Lord Rsabhadeva performed all kinds of sacrifices one hundred times according to the instructions of the Vedic literatures. Thus He satisfied Lord Visnu in every respect. All the rituals were enriched by first-class ingredients. They were executed in holy places according to the proper time by priests who were all young and faithful. In this way Lord Visnu was worshiped, and the prasada was offered to all the demigods. Thus the functions and festivals were all successful.

Purport by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

It is said, kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavantan iha (SB 7.6.1). A ritual should be performed by young men, even boys, at a tender age in order for the ritual to be performed successfully. From childhood, people should be trained in Vedic culture, especially in devotional service. In this way, one can perfect one’s life. A Vaisnava does not disrespect the demigods, but on the other hand he is not so foolish that he accepts each and every demigod as the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is master of all demigods; therefore the demigods are His servants. The Vaisnava accepts them as servants of the Supreme Lord, and he worships them directly. In the Brahma-samhita, the important demigods—Lord Shiva, Lord Brahmä and even the incarnations and expansions of Lord Krsna like Mahä-Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu and all the other visnu-tattvas, as well as the sakti-tattvas like Durgädevi—are all worshiped by the process of worshiping Govinda with the words govindam ädi-purusam tam aham bhajämi . A Vaisnava worships the demigods in relation to Govinda, not independently. Vaisnava are not so foolish that they consider the demigods independent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is confirmed in Caitanya-caritamrta. Ekale isvara krsna, ära saba bhrtya: [Cc. Ädi 5.142] the supreme master is Krsna, and all others are His servants.

Lord Rsabhadeva, who was the incarnation of the Supreme Lord, accepted role of a king for the welfare of his citizens, of the world.

(3.55) yad yad acarita

What great people do, the common people naturally follow. Whatever standards they set, by their exemplary acts, the world will pursue. The example of leaders is critical for spiritual culture to be an order. Although Rsabhadeva is an avatar of the Lord, in the role of a king, he was showing people how to worship the Lord, according to time, place and circumstance. Even Krsna, even Ramachandra such prominent avatars. Krsna was living in Dwarka and Ram was in Ayodhya, Rameshwaram, they showed by their example. They would worship the brahmans, they would serve the cows, protect them. Even when he killed Ravana, on the advice of brahmans he even performed puja to Lord Shiva in Rameshwaram. Just to show an example of culture of respect, because Ravana was a devotee of Shiva and he was also a brahmans, although he was a horrible demon. Still Ram offered proper etiquette but at the same time he did it in such a way to show a example of respect, respect for the decisions of qualified brahmans, respect for the relationship between the demigods and His devotee.

Herein, we find Rsabhadeva performs 100 sacrifices, and how did He perform these sacrifices? this is the great example. He did it according to Vedic instructions. Actually today, so many of the pujas that are performed, are not really according to Vedic instructions. Often times they are according to perverted traditions. People are slaughtering animals to demigods, taking some part of the Vedic instructions but without param para Guru they don’t understand the whole thing. To offer animal to Kali, it has to be only on dark moon night and the mantra you chant in their ear has to be "because I am killing you, you will have the chance to kill me in your next life.” How many are doing that? here its slaughter, slaughter and slaughter, not as per Vedic injunction. In fact, that is the reason, the Supreme Lord appeared as Lord Buddha. Because what tip people were taking, especially brahmans, who are supposed to be leading by their example the whole society by their simplicity, their knowledge and their compassion. They would take just small part of the Vedic literature and take out the context of the whole picture and teach it according to their own subjective use. Often times they are on egoistic desires, that is the problem, that is plaguing the whole world. People have religion, various religions, may take just particular passages out of their religions, out of context of the spirit of what the scripture is trying to teach us, and instead of the result of love, compassion and tolerance, people become excessively sensual, hateful, berated (9.22),violent. There is violence in scripture, but it is not that we can take it out of context and be violent according to our whims.

(9.43) Pavitranam Sadhuyam Vinashaya Dushkritam

Krsna was violent to demons, but how he was and what was the spirit, and what was the result.

So yes, people all over the world are becoming agnostics and atheists, because of the ill motivated, ignorant people in the name of priest and brahmans and mullahs are taking the words of scriptures and using them out of context of the spirit and of the purpose of scripture. For profession or for their egos, and it creates chaos. So Lord Rsabhadeva performed his sacrifices exactly according to the scriptures, according to the word of the scripture as well as spirit of the scripture. He was very learned in the shastras and he has pure hearted brahmans also giving him guidance and instructions, and out of respects for the sadhus, he humbled himself in that way. And as a result of performing his yajnas, in the proper consciousness, with the proper ritual, with the proper means, he satisfied Visnu in every respect. That is the only purpose.

(11.40) yajna na praptoman....

Whatever we do, should be a sacrifice for the pleasure of Krsna. In the beginning of creation, the Lord sent forth generations of men, humans and demigods and also the process of sacrifice to Visnu, and he told the whole world, whole creation "be happy with the sacrifice, for each one be bestowed upon things that they desire." The very beginning of creation was established, when the Lord created all the living entities, he also gave to them the process of sacrifice to Visnu and told "be happy with the sacrifice." That's the only way we can find real happiness, is through the process of sacrifice, and what is sacrifice? to please the Lord.

(12.56) tam sari hari tos....

Actual sacrifice means, to act, to speak, to live in such a way that Krsna is satisfied. When you water the the root of the tree, the whole tree is satisfied. If you want to be happy, the only way to find real happiness is to make Krsna happy. Being part and parcel of Krsna, if we make Krsna happy, we become happy, there is no other way, everything else is illusionary. All other processes of trying to be happy, if we are not making Krsna happy is like trying to find nourishment and satisfaction in food by pushing it into the mirror reflection of ourselves. Its like you do nirjala ekadashi and you are really thirsty and the next morning you stand in front of a mirror, what do you see in the mirror? It looks like you! And you pour water in the mouth of the mirror and then you open your mouth, will you be satisfied? And someone starts putting rotis and bananas in the mirror image, you will not be satisfied. But yet the whole world is illusioned by this principle. We are trying to find happiness by satisfying a perverted reflection, illusion maya means that which is not. The spirit soul exist eternally and the body is existing temporarily, the soul is real, the body is real, what is the illusion? When the soul thinks it is this body, that is an illusion and we are trying to find happiness on the physical, mental and egoistic platform, and to the degree people try to pursue this line of life, the whole society becomes degraded and so much frustration, suffering and anxiety.

Scientifically, technologically, economically there are so many improvements in the world today. Even, just my father and the fathers and mothers of my god-brothers and god-sisters, when they were children, there was not even such things as television. There was no such thing as a direct connection on a telephone, they had to just wind and crank to just get the operator and she had to connect you to a line with great difficulty. There was no airplane, nobody flew airplanes, it was just invented and started to be used for wars, it was a different world technologically. There were no computers; the biggest entertainment for the family was to sit around a radio, yes. How many people do that today? The whole family sits around the radio, and there few stations. So look around the advancement and progress technology and science and modern living today but the amount of anxiety, depression and mental illness has multiplied enormously and its still not declined, so much anxiety, so much suicide, so much frustration, so much depression because the more you have, with the hope that you could make yourself satisfied, the more frustrated you become, it a fact. People who have power, people who have prestige, it’s a frustrating situation because you can never get enough and you never actually get what you want or what you need. So always fear of losing what you have, always envy and competitiveness with others. And ultimately the heart is empty, shallow, the only happiness the soul can achieve, is giving happiness to Krsna. Because we are part and parcel of Krsna

(18.54) sarva karna karnam

He is the cause of all causes; he is the root of all existence. Everything is emanating from Him. As part and parcel, if Krsna is pleased, our soul finds pleasure, there is no other way. Bhagavatam describes you could water every single part of the tree thoroughly, but if you forget the root, the tree will wither and die. If we forget Krsna, there is no hope. And people blame god for the problems of this world. But in the very creation God says that “ be happy by this sacrifice, be happy by serving and pleasing Visnu” and since time immemorial the Lord has come again and again and again and again as various avatars, prophets, sends his sons, sends his servants, sends his intimate associates from the spiritual world, comes directly in his personal form just to remind us this simple principle that he established at the very beginning of creation. But yet humanity creates so many philosophies, cultural and social concepts to defy that idea. Commercialism everywhere. Be happy by buying this, be happy by having this, be happy by being this. To look this way, to wear this way, to eat this way, to look this way, to hear this way, to touch this way, bombardment 24 hours a day the atmosphere is surcharged with this promotion that you will be happy with this gross and subtle sense gratification. And its so powerful, maya is so strong.

Prabhupada comes to west, no illicit sex, not intoxicating, no gambling, no meat eating, people were shocked, what? What will we do? “You chant Hare Krsna and be happy”. So simple, so simple for the simple, but its so difficult and complex for people to understand. And today there are so many people who pose themselves as spiritual leaders who teach people “doesn’t matter what you do, just do this mantra or do this meditation, do these exercises and you will be peaceful” Yes you may find a little more peace, if that’s what you want, but how long will that peace last, and what substance will that peace really have? Nothing to your soul, these processes can give a little peace to your mind, temporarily but to awaken the ecstatic bliss of the soul

(22.29) Tani sarva….

We have to restrain our senses away from those illusions and simultaneously we have to fix our consciousness on Krsna, we have to be busy for Krsna in devotional service.

So this is what Rsabhadeva did by his example, he performed yajnas exactly according to instructions of Vedas, not just concoctions, not just sentiments, according to scriptures. And He did it according to spirit of the purpose of the scriptures to make Krsna happy, to satisfy Krsna. And thus to be happy. All the rituals were enriched with first class ingredients. Now today some people do these yajnas and everything, but they do it for some professional purpose, ritualistic purpose. But actually, the very basis of the yajna is that Visnu is appearing in the form of a fire and all our mantras and our whole attitude in whatever we are offering is for His pleasure.

So if you actually have this faith, that every aspect of the yajna is for the satisfaction of Visnu, then you will take great efforts to make sure you have first class ingredients. Its not just a vain ritual, its not just any seeds. If you could understand you are offering this to the Lord, if you have a sense of devotion, then you get the best seeds, you get pure ghee. All the ingredients involved will be as first class as possible because it’s just not a show. If you do it for a show, the result will be, you will get the credit of putting on a good show and that’s about all. If you really do it because you have faith that Visnu is here. Some people do yajnas and they don’t even believe in God. Hare Krsna. They don’t believe that God eats.

One person from a society told that they do yajna all the time, they told Prabhupada “why you are offering Krsna food? Krsna doesn’t eat! What’s this prasada?.” Prabhupada said “Krsna said He eats, should I believe Krsna or nonsense like you.” so they are doing yajna and do not even believe that Krsna eats, who are they offering it to? It’s not done in spirit of devotion. It’s just if you do everything right then you attract positive energy and become enlightened. But this is not all yajna is about. And actually everything a devotee does is a yajna, everything we do

(26.15) akkadoshi ……

Krsna says all that you do should be done as an offering to me. That is why Rupa Goswami declares that “one must be very, very contentious even when one’s ordinary activities to do it with very, very sincere consciousness to please Krsna”

(26.42) Patram Phulam Pushpam…

Even if you offer a leaf or a flower or water to Krsna with devotion, He will accept. But what is devotion? Devotion doesn’t mean here is a leaf Krsna. Devotion means you get the best leaf that you can get for Krsna because its for Krsna. What ever you do, you do it best possible way for Krsna. You get the best ingredients that are reasonable to afford Krsna.

Recently we performed pushpa abhisekha. And one nice devotee donated for 1,100 kilos of flowers, that is over 2000 plants (27.35) of flowers. And somebody may say why you are offering so many flowers to Krsna, why don’t you do something for society with this money? But Krsna tells in Gita

(27.57) ananta bhavat…..

That man subsists by food grains, food grains are born of rains, rains are born of sacrifices and sacrifices are born from satisfying Visnu. That’s what sacrifice is about. The whole society is running around like passionate mad people, just trying to solve the problems of world by just putting water on the leaves, on the twigs and the branches. And here we are watering the root of the tree of the entire creation. Not watering flowering literally, but putting water in the form of devotion for Krsna says “offer me a flower and I am satisfied.”

Now the world is in such a mess, we want to do something wonderful for the world, why not offer Krsna tones of flowers, to make him satisfy. Its actually the greatest welfare work for humanity, to try to please Krsna. Krsna says “just perform this yajna of satisfying me and everything will be provided, in abundance, for everyone including happiness, meaning to life.” Ant the Pushpa Abhisekha was not just performed as an offering to Krsna in a solitary place. But where Prabhupada has created a wonderful preaching movement where thousands and thousands of people came and participated in this offering for the satisfaction of Krsna. By offering there hearts a fraction of appreciation, by rejoicing to see Krsna being worshiped, by loudly chanting the holy names.

So yes, all rituals were enriched with first class ingredients. Prabhupada wanted anything devotees did should be as first class as possible. Sanatan Goswami, he was feeding Madan Mohan just that baati (30.44), he had some course brown wheat flour that he begged from Brijwasis and mixed it with Yamuna water, make it into balls and put right it into fire. That’s all he had, he was living under trees, he did not have a pantry, or a kitchen, he was living under trees, begging, people don’t give beggar the best thing they have, very simple. But here when he offered it, it was first class ingredients. It was the best thing he had, giving it to Madan Mohan.

So first class ingredients does not mean necessarily the best thing you have, it means the best you can get to offer it to Krsna, for His satisfaction. And the next line is very important that Prabhupada comments in His purports that “the yajnas were executed in holy places according to proper time by priests who were all young and faithful. This means Rsabhadeva went through great efforts to make sure everything was optimum for Krsna’s pleasure. He performed His yajnas at the most auspicious times, in the most auspicious places and He had priests who had very pure hearts and who were very faithful. That’s important, because the priest is to make the offering on behalf of everyone else. Yes, it’s very important, therefore the priest should have a very pure heart. In fact Srila Prabhupada explains, in the Vedic culture, young children, young boys were trained as priests, before they attained that age of passion and vest egotism. They were trained to love God, vkaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavantan iha. Prahlad Maharaj told five years old friends, now is the time. Prabhupada emphasis how children must be trained from the very beginning of their lives, how to be humble servants of the Lord, how to be satisfied, how to be satisfied pleasing Krsna. Materialistic society’s parents teach their children how to be satisfied in a culture of accumulating more and more and more possessions for your own satisfaction.

Recently, I went to one house, and it was massive basement and it had thousands of games and toys, some of them very, very costly for one child. Must be bewildering, how many toys you can play with? When I was young, when we got a ball and we play with that ball for a year or two years and that was fun and even that was sense gratification, but now you have these computerized games and machine games and so many things. How can the child be happy, if anything they want is they get, they possess, this is mine, just accelerating this concept of

(34.56) janas ho manati….

This is mine, this is mine, this is mine. And if there are other children, they are going to grow up fighting this is mine, this is mine and the parents have to get so many things to make sure that they don’t fight, still they fight. “I want yours, instead of this one” yes. So this fever, children are raised with this conception this is mine to enjoy. But in the Vedic culture, children are taught from the very beginning that real happiness is in giving, real happiness is giving to Krsna and satisfying Krsna, giving pleasure to Krsna in yajna. Thus their hearts are pure and we find here that it is these types of priests that were performing the yajna, very young with pure hearts.

Now today in India, you go to some place and the priest, what they are faking, don’t know what they do. Sometime they are so greedy for more and more and more donations. Yes, so how could they perform yajna for the satisfaction of Krsna, if their mind is into give more and not this and more. They can’t do yajna, that’s not yajna, its business. That is why at our temple, people come to our temple because when being married or what ever because they know that the priest are not getting paid, they are surrendering, they are genuinely brahman in the sense they are surrendering their lives for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or living by pure principals and they are performing this as a service. Not as a business. Krsna is not satisfied with business, he is satisfied with service, so that is critical for proper yajna.

In this way Visnu was worshiped and the prasada was offered to the demigods, thus the functions and the festivals were all successful. Herein Srila Prabhupada’s purport puts in great emphasis for devotees to understand a proper relationship with the demigods. The tendency of this world is to go to various extremes, either I worship the demigods or I hate the demigods. Prabhupada says “we must worship the demigods, we worship the demigods, but how do we worship the demigods? By understanding the relationship with Krsna.” If we disrespect the demigods, we are performing the Vaisnava aparadha, and that would be a calamity to our spiritual lives, we cannot disrespect any demigod. Even if they do wild things, as we read in the scriptures. Indra (my obeisance to Him) He has done some wild things in the scriptures, not going to get into any details. But yet in Brhat Bhagavatam and Srimad Bhagavatam we find he does yajnas, Visnu comes in person and accepts Him and speaks to Him. Now does He do that with us? So He is an exalted personality, now he may do foolish things sometimes and Krsna uses Him to teach the world what not to do on occasions. So we can’t disrespect Him, Krsna has given Him a high position, we should learn, learn what Krsna is teaching us through His mistakes but we must respect Him.

If Krsna loves somebody, even if they do something crazy, will we please Krsna, if we are disrespectful? If Srila Prabhupada loves somebody even if they have done difficult wrong things, we can learn from their mistakes, we may have to keep certain distances in times, but we must respect. If nothing else, we respect Prabhupada and Krsna’s love for that person, because that’s eternal, everything else is temporary, everything else is going to change. We consider the temporary and act accordingly, but in our heart of hearts we must accept that eternal essence.

So the demigods are in that position to perform that services to the Lord and Prabhupada explains “ we should never think that the demigods are equal to Visnu, we should not worship the demigods for material things” how should we worship demigods? by understanding that they are empowered servants of Visnu who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And therefore Prabhupada explains “ all the demigods are completely honored, worshiped and respected when we chant Govinda adi purusam tam aham bhajami. Krsna is the original person, the cause of all causes, the source of all demigods, the source of all

(41.30) sarvasya aham …..

The source of everything that exists, in everyone

(41.42) kamais……..

Those who have materialistic passions they worship the demigods for the benediction of attaining to material things by performing the prescribed rules and regulations according to their nature. But Krsna explains “whatever you get from the demigods is ultimately coming from me”. Krsna condemns worship of demigods for materialistic, egoistic purposes in the Gita, the Vedas mostly comprise of three modes of material nature

(42.40) trigunya…..

The Vedas mainly deals with the three modes of material nature, there is a lot of demigod worship for getting material benedictions it is prescribed in various Vedic literatures. But Krsna in Gita is teaching the essence “give it all up, be transcendental to all of this”

(43.14) Saranam dharma ……

“Just surrender to Me, and you will fulfill the essential purpose of all knowledge, of all scriptures, of all dharma”. That is Krsna consciousness, the art of learning of how to surrender to Krsna.

So to respect and honor the demigods as servants of the Lord and knowing that if I water the root of the tree, if Krsna is satisfied, then all the demigods as perfectly satisfied.

(4347) Devarshi….

If you just surrender to Krsna, then all your duties, all your obligations to the demigods, to your forefathers, to the rishis and the sages, to all the political parties that have helped you, all your obligations to everyone in the present, in the past, in the future are completely fulfilled. Why? Because you watered the root of the tree, whatever anyone has to give you, is coming from Krsna. And devotees have this faith, that faith is very, very important. And actually the demigods are more satisfied when you surrender to Krsna.

Recently, we were telling story of Sri Govinda Kaviraj. I will repeat that to end the class. It’s a very instructive story, a very, very beautiful opulent poet named Ramachandra, was riding on a palanquin, coming back from a wedding ceremony. And here in India amongst the higher classes, you know how people try to impress each other when they go to wedding ceremonies. So he was coming back in a beautiful palanquin and Srinivas Acarya is looking at this person, his bodily features were like that of kamadeva (cupid), beautiful well oiled hair and wonderful eyes, nose and good bodily physical fitness and he had wonderful silken robes, ornaments and Srinivas Acarya is completely detached brahmachari at this time. Yes, and he is looking at this man and figuring out who is that? Who is that person? And some of his followers said “he is Ramachandra, he is greatest poet, greatest academic scholar, he is a digvijaya pandit, very wealthy, very learned, brahman person.” And Srinivas spoke to his followers in a loud voice “he has a rope wrapped around his neck, he knows its pulling him and he thinking its going to make him happy!” so Ramachandra saw Srinivas hurl this, right from the palanquin he looked at Srinivas Acarya and heard what he said and it just awakened his innate devotion, he started crying “I am going to surrender to this person” and then he went home and whole night he was in anxiety thinking about what he had heard and he came back the next morning and surrendered to Srinivas Acarya. And later on Jiva Goswami with the permission of all the great goswamis of Vrindavana gave him the name Ramachandra Kaviraj. He was already such a wonderful poet, a wonderful scholar, he just took all that incredible wealth of knowledge and used it whole heartedly in the service of his Guru and Krsna.

Now his younger brother, his name was Govinda. Govinda, when he was in the womb of his mother, he would not come out. It wasn’t his desire, he was just a baby but somehow or the other by nature’s cause and some karma he was not coming out. His mother’s name was Sunanda and she was in great anxiety. Sunanda’s father was Damodar Kaviraj, who was a very faithful, devoted servant of Bhagavati (Durga) and he married his daughter to Chiranjeeva Sen, who lived in Srikhanda. Chiranjeeva Sen, was a very, very great devotee, he was a personal intimate associate of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He lived among Narahari Sarkar, Raghunandan Thakur, Locandas Thakur. Very great devotee, his name is written in Caitanya Caritamrita and is a associate of Lord Caitanya. He is written with the branches of tree of Lord Caitanya, great devotee.

So what happened is this, the son of Chiranjeeva Sen and Sunanda was not coming out of his mother, so she was in great distress, so she sent her maid servant to see her father Damodar Kaviraj and when the maid servant came, he was right in the middle of performing puja to Bhagavati- the demigoddess. And the maid servant explained that your daughter, is in too much pain and distress, the child does not come out of her womb. So through his eye gestures and hand gestures he indicated that she should use Bhagavati’s weapon. So here this word, but he did not say a single word. So the maid servant was confused, so finally what she did was poured water and bathed Bhagavati’s weapon, perhaps a sword and then gave that water to Sunanda to drink and immediately a painless birth took place. So everybody around considered he was born by the mercy of Bhagavati, and his grandfather was very much grateful that this child was yours, dedicated to you.

Now his father was a very, very great Vaisnava associate of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, but when Govinda was a very, very small boy, his father passed away, went home went back to Godhead. So he was raised as his maternal grandfather, Damodar Kaviraj, who trained him in every possible way to be a Shakta.- devotee of Durga. He was just conditioned in this way to learn pujas, and to learn everything, he didn’t not have much of a formal material education, but by just his nature Sri Govinda, he became such a learned scholar and he would write poems, he writes songs, all the worshipers of Durga in that area thanked, they loved him. He would write the most beautiful songs about the Durga they have ever heard. Such a poet, he was so learned and everyone around think “you were born by the mercy of Bhagavati, therefore your life, your soul, everything must be exclusively for her purpose, and he accepted that.

So when he saw his brother became a Vaisnava, he was thinking in his mind that “my brother can do what ever he wants, he has taken initiation from Srinivas Acarya, he is worshipping Radha Shyama Sunder, but myself, I know my destiny and I know my calling in life, I will attain salvation by the mercy of Bhagavati.” And as he was thinking this in his mind an oracle, a voice spoke to him, it was Bhagavati. She didn’t say much, she said “Govinda, you shall only taste salvation by worshiping Krsna, there is no other way, worship Krsna.” So he felt very unhappy, he felt unhappy that he wasted his whole life. Now she is telling him, now everything I have done is all waste, but actually it wasn’t a waste because actually he satisfied her, she was giving him the highest benediction.

If you really please the demigods by worshiping them, if you want something cheap, they will give something cheap, some material satisfaction or elevation to heavenly planets, that’s what you want. But if you really want what they want, then they will direct you to worship Krsna. Just like that Brahman, he was worshiping Lord Shiva and he wanted a touchstone, but actually he had a very, very deep devotion to Shiva. He wanted touchstone, he wanted wealth, he had really genuine devotion to Shiva in a certain way, so Shiva really liked him. Most worshippers get want you want, if he does that but to this person he said “O you want touchstone, go to dvadas aditya teel in Vrindavana, near Yamuna, there is a saint named Sanatan Goswami, he has touchstone, get from him” Hare Krsna.!

Lord Shiva understood the greatest benediction that he could give to any of his devotees is to direct them to association of a pure devotee of Lord Krsna, because in that association you will get Krsna

(55.42) vaishnam ……

Shiva is the greatest Vaisnava, we see Ravana is asking Shiva for so many benedictions. Bhakasura is asking Shiva for so many demoniac benedictions and he is giving, the scriptures are filled with demons worshiping Shiva and getting all. Kumbhakarna getting all benedictions, but then we find the Prachetas, they were very pure and innocent in heart. So when they worshiped Lord Shiva, Lord Shiva gave them a song to sing, a mantra by which they will attract the mercy of Krsna. That is the supreme benediction demigod could give. So this Brahman attained perfection because Shiva sent him to Sanatan Goswami, who taught him that “the real touchstone is the Holy Name, because the greatest wealth is Prema Bhakti, not the things of this world, it is all perishable and it will simply be disturbing to the heart, but Krsna Prema will fulfill all your desires, eternally.” Like that. So Govinda Kaviraj, he was given the order by Bhagavati that “if you want material things, but if you want salvation the only way is you must surrender and worship Krsna.” So he was thinking “I must accept Srinivas Acarya as my Guru, just like my brother has done” and he left his home, Kumara Nagar and went to Jajigram (57.48) where Srinivas Acarya was residing, and he found that just before he came, Srinivas Acarya had left for Vrindavana. So he went to his brother Ramachandra Kaviraj, and Ramachandra Kaviraj preached him so nicely and he completely took shelter of his brother, he became a Vaisnava. He was heart of hearts, the only desire in his life was to surrender to Srinivas Acarya and take initiation from Srinivas Acarya and give his life, his soul, everything for the service of Srinivas Acarya. He was just waiting for him to return, he was thinking himself such unfortunate that he missed the chance. But so fortunate, that his brother had given him his kindness and for rest of his life Sri Govinda Kaviraj was very, very dependent on the love of his brother, he is a great Vaisnava. Ramachandra Kaviraj told him “you should go to Kelly Dudhari (59.05)” it’s large population, many people, good people, you can be happy there and immensely benefit them with your Krsna consciousness, so he followed his brother, he left his home and went where his brother told him to go, Kelly Dudhar (59.23).

And when Srinivas Acarya, actually what happened is devotees in Jajigram were so much in separation, Raghunandan Thakur asked Ramachandra Kaviraj “go to Vrindavana Dham and bring Srinivas back, the devotees need him, desperately” and it was at that time that Sri Govinda Kaviraj accepted initiation, and all the skill, and power he had to compose and sing the most extraordinary beautiful songs to Durgadevi, he wrote in glorification of Sri Radha Gopinath, and Durgadevi was ultimately, supremely satisfied by that.

So there are countless stories in the scriptures, describing best way to please and give satisfaction to the devatas is Govindam Adi Pursam Tam aham Bhajämi, to understand Krsna, he is the Lord of all demigods, he is the root of tree of all existence, let me satisfy him through by my body, my words, my life, my mind. That is yajna, so Rsabhadeva, after completely satisfying Visnu, by performing the yajna exactly according to Vedic injunctions, with first class ingredients that were suitable to be offered to the Lord, in the right place, In the right time, with the right priest, with the right attitude, then Visnu accepted the offerings and then, as a servants of the demigods, how did he worship the demigods? By taking Vishnu’s Mahä prasada and offering it to the demigods, then they were happy. And he taught the world, and he taught in his prayers, “the only benediction worth asking for is the benediction of unalloyed devotional service.”

is there any questions?

Devotee question- if by wrong understanding, if anyone previously offended the demigods which includes great devotees like Lord Shiva, what is the atonement we have to perform? After understanding properly.

RNS- If you offend demigod, what is the atonement?

Devotee- If anyone offended previously?

RNS- What did you do? (amusingly), you don’t have to say.

You should just understand that the demigods are dear to Krsna, they are servants of Krsna and you should pray for forgiveness and water the root of the tree by chanting with great sincerity the Holy Name- Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

No need for any extraneous yajnas, just chant Hare Krsna the supreme yajna for this age and have the proper attitude of respect, that is all.

Devotee- Hare Krsna, its said we must respect a person who is loved by Guru and Krsna, but some times one may have to keep a distance, sometimes one may also have to keep the distance also.

RNS- many times.

Devotee- So the other person may come to know that the love that was earlier is not there and he is respecting me but the same feeling is not there, because of keeping distance, so what is the conclusion of such separation?

RNS- As long as you know you are doing the right thing, you are rightly situated, if someone is blaspheming, if someone is dragging our consciousness down, someone is offensive in this way, then this is offence to God to associate intimately with such a person. Yes, because it will degrade us. So therefore we must be strict asat sanga tya vaisnava achar, Lord Caitanya said, “if you want to become Krsna conscious, you must associate with devotees and you must avoid association with materialistic people and even devotees who are too much attached to sense gratification and who are offensive, yes because even that will degrade us. So how do we deal with such devotees, we should keep respectful distance, yes, and they may not like but you offer, but you don’t have to blaspheme, you don’t have to criticize, you don’t have to punish, you just respect, respect what they have done, respect what ultimately is in their heart, respect the service they have done, respect the love they have received and the love they have given and in their temporary ill-condition we have to keep a little distance, that is respect. Yes, we cannot be overly sentimental; we have to do things in a proper way, with proper understandings, of what is Vaisnava behavior.

Yes Shivarama Prabhu

Devotee- Maharaja some devotees, believe in vastu shastras more than Krsna, they say that “if temple of Krsna or Visnu is not constructed as per vastu shastra, water tank is not in certain direction and toilet and bathroom this and that, then there will be problems in devotees life, the economic problems and this and that, Is vastu shastra more powerful than Krsna In our practical life?

RNS; maybe they will go to vastuloka (amusingly), if you want to go to Krsnaloka Sarva dharmam paristyaga (1.07.08). We have been through all varieties of religions and then to Krsna. So certainly vastu shastra and these things, there purpose is only to make a better offering to Krsna, that’s all. To try to arrange things as auspiciously as possible, to make a nice offering to Krsna. That’s it purpose, if we become attached to astrology or palmistry or vastu shastra as anything in itself, thinking that is going to purify us, then we are karma-kandis, we are not bhaktas, its all karma-kanda. Ninety percent of people who follow all these things, ninety-nine percent are karma-kandis at the best. Yes

(1.08.04) bahunam janma nam….

After so many births you have come to this point of surrendering to Vasudev, that’s the goal of life

(1.08.17) triguna……

The Vedas mostly deal with the three modes of material nature, that’s what all the stuff is about, the three modes of material nature, the astronomy, the astrology, vastu, its all about the three modes of nature and how they are working. Yes, Krsna tell Arjuna “Trancend them all and surrender to me.” So in Vedic culture, Vaisnavas, we want to offer the best, the most auspicious thing to Krsna, we could use these things to try to make the offering to Krsna as auspicious as possible, but according to time, place and circumstance. Ultimately, what matter is serving Krsna and if we don’t follow these things because it is a better way of serving Krsna, serve the Guru, serve the senior Vaisnavas, if they say don’t do it this way then that’s service to Krsna. Right, we are not attached to those things, use them if its favorable to Krsna, we will use them but if it becomes a impediment to the service to Krsna (1.09.35) Sarva dharmam parityaga.

Is there any other question

Srila Prabhupada Ki Jaya