Sri Isopanisad Mantra 10

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder~Acharya of the Krsna Consciousness Movement
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anyad evahur vidyaya-

nyad ahur avidyaya

iti susruma dhiranam

ye nas tad vicacakshire

SYNONYMS

anyat -- different; eva -- certainly; ahuh -- said; vid-yaya -- by culture of knowledge; anyat -- different; ahuh -- said; avidyaya -- by culture of nescience; iti -- thus; susruma -- I heard; dhiranam -- from the sober; ye -- who; nah -- to us; tat -- that; vicacakshire -- explained.

Translation
The wise have explained that one result is derived from the culture of
knowledge and that a different result is obtained from the culture of nescience.

Purport

"As advised in the Thirteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita (13.8-12), one should culture knowledge in the following way:

1. One should himself become a perfect gentleman and learn to give proper respect to others.

2. One should not pose himself as a religionist simply for name and fame.

3. One should not become a source of anxiety to others by the actions of his body, by the thoughts of his mind, or by his words.

4. One should learn forbearance even in the face of provocation from others.

5. One should learn to avoid duplicity in his dealings with others.

6. One should search out a bona fide spiritual master who can lead him gradually to the stage of spiritual realization, and one must submit himself to such a spiritual master, render him service, and ask relevant questions.

7. In order to approach the platform of self-realization, one must follow the regulative principles enjoined in the scriptures.

8. One must be fixed in the tenets of the revealed scriptures.

9. One should completely refrain from practices which are detrimental to the interest of self-realization.

10. One should not accept more than he requires for the maintenance of the body.

11. One should not falsely identify himself with the gross material body nor consider those who are related to his body to be his own.

12. One should always remember that as long as he has a material body he must face the miseries of repeated birth, old age, disease and death. There is no use in making plans to get rid of these miseries of the material body. The best course is to find out the means by which one may regain his spiritual identity.

13. One should not be attached to more than the necessities of life required for spiritual advancement.

14. One should not be more attached to wife, children and home than the revealed scriptures ordain.

15. One should not be happy or distressed over desirables and undesirables created by the mind.

16. One should become an unalloyed devotee of the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, and serve Him with rapt attention.

17. One should develop a liking for residence in a secluded place with a calm and quiet atmosphere favorable for spiritual culture, and one should avoid congested places where nondevotees congregate.

18. One should become a scientist or philosopher and conduct research into spiritual knowledge, recognizing that spiritual knowledge is permanent whereas material knowledge ends with the death of the body.


These eighteen items combine to form a gradual process by which real knowledge can be developed."

Srila Prabhupada Quote Of The Day

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder~Acharya of the Krsna Consciousness Movement

September 19, 1969
Tittenhurst
Letter to Sacisuta

I have seen what you have written about your protection by my humble self, but that is inevitable when a Spiritual Master accepts somebody as disciple.

Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita that He takes charge of a surrendered soul; so much so that Lord Krishna protects His devotee from all his sinful activities in the past. Similarly, the Spiritual Master, when He accepts a disciple and the disciple surrenders unto Him, He has got the responsibility of absorbing the sinful reaction of His disciples life. This is a great responsibility of the Spiritual Master. We should therefore be very careful not to overburden our Spiritual Master by further repetition of sinful activities.

Of course, one who has entered into Krishna Consciousness cannot act deliberately anything sinful. Still, we should always be on guard against such activities. Sometimes we hear that people are going to church to confess their sinful actions for being excused, but as soon as he comes out of the church, he begins the same drama again. This is like the bathing of the elephant, who immediately throws dirt again on his body. We should not follow such examples. Lord Caitanya accepted Jagai and Madhai on condition they would not commit further sinful activities. So all our students should be careful in the matter of violating the four principles and at the same time must carry on the chanting process rigidly.

Submitted by Nityananda Rama dasa

Srila Prabhupada Quote Of The Day

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder~Acharya of the Krsna Consciousness Movement

April 28, 1970
Los Angeles
Letter to Citsukhananda

"Regarding your first question, who is the speaker of Isopanisad? The speaker is the Vedas personified. In the Vedic age a disciple heard from the Spiritual Master messages which were coming down in disciplic succession, so a disciple, whatever he heard from his bona fide Spiritual Master, would recite.

The Vedic mantras are known as Sruti, to hear from authoritative source and then repeat it, chanting. So there is no question of who wrote it, it is said that no human being has compiled them. Later on, before the beginning of Kali Yuga, all Vedic mantras were written in books, most of them were done by Srila Vyasadeva Mahamuni and his different disciples."

Submitted by Nityananda Rama dasa

Srila Prabhupada Quote Of The Day

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder~Acharya of the Krsna Consciousness Movement

Wednesday, 17 November, 1971
Delhi
Letter to Brhaspati das

"Just like you add hydrogen and oxygen and get water. So let them chant and learn Bhagavad-gita and they will get Krishna's mercy. I am successful in my teaching work because I have not deviated one inch from my Spiritual Master's instruction, this is my only qualification. So if you simply remain pure, your preaching will have effect."

Submitted by Nityananda Rama dasa

Bhagavad-gita As It Is 2.7

karpanya-doshopahata-svabhavah

pricchami tvam dharma-sammudha-cetah

yac chreyah syan niscitam bruhi tan me

sishyas te 'ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam

SYNONYMS

karpanya -- of miserliness; dosha -- by the weakness; upahata -- being afflicted; sva-bhavah -- characteristics; pricchami -- I am asking; tvam -- unto You; dharma -- religion; sammudha -- bewildered; cetah -- in heart; yat -- what; sreyah -- all-good; syat -- may be; niscitam -- confidently; bruhi -- tell; tat -- that; me -- unto me; sishyah -- disciple; te -- Your; aham -- I am; sadhi -- just instruct; mam -- me; tvam -- unto You; prapannam -- surrendered.

TRANSLATION

Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of miserly weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me for certain what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.

PURPORT

By nature's own way the complete system of material activities is a source of perplexity for everyone. In every step there is perplexity, and therefore it behooves one to approach a bona fide spiritual master who can give one proper guidance for executing the purpose of life. All Vedic literatures advise us to approach a bona fide spiritual master to get free from the perplexities of life, which happen without our desire. They are like a forest fire that somehow blazes without being set by anyone. Similarly, the world situation is such' that perplexities of life automatically appear, without our wanting such confusion. No one wants fire, and yet it takes place, and we become perplexed. The Vedic wisdom therefore advises that in order to solve the perplexities of life and to understand the science of the solution, one must approach a spiritual master who is in the disciplic succession. A person with a bona fide spiritual master is supposed to know everything. One should not, therefore, remain in material perplexities but should approach a spiritual master. This is the purport of this verse.

Who is the man in material perplexities? It is he who does not understand the problems of life. In the Brihad-aranyaka Upanishad (3.8.10) the perplexed man is described as follows: yo va etad aksharam gargy aviditvasman lokat praiti sa kripanah. "He is a miserly man who does not solve the problems of life as a human and who thus quits this world like the cats and dogs, without understanding the science of self-realization." This human form of life is a most valuable asset for the living entity who can utilize it for solving the problems of life; therefore, one who does not utilize this opportunity properly is a miser. On the other hand, there is the brahmana, or he who is intelligent enough to utilize this body to solve all the problems of life. Ya etad aksharam gargi viditvasmat lokat praiti sa brahmanah.

The kripanas, or miserly persons, waste their time in being overly affectionate for family, society, country, etc., in the material conception of life. One is often attached to family life, namely to wife, children and other members, on the basis of "skin disease." The kripana thinks that he is able to protect his family members from death; or the kripana thinks that his family or society can save him from the verge of death. Such family attachment can be found even in the lower animals, who take care of children also. Being intelligent, Arjuna could understand that his affection for family members and his wish to protect them from death were the causes of his perplexities. Although he could understand that his duty to fight was awaiting him, still, on account of miserly weakness, he could not discharge the duties. He is therefore asking Lord Krishna, the supreme spiritual master, to make a definite solution. He offers himself to Krishna as a disciple. He wants to stop friendly talks. Talks between the master and the disciple are serious, and now Arjuna wants to talk very seriously before the recognized spiritual master. Krishna is therefore the original spiritual master of the science of Bhagavad-gita, and Arjuna is the first disciple for understanding the Gita. How Arjuna understands the Bhagavad-gita is stated in the Gita itself. And yet foolish mundane scholars explain that one need not submit to Krishna as a person, but to "the unborn within Krishna." There is no difference between Krishna's within and without. And one who has no sense of this understanding is the greatest fool in trying to understand Bhagavad-gita.
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Translation and Purport by~His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

Srila Prabhupada Quote Of The Day

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder~Acharya of the Krsna Consciousness Movement

October 21, 1968
Seattle, Washington
Letter to Krishna das

"To feel separation from the Spiritual Master or Krishna is very good position. That means one who is in pure love with Krishna and His Representative, Spiritual Master, he thinks always of Them. And this thinking process is Krishna consciousness. If we can think always of Krishna even in separation, that is Krishna Consciousness. And in the absolute platform, there is no difference of separation and meeting.

The separation is also meeting, rather in separation one relishes the loving relationship more tasty. So don't be disappointed that you are separated from me, I am also always thinking of you how you are making progress there."

Submitted by Nityananda Rama dasa

Srila Prabhupada Quote Of The Day

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder~Acharya of the Krsna Consciousness Movement

Tuesday October 3, 1967
Delhi,India
Letter to Nandarani, Krishna devi, Subala das, and Uddhava

"Your service attitude encourages me because Krishna can never be an order supplier. We should always remember that Krishna is the only order giver. His order is received through the agency of the spiritual master. The bonafide spiritual master is the manifest representative of Krishna. The spiritual master is described in the scriptures as good as Krishna because he is the most confidential servitor of Krishna. To please the spiritual master is to please Krishna. On this principle we must advance our Krishna Consciousness and there is no danger."

Submitted by Nityananda Rama dasa

Srila Prabhupada Quote of the Day

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder~Acharya of the Krsna Consciousness Movement

September 19, 1969
Tittenhurst
Letter to Sacisuta


" I have seen what you have written about your protection by my humble self, but that is inevitable when a Spiritual Master accepts somebody as disciple.

Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita that He takes charge of a surrendered soul; so much so that Lord Krishna protects His devotee from all his sinful activities in the past. Similarly, the Spiritual Master, when He accepts a disciple and the disciple surrenders unto Him, He has got the responsibility of absorbing the sinful reaction of His disciples life. This is a great responsibility of the Spiritual Master. We should therefore be very careful not to overburden our Spiritual Master by further repetition of sinful activities.

Of course, one who has entered into Krishna Consciousness cannot act deliberately anything sinful. Still, we should always be on guard against such activities. Sometimes we hear that people are going to church to confess their sinful actions for being excused, but as soon as he comes out of the church, he begins the same drama again. This is like the bathing of the elephant, who immediately throws dirt again on his body. We should not follow such examples. Lord Caitanya accepted Jagai and Madhai on condition they would not commit further sinful activities. So all our students should be careful in the matter of violating the four principles and at the same time must carry on the chanting process rigidly."

Submitted by Nityananda Rama dasa