Varnashrama dharma – Light of Godhead

How to beget Krsna

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: Transcendental Goodness

Sattvam visuddham vasudeva-sabditam, there is a verse. Pure goodness. Pure goodness means there is only Vasudeva. Vasudevah sarvam iti (BG. 7.19). That is pure sattva, when there is no other conception, simply Vasudeva. Vasudeva is the platform. Just like Vasudeva was the father of Krsna. When Krsna appeared, Vasudeva was the father. So suddha-sattva is Vasudeva. Vasudeva means there is no contamination of ignorance or passion, simply sattva-guna. Tato rajas tamo bhava kama-lobhadayas ca ye, ceta etair anaviddham. When your

light-of-godhead2015-07-31T18:57:43+00:00July 30th, 2015|Categories: Brahmana, Philosophical concepts, Transcendental goodness, Vasudeva|

Transcending the four varnas

Source: BG 3.35 Purport

Everyone has to cleanse his heart by a gradual process, not abruptly. However, when one transcends the modes of material nature and is fully situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can perform anything and everything under the direction of a bona ﬁde spiritual master. In that complete stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the kṣatriya may act as a brāhmaṇa, or a brāhmaṇa may act as a kṣatriya. In the transcendental stage, the distinctions of the material world do not apply. For example, Viśvāmitra was originally a kṣatriya, but later on he acted as a brāhmaṇa, whereas Paraśurāma was

light-of-godhead2015-07-31T18:58:32+00:00July 30th, 2015|Categories: Brahmana, Ksatriya, Parasurama, Stories, Visvamitra muni|

Worship the deity to take birth in America

Speaker: Indradyumna Swami
Source: The Postage – Stamp

One time, one of my god brothers was visiting a temple in Vrindavana in the 1970’s and was praying very sincerely in front of the deity and the pujari, who was a bit of a smartha brahmana at that time, said to my god brother, “You are praying very nicely to the deity. So in your next life you can start to achieve perfection. You can take birth in India, and maybe become a brahmana.” This is their idea that they are superior

light-of-godhead2015-09-01T21:10:49+00:00June 10th, 2015|Categories: Brahmana, Lord Caitanya, Pastimes of Srila Prabhupada, Videos|Tags: India, Smartha brahmana|

Karna deceives his guru Parshurama

Speaker: Gopal Jiu Publications
Source: Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu

One day, when Sri Parshurama experienced some fatigue due to fasting, he thought of taking rest. Out of affection, he took rest in Karna’s lap. At that time, a deadly stinging carnivorous insect, who would feed on the blood and flesh of others climbed onto the lap of Karna and pierced the leg of Karna with his stinger. Due to the wound caused by the sting, Karna’s leg started slowly bleeding. Karna did not move even a bit, although he was

light-of-godhead2015-06-09T15:14:10+00:00May 21st, 2015|Categories: Brahmana, Karna, Ksatriya, Parasurama, Stories, Tolerance|Tags: Cheating, Insect, Sting|

SB 1.2.1-5: Vaishnava is a true brahmana

SB 1.2.1: Ugraśravā [Sūta Gosvāmī], the son of Romaharṣaṇa, being fully satisfied by the perfect questions of the brāhmaṇas, thanked them and thus attempted to reply.

SB 1.2.2: Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī said: Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto that great sage [Śukadeva Gosvāmī] who can enter the hearts of all. When he went away to take up the renounced order of life [sannyāsa], leaving home without undergoing reformation by the sacred thread or the ceremonies observed by the higher castes, his father, Vyāsadeva, fearing separation from him, cried out, “O my son!” Indeed, only the trees, which were absorbed in the same feelings of separation, echoed in response to the begrieved father.

light-of-godhead2015-09-07T22:46:59+00:00May 8th, 2015|Categories: Advaita Acarya, Brahmana, Canto 1, Haridasa Thakura, Srimad Bhagavatam notes, Vaishnava|

Only a Vaisnava is a true brahmana

Source: Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava

Even while executing his vow, Śrī Siddhānta Sarasvatī occasionally went outside Māyāpur for preaching, especially to attack the apa-sampradāyas for misleading people with their bogus interpretations and practices. He particularly agitated the smārta-brāhmaṇas and jata-gosanis (caste Goswamis) by insisting that the position of a brāhmaṇa and post of guru are not hereditary professions. Such assertions were intolerable to the smārta-brāhmaṇas and jata-gosanis, who were keeping a stranglehold on Hinduism in Bengal by maintaining that only persons born into families of supposed brahminical lineage could be counted

light-of-godhead2015-05-22T05:04:21+00:00May 7th, 2015|Categories: Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Brahmana, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, Stories, Vaishnava|Tags: Smārta paṇḍitas and jata-gosanis|

Transforming bell metal into gold

Source: SB 5.24.17 Purport

Srila Sanatana Gosvami also states that when bell metal is treated with mercury, it can produce gold. Srila Sanatana Gosvami mentions this in regard to the initiation of low-class men to turn them into brahmanas. Sanatana Gosvami said:

yatha kancanatam yati
kamsyam rasa-vidhanatah
tatha diksa-vidhanena
dvijatvam jayate nrnam

“As one can transform kamsa, or bell metal, into gold by treating it with mercury, one can also turn a lowborn man into a brahmana by initiating him properly into Vaisnava activities.” The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is trying to

light-of-godhead2015-06-11T21:33:25+00:00May 7th, 2015|Categories: Analogies, Brahmana, Initiation, Regulative principles, Sanatana Gosvami|Tags: No discrimination|

Vaishnava is greater than foremost brahmanas

Source: CC Antya 3.222

“Feeding you is equal to feeding ten million brāhmaṇas,” Advaita Ācārya said. “Therefore, accept this śrāddha-pātra.” Thus Advaita Ācārya made him eat.

Purport: Śrāddha is prasādam offered to the forefathers at a certain date of the year or month. The śrāddha-pātra, or plate offered to the forefathers, is then offered to the best of the brāhmaṇas in society. Instead of offering the śrāddha-pātra to any other brāhmaṇa, Advaita Ācārya offered it to Haridāsa Ṭhākura, considering him greater than any of the foremost brāhmaṇas. This act by Śrī Advaita Ācārya proves that Haridāsa Ṭhākura was always situated in a transcendental position

light-of-godhead2015-05-18T04:03:50+00:00May 6th, 2015|Categories: Advaita Acarya, Brahmana, Haridasa Thakura, Stories, Vaishnava|Tags: Sraddha|