CONTENTS:
- LILA AVATARS (PART - 1)
- SRILA PRABHUPADA'S APPRECIATION
- GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
1. LILA AVATARS (PART - 1)
There was a time when the whole world was known as Bharatvarsha, unfortunately, now the land of Bharatvarsha has shrunk to a land which is surrounded by the geographical boundaries of India. Bharatvarsha actually meant the whole world and just as the sun planet is known as the sun globe and the moon planet Chandraloka signifies the whole of the moon planet, similarly there are other planets like Mars, Mercury, etc. This earth planet is one planet and this earth planet was known as Bharatvarsha. The way the name came is also very significant because the word Bharat literally means the land where people are absorbed in spiritual knowledge. It’s a combination of two words: Bha and rata. Bha means light but this is not the light of an electric bulb or fire. Real light is actually the light of knowledge and rata means absorbed.
So Bharatvarsha is the land where people are absorbed in the light of spiritual knowledge. Wherever people are absorbed in spiritual knowledge that land is called Bharatvarsha. Throughout the entire world people were absorbed in transcendental knowledge that land was known as Bharatvarsha. Then due to the influence of Kali, which started about 5 000 years ago, when people started to reject the spiritual culture, then the land of Bharat started to shrink. Even some 100 years ago, the land of Bharatvarsha stretched from the border of Iran to Bali and people used to practice the Vedic culture. Even today when you go to Indonesia or Bali, we see that people are practicing the Vedic culture there. We have seen how Bharatvarsha again became divided into India and Pakistan. Why was it divided? Because the people from that particular land did not want to practice the Vedic culture therefore that land was separated from India.
It is interesting also to note that nowadays no one actually calls it Bharatvarsha they call that track of land, India. Even in India people are not practicing the Vedic culture, therefore Bharatvarsha is practically disappeared. Although it disappeared from the surface of this earth apparently but the land of Bharatvarsha is being established all over the world today once again. Wherever the people are absorbed in spiritual culture, that is the place of Bharatvarsha and that is the land for human civilization.
Actually, human life is meant for spiritual culture and Bharatvarsha is the land where human beings are engaged in that spiritual culture. By the timeous activities of His Divine Grace A, C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, today the Bharatvarsha is being established throughout the world. Although today it seems that the spiritual culture is being practiced and devotees are being absorbed in cultivating this culture but this is just the beginning. In a very short time, we will see that this movement is spreading all over the world in leaps and bounds. This movement is destined to spread. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu predicted 500 years ago prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said that in every town and village, all over the world not only in every continent or every nation but in every town and village, this Krishna Consciousness movement will spread. People everywhere in every town and village will be chanting the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
Today we are seeing by Srila Prabhupada’s wonderful arrangement it has at least spread throughout the world. At least 20 years ago, someone came and told that this Krishna Consciousness movement will spread all over the world. About 25 years ago this movement came to Germany, now if 20 years ago someone told that this Hare Krishna movement is going to spread all over the world what would have been your reaction? To tell you frankly, if someone had told me 20 years ago, I would have had my doubts, mainly because the way the world is today, people are not concerned with spiritual life, they are rejecting spiritual culture. At a time when people are not at all interested in spiritual culture to accept a statement like that, that in every town and village it’s going to spread sounds a little impossible. But today we can see that has been possible and now it’s only a matter of time. As people become interested in spiritual life they will enquire. Today many people are interested to know about God but where do we find some authentic and bona fide detailed information about God? There is hardly any information about God.
Two most important religions of the world today Christianity and Islam, if we approach Christianity and enquire about God there is hardly any information and ultimately the Roman Catholics say Jesus Christ is God, Jesus never said that he is God. Islam says don’t imagine God’s form just believe that He is, how He looks like, where He lives and what He does don’t worry about that. If you question then that is an offense or blasphemy to even enquire about God is a blasphemy in their religion. It is a matter of people becoming aware that there are some people who know about God. There are some literatures that have detail about God.
As I mentioned the other day, Prabhupada very boldly announced that, “If you want to know about God then come to me. I will tell you how He looks like, what His name is, what He does, what He likes and dislikes. I can even give you His telephone number.” When Prabhupada said that he meant it. If you want to know about God, then come to me and I will give you all information about God. Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam and all the Vedic scriptures are containing the information about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So, when people become interested and they get to know that this International Society for Krishna Consciousness has all the information about God. So, if I want to know about God lets go to the Hare Krishna movement. In this way the sincere people will become more and more attracted towards this Krishna Consciousness Movement.
2. SRILA PRABHUPADA'S APPRECIATION
By the timeous activities of His Divine Grace A, C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, today the Bharatvarsha is being established throughout the world. Today we are seeing by Srila Prabhupada’s wonderful arrangement it has at least spread throughout the world. Prabhupada very boldly announced that, “If you want to know about God then come to me. I will tell you how He looks like, what His name is, what He does, what He likes and dislikes. I can even give you His telephone number.” When Prabhupada said that he meant it.
3. GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
- Actually, human life is meant for spiritual culture; and
- So, if I want to know about God lets go to the Hare Krishna movement.
(The content of this E-magazine is based on a lecture given by His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami entitled Lila Avatars given on 2 August 1993)
(Compiled and Edited by Hemavati Radhika Devi Dasi)