Vrkodara

Vå kodara, Bhé masena, is advertised as voracious eater. But he can perform Herculean task also. Just like the elephant, it eats voraciously, but it gives service also. Similarly if we simply eat voraciously and we cannot give any service that is not good. We must eat sumptuously and give service also. In Bengali it is said that peö e keli piö he soya (?). If one is given sufficient food in the belly, he can carry more burden on the back. So Bhé ma-karma, his activities were very Herculean, very, very, difficult tasks he performed.

Bg 1.15 lec 730715bg.lon

23. Stubborn Duryodhana:

When Duryodhana clearly said that " Not even that portion of land which can hold the tip of a needle can be given to you without war..." They were, Kå ñ ë a personally requested that " They are kñ atriyas. They cannot take up the work of a brä hmaë a or a ç ü dra or a vaiç ya. So better you give them five villages only. Let the five brothers rule over them." He replied, " What do You say of five villages? Not that portion of land which can hold the tip of a needle I can give them without war." Therefore the war was declared: " All right. Decide by war." That was not a whimsical war manufactured and maneuvered by the politician.

Lecture: 720425SB.TOK

24. Dhå tarä ñ ö ra:

So Dhå tarä ñ ö ra constructed a house of lac. Lac means as soon as you touch one match stick, immediately takes fire. So he asked his nephews and sister-in-law, Kunté, that " For sometimes you go. I have constructed a very nice house. You can go and live there." Vidura informed that " This is the policy: Dhå tarä ñ ö ra wants you to burn into ashes by going that house." Duryodhana could understand that Vidura had already informed. Therefore he was very angry.

Lecture: 730416SB.Los Angeles

So Vidura was born of a maidservant. The father was the king. The father was the same, Mahä rä ja Yudhiñ ö hira, er, Dhå tarä ñ ö ra, and the father, Vidura, the same, and the mother different. So Vidura, because he was not born of the queen, he had no share in the throne. But Dhå tarä ñ ö ra loved him very much. Although stepmother's son, he would like him very much because he was very intelligent. So on every occasion he would consult him, and his consultation was so valuable that later on it became vaidurikam, " consultation as expert as given by Vidura." So he was invited. Diplomacy, politics were going on, how to cheat the Pä ë ò avas. That was his politics, Dhå tarä ñ ö ra. Dhå tarä ñ ö ra was born blind, although he was eldest son of his father, but he was born blind. So he could not occupy the throne. His next brother, younger brother, Pä ë ò u, the father of the Pä ë ò avas, he occupied. He became king. Now, this Pä ë ò u died at an early age, and the sons of Pä ë ò u, they were minor children. So Dhå tarä ñ ö ra took charge for their maintenance as his other sons. But his policy was that " I could not be elevated on the throne because I was blind, but actually the kingdom belongs to me. So anyway, my brother occupied the throne. Now he is dead and gone. So why his sons should be king? My son should be king." This was the politics.

Lecture: 730521SB.Dallas

25. Mahä tmä Vidura love for Pandavas:

Although Dhå tarä ñ ö ra was equally careful for the minor children of Mahä rä ja Pä ë ò u, he was one of the intriguing parties who wanted to wash away the descendants of Pä ë ò u and replace them by raising his own sons to become the rulers of the kingdom. Mahä tmä Vidura could follow this intrigue of Dhå tarä ñ ö ra and company, and therefore, even though he was a faithful servitor of his eldest brother, Dhå tarä ñ ö ra, he did not like his political ambition for the sake of his own sons. He was therefore very careful about the protection of the Pä ë ò avas and their widow mother. Thus he was, so to speak, partial to the Pä ë ò avas, preferring them to the sons of Dhå tarä ñ ö ra, although both of them were equally affectionate in his ordinary eyes. He was equally affectionate to both the camps of nephews in the sense that he always chastised Duryodhana for his intriguing policy against his cousins. He always criticized his elder brother for his policy of encouragement to his sons, and at the same time he was always alert in giving special protection to the Pä ë ò avas.

SB 1.13.8

26. Lord Krishna The Supreme Shelter:

The best path is to transcend all material curses and benedictions and take shelter of the Supreme Lord, Kå ñ ë a, and remain in a transcendental position. Persons who have taken shelter of Kå ñ ë a are always peaceful; they are never cursed by anyone, nor do they attempt to curse anyone. That is a transcendental position.

SB 4.2.27

The purport is that one should take shelter of Kå ñ ë a-Balarä ma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose protective power is so great that it cannot be equaled in the material world. However powerful the reactions of one's sins, they will immediately be vanquished if one chants the name of Hari, Kå ñ ë a, Balarä ma or Nä rä yaë a.

SB 6.2.16

The living entity is floating in the waves of material existence because of his forgetfulness. Ç ré la Bhaktivinoda Ö hä kura has therefore sung in his Gé tä valé: miche mä yä ra vaç e, yä ccha bhese', khä ccha hä buò ubu, bhä i. " My dear mind, under the influence of mä yä you are being carried away by the waves of rejection and acceptance. Simply take shelter of Kå ñ ë a." Jé va kå ñ ë a-dä sa, ei viç vä sa, karle ta' ä ra duù kha nä i: if we simply regard the lotus feet of Kå ñ ë a as our ultimate shelter, we shall be saved from all these waves of mä yä, which are variously exhibited as mental and sensual activities and the agitation of rejection and acceptance.

SB 7.15.53

In the material world there are always dangers at every step (padaà padaà yad vipadä à na teñ ä m [SB 10.14.58]). Nonetheless, if one takes shelter of Kå ñ ë a without hesitation and keeps under the shelter of Kå ñ ë a, he can easily cross the ocean of nescience. Samä ç ritä ye pada-pallava-plavaà mahat-padaà puë ya-yaç o murä reù. To the devotee, this great ocean of nescience becomes like a puddle of water in the hoofprint of a cow. A pure devotee, without embarrassing himself by trying for elevation in so many ways, stays in the safest position as a servant of Kå ñ ë a, and thus his life is eternally safe without a doubt.

SB 7.15.68

Everyone should fear death because everyone is caught by the crocodile of eternal time and may die at any moment. The best course, therefore, is to seek shelter of Kå ñ ë a, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and be saved from the struggle for existence in this material world, in which one repeatedly takes birth and dies. To reach this understanding is the ultimate goal of life.

SB 8.2.33

A sä dhu, who has got the shelter of Kå ñ ë a, if he is placed in the severest type of dangerous condition, he is never disturbed. Just like Prahlä da Mahä rä ja, his father was putting him in so many dangerous conditions, even he was supplying with poison. He knew that " My father has given me poison to drink. All right, let me drink. If Kå ñ ë a likes, He will save me.

Lecture: 730718BG.LON

One must be freed from all material desires. But even if you have got some material desire, still you can take shelter of Kå ñ ë a. You don't require to take shelter of other demigods. So that is the last instruction in the Vedic literature.

Lecture: 730729BG.LON

One who has taken shelter of Kå ñ ë a, that means he is pure devotee. From him you can understand what is Kå ñ ë a. Athä pi te deva padä mbuja-dvaya-prasä da-leç ä nu... Prasä da-leç a, minute quantity of mercy, one who has received from Kå ñ ë a, he can understand.

Lecture: 740326BG.BOM

" So in order to attain this perfection of life, one has to make this progressive spiritual advancement. Vé ta-rä ga-bhaya-krodhä man-mayä mä m upä ç ritä ù [Bg. 4.10]. One has to take shelter of Kå ñ ë a or His representative. Therefore this movement is to give chance to the people how to think of Kå ñ ë a constantly. The human form of life is meant for attaining jï ä na. Jï ä na means knowledge that " I am not this body. I am spirit soul."

Lecture: 740525BG.ROM

Kå ñ ë a is variety. Ye yathä mä à prapadyante means there are varieties of Kå ñ ë a's manifestation. Kå ñ ë a is there. Kå ñ ë a personally is there. At the same time, Kå ñ ë a, energy, they are varieties. Parä sya ç aktir vividhaiva ç rü yate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Kå ñ ë a is one, but His energies are multi-different energies. So you can take shelter of different energies or Kå ñ ë a directly. The best thing is to take shelter of Kå ñ ë a directly. That is intelligence.

Lecture: 740803BG.VRN

One who has become really learned, even after many, many births, and knows that " I am not this body; I am spirit. My nature, my advancement, my happiness, is depending on the advancement of my spiritual life, " such a person only can take shelter of Kå ñ ë a and perfectly.

Lecture: 660728BG.New York