SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 8 Text 28
vedesu yajnesu tapahsu caiva
danesu yat punya-phalam pradistam
atyeti tat sarvam idam viditva
yogi param sthanam upaiti cadyam

vedesu--in the study of the Vedas; yajnesu--in the performances of yajna, sacrifice; tapahsu--in undergoing different types of austerities; ca--also; eva--certainly; danesu--in giving charities; yat--that which; punya-phalam--result of pious work; pradistam--indicated; atyeti--surpasses; tat sarvam--all those; idam--this; viditva--knowing; yogi--the devotee; param--supreme; sthanam--abode; upaiti--achieves; ca--also; adyam--original.

TRANSLATION

A person who accepts the path of devotional service is not bereft of the results derived from studying the Vedas, performing austere sacrifices, giving charity or pursuing philosophical and fruitive activities. Simply by performing devotional service, he attains all these, and at the end he reaches the supreme eternal abode.

JOURNAL:

This is the last sloka of chapter eight. It is also the last patch I have to make in this chapter.

Srila Prabhupada states at the beginning of his purport; This verse is the summation of the Seventh and Eighth chapters, which particularly deal with Krsna consciousness and devotional service.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 8 Text 10
prayana-kale manasacalena
bhaktya yuktoyoga-balena caiva
bhruvor madhye pranam avesya samyak
sa tam param purusam upaiti divyam

prayana-kale--at the time of death; manasa--by the mind; acalena--without its being deviated; bhaktya--in full devotion; yuktah--engaged; yoga-balena--by the power of mystic yoga; ca--also; eva--certainly; bhruvoh--the two eyebrows; madhye--between; pranam--the life air; avesya--establishing; samyak--completely; sah--he; tam--that; param--transcendental; purusam--Personality of Godhead; upaiti--achieves; divyam--in the spiritual kingdom.

TRANSLATION

One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air between the eyebrows and, by the strength of yoga, with an undeviating mind, engages himself in remembering the Supreme Lord in full devotion, will certainly attain to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT

In this verse it is clearly stated that at the time of death the mind must be fixed in devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For those practiced in yoga, it is recommended that they raise the life force between the eyebrows (to the ajna-cakra). The practice of sat-cakra-yoga, involving meditation on the six cakras, is suggested here. A pure devotee does not practice such yoga, but because he is always engaged in Krsna consciousness, at death he can remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead by His grace. This is explained in verse fourteen. The particular use of the word yoga-balena is significant in this verse because without practice of yoga--whether sat-cakra-yoga or bhakti-yoga--one cannot come to this transcendental state of being at the time of death. One cannot suddenly remember the Supreme Lord at death; one must have practiced some yoga system, especially the system of bhakti-yoga. Since one's mind at death is very disturbed, one should practice transcendence through yoga during one's life.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 8 Text 9
kavim puranam anusasitaram
anor aniyamsam anusmared yah
sarvasya dhataram acintya-rupam
aditya- varnam tamasah parastat

kavim--the one who knows everything; puranam--the oldest; anusasitaram--the controller; anoh--than the atom; aniyamsam--smaller; anusmaret--always thinks of; yah--one who; sarvasya--of everything; dhataram--the maintainer; acintya--inconceivable; rupam--whose form; aditya-varnam--luminous like the sun; tamasah--to darkness; parastat--transcendental.

TRANSLATION

One should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows everything, as He who is the oldest, who is the controller, who is smaller than the smallest, who is the maintainer of everything, who is beyond all material conception, who is inconceivable, and who is always a person. He is luminous like the sun, and He is transcendental, beyond this material nature.

JOURNAL:

Srila Prabhupada begins his purport with these words; The process of thinking of the Supreme is mentioned in this verse. The foremost point is that He is not impersonal or void. One cannot meditate on something impersonal or void. That is very difficult. The process of thinking of Krsna, however, is very easy and is factually stated herein.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 8 Text 8
abhyasa-yoga-yuktena
cetasa nanya-gamina
paramam purusam divyam
yati parthanucintayan

abhyasa-yoga--by practice; yuktena--being engaged in meditation; cetasa--by the mind and intelligence; na anya-gamina--without their being deviated; paramam--the Supreme; purusam--Personality of Godhead; divyam--transcendental; yati--one achieves; partha--O son of Prtha; anucintayan--constantly thinking of.

TRANSLATION

He who meditates on Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind constantly engaged in remembering Me, undeviated from the path, he, O Partha, is sure to reach Me.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 8 Text 7
tasmat sarvesu kalesu
mam anusmara yudhya ca
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
mam evaisyasy asamsayah

tasmat--therefore; sarvesu--at all; kalesu--times; mam--M e; anusmara--go on remembering; yudhya--fight; ca--also; mayi--unto Me; arpita--surrendering; manah--mind; buddhih--intellect; mam--unto M e; eva--surely; esyasi--you will attain; asamsayah--beyond a doubt.

TRANSLATION

Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Krsna and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 8 Text 6
yam yam vapi smaran bhavam
tyajaty ante kalevaram
tam tam evaiti kaunteya
sada tad-bhava-bhavitah

yam yam--whatever; va api--at all; smaran--remembering; bhavam--nature; tyajati--gives up; ante--at the end; kalevaram--this body; tam tam--similar; eva--certainly; eti--gets; kaunteya--O son of Kunti; sada--always; tat--that; bhava--state of being; bhavitah--remembering.

TRANSLATION

Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kunti, that state he will attain without fail.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 8 Text 5
anta-kale ca mam eva
smaran muktva kalevaram
yah prayati sa mad-bhavam
yati nasty atra samsayah

anta-kale--at the end of life; ca--also; mam--Me; eva--certainly; smaran--remembering; muktva--quitting; kalevaram--the body; yah--he who; prayati--goes; sah--he; mat-bhavam--My nature; yati--achieves; na--not; asti--there is; atra--here; samsayah--doubt.

TRANSLATION

And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.

JOURNAL:

Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport; Lord Caitanya has advised that one be as tolerant as a tree (taror iva sahisnuna). There may be so many impediments for a person who is chanting Hare Krsna. Nonetheless, tolerating all these impediments, one should continue to chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, so that at the end of one's life one can have the full benefit of Krsna consciousness.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 8 Text 4
adhibhutam ksaro bhavah
purusas cadhidaivatam
adhiyajno 'ham evatra
dehe deha-bhrtam vara

adhibhutam--the physical manifestation; ksarah--constantly changing; bhavah--nature; purusah--the universal form, including all the demigods, like the sun and moon; ca--and; adhidaivatam--called adhidaiva; adhiyajnah--the Supersoul; aham--I (Krsna); eva--certainly; atra--in this; dehe--body; deha-bhrtam--of the embodied; vara--O best.

TRANSLATION

O best of the embodied beings, the physical nature, which is constantly changing, is called adhibhuta [the material manifestation]. The universal form of the Lord, which includes all the demigods, like those of the sun and moon, is called adhidaiva. And I, the Supreme Lord, represented as the Supersoul in the heart of every embodied being, am called adhiyajna [the Lord of sacrifice].

JOURNAL:

Srila Prabhupada has this advice for the beginner; The word eva is particularly important in the context of this verse because by this word the Lord stresses that the Paramatma is not different from Him. The Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, seated beside the individual soul, is the witness of the individual soul's activities and is the source of the soul's various types of consciousness. The Supersoul gives the individual soul an opportunity to act freely and witnesses his activities. The functions of all these different manifestations of the Supreme Lord automatically become clarified for the pure Krsna conscious devotee engaged in transcendental service to the Lord. The gigantic universal form of the Lord called adhidaivata is contemplated by the neophyte who cannot approach the Supreme Lord in His manifestation as Supersoul. The neophyte is advised to contemplate the universal form, or virat-purusa, whose legs are considered the lower planets, whose eyes are considered the sun and moon, and whose head is considered the upper planetary system.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 8 Text 3
sri-bhagavan uvaca
aksaram brahma paramam
svabhavo 'dhyatmam ucyate
bhuta-bhavodbhava-karo
visargah karma-samjnitah

sri-bhagavan uvaca--the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; aksaram--indestructible; brahma--Brahman; paramam--transcendental; svabhavah--eternal nature; adhyatmam--the self; ucyate--is called; bhuta-bhava-udbhava-karah--producing the material bodies of the living entities; visargah--creation; karma--fruitive activities; samjnitah--is called.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The indestructible, transcendental living entity is called Brahman, and his eternal nature is called adhyatma, the self. Action pertaining to the development of the material bodies of the living entities is called karma, or fruitive activities.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 8 Text 1
arjuna uvaca
kim tad brahma kim adhyatmam
kim karma purusottama
adhibhutam ca kim proktam
adhidaivam kim ucyate

arjunah uvaca--Arjuna said; kim--what; tat--that; brahma--Brahman; kim--what; adhyatmam--the self; kim--what; karma--fruitive activities; purusa-uttama--O Supreme Person; adhibhutam--the material manifestation; ca--and; kim--what; proktam--is called; adhidaivam--the demigods; kim--what; ucyate--is called.

TRANSLATION

Arjuna inquired: O my Lord, O Supreme Person, what is Brahman? What is the self? What are fruitive activities? What is this material manifestation? And what are the demigods? Please explain this to me.

JOURNAL:

We have finished filling in the missing slokas from chapter five and are now moving on to chapter eight.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 8 Text 27
naite srti partha janan
yogi muhyati kascana
tasmat sarvesu kalesu
yoga-yukto bhavarjuna

na--never; ete--these two; srti--different paths; partha--O son of Prtha; janan--even if he knows; yogi--the devotee of the Lord; muhyati--is bewildered; kascana--any; tasmat--therefore; sarvesu kalesu--always; yoga-yuktah--engaged in Krsna consciousness; bhava- just become; arjuna--O Arjuna.

TRANSLATION

Although the devotees know these two paths, O Arjuna, they are never bewildered. Therefore be always fixed in devotion.

JOURNAL:

Being fixed in devotion means practicing for the day I die. I know, when phrased this way, it sounds morbid and yet, isn't this what all religion is ultimately about? As I practice for that day I fell Him closer and closer to me. My realization of Him grows as my conception of Him shrinks.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 8 Text 26
sukla-krsne gati hy ete
jagatah sasvate mate
ekaya yaty anavrttim
anyayavartate punah

sukla--light; krsne--and darkness; gati--ways of passing; hi--certainly; ete--these two; jagatah--of the material world; sasvate--of the Vedas; mate--in the opinion; ekaya--by one; yati--goes; anavrttim--to no return; anyaya--by the other; avartate--comes back; punah--again.

TRANSLATION

According to Vedic opinion, there are two ways of passing from this world--one in light and one in darkness. When one passes in light, he does not come back; but when one passes in darkness, he returns.

A Universe of Controversy

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 8 Text 25
dhumo ratris tatha krsnah
san-masa daksinayanam
tatra candramasam jyotir
yogi prapya nivartate

dhumah--smoke; ratrih--night; tatha--also; krsnah--the fortnight of the dark moon; sat-masah--the six months; daksina-ayanam--when the sun passes on the southern side; tatra--there; candramasam--the moon planet; jyotih--the light; yogi--the mystic; prapya--achieving; nivartate--comes back.

TRANSLATION

The mystic who passes away from this world during the smoke, the night, the fortnight of the waning moon, or the six months when the sun passes to the south reaches the moon planet but again comes back.

PURPORT

In the Third Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam Kapila Muni mentions that those who are expert in fruitive activities and sacrificial methods on earth attain to the moon at death. These elevated souls live on the moon for about 10,000 years (by demigod calculations) and enjoy life by drinking soma-rasa. They eventually return to earth. This means that on the moon there are higher classes of living beings, though they may not be perceived by the gross senses.


JOURNAL:

This morning I listened to a lecture on this sloka by H.H.Devamrita Swami and he brought up the "moon controversy".

There is a famous interview that Srila Prabhupada did with the L.A.Times back on December 26, 1968, where he states that we would not be allowed to land on the moon in the same way that America does not let just anybody land on its shores. When asked about the possibility of a moon landing he brushes off the question by stating; "From the book (Srimad Bhagavatam), nobody can do that. That is impossible". He stuns the interviewer with these answers.

There is also a story of Srila Prabhupada watching the moon landing on TV with a few of the devotees. As soon as it was over he supposedly said that the TV was an idiot box and it had just made idiots of them. His personal secretary couldn't handle his spiritual master denying what they had seen and left shortly thereafter.

Where do I weigh in on this controversy? To answer that I have to give you some of my background.

Being born when I was (1959) I grew up loving the idea of space. It was the new frontier! My best friend and I watched the moon landing together. We were both in forth grade and, together, had a huge collection of "Major Matt Mason" action figures. We watched "Star Trek" and "2001 a Space Odyssey" and "Planet of the Apes" and believed that all our possible futures were possible.

When I first read the fifth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam I didn't know of this controversy. I read it the same way I read the Old Testament, with a grain of sacred salt. It didn't bother me that the text described the universe as centered around the earth. It didn't bother me that stars were described as reflecting light instead of producing light. This was Krishna's universe and I believed in alternate realities.

So, if the worst one can say is that, as Krishna's representative, Srila Prabhupada upheld the Vedic reality as opposed to the one most of us live in I say, "Get over it!" I was attracted to this faith because it was an alternate to how I had been living. You might say it was just the reality I was looking for.

Does this mean I don't believe man landed on the moon? No it does not. Like I said, I have no problem with more than one reality overlapping another. Is this not what happens when we do our japa?

("Narada in Space" by Jadurani dasi)

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 8 Text 24
agnir jyotir ahah suklah
san masa uttarayanam
tatra prayata gacchanti
brahma brahma-vido janah

agnih--fire; jyotih--light; ahah--day; suklah--the white fortnight; sat-masah--the six months; uttara-ayanam--when the sun passes on the northern side; tatra--there; prayatah--those who pass away; gacchanti--go; brahma--to the Absolute; brahma-vidah--who know the Absolute; janah--persons.

TRANSLATION

Those who know the Supreme Brahman attain that Supreme by passing away from the world during the influence of the fiery god, in the light, at an auspicious moment of the day, during the fortnight of the waxing moon, or during the six months when the sun travels in the north.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 8 Text 23
yatra kale tv anavrttim
avrttim caiva yoginah
prayata yanti tam kalam
vaksyami bharatarsabha

yatra--at which; kale--time; tu--and; anavrttim--no return; avrttim--return; ca--also; eva--certainly; yoginah--different kinds of mystics; prayatah--having departed; yanti--attain; tam--that; kalam--time; vaksyami--I shall describe; bharata-rsabha--O best of the Bharatas.

TRANSLATION

O best of the Bharatas, I shall now explain to you the different times at which, passing away from this world, the yogi does or does not come back.

JOURNAL:

Due to my christian background I was a taken aback by this sloka. In the christian world one certainly does not get to heaven by dying at the right time. Those who gain heaven do so by God's mercy. Then, as I read Srila Prabhupada's purport my idea of God's mercy changed. Here is what he writes:

The unalloyed devotees of the Supreme Lord, who are totally surrendered souls, do not care when they leave their bodies or by what method. They leave everything in Krsna's hands and so easily and happily return to Godhead. But those who are not unalloyed devotees and who depend instead on such methods of spiritual realization as karma-yoga, jnana-yoga and hatha-yoga must leave the body at a suitable time and thereby be assured whether or not they will return to the world of birth and death.

Who can know how God works? Can this idea of dying at the right time just be Krishna's mercy on those of us who will not become devotees of the personal aspect of God? Of course it can. God can do anything He likes, including letting into heaven the largest number of souls possible. In the end, our ideas of who deserves entrance are meaningless.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 8 Text 22
purusah sa parah partha
bhaktya labhyas tv ananyaya
yasyantah-sthani bhutani
yena sarvam idam tatam

purusah--the Supreme Personality; sah--He; parah--the Supreme, than whom no one is greater; partha--O son of Prtha; bhaktya--by devotional service; labhyah--can be achieved; tu--but; ananyaya--unalloyed, undeviating; yasya--whom; antah-sthani--within; bhutani--all of this material manifestation; yena--by whom; sarvam--all; idam--whatever we can see; tatam--is pervaded.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is greater than all, is attainable by unalloyed devotion. Although He is present in His abode, He is all-pervading, and everything is situated within Him.

JOURNAL:

In his purport Srila Prabhupada gives a nice, concise statement on how God can be omnipresent. So by His spiritual and material energies He is present everywhere--both in the material and in the spiritual universes. Yasyantah-sthani means that everything is sustained within Him, within either His spiritual or material energy. The Lord is all-pervading by these two energies.

We already know that Krishna, as Atman, resides in all living things. Here we find out that there is a little bit of Him in the non-living things also.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 8 Text 21
avyakto 'ksara ity uktas
tam ahuh paramam gatim
yam prapya na nivartante
tad dhama paramam mama

ayvaktah--unmanifested; aksarah--infallible; iti--thus; uktah--is said; tam--that; ahuh--is known; paramam--the ultimate; gatim--destination; yam--which; prapya--gaining; na--never; nivartante--come back; tat--that; dhama--abode; paramam--supreme; mama--My.

TRANSLATION

That which the Vedantists describe as unmanifest and infallible, that which is known as the supreme destination, that place from which, having attained it, one never returns--that is My supreme abode.

JOURNAL:

In his purport Srila Prabhupada gives a short description of Krishna's "supreme abode". He writes; The supreme abode of the Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is described in the Brahma-samhita as cintamani-dhama, a place where all desires are fulfilled. The supreme abode of Lord Krsna, known as Goloka Vrndavana, is full of palaces made of touchstone. There are also trees, called "desire trees," that supply any type of eatable upon demand, and there are cows, known as surabhi cows, which supply a limitless supply of milk. In this abode, the Lord is served by hundreds of thousands of goddesses of fortune (Laksmis), and He is called Govinda, the primal Lord and the cause of all causes. The Lord is accustomed to blow His flute (venum kvanantam).

Sound's like heaven to me!

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 8 Text 20
paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo
'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanah
yah sa sarvesu bhutesu
nasyatsu na vinasyati

parah--transcendental; tasmat--to that; tu--but; bhavah--nature; anyah--another; avyaktah--unmanifest; avyaktat--to the unmanifest; sanatanah--eternal; yah sah--that which; sarvesu--all; bhutesu--manifestation; nasyatsu--being annihilated; na--never; vinasyati--is annihilated.

TRANSLATION

Yet there is another unmanifest nature, which is eternal and is transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is supreme and is never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that part remains as it is.

PURPORT

Krsna's superior, spiritual energy is transcendental and eternal. It is beyond all the changes of material nature, which is manifest and annihilated during the days and nights of Brahma. Krsna's superior energy is completely opposite in quality to material nature. Superior and inferior nature are explained in the Seventh Chapter.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 8 Text 19
bhuta-gramah sa evayam
bhutva bhutva praliyate
ratry-agame 'vasah partha
prabhavaty ahar-agame

bhuta-gramah--the aggregate of all living entities; sah--these; eva--certainly; ayam--this; bhutva bhutva--repeatedly taking birth; praliyate--is annihilated; ratri--of night; agame--on the arrival; avasah--automatically; partha--O son of Prtha; prabhavati--is manifest; ahah--of daytime; agame--on the arrival.

TRANSLATION

Again and again, when Brahma's day arrives, all living entities come into being, and with the arrival of Brahma's night they are helplessly annihilated.

JOURNAL:

Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport to this sloka; But those intelligent persons who take to Krsna consciousness use the human life fully in the devotional service of the Lord, chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Thus they transfer themselves, even in this life, to the spiritual planet of Krsna and become eternally blissful there, not being subject to such rebirths.

Chanting on campus is different than chanting elsewhere. The other students smile more often than not when they come close enough to hear me. There is an appreciation of diversity that became very apparent yesterday in my Public Speaking class.

We gave our first speeches doing what is called the bag exercise. This is where you design a paper bag with how people see you from the outside. You then put items into your bag to represent how your insides look. You then present your bag to the class and explain it.

During the speeches I learned that there were a handful of Christians in the class, one Zen Buddhist, three people in recovery who talked about their "Higher Power", one guy who mentioned that he was reading the Satanic Bible and myself. Diversity at its best.

I did not have the courage to mention the name of Krishna. What I did do was explain a couple of negative aspects of my inner self and then I told the class that I "balance these things by doing formal meditation". While I said this I brought out my japa beads and laid them on the table in front of me. I then told the class that I was not the type of guy who believed in God and that I also didn't believe in tables or chairs either. I know that God exists just like I know that tables exist. I ended with, "How do I know this? Because every now and then I can hear Him". And with that I pulled a small bell out of my bag and rang it. It was very effective.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 8 Text 18
avyaktad vyaktayah sarvah
prabhavanty ahar-agame
ratry-agame praliyante
tatraivavyakta-samjnake

avyaktat--from the unmanifest; vyaktayah--living entities; sarvah--all; prabhavanti--become manifest; ahah-agame--at the beginning of the day; ratri-agame--at the fall of night; praliyante--are annihilated; tatra--into that; eva--certainly; avyakta--the unmanifest; samjnake--which is called.

TRANSLATION

At the beginning of Brahma's day, all living entities become manifest from the unmanifest state, and thereafter, when the night falls, they are merged into the unmanifest again.