CHAPTER 17 started on 12th Apr 2016 Lecture 2 at about 47:25
Verses 1-10
- Everywhere in the Holy Dhama there is the water of the Ganges, but still bathing directly in her brings out a more personal aspect.
- Ganga skips most varshas in her descent, so we are very fortunate to have her.
Verses 11-14
- Even devotees who are not qualified by brahminical qualification can be guru, if they know Krishna.
- In other earthly realms days and nights are the same length as here, but people have longer life.
12th Apr 2016 Lecture 3
- Varieties according to season bring more enjoyment.
- Since demigods are devotees, they naturally get all the facility for sense enjoyment. They are Krishna conscious, but it's not very deep.
- Deity worship is mostly only conducted here, on Bhu-mandala.
- If sense gratification is approached from goodness, one can also remember Krishna.
- Divya and Bhauma svargas are for devotees. Bila-svarga is for those who are pious, but not devotees.
- In heavenly planets they don't go to work, so they have to spend more time with women, be nice with them. We are discussing how they can be Krishna conscious, even though they are having such a good time.
- The pastimes of Paramahamsas do not take place in svarga, they happen either in Bharata-varsha, or on Mahar, Jana, Tapoloka.
- On the heavenly planets there is much more emphasis on the emotional relationships, even though the facilities for the senses are so much greater.
- Demigods are mostly only grihasthas. Those who want to become vanaprasthas take birth in Bharata-varsha.
- People have sadhana in the heavenly planets, but in-between they just hang out with each other.
- Demigods have more of a kshatriya lifestyle.
Verses 15-24
- Lord Shiva is not in the mode of ignorance, but through him Lord's potency of destruction work.
- Lord's lotus feet are secure, because they are always there. Devotee's ornament is always thinking of the Lord, due to which the Lord Himself becomes their ornament. We can only always think of the Lord if He allows. Thus the Lord becomes the ornament of the devotee.
- To conquer senses the only solution is to take shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord. We follow dharma to please Krishna.
- 42:30 The real cover-up is seeking solutions other than Krishna consciousness.
- Even the force of the senses is coming from the universal form of the Lord. So we can only conquer it by taking full shelter of the Lord and spiritual master.
- Only the affection of devotees agitates the Lord.
- The feminine nature is the same here as it is in the spiritual world, but there it's about Krishna. If the spiritual girls are getting attention, it's because Krishna is pleased.
- The spiritual world is centered around women because they bring out the highest rasas.
- Lord Nrsimhadeva's different forms.
- 60:00 The so-called equality between man and woman - now women want the control over outside environment.
- Since when fire and butter have been equal?
- 61:50 How 10 billion women can work together? When they are maidservants, one woman is the head.
- Sama veda has jati system for singing, but it is technically very difficult. Narada Muni has given ragas.
- Anything personal of the Lord is Sesha. He is called Sesha [ultimate] because He has attained ultimate degree of Lord's service.
- All the different material elements are expanded by adding more and more false ego.
- Lord Shiva, unlike us, is eternally in the position of Krishna's servant.
14th Apr 2016 Lecture 1
- All problems come from bodily conception, since favorable and unfavorable situations are seen only in relationship to the body.
- Only surrendering to Krishna can we find way past illusory energy.
- The scientists are just fancy babies - instead of sticking things in the mouth, they stick everything under a microscope etc.
- Real science starts at vijnana-maya. Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu is the highest science. People want to know who they are - to have an identity, to have relationships.
- To solve problems we have to understand the operator of nature, not just its mechanics.
- Devotees become attached to the secondary and feel that that's the only way that Krishna consciousness can go on.
- What Srila Prabhupada was singing, it was the most pure, most expert, most refined classical music. It was so much beyond and more developed than any expert can do.
- Ragas are about interaction between Radha and Krishna.
- Formerly public concerts were very simple. Sophisticated performances were there for the Deities, kings and the elite.
- If we know both Radha-Krishna and the mechanics of the music then it's the best. But if we simply know Krishna, it will be simple and sweet. If we only know mechanics, there is no use.
- If we know apara-vidya, but not Krishna, we will surely do something stupid with it. In some way we will misapply it.
- Ramanandis are an apasampradaya of the Sri Sampradaya.