Lucky we are, very very much!

Verse 1.10.23 (Mohan Pr):
* Krishna talks about all types of yoga in BG. And here it is told that bhakti yoga is the highest.
* Krishna also talks about the nature of the soul and He also talks about a person who is in samadhi.
* Control of senses is the first thing here. And He also explains in BG as to how one can control His senses. Eg: Tortoise, which withdraws its limbs.
* But one thing here is, that one cannot artificially hold off on the senses. Higher taste is imp here, by experiencing a higher taster, we can easily give up the lower tastes.
* Bhahunaam janmanaam ante....
- after many life times, there is nothing else but Vasudeva as my shelter
- whoever is introduced to bhakti yoga, how lucky we are that from the start itself we are introduced that Krishna is the SPG.
- because only after many many millions of birth one gets such an opportunity
- we are very very lucky that because of Srila Prabhupada's mercy, we know are introduced that Krishna is the SPG. Only when we know how lucky we are, then we can become serious in KC.

Subject is important, not the language...

Verse 1.10.20 (Aashish Pr):
* We can quote shlokas, but if we don't have the bhava then we are cheating ourselves.
* Here, the ladies of Hastinapura, were directly talking about Krishna, which was more pleasing than Vedic hymns.
* Biggest thing in KC, facing adversity with faith in Krishna.
* Sustaining enthusiasm is very important.
* No devotee better than Srimati Radharani
- 1.1.12 NOD - bhakti is engaging all our senses in service to the Lord
- free from all material attachments and purification of our senses are the two side affects.

Unwanted industrialization...

Verse 1.10.17 (Sacisuta Pr):
* In this verse, we see how the Lord, the SPG deals with His devotees.
* Here, we can see how Arjuna got the opportunity of rendering personal service to the Lord. Krishna was like millions of sun, surrounded by the many stars there. All the them present were wanting to serve the Lord in any way possible.
* Arjuna is addressed as a Gudakesa, one who has conquered sleep. Means one who has crossed all the 3 modes of material nature.
* He is holding up an umbrella for the Lord, and he is enjoying this service to the Lord. A devotee takes pleasure in performing some menial service to the Lord or His devotees.
* Another imp point: unnecessary industrialization, which is causing destruction to the planet. We are losing millions of farm land, because of all this.
* Processed food is also something that eats up this earth. 60% of America's land is only used for raising livestock, which are then killed for their meat, while only 4% of the land is used to produce food grains, fruits etc for human consumption. In USA, people used to spend 60% of their income on food, and now that has reduced to 15%. This imbalance is all due to unwanted industrialization.
* But as stated in the verse, if we use the resources naturally produced from the earth, so much of unnecessary industrialization can be avoided.
* When Krishna is not there in the center, our false ego, greed and nescience will be in the center.

Shyness in Woman...

Verse 1.10.16 (Vidya Mji):
* SP comments here that shyness is beauty for women, as it then commands respect.
* This shyness, along with being in protection of family, will protect the women from exploitation.
* These days, women are going out expecting equality, but are actually being exploited as this rule of shyness is being lost.
* Man also, should be chaste and be a provider for the family.
* Why not equality of man and woman: we get this body according to our karma and following the basic rules of nature, woman and man are different. One cannot the place of another. Eg: lion deciding to come and stay in the city, it will be chaos only.
* In SSR: story of liquid beauty (man loved girl, girl did not like that, asked to wait for 7 days, took laxatives for 7 days and went completely down, man was then able to distinguish between shadow and substance.
* The material beauty of a woman is an illusion because actually the body is made of earth, water, fire, air, etc. But because there is the association of the living spark with matter, it appears to be beautiful. No one is attracted by an earthen doll, even if it is most perfectly prepared to attract the attention of others. The dead body has no beauty because no one will accept the dead body of a so-called
beautiful woman. Therefore, the conclusion is that the spirit spark is beautiful, and because of the soul's beauty one is attracted by the beauty of the outward body.
* We should also know that Krishna is the only all attractive and He should be the center of our life.
* Everday it is a battle with Maya, so we should engage in devotional service, so that Lord Krishna protects us from these clutches of maya.

Krishna, all attractive...

Verse 1.10.13 (Ramana Pr):
* SP says that Krishna is naturally very attractive. Krishna, name itself means all attractive. He attracts and delivers.
* Our definition of God is very simple.
* Remembering Him is also very attractive to the pure devotees.
- hearing from a pure devotee
- association of a devotee
are very important.
* CM said: Simply give up the association which is bad, and follow the footsteps of acharyas.
* In association of devotees, discussion of Krishna katha is very attractive.
* Because the Pandavas were always in association with Krishna, they could not give the association at all.
* Maya cannot touch one who is purely chanting without offenses.
* Krishna and Krishna's name is identical. The Pandavas, all their hearts were melting for Him on the pot of attraction. They looked at Him without blinking their eyes, and they moved hither and thither in perplexity.

Vipralambha Bhava, the highest!

Verse 1.10.9-10 (Kavitha Mji):
* At that time Subhadrā, Draupadī, Kuntī, Uttarā, Gāndhārī, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Yuyutsu, Kṛpācārya, Nakula, Sahadeva, Bhīmasena, Dhaumya and Satyavatī all nearly fainted because it was impossible for them to bear separation from Lord Kṛṣṇa.
* Separation from Krishna is also one special form of devotion - vipralamba bhava. Highest form of devotional service. Eg: Krishna separates Himself from gopi's, so they can think about Him more and more.
* Another eg: Krishna meeting the gopi's at Kurukshetra
* Absorption in Krishna by separation from Him, is the quickest method to go back to Him.
* Krishna Himself wanted to know how this mode was, so He came as Lord Caitanya to express this and also teach it to all.
* Also, the 6 Goswami's and Uddhava were worshipping Krishna in feelings of separation.
* If you cannot hanker for Krishna, then hanker that one day you can hanker for Krishna and if you cannot do that then hanker that to hanker that one day you can hanker for Krishna.

Perfect example is the Lord!

Verse 1.10.8 (Krishna Patro Prji):
* Krishna never sets a wrong example. He wants to set the standard so that all common ppl follow Him correctly.
* In Brahmasamhita, many moral and spiritual codes are mentioned. As Lord Rama, as Sri CM, He comes to teach so many nice things. Lord is the best example and master.
* Unfortunately, other than the devotees of the Lord, no one else is able to understand all these activities of the Lord.
* As a devotee, we should always avoid association of non-devotees.
* PPl's tendency is to follow leaders, that's why the Lord is best leader.
* Here, Krishna being younger brother, is enjoying paying obeisances to MY and He is also enjoying as the elder brother of Nakula,Sahadeva by accepting their obeisances. So overall, all the time He was the enjoyer.
* Krishna can be understood only by devotees, others cannot. Most ppl don't exactly know who God is. Whereas in our society, we know who God is, we know where we are going, the exact destination.

Krishna and His relatives...

Verse 1.10.7 (Hareesha Mji):
* Today's verse is special as we can see how the Lord has loving exchanges with His devotees. How He tries to please his relatives in all ways.
* As a person, the SPG has similar feelings as we have got for the family and relative. Of course, the difference is the quantity, quality being the sam
* Krishna feels sad when the devotees are sad and He is happy when they are happy.
* In Sudama's pastime too, Lord Krishna's loving relationship with His friend can be seen.
* Padma Purana: one cannot understand the Lord's pastimes with one's material mind. If we purify our senses, then those purified senses help us see God.
* It is like, we have cataracts on our eyes. Only when it is removed, we can see Krishna. Also in BS: premanjana churita...
* And for this we need to chant the Holy name, the Hare Krishna Mahamantra. And that is the only way.

Harmony between Man and God!

Verse 1.10.6 (Ganeshan Pr):
* Because of the King's having no enemy, the living beings were not at any time disturbed by mental agonies, diseases, or excessive heat or cold.
* Consciousness is very imp factor here. And it not only depends on the vibrations around us, also around the food that we eat.
* Whatever we eat, if flesh, the troubled feared consciousness of animals come into us.
* Today many countries claim that they are advancesd, but we know that true advancement is when the country is based on spiritual principles.
* Good leader should arrange for good harmony between man, God and nature. Cooperation is required. If we have greed or mismanagement or exploitation of nature, absence of God, then everything will go bad.
* Maharaj Yudhistira was a leader who truly followed God, and that brought above happiness, peace and prosperity in the world.

Peace Formula: Accepting the authority of the Supreme Lord!

Verse 1.10.5 (Srinivas Pendyala Pr):
* Since Mahārāja Yudhisthira was under the protection of the ajita, the infallible Lord, as above mentioned, the properties of the Lord, namely the rivers, oceans, hills, forests, etc., were all pleased, and they used to supply their respective quota of taxes to the King. The secret to success is to take refuge under the protection of the Supreme Lord. Without His sanction, nothing can be possible.
* One should rule accepting the supreme authority of the Lord, Sri Krishna. Then everything will be happy in this world.
* One should therefore understand this fact, Sri Krishna is the Supreme propreitor of everything and therefore He is the Supreme enjoyer.
* Real purpose in this creation: simply so that all these resources of the Lord can be used in His own service and finally brings about our own purity. That is the whole essence of KC.
* Consciousness behind the action and the activity, done as a service to the Lord, matters, which then attracts us to the Lord.
* Actually the other attractions of the world are simply distractions. Our chanting is so much affected by these distractions. Therefore, our mind should be simply engaged towards attraction to the Lord.
* Simply engage the resources in the service of the Lord, then our mind will be attracted to the Lord. Such a simple process this KC is, yet mind is distracted.
* Real peace formula: accepting the authority of the Supreme Lord.

Duty bound...

Verse 1.10.4 (Mohan Pr):
* The answer to Saunaka rishi's question is given here in this verse.
* Maharaj Yudhistira, ruled according to the scriptures and because he satisfied everyone by satisfying Krishna, the clouds showered all the water that people needed, and the earth produced all the necessities of man in profusion. Due to its fatty milk bag and cheerful attitude, the cow used to moisten the grazing ground with milk.
* SP in BG gives one example: Month of may, still the lady cooks in India, similarly, in the cold months, the man takes bath early in the morning. Similarly, the sannyasi keeps travelling all the time teaching God consciousness
- we have to perform our duty, whatever be the situation
- Similarly, MY was being duty bound and because of that everyone is satisfied.
* Just food grains and milk is enough to keep the body and soul together. There is no need for so much stress and anxiety as it is in today's education system.
* SP says: Human civilizations should depend on the production of material nature without artificially attempting economic development to turn the world into a chaos of artificial greed and power only for the purpose of artificial luxuries and sense gratification. This is but the life of dogs and hogs.
* So how do we give up sense gratification.
- from NOI (SP tells that it is for neophyte devotees) : vaco vegam.... tolerate the 6 urges
- SP talks about the first class intelligent person who learns about these just by hearing it.
- unless we control the 6 urges, we cannot be happy.

Knowlegde-Application-Cooperation-Association!

Verse 1.10.3 (Supriya Mji):
* Here, the answer to Saunaka rishi's question is being given.
* 1) He ruled after being enlightened
2) By applying the knowledge perfectly
* For us also, we should also learn the knowledge and then apply it accordingly.
* When we get knowledge from the parampara, they also give us empowerment for applying it in the right way.
* Second thing, Maharaj Yudhistira was assisted by his younger brothers in the right way. So association is also very important.
* There was full cooperation among the brothers.
- SP said: You can show your love to me by cooperating with one another.
* Different opinions might exist in devotees, respect them but cooperated. Take guidance and shelter. Unity in diversity.
* MY was instructed by Bhismadeva and Krishna, completely infallible knowledge. If the source is perfect, then knowledge is perfect.
* Therefore proper guidance is required and in this human form of life, it is very important for us to be well trained.

Tapasya...

Verse 1.9.48 (Uma Mji):
* A little about the austerities of Gandhari, how she followed her husband in all ways, how she blindfolded herself for her husband and how as an ascetic she withstood the wholesale killing of her 100 sons and then grandsons.
* What we need to understand here is, everyone has their own way of doing tapasya. But it should be done for the pleasure of the Lord. If we do it for our own sake, then there is no use.
* For us, tapasya means following the 4 regulative principles and following Srila Prabhupada's words. That will bring us out of the dualities and our focus will be Krishna and the Holy Name.
* We should regularly be chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, that is our tapasya.

Parmatma and atma...

Verse 1.9.47 (Puja Mji):
* The relation between the paramatma and the individual soul.
* For pure devotees, there is a special relation between the supersoul and the soul. In them, the supersoul is in direct communion with the individual soul and both try to please to listen to each other. Whereas for the conditioned souls, the individual soul wants to have its own freedom, hence does not listen to the supersoul and therefore gets entrapped more and more into material existence.
* Second part: All the sages were singing the confidential vedic hymns, trying to serve the Lord. Krishna says in BG, that from all vedas He only is to be known.
* From all vedic rituals, devotional service, He can be attained.
* So we can attain Him, through understanding the vedas. But it is too difficult. Fortunately for us, Sri CM came and gave us an easier way, simply by chanting the HK Mahamantra, one can attain to the loving devotional service of the Lord.
* Basically, Krishna loves His devotees very very much.

Judgement Day!

Verse 1.9.46 (YK Prji):
* The concluding moment is the grand final for Bhismadeva and it comes for everybody.
* The only thing we carry forward is devotional or pious credits.
* Here point is that even though he was a liberated soul, he was attached to his Pandava grandsons.
* Should we be attached to our sons, family etc. RNS: Be attached to everybody provided that attachment brings detachment to you from the material world. Eg: Kunti Maharani, who bought up her children by taking shelter of Krishna.
* You bring up your children, that they are Krishna's attachment, so bring them up nicely. Devotee is not hard-hearted.
* Likewise Bhismadeva was attracted to Maharaj Yudhistira, due to his genuine character and his standing on the side of dharma, on Krishna's side.
* We should also lead the life for the pleasure of Krishna.
* Difference between nondevotee and devotee, is making the right choices. Bad quality of Duryodhana, was he was envious to devotees, Pandavas. Material good qualities with devotional bad qualities is useless actually.
* Are we taking shelter of Krishna nicely, are we intensely praying to Guru and Krishna for removing our anarthas? We should check on this.
* The final judgement day, all this is counted, you want Krishna or maya. Maya means we have to come back, Krishna means we go back to Him. It's in our hands!

Remebering Krishna throughout....

Verse 1.9.45 (Sundari Mji):
* This speaks a lot about Bhismadeva.
* Why was Bhismadeva so qualified? He was a Mahajan and the disciple of so many exhalted Gurus.
* A person is not just a Mahajan due to all this, but because of the way he leads his whole life.
* Bhismadeva was chosen by the Lord to show that however exhalted one may be, when he is not on the dharma side, then he will be destroyed.
* In his previous life, he was one of the 8 vasus. Prabhas was one of them, who committed the mistake of stealing the kamadhenu cow from Sage Vasistha. Due to the curse of this sage, he was born on the earthly planet
* Whatever our occupation, our existence, our goal should be to only please Krishna.
* Krishna promises to protect the soul, always. The body may be destroyed, but the spirit soul is always protected.
* Here Bhismadeva is pierced with arrows, but still at that moment, he is trying to remember the pastimes of the Lord. So much for us to learn on how to live to please Krishna.
* For a devotee, if he is living of dying, he is always in KC, serving the Lord.
* Always be in the mood of thinking about Krishna. To think of Krishna while dying, it is a must that we practise that during the whole life. That is what SP's words and KC presents to us.
Eg: HH Bhakti-tirtha Swami Maharaj's passing away
* Supreme wealth is love of God. Every single opportunity we have, we have to utilize in Krishna's service.

Partha-sarthi...

Verse 1.9.44 (Mohan Prji):
* Continuing the episode of Bhishmadeva leaving this material body, in the presence of the SPG. He was meditating on the Lord in the form of Parthasarthi.
* Chance of misunderstanding this verse. We need to understand SB through a pure devotee. SP confirms here what it means to enter back home, back to Godhead.
* Our function is to serve the SPG, without any connection to the SPG, we do not have any value.
* Bhīsmadeva, as a pure devotee of the Lord, entered the spiritual realm in one of the Vaikuṇṭha planets where the Lord in His eternal form of Pārtha-sārathi predominates over the unconditioned living beings who are constantly engaged in the service of the Lord.

Death comes anytime, be prepared for it...

Verse 1.9.43 ( --- Mji):
* Chapter 9 tells how Bhishmadeva wrote and passed the examination of life.
* The moment of death is very painful. Life is a preparation. We should prepare for death. And for that, the 9 processes of devotional service are very important.
* Then our mind will be fixed on Krishna and hopefully at the time of death, we can remember Him.
* Also, in Bhagavad-gita Krishna says, do everything as an offering to Him.
* Death is serious, because it will come without a sign, without a warning. It is very important that we prepare for death.