Is Purification Required Prior To Chanting The Holy Name

Krishna's Mercy

“Therefore, although I was born in a demoniac family, I may without a doubt offer prayers to the Lord with full endeavor, as far as my intelligence allows. Anyone who has been forced by ignorance to enter the material world may be purified of material life if he offers prayers to the Lord and hears the Lord’s glories.” (Prahlada Maharaja, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.9.12)

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तस्माद् अहं विगत-विक्लव ईश्वरस्य
सर्वात्मना महि गृणामि यथा मनीषम्
नीचो ’जया गुण-विसर्गम् अनुप्रविष्टः
पूयेत येन हि पुमान् अनुवर्णितेन

tasmād ahaṁ vigata-viklava īśvarasya
sarvātmanā mahi gṛṇāmi yathā manīṣam
nīco ’jayā guṇa-visargam anupraviṣṭaḥ
pūyeta yena hi pumān anuvarṇitena

“I remember reading in the Ramayana that Sita and Rama, the Divine couple, prepared for Rama’s planned ascension to the throne, the abhisheka ceremony, by sleeping on the floor the prior night and contemplating Vishnu, which is one name for the Almighty.

“It is…

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Granting My Petition

Krishna's Mercy

“I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.15)

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

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

“I understand that Krishna is just another name for describing the Almighty, the one who is above everyone in terms of persistence, potency, longevity, and overall quality of existence. Krishna is not a ‘Hindu’ god; whatever that means.

“If not, there would be competing concepts for the sun, water, the mountains, the trees, the planets, and so forth. The reality is that there…

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The Useless Austerities Of Hiranyakashipu

Krishna's Mercy

“O Lakshmana, do you rule this earth with Me. You are like My second self, so this glorious opportunity has been presented to you as well. O Saumitra, do you enjoy all the pleasures you desire and the fruits of the regal life. My life and this kingdom I covet for your sake alone.” (Lord Rama speaking to Lakshmana, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 4.43-44)

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लक्ष्मणेमां मया सार्धं प्रशाधि त्वं वसुन्धराम्।
द्वितीयं मेऽन्तरात्मानं त्वामियं श्रीरुपस्थिता।।
सौमित्रे भुङ्क्ष्व भोगांत्स्वमिष्टान्राज्यफलानि च।
जीवितं च हि राज्यं च त्वदर्थमभिकामये।।

lakṣmaṇemāṃ mayā sārdhaṃ praśādhi tvaṃ vasundharām।
dvitīyaṃ me’ntarātmānaṃ tvāmiyaṃ śrīrupasthitā।।
saumitre bhuṅkṣva bhogāṃtsvamiṣṭānrājyaphalāni ca।
jīvitaṃ ca hi rājyaṃ ca tvadarthamabhikāmaye।।

According to Vedic instruction, the human life is meant for tapasya. Austerity and penance, where both are voluntarily imposed. The chance is not there in the other species. The animals are at the mercy of nature. They eat…

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Who Am I Going To Be Loyal To

Krishna's Mercy

“O Lakshmana, do you rule this earth with Me. You are like My second self, so this glorious opportunity has been presented to you as well. O Saumitra, do you enjoy all the pleasures you desire and the fruits of the regal life. My life and this kingdom I covet for your sake alone.” (Lord Rama speaking to Lakshmana, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 4.43-44)

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लक्ष्मणेमां मया सार्धं प्रशाधि त्वं वसुन्धराम्।
द्वितीयं मेऽन्तरात्मानं त्वामियं श्रीरुपस्थिता।।
सौमित्रे भुङ्क्ष्व भोगांत्स्वमिष्टान्राज्यफलानि च।
जीवितं च हि राज्यं च त्वदर्थमभिकामये।।

lakṣmaṇemāṃ mayā sārdhaṃ praśādhi tvaṃ vasundharām।
dvitīyaṃ me’ntarātmānaṃ tvāmiyaṃ śrīrupasthitā।।
saumitre bhuṅkṣva bhogāṃtsvamiṣṭānrājyaphalāni ca।
jīvitaṃ ca hi rājyaṃ ca tvadarthamabhikāmaye।।

“Let me start off by saying that I absolutely love bhakti-yoga. I understand that it can be practiced in a variety of ways. No one is forced into a certain path that doesn’t match their qualities. You see these…

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Three Family Relationships To Learn From In The Ramayana

Krishna's Mercy

“O Lakshmana, do you rule this earth with Me. You are like My second self, so this glorious opportunity has been presented to you as well. O Saumitra, do you enjoy all the pleasures you desire and the fruits of the regal life. My life and this kingdom I covet for your sake alone.” (Lord Rama speaking to Lakshmana, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 4.43-44)

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लक्ष्मणेमां मया सार्धं प्रशाधि त्वं वसुन्धराम्।
द्वितीयं मेऽन्तरात्मानं त्वामियं श्रीरुपस्थिता।।
सौमित्रे भुङ्क्ष्व भोगांत्स्वमिष्टान्राज्यफलानि च।
जीवितं च हि राज्यं च त्वदर्थमभिकामये।।

lakṣmaṇemāṃ mayā sārdhaṃ praśādhi tvaṃ vasundharām।
dvitīyaṃ me’ntarātmānaṃ tvāmiyaṃ śrīrupasthitā।।
saumitre bhuṅkṣva bhogāṃtsvamiṣṭānrājyaphalāni ca।
jīvitaṃ ca hi rājyaṃ ca tvadarthamabhikāmaye।।

1. Ravana and Vibhishana

There was so much love coming from Vibhishana. The family were Rakshasas, which are something equivalent to man-eating ogres. Nature did not bless them with auspicious forms, to say the least. Yet from our personal…

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Three Things Kamsa Should Have Realized After Learning Of His Previous Birth

Krishna's Mercy

“Kamsa was made aware of his previous birth by the grace of Narada. He learned that in his previous birth he was a demon of the name Kalanemi and that he was killed by Vishnu. Having taken his birth in the Bhoja family, he decided to become the deadly enemy of the Yadu dynasty; Krishna was going to take birth in that family, and Kamsa was very much afraid that he would be killed by Krishna, just as he was killed in his last birth.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 1)

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Narada understood what he was doing. The words were carefully chosen, delivered at the appropriate time. First there was the voice from the sky, which gave the warning to Kamsa that his end was imminent. A person should only be so fortunate, to be made aware of the…

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Three Mitigation Attempts By Kamsa To Preserve Life

Krishna's Mercy

“Within the prison, shackled in iron chains, Vasudeva and Devaki gave birth to a male child year after year, and Kamsa, thinking each of the babies to be the incarnation of Vishnu, killed them one after another. He was particularly afraid of the eighth child, but after the visit of Narada, he came to the conclusion that any child might be Krishna. Therefore it was better to kill all the babies who took birth of Devaki and Vasudeva.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 1)

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It is a way to give praise to someone who has just endured a tremendous struggle. They fell on hard times, where they could barely function as an adult human being. There was no guarantee of emerging alive on the other side, so some plaudits are due.

“See that person? They beat cancer. It was…

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Five Situations Where The Brahma-bhutah Soul Remains Prasannatma

Krishna's Mercy

“One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.54)

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ब्रह्म-भूतः प्रसन्नात्मा
न शोचति न काङ्क्षति
समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु
मद्-भक्तिं लभते पराम्

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

The Sanskrit is prasannatma. The individual is fully joyful. The achievement accompanies a state based on understanding. Brahma-bhutah. The living entity is one with the Absolute. They are beyond the designations based on distinctions, vishesha. They see the spirit soul everywhere.

They understand the collective, that every individual soul put together is part of a singular energy known as Brahman. This prasannatma property can be understood by judging the response to different situations.

1…

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How Could Kamsa Be So Cruel

Krishna's Mercy

“There are many instances in the history of the world of persons in the royal order who have killed father, brother, or a whole family and friends for the satisfaction of their ambitions. There is nothing astonishing about this, for the demoniac can kill anyone for their nefarious ambitions.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 1)

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“I guess every person has their breaking point, the line in the sand, if you will. It is the limit to the kind of bad behavior they are willing to tolerate. Not that there is something we can really do about it, but at some point we have to speak up.

“For instance, in some societies the practice of animal killing is so widespread that it is really pointless to raise an objection. Who will listen? My friend supports the behavior. My neighbor has…

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Why Are Demons Always Afraid Of Demigods

Krishna's Mercy

“Narada warned Kamsa to be careful of the friends and well-wishers and all the demigods taking birth in those families. Kamsa and his friends and advisors were all demons. Demons are always afraid of demigods. After being thus informed by Narada about the appearance of the demigods in different families, Kamsa at once became alert.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 1)

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Friend1: I was reading the story of Krishna’s advent the other day.

Friend2: For the first time?

Friend1: Definitely not.

Friend2: From what book? Or was it a website?

Friend1: The original source is the Bhagavata Purana, also known as Shrimad Bhagavatam. The accounts are presented in story form, through the kind efforts of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Friend2: The Krishna book?

Friend1: Yes. “Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead”…

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