SB 1.5.

26 class preparation
tatränvahaà kåñëa-kathäù pragäyatäm
anugraheëäçåëavaà manoharäù
täù çraddhayä me 'nupadaà viçåëvataù
priya-çravasy aìga mamäbhavad ruciù
SYNONYMS
tatra—thereupon; anu—every day; aham—I; kåñëa-kathäù—narration of
Lord Kåñëa's activities; pragäyatäm—describing; anugraheëa—by
causeless mercy; açåëavam—giving aural reception; manaù-haräù—
attractive; täù—those; çraddhayä—respectfully; me—unto me;
anupadam—every step; viçåëvataù—hearing attentively; priya-çravasi—
of the Personality of Godhead; aìga—O Vyäsadeva; mama—my;
abhavat—it so became; ruciù—taste.
TRANSLATION
O Vyäsadeva, in that association and by the mercy of those great
Vedäntists, I could hear them describe the attractive activities of Lord
Kåñëa. And thus, as I listened attentively, my taste for hearing of the
Personality of Godhead increased at every step.
[Key points from translation:
 Power of Association – causeless mercy of Lord through the
devotees.
 Qualification for obtaining mercy – offence less service
 Symptoms of devotee – Merciful, gives opportunity to serve, equal
vision, Preach the glories of the Lord and has power to transform
the heart of others or give Krishna Prema to others.
 Lord’s activities are attractive
 To whom it will not attract?
  Symptoms that one’s heart has been cleansed off Gross Anarthas
and has crossed the stage of Ruchi
o Lord’s pastimes will attract and because of that
o Attentive hearing and because of that
o Desire to hear more
o Attaining stage of Bhava
]
PURPORT
Section 1

[Lord Çré Kåñëa, the Absolute Personality of Godhead, is attractive not

only in His personal features, but also in His transcendental activities. It
is so because the Absolute is absolute by His name, fame, form,
pastimes, entourage, paraphernalia, etc.] – Lord is all attractive
1. Shlokas:
Pure devotees are like Lord’s own self:
SB 11.14.15
na tathä me priyatama
ätma-yonir na çaìkaraù
na ca saìkarñaëo na çrér
naivätmä ca yathä bhavän
SYNONYMS
na—not; tathä—in the same way; me—to Me; priya-tamaù—
most dear; ätma-yoniù—Lord Brahmä, who is born from My
body; na—nor; saìkaraù—Lord Çiva; na—nor; ca—also;
saìkarñaëaù—My direct expansion Lord Saìkarñaëa; na—nor;
çréù—the goddess of fortune; na—nor; eva—certainly; ätmä—
My own self as the Deity; ca—also; yathä—as much as; bhavän
—you.
TRANSLATION
My dear Uddhava, neither Lord Brahmä, Lord Çiva, Lord
Saìkarñaëa, the goddess of fortune nor indeed My own self is
as dear to Me as you are.
SB 11.14.16
nirapekñaà munià çäntaà
nirvairaà sama-darçanam
anuvrajämy ahaà nityaà
püyeyety aìghri-reëubhiù
SYNONYMS
nirapekñam—without personal desire; munim—always
thinking of assisting Me in My pastimes; çäntam—peaceful;
nirvairam—not inimical to anyone; sama-darçanam—equal
consciousness everywhere; anuvrajämi—follow; aham—I;
nityam—always; püyeya—I may be purified (I will purify the
universe within Me); iti—thus; aìghri—of the lotus feet;
reëubhiù—by the dust.
TRANSLATION
With the dust of My devotees' lotus feet I desire to purify the
material worlds, which are situated within Me. Thus, I always
follow the footsteps of My pure devotees, who are free from all
personal desire, rapt in thought of My pastimes, peaceful,
without any feelings of enmity, and of equal disposition
everywhere.
sa vai sat-karmaëäà säkñäd
dvijäter iha sambhavaù
ädyo 'ìga yaträçramiëäà
yathähaà jïäna-do guruù
SYNONYMS
saù—he; vai—indeed; sat—sanctified; karmaëäm—of duties;
säkñät-directly; dvi-jäteù—of one who has been twice born;
iha—in this material life; sambhavaù—birth; ädyaù—first;
aìga—My dear friend; yatra—through whom; äçramiëäm—
for the members of all the spiritual orders of society; yathä—
as; aham—Myself; jïäna—of divine knowledge; daù—the
bestower; guruù—spiritual master.
TRANSLATION
My dear friend, he who gives a person his physical birth is his
first spiritual master, and he who initiates him as a twice-born
brähmaëa and engages him in religious duties is indeed more
directly his spiritual master. But the person who bestows
transcendental knowledge upon the members of all the
spiritual orders of society is one's ultimate spiritual master.
Indeed, he is as good as My own self.
There is no difference between Lord’s name, form,
paraphernalia and pastimes.
In Narayana Kavaca shield which was told by Vishvaroopa to
Indra –
SB 6.8.20 – 23 Lord is prayed for protection
SB 6.8.24 – 33 Prayers to Lord’s name, form, pastimes,
paraphernalia, his weapons his transcendental attributes
protection and his devotees.
Expansion of Lord’s spiritual energy is one with Lord in
potency because spiritual platform is absolute without any
duality. Anything existing under the internal potency of the
Lord can be prayed in relation to the Lord and it will have
same potency to protect us or to bring us in contact with the
Lord.

Brihad Bhagavatamrita 3.5.55

TEXT 55
TEXT
nänä-vidhäs tasya paricchadä ye
nämäni léläù priya-bhümayaç ca
nityäni satyäny akhiläni tadvad
ekäny anekäny api täni viddhi
SYNONYMS
nänä-vidhäù—of various kinds; tasya—His; paricchadäù—
paraphernalia; ye—which; nämäni—names; léläù—pastimes;
priya—favorite; bhümayaù—abodes; ca—and; nityäni—
eternal; satyäni—real; akhiläni—all; tadvat—in that same
way; ekäni—one; anekäni—many; api—even; täni—them;
viddhi—please understand.
TRANSLATION
The Lord’s names, His pastimes, and His favorite abodes and
everything that has to do with His service can assume various
forms. And you should know that just as all these are eternally
real, each of them is simultaneously one and many.
Krishna is all attractive:
kåñir bhü-väcakaù çabdo
ëaç ca nirvåti-väcakaù
tayor aikyaà paraà brahma
kåñëa ity abhidhéyate
SYNONYMS
kåñiù—the verbal root kåñ; bhü—attractive existence;
väcakaù—signifying; çabdaù—word; ëaù—the syllable ëa; ca
—and; nirvåti—spiritual pleasure; väcakaù—indicating; tayoù
—of both; aikyam—amalgamation; param—supreme; brahma
—Absolute Truth; kåñëaù—Lord Kåñëa; iti—thus;
abhidhéyate—is called.
TRANSLATION
”’The word ”kåñ” is the attractive feature of the Lord’s
existence, and ”ëa” means spiritual pleasure. When the verb
”kåñ” is added to the affix ”ëa,” it becomes ”Kåñëa,” which
indicates the Absolute Truth.’
Lord’s body is sweet:
madhuraà madhuraà vapur asya vibhor
madhuraà madhuraà vadanaà madhuram
madhu-gandhi mådu-smitam etad aho
madhuraà madhuraà madhuraà madhuram
TRANSLATION
”O my Lord, the transcendental body of Kåñëa is very sweet,
and His face is even sweeter than His body. But His soft smile,
which has the fragrance of honey, is sweeter still.”
PURPORT
This verse is quoted from the Kåñëa-karëämåta (92), by
Bilvamaìgala Öhäkura.

Lord’s pastimes are sweet:

aho ahobhir na kaler vidüyate
sudhä-su-dhärä-madhuraà pade pade
dine dine candana-candra-çétalaà
yaço yaçodä-tanayasya géyate
aho-Oh!; ahobhir-by the days; na-not; kaleù-of Kali-yuga;
vidüyate-is troubled; sudhä-of nectar; su-a great; dhärä-
torrent; madhuram- sweet; pade-step; pade-after step; dine-
day; dine-after day; candana-of sandalwood; candra-and
camphor; çétalam-cooling; yaçaù-the glory; yaçodä-of Yaçodä;
tanayasya-of the son; géyate-is sung.
One who daily sings the glories of Yaçodä's son, Kåñëa, which
are cooling as sandalwood and camphor, is not troubled by the
days of Kali-yuga. For him at every step there is a torrential
flood of the sweetest nectar.
-Çré Kaviratna

SB 2.2.37
pibanti ye bhagavata ätmanaù satäà
kathämåtaà çravaëa-puöeñu sambhåtam
punanti te viñaya-vidüñitäçayaà
vrajanti tac-caraëa-saroruhäntikam
TRANSLATION
Those who drink through aural reception, fully filled with the
nectarean message of Lord Kåñëa, the beloved of the devotees,
purify the polluted aim of life known as material enjoyment
and thus go back to Godhead, to the lotus feet of Him [the
Personality of Godhead].
SB 10.1.13
naiñätiduùsahä kñun mäà
tyaktodam api bädhate
pibantaà tvan-mukhämbhoja-
cyutaà hari-kathämåtam
SYNONYMS
na—not; eñä—all this; ati-duùsahä—extremely difficult to
bear; kñut—hunger; mäm—unto me; tyakta-udam—even
after giving up drinking water; api—also; bädhate—does not
hinder; pibantam—while drinking; tvat-mukha-ambhoja-
cyutam—emanating from your lotus mouth; hari-kathä-
amåtam—the nectar of topics concerning Kåñëa.
TRANSLATION
Because of my vow on the verge of death, I have given up even
drinking water, yet because I am drinking the nectar of topics
about Kåñëa, which is flowing from the lotus mouth of Your
Lordship, my hunger and thirst, which are extremely difficult
to bear, cannot hinder me.

SB 11.3.2
nänutåpye juñan yuñmad-
vaco hari-kathämåtam
saàsära-täpa-nistapto
martyas tat-täpa-bheñajam
SYNONYMS
na anutåpye—I am not yet satiated; juñan—engaging; yuñmat
—your; vacaù—in the words; hari-kathä—of the topics of the
Supreme Lord, Hari; amåtam—the nectar; saàsära—of
material existence; täpa—by the misery; nistaptaù—
tormented; martyaù—a mortal human; tat-täpa—of that pain;
bheñajam—the medical treatment.
TRANSLATION
Although I am drinking the nectar of your statements about
the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, my thirst is
not yet satiated. Such nectarean descriptions of the Lord and
His devotees are the actual medicine for conditioned souls like
me, who are tormented by the threefold miseries of material
existence. – King Nimi to navayogendra
Lord’s holy name is sweet:
madhura-madhuram etan maìgalaà maìgalänäà
sakala-nigama-vallé-sat-phalaà cit-svarüpam
sakåd api parigétaà çraddhayä helayä vä
bhågu-vara nara-mätraà tärayet kåñëa-näma
Kåñëa's name is the sweetest of sweet things, the most
auspicious of auspicious things, the transcendental fruit of the
vine of all Vedic literature. O best of the Bhågus, chanted even
once, either with faith or contempt, it delivers the chanter.
 -Çré Vyäsadeva (Skanda Purana) quoted in Hari-bhakti-vilasa
11.234
CC Adi 5.224
smeräà bhaìgé-traya-paricitäà säci-vistérëa-dåñöià
vaàçé-nyastädhara-kiçalayäm ujjvaläà candrakeëa
govindäkhyäà hari-tanum itaù keçi-térthopakaëöhe
mä prekñiñöhäs tava yadi sakhe bandhu-saìge ’sti raìgaù
SYNONYMS
smeräm—smiling; bhaìgé-traya-paricitäm—bent in three
places, namely the neck, waist and knees; säci-vistérëa-dåñöim
—with a broad sideways glance; vaàçé—the flute; nyasta—
placed; adhara—on the lips; kiçalayäm—newly blossomed;
ujjvaläm—very bright; candrakeëa—by the moonshine;
govinda-äkhyäm—named Lord Govinda; hari-tanum—the
transcendental body of the Lord; itaù—here; keçi-tértha-
upakaëöhe—on the bank of the Yamunä in the neighborhood
of Keçéghäöa; mä—do not; prekñiñöhäù—glance over; tava—
your; yadi—if; sakhe—O dear friend; bandhu-saìge—to
worldly friends; asti—there is; raìgaù—attachment.
TRANSLATION
”My dear friend, if you are indeed attached to your worldly
friends, do not look at the smiling face of Lord Govinda as He
stands on the bank of the Yamunä at Keçéghäöa. Casting
sidelong glances, He places His flute to His lips, which seem
like newly blossomed twigs. His transcendental body, bending
in three places, appears very bright in the moonlight.”
2. From Srila Prabhupada’s pastimes
 a. once a devotee asked if he remembers Srila Prabhupada
at the time of death is that all right. SP said yes you can.
3. Pastimes from scriptures –
a. Bhagvatam Mahatmaya – Dhundhkari, Queens of
Dvaraka
b. Mukunda das fainted after seeing the peacock fan
c. Rukmini got attracted
d. Ajamila got liberated
e. Valmiki
f. Mahaprabhu Saw Jagannatha deities and fainted
g. Sant Tukaram
4. Vaishnava Song
a. Madhurashtakam – Sri Vallabhacharya
b. Kevalashtakam
5. Lessons
a. Lord is so sweet but we are not able to experience His
sweetness. We will not be able to become free form
material attachments unless we get the higher taste of
sweetness of Lord which is non-different from sweetness
of name, form pastimes, qualities etc. Why are we not
able to taste the sweetness? because lord’s sweetness
cannot be experienced through material senses. His name
is Adhoksaja one who cannot be perceived through
material senses. The more the senses are spiritualized the
more one can realize the sweetness of Lord’s name, form,
qualities and pastimes. Just like a patient afflicted with
jaundice cannot appreciate the taste of Sugar cane juice,
but the same sugar cane juice is remedy and test also for
the patient’s recovery. But a person must have faith in its
curing capacity and it’s true nature to at least develop a
desire to drink it. Similarly, a person afflicted from the
three modes of nature specially passion and ignorance
cannot appreciate the Lord’s sweetness. In mode of
goodness one can have Abahasa of sweetness (CC
Madhya 15.277) and when one is situated in suddha
sattva or Vasudeva stage one can practically realize the
non-difference between lord and his name. i.e. Shuddha
Nama.
SB 3.29.19 - When one is fully qualified with all these
transcendental attributes and his consciousness is thus
completely purified, he is immediately attracted simply
by hearing My name or hearing of My transcendental
quality.
How can we purify our senses is next question?
To purify means to be free from the effects of modes of
material nature. And why we are influenced by modes of
material nature. Because we wanted to lord it over
material nature. To enjoy material nature, we require
material body(gross and subtle) which covers our true
consciousness with materialistic consciousness. Material
nature thorough the combination of modes of material
nature provides variety of bodies and variety of ways of
enjoyments pertaining to a particular body.
SB 4.29.4
SB 6.9.54
SB 11.11.19
SB 6.1.2
When somehow or other a living entity comes in contact
with a devotee of the Lord and thus comes in contact with
the lord through the process of hearing, chanting,
accepting Prasadam or serving in any other way,
knowingly or unknowingly his fortune changes and his
journey back home starts. If he has some earlier pious
credit then he is attracted towards spiritual discourses
very quickly (Chatur vidha bajante mam…). He comes to
association of devotees to hear and understands his
position and develops desire to serve Krishna in that
association. Thus, with faith developed through
transcendental knowledge one starts serving the Lord in
various capacity according to one’s own inclination in
parallel with hearing and chanting. And if one takes all
the precautions required then gradually as the heart is
cleansed of all the material affinities one revives dormant
Krishna Prema and become situated in his natural
constitutional position.
SB 1.2.4
SB 2.1.5
SB 2.2.36
SB 2.8.5
SB 3.27.21
SB 5.12.16
SB 11.3.27
CC Adi 7.141
CC Madhya 22.107
SB 7.5.23

Q: The obstacles and precautions:

SB 10.63.42
yas tväà visåjate martya
ätmänaà priyam éçvaram
viparyayendriyärthärthaà
viñam atty amåtaà tyajan
SYNONYMS
 yaù—who; tväm—You; visåjate—rejects; martyaù—
mortal man; ätmänam—his true Self; priyam—
dearmost; éçvaram—Lord; viparyaya—which are just
the opposite; indriya-artha—of sense objects; artham—
for the sake; viñam—poison; atti—he eats; amåtam—
nectar; tyajan—avoiding.
TRANSLATION
That mortal who rejects You—his true Self, dearmost
friend, and Lord—for the sake of sense objects, whose
nature is just the opposite, refuses nectar and instead
consumes poison.
[The Lord descends to this material world out of His causeless mercy
and displays His various transcendental pastimes as a human being so
that human beings attracted towards Him become able to go back to
Godhead.] – Lord pastimes are to attract conditioned souls
Lord is father of all living entities. He never likes to see Jiva’s
suffering in this material world. Although as a loving father he
facilitates the lording tendency of conditioned jiva’s by creating this
material world but at the same time as caring father he provides all
the facilities to go back to Godhead whenever they come to senses
and desire to do so. He is more eager than us to call us back to him.
For this reason, he is always careful and watchful about the
situation of propagation and cultivation of religion which aids one to
go back to Godhead. For this he himself comes time to time in
various incarnations or sends his bonafide representatives. When he
comes specially in Human form incarnations, He performs
wonderful pastimes which has all the flavours of activities of
material world but in superlative form. They are enacted under the
internal potency of lord without any slightest tinge of material
modes and they are sometimes so unique that no living entity can
match that. Overall human like or inhuman they are millions of
times more attractive than any of the activities of conditioned souls.
All these pastimes are seen by the souls present at that time or are
recorded by great sages and liberated souls so that future
generations can also take the same benefit by hearing, chanting,
discussing and remembering them. Once one develops a taste for
these spiritual topics one loses taste for any mundane topics because
of its inferior nature and as this attraction for hearing Lord’s
wonderful pastimes gradually deepens he crosses various stages of
devotional ladder and finally enters into the pastimes of Lord
according to his attraction to a particular incarnation of the Lord.
[Men are naturally apt to hear histories and narrations of various
personalities performing mundane activities, without knowing that by
such association one simply wastes valuable time and also becomes
addicted to the three qualities of mundane nature. Instead of wasting
time, one can get spiritual success by turning his attention to the
transcendental pastimes of the Lord. By hearing the narration of the
pastimes of the Lord, one contacts directly the Personality of Godhead,
and, as explained before, when one hears about the Personality of
Godhead, all accumulated sins of the mundane creature are cleared from
within. Thus being cleared of all sins, the hearer gradually becomes
liberated from mundane association and becomes attracted to the
features of the Lord. Närada Muni has just explained this by his personal
experience. The whole idea is that simply by hearing about the Lord's
pastimes one can become one of the associates of the Lord.] – Simply
by hearing one can attain spiritual success
[Närada Muni has eternal life, unlimited knowledge and unfathomed
bliss, and he can travel all over the material and spiritual worlds without
restriction. One can attain to the highest perfection of life simply by
attentive hearing of the transcendental pastimes of the Lord from the
right sources, as Çré Närada heard them from the pure devotees (bhakti-
vedäntas) in his previous life.] – The power of process of hearing
practically demonstrated from Sri Narada’s life
[This process of hearing in the association of the devotees is especially
recommended in this age of quarrel (Kali).] – Hearing in devotees
association specially recommended for Kali Yuga.