Real love or service, is reciprocal, voluntary, experiencing a good exchange of feelings, then there is love. And NEVER by force. Krishna does not want a lover who is forced to obey, serve and love Him at the point of a gun, no, that is NOT love it is slavery.

Srila Prabhupada - "Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. NOT by force. Krishna does not want to become a lover like that, ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!" July 8, 1976.

Guru-kripa – “How is it that one can become envious of Krishna, why does Krishna allow us to enter the material world?”

Srila Prabhupada – “You have got little independence, you can violate. Because you are part and parcel of God, God has got full independence, but you have got little independence, proportionately, because you are part and parcel, if he likes, he can return. That independence has to be accepted, little independence. We can misuse that. Krishna-bahirmukha haïä bhoga väïchä kare. That misuse is the cause of our falldown”. (Conversation, Mayapur, February 19, 1976)

Chariot of the Sun God (Surya)

The chariot of the sun-god has only one wheel, which is known as Samvatsara. 

The chariot of the sun-god (Surya), worshiped by the words "om bhur bhuva svah", travels at a speed of 3,400,800 yojanas [27,206,400 miles] in a muhurta.

My dear King, the carriage of the sun-god’s chariot is estimated to be 3,600,000 yojanas [28,800,000 miles] long and one-fourth as wide [900,000 yojanas, or 7,200,000 miles].

The chariot’s horses, which are named after Gayatri and other Vedic meters, are harnessed by Arunadeva to a yoke that is also 900,000 yojanas wide (7,200,000 miles)

The seven horses yoked to the sun-god’s chariot are named Gayatri, Brhati, Usnik, Jagati, Tristup, Anustup and Pankti. These names of various Vedic meters designate the seven horses that carry the sun-god’s chariot.

Although Arunadeva sits in front of the sun-god and is engaged in driving the chariot and controlling the horses, he looks backward toward the sun-god.

There are sixty thousand saintly persons named Valikhilyas, each the size of a thumb, who are located in front of the sun-god and who offer him eloquent prayers of glorification.

Similarly, fourteen other saints, Gandharvas, Apsaras, Nagas, Yaksas, Raksasas and demigods, who are divided into groups of two, assume different names every month and continuously perform different ritualistic ceremonies to worship the Supreme Lord as the most powerful demigod Surya deva, who holds many names.

Worshiping the most powerful demigod Surya (sun-god), the Gandharvas sing in front of him, the Apsaras dance before the chariot, the Nisacaras follow the chariot, the Pannagas decorate the chariot, the Yaksas guard the chariot, and the saints called the Valikhilyas surround the sun-god and offer prayers.

The seven groups of fourteen associates arrange the proper times for regular snow, heat and rain throughout the universe.

My dear King, in his orbit through Bhu-mandala, the sun-god traverses a distance of 95,100,000 yojanas [760,800,000 miles] at the speed of 2,000 yojanas and two krosas [16,004 miles] in a moment.

Sunrise to sunset is the route the Sun takes in his giant golden chariot harnessed to seven horses.

yac-caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam
raja samasta-sura-murtir asesa-tejah
yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrita-kala-chakro
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

Translation: 

"The sun who is the king of all the planets, full of infinite effulgence, the image of the good soul, is as the eye of this world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda in pursuance of whose order the sun performs his journey mounting the wheel of time." (Sri Brahma Samhita 5.52)

Purport

"Certain professors of the Vedic religion worship the sun as Brahman. The sun is one of the hierarchy of the five gods. Some people target in heat the source of this world and therefore designate the sun, the only location of heat, as the root cause of this world.

Not withstanding all that may be said to the contrary, the sun is after all only the presiding deity of a sphere of the sum total of all mundane heat and is hence a god exercising delegated authority. 

The sun performs his specific function of service certainly by the command of Govinda." (A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)

The movements of the sun.

 
Srimad-Bhagavatam Introduction to Canto 5, Chapter 21-22-

This chapter informs us of the movements of the sun. The sun is not stationary; it is also moving like the other planets. The sun's movements determine the duration of night and day.

When the sun travels north of the equator, it moves slowly during the day and very quickly at night, thus increasing the duration of the daytime and decreasing the duration of night. 

Similarly, when the sun travels south of the equator, the exact opposite is true - the duration of the day decreases, and the duration of night increases.

When the sun enters Karkata-rasi (Cancer) and then travels to Simha-rasi (Leo) and so on through Dhanuh-rasi (Sagittarius), its course is called Daksinayana, the southern way, and when the sun enters Makara-rasi (Capricorn) and thereafter travels through Kumbharasi (Aquarius) and so on through Mithuna-rasi (Gemini), its course is called Uttarayana, the northern way.

When the sun is in Mesa-rasi (Aries) and Tula-rasi (Libra), the duration of day and night are equal.

On Manasottara Mountain are the abodes of four demigods. East of Sumeru Mountain is Devadhani, where King Indra lives, and south of Sumeru is Samyamani, the abode of Yamaraja, the superintendent of death.

Similarly, west of Sumeru is Nimlocani, the abode of Varuna, the demigod who controls the water, and north of Sumeru is Vibhavari, where the demigod of the moon lives.

Sunrise, noon, sunset and midnight occur in all these places because of the movements of the sun.

Diametrically opposite the place where the sunrise takes places and the sun is seen by human eyes, the sun will be setting and passing away from human vision.

Similarly, the people residing diametrically opposite the point where it is midday will be experiencing midnight. 

The sun rises and sets with all the other planets, headed by the moon and other luminaries.

The entire kala-cakra, or wheel of time, is established on the wheel of the sun-god's chariot. This wheel is known as Samvatsara.

The seven horses pulling the chariot of the sun are known as

Gayatri,
Brhati,
Usnik,
Jagati,
Tristup,
Anustup,
Pankti.

They are harnessed by a demigod known as Arunadeva to a yoke 900,000 yojanas wide (7,200,000 miles). Thus the chariot carries Adityadeva, the sun-god.

Always staying in front of the sun-god and offering their prayers are sixty thousand sages known as Valikhilyas.

There are fourteen Gandharvas, Apsaras and other demigods, who are divided into seven parties and who perform ritualistic activities every month to worship the Supersoul through the sun-god according to different names.

Thus the sun-god travels through the universe for a distance of 95,100,000 yojanas (760,800,000 miles) at a speed of 16,004 miles at every moment.

By the influence of its radiation, the sun heats the universe and maintains its proper order. It also gives light to help all living entities see.

While passing toward the north, toward the south or through the equator, in accordance with the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is said to move slowly, swiftly or moderately.

According to its movements in rising above, going beneath or passing through the equator-and correspondingly coming in touch with various signs of the zodiac, headed by Makara [Capricorn]-days and nights are short, long or equal to one another.

When the sun passes through Meña [Aries] and Tula [Libra], the durations of day and night are equal. 

When it passes through the five signs headed by Våñabha [Taurus], the duration of the days increases [until Cancer], and then it gradually decreases by half an hour each month, until day and night again become equal [in Libra]. (Srimad-Bhagavatam Introduction to Canto 5, Chapter 21-22)

The Reality of the Sungod Sûrya

The sun-god, who controls the affairs of the entire universe, especially in regard to heat, light, seasonal changes and so on, is considered an expansion of Narayana. 

He represents the three Vedas -- Rg, Yajur and Sama -- and therefore he is known as Trayimaya, the form of Lord Narayana.

Sometimes the sun-god is also called Surya-Narayana. The sun-god has expanded himself in twelve divisions, and thus he controls the six seasonal changes and causes winter, summer, rain and so on.

Yogis and karmis following the varnasrama institution, who practice hatha or astanga-yoga or who perform agnihotra sacrifices, worship Surya Narayana for their own benefit. 

The demigod Surya is always in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana.

Residing in outer space, which is in the middle of the universe, between Bhuloka and Bhuvarloka, the sun rotates through the time circle of the zodiac, represented by twelve rasis, or signs, and assumes different names according to the sign he is in. 

For the moon, every month is divided into two fortnights.

Similarly, according to solar calculations, a month is equal to the time the sun spends in one constellation; two months constitute one season, and there are twelve months in a year.

The entire area of the sky is divided into two halves, each representing an ayana, the course traversed by the sun within a period of six months. 

The sun travels sometimes slowly, sometimes swiftly and sometimes at a moderate speed.

In this way it travels within the three worlds, consisting of the heavenly planets, the earthly planets and outer space. 

These orbits are referred to by great learned scholars by the names

Samvatsara, 

Parivatsara, 

Idavatsara, 

Anuvatsara 

Vatsara.

FROM THE RIG VEDA:

"The unageing wheel rolls out on its rim; the ten yoked horses draw it up the outstretched path. 

All the words are kept in motion on the eye of the sun, that moves on though shrouded in dark space."

"You cross heaven and the vast realm of space, O sun, measuring days by nights, looking upon the generations. Seven bay mares carry you in the chariot, O sun god with hair of flame, gazing from afar." --The Rig Veda: (An Anthology, trans. Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty New York: Penguin Books, 1981), pp. 77, 190)

"The sun-god, who is Narayana, or Visnu, the soul of all the worlds, is situated in outer space between the upper and lower portions of the universe.

Passing through twelve months on the wheel of time, the sun comes in touch with twelve different signs of the zodiac and assumes twelve different names according to those signs.

The aggregate of those twelve months is called a samvatsara, or an entire year. 

According to lunar calculations, two fortnights - one of the waxing moon and the other of the waning -- form one month. That same period is one day and night for the planet Pitrloka.

According to stellar calculations, a month equals two and one quarter constellations. 

When the sun travels for two months, a season passes, and therefore the seasonal changes are considered parts of the body of the year." (Srimad Bhagavatam 5.22.5)

The movement of the sun is confirmed in the Brahma-samhita. The sun orbits around Mount Sumeru, for six months on the northern side and for six months on the southern. This adds up to the duration of a day and night of the demigods in the upper planetary systems. (Srimad Bhagavatam 5.20.31)

The sun is situated [vertically] in the middle of the universe, in the area between Bhurloka and Bhuvarloka, which is called antariksha, outer space. 

The distance between the sun and the circumference of the universe is twenty-five koti yojanas [two billion miles].

O King, the sun-god and the sun planet divide all the directions of the universe. 

It is only because of the presence of the sun that we can understand what the sky, the higher planets, this world and the lower planets are.

It is also only because of the sun that we can understand which places are for material enjoyment, which are for liberation, which are hellish and subterranean.

All living entities, including demigods, human beings, animals, birds, insects, reptiles, creepers and trees, depend upon the heat and light given by the sun-god from the sun planet.

Furthermore, it is because of the sun's presence that all living entities can see, and therefore he is called drig-isvara, the Personality of Godhead presiding over sight. The course of the sun through the 12 star signs (Srîmad Bhâgavatam Canto 5, Chapter 21, Text 1-19)

Sukadeva Gosvâmî said: My dear King, I have thus far described the diameter of the universe [fifty crores of yojanas, or four billion miles in diameter] and its general characteristics, according to the estimations of learned scholars.

As a grain of wheat is divided into two parts and one can estimate the size of the upper part by knowing that of the lower, so, expert geographers instruct, one can understand the measurements of the upper part of the universe by knowing those of the lower part.

The sky between the earthly sphere and heavenly sphere is called antariksha, or outer space. 

It adjoins the top of the sphere of earth and the bottom of that of heaven.

In the midst of that region of outer space [antariksha] is the most opulent sun, the king of all the planets that emanate heat, such as the moon. 

By the influence of its radiation, the sun heats the universe and maintains its proper order.

It also gives light to help all living entities see. 

While passing toward the north, toward the south or through the equator, in accordance with the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is said to move slowly, swiftly or moderately.

According to its movements in rising above, going beneath or passing through the equator--and correspondingly coming in touch with various signs of the zodiac, headed by Makara [Capricorn]--days and nights are short, long or equal to one another.

Then the sun passes through Mesha [Aries] and Tulâ [Libra], the durations of day and night are equal. When it passes through the five signs headed by Vrishabha [Taurus], the duration of the days increases [until Cancer], and then it gradually decreases by half an hour each month, until day and night again become equal [in Libra].

When the sun passes through the five signs beginning with Vris'cika [Scorpio], the duration of the days decreases [until Capricorn], and then gradually it increases month after month, until day and night become equal [in Aries].

Until the sun travels to the south the days grow longer, and until it travels to the north the nights grow longer.

Sukadeva Gosvâmî continued; My dear King, as stated before, the learned say that the sun travels over all sides of Mânasottara Mountain in a circle whose length is 95.100.000 yojanas [760.800.000 miles].

On Mânasottara Mountain, due east of Mount Sumeru, is a place known as Devadhânî, possessed by King Indra. 

Similarly, in the south is a place known as Samyamanî, possessed by Yamarâja, in the west is a place known as Nimlocanî, possessed by Varuna, and in the north is a place named Vibhâvarî, possessed by the moon-god.

Sunrise, midday, sunset and midnight occur in all those places according to specific times, thus engaging all living entities in their various occupational duties and also making them cease such duties.

The living entities residing on Sumeru Mountain are always very warm, as at midday, because for them the sun is always overhead. 

Although the sun moves counterclockwise, facing the constellations, with Sumeru Mountain on its left, it also moves clockwise and appears to have the mountain on its right because it is influenced by the dakshinâvarta wind.

People living in countries at points diametrically opposite to where the sun is first seen rising will see the sun setting, and if a straight line were drawn from a point where the sun is at midday, the people in countries at the opposite end of the line would be experiencing midnight.

Similarly, if people residing where the sun is setting were to go to countries diametrically opposite, they would not see the sun in the same condition.

When the sun travels from Devadhânî, the residence of Indra, to Samyamanî, the residence of Yamarâja, it travels 23.775.000 yojanas [190.200.000 miles] in fifteen ghathikâs [six hours].

From the residence of Yamarâja the sun travels to Nimlocanî, the residence of Varuna, from there to Vibhâvarî, the residence of the moon-god, and from there again to the residence of Indra. 

In a similar way, the moon, along with the other stars and planets, becomes visible in the celestial sphere and then sets and again becomes invisible.

Thus the chariot of the sun-god, which is trayîmaya, or worshiped by the words om bhûr bhuvah svah, travels through the four residences mentioned above at a speed of 3.400.800 yojanas [27.206.400 miles] in a muhûrta.

The chariot of the sun-god has only one wheel, which is known as Samvatsara. 

The twelve months are calculated to be its twelve spokes, the six seasons are the sections of its rim, and the three câtur-mâsya periods are its three-sectioned hub.

One side of the axle carrying the wheel rests upon the summit of Mount Sumeru, and the other rests upon Mânasottara Mountain. Affixed to the outer end of the axle, the wheel continuously rotates on Mânasottara Mountain like the wheel of an oil-pressing machine.

As in an oil-pressing machine, this first axle is attached to a second axle, which is one-fourth as long [3.937.500 yojanas, or 31.500.000 miles]. The upper end of this second axle is attached to Dhruvaloka by a rope of wind.

My dear King, the carriage of the sun-god's chariot is estimated to be 3.600.000 yojanas [28.800.000 miles] long and one-fourth as wide [900.000 yojanas, or 7.200.000 miles].

The chariot's horses, which are named after Gâyatrî and other Vedic meters, are harnessed by Arunadeva to a yoke that is also 900.000 yojanas wide. 

This chariot continuously carries the sun-god.

Although Arunadeva sits in front of the sun-god and is engaged in driving the chariot and controlling the horses, he looks backward toward the sun-god.

There are sixty thousand saintly persons named Vâlikhilyas, each the size of a thumb, who are located in front of the sun-god and who offer him eloquent prayers of glorification.

Similarly, fourteen other saints, Gandharvas, Apsaras, Nâgas, Yakshas, Râkshasas and demigods, who are divided into groups of two, assume different names every month and continuously perform different ritualistic ceremonies to worship the Supreme Lord as the most powerful demigod Sûryadeva, who holds many names.

My dear King, in his orbit through Bhû-mandala, the sun-god traverses a distance of 95.100.000 yojanas [760.800.000 miles] at the speed of 2.000 yojanas and two kros'as [16.004 miles] in a moment.

The Vishnu Purâna states:

Worshiping the most powerful demigod Sûrya, the Gandharvas sing in front of him, the Apsaras dance before the chariot, the Nis'âcaras follow the chariot, the Pannagas decorate the chariot, the Yakshas guard the chariot, and the saints called the Vâlikhilyas surround the sun-god and offer prayers. 

The seven groups of fourteen associates arrange the proper times for regular snow, heat and rain throughout the universe. (5th Canto Srimad Bhagavatam)

Sri Vyasadeva (also called Krishna Dvaipayana, Badarayana, and Vedavyasa) who compiled all the Vedas.

Vyasadeva (also called Krishna Dvaipayana, Badarayana, and Vedavyasa) is the son of Mahamuni Parashara and is a disciple of Narada Muni.

He was the guru of the Pandavas and the Kauravas also.

According to the Vayu Purana, this Vyasa is the twenty-eighth incarnation of Vyasa, and he resides in Uttara Badri, a transcendental abode in the Himalayas, accompanied by Madhvacharya and many other great saintly devotees.

Vyasadeva is known as the literary incarnation of Lord Krishna because he imparted the Vedic wisdom to the world by compiling the Vedas, the Puranas (of which Srimad-Bhagavatam is the foremost), the epic Mahabharata, and the Vedanta-sutra.

He spoke the Vedas and Ganesha wrote them down.

The Brahmin and the Cobbler

The Brahmin and the Cobbler

Once on a sunny day near the Ganges, a Brahmin priest, who had just finished his oblations, came across the great Sage Narada Muni, the messenger of Lord Narayana.

After bowing deeply in respect, the Brahmin took the liberty of asking the divine Sage to ask Lord Narayana a question.

Brahmin priest - “Could you be so kind as to ask the Supreme Lord Narayana, when I’m going to be liberated from this world and enter Vaikuntha to serve Him in holy bliss? I know it will be soon because of my dedication, but I would just like to know, all the same.”

Narada - “No problem, my sir. I’ll ask when I see him.”

Further along down the river, a lowly cobbler, fixing shoes by the wayside, also stopped Narada, as he was passing through, and chanced to approach the great emissary -

Cobbler - “Could I appeal to your kindness by asking you to speak to the great Supreme Lord Narayana on my behalf?”

Narada - “I’d be happy to.”

Cobbler - “You see, I’m growing more weary each year, and I’d just like to know how many more lifetimes I am doomed to suffer in this material world?”

Narada- “I’ll be sure to pass on your message.”

And Narada continued on, passing seamlessly through to the spiritual world. When he saw the great Lord Narayana, he bowed to his feet, as is the custom in approaching the Lord or great spiritual masters. The Lord then asked if there was anything He could do for Narada, who proceeded to put forth the concerns of both the priest and the cobbler.

As Lord Narayana can see through the barriers of time, and into eternity, He thus knows all. With a brief pause, He informed Narada of the destiny of his supplicants -

Lord Narayana - “The cobbler will come here to Vaikuntha at the end of this present lifetime. But the Brahmin will live through at least 100 more lifetimes in the material world.”

Seeing the confused look on Narada Muni’s face, the Lord only smiled and gave these instructions-

Lord Narayana - “Next time you see the cobbler and the priest, they will ask you what I was doing when you saw me. Tell them I was threading an elephant through the eye of a needle. When you see their reactions to this, you will then understand everything.”

So, Narada went on his way. The first man he saw was the Brahmin, who was shocked and insulted by the news:

Brahmin priest - “A hundred rebirths in this hell! I don’t believe it! You probably didn’t even see the Lord! Tell me, what was  He doing when you saw him?”

Narada - “Threading an elephant through the eye of a needle.”

Brahmin Priest - “Threading an elephant through the eye of a needle? That’s totally absurd! You must be lying about everything!”

So, Narada excused himself and pressed on until he found the cobbler. He gave him the news that he would soon be liberated and would be joining the realm of the Lord at the end of this lifetime, at which point the peasant exclaimed in joy-

Cobbler - “Oh, what blessed and glorious news! But, alas, tell me my good sir, what was the Lord doing when you saw him?”

Narada - “He was threading an elephant through the eye of a needle.”

Cobbler - “Lovely. Absolutely lovely., Lord Narayana can do anything He pleases.”

Narada - “You mean, you believe that?”

Cobbler - “Why, sure! You see that huge old oak tree up the hill? It grew from a tiny acorn. So, if the Lord can squeeze a gigantic oak tree into a little seed like that, He can just as easily thread an elephant through the eye of a needle.”

And with that, Narada understood the difference between the priest and the cobbler, as well as why the priest was not yet ready to go back home back to Godhead.

Elle fanning (actress) at Melbourne Rathayatra (Hare Krishna festival) 2015 or 16

Elle fanning at Melbourne Rathayatra 2015 or 16

Sub-space is the reality of "subtle" matter that has NOT yet been discovered by modern materialistic science and technology as yet. Modern science have NO idea that subtle material dimensions exists parallel to the gross material existence and that there is a "subtle material body" also contained within the gross biological material body that can NEVER be detected using gross matter as explained here.

It must be understood that the discovery of sub-space (subtle matter) by modern materialistic science and technology can NEVER be achieved using "gross matter" of any kind.

This underlying "sub-space" reality which IS the underlining world of "subtle matter", has as yet, NOT been discovered by modern materialtic science.

Even the use of the word "Sub-space" in science fiction is completely wrong and nowhere near its real meaning.

This means modern science have no idea that their is a "subtle material body" contained within the gross biological body.

This is because gross material matter, like the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland, cameras, the electron telescope, X-Rays, Ultra-sounds etc CANNOT detect subtle matter that exists in what known as Sub-space that undelines the gross material reality we live in.

Everyone should read Shastra, study and write down their realizations every day!

Srila Prabhupada told me this in Melbourne. He said, "Read ALL my Purports, and write your own realizations based on them".

Yes, this is what we should do, explaining Prabhupada's purports based on time, place and circumstance (for example, Prabhupada's audience was Books and travelling the world giving lectures).

Except for the continuous distribution of Prabhupada's Books in the 2020s, today, the world is completely different with "3.5 billion" people just on Facebook!

Remember, the world population at the turn of the 20th Century, was just over 1 billion, and at the time of Lord Chaitanya in the 16th Century, the ENTIRE world population was a mere 350 million people.

Today just the population of the United States and Canada is nearly 350 million alone.

I have met people on Facebook from Siberia Russia who have never met Hare Krishna devotees, yet on messenger video we have Kirtan, I give class and they study Sastra and chant 16 rounds a day.

Like everything, including Books that can be used for good or bad, Social media also can be used in amazing preaching where thousands of devotees can be made.

This has been all achieved through FACEBOOK (that has replaced the old fashioned saying "look on the world wide web")

Facebook began in 2004 and is today in every corner of the Globe. And through the access of satellites one can view anywhere on the globe.

And yes, that includes the very high mountains in the Himalayas that Prabhupada describes as thousands of miles high in the Srimad Bhagavatam that MUST be in "subtle" matter.

This means these enormous Mountains are unseen by the gross material vehicals like Satellites and other spacecraft's like the International Space Station.

And also unseen by those too absorbed in their gross material body that blocks them from seeing the existence of other realities or dimensions of space-time.

The fact is we live in a multi-verse for example ghosts cannot be proved by gross material elements and Chandraloka on the Moon is unseen by most of us and completely unseen by space crafts and probes.

All around us other dimensions of space-time exist but unseen by us too absorbed in thinking we and the gross material body.

Advanced souls, devotees and yogis can see these other realities, after all the first covering of the jiva soul is a subtle material body that is further covered by a gross biological material body.

This underlying "Sub-space" reality of "subtle matter", has as yet, NOT been discovered by modern materialistic science.

Modern science have no idea that their is a "subtle material body" contained within the gross biological body.

This is because gross material matter, like the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland, cameras, the electron telescope, X-Rays, Ultra-sounds etc CANNOT detect subtle matter that exists in what known as Sub-space that undelines the gross material reality we live in.

I am looking right now at a direct satellite feed of the Himalayan Mountains and see ONLY gross material mountains no taller than 30,000 feet high (5 miles high) and cannot see the other dimensions of the Himalayas where it is said one mountain is 88 miles high.

It must be understood that the discovery of sub-space (subtle matter) can never be achieved using gross matter of any kind.

When the TOVP opens in 2022, you can sit in your lounge room anywhere around the globe, put on "virtual reality glasses or goggles" and walk around Mayapur interacting with devotees as if you were really there.

Even Prabhupada's video lectures can be projected in 3D anywhere around the Globe.

It will almost be like becoming a mystic yogi in the 2020s who can instantly be anywhere where he wants to be on this round global sphere we live on.

The mercy of Krishna follows the mercy of the devotee. By His Holiness Giriraj Swami ACBSP.

"The mercy of Krishna follows the mercy of the devotee".

By His Holiness Giriraj Swami

When Srila Prabhupada was coming to America on the Jaladuta steamship, as he was nearing Commonwealth Pier in Boston, he prayed to Krishna,

“All living entities have come under the control of the illusory energy by Your will, and therefore, if You like, by Your will, they can also be released from the clutches of illusion. I wish that You may deliver them. Therefore, if You so desire their deliverance, then only will they be able to understand Your message.”

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has discussed how the conditioned souls get bhakti. With evidence from the scriptures, he proves that one cannot get bhakti by

karma
jnana,
fruitive activities,
mental speculation.

Or by -

austerities,
charity,
mystic perfections,
or any other pious acts.

He quotes from Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 11 Chapter 3 Text 31, bhaktya sanjataya bhaktya: bhakti comes from bhakti. But how does bhakti come from bhakti? What is the actual process?

He says that someone may propose that one gets bhakti by the mercy of Krishna. But Krishna is equal to all. He is the supreme father of all living entities, so He must be equal to all.

So we cannot simply say that the cause of bhakti is the mercy of Krishna, because Krishna would bestow bhakti equally on everyone, whereas practically we see that some get bhakti while others do not.

Then Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says,

“One could propose that one gets bhakti by the mercy of the devotee.”

But again one might argue that the devotee, like the Lord, should be equal to everyone. Here Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that the preacher, the madhyama-bhakta, by nature shows partiality or discretion in distributing mercy.

As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.2.46): prema-maitri-krpopeksa yah karoti sa madhyama—he gives his love to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, makes friendship with devotees, shows mercy to the innocent, and neglects the envious. Thus, giving mercy, specifically to the innocent, is the preacher’s function.

Even though, in the ultimate sense, a maha-bhagavata such as Srila Prabhupada sees everyone equally, everyone as a servant of Krishna and therefore in no need of mercy, when he takes the position of a preacher and functions as a preacher, he gives mercy to the innocent.

How does he give the mercy? He prays to Krishna to give mercy, and thus it is said that the mercy of Krishna follows the mercy of the devotee.

Here I have my own personal experience: I met Srila Prabhupada in 1969 in Boston, and I was touched by him. I felt that he was the spiritual master for whom I had been looking. About three months later, the devotees there needed another pujari.

In those days one could be a pujari after first initiation. They thought, “He has been here for three months; why not recommend him?” So Satsvarupa Maharaja, as the temple president, recommended me in a letter to Srila Prabhupada.

Srila Prabhupada was in Los Angeles at the time, so I suppose in one sense I was actually initiated there. Srila Prabhupada wrote back, “Your initiated name is Giriraj. Giriraj is a name for Govardhana Hill, where Krishna used to tend His cows.

Sometimes devotees take a stone from Govardhana Hill and worship it as Krishna. So I marked it in your person when I was in Boston, and I prayed to Krishna that this good soul may be aware of the importance of Krishna consciousness.”

What is our qualification?

When I look for my qualifications, I don’t find any. Our only qualification is that Srila Prabhupada took compassion on us and gave us his mercy: he prayed to Krishna for us, just as he says in his prayer approaching the Commonwealth Pier.

So, back to Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura’s discussion: Someone could question,

“Why should Krishna listen to the prayers of a devotee? So many people are praying to Krishna; why should Krishna listen especially to a devotee? Is that not also partiality?”

Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that of all of Krishna’s qualities, the quality of being affectionate to His devotees, bhakta-vatsalya, is considered the supermost, the emperor that conquers over all the Lord’s other qualities and reconciles all contradictions.

So, being partial to His devotees is not a fault (dusanam) in Krishna, but an ornament (bhusanam)—His most exalted quality. He has no desire other than to please His devotees. Just as the devotees have no desire other than to please Krishna, Krishna has no desire other than to please them.

So, when a devotee such as Srila Prabhupada prays to Krishna to give mercy to the fallen souls, or to a particular soul, Krishna readily does it. He does it to please His devotee.

Years after my initiation, I found the verses that Srila Prabhupada paraphrased here in verses 6 and 7 from

“The Prayers of the Personified Vedas” from Srimad-Bhagavatam(10.87.14).

The personified Vedas prayed to the Lord, “The fallen souls are under the control of maya, and maya is under Your control. Therefore, if you show them Your mercy, they can be released from the control of maya. We pray that You kindly do so.”

The same verse was quoted by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to Vasudeva Datta. Vasudeva Datta had prayed, “Let all the sinful reactions of all the living entities in the entire universe fall upon me,” and Lord Chaitanya became overwhelmed with love for Vasudeva Datta and began to tremble and weep out of affection for him.

Generally, we wouldn’t accept the sinful reactions of even one living entity. There is the famous story of Valmiki: Valmiki was a thief, but he wasn’t stealing for himself; he was stealing for the sake of his family.

Then Narada came and exposed the fallacy of mundane family attachment. He spoke to Valmiki’s wife: “Your husband is stealing for your sake, not for his sake. You are enjoying because he is stealing for you. Will you at least take some share of the sinful reactions?”

“No!” she said. “Why should I? He is the one who is doing the stealing, not me.”

We don’t want to take anyone’s sinful reactions. Just our own sinful reactions are hard enough to tolerate. Yet here Vasudeva Datta is saying that he will take the reactions for every living entity in the whole universe.

We cannot even conceive of how much suffering he would have to undergo, but he offered, “Let me suffer in a hellish condition perpetually.” And he spoke without duplicity.

Sometimes we may say things to sound good, to say the right thing, to sound like an advanced devotee. But Vasudeva Datta was serious. Thus, when Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu heard what he said, His heart melted and He told Vasudeva Datta, “You need not suffer their sinful reactions.

They can be liberated by your desire alone. Krishna fulfills the desires of His pure devotees. So by your desire He can liberate them without your accepting their sinful reactions.”

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu quoted the same verse from “The Prayers of the Personified Vedas”: “O Lord, kindly conquer the nescience of the living entities by Your grace.”

So, from one point of view, this is the secret: In his sincere love and compassion, and in his intimate relationship with Krishna, Srila Prabhupada prayed for us, and Krishna reciprocated.

But again, what is the method by which we get the mercy? Srila Prabhupada wrote, “So I prayed to Krishna that this soul may be aware of the importance of Krishna consciousness.”

In other words, we must become aware of the value of Krishna consciousness and then take to the process that Srila Prabhupada gave us. Thus we come to the second part of Verse 7: “If You so desire their deliverance, then only will they be able to understand Your message.”

Many people heard Srila Prabhupada’s message, or Krishna’s message, but not all developed faith in it. The beginning of bhakti is faith (adau sraddha). Thus, when we ask how one gets bhakti, we really mean how one gets sraddha, which is bhakti in its initial stage.

Here “faith” means faith in the words of the scriptures and the words of the spiritual master that glorify and explain the process of bhakti. Srila Prabhupada, in utter humility, prayed that Krishna make his words suitable, and he also prayed that Krishna enlighten us, or inspire us, with appreciation for His message.

In the mood of utter surrender, Srila Prabhupada could see that Krishna was doing everything: Krishna was inspiring him to speak, and Krishna was inspiring us to appreciate what he said.

—Giriraj Swami

PHOTO - Giriraj Swami as a young Brahmacari in 1970 surrounded by many famous names and future leaders of ISKCON.