Pariprashnena — Q&A Archive

My guru maharaj said that a devotee should think 3 times before speaking. That helped me a lot to control my mind and speech. (Prabhupada says in Life comes from Life that a human being thinks 2 times before speaking.)

SB 11.5.41: O King, one who has given up all material duties and has taken full shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, who offers shelter to all, is not indebted to the demigods, great sages, ordinary living beings, relatives, friends, mankind or even ones forefathers who have passed away. Since all such classes of living entities are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, one who has surrendered to the Lords service has no need to serve such persons separately.

It made me join the temple at 18 yrs old. At that time my mother has just died and the family situation was that of a father and a brother of 11 years to take care of.
I knew the devotees since I was 14 yrs old, but relented surrender. When I read this verse, I joined the temple.

After a few months I received a letter from my father, he was very happy, he was marrying again with a nice women, that took nice care of them for the rest.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 Text 11:

Translation:
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: while speaking learned words you are mourning for what is not worthy of grieve. For the wise lament neither for the living nor for the dead.

This verse is so powerful that it really gave me inspiration to do more service unto the lotusfeet of Lord Krishna...

ys, Servant Krsna

This Krishna Consciousness... is a science... to know the difference between a living body and a dead body. (Srila Prabhupada, conversation with Mike Robinson, August 1976)

For me it was Bhagavad-gita 4.34

tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah

"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth."

It made such an impression on me the first time I read Bhagavad-gita, that I spontaneously learned the sanskrit and translation by heart and started praying feverently to chaitya-guru to help me meet my spiritual master. A month later I met my Guru Maharaja, and was inspired to move into the temple. My life have never been the same since then.

Srila Prabhupada singing , on Atma TV program title song, 3 years back ::::

Verse from Mukunda mala stotra :

Krsna tvadiya pada pankaja panjarantham
adyaivame visatu manasa raja hamsa
prana prayana samaye , kapha vata pithau,
kanthavarudhana vidhau, smaranam kutasthe.

Oh Krishna !! Let this swan-like mind of mine,
get entagled NOW among the lotus stems at your feet,
for , when the time comes for the prana to leave the body,
how can i chant your names and remember you,
when my throat is choked with Kapha, Vata, Pitha.
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please see mukunda mala book, for exact verse spellings and translation. i wrote this from memory.

please those who didnt write on this. it is very interesting.

"In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of deliverance is
the chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord. There is no other way.
There is no other way. There is no other way."

I read this before watching the movie that changed my life, "Harinam in Prague" :)

Srimad Bhagavatam 10.14.8: Brahmas Prayers to Lord Krishna

tat te nukampam su-samikshamano
bhunjana evatma-kritam vipakam
hrid-vag-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jiveta yo mukti-pade sa daya-bhak

TRANSLATION

My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim.

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This verse is one of those super transformational passages that just gets deeper and deeper as time goes on. It really explains our position nicely and also gives practical guidance what to do and why to do it - sambandha, abhideya and prayojana.

mukam karoti vacalam
pamgum langayate girim
yat kripa tam aham vande
sri gurum dina taranam
(Madhya 17.80)

"By the mercy of the guru, even a dumb man can become the greatest orator, and even a lame man can cross mountains. As advised by Lord Brahm'e4, one should remember this sastric injunction if one desires success in his life."

The primary source: Sridhara Swami, Bhavartha Dipika, mangalacarana.

The day I understood that Krishna is the only enjoyer my pursuit for material happines started diminishing - its still there but the intensity is much lesser than before.

Not a blade of grass moves without the sanction of the Lord.