakshmana went out and shot an antelope with an arrow. The antelope’s meat was then cooked and offered up to various demigods [celestials in heaven in charge of various departments of material nature] so that they would bless the new establishment. Later on in their journey, Rama and Lakshmana met a Rakshasa named Kabandha, who advised the brothers to visit a lake called Pampa. In describing the lake, the Rakshasa said that there would be many wonderful fish in the lake for Lakshmana to take and offer up to Rama.

Based on these descriptions, it would be reasonable enough to assume that Rama and Lakshmana ate meat from time to time. They were after all members of the royal order, so they certainly took part in many sacrifices. Reasonable arguments can also be made supporting the contrary opinion which states that there is no evidence of Rama ever actually eating meat. When He visited the Nishada chief Guha in the forest, Rama was offered every nice type of food and drink available, but He declined to take part in them due to His vow of asceticism. There is also another incident where Shri Hanuman, the eternal servant of Rama, mentions that the Lord had not reduced Himself to drinking liquor or eating animal flesh while residing in the forest.

“Raghava [Rama] is not enjoying animal flesh, nor even giving service to liquor. He always eats in the evening whatever food has been well provided by the forest.” (Hanuman speaking to Sita Devi, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 36.41)

In either case, there is no duplicity on the Lord’s part. Even if Rama did eat meat, there is no violation of the rules against violence towards animals or the eating of animal flesh. God is the object of dharma, the ultimate reservoir of pleasure. Dharma is the set of law codes instituted to allow a person to purify their consciousness. The laws themselves are not the objects of pleasure or ultimate destination. Dharma is simply a guideline for how to do something properly. Just as there are included instruction manuals advising one how to construct an exercise machine or piece of office furniture, dharma provides a how-to guide for spiritual success. Yet the knower of God has no need for the instruction manual; they are already connected with Supreme Spirit. If the pure devotee transcends all rules and regulations of dharma, surely the Supreme Lord must as well.

“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.26)

In addition to refraining from eating meat, devotees are advised to offer food in the mode of goodness to Shri Krishna, the original form of Godhead, or one of His non-different expansions, and eat the remnants of the offered food. These remnants are known as prasadam, which means the Lord’s mercy. It should be noted that Krishna does not accept any meat items. Even during His time on earth as Lord Rama, God never accepted meat offerings from anyone. When He visited the female sage Shabari, Rama accepted the nice berries and fruits offered to Him. The grand animal sacrifices that were performed were all for the benefit of various demigods, celestial figures who are not as powerful as God. A demigod can be thought of as a government minister, a representative of the chief. The representative isn’t the same in power or stature as the chief, and they only concentrate their efforts on various workings of the government. The demigods are in charge of things like weather, good fortune, bad fortune, and illness. Sacrificed animals were never offered to Lord Krishna or His direct expansion of Lord Vishnu.

The asuras, nevertheless, will continue to point to Rama’s activities involving the killing of animals as a sign of contradiction. While these non-devotees are enamored by Rama’s violent activities, they completely ignore all of the Lord’s other features and qualities. If the asuras want to imitate Rama’s purported meat eating, why not imitate His benevolent behavior towards brahmanas and other pious entities? Why don’t the asuras try to take on 14,000 of the most powerful miscreants in the world and come out successful? Why don’t they remain steadfast to dharma and the injunctions of the Vedas? Why don’t they honor their mother and father in every possible way? Why don’t they renounce all opulences and amenities in favor of serving parents and elders? Why don’t they imitate Rama’s equal disposition towards all the citizens that lived in His kingdom of Ayodhya? Why don’t they imitate His behavior towards exalted sages such as Valmiki, Bharadvaja, Agastya, and Atri, wherein the Lord prostrated Himself before them and offered to serve them with every fiber of His being?

Maya, the illusory energy pervading the material world, is certainly a cruel mistress. The demoniac are the most scorned of lovers, for their loveable object is illusion. Unable to derive any happiness from unrequited love, the asuras take to criticizing those who have found the only source of pleasure in both the material and spiritual worlds. The demons will always try to create dissension by raising doubts in the minds of the pure-hearted devotees. The asuras are slaves to illusion, so naturally they will concoct unfounded theories and ideas about Shri Krishna and His various avataras. Yet just as the evil elements headed by the demon Ravana were defeated by Shri Rama and His sincere Vanara servants, the demons of today can be quickly cast aside by regularly remembering the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord and His powerful emissaries like Hanuman.

Trivedi

“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)

The ancient scriptures of India are known as the Vedas, which is a Sanskrit word meaning knowledge. Why would the scriptures be addressed in these terms? Real knowledge can only be in relation to the origin of the universe, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Shri Krishna. Any knowledge derived from the conclusion of God being the Absolute Truth will also be considered perfect. The Vedas represent the most complete system of education because they discuss this ultimate conclusion in great detail through the use of carefully crafted hymns, aphorisms, and mantras. Anyone who studies the Vedas thoroughly under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master will be blessed with the knowledge of illumination, information which will lead them back to the spiritual world.

The Vedas are also known as the shrutis, meaning that which is heard. In the beginning, the Vedas were only one set of instructions. This singular doctrine, known as the Veda, was passed down through aural reception. The brain power of mankind in the early stages of creation was so great that a person could memorize hundreds of thousands of complex Sanskrit verses after hearing them only one time. Sanskrit is considered the oldest language in the world, and it is written in the script called Devanagari, which means the city of the demigods. Since Sanskrit is spoken in the city where the demigods [highly elevated living entities] reside, it is also known as the language of the gods. Sanskrit comes from God Himself, who first imparted Vedic wisdom into the heart of Lord Brahma, the first created living entity born out of the lotus navel of Lord Vishnu, a plenary expansion of God. The original shruti consisted of wonderful Sanskrit poetry, so no one needed to write it down, nor was there a need to explain it. Simply by hearing the Veda, one could meditate on the Supreme Absolute Truth for thousands and thousands of years.

As time went on, mankind’s mental capacity diminished. Not only did it become harder to memorize the Veda, but it became increasingly more difficult to understand it. To bestow His mercy upon the fallen conditioned living entities, the Supreme Lord partially expanded himself into the form of a great spiritual master and writer named Vyasadeva. Vyasadeva took it upon himself to divide the Veda into four branches: Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva. Vyasadeva wasn’t satisfied with this, so he went on to compile many other books known as the Puranas. These works expounded on the same truths of the Vedas, but in story format. The stories actually described real life events of the past, present, and future. Therefore there is actually no difference between the information contained in the Puranas and the Vedas. Distinctions are made only for the purpose of appealing to a broad-base of scholars, religionists, and devotees. If one cannot understand the language and meaning of the four Vedas, they can take to reading other works such as the Ramayana, Puranas, and Mahabharata.

Based on the evolution of the dissemination of Vedic knowledge, we see that the information found in the Vedas actually existed before Vyasadeva’s time. Moreover, many of the incidents described in the Puranas also had taken place before the great sage’s time. Evidence of this is seen with the famous Ramayana, authored by Maharishi Valmiki. Many thousands of years ago, the Supreme Absolute Truth, Lord Krishna, descended to earth in human form as a valiant prince named Rama. While His primary mission was to annihilate the demon Ravana and his kingdom, the Lord also took it upon Himself to travel across the world and associate with His great devotees. One such meeting took place in the forest of Kishkindha, which was inhabited at the time by a race of human-like monkeys known as Vanaras.

The king of this particular clan was a Vanara named Sugriva, who had sought refuge in Kishkindha after being driven out of his kingdom by his brother Vali. Vali was ready to kill Sugriva, but due to a curse, he was not allowed to enter the forest of Kishkindha. Therefore, Sugriva set up shop there, residing on the mountain of Rishyamukha. Sugriva had thousands of monkey warriors with him, but his chief aide was the venerable Hanuman. Today Hanuman is famous throughout the world as a divine figure and pure devotee of God. Most know him for his great feats of strength and his courageous service offered to Rama and His wife, Sita Devi. Yet before Hanuman could offer service to Rama, he had to meet Him. An account of the initial meeting between the two celebrated figures, God and His dear friend, is given in Valmiki’s Ramayana.

While Rama was residing in the forest, Sita was kidnapped by Ravana. While searching for her whereabouts, Rama and His younger brother Lakshmana were advised to make friends with the monkey-king Sugriva. Upon reaching Kishkindha, Sugriva saw the two princes from his perch on the mountaintop. Fearing that they were sent by Vali, Sugriva asked Hanuman to go down and see what they wanted. He instructed Hanuman to hide his monkey figure, so as to keep the princes from attacking him. Hanuman decided to assume the more peaceful guise of a brahmana, or ascetic. A brahmana is essentially a priest, so others are more likely to behave in a non-threatening manner when encountering such a person.

Hanuman did as he was told, but upon seeing Rama, his heart immediately melted. His mission was to find out why Rama and Lakshmana were there, but Hanuman couldn’t help himself. He immediately went into describing the glories of the two brothers. Hanuman’s speech was exquisite and consisted of wonderful Sanskrit poetry, with many references made to revealed knowledge found in the Vedas. Hanuman kept going and going with his speech until he finally noticed that Rama wasn’t saying anything. Hanuman then gave up his false guise and revealed his true form to the two brothers. He then told them the truth of who he was and his relationship to Sugriva.

In the above referenced quote, Lord Rama is reacting to Hanuman’s speech by reviewing the matter with Lakshmana. In this situation, Hanuman was acting as the representative of King Sugriva, so Rama decided to have Lakshmana act as His representative. In reality, Lakshmana is the embodiment of the spiritual master, or guru. The guru’s main business is to act as God’s representative on earth and take the necessary steps to protect His good name, teaching others how to serve Him properly in the process. The spiritual master is also charged with relaying God’s message to others, so as to let them know what the Lord is thinking and what will make Him happy. In this regard, Lakshmana played the role perfectly, as Lord Rama instructed him to speak to Hanuman with pleasing words. Rama was interested in forming an alliance with Sugriva, and due to Hanuman’s good nature, the Lord wanted to welcome him very kindly.

Lord Rama, being God Himself, is very kind to His devotees. He not only gives His representatives the proper marching orders, but He also explains the purpose behind such instructions. In this instance, Rama wanted to explain to Lakshmana why Hanuman was to be treated with kindness and respect. From the above referenced statement, we see that the Lord was quite impressed with Hanuman’s speech. We see that Rama accurately notes that no one could speak in the way that Hanuman did without mastering the three primary Vedas: the Rig, Yajur, and Sama.

“The word trai-vidyah refers to the three Vedas, Sama, Yajur and Rig. A brahmana who has studied these three Vedas is called a tri-vedi. Anyone who is very much attached to knowledge derived from these three Vedas is respected in society.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 9.20 Purport)

Rama’s observation is a noteworthy one. Since the original four Vedas are so complex and difficult to understand, learned brahmanas typically would choose to focus on only one of them. In rare instances, a brahmana would become expert in two branches, and thus be known as dvi-vedi. If someone knew all three primary branches, they would be referred to as tri-vedi. Trivedi is actually a common surname in India today. People with this last name are descendents of brahmanas who were expert in three different branches of the Vedas. Needless to say, only the topmost scholars would be granted this title. Hanuman was so exalted that he earned this distinction from none other than Lord Rama Himself.

Actually the qualities possessed by Hanuman are unmatched. Though he had the body of a monkey, he had the intelligence of the most learned brahmana. This fact alone should dispel the bogus idea of one’s intelligence or social standing being determined by the circumstances of their birth. While the brahmanas are the highest division of the varnashrama-dharma system, one can only be classified in this group if they exhibit the proper qualities and perform the duties prescribed to them. A person’s bodily features, their family lineage, and their country of origin are not of any importance in this regard. Shri Hanuman, though a divine figure, appeared in the body of a monkey. Though he was genetically predisposed to excessive intoxication and sex life, he had no attraction to these things. Based on the activities he performed in service of Rama, he proved himself to be a learned scholar, a gentle soul, a courageous warrior, and a person unmatched in strength.

More than just being a tri-vedi, Hanuman is a Vaishnava, or devotee of Vishnu. This is his most important characteristic. Lord Rama could identify this immediately, and that is why He advised Lakshmana in the way that He did. After this meeting, Hanuman would kindly carry the two brothers on his back and bring them to Sugriva, with whom an alliance would immediately be formed. Soon after, Sita would be found, Ravana would be defeated in battle, and Lord Rama would triumphantly return home with his entourage consisting of Hanuman and many other Vanaras.

What we can take away from this passage is that while Hanuman possesses extraordinary strength and intelligence, he only uses his powers for the Lord’s benefit. Obviously, we don’t possess all of the same qualities as Shri Sankat Mochan, but that shouldn’t stop us from serving the Lord to the best of our ability. We all have some sort of talent, something that we are good at. Some of us are good at personal interactions, dealing with strangers, and meeting new people. Some of us are skilled in writing, singing songs, cooking, gardening, making flower garlands, or doing work on the computer. Whatever our talent is, we should use it unsparingly in service to God. That is the example that Hanuman set for us. He used his expertise of the three Vedas to praise the Lord to the best of his ability. In this way, he proved himself to be a supreme object of worship, someone worthy of our eternal love and respect. Anyone who follows in the transcendental footsteps laid down by Shri Hanuman will undoubtedly very quickly find their way to the Supreme Abode.

Dousing the Fire

“All the gopis were solaced by the instruction of Uddhava, and they requested him to stay in Vrindavana for a few days more. Uddhava agreed to their proposal and stayed with them not only for a few days, but for a few months. He always kept them engaged in thinking of the transcendental message of Krishna and His pastimes, and the gopis were feeling as if they were experiencing direct association with Krishna.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 46)

Everyone is burning from the fire of separation from the Supreme Lord, even though they may not realize it. The root cause of every pain and every discomfort is this separation, a consciousness where the purified soul feels that it is alone and that it is lacking that one thing in life that will give it solace. The fire of separation can be doused by words describing the transcendental activities, pastimes, and features of the Divine Entity. These words can be put forth by anyone, but when they come from a devotee, one who knows wherefrom the fire of separation ignites, they gain true efficacy. The most powerful solution to all of mankind’s problems, the only way to douse the fire of separation from God, is to hear about and remember His activities.

Does God have activities? He most certainly does. In order for activities to be performed, there must be a form. It is in this area that the Vedas stand out amongst all other spiritual disciplines. Popular scriptures may give information about a divine entity and the need for human beings to render service unto such a person, but the necessity for this surrender is often neglected or at least not explained in any detailed way. Often times the divine entity is described as being angry and jealous and one who insists that others bow down to Him exclusively. Yet even though the Lord is described in this way, He is deemed to be formless; one who is absent of activity and attributes.

It is sometimes asked what is needed to convert to Hinduism. The reality is that Hinduism, which is really just the modern term that describes the spiritual discipline emanating from the Vedas, doesn’t necessarily contradict any other system of spirituality. Moreover, the Vedas are not something you believe in or convert to. Rather, they simply represent law codes and detailed descriptions of the Divine’s nature, form, activities, attributes, and relationship to His subjects. In this way, non-Vedic spiritual disciplines can be thought of as first and second grade education, which by itself certainly isn’t invalid or unnecessary, while the Vedas represent a high school or college level education on spirituality. The human brain can never truly comprehend the nature of the Divine, for that is one of the primary differences between God and ordinary living beings. However, the Vedas provide as much detail as required to get the picture on what the purpose, or dharma, in life should be.

In the Vedic tradition, the original Divine Entity is known by the name of Krishna. More than just God, Krishna is Bhagavan, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is not an angry, spiteful, or jealous God, but rather an all-blissful, eternally full of knowledge divine being. The living entities, represented by any life form that has a soul in it, are His tiny fragmental sparks. This means that all forms of life – animals, plants, humans, ants, insects, trees, etc. – are similar to Krishna in quality. The difference lies in the area of quantitative powers. Living entities have no memory of when they were put into their current situation, nor do they know how to put an end to their future fortunes and misfortunes. The Supreme Lord, however, is conscious of every activity performed in the past, present, or future.

“The Blessed Lord said: Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy!” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.5)

Since the living entities are one with and different from God, there is an intimate relationship that exists at all times. Currently, we living entities in the human species, who are the most advanced in terms of knowledge, are unaware of this relationship. Hence there is a separation of consciousness. God can never be separated from anything that He creates, but Mother Nature is considered a separated expansion in the sense that the living entities under her control remain unaware of their relationship to the divine. Thus ignorance serves to facilitate the appearance of separation between God and His dearmost devotees. This separation results in a burning sensation which causes the living entities to always struggle through feelings of hankering and lamentation.

The Vedic seers, the representatives of the Lord on earth, tell us that every single problem that we think exists is due simply to this fire of separation. The more we become aware of the real problem, the greater our chances are at putting out the fire. Some of the more common problems in society are poverty, war, famine, high prices for commodities, and unemployment. Yet we know from studying history that each of these problems has been solved to some degree or another at some point in time. People living in America may feel that their economic situation suffers from time to time, but when compared to other nations around the world, there is really no such thing as poverty in America. In addition, when economic times are good, do people’s worries and fears cease? Absolutely not, for new issues are sure to crop up. Even during the greatest economic booms, there is concern about the plight of the poor and the down-trodden, those who are deemed to be not taking part in the economic largesse. No amount of service to humanity, regardless of the sincerity or lack thereof of the participants involved, can douse the fire of separation which is at the root of all miseries in this world.

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

The devotees, those who acknowledge the presence of a God who is full of form and bliss, realize that association with the Divine Entity is the only path towards salvation. Devotees try their best to link up their consciousness with the Supreme Consciousness. The Vedic tenet, as told by Krishna Himself, is that a person’s consciousness at the time of death determines their fate in the next life. Through this system, we see that no one is more benevolent than Krishna. The idea of accepting God through some formalized ritual and then focusing one’s thoughts, words, and deeds towards sense pleasures is not enough to guarantee salvation. If the living entity is happy in a temporary and miserable world, where their consciousness remains separated from the Supreme, the Lord is not so unkind as to remove such a person from their “comfortable” home. The spiritual world is open to entry for any sincere soul, provided that they want to go there. The genuineness of this desire is measured at the time of death in the form of one’s consciousness.

Thoughts and actions serve to change one’s consciousness, so by practicing devotional service through the chanting of the Lord’s names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, the devotees aim to always be connected with Krishna. Goswami Tulsidas, a great devotee of Lord Rama and all-time favorite historical personality of our humble self, compares the activities of a true devotee to that of the Chatak bird. Krishna, Rama, Vishnu, and other vishnu-tattva forms are the same original form of Godhead just appearing in different guises. Devotees of Krishna will argue that since He is the original, other forms are not as powerful. Yet for devotees like Tulsidas and Hanuman, such statements don’t resonate. Even if told that Lord Rama, Vishnu, or Narasimha isn’t as potent as Krishna, such devotees still would never change their object of worship, so staunch is their affection. And in the grand scheme of things there is no difference between worshiping different Krishna forms, as they all can rescue the sincere soul from the cycle of birth and death.

The Chatak bird is unique in that it only drinks rainwater. It stares at the raincloud at all times, regardless of what else is going on around it. This is a wonderful comparison made by Tulsidas because Lord Rama’s body is the same in complexion as the dark raincloud. The same goes for Krishna and Vishnu. The pure devotees are like the Chatak bird in that they never want anything else except Krishna’s association. Even if they only get a little rain, the level of devotion doesn’t change. Yet just because the devotees are always thinking of Krishna, staring at the cloud if you will, it doesn’t mean that the fire of separation isn’t there. In fact, once a person becomes Krishna conscious, the fire only intensifies since they desperately crave Krishna’s association at all times. If the raincloud should somehow disperse or not appear for a few days, the devotees feel extreme pain.

So what can be done to douse this fire? For the answer, we can look to Uddhava, the cousin-brother of Lord Krishna who had an appearance almost identical to the Lord’s. Around five thousand years ago, Krishna personally descended to earth and enacted wonderful pastimes while in the guise of a human being. For God, there is no such thing as a difference between body and soul. There is no hankering, lamentation, or fire of separation in His consciousness. Yet to kindly attract the hearts and minds of the purified souls of the world, the Lord roamed the earth in what appeared to be an ordinary body. Retaining His dark blue color, Krishna captivated the residents of the village of Vrindavana in His youth. Since there were many unwanted elements in the world at the time, to take care of these demons, the Lord had to shift to the towns of Mathura and Dvaraka when He grew up. Krishna’s birth parents were of the royal order, so the Lord felt duty-bound to become a king and fight off enemies.

The residents of Vrindavana were members of the farm community, so they had nothing to do with the opulences of royal life. When Krishna left them, they felt as if their life had been taken from them. Though Krishna’s foster parents, Nanda Maharaja and Mother Yashoda, felt especially pained, no one took the separation harder than the gopis, the young cowherd girls. Krishna is not only the name for God’s original form, but it is also a word which means all-attractive. This shouldn’t surprise us, for only God could be the most attractive person in the world. This attraction certainly isn’t a fatal one, except maybe in terms of material life. One who becomes attracted to Shyamasundara, the dark blue beautiful Lord, will certainly have their time in the material world put to a permanent end. Attraction to the most attractive Krishna is most beneficial.

The gopis, most of whom were already married, had surrendered life and soul to Krishna. They enjoyed intimate association with Him on many a night in Vrindavana during Krishna’s youth. From the example of the gopis, we see that the height of devotion to God has nothing to do with rituals, severe penance, the giving of charity, or the taking to any particular social order. While these different aspects of spiritual life can certainly be beneficial in terms of progressing towards the ultimate goal, the height of purified consciousness was already achieved by the gopis through pure love. Since they were on the highest devotional platform, mundane rules and mores of society didn’t apply to them.

Since they were so benefitted from intimate association with Krishna, the gopis couldn’t bear separation from the Lord. Krishna knew this of course, so a short while after leaving He sent Uddhava to deliver a message to the gopis. Uddhava was Krishna’s cousin and he had a similar appearance to the Lord. When the gopis knew that Uddhava had a message from Krishna, they took him to the forest where no one else could hear the confidential message. Uddhava read the nice message from Krishna, which offered wonderful praises to the gopis, but the gopis weren’t really interested in formalities. They simply wanted to know what Krishna was doing, how He was feeling, and if He remembered any of them and the enjoyable time they spent together.  Seeing the gopis in a distressed condition, Uddhava advised them to always meditate on Krishna and remember His pastimes.

The gopis were so happy to hear Uddhava’s words that they insisted he remain in Vrindavana longer. In this way, their pains of separation were alleviated by Krishna’s messenger always talking about the Lord’s activities. This is the primary duty of the guru, or spiritual master. The guru is the sublime teacher, one who teaches the fallen souls how to reclaim their prestigious position as servitors of the Supreme Lord. The instructions of the guru can be quite complicated and involve different activities and regulations, but more than anything else, the guru tries to alleviate the pains of separation felt by the devotee. As proved by Uddhava, this fire of separation can only be doused by hearing about and remembering Krishna.

We may not all be spiritual masters or exalted devotees, but the efficacy of the words of Krishna and discourses pertaining to His activities doesn’t change. Topics of Krishna not only douse the fire of separation felt by the devotees, but they also alleviate the pains felt by every other person in the world. Therefore the best elixir to cure life’s ailments is the distribution of Krishna’s names, fame, glories, and words which describe His activities and attributes. Not only does talking about Krishna make the people on earth happy, but it also pleases all the past great devotees residing in the spiritual world. No group of individuals is more exalted than the gopis, and from Uddhava’s example, we see that simply talking about Krishna is enough to gain their favor. One who is in good standing with the gopis will never have to worry about the fire of material existence ever again.

Highly Esteemed

“O Saumitra, subduer of all enemies, welcome with pleasant words this monkey, who is a counselor of Sugriva and a knower of speech who uses words which are sweet, affectionate, and just befitting the situation.” (Lord Rama speaking to Lakshmana, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 3.27)

In this passage, Lord Rama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is advising His younger brother on how to react to a series of statements made by Shri Hanuman, a great devotee and emissary of the monkey-king Sugriva. Hanuman had just approached the two brothers in the forest of Kishkindha not knowing who they were. Sugriva saw the two princes, who were looking for Rama’s abducted wife Sita, from atop the mountain of Rishyamukha. Fearing that the princes had come to kill him, Sugriva sent Hanuman down to see what they wanted.

Hanuman assumed the guise of a mendicant before meeting Rama and Lakshmana, thus hiding his monkey-like form. Naturally when hearing such stories we may be tempted to believe they are part of folklore or mythology, but this is not the case with the events of the Ramayana. Arguably the oldest book in history, the Ramayana, as authored by Maharishi Valmiki, chronicles the life and pastimes of Lord Shri Rama, a primary avatara of Lord Vishnu. In the Vedic tradition, Lord Vishnu is considered the chief among the gods, a representation of the original form of Godhead Hari, or Krishna. When Vishnu appears on earth, His form is referred to as an avatara, or incarnation. Lord Rama was one such avatara, and He spent a great deal of time on earth roaming the forests of India and giving pleasure to His devotees. On one occasion, His beautiful wife Sita Devi was kidnapped by the Rakshasa demon Ravana in Rama’s absence. While roaming the forests searching for Sita, the two brothers were advised to meet up with a monkey-king named Sugriva who would help them find Sita.

When Hanuman first approached the two brothers, his purpose was to find out the reason for their being in the forest. Yet upon seeing Rama’s beautiful face, Hanuman immediately went into praising both He and Lakshmana. The words uttered by Hanuman, though composed on the fly, were no ordinary statements. He used exquisite poetry which leaned upon the immense beauty of the Sanskrit language. Lord Rama was quite impressed by Hanuman’s speech, but Hanuman could not tell what Rama and Lakshmana were thinking. Finally, he gave up his false guise and revealed his true intentions; informing Rama and Lakshmana that he was sent by Sugriva.

In the above referenced quote, we get Lord Rama’s initial reaction to meeting Hanuman. Right away, Rama was happy because He knew that He had found a way to meet up with Sugriva. During those times especially, it was important for kings to form alliances. All the kings were of the kshatriya order, which is the administrative or fighting class. Kings were expert fighters themselves, so diplomacy wasn’t such an easy thing to practice. Forming alliances was certainly important, so Rama was happy to see that He had found an emissary of Sugriva.

Lord Rama was also quite pleased by Hanuman’s kind words. The Lord could tell that Hanuman was extremely intelligent, strong, and kind-hearted. He advised Lakshmana to treat Hanuman with kindness and respect, and to address him with sweet words. Hanumanji is worshiped today by millions because of his unmatched character and devotion to Lord Rama. From this incident we can see that Hanuman immediately formed a loving attachment for the Lord, without even knowing who He was. By the same token, Lord Rama also immediately formed an attachment to Hanuman. From this spontaneous display of affection, the secret to success in life is revealed.

Eventually an intelligent person will search for the meaning of life, the purpose to their existence. Since time immemorial great scholars and academics have posited their own theories on the issue, each coming from their own point of view which was shaped by their own life’s experiences. The Vedas, however, come from God, so any truth which is derived from these scriptures can be considered valid, and any truth not derived from the Vedas can be considered faulty. Since the ultimate conclusion of the Vedas is that Lord Krishna, or God, is the Supreme Absolute Truth, it makes sense that the purpose of life would be to connect with this Truth. After all, where there is truth, there is knowledge; and where there is knowledge, there is intelligence; and when one acts under the guidance of intelligence, they follow the righteous path; and when one follows the righteous path, there is no chance of falling down.

Since the purpose of human life is to find out the Absolute Truth, one must know where to go and how to act. To aid us in the process, the Supreme Lord, the Absolute Truth in His personal form, kindly appears on this earth from time to time. Though these appearances are spread out across the extremely lengthy time period of creation, it isn’t required that we personally witness all of the Lord’s activities. The great sages and associates of the Lord kindly record all of His activities into book form. The Ramayana represents one such composition of recorded history. Simply by hearing from the Ramayana, one can gain insight into God’s nature, names, appearances, likes and dislikes.

From the incident of Rama’s meeting with Hanuman, we see that the Lord delights in kind words of praise which are offered with sincerity and devotion. Hanuman is known for being a servant of God, but we see that Lord Rama also serves Hanuman. In this particular situation, Lakshmana was acting as Rama’s emissary. When Lakshmana and Hanuman were speaking, it was similar to two heads of state kindly greeting one another. Lakshmana, being a representative of Rama, acted off the advice and consent of Rama. In the above referenced quote, Rama is essentially offering His service to Hanuman through Lakshmana. “Make sure to address him in sweet words, so as to not offend him. He is obviously very kind, sweet, and well versed in speech. Therefore we should take special care not to offend him.”

This is somewhat ironic since most of us look to God to satisfy our needs. If we do something wrong, which is surely a regular occurrence, we look to the Lord for forgiveness, for we don’t want Him to be angry with us. In Lord Rama’s case, He didn’t want Hanuman to be offended by any of His actions. How beautiful the relationship between God and His devotees is. The Lord never allows a devotee’s service to go to waste. He acknowledges everything offered to Him and returns the favor by becoming indebted to the devotee for life.

It is not surprising to see that Hanuman is immensely popular today. Goswami Tulsidas was especially fond of Hanumanji. Along with authoring the famous Hanuman Chalisa, a beautiful poem which praises the exploits of the famous servant of Lord Rama, Tulsidas also erected several Hanuman temples. If Lord Rama Himself loved Hanuman so much, we most certainly should show the same amount of respect.

So how do we honor Shri Hanuman? As events would play out, Hanuman would take Rama and Lakshmana to meet Sugriva, and an alliance would be formed immediately. Eventually, Sugriva would offer the services of his Vanara army to help Rama rescue Sita. With the help of Lakshmana, Hanuman, and countless others, Lord Rama would march to Lanka, defeat Ravana, and rescue Sita. All of the Lord’s close associates would then triumphantly return with Him to His home city of Ayodhya, where Rama would be installed as the new king.

After some time everyone had to part ways and leave Ayodhya, including Hanuman. Prior to leaving, Hanuman asked Rama if he could remain in his body for as long as the Lord’s story was still told on earth. Lord Rama happily agreed and told Hanuman that He’d give him whatever he wanted. This means that of all the things in this world, nothing provides Hanumanji more pleasure than hearing others sing the praises of the Lord. Therefore the easiest way to bring joy to Hanuman is to regularly chant God’s names. The sacred formula known as the maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, is wonderful because it incorporates both the names of Krishna and Rama, thus allowing all devotees of God to unite under one message.  Such a mantra brings pleasure to the Supreme Lord and all of His highly esteemed servants.

A Leg Up

“The gopis were not born of any highly cultured family; they were born of cowherd men, and yet they developed the highest love of Krishna. For self-realization or God realization there is no need to take birth in a high family. The only thing needed is ecstatic development of love of God. In achieving perfection in Krishna consciousness, no other qualification is required than to be constantly engaged in the loving service of Krishna.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 46)

In the Vedic tradition, the issue of spiritual masters, or gurus, and their disciples and descendants has always been a point of controversy. The Vedas, the original set of law codes on spirituality, government, science, and any other area of importance, were instituted by the Supreme Divine Entity, the person most of us refer to as God. Yet for this tradition to continue, highly qualified scholars - people dedicated to not only learning the truths about the Vedas, but also to practically applying them in their day to day lives – are required. Since such qualified men are few and far between, anyone who takes direct instruction from them or can trace their family heritage to them feels that they are in select company.

Everyone is looking for an edge in life, so it's not surprising that someone who would bear such spiritual connections, either through association or family lineage, would feel they have a leg up in the pursuit for perfection in spiritual life. But the real benefit to learning from great sages and appearing in their family is that one is allowed to reacquaint themselves with their dearmost, original friend. Since this benefit cannot be matched, the boon of having a connection to a notable spiritual master takes on an added significance.

“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)

Let’s first establish just what actually constitutes a member of the higher class and why there needs to be one. Life on earth is meant for the cultivation of spiritual knowledge. When this knowledge is acquired and put to use through actions in everyday life, a living being’s consciousness gradually changes. When this consciousness is completely purified and directed at the Supreme Being in the spiritual sky, the person is deemed to have succeeded in the mission of life. More importantly, when this mindset is there at the time of death, the spirit soul residing within whichever life form it has adopted at that time will immediately be transferred to the spiritual sky, where it will never have to leave again. Life in the transcendental realm is similar to life on earth, except that everything is purified. All the sources of misery and anxiety are removed. Therefore one of the names for this realm is Vaikuntha, meaning a place free of anxiety and misery.

So how does one go about acquiring this purified consciousness? At the time of birth, the human being is no different than the animal. Through the discovery process, and more importantly the instructions provided by authority figures, a child learns the essentials of life and what’s needed to survive in it. In a similar manner, in order to change one’s consciousness towards the spiritual path, a bona fide teacher is required. This instructor not only must know the truths relating to the difference between matter and spirit, but they must also be directly connected with the spiritual world. This means that their consciousness must have already been previously purified, an event which then forever altered their way of life and thinking. Only such a purified person can impart the essential instructions to the fallen conditioned soul who is looking for rescue from the ocean of nescience.

The Vedas give a name to such an instructor: guru, or spiritual master. The spiritual master belongs to a class of men known as brahmanas. The living entity, though it falsely identifies with its ever changing body at the time of birth, is actually Brahman. The transcendent Lord has multifarious aspects and energies, and Brahman is one of them. The combination of all things spirit - the driving force behind all activities in this world - can be thought of as Brahman. Each individual spiritual spark is an equal part of Brahman. When one understands this impersonal energy, that every living entity is equal on a spiritual level, they are worthy of the title of brahmana.

Brahmanas are required in a society because it is very difficult to come to the understanding that all living entities are equal. There are many equality-type movements in existence today, but they all focus on the outer dress of the soul. There is no thought given to the fact that one’s dress may change in the next life, or that the soul residing within may have existed in a different type of body in a previous life. Attention is given completely to the current, temporary condition of whichever group is deemed as down-trodden and in need of help. The brahmanas know that every living entity is in need of instruction since their consciousness is contaminated. One who acquires the status of a brahmana thereby has an inherent duty to teach the other classes of society - be they administrators, warriors, merchants, laborers, or farmers - on matters pertaining to spirituality and how one can go about shifting their consciousness to the spiritual realm.

Since the brahmanas understand Brahman and have successfully shifted their consciousness, they are given special favor in society. They are seen as the highest division in a system known as varnashrama-dharma. This system is the breakdown of societal and life maintenance for all individuals. Since the brahmanas are so exalted, anyone who associates with them will feel very fortunate. In the early days of creation, any person who took birth from a brahmana father was also deemed a brahmana. This designation was given because the birth was conceived according to specific ritualistic functions. Also, the child would be brought up and trained by its own guru, meaning that one didn’t keep the brahmana designation for life without acquiring the necessary training. In more recent times, anyone who descends from a spiritual master through a tradition of instruction also feels privileged. A brahmana teaches one disciple, who teaches another, and so on. Anyone who finds their way into this chain and obtains the proper information about spiritual life feels they are fortunate for having descended from a particular notable spiritual personality.

The more common issue of contention relates to persons who descend from a great brahmana of the past through a bloodline. In India especially, those who descend from spiritual masters of the past are known as Brahmins, which is simply the current vernacular for a person who claims brahminical status off birth. The scriptures, the authorized Vedic texts, don’t support the notion that one can become a member of the highest class of society simply by taking birth in an exalted family. After all, a brahmana must understand Brahman to have their consciousness changed. If a person is born a Brahmin, but then takes to activities of meat eating and intoxication, it certainly means they have not understood Brahman. A person’s consciousness is exhibited through several outward symptoms, i.e. their behavior. Meat eating and intoxication are considered impure activities because they are indicative of a lack of intelligence. A person who understands that all spirit souls are an equal part of Brahman sees no need to inflict unnecessary harm on any form of life. Similarly, one’s consciousness cannot be focused on the spiritual world when they are intoxicated.

“Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness—these are the qualities by which the brahmanas work.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 18.42)

A true brahmana is one who walks the walk in addition to talking the talk. Simply claiming to be religious is not enough; there has to be a change in consciousness manifested through activities and the exuding of specific qualities. Many modern day religious leaders proclaim that one must surrender unto a specific theistic personality in order to achieve salvation. If they neglect this surrendering, they will be punished severely, both in this life and the next. The method of acceptance involves a formal ritual and an open declaration of allegiance. Yet according to the Vedic definition, simply acknowledging the superiority of a specific spiritual personality is not enough. The key is to shift one’s consciousness. Lust, greed, and attachment to matter are so strong that many people will say or do anything to get what they want. In this regard, there is nothing to stop a person from going through perfunctory rituals, which give the appearance of surrender, but then afterwards focus their thoughts and activities on the service of some worldly entity. It also must be said that many of these spiritual leaders refuse to acknowledge the form, name, or propensity for activity of the Supreme Divine Entity. Moreover, they harshly condemn the practice of bowing down to or conceiving of a form for God. Yet from the example of the brahmanas, we see that the key ingredient in spiritual life is consciousness. This change in mindset involves surrender to a particular entity. If the form of Godhead is denied, the chances of worshiping something which does have a form - be it a woman, cat, dog, or political leader - increases.

“Especially in every brahmana's house there must be a shalagrama-shila [stone representation of Vishnu] to be worshiped by the brahmana family. This system is still current. People who are brahmana by caste, who are born in a brahmana family, must worship the shalagrama-shila.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi 13.86 Purport)

A bona fide brahmana is one who has shifted their consciousness and completely surrendered, both in thought and deed, to the Supreme Divine Entity, or God. A person claiming brahminical status simply off birthright can’t be considered a bona fide teacher. There is another side to this issue, however. While a person born as a Brahmin may be falsely puffed up by their stature, there are certain favorable elements to this mindset. Many Brahmins take their status in society very seriously. They thus take the necessary steps to cultivate spiritual knowledge. They perform religious functions on a daily basis, and more importantly, they worship Lord Vishnu. There are certainly innumerable forms of Godhead, but Vishnu is considered the original, equal to the Personality of Godhead who has a transcendental form, name, and pastimes. Vishnu is the same as Krishna or any other non-different expansion of the Lord. Those Brahmins who actually do take their status very seriously will be wholly dedicated to Vishnu worship from their birth. This not only helps the individual, but also any person related to them who grows up in such a purified environment. Brahmins have a much greater chance of refraining from eating meat, drinking alcohol, and taking to illicit sex than do others simply due to the perceived “high birth”. In addition, they have the greatest opportunity to take to chanting the Lord’s names found in the maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”.

“O son of Pritha, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth-women, vaishyas [merchants], as well as shudras [workers]—can approach the supreme destination.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 9.32)

So we see that the importance of taking birth in a “high” family really lies with the issue of God consciousness. If one has a chance to associate with Krishna through their family life, they are deemed to be the most fortunate person. The family status isn’t necessarily the important issue, but rather the nature of the activities that the family performs. Any person, regardless of their family lineage, can reach the topmost status by having their consciousness changed through activities performed in their daily lives. The gopis of Vrindavana best illustrate this fact. Around five thousand years ago, Lord Vishnu Himself came to earth in His original form of Lord Krishna.

Lord Krishna is a person, a Supreme Person, but nevertheless a personality just like the rest of us. Therefore, when He appears on earth, He retains His form as a person. Others mistakenly take Him to be an ordinary human being, but this is by design. Five thousand years ago, the Lord spent His childhood years in Vrindavana, which was a farm community inhabited by cowherds. The girls of the town also took part in tending cows, selling milk and yogurt, and churning butter. They performed these tasks in addition to maintaining their households. The gopis, the cowherd girls, weren’t educated in a formal setting, nor did they receive any direct training from a brahmana. Yet through their association with Krishna, they had their consciousness purified. They actually never thought of anything else except Krishna’s interests. Their love for Him remains the emblem of devotional consciousness, the high mark of spiritual practice. In fact, aspiring transcendentalists are advised to not even attempt to reach the level of consciousness of the gopis, but rather to seek their benedictions and help them in their service. One who is a sincere servant of Krishna is always willing to help one who wants to make progress in spiritual life.

The greatest benediction we can give to a child or family member is the association of Krishna at an early age. If we are born in a Brahmin family, the odds of achieving this association are certainly increased, but Krishna consciousness is something that can be taught by any person, provided that their thoughts are directed on the lotus feet of the sweet, all-blissful Lord. The gopis proved that a high birth is not necessary for achieving success in life. If we are fortunate enough to know about Krishna and chant His names on a regular basis, the greatest gift we can give to our family members and children is to pass on this tradition of devotional life. A child who grows up in an environment where devotional service is steadily practiced will certainly have a leg up on their journey towards the transcendental realm.

All Auspicious

“He is a minister of the king of monkeys, the great soul Sugriva, and honoring the king’s desires, he has arrived here in My presence.” (Lord Rama speaking to Lakshmana about Hanuman, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 3.26)

Shri Hanuman, the eternal servant of Lord Rama, is all-auspicious. Whoever has the great fortune of coming into contact with Hanuman will be immediately benefitted in all respects. This even applies to miscreants. Hanuman is famous for his feats of strength and his service to Lord Rama, but even his violent acts proved to be helpful to the demons. In this way, we see that whatever Hanuman does eventually turns out to be beneficial to all parties involved.

In the Vedic tradition, God is known by the name of Bhagavan, one who is all-fortunate. Sometimes we go on lucky streaks where it seems like nothing can go wrong for us. We have a nice house, job, car, and family, so it seems like we’re sitting pretty. If we went around comparing our good fortune with others, we’d see that some people could claim to be more fortunate than us, while others would obviously not feel like they are fortunate at all. What makes God unique is that He is the most fortunate person in the world. How can we prove this? He is the most beautiful, wise, renounced, powerful, wealthy, and famous person in every single universe. Therefore, the term Bhagavan is accurate in describing His greatness. Bhagavan comes from the root word, bhaga, which means fortunate. It is seen that God is also described as maha-bhagam, meaning greatly fortunate. Since He possesses all these great qualities, when the term Bhagavan is translated into English, it can be taken to mean the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The Vedas tell us that Bhagavan can take unlimited forms, just as the ocean has unlimited waves. Though there are so many forms of Godhead, one of them is the original, the first candle from which all other candles are lit. This person is Lord Shri Krishna, whose original form is also addressed as Shyamasundara, or a beautiful youth with a blackish complexion similar to that of a raincloud. Possessing all good attributes is certainly enough to qualify God as Bhagavan, but there are other aspects to the Lord that serve to further enhance His opulence. One of the great ways to measure a person’s character is to see who their friends are. Who do they hang out with? What kind of characters take the time to become friends with them? In God’s case, He has the best friends a person could ever ask for. Through the makeup of His associates, God becomes even more fortunate; no one has better friends than He does. Of all of His friends, Shri Hanuman can be considered one of His best.

Hanuman is a very famous deity of the Vedic tradition. There are temples dedicated to him all across the world, with devotees offering special homage to him on Tuesdays and Saturdays, the auspicious days for Hanuman. Hanuman’s worshipable object is actually not Krishna in His original form, but rather one of His famous incarnations, Lord Rama. During the Treta Yuga, the second time period of creation, Krishna advented on earth in the guise of a warrior prince named Rama. His appearance coincided with the reign of terror of a Rakshasa demon named Ravana. In order to give pleasure to the pious and protect them from Ravana, Lord Rama took to roaming the forests of India. One day, His beautiful wife, Sita Devi, was kidnapped by Ravana through a backhanded plot. Rama and His younger brother Lakshmana then went looking for Sita, and they were told to go to the forest of Kishkindha and make friends with a monkey named Sugriva. During those times, the monkey race, known as Vanaras, was quite advanced. Their features were almost identical to human beings, though they maintained many of their monkey traits, such as having insatiable appetites for sex and intoxication.

Upon reaching Kishkindha, Rama and Lakshmana were greeted by a brahmana who welcomed them with kind words. This mendicant was actually Hanuman in disguise. Sugriva had seen Rama and Lakshmana approaching from afar and thus asked Hanuman, his chief counselor, to go down and see what they wanted. Sugriva wasn’t sure if the two princes had come in peace or were looking for a fight. Hanuman had special yogic powers that allowed him to assume any shape at will. Upon approaching Rama and Lakshmana, he offered to them very kind words which were flawlessly crafted and very pleasing to the ear. Lord Rama just stood there as Hanuman continued with his kind words. Eventually Hanuman gave up the disguised form and revealed his true nature and intent.

In the above referenced statement, Lord Rama is addressing Lakshmana and reacting to Hanuman’s speech. Initially there was trepidation was on both sides, for Rama and Lakshmana didn’t know anything about Sugriva or Hanuman. Actually the Lord is omnipresent, so He certainly knows everything past, present, and future, but while enacting pastimes, He plays the role of an ordinary human being perfectly. We see from Rama’s statement that He is happy to be meeting Hanuman because he is a counselor of Sugriva’s. Previously, Rama was advised to make friendship with Sugriva if He wanted to find out where Sita was. And now here was a very kind monkey named Hanuman who came to take Him to Sugriva.

From this incident, we see that Hanuman is the deliverer of all good things. Even though he initially approached the Lord with some inhibitions, upon seeing Rama’s beautiful face, Hanuman’s heart melted. He immediately went into praising the two brothers with words that came from the heart. After this exchange, Hanuman would carry the two brothers on his shoulders and take them to Sugriva. Hanuman would then go on to perform some of his most famous feats, such as his leaping to Ravana’s island kingdom of Lanka, setting fire to the city with his tail, and carrying a huge mountain to help save Lakshmana. Though he is famous today for his wonderful service to Rama, it all started with that fateful meeting in Kishkindha.

Anyone who is graced with Hanuman’s association should consider themselves very lucky. Not only is Hanuman worshiped in so many temples dedicated to him, but he is also part of the famous Rama Darbar, which consists of Sita, Rama, and Lakshmana. The Lord is never alone. When we speak of God in His forms of Krishna, Vishnu, or Rama, we include all of the Lord’s associates and devotees. In one sense, pure devotees can be considered to be even more fortunate than the Lord. God has all great qualities and enjoys the service offered by the devotees, but the devotees get to enjoy God. For instance, a devotee of Hanuman gets to enjoy the association of Hanuman and Shri Rama. In this way, they can be considered even more fortunate than the Lord.

An argument may be made that Hanuman didn’t bring anything auspicious to Ravana, the demon who kidnapped Sita. Hanuman was the key component in bringing Lord Rama to Lanka. For those who are unfamiliar with Vedic tenets, any person who is killed directly by God is granted salvation immediately. Salvation is also known as liberation, and it means that a person no longer has to suffer through the cycle of birth and death. Devotees also are granted liberation, but a special kind. Ravana merged into the body of the Lord, while devotees get the benediction of association with God in the spiritual world. Hanuman proved auspicious for Ravana since his presence in Lanka eventually led to the demon’s salvation. Hanuman was also auspicious for Ravana’s younger brother, Vibhishana. Ravana was demonic by nature, while Vibhishana was just the opposite. This was actually due to Ravana’s mother. Initially the demon’s mother approached the great sage Vishrava to bear his children. Since the sage was meditating at the time, he was angry at the lady for disturbing him. He subsequently cursed her to give birth to Rakshasa sons who were sinful by nature. The lady was upset at this, so she asked the sage to somehow balance out the curse by giving her a boon. With his anger mollified to an extent, Vishrava agreed to her request by granting her the boon that one of her sons, though born a Rakshasa, would be pious in nature. Hence Ravana and Kumbhakarna were born as demons, while Vibhishana was born a devotee.

Hanuman proved to be auspicious to Vibhishana because when Hanuman set fire to Lanka, he made sure not to touch Vibhishana’s house. Later on, when Vibhishana decided to join Lord Rama’s side in their fight against Ravana, it would be Hanuman who would vouch for Vibhishana, telling Rama that he would be an asset to their side. In this way, we see that anyone who associates with Hanuman will have all of their desires in life fulfilled. It was for this reason that Goswami Tulsidas composed the famous Hanuman Chalisa, a poem in praise of Lord Hanuman. This poem has been recited daily by millions of people for the past several hundred years. It can easily qualify as one of the most famous devotional songs in history, and not surprisingly, it is tied completely to Shri Rama’s most faithful and dear servant.