Rama Navami--Appearance Day of Lord Rama
Today, Saturday 20 April 2013, is Rama Navami, the appearance day of Lord Ramacandra, here in India. It is a national holiday and is being celebrated here with great joy and enthusiasm by millions of people. The Ramayana by Valmiki Muni is the authoritative history of the pastimes of Lord Rama, which are also mentioned in brief in the 9th Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam. Verse 9.10.51 of the Bhagavatam very nicely describes:
tretāyāṁ vartamānāyāṁ
kālaḥ kṛta-samo 'bhavat
rāme rājani dharma-jñe
sarva-bhūta-sukhāvahe
"Lord Rāmacandra became King during Tretā-yuga, but because of His good government, the age was like Satya-yuga. Everyone was religious and completely happy."
Srila Prabhupada gives his purport as follows to this verse:
Among the four yugas-Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali-the Kali-yuga is the worst, but if the process of varnashrama-dharma is introduced, even in this age of Kali, the situation of Satya-yuga can be invoked. The Hare Krishna movement, or Krishna consciousness movement, is meant for this purpose.
kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann
asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ
kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya
mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet
"My dear King, although Kali-yuga is full of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: simply by chanting the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom." (SB 12.3.51)
If people take to this sankīrtana movement of chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Rāma, they will certainly be freed from the contamination of Kali-yuga, and the people of this age will be happy, as people were in Satya-yuga, the golden age. Anyone, anywhere, can easily take to this Hare Krishna movement; one need only chant the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra, observe the rules and regulations, and stay free from the contamination of sinful life. Even if one is sinful and cannot give up sinful life immediately, if he chants the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra with devotion and faith he will certainly be freed from all sinful activities, and his life will be successful. Param vijayate śrī-krsna-sankīrtanam. This is the blessing of Lord Rāmacandra, who has appeared in this age of Kali as Lord Gaurasundara.
From this wonderful verse and purport we can understand that if the human society will take full advantage of the Hare Krishna mantra, this entire planet will become just like the Satya yuga, like the atmosphere manifested during the presence of Lord Rama. Therefore let now the entire world chant Hare Krishna in bliss and put an end to the viciousness of this degraded age of Kali.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
In all humbleness, I would like to ask how to develop simple faith in God/Krishna?
What are the symptoms of a self realized soul? How does he talk, walk, behave?
Regards,
Parag R. Rane
Since faith is a "contagious disease", to develop faith one simply has to associate with, serve, and learn from those who have faith.
The self-realized soul always talks about Krishna, and he always walks his talk by being fully engaged in Krishna's service 24 hours a day. One of his symptoms is that he is touchstone. Simply by coming into contact with him or with his writings people experience the reawakening of their dormant Krishna consciousness.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
tretāyāṁ vartamānāyāṁ
kālaḥ kṛta-samo 'bhavat
rāme rājani dharma-jñe
sarva-bhūta-sukhāvahe
"Lord Rāmacandra became King during Tretā-yuga, but because of His good government, the age was like Satya-yuga. Everyone was religious and completely happy."
Srila Prabhupada gives his purport as follows to this verse:
Among the four yugas-Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali-the Kali-yuga is the worst, but if the process of varnashrama-dharma is introduced, even in this age of Kali, the situation of Satya-yuga can be invoked. The Hare Krishna movement, or Krishna consciousness movement, is meant for this purpose.
kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann
asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ
kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya
mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet
"My dear King, although Kali-yuga is full of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: simply by chanting the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom." (SB 12.3.51)
If people take to this sankīrtana movement of chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Rāma, they will certainly be freed from the contamination of Kali-yuga, and the people of this age will be happy, as people were in Satya-yuga, the golden age. Anyone, anywhere, can easily take to this Hare Krishna movement; one need only chant the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra, observe the rules and regulations, and stay free from the contamination of sinful life. Even if one is sinful and cannot give up sinful life immediately, if he chants the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra with devotion and faith he will certainly be freed from all sinful activities, and his life will be successful. Param vijayate śrī-krsna-sankīrtanam. This is the blessing of Lord Rāmacandra, who has appeared in this age of Kali as Lord Gaurasundara.
From this wonderful verse and purport we can understand that if the human society will take full advantage of the Hare Krishna mantra, this entire planet will become just like the Satya yuga, like the atmosphere manifested during the presence of Lord Rama. Therefore let now the entire world chant Hare Krishna in bliss and put an end to the viciousness of this degraded age of Kali.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Lord Rama Kills the Demon Ravana
Answers by Citing the Vedic Version:
Question: Can a Muslim Become Krishna Conscious?
Can a Muslim develop Krishna consciousness? If so, considering their culture, how?In all humbleness, I would like to ask how to develop simple faith in God/Krishna?
What are the symptoms of a self realized soul? How does he talk, walk, behave?
Regards,
Parag R. Rane
Answer: They'll Be Eaten by the Animals They Ate
Anyone, Muslim or otherwise, can become Krishna conscious if they will dedicate their lives to chanting the Hare Krishna mantra on a regular daily basis. The greatest chanter of the Holy Names, Haridas Thakur, was a Muslim. He was such perfect chanter that he was designated by Lord Caitanya as Namacharya, the acharya (the one who teaches by example) of the chanting of the holy names.Since faith is a "contagious disease", to develop faith one simply has to associate with, serve, and learn from those who have faith.
The self-realized soul always talks about Krishna, and he always walks his talk by being fully engaged in Krishna's service 24 hours a day. One of his symptoms is that he is touchstone. Simply by coming into contact with him or with his writings people experience the reawakening of their dormant Krishna consciousness.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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