Life4krishna

CHAPTER 64 The Story of King Nṛga Once the family members of Lord Kṛṣṇa, such as Sāmba, Pradyumna, Cāru, Bhānu and Gada, all princes of the Yadu dynasty, went for a long picnic in the forest near Dvārakā. In the course of their excursion, all of them became thirsty, and so they tried to find out where water was available in the forest. When they approached a well, they found no water in it, but, on the contrary, within the well was a wonderful living entity. It was a large lizard, and all of them were astonished to see such a wonderful animal. They could understand that the animal was trapped and could not escape by its own effort, so out of compassion they tried to take the large lizard out of the well. Unfortunately, they could not get the lizard out, even though they tried to do so in many ways. When the princes returned home, their story was narrated before Lord Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa is the friend of all living entities. Therefore, after hearing the appeal from His sons, He personally ...

CHAPTER ONE The Later Pastimes of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu In this chapter there is a summary description of all the pastimes performed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu during the middle period of His activities as well as the six years at the end of His activities. All of these are described in brief. There is also a description of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s ecstasy that occurred when He recited the verse beginning yaḥ kaumāra-haraḥ, as well as a description of how that ecstasy was explained in the verse beginning priyaḥ so ’yaṁ kṛṣṇaḥ, by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. Because he wrote that verse, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī was specifically blessed by the Lord. There is also a description of the many books written by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī and Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī. There is also a description of the meeting between Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī in the village known as Rāmakeli. Text 1: Even a person with no knowledge can immediately acquire all kn...

These opening verses of Chapter Two capture the clash between spiritual duty and material sentimentality. Arjuna breaks down on the battlefield, overcome by grief and an overwhelming attachment to his bodily relationships. He mistakes this emotional paralysis for genuine compassion, arguing that attacking revered elders like Bhīṣma and Droṇa is an unpardonable sin that would taint any resulting victory with blood. From Arjuna’s perspective, renouncing the fight and choosing a life of begging is far more honorable than killing his teachers for worldly gain. Lord Kṛṣṇa instantly cuts through this confusion, diagnosing Arjuna’s so-called mercy not as noble nonviolence, but as a petty weakness of heart born of ignorance. True compassion cares for the eternal soul, whereas Arjuna’s sorrow is merely lamentation for the temporary material body—an attitude unbefitting an Āryan who understands the higher purpose of life. By addressing Arjuna with the authority of Bhagavān, the ultimate realized...

Translation The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor for the dead. Purport The Lord at once took the position of the teacher and chastised the student, calling him, indirectly, a fool. The Lord said, “You are talking like a learned man, but you do not know that one who is learned – one who knows what is body and what is soul – does not lament for any stage of the body, neither in the living nor in the dead condition.” As explained in later chapters, it will be clear that knowledge means to know matter and spirit and the controller of both. Arjuna argued that religious principles should be given more importance than politics or sociology, but he did not know that knowledge of matter, soul and the Supreme is even more important than religious formularies. And because he was lacking in that knowledge, he should not have posed himself as a very learned man. A...