PAINTINGS
GOPA-VRINDA
DIAROMAS
INCARNATIONS
LORD NARASIMHADEVA
Lord Narasimha deva is a half man half lion incarnation of the Supreme Lord who advented to kill the demon Hiranyakashipu and protect His devotee. Prahalad, the son of this demon Hiranyakashipu had craftily sought many benediction from Brahma to avoid death. The Lord, keeping Brahma’s boons intact killed Hiranyakashipu with His sharp nails. Thereafter, this unprecedented fierce form of the Lord, displaying anger was impossible to look at. Even as Lakshmidevi the Lord’s eternal consort couldn’t approach the Lord, little Prahalad, unafraid, approached the Lord to offer respectful obeisances. Lord Narasimha dev affectionately put His hand on Prahalad’s head, and Prahalad Maharaja offered his prayers to the Lord in full devotional ecstasy.
LORD RAMACHANDRA
Lord Ramachandra is an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as an ideal king. He appeared in the Treta-yuga, more than two million years ago. Under the order of His father, Maharaj Dasharatha, Lord Ramachandra lived in the Dandakaranya forest for fourteen years, along with His wife, Sita Devi, and His younger brother, Lakshmana. After the powerful demon Ravana kidnapped mother Sita, Lord Ramachandra retrieved Her, with the help of His faithful servant Hanuman, and killed Ravana along with His armies. The history of Lord Ramachandra’s pastimes is recounted by the sage Valmiki in Ramayana.
LORD SHIVA
Lord Shiva is the greatest of all Vaishnavas and he meditates on Lord Krishna’s pastimes. He is a special manifestation of the Lord and is far above all ordinary living beings. Just as milk is transformed into curd by the action of acids, but yet curd is neither same as, nor different from milk, Lord Shiva is such a transformation of the original Lord Krishna. Lord Shiva performs the work of destruction during universal annihilation.
KRISHNA BALARAM
Krishna and Balaram are original forms of the Supreme Lord. Lord Krishna is not an incarnation, however He is directly the original Personality of Godhead. Knowledge of serving Krishna, i.e sword of knowledge is awarded to living entities by Lord Krishna Himself in the form of His instructions. In order to hold the sword of Krishna’s instructions and use it one requires spiritual strength and that is awarded by Lord Balaram. Thus Lord Balaram is the original spiritual master, and helps us to attain devotion to Lord Krishna, the original Personality of godhead.
LORD VARAHADEV
When due to atrocities of the demon Hiranyaksha, mother Earth sank deep into the Garbhodaka Ocean, Lord Brahma prayed to Lord Vishnu to rescue her. While Lord Brahma was meditating, the Lord assumed the form of a small boar, the size of a thumb, and emerged from one of his nostril. To his amazement, the boar grew into a huge mountain. With a loud roar, the Lord in this form dived into the water , lifted Mother Earth and placed her on the shore.
LORD VAMANADEV
Lord Vamanadeva appeared in this world from the womb of Aditi, in the form of a brahmana dwarf. In this pastime, Lord Vamanadev cheated Bali Maharaj of all his possessions by asking for three steps of land. However the Lord acquired a gigantic size and within the first two steps, covered the whole universe. Since Bali Maharaj couldn’t fulfill his promise of giving the third step, the Lord arrested Him. Later Bali Maharaj offered his head as the resting place for Lord’s third step. Lord Vamanadev also revealed the glories of Bali Maharaj who despite knowing that the Lord was about to cheat Him, nevertheless offered charity. In fact, the Lord being conquered by Bali Maharaj’s devotion agreed to be his doorman.
PASTIMES
KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI
Janmashtami is the major festival for Vaishnavas. Traditionally devotees fast until midnight, the hour of Lord Krishna’s appearance, having spent the day performing devotional activities in honor of this most auspicious occasion. This festival celebrates His arrival in this world in His original form as a two-armed beautiful cowherd boy, with blusih hued skin who plays a flute and enjoys pastimes with His most intimate and loving devotees. Here we see the residents of Vrindavana jubilantly celebrating the appearance of Krishna in their midst as an endearing baby.
SRI RADHASHTAMI
Shrimati Radharani is the eternal consort of Lord Krishna. Her appearance day – Radhastami is celebrated exactly two weeks after Krishna Janmashtami. Shrimati Radharani’s special qualification is that she is the best devotee of Krishna therefore Krishna loves her the most, on this festival day devotees seeking Krishna’s grace ask Shrimati Radharani to grant them devotion to her beloved lord, knowing that if they can attain Srimati Radharani’s favour they can attain krishna’s mercy automatically.
LIFTING GOVARDHAN
Lord Indra, overcome by anger at the residents of Vrindavan for canceling their sacrifice for his pleasure punished them by sending forth a devastating rainfall to Vrindavan. Krishna smashed to pieces Indra’s false pride by lifting Govardhan hill with the little finger of his left hand. Indra finally begged forgiveness after witnessing Krishna’s mystic power and realizing his own folly. Meanwhile the residents of Vrindavan, having taken shelter of Krishna in the dry space beneath the mountain, were so absorbed in beholding Krishna’s beauty that for all those seven days, they did not even think of eating or sleeping.
BRAHMA-VIMOHAN LILA
Brahma wanted to check if krishna is really the Supreme God. Therefore, once when krishna, along with his cowherd boy friends and the calves went for a picnic with in the forest, Brahma stole all the calves and cowherdboys and hid them. To prove his Supremacy, Krishna immediately expanded himself to become exactly like the boys and the calves, which where of all different bodily features. A later when Brahma returned, he saw that all the boys and calves were playing with Krishna in the same way as earlier. Then the calves and boys transformed into vishnu forms with four hands. Thus Brahma could understand Krishna’s Potency.
SRI PANCHATATTVA
In Kali Yuga, the modern age of quarrel and hypocrisy, Lord Krishna appeared in the role of a devotee, as Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (centre). He performed congregational chanting of the Holy names and was accompanied by His intimate associates. On His right are His plenary expansion Shri Nityananda Prabhu, and His incarnation Shri Advaita Prabhu, On Lord Chaitanya’s left are His internal potency Shri Gadadhara Prabhu, and His marginal potency Shrivasa Prabhu. Together they broke open the treasure house of love of God and distributed this mercy freely to one and all, without any discrimination. (Chaitanya charitamrita, Adi 7.6)
PASTIMES OF RASALILA
Krishna’s dance with gopis is not ordinary dance between yound boys and girls. Lord Krishna is the Supreme God and the gopis are His energies who happen to be the most beautiful girls in creation. On the full-moon night of Sharad season, when Krishna called the gopis by sounding His flute, they rushed with the transcendental desire to satisfy Krishna. Krishna expanded Himself to dance personally with each gopi. Thus he fulfilled their desire tohave Him as their husband. Shrimad Bhagavatam says that one should not imitate this pastime ever in dream or imagination. Those who do so drink the most deadly poison.
YASHODA DAMODARA
This glorious pastime of Damodar-lila illustrates how the Supreme Lord is conquered by the love of His devotees. Due to the offense of breaking the butter pot, Krishna was punished by mother Yashoda by being bound to a wooden grinding mortar. Despite repeated attempts, Yashoda failed as the rope fell short by two fingers. Krishna withholding His mercy represents one finger and the other finger is the love and endeavor of His devotee. Finally the Supreme Lord in the form of her child bestowed His mercy and allowed himself to be bound by the ropes of her love.
PARAMPARA
LORD SRI KRISHNA
Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all and is the prime cause of all causes. The very name ‘Krishna’ means all attractive and through his transcendental names and wonderful pastimes. He attracts the conditional souls to go back to him in the spiritual world. He is the Supreme spiritual master of everyone and is the speaker of the great philosophical masterpiece, the Bhagavad-Gita.
LORD BRAHMA
Brahma is the first created being, coming from Lord Krishna. He is born out of the lotus stem grown from the navel of Garbhodakshayi Vishnu, who is Krishna’s plenary expansion. When Lord Brahma was perplexed about how to construct the material manifestations in the universe and went down within the water to find out the means and the source of his lotus seat, he heard the word ‘tapa’ vibrated twice. Thus Brahmaji was initiated by Lord Krishna, and he corroborates this fact in his book, ‘Brahma Samhita’
SRI NARADA MUNI
Brahma is the first created being, coming from Lord Krishna. He is born out of the lotus stem grown from the navel of Garbhodakshayi Vishnu, who is Krishna’s plenary expansion. When Lord Brahma was perplexed about how to construct the material manifestations in the universe and went down within the water to find out the means and the source of his lotus seat, he heard the word ‘tapa’ vibrated twice. Thus Brahmaji was initiated by Lord Krishna, and he corroborates this fact in his book, ‘Brahma Samhita’
SRILA VYASADEV
The great sage, Vyasadeva was born to Parashara in the womb of Satyavati, the daughter of Vasu.
He is celebrated as the literary incarnation of the Lord. His extraordinary literary accomplishment was to compile all the Vedic literatures – which are estimated to comprise over ten billion verses – in written form at the start of Kali yuga. His most special contribution is the ‘Shrimad Bhagavatam’,which contains glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
He is celebrated as the literary incarnation of the Lord. His extraordinary literary accomplishment was to compile all the Vedic literatures – which are estimated to comprise over ten billion verses – in written form at the start of Kali yuga. His most special contribution is the ‘Shrimad Bhagavatam’,which contains glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
SRILA VISNU SWAMI
He appeared in the province of Pandya. He is the first Vaishnava Acharya in the age of kali. He revived the institution of Vedic Tridandi Sannyasa. His commentary on Vedanta Sutra, is known as Sarvajna-Bhasya, which established the philosophy of Suddhadvaita Vada, purified non-difference. Srila Visnuswami preached that although the Absolute Truth is one (Advaita) yet Divinity and humanity are eternally different. Lord Chaitanya took two main teachings from him
(1) Taking exclusive shelter of Krishna and
(2) Raga-marga path of spontaneous devotion.
(1) Taking exclusive shelter of Krishna and
(2) Raga-marga path of spontaneous devotion.
SRILA NIMBARKACHARYA
He is the principal teacher in Kumar Sampradaya. He was born in Mungera-Pattna, Tailanga Desa at the end of Dvapara-Yuga. His commentary on Vedanta Sutra is Vedanta-Parijata-Saurabha which establishes the doctrine of Dvaitadvaita-Vada simultaneous duality and non-duality which means that while the minute living entity is eternally an individual, distinct from God, he is also qualitatively one with Him. Lord Chaitanya took two main teachings from Kumara Sampradaya
(1) Exclusive shelter of Srimati Radharani
(2) Performing bhajan following the footsteps of the Gopis.
(1) Exclusive shelter of Srimati Radharani
(2) Performing bhajan following the footsteps of the Gopis.
SRILA RAMANUJACHARYA
Srila Ramanujacharya (AD 1017-1137) was born in Sri Perampudur, Tamilnadu. he is the main acharya in Sri Sampradaya. He is the incarnation of Anant Sesa. His commentary on Vedanta Sutra is Sri Bhasya, which establishes the philosophy of visistaadvaita-vada, “Qualified non-dualism”. A staunch proponent of the philosophy of personalism, he taught that although the supreme Lord and the individual souls are qualitatively one, there is still a difference between them, for the Lord is infinite and the living entities are infinitesimal. Ramanuja travelled extensively throughout India, teaching personalism and debating proponents of monistic philosophy. Lord Chaitanya took two main teachings from him
(1) Pure devotion and
(2) Service to Vaishnavas.
(1) Pure devotion and
(2) Service to Vaishnavas.
SRILA MADHAVACHARYA
Sripada Madhvacharya (AD 1239-1319) is the principal teacher in the Brahma Sampradaya, the vaishnava disciple line. He was born in Udupi, South India, in the early thirteenth century. At the age of 12 he left home to take sannyasa. Madhvacharya studied Vedas under the compiler of the Vedas, Vyasadeva in the Himalayas. Madhvacharya’s Vedanta Sutra bhasys-Purnaprajnabhasya establishes the doctrine known as Suddha-dvaita. Madhva used his erudite scholarship to crush the mayavada philosophy and established devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Chaitanya took two main themes from Brahma Sampradaya
(1) Refutation of mayavada doctrine
(2) Worship of the form of the Lord Krishna, knowing it to be eternal.
(1) Refutation of mayavada doctrine
(2) Worship of the form of the Lord Krishna, knowing it to be eternal.
SRILA MADHAVENDRA PURI
Sripad Madhavendra Puri was the spiritual master of Srila Isvara Puri, who is the spiritual master of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Madhavendra Puri established the worship of the Gopala Deity, who is presently residing at Nathadvara in Rajasthana. He also introduced the conception of madhurya-bhava (conjugal love) in which the worship of Radha and Krishna in separation represents the highest level of devotional service. In Remuna, Orissa, the deity of Lord Gopinath stole a pot of khira (sweet rice) for Madhavendra Puri. Thereafter the deity is glorified as Khira-chora Gopinath.
SRILA ISHVARA PURI
During the final days of Srila Madhavendra Puri, one of his foremost disciples, Srila Ishvara Puri served him with great care and humility. To honor Isvara Puri, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu accepted him as his spiritual master. The first sprout of the desire tree of devotion was manifested in the person of Srila Madhavendra Puri and that sprout developed into a sapling in the person of Srila Isvara Puri. Then, in the person of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who was also the gardener Himself, that sapling became the trunk of an enormous desire tree of devotion.
LORD CHAITANYA
MAHAPRABHU
MAHAPRABHU
Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu advented Himself at Sridhama Mayapura, in the city of Navadvipa, in Bengal, in February 1486. He is known as the covered incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, because He appeared in the mood of the Lord’s devotee, teaching everyone to develop love of God. He inaugurated the chanting of the maha-mantra Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. He predicted that this mantra would spread to every town and village. His activities and teachings are described in the book “Teachings of Lord Chaitanya” and “Shri Chaitanya-Charitamrita”.
NAMACHARYA SRILA
HARIDAS THAKUR
HARIDAS THAKUR
Srila Haridasa Thakura is considered the namacarya, the spiritual master in chanting the holy name of Krishna. Though he was born in a Muslim family, Lord Chaitanya’s devotees respected him as being better than the best of brahmanas. He would not eat or sleep until he finished his daily quota of chanting the name of Krishna 3,00,000 times. Along with Lord Nityananda, Haridasa Thakura spread the chanting of Krishna’s name throughout Bengal. Haridasa Thakura left his body chanting Krishna’s name in the presence of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. After Haridas Thakura’s death, Lord Chaitanya carried his body to the sea and with His own hands buried him in the sand, and thus created a Samadhi for him which is located at Jagannath Puri, Orissa.
SIX GOSWAMIS OF VRINDAVAN
Srila Sanatana Goswami, Rupa Goswami, Raghunath Bhattha Goswami, Raghunath Das Goswami, Jiva Goswami, and Gopal Bhattha Goswami were the principal disciples of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. They carried out Lord Chaitanya’s order of scrutinizingly studying all the Vedic literatures, writing numerous books, and establishing pure devotional service to Lord Krishna as the highest path. They excavated holy places of Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavan and built temples of worship for the Lord. They are especially known for their exemplary humility and renunciation. Putting on barely a loin cloth, they resided each night under a different tree in Vrindavan. Feeling intense separation from their worshipable Lordships, they would wander in the forests of Vrindavan calling out Radha and Krishna’s names.
SRILA KRISHNA DAS
KAVIRAJ GOSWAMI
KAVIRAJ GOSWAMI
Srila Krishnadas Kaviraj Gosvami was born in the village of Jhamatpur, within the district of Barddhaman, near, Katwa, West Bengal. The Deity of Gaur-Nityananda installed by Shri Kaviraj Gosvami is still being worshipped there. He took initiation from Raghunatha Das Gosvami and because of his Govind-lilamrita, a poetic masterpiece, Srila Jiva Gosvami gave him the title Kaviraj (king of poets). He wrote the Krishna Karnamrta commentary and Shri Chaitanya Charitamrta, a philosophically profound biography of Lord Chaitanya. Despite his exalted position and vast learning Krishnadas Kaviraj Gosvami always remained the emblem of humility.
SRILA SHRINIVAS ACHARYA
Srila Shrinivasa Acarya was a member of the party that first brought the books of the six Goswamis from Vrindavana to Bengal and Orissa. He converted King Birhambira to the Vaishnava religion and helped organized the first Gaur Purnima festival, celebrating the birth anniversary of Lord Chaitanya, in Kheturi Gram.
SRILA NAROTTAMA DAS
THAKUR
THAKUR
Srila Narottama Das Thakur was a leading acharya in the Gaudiya Vaishnava line. He was the only disciple of Srila Lokanatha Goswami and was a lifelong Brahmachart (celibate). He organized the famous Kheturi festival, at which the conclusions of the six Goswamis of Vrindavana were systematized. Srila Narottama Das Thakur wrote many collections of devotional songs, such as Prarthana, a composition of thirty-three Bengali songs and Prema-bhakti-chandrika. His samadhi stands in the courtyard of the Radha-Gokulananda temple in Vrindavan.
SRILA SHYAMANANDA PANDITA
Shri Shyamananda Pandita made his appearance at Utkala in the village of Dharenda Bahadurpur. He was the disciple of Hrdaya Chaitanya. He also established the temple of Shri Radha Syamasundara in Vrindavana. On the order of his spiritual master, Syamananda , along with his foremost disciple, Rasikananda Prabhu, spread the worship and service of Lord Chaitanya throughout Orissa.
SRILA VISHWANATHA
CHAKRAVARTI THAKUR
CHAKRAVARTI THAKUR
Srila Vishwanatha Chakravarti Thakur, a great vaishnava acarya, appeared in 1674 in the village of Devagram, in the Nadia district of West Bengal. During his time, he served as the protector, guardian, and acharya of the Gaudiya Vaishnava line. He wrote more than forty Sanskrit books on the science of pure devotion, including commentaries on Shrimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, and the books of the six Goswamis. His eight prayers to the spiritual master are sung daily by the Gaudiya Vaishnavas.
SRILA BALADEVA
VIDYABUSHANA
VIDYABUSHANA
Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana is the author of Govinda bhasya, the first Gaudiya commentary on the Vedanta-sutras. In 1706 he was sent by Srila Vishwanatha Cakravarti Thakura to Galta (near Jaipur, India) to prove the authenticity of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement. The local priests had charged that the Gaudiya Vaishnavas having no commentary on the Vedanta-sutras, were not a bonafide disciplic line and therefore they had no right to worship Govindaji or any other Deities of Vrindavana. By the grace of Govindaji, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana then swiftly wrote the Govinda-bhasya and thus established the authenticity of the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya.
SRILA JAGANNATHADAS BABAJI
Srila Jagannatha Das Babaji appeared around 1750 and lived for 144 years. In 1880, Jagannath Das Babaji was visited nby Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, to whom he gave many valuable instructions on devotional service. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur called Jagannatha Das Babaji as the commander-in-chief of the Vaishnavas. Despite old age and physical limitations (he was carried around in a bamboo basket by his servant , Bihari), Jagannatha Das Babaji was always enthusiastic in chanting the Lord’s holy names and serving the devotees. He confirmed the discovery of the birthsite of Lord Chaitanya.
SRILA BHAKTI VINODA THAKUR
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur appeared in 1838, in Birnagar, West Bengal. He received spiritual instructions from Jagannath Das Babaji and had a responsible government position as the District Magistrate (high court judge). He also maintained a Krishna Conscious family consisting of ten children, and one of his sons was Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur. He wrote almost one hundred books on Krishna consciousness. In 1896 he sent his books ‘Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: His life and precepts’, to universities around the world. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur discovered Lord Chaitanya’s birthsite in Mayapur in 1888. He revived Gaudiya Vaishnavism and gave it a respectable status amongst the intellectual class of his time.
SRILA GAUR KISHORA
DAS BABAJI
DAS BABAJI
Srila Gaurkishora Das Babaji appeared in the 1830’s. He is glorified as the personification of renunciation. He would beg a little food from a few houses and carry with him only two books, written by Narottama Das Thakur. Though he was not well-educated by material standards, he was so pure and exalted spiritually that the highly learned Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur begged to take initiation from him. Gaur Kishor Das Thakur had no desire to make disciples, but, seeing the true humility and deep spiritual attachment of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, he accepted him as his only disciple.
SRILA BHAKTI SIDDHANTA
SARASWATI THAKUR
SARASWATI THAKUR
Srila Bhaktisiddhanata Saraswati Thakur (1874-1937) appeared in Jagannath Puri as Bimala Prasad Datta, the son of Bhaktivinoda Thakur. Yound Bimala Prasad was intellectually gifted and was known as a living encyclopedia. He was initiated by Gaurkishor Das Babaji, and later accepted sannyasa. He was fearless and unyielding in debate, and became known as the “Lion-guru”. He was also a revolutionary preacher, rather than renounce the latest technology, he used it to attract people to Krishna consciousness. He published many books, periodicals and various writings of the previous Vaishnava acharyas. He established sixty-four temples, and initiated thousands of disciples.
A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI
SRILA PRABHUPADA
SRILA PRABHUPADA
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was born in calcutta India. In 1965, on the order of his spiritual master, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur, he went to America to spread the message of Krishna Consciousness. He founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Newyork city in 1966. In the last eleven years of his life, he circumnavigated the globe 14 times on preaching tour. He opened 108 temples and inspired the formation of traditional vedic farm communities and schools. He organized vedic festivals world wide, and met prominent scientists, leaders and heads of the state. His most significant contribution is his over 70 books including his translation and commentaries for Bhagavat-gita, Shrimad-Bhagavatam, and Chaitanya-Charitamrita. He left this world in 1977.
PHILOSOPHY
CHANGING BODIES
We are not these material bodies, we are the spiritual force, the spiritual spark, the soul within. These bodies are simply an outward dress only. As we change our clothes yet still remain the same person so do we change these bodies and still the same person. There is a spiritual evolution of consciousness. We get a particular type of body out of the 8,400,000 different species of life according to our karma. Every living entity is a spirit soul and that spirit soul takes shelter within a material body in this world according to its karma.
BIRDS IN A TREE
In the Vedic literatures (śruti) it is said that there are two birds in one tree. One of them is eating the fruit of the tree, while the other is witnessing the actions. The witness is the Lord, and the fruit-eater is the living entity. The fruit-eater (living entity) has forgotten his real identity and is overwhelmed in the fruitive activities of the material conditions, but the Lord (Paramātmā) is always full in transcendental knowledge. That is the difference between the Supersoul and the conditioned soul. The conditioned soul, the living entity, is controlled by the laws of nature, while the Paramātmā, or the Supersoul, is the controller of the material energy.
CHARIOT ANALOGY
The chariot is the body, the horses are the five senses, the reins in the mouth of the horses is the mind, the charioteer is the intellect, and the passenger seated behind is the soul in the body. The senses (horses) desire pleasurable things. The mind (reins) is not exercising restraint on the senses (horses). The intellect (charioteer) submits to the pull of the reins (mind). The bewildered soul does not direct the intellect in the proper direction. Thus, the senses decide the direction where the chariot will go. The soul experiences the pleasures of the senses vicariously, but these do not satisfy it. Seated on this chariot, the soul (passenger) is moving around in this material world since eternity.
MODES OF MATERIAL
NATURE
NATURE
These are subtle forces influencing our behavior as well as every aspect of our physical, mental, and emotional world. The effects of sattva-guna, the mode of goodness, are seen when an atmosphere of peace, serenity, and harmony prevails in our environment and ourselves. Rajo-guna, the mode of passion, is felt as insatiable desire for temporary things, striving for more and more of them, and perpetual dissatisfaction. Tamo-guna, the mode of ignorance, is indicated when there’s laziness, depression, intoxication, and insanity. The 14th chapter of the Bhagavad-gita contains elaborate descriptions of the modes, their symptoms, how they affect us, and ultimately how to become free from their influence through the practice of bhakti-yoga, or Krishna consciousness.
SEEING WITH EQUAL VISION
The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste]. A Krsna conscious person does not make any distinction between species or castes. The brahmana and the outcaste may be different from the social point of view, or a dog, a cow, or an elephant may be different from the point of view of species, but these differences of body are meaningless from the viewpoint of a learned transcendentalist. This is due to their relationship to the Supreme, for the Supreme Lord, by His plenary portion as Paramatma, is present in everyone’s heart. Such an understanding of the Supreme is real knowledge.
