Page 48 - Powerful Feminine Qualities

After His early morning spiritual duties, the Lord would proceed to Dwarka’s assembly house known as the Sudharma,
where He administered the affairs of the government. The Sudharma was so auspicious due to the Lord’s presence
and the miraculous architecture of its structure which was built on the heavenly planets that anyone entering it would
immediately be free from the six pangs of material life: hunger, thirst, lamentation, illusion, old age and death while
they were present in it. The Lord would be entertained by dancers, singers, actors, musicians and comedians so that
He would be in a good mood. Then learned Brahmanas would chant Vedic mantras and explain their spiritual
significance and recount historical activities of prominent kings. This pleased the Lord and His associates.
One cannot imitate the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna. One can however follow the principles
exhibited by His example. As the ideal husband, the Lord woke up very early at least one and a half hours before
sunrise. Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. The Lord immediately meditated. In the
present age called Kali Yuga the recommended mystic meditation is chanting the Hare Krishna mantra reverently with
the intention of pleasing Lord Krishna by the sweet sounds of His transcendental names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare – My dear Radharani and my dear Krishna
please protect me so that I can always engage in your transcendental service. By repeating the mantra sincerely, the
Lord, who is present in the heart of every living entity takes notice and helps the sincere devotee make advancement
in the spiritual practice of bhakti.
“Sri Krishna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of
the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the
urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.” (SB 1.2.17)
The Lord’s name and recitation of His pastimes are non-different than the Lord Himself. This is a fact due to His
absolute energies emanating from Him eternally. Whenever offenseless hearing and glorification of Lord Krishna takes
place among sincere devotees, the Lord is present in the form of transcendental sound. Krishna affirms this in the
following, “I am not in Vaikuntha nor in the hearts of the yogis. I remain where My devotees engage in glorifying My
activities.” (Padma Purana) This is more emphatically stated in the following:
“The holy name of Krishna is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Krishna Himself, the
reservoir of all pleasure. Krishna’s name is complete, and it is the form of all-transcendental mellows. It is not a
material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Krishna Himself. Since Krishna is not contaminated
by the material qualities, and there is no question of its being involved with maya, Krishna’s name is always liberated
and spiritual; the laws of material nature can never condition it. This is because the name of Krishna and Krishna
Himself are identical.” (Padma Purana)
By the special kindness of Lord Krishna’s most merciful incarnation of Lord Caitanya, who delivered the mantra Hare
Krishna in this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the chanting of Hare Krishna is specifically meant to deliver all living
entities from the jaws of the senseless repetition of birth and death. Lord Krishna has invested all His potencies in His
names Hare, Krishna and Rama so that anyone who even unconsciously chants the names is eternally benefitted. It is
said, “Living beings who are entangled in the complicated meshes of birth and death can be freed immediately by
even unconsciously chanting the holy name of Krishna, which is feared by fear personified.” (SB 1.1.14)
Like Krishna, the husband can wake up before sunrise and immediately start to chant Hare Krishna, bathe, put on
clean devotee clothes and attend the mangala arati, the ceremony to greet the Deity of the Lord. Lord Caitanya has
taught that in this age of hypocrisy and quarrel, the ideal way to follow Krishna’s example of morning spiritual
activities is to chant the Hare Krishna mahamantra, worship the Radha-Krishna Deities, and offer homage to the
Acarya Srila Prabhupada and the previous acaryas by performing guru puja because Prabhupada is the representative
of Krishna and the entire disciplic succession (parampara).
Worship of Radha-Krishna also pleases all the demigods who are the servants of their Lordships. There is no need to
worship the demigods separately. It is enough if one pleases Krishna. The Lord says, “Men of small intelligence
worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets
of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet.” (Bg 7.23)

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