Krsnaloka | The Hare Krishna Movement

Return to the Spiritual World

03 Apr 2015 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Spiritual World Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, back to Godhead, Godhead, going home, Goloka Vrndavana, Krsnaloka, SB4.29.50, spiritual planets, Vaikuntha planets, Vaikunthalokas

This morning I was reading from the Srimad Bhagavatam the following verse:

Śrī Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the Supersoul and guide of all living entities who have accepted material bodies within this world. He is the supreme controller of all material activities in material nature. He is also our best friend, and everyone should take shelter at His lotus feet. In doing so, one’s life will be auspicious. (SB 4.29.50)

I was reading from the this 29th chapter, that by chanting Hare Krishna, one can become purified of all material contamination and return home, back to Godhead.

In the purport to verse 48 it is mentioned; “Generally people are not aware of their interest in life—to return home, back to Godhead. People do not know about their real home in the spiritual world. In the spiritual world there are many Vaikuṇṭha planets, and the topmost planet is Kṛṣṇaloka, Goloka Vṛndāvana. Despite the so-called advancement of civilization, there is no information of the Vaikuṇṭhalokas, the spiritual planets…The real attempt should now be to return home, back to Godhead…One should be intelligent enough to return to Godhead. One should be interested in information about the spiritual Vaikuṇṭha planets, and in particular the planet known as Goloka Vṛndāvana, and should learn the art of going there by the simple method of devotional service, beginning with hearing and chanting (śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.23]).

Full Text 50, and nice purport! More

Kṛṣṇaloka; The Spiritual Abode

02 Aug 2012 1 Comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Bhagavad-gita, Spiritual Life, Spiritual World Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, abode of the Supreme Lord, Bg 15.6, brahmajoti, effulgence, Goloka Vrndavana, Krsnaloka, self-luminous, spiritual sky, Spiritual world, The Spiritual Abode, Vaikunthas

…The spiritual world, the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa-which is known as Kṛṣṇaloka, Goloka Vṛndāvana-is described here. In the spiritual sky there is no need of sunshine, moonshine, fire or electricity, because all the planets are self-luminous. We have only one planet in this universe, the sun, which is self-luminous, but all the planets in the spiritual sky are self-luminous. The shining effulgence of all those planets (called Vaikuṇṭhas) constitutes the shining sky known as the brahmajyoti. Actually, the effulgence is emanating from the planet of Kṛṣṇa, Goloka Vṛndāvana. Part of that shining effulgence is covered by the mahat-tattva, the material world. Other than this, the major portion of that shining sky is full of spiritual planets, which are called Vaikuṇṭhas, chief of which is Goloka Vṛndāvana.

The abode of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, Fifteenth Chapter, sixth verse:

na tad bhāsayate sūryo na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ
yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama

“That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. And anyone who reaches it never comes back to this material world.” (Bg. 15.6)

This verse gives a description of that eternal sky. Of course we have a material conception of the sky, and we think of it in relationship to the sun, moon, stars and so on, but in this verse the Lord states that in the eternal sky there is no need for the sun nor for the moon nor fire of any kind because the spiritual sky is already illuminated by the brahmajyoti, the rays emanating from the Supreme Lord. We are trying with difficulty to reach other planets, but it is not difficult to understand the abode of the Supreme Lord. This abode is referred to as Goloka. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is beautifully described: Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ. The Lord resides eternally in His abode Goloka, yet He can be approached from this world, and to this end the Lord comes to manifest His real form, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. When He manifests this form, there is no need for our imagining what He looks like. To discourage such imaginative speculation, He descends and exhibits Himself as He is, as Śyāmasundara. Unfortunately, the less intelligent deride Him because He comes as one of us and plays with us as a human being. But because of this we should not consider that the Lord is one of us. It is by His potency that He presents Himself in His real form before us and displays His pastimes, which are prototypes of those pastimes found in His abode.

A Devotee is an Ocean of Mercy

27 Jun 2012 1 Comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead, Lectures, Vaisnava Compassion Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead Magazine, hellish conditions, hellish life, krsna consciousness, Krsnaloka, Maharaja Pariksit, spiritual body, Sukadeva Goswami, Vaisnava heart

…With similar Vaisnava compassion, Pariksit Maharaja says to Sukadeva Gosvami, “You have described the different types of hellish conditions of life. Now, tell me how those who are suffering can be delivered. Kindly explain this to me.” “How can they be delivered from their fierce miseries and horrible pains?” That is a Vaisnava heart. Maharaja Pariksit says, “Somehow or other they have fallen down to this hellish life. But that does not mean that they should remain in that condition. There must be some means by which they can be delivered, so kindly explain that.”

“Yes, I’ve already described the different types of hellish conditions and very severe painful life, but one has to counteract it.”

If you are to go to Krsna, then you have to prepare your spiritual body. That is Krsna consciousness, If you keep yourself in Krsna consciousness, then gradually you prepare your next body, a spiritual body, which will carry you immediately to Krsnaloka, and you will become happy. You will live there perpetually and blissfully.

A Devotee is an Ocean of Mercy

Lecture given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada
From Back to Godhead Magazine 1972 Vol. 1, No 45

Today I shall speak to you about the glorification of the holy name of God. This was discussed between Maharaja Pariksit and Sukadeva Gosvami in connection with a brahmana who was very fallen and addicted to all kinds of sinful activities but was saved simply by chanting the holy name. This is found in the Sixth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the only means of Deliverance

02 Nov 2011 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Bhagavad-gita, Krishna Consciousness Tags: Bhagavad-gita As It Is, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Krsnaloka, man-mana bhava-bhakto, primal form of Krsna, Supreme Personality of Godhead

There are some who are demonic; they also think of Kṛṣṇa, but enviously, just like King Kaṁsa, Kṛṣṇa’s uncle. He was also thinking of Kṛṣṇa always, but he thought of Kṛṣṇa as his enemy. He was always in anxiety, wondering when Kṛṣṇa would come to kill him. That kind of thinking will not help us. One should be thinking of Kṛṣṇa in devotional love.

One should therefore engage his mind in the eternal form, the primal form of Kṛṣṇa; with conviction in his heart that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that His body is not material, but is eternal, blissful knowledge. This will help one transfer into the Kṛṣṇaloka.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is – Macmillan 1972 Edition
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter 9, Text 34

man-manā bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru
mām evaiṣyasi yuktvaivam
ātmānaṁ mat-parāyaṇaḥ

mat-manāḥ—always thinking of Me; bhava—become; mat—My; bhaktaḥ—devotee; mat—My; yājī—worshiper; mām—unto Me; namaskuru—offer obeisances; mām—unto Me; eva—completely; eṣyasi—come; yuktvā evam—being absorbed; ātmānam—your soul; mat-parāyaṇaḥ—devoted to Me.

Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, offer obeisances and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.

Purport
In this verse it is clearly indicated that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the only means of being delivered from the clutches of this contaminated material world. Sometimes unscrupulous commentators distort the meaning of what is clearly stated here: that all devotional service should be offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Unfortunately, unscrupulous commentators divert the mind of the reader to that which is not at all feasible. Such commentators do not know that there is no difference between Kṛṣṇa’s mind and Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not an ordinary human being; He is Absolute Truth. His body, mind and He Himself are one and absolute. It is stated in the Kūrma Purāṇa. As it is quoted by Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī in his Anubhāṣya comments on Caitanya-caritāmrta, Fifth Chapter, Ādi-līlā, verses 41-48, “deha-dehi-vibhedo ‘yaṁ neśvare vidyate kvacit,” which means that there is no difference in Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, between Himself and His body. But, because they do not know this science of Kṛṣṇa, the commentators hide Kṛṣṇa and divide His personality from His mind or from His body. Although this is sheer ignorance of the science of Kṛṣṇa, some men make profit out of misleading the people.