Travel Journal#13.21: New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C.

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 13, No. 21 
By Krishna-kripa das 
(November 2017, part one) 
New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. 
(Sent from New York City on December 6, 2017)

Where I Went and What I Did

During the first half of November, I continued chanting with the Yuga Dharma New York City harinama party three hours a day as I recovered from my hernia operation, except for three days when I chanted in Washington, D.C., with Sankarsana Prabhu in front of the National History Museum. On the way to Washington, I went to the Tuesday evening program at the Bhakti Garden, Haryasva Prabhu's temple in downtown Philadelphia. I also attended a Prabhupada Festival in Brooklyn, organized by the new Brooklyn ISKCON temple management, where Bhakti Charu Swami, Arundhati Devi Dasi, Bhusara Prabhu, and other Srila Prabhupada disciples spoke.

I share excerpts from Srila Prabhupada's books and notes on one of his classes. I share notes on classes by Bhakti Charu Swami, Jayadvaita Swami, and Prahladananda Swami. I also share notes on classes by Haryasva, Vasudeva, Jaya Jagannatha, Asin Govinda, and Bhakta Josh Prabhus, and I share my sister Karen's realization of prasadam.

Thanks to Sankarsana Prabhu and Haryasva Prabhu for their donations toward my travel expenses to Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. Thanks to Bhaktin Diana for the picture of me chanting in Union Square Park. Thanks to Karen for the photo of the Radha Muralidhara prasadam I delivered to her at Penn Station.

Chanting Hare Krishna in New York City

I chanted with the Yuga Dharma New York City party just three hours a day instead of six as I was recovering my hernia operation.

While sitting at our harinama book table in Atlantic Ave. / Barclays subway station in New York City, before the police asked us to remove it [an occasional occurrence], I had two nice encounters within fifteen minutes of each other. A friendly Muslim lady, dressed in a black gown, with most of her head covered, stopped by. She mentioned that she had been to our temple in Brooklyn and that she liked it. She said her daughter was vegetarian, and she gave a donation for a Higher Taste. A few minutes later, a jovial Jewish man, dressed in black and having a kippah over the center of head, came to look at the books. He was attracted to Journey of Self-Discovery, especially after I said it was a collection of essays. He said he already had Science of Self-Realization, and he liked it. He was impressed when I told him the Bhagavad-gita was spoken 5,000 years ago. He was proud of his Jewish tradition which has also been around for thousands of years and mentioned that there must be truth in the traditions for them to last so long. He ended up giving a donation and accepting the Journey of Self-Discovery. It was impressive to me that these two people, so much committed to their own traditions that they wore their traditional dress, had appreciation for Srila Prabhupada's temples and his literature. It shows the universal nature of what Srila Prabhupada is offering.

I have never seen such a small kid holding such a big book [Bhagavad-gita]
as I did on harinama!

Kaliya Krishna Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna at Grand Central subway station, and a mother and daughter played the shakers and danced happily. Before leaving they bowed twice to the devotee chanting party. I gave them prasadam, and the girl demanded that her mom purchase the hardbound Bhagavad-gita. Certainly they are rare souls to have such attraction to the kirtan and the books! See the video (https://youtu.be/bMsAQiKh8rg):

Bhakta Josh chants Hare Krishna at Times Square subway station, and a lady dances (https://youtu.be/0RI0afWqnfU):

Pavana Nitai Chand Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Penn Station (https://youtu.be/K1u0cpbM4T0):

Krishna Prasad Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Atlantic Ave. / Barclays subway station in Brooklyn, and a mother and her two young and very active boys play the shakers (https://youtu.be/E8z5GmAdmI0):

Kanai Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna, and a lady plays shakers and dances in Grand Central subway station (https://youtu.be/Gnns33d3y8M):

Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Union Square, and Jason, a guy who frequents Union Square, dances (https://youtu.be/QmKwWtNawlA):

Pavana Nitai Chandra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Union Square, and a lady dances inspiring a guy to try to follow her [this might be a bit risqué for strict brahmacaris] (https://youtu.be/bpM-rPI2k1s):

Chanting Hare Krishna in Brooklyn

Srila Prabhupada disciple Locanananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on the streets of New York City every Friday at different locations with a few devotees. This time Prahladananda Swami and Hansarupa Prabhu joined them. Here Prahladananda Swami leads the Hare Krishna chant on Fulton Street in downtown Brooklyn (https://youtu.be/UedJVdyd39U):

Prabhupada Festival in Brooklyn

On November 4 there was Prabhupada Festival organized by the new Brooklyn ISKCON management and held at PS 261 on Pacific Street.

Different Srila Prabhupada disciples spoke. I did not catch all their names, including the first one:

One brahmacarini wanted to see Srila Prabhupada speak at the World Health Organization so bad that when there was no room in the van she hitchhiked there, despite having an infection on her leg. After the meeting, Srila Prabhupada noticed her, and asked the other devotees how she had come there. They did not know. Then he asked them how she would get back. Srila Prabhupada was always concerned with all his disciples no matter how seemingly insignificant.

Srila Prabhupada could meet the greatest scholars or ordinary men and treat them all in such a way that they would feel happy to have met Krishna's representative.

Srila Prabhupada had promised whoever bought the first building for ISKCON that he would relocate the ISKCON Press there. Because the ISKCON devotees in Boston first purchased a building, he moved his ISKCON Press there.

Arundhati Devi Dasi: I left the temple and got back into smoking again. Srila Prabhupada asked my husband, Pradyumna, where I was. He told Srila Prabhupada, “She is not doing so well. She is not living in the temple. She is smoking cigarettes.” 
Srila Prabhupada told him, “Tell her if she stops smoking, she can come to Vrindavan.”
He told me, and so I stopped smoking cigarettes and came to Vrindavan. Srila Prabhupada could have said so many things about my smoking, but he decided to give me a better engagement.

Bhusara Prabhu:

We always fall far short in describing his qualities, Srila Prabhupada is so great.

It is our duty to keep alive Srila Prabhupada's instructions, how he organized ISKCON, how he encouraged devotees, etc., in his physical absence.

Moderator:

Bhakti Charu Swami was looking for a guru. He went outside of India to find one. Somehow he got a copy of The Nectar of Devotion, and after reading one page, he realized he had found his guru. At his first meeting with Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada asked him to translate all his books into Bengali, which he joyfully did.

Notes on Bhakti Charu Swami's speech are below under Insights.

At the end of the festival, Locanananda Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/3W1AmVqDqDE):

There was a feast afterward. I was happy to see Pyari Mohan Prabhu, temple president of Hartford, was present, and he invited me to come there during Niranjana Swami's upcoming visit in December.

Chanting Hare Krishna at the Bhakti Garden

Every Tuesday, Haryasvya Prabhu has an evening program at his Bhakti Garden at 1408 South Street in Philadelphia. There were about five devotees when I visited on November 7, and devotees had a good time sharing realizations and having kirtan. I try to go there at least once or twice a year when I am based in New York City.

Chanting Hare Krishna in Washington, D.C.

Sankarsana Prabhu, also a disciple of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, chants Hare Krishna a few days a week during the busy seasons on the mall in Washington, D.C., these days in front of the Natural History Museum. He has an incredible set up with a generator, mixer, amplifier, two speakers, three microphones, a synthesizer, a drum, karatalas, two tables, two banners, books, invitations to the Potomac temple, and often prasadam. Sankarsana has a beautiful voice, and his tunes are sweet and easy to sing. He usually sings from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. or so. I chanted with him three days, and our godbrother, Gurudas Prabhu, who does typing for our Guru Maharaja, joined us the last two days. The last day it was 43° F (6° C), and the wind blowing through the holes in my Chinese imitation Crocs made it a bit austere but I survived.

Many busloads of school children visit the musuem, most from places where Hare Krishna is never chanted in the streets, so this venue is a great opportunity for hundreds of new people to hear the holy name. A few rare souls have some natural attraction which you can see in their smiles, glances, and dances, and some of them come and accept “On Chanting Hare Krishna.” I promised Sankarsana Prabhu I would come and visit for three days in the autumn and also in the spring, in the odd numbered years when I do not go to India. I take pleasure in assisting his wonderful outreach program.

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.1.17, purport:

“When the residents of this earth become atheistic and godless, they descend to the status of animals like dogs and hogs, and thus their only business is to bark among themselves. This is dharmasya glani, deviation from the goal of life. Human life is meant for attaining the highest perfection of Krishna consciousness, but when people are godless and the presidents or kings are unnecessarily puffed up with military power, their business is to fight and increase the military strength of their different states. Nowadays, therefore, it appears that every state is busy manufacturing atomic weapons to prepare for a third world war. Such preparations are certainly unnecessary; they reflect the false pride of the heads of state. The real business of a chief executive is to see to the happiness of the mass of people by training them in Krishna consciousness in different divisions of life.”

“The various states of the world are preoccupied with arranging for military strength. Sometimes they spend sixty-five percent of the government’s revenue for this purpose. But why should people’s hard-earned money be spent in this way? Because of the present world situation, Krishna has descended in the form of the Krishna consciousness movement. This is quite natural, for without the Krishna consciousness movement the world cannot be peaceful and happy.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Antya 5.84, purport:

“Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is to be considered the most munificent personality, for He distributes the real essence of the Vedic sastras [scriptures] to anyone who becomes qualified by becoming His sincere servant.”

From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.10.14 in Mayapur on June 27, 1973:

“I may be sent to hell, heaven; it doesn't matter. What qualification I have got that I want to see back to home, back to Godhead? It is not so easy thing. So why should I be sorry for that? I should be happy even in the hell simply by thinking of Krishna. That is wanted. That is wanted. That is Krishna consciousness.”

Bhakti Charu Swami:

Srila Prabhupada affected the hearts of thousands of people who he personally met and those people are our greatest asset.

I was planning to travel to different places of pilgrimage, but the devotees in Mayapur who preached to me were so inspiring and their sincerity and their commitment was so great, I decided to shave up the next morning. I bought a dhoti and kurta and threw away my old clothes.

Book distribution at Kumbha Mela was going on like anything. People were so pious we would tell them these books were about Krishna.

Because I was translating his books into Bengali, I could have access to Srila Prabhupada on the plea of wanting to show him my translations.

Seeing me around, he engaged me in reading and answering his Bengali letters, and then his Hindi letters.

He once told me, “I am appointing you as my secretary for Indian affairs.”

We were with Srila Prabhupada in Rishikesh, where some well wishers had rented a house by the Ganges for his recovery.

One day Srila Prabhupada told me that the time had come for him to leave his body, and he wanted to do so in Vrindavan. I told Tamal Krishna Goswami, and we made all arrangements to bring him to Vrindavan.

All the devotees in Vrindavan were ecstatic to see Srila Prabhupada, but when Srila Prabhupada explained the reason he had become to Vrindavan, the ecstasy turned to agony.

He told me not to cook because he had no appetite. I thought he was going to fast to death like Pariksit Maharaja.

The devotees appealed to Srila Prabhupada that as a pure devotee, Krishna would fulfill his desire to stay. And they begged him to stay. He agreed. I began cooking again without even asking.

He asked for a 90-year-old kaviraja to treat him, and the treatments seemed to work.

When he got stronger, he said that it was inglorious for a warrior die in bed, but he wanted to die on the battlefield, and he planned to travel to London, Gitanagari, and ultimately to Hawaii and continue translations.

His health worsed in London, and he returned to Vrindavan.

Srila Prabhupada said, “Now this body is a set of bones in a bag of skin.” And it was literally like that.

When he returned from London the treatments of the kaviraja were no longer effective.

He said, “I will feel like eating only when I die.” That was so shocking I began crying. 
He said, “It that what you have learned from me? I taught you the soul is beyond the changing body.”

His disappearance is just disappearance from our visual perception.

Now we have to perceive his presence in our hearts though following his instructions.

It is up to us how sincerely we are going to cultivate this opportunity.

Jayadvaita Swami:

From a class on mantra meditation:

Hare Krishna is transcendental sound.

There are different levels, the body of gross matter, then the mind, intelligence, the soul, and God. In one sense that summarizes everything.

The mind accepts and rejects. The intelligence analyzes. But we the soul, possess and direct the intelligence. We the soul are consciousness, and consciousness is eternal.

As conscious beings we are individual. You are you, and I am me. Never were you me nor was I you.

I may have some knowledge, but you may have more knowledge. But when you find someone who has more knowledge than everyone, that is God. Similarly with other kinds of opulence, like beauty, strength, fame, wealth, and renunciation.

God is all-attractive because He excels all in each kind of opulence.

He is the source of everything that gives us pleasure.

Krishna is always existing, and everything is always existing in Him.

The secret of the chanting is that God is not different from the sound of His name.

If you chant water, water, water, you will just become more thirsty because the sound water is different than the substance water.

All the benefit you get from being in touch with God, you can get from being in touch with His name.

You may not be able to understand that intellectually, but it will act.

It is effective because God is pure, God is all-powerful, God is attractive, and God is the source of everything.

The chanting revives our relationship with God.

The chanting is on the spiritual platform and brings us directly to the spiritual platform, and this can be experienced.

Any place and any time is fine for chanting Hare Krishna. It is easy. It is free. [It is not like you start here, and pay some more, and get there, and you pay more and get to another level.] It is authentic.

God is always existing, His name is always existing, and our relationship with Him is always existing.

When you study bhakti-yoga, you will learn that it covers every part of your life.

In every tradition, those giving knowledge have some special symbol by which you can identify them.

Q (by Kaliya Krishna Prabhu): How to connect people with Krishna who are resistance?

A (by Hansarupa Prabhu): Burn incense offered to Krishna in their presence or offer them water that is offered to Krishna.

The false ego is the point which the soul touches the mind and body.

I may be born in Germany this life, and think “I am German.” I may be German for 60 or 80 years, but I am not German eternally. That is why it is called false ego.

When we identify with the body, we have so much anxiety associated with the body.

God is in your heart. If you want to connect with God, God sees.

If a child mispronounces “mother” the mother will not hold it against him. Similarly, God is not disturbed if we mispronounce His name.

Considering “I am not pure enough” can be a cop out if we use it as an excuse not to perform acts conducive to devotional service.

One lady from a remote region heard the chanting must be heard from the lips of the pure devotee to be effective. She expressed to Srila Prabhupada worry that her chanting could not benefit others. He replied, “You have heard the chanting from the devotees, and the devotees have heard it from me, so it will be effective.”

If someone speaks in a lecture in such a way that we feel completely discouraged, we can always pray to Lord Caitanya, “I am the most fallen. You have come to deliver the fallen, so please deliver me.”

If we do not think we are incomplete in some way, how will we progress?

If we feel incomplete, we will be motivated to call out for help. The chanting is our calling for help.

Prahladananda Swami:

Everyone wants the maximum happiness for the maximum time.

Krishna does not recommend sense gratification: “An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of Kunti, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them.” (Bg. 5.22)

Sex life, which seems very significant to one unaware of spiritual pleasure, is considered insignificant to realized souls like the Six Goswamis and Prahlada Maharaja.

Although one may know there is a higher pleasure, if he has no experience of it because he has no spiritual practice, that knowledge alone will not help him much.

In the Vedic culture, an unmarried woman who had relationships with men was considered a prostitute. Thus when it was said Bilvamangala Thakura previously went to visit a prostitute, it would be as if now he went to visit his girlfriend.

New York City means people looking for happiness.

Lust is free. It comes with the body. If we get involved with lust, we will realize it is never satisfied and it is without mercy.

When we follow lust, we act as if I am the hero or the heroine, and everyone else is an assistant player in my drama.

If we were enjoying spiritual bliss, why would we come to this material world? Out of curiosity. What would it be like if I were in the center?

Everyone we meet we can engage in Krishna's service, and then we come under the control of the spiritual nature.

Our body, mind, and intelligence should be used elevating ourselves to Krishna consciousness, and also helping others to attain that state.

We should chant as the servant of Krishna's servants, and then we will be associated with Krishna's blissful associates. If we want to attract people, we have to become attracted to Krishna, and that will attract people.

Srila Prabhupada explained that the art of Krishna consciousness is to focus our attention and to give our love to Krishna.

We should be willing to serve those who more enthusiastic about devotional service than we are.

Dinanatha Prabhu:

Sometimes the disciple thinks that the guru is simply meant to satisfy his spiritual needs, but the guru also becomes enlivened spiritually to see his disciple's activities of devotion.

The spiritual master is the captain of the ship, but the captain is very much dependent on the sailors.

The dynamic cooperation in service enlivens both the guru and disciple spiritually.

In Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna wanted to do the right thing, but he was confused about what the right thing was.

We have a tendency to seek material shelters. The king appeared externally to be one who was taking shelter of women and money, and Lord Caitanya was looking to bring him beyond such attachments.

We may think we are secure because we have saved up so much money, but we could get cancer, and in one month deplete our resources trying to cure it.

Although in the beginning in New York, Srila Prabhupada experienced hardship and lack of facilities, there is no record he went to McDonalds or Taco Bell to get something to eat.

Prasadam satisfies one on all levels, body, mind, and soul.

Haryasva Prabhu:

Q (to Dhira Devi Dasi): Do you have any realizations from returning to Philadelphia for several months from Mayapur?

A (by Dhira Devi Dasi): I did not want to come back to Philly, but I had a lot of nice experiences seeing old friends. I went to Govindas almost every Tuesday. I see Krishna is always making arrangements for me. I found some people I originally encouraged in Krishna consciousness are being taken to another level by bhakti.

I like Krishna consciousness because Krishna always shows up and gives direction.

If we are lacking so much and we need Him, Krishna will actually show up.

Sacinandana Swami says our guru (Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami) is his second favorite Vaishnava writer.

Sacinandana Swami wrote a book about a person who went to the holy dhama to restore his faith in Krishna and the process of bhakti.

I went to the dhama to get a clue how I could improve our relationship with Nama Prabhu. I was not completely satisfied, but I can see this is something I have to work on each day.

In our bewilderment we pray. Krishna creates that situation. Krishna left the gopis not to torture them but to bring them to a higher level.

One swami in Vrindavan made the point that Krishna, although He has everything else, does not have the experience of what it is to love Him.

We are in a movement in which, if we have been around for many years, we are expected to be advanced. The fact is many of us who have been around for a while still need help and need to seek it.

We do not run to the front of the class to do something for Krishna. We pass it up through all the servants between us and Krishna.

I want to make this center to be a place where the holy name is properly worshiped.

I like Vrindavan because everyone there is more advanced than me. I just have to hide and collect some mercy.

Comments by Gurukaruna Prabhu, disciple of Srila Prabhupada and cook at Govindas:

Rendering intimate loving service to our guru infuses us with faith. If we do not do that, we will not have that taste.

One's love for one's guru is exhibited in his love for his guru's disciples.

The more advanced you are, the more fallen you appear. It is like peeling an onion.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that the second you think you are advanced you are fallen.

Comments by Esa:

I read in book something that I recall from time to time and get strength from: “The Lord feeds you, you serve the Lord, what is all the crying about?”

We call these things programs, morning and evening programs, because what we are doing in them is reprogramming our previous programs.

Vasudeva Prabhu:

Comment by Adi Purusa: There are cases of disciples leaving, and Srila Prabhupada having tears in his eyes out of compassion.

Compassion is something that awakens.

Srila Prabhupada never wanted us to be artificial.

Jayadvaita Swami told me that people from an academic background who later become devotees generally do better spiritually than those who are devotees who later decide to get involved with academia.

Jaya Jagannatha Prabhu:

The Yamadutas made the case that as long as one is under the control of the three modes of material nature, one is bound to sometimes engage in vicious activities influenced passion and ignorance and is thus libel for punishment. In this way, everyone under the control of the three modes of material nature is punishable.

As sea weed is moved by the ocean, we are moved by the three modes of material nature.

PETA has a good cause of animal rights, but some of its members become overzealous and engage in bombing and kill people which is not nice.

In frustration I once exclaimed, “People are crazy!” My brother, Jaya Baladeva, said, “Yes, some in goodness, some in passion, and some in ignorance.”

Whether one is in ignorance, passion, or goodness, it is insignificant. Whatever bhakti is present is of value.

According to Bhagavad-gita 9.29, Krishna is not attracted by goodness or repelled by ignorance, but rather He is attracted by whatever devotion one has for Him.

We tend to see the shadow, the external disqualification, but Krishna focuses on the substance, whatever bhakti is present.

Even the Yamadutas appreciate that isa-sanga (association with the Lord) can free one from the association of material nature, but they did not realize by chanting the holy name of Narayana in order to call his son Ajamila had actually performed isa-sanga.

The fence to protect us from the mad elephant of offending devotees is sadhu-sanga, the association of devotees.

Unless the spiritual master is affectionate, the disciple will not become attached and will not make as much advancement.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura says in Bhagavad-gita 9.31 the person who becomes quickly righteous is the one who criticizes the sadhu with difficulty not the sadhu himself.

Comment by Virabhadra Prabhu: When we see a devotee with a defect, we tend to see the defect as part of the character of the devotee and not the product of material nature whereas in ourselves our own defects we think are not part of our character but rather the modes of material nature.

Krishna describes lust as being a great eater (maha-asanah). No matter how much we give it, lust is never satisfied.

People like freedom, but you cannot have freedom without responsibility, and unfortunately some people do not realize this.

The root cause of avidya (ignorance) is turning away from Krishna, and thus the solution is to turn toward Krishna. Therefore one who is turning toward Krishna, although still externally in a degraded position, is more exalted than someone in an exalted position who is neglecting his relationship with Krishna.

There is a man who did psychadelics for 45 years before becoming a devotee. He even saw Srila Prabhupada. Many times in his life when he got in dangerous situations he chanted Hare Krishna. He did not do so to become free from sinful reactions, but just out of fear, so his chanting was purifying him.

Asin Govinda Prabhu:

Seeing what a wonderful cook Radha was, Mother Yashoda wanted to secure Her for her beloved Krishna, so she anointed Her hands with turmeric to indicate She was engaged to Krishna. Radha and Her friends were doubtful about the wisdom of getting Radha engaged at such an early age, She washed it off in a lake which turned yellow and also became surcharged with Her prema. Later Krishna, who was looking for His cows, bathed in the lake, and temporarily assumed a golden form with Radha's prema, Gaurasundara.

If we are attracted by Madana-mohana (Krishna) we will not be attracted Madana (Cupid), and if we are attracted by Madana we will not be attracted by Madana-mohana.

Srila Prabhupada, speaking on these verses, said that if you hear from realized souls you can conquer over lusty desires.

What is the effect of proper execution of bhakti? One feels a distaste for material activities, one feels satisfied by execution of devotional service, and one feels inclined to share Krishna consciousness with others. [From a class by Radhe Shyam Prabhu on atmanivedana (self-surrender).]

Comment by Mahotsaha Prabhu: Bhaktivinoda Thakura indicates that without jiva-daya (giving mercy to others) there is no question of nama-ruci (relishing the holy name).

Bhakta Josh:

From a class on mantra meditation:

We look for something beyond the ups and downs of life. Mantra meditation can help in this.

We call Bhagavad-gita the ABCs of spirituality because it teaches fundamental principles upon which other things are based.

You cannot truly love a thing, for a thing cannot reciprocate your love. You cannot give yourself to a thing.

If you take up this spiritual practice you will be able to see how God is all good.

There is so much craziness in this world that we are enthusiastic about peace, but beyond peace there is positive spiritual experience.

Lord Caitanya is the form of God who is eternally giving mercy.

God can be a person and can be everywhere at the same time.

In heaven, there is not a line to meet God.

Comment by me: In the Bible it said we are created in the image of God. This implies that God has a form because you cannot make an image of something without form.

Karen (my sister):

[We planned to have lunch at Divya's Kitchen before Karen's train to Albany, but she was delayed, so I offered to bring lunch from the Bhakti Center to the train station for her.]

From a SMS text message:

“I was so grateful for your food and how yummy and healthy it was!!!!”

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There is a series of five Srimad-Bhagavatam verses (1.2.17–21) which Srila Prabhupada considered very important and which he quoted in his poem “Markine Bhagavata-dharma” and in his purport to Bhagavad-gita 7.1. They begin “srnvatam sva-kathah krishnah” and end “drsta evatmanisvare,” and they tell how by hearing and chanting about Krishna one becomes from free from material contamination beginning with the modes of passion and ignorance, how he comes to the platform of goodness, realizes the Personality of Godhead, and becomes free from all karmic bondage and attains liberation. The verse following these five is more rarely quoted, but it is important because it explains the result of understanding these five, and I have liked it ever since I learned it about thirty years ago:

ato vai kavayo nityam

bhaktim paramaya muda

vasudeve bhagavati

kurvanty atma-prasadanim

“Certainly, therefore, since time immemorial, all transcendentalists have been rendering devotional service to Lord Krishna, the Personality of Godhead, with great delight, because such devotional service is enlivening to the self.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.22)