June 8, 2025

Hearing from acaryas is the most important thing. In our case, our acaryas are Srila Prabhupada and the previous acharyas - the parampara.
One may get dragged into hearing from social media.
As a loyal dog, we should hear from our acaryas. It may sound fanatical, but it is the correct way to approach spiritual life with faith.
We should not hear from those who are not in the parampara or who are not following the parampara.
We have bonafide acaryas, and we should hear from them. Why would we hear from others? That means we lack faith in our acaryas.
Acaryas shows the way and goes the way - through practice.
Fortunate is one who has a spiritual guide. Most fortunate one is who accepts guidance of a bonafide spiritual master.
Q: Are we seeking guidance, even if we seek guidance, are we following the guidance?
There is nothing wrong in thinking of krishna in everything. In fact, it is encouraged to see Krishna in all aspects of life. Krishna confirms this in Bhagavad-gita that he is the taste of water, light of the sun and moon, etc.
KC is about intent and not the content. If the intent is to please Krishna, then it is KC.
All paths do not lead to Krishna. There are many paths, but only one path leads to Krishna. This is possible through the knowledge given by the acaryas and the scriptures through the parampara.
mamai vamsa jiva loke jiva bhuta sanatanah - all living entities are part and parcel of Krishna. We are all eternal servants of Krishna.
If we have to go back to Krishna, then the culture of hearing needs to be cultivated and authorised.
Prabhupada is our master. We need to have complete faith.
BG 7.19

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ

If this life is not used in the service of Krishna, then it is a waste and will be abused in the next life by maya.
Hearing, chanting, and remembering Krishna are essential practices for spiritual advancement.
Prabhupada is warning us to not be deviated. This is direct association with Prabhupada when we read his books.
Also essential is to associate with devotees and engage in devotional service.
Keshava swami: Krishna is a jealous lover. He does not want to share us with anyone else. He wants us to be exclusively His.
BG 4.11 - Come to me directly. Why indirect taxes? Pay directly to Krishna.
Sense gratification in this material world is given by Krishna.
Why hear from parampara and only prabhupada? Because we are disturbed already and when we look at other sources means we lack faith.
HH - Move from Hypocrisy to Honesty.
Q: Am I honest to prabhupada?
Of the 4 defects (Making mistakes, Being in illusion, cheating propensity, imperfect senses), Only self-cheating propensity is the one in our control.
To preach to someone, we first have to be a good example first.
The three words hare krishna and rama is our philisophy.
Three ways of learning - Hearing, Observing and Experiencing.

June 9, 2025

This mantra addresses the question: What is the difference between worshiping the Supreme Lord and worshiping demigods?
If we hear from multiple sources, we will be confused. We should hear from one source, which is undisturbed.
Demigod worhship leads to temporary results and temporary platforms.
Worshiping the Supreme Lord Sri-Krishna leads to eternal results and eternal platforms.
Why do people still worship demigods? Because they do not have unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord.
If we have faith in Krishna, whatever demigods provides, we will get from Krishna.
One may chant Hare Krishna mahamantara and worship demigods, that is not pure devotional service.
Krishna is the cause of all causes. He is the original source of everything.
Everything is emanating from Krishna, including the spiritual world, material nature, and the living entities (jivas) including demigods.
vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ - undisturbed intelligence, which is focused on Krishna - BG 2.41

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir
ekeha kuru-nandana
bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca
buddhayo ’vyavasāyinām

Where do demigods fit in? Even before secondary creation of Brahma, there is primary creation by supreme person Krishna. Demigods are created by Krishna.
All vedic literature confirms that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
When we have this information, why go anywhere else? Why not just hear from Prabhupada and the previous acharyas? with full faith!
Prabhupada: Narayana and Krishna: Narayana is vishnu tattva and comes from Krishna. We have radha-tatva, shiva-tatva and jiva-tatva as well. Narayana is the supreme person, but Krishna is the original person. Radha-tatva: Parvati, Lakshmi, Durga, etc. are all expansions of Radha-tatva.
The cause of all of this is Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.This, we need to understand clearly through scriptures and have full faith.
This is possible through the process of hearing from the right source, which is the parampara system without deviation, with faith and with loyalty to prabhupada for what he has given us.
BG 9.11

avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā
mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam
paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto
mama bhūta-maheśvaram

How do we get this conviction and faith for Krishna? Two things: One is from hearing and second is by practicing what we hear.
When we are faithless, we are mudhas (fools). We will have suffering in this material world this life and the next.
When we hear from undistrubed sources, we will develop faith that Lord is the protectors and my friend. Everything is coming from Krishna. He is the source of everything.
Gauranga darshan prabhu: GBC - Gita Bhagavatam Chaitanya - is what a preacher must always preach.
Hearing from the right source is the most important thing. We should not hear from unauthorized sources.
janmadasya yatah - everything is coming from Krishna. He is the source of everything.
Even brahma and shiva do not know Kirshna fully.
KC is not about knowing Krishna, but serving and loving Krishna. When we serve Krishna, we will know Krishna.
Krishna says in BG that he is not easy to know.
Prabhupada: Chant and be happy. Actually it is chant to make Krishna happy.
All our actions should make Krishna happy. This is the essence of KC.
BG 8.15 - dukkalayam ashashvatam - this material world is temporary and full of miseries. We should not be attached to this world.
If we are trying to be happy in this material world, we are wasting our time. We should try to make Krishna happy.
Material happiness is temporary and full of miseries. It is not for the intelligent person.

June 10, 2025

In this mantra, we learn that we have to hear from undisturbed sources, which is the parampara system - One who follows the path, one who is showing the path and one who knows the path - Srila Prabhupada is the one who is showing the path and knows the path and practicing the path. It now continues through the parampara system.
SB 1.2.16

śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya
vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ
syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ
puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt

O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Vāsudeva.

In Mode of Passion and Modes of ignorance - no idea that they need to know god. A devotee therefore should stay away from such mode.
Prabhupada: Anyone can be a perfect prahmana - possible by following spiritual master and hearing from him.
Bhakti is the process of following. Many times we may not follow because of our false ego. We think we know better than the acaryas.
All a devotee needs to do is follow the guidance.
Only by the grace of Krishna we can overcome the modes of passion and ignorance. Even for process of surrender, Krishna provides his grace - and that is hearing and following.
Prabhupada: We should all attain brahminical qualification. Goal of bhakti is not to become a brahmana, but to become a pure devotee of Krishna. One becomes happy in such state to render devotional service to Krishna and Krishna's devotees. This surely pleases Krishna and the practitioner is sure to attain the spiritual world. That is the phala-sruti of this mantra.
Keshav maharaj: We have so much information that we cannot go outside the world - compared to Mafia that with this information devotee will not leave Krishna consciousness.
Prabhupada: With KC, One gradually becomes free of the mind and senses, and becomes a pure devotee of Krishna. This is the goal of life.
From attachment comes frustration, and from frustration comes anger. From anger comes delusion, and from delusion comes loss of memory. From loss of memory comes loss of intelligence, and from loss of intelligence one falls down again into the material world again and again.
This is the true reason why we need to develop detachment.

Śrī Īśopaniṣad – Mantra 13 Summary

Translation:
It is said that one result is obtained by worshiping the supreme cause of all causes and that another result is obtained by worshiping what is not supreme. All this is heard from the undisturbed authorities, who clearly explained it.

Key Themes from the Purport

1. Authority in Spiritual Knowledge

True transcendental knowledge must be received from undisturbed, bona fide ācāryas.
Unauthorized interpretations outside the disciplic succession mislead people from the actual goal.

2. Different Worship, Different Results

Vedic scriptures confirm that worshiping different deities yields different destinations:
- Worship of forefathers → their planets
- Worship of demigods → their realms
- Worship of Lord Kṛṣṇa → His eternal abode
The claim that all paths lead to the same goal is rejected as un-Vedic.

3. Lord Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Cause

Kṛṣṇa is the original source of all creation (sarvasya prabhavo).
Vedic texts (Gopāla-tāpanī, Nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad, Atharva Veda) affirm Kṛṣṇa or Nārāyaṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Even Śaṅkarācārya, though not from the Vaiṣṇava tradition, confirms this.

4. Importance of Hearing from the Right Source

Arjuna became a devotee by hearing directly from Kṛṣṇa (Bhagavad-gītā 4.3).
True transformation begins through śravaṇam (hearing) from genuine ācāryas.

5. False Teachers and Misleading Paths

Pseudo-spiritual leaders invent philosophies and encourage worship of themselves.
They divert people from hearing Kṛṣṇa’s glories and mislead the masses.

6. Service to the Soul vs. Service to the Body

Soul-centered devotional service is superior to material welfare efforts.
Killing animals while serving humans is not real service to the soul.

7. Power of Hearing and Chanting

Hearing about Kṛṣṇa purifies the heart and attracts divine guidance (Bhagavad-gītā 10.10).
The Lord, situated in the heart, gives direction to sincere devotees.

8. Elevation to Brāhmaṇa and Liberation

Devotional service can purify all, regardless of birth (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.4.18).
As one develops brahminical qualities, realization of God unfolds.
Such a person becomes free from doubt and sees the Lord everywhere.

Conclusion

Mantra 13 teaches that the result of worship depends on the object of worship. Only by worshiping Lord Kṛṣṇa, the supreme cause of all causes, through the authorized paramparā system, can one attain true liberation and return to the spiritual world. Worshiping demigods or fabricated conceptions leads only to temporary or misguided results.