Transliteration from Sanskrit letters to Roman letters.

pandita bahavo rajan
bahu-jnah samshaya-cchidah
sadasas patayo ‘py eke
asantoshat patanty adhah

WORD FOR WORD RENDITION

panditah — very learned scholars; bahavah — many; rajan — O King (Yudhisthira); bahu-jnah — persons with varied experience; samsaya-cchidah — expert in legal advice; sadasah patayah — persons eligible to become presidents of learned assemblies; api — even; eke — by one disqualification; asantosat — simply by dissatisfaction or greed; patanti — fall down; adhah — into hellish conditions of life.

TRANSLATION

(His Divine Grace Sri Narada Muni is speaking.)
O King Yudhisthira, many persons with varied experience, many legal advisers, many learned scholars and many persons eligible to become presidents of learned assemblies fall down into hellish life because of not being satisfied with their positions.

PURPORT

For spiritual advancement, one should be materially satisfied, for if one is not materially satisfied, his greed for material development will result in the frustration of his spiritual advancement. There are two things that nullify all good qualities. One is poverty. Daridra-doso guna-rasi-nasi. If one is poverty-stricken, all his good qualities become null and void. Similarly, if one becomes too greedy, his good qualifications are lost. Therefore the adjustment is that one should not be poverty-stricken, but one must try to be fully satisfied with the bare necessities of life and not be greedy. For a devotee to be satisfied with the bare necessities is therefore the best advice for spiritual advancement. Learned authorities in devotional life consequently advise that one not endeavor to increase the number of temples and mathas. Such activities can be undertaken only by devotees experienced in propagating the Krsna consciousness movement. All the acaryas in South India, especially Sri Ramanujacarya, constructed many big temples, and in North India all the Gosvamis of Vrndavana constructed large temples. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura also constructed large centers, known as Gaudiya Mathas. Therefore temple construction is not bad, provided proper care is taken for the propagation of Krsna consciousness. Even if such endeavors are considered greedy, the greed is to satisfy Krsna, and therefore these are spiritual activities.

Ref. VedaBase => SB 7.15.21

Post Scriptum.

Many small animals like insects, come to the Temple just to die there. We may therefore say that the Krishna Temple offers, among other benefits, end of life shelter for insects. These insects are fortunate souls and are certainly under the guidance of the Supersould or Paramatma, Who dictates from the heart:” The end of your current body is very near, go to this Krishna Temple for successful transmigration.” Here they may hear Srila Prabhupada chanting Japa, as I may play this YouTube production posted by Andrew Savchuk : Srila Prabhupada Japa 16 Rounds 1728x Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, and will thus be benefitted. This is an excellent production and I recommend it. …..Or will hear anyone chanting Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra.

These animals can be spotted very easily, as their condition is very sluggish and almost don’t move at all. Of course the best course of action is to NOT be sentimental about this and to NOT intervene physically at all and let things take their own course. If you intervene physically out of sentiment you will only cause discomfort and disturbance to the tiny individual. After their demise some other animals may come and eat their dead bodies. Ants for example love living and dead flesh. I had his experience in Vrndavan, India in 1977, as I was recuperating from my jaundice in the Krishna Balaram guest house, after my experiment in being a temple commander under HH Akshoyananda Swami. Some ant started eating my flesh between my toes. It is a little painful and one may try to stop it immediately by chasing them away. Of course there is no question to kill the poor animal for that natural propensity of being hungry and looking for food, as non-devotees may often do with a big stepping crush of their foot. I can only lament that I am not on the higher level of the great brahmin-saint Vasudeva as follows, otherwise I would have let the ant finish her meal:

“Although suffering from leprosy, the brahmana Vasudeva was enlightened. As soon as one worm fell from his body, he would pick it up and place it back again in the same location.” Caitanya Caritamrita, Madhya 7.137

It is a little painful to have one’s flesh eaten while still residing in this body. After leaving the body, however, no-one really cares for it.

There is another incident that I wish to write down. HH Akshoyananda Swami gave me a shelf at chest height, in his temple president’s office, where I left a brand new, with green handle, first class folding knife. The knife lasted only a few hours even in the temple president’s office. It was stolen by a unknown offender. “That’s India.” and this is the mantra some Indians train commuters threw at me in the super-over-crowded Mumbai train, when a thief tried to cut open my money belt while leaning against me in the super-over-crowded Mumbay train. The vital part of the money belt was to my front and not to my back. I started shouting very loudly and this gave me some space and I could find to my great relief that, although my money belt was cut open, nothing was in fact missing. Thanks to my awareness and quick reaction, I had saved both my documents as the passport and my Lakshmi (cash money) as well. So “This is India”. At least it was India in 1977.

Srila Prabhupada also instructs that by shouting “Hut” very loudly and with all one’s energy, one can keep menacing dogs at bay and thus be saved from painful bites or even death. There is an instance where Srila Prabhupada walks on some beach in California and successfully fights off some menacing dog, but His disciple is unable to do so.

Additionally, on the occasion of HH Gopal Krishna Goswami’s Vyasapuja day on this 30th day of August 2024, I may add the following for his glorification: It is he who put pressure on me to leave the Krishna Balaram guest house as a convalescent from jaundice and that was of course a bit of a disappointment for me. But this incidence has to be understood properly. This was neither a good thing nor a bad thing. This was a transcendental event, arranged by Lord Krishna, who was reminding me to get back to practical business in His service, instead of just concentrating on studying Srila Prabhupada’s books. There has to be a proper balance between study and management. This incident happened perhaps at the latest in March 1977 and in His letter of May 2nd 1977, Srila Prabhupada confirmed to me this necessity of balance between study and management. We should never use study as a cop out, and this was not my case either. HH Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja had at the time a degree of authority superior to the Temple President’s authority. He was at the time responsible for Vrindavan, probably as Governing Body Commissioner (GBC) or regional secretary.

Additionally, he was extremely kind and efficient upon this humble self, when in 2017, I passed through New Delhi on my way to France. He immediately provided me with accomodation in the guest house opposite the New Delhi Sri Sri Radha Partha Sarathi temple, although it seemed to me that his health was declining. Maharaja has now joined ISKCON of the spiritual world. Iskcon in the spiritual world is a reality, as Srila Prabhupada confirms in the following letter:

“Your next question, after leaving this material realm does the devotee remain forever with his spiritual master? The answer is yes. But I think you have got the mistaken idea in this connection. You speak of pure devotee, that he is saktyavesa avatara, that we should obey him only — these things are the wrong idea. If anyone thinks like that, that a pure devotee should be obeyed and no one else, that means he is a nonsense. We advise everyone to address one another as Prabhu. Prabhu means master, so how the master should be disobeyed? Others, they are also pure devotees. All of my disciples are pure devotees. Anyone sincerely serving the spiritual master is a pure devotee, it may be Siddhasvarupa or others, a-Siddhasvarupa. This must be very clearly stated. It is not only that your Siddhasvarupa is a pure devotee and not others. Do not try to make a faction. Siddhasvarupa is a good soul. But others should not be misled. Anyone who is surrendered to the spiritual master is a pure devotee, it doesn’t matter if Siddhasvarupa or non-Siddhasvarupa. Amongst ourselves one should respect others as Prabhu, master, one another. As soon as we distinguish here is a pure devotee, here is a non-pure devotee, that means I am a nonsense. Why you only want to be in the spiritual sky with Siddhasvarupa? Why not all? If Siddhasvarupa can go, why not everyone? Siddhasvarupa will go, you will go, Syamasundara will go, all others will go. We will have another ISKCON there. Of course, Mr. Nair must stay.
And if somebody does not go, then I shall have to come back to take him there. One should remember this and every one of my disciples should act in such a way that they may go with me and may not have to come back to take another birth.”

Ref. VedaBase => Letter to: Tusta Krsna — Ahmedabad 14 December, 1972

Maharaj, please accept my most humble obeisances at your holy feet on the occasion of your 2024 Vyasapuja celebrations here in Brisbane and around the world indeed. All glories to your personal international contribution to Lord Caitanya’s International Samkirtan Mission.

To get back to my original point, there is currently a flying insect stuck on my fly screen. He has inspired me to write these words. He is definitely dying.

There is a similar instance on Stinson beach in California in 1967, where Srila Prabhupada during His illness / convalescence advised His disciple to chant Hare Krishna to “the poor thing”. It was a large slug climbing on a wall. The point being that the chanting of Hare Krishna mantra will at all times bring benefit to whoever hears the chanting, be it human, animal or plant or any other sentient being with ears. Such strong faith we have to have in the transcendental power of the Holy Name. It is called vyavasayatmika buddhi.

“Govinda dasi: Swamiji would sit on a little couch with a table before him, and Gaurasundara and Kirtanananda and I would sit on the floor, and we would all eat together, like a family. We would talk, and one time the subject was rice. Kirtanananda said, “White rice is for human beings, and brown rice is for animals.” So I said, “I must be an animal, then, because I really like brown rice better.” And Swamiji just laughed and laughed and laughed. He thought it was so funny. I guess it did sound pretty simple. But he laughed and laughed.
Prabhupada was sitting in the back yard when Govinda dasi saw a large slug climbing on a wall. She showed it to Prabhupada. “Chant to the poor thing,” he said, and she began to chant Hare Krsna.
Govinda dasi would take walks daily and, with the neighbors’ permission, pick dozens of roses. On returning she would arrange them in vases and place them all around in Prabhupada’s room. One time when Prabhupada heard her loudly singing Hare Krsna as she returned from the neighborhood, he remarked to Gaurasundara, “She is very simplehearted.” Srila Prabhupada-lilamrita, Vol 3, chapter 4 “Our master has not finished His work”, page 148.

The Christians also have such faith in the Holy Name of God, as I have seen a “Church of the Holy Name” in Tenant Creek, Northern Territory, Australia. I might even have a picture of it in my records. Sometimes however, Christians do not realise that the word “Christ” comes from the Greek “kristo”, which in turn comes from the Sanskrit “Krishna” through a deformation of the word “Krishna” itself. One lady even accused me of playing tricky and false word games. But just consult the philologists and etymologists and they will gladly confirm this point. This is NOT fake news. This is real, factual, actual news. So there is a direct link between Christ and Krishna, at least in the semantic sense or the formal aspects of the two words. Others say more directly that Lord Jesus Christ spent some time in India before preaching in the Middle East. And other again say that His tomb is in India. The most revolutionary comment about the heroic life of Lord Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, is that although He was crucified to a cross, as was the custom at the time, He id not actually die on that cross due to His mystic or yogic powers.

I any case Hare Krishna religion and its representatives have the highest regards and respect for Lord Jesus Christ, as well as for all other bona fide religions of the world such as Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism etc. Srila Prabhupada said that Lord Jesus Christ is our GURU or spiritual teacher. And frankly to call Lord Jesus Christ the son of God is a vast, vast, vast understatement, because every living entity is the son or daughter of the Supreme Father or God. So Christians, please lift your game.

It is very easy. I was brought up as a Catholic, was a altar boy, drank some of the wine like most others, then graduated to sacristan, read the epistle and the Gospels in my small country village church in France. We (the priest and the altar boys) went together on some memorable excursions, included the wonderful Venice in Italy. My mother and my parish priest certainly wanted me to become a Christian priest, and a Hare Krishna priest I became. What better can they expect? Please find below 2 pictures of the place of my early Christian mysticism, outside and inside.

_______________

Bombay
31 December, 1975
75-12-31

My Dear Madhudvisa Maharaja,
Please accept my blessings. Thank you for your nice invitation card. Thousands of Caitanya Mahaprabhu temples may be established all over Australia so that I may receive one invitation card at least every month. Physical health does not allow me to move very much, but my mind is absorbed in thinking of you with blessings of Krishna.
I hope this letter finds you well.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

________________

The words of an emissary of God and we specifically call Him Krishna, are usually very powerful because they are backed by God, Krishna, Himself, just as the bona fide ambassador is backed by the full power off its own state, and therefore they usually come true, not over night of course, but in the long run. So let us see what will happen in this most beautiful and GOD- or Krishna-privileged land of Australia, were everyone one wishes to come and live and I may repeat again in “this Holy Land of Australia.”

I am sure there are other such churches in the Holy Land of Australia, which I care to call Nava Bharata or New Bharata. BTW I have heard that there is now an official intention to change from “INDIA” to “BHARATA”, a welcome return to the sources. And for those who object: “What do you mean “the Holy Land of Australia”? Australia is not at all a Holy Land, it is the land of the beer drinker and the larrikin, we reply first of all that your cliche is now outdated and that Australia is changing very fast for the better. The wisdom of the Australian people is clearly exhibited in the fact that today there is only a very maximum of 10% who still smoke, whereas that was previously a much higher rate. In other words, the Australian people know to distinguish a good thing and to pick it up and Krishna consciousness is THE VERY BEST THING THERE IS.

The dead body eating sequence is the law of nature in full swing as per SB 1.13.47:

ROMAN TRANSLITERATION

ahastani sahastanam
apadani catus-padam
phalguni tatra mahatam
jivo jivasya jivanam

WORD FOR WORD RENDITION

ahastani — those who are devoid of hands; sa-hastanam — of those who are endowed with hands; apadani — those who are devoid of legs; catuh-padam — of those who have four legs; phalguni — those who are weak; tatra — there; mahatam — of the powerful; jivah — the living being; jivasya — of the living being; jivanam — subsistence.

TRANSLATION by Srila Prabhupada.

Those who are devoid of hands are prey for those who have hands; those devoid of legs are prey for the four-legged. The weak are the subsistence of the strong, and the general rule holds that one living being is food for another.

and PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

A systematic law of subsistence in the struggle for existence is there by the supreme will, and there is no escape for anyone by any amount of planning. The living beings who have come to the material world against the will of the Supreme Being are under the control of a supreme power called maya-sakti, the deputed agent of the Lord, and this daivi maya is meant to pinch the conditioned souls by threefold miseries, one of which is explained here in this verse: the weak are the subsistence of the strong. No one is strong enough to protect himself from the onslaught of someone stronger, and by the will of the Lord there are systematic categories of the weak, the stronger and the strongest. There is nothing to be lamented if a tiger eats a weaker animal, including a man, because that is the law of the Supreme Lord. But although the law states that a human being must subsist on another living being, there is the law of good sense also, for the human being is meant to obey the laws of the scriptures. This is impossible for other animals. The human being is meant for self-realization, and for that purpose he is not to eat anything which is not first offered to the Lord. The Lord accepts from His devotee all kinds of food preparations made of vegetables, fruits, leaves and grains. Fruits, leaves and milk in different varieties can be offered to the Lord, and after the Lord accepts the foodstuff, the devotee can partake of the prasadam, by which all suffering in the struggle for existence will be gradually mitigated. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (9.26). Even those who are accustomed to eat animals can offer foodstuff, not to the Lord directly, but to an agent of the Lord, under certain conditions of religious rites. Injunctions of the scriptures are meant not to encourage the eaters of animals but to restrict them by regulative principles.
One living being is the source of subsistence for other, stronger living beings. No one should be very anxious for his subsistence in any circumstances because there are living beings everywhere, and no living being starves for want of food at any place. Maharaja Yudhisthira is advised by Narada not to worry about his uncles’ suffering for want of food, for they could live on vegetables available in the jungles as prasadam of the Supreme Lord and thus realize the path of salvation.
Exploitation of the weaker living being by the stronger is the natural law of existence; there is always an attempt to devour the weak in different kingdoms of living beings. There is no possibility of checking this tendency by any artificial means under material conditions; it can be checked only by awakening the spiritual sense of the human being by practice of spiritual regulations. The spiritual regulative principles, however, do not allow a man to slaughter weaker animals on one side and teach others peaceful coexistence. If you do not allow the animals peaceful coexistence, how can you expect peaceful coexistence in human society? The blind leaders must therefore understand the Supreme Being and then try to implement the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God, or rama-rajya, is impossible without the awakening of God consciousness in the mass mind of the people of the world.

As we hear from Srila Prabhupada’s above purport the predator rarely waits for the natural death of it’s victim. The predator rather inflicts death on the victim at a time of his own choosing. At least several times a year, we hear that, in Far North Queensland, a crocodile caught and ate an imprudent human without any distinction of gender, race or age . Just recently I was both surprised and privileged to see a humble crow swooping on a young bush turkey in the Rocks Riverside Park to kill and eat. The bush turkey must have been about 13 cm high. Animals do not incur karma for such survival activities, whereas humans do. “This is life.”goes the common saying. And if we wish to achieve peaceful coexistence with one another, we better start with peaceful coexistence with animals as well and stop slaughtering them by the millions and eating their slaughtered bodies. Lord Jesus Christ clearly said “Thou shall not kill.” Hare Krishna.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada, the attorney general of the Supreme Personality of Godhead!

Please find the place (outside and inside) of my Christian mysticism.