Summary: These most powerful instructions are being offered by an incarnation of the Lord, Lord Rshabdev, to his 100 sons, headed by Bharat Maharaja. Some sons are being prepared as become qualified kings to rule the world, while others became mahabhagavatas, and others became highly qualified sannyasis. Universally, regardless of ashram, progressive human life is marked by one's becoming accomplished in overcoming the bondage of material desires and the whole range of fruitive work connected to those desires. Gradually, beyond becoming agreeable to these principles, or intellectually accepting them, progressive life requires successful application of them within one's daily life.

Reading Assignment

Summary: As class begins, Srila Prabhupada is commenting on the desired efficacy of electronic equipment to achieve a big task, yet so often it doesn't work. "Arambha, beginning is very gorgeous. But end is nothing." In the lecture itself, Srila Prabhupada is pointing out the fact that principle of stealing is stealing, whether the object of theft is a peach or a diamond. Both are punishable.

Summary: atmendriya-priti-vanchatare bali `kama' krsnendriya-priti-iccha dhare `prema' nama

"The desire to gratify one's own senses is kama [lust], but the desire to please the senses of Lord Krishna is prema [love]." (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 4.165)

Summary: In this section of Sri Bhakti Sandarbha, Jiva Goswami summarizes key passages in Srimad Bhagavatamwhich disclose that the essential duty of every living entity is to render loving devotional service to the SPG. All other duties which one may have in life bear spiritual fruits if one learns the art of dedicating them to ultimately fulfill this one duty. Because we will be observing the appearance day of Lord Nrsimhadev on 25-May, I thought that the following section of Sri Bhakti Sandarbha would be particularly a very nice meditation for everyone. The very teachings which Prahlad Maharaja offered to his classmates were the very irritation that irritated his demoniac father to the point of his attempting to destroy Prahlad.

Summary: This dialogue between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (SCM) and Ramananda Raya (RR) is one of the 5 main dialogues found in Caitanya Caritamrta (Cc); combinedly, these 5 discussions make the Teachings of Lord Caitanya. This dialogue begins with SCM asking RR to indentify the Goal of Life, as it is taught in the Vedas. RR offers 5 consecutive responses, citing principles of elevation or goals of life to strive for; each of the 5 goals he cites are supported by scriptural references.

Summary: The subject of this assignment is both very serious and very elevated, spiritually. It refers to a key discussion in Lord Caitanya's teachings, one in which attaining the Goal of Life is the topic. Five progressive alternatives are given by Ramanananda Raya, in response to Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's request for him to state "The Goal of Life". They are summarized in paragraph #3 below: "acquiring spiritual knowledge by renunciation, by mixed devotional service, by fruitive activity in mixed devotional service, or by the culture of knowledge".

Summary: The scene in Chapter 4 of Part 2 is Vaikuntha, where Narada Muni is explaining to Gopa Kumar the glories of the Supreme Lord, and the superexcellence of Vrndavan above all abodes of the Lord. Here Narada is particularly marveling at the most amazing quality he finds within Krishna: the *MAXIMUM* mercy which a devotee can accept is what Krishna gives him/her. Krishna never holds back His mercy from any person, in any way, nor to any degree.

Who can be a more perfect master than Krishna!!??

Reading Assignment

Sri Brhad Bhagavatamrta, Part 2, Chapter 4, Texts 188-189

Text 188