VII. Transcendental Enjoyment - Pillar of Varṇāśrama

by Dayānanda dāsa

Currently, there are hundreds of millions of people in daiva-varṇāśrama culture.1

The use of such large numbers is practical when comparing entire cultures, as I do in this article. See Śrīla Prabhupāda’s discussion with Professor Kotovsky referred to in the footnote.

Prabhupāda did not like the word Hindu. Instead, he used varṇāśrama-dharma.2 The ācāryas added the word daiva to become daiva-varṇāśrama.3

Daiva indicates Vaiṣṇava society, centered on Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, deva-deva. In contrast, simple varṇāśrama is influenced by the Māyāvāda interpretation of Vedānta and it is asuric (against Viṣṇu).4 Daiva also indicates those who are on the side of the devas (demigods), described in the Bhagavad-gītā, chapter 16, alongside the description of the asuras (non-godly).

Thus, it is relevant to have an idea of the size of the Vaiṣṇava (daiva-varṇāśrama) community. The highest estimate is about 800 million.5 It is safe to say that there are hundreds of millions in daiva-varṇāśrama culture today.

Now, one may argue that many of those Vaiṣṇavas are not pure, so they should not be counted.6

There are a few responses to that point. First, Prabhupāda wanted to create a society of brāhmaṇas for the purpose of guiding the rest of society, understanding well that society is becoming increasingly impure as time progresses.7

When speaking about daiva-varṇāśrama, Prabhupāda explained: “But why artificially he should be made a brāhmaṇa or he should be made a sannyāsī and fall down and become a ludicrous? That is the point. Better let him live in his position and become perfect.”8

That means there are many śūdra Vaishnavas who are not purely on the level of brāhmaṇas and sannyasis. As Sivarama Swami says, “Varṇāśrama for devotees is about helping them come to the mode of goodness.”9 The entire society in this age (Kali-yuga) will never be in the mode of goodness. However, the purpose of daiva-varṇāśrama is for the brāhmaṇas to have a sattvic influence on the rest of society.

Here is another argument in favor of using hundreds of millions when giving the size of daiva-varṇāśrama culture:

Academics and the educated public commonly estimate the size of religious communities: 2.2 billion Christians, 1.6 billion Muslims, 800 million Vaishnavas, 500 million Buddhists, etc.10

If those outside the community are using such numbers, we should be able to do so as well.

There should be no dispute about hundreds of millions currently in daiva-varṇāśrama. Instead, the dispute is with caste brāhmaṇas (dvija-bandhus) who try to enforce asura-varṇāśrama. The common people worship Kṛṣṇa and Rāma as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.11

Thus, for the purpose of this article and others I have written, those in daiva-varṇāśrama or Vaiṣṇava culture are people who have some devotion to Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, or Nārāyaṇa. They have home worship, visit temples, listen to discourses, appreciate kirtana/bhajana, participate in feasts and festivals, attend dances or dramas, etc. They may do those things minimally, or, in many cases, as the complete focus of their lives.

They are people who live within the culture and who are influenced by it, meaning influenced by sattva, regardless of how small that influence might be. Thus, I count those who are guided in some measure, large or small, by the greater Vaiṣṇava culture and who do not oppose it.

When comparing those hundreds of millions following daiva-varṇāśrama with those in modern global culture, one prominent difference may be emphasized. That is the treatment of nature.12

Until recent decades, those in daiva-varṇāśrama have been fortunate to reject the strong materialistic influences of the West. Now, due to globalization, India, home to most Vaiṣṇavas, has adopted materialistic goals of overconsumption and destruction of nature.

Nevertheless, the average American consumes and wastes 7 to 15 times more than the average Indian.13 About 65% of Indians still live in rural areas.14 And until the early 2000s, satellite TV and cell phones were not available to rural Indians.15

Thus, the landscape is changing for Vaiṣṇavas, and it is difficult for them to resist the external culture.

Some may argue that Indians have simply not had the advantage of modern materialism. Now that they do, they realize it is better. Indeed, many Indians are concerned with the fact that Western materialism has become prominent in most of their cities. However, most Indians, especially those in rural areas, are still devoted to traditional culture. They try to maintain daiva-varṇāśrama as best they can.16

Why then does India have a bad reputation for its treatment of the environment? That is because over the last several decades, individually, the level of consumption and waste has increased slightly, but collectively, due to the 1.4 billion population, that increase magnifies significantly.17

When comparing the U.S. with India, each person in the U.S. has 9.25 times greater ability to consume and waste than a person in India. That is due to the difference in population and the ability of the country to produce and absorb waste.17

Stated differently, compared to India, the U.S. has more than twice the ability (2.2) to supply its population and absorb its waste. And India has more than four times (4.2) the U.S. population.18

Also, since Indian entry into the global market in the early 1990s, their manufacturing efforts, which are needed to compete have caused immense pollution.19

It is difficult to compare two cultures when the external factor of American wealth is such a prominent feature. However, one must look beyond that wealth to analyze greed and satisfaction. That is what we are trying to do in this article.

Thus, I argue that it is not effective enough to put forward an idealized “Vedic” culture that some in ISKCON20 currently offer. Instead, devotees should present a living, struggling daiva-varṇāśrama culture—hundreds of millions—that offers a good example of a society operating in harmony with nature. Having said that, an ordinary person may not understand the significance of today’s daiva-varṇāśrama on its surface. Thus, as stated in the Gītā (4.34), one must approach the tattva-darśīs, those who have the vision. Many in ISKCON have that vision. They can explain the vast culture and its current significance. And they can demonstrate it.

To sum up what I have presented thus far, current daiva-varṇāśrama society is a far better example of harmony with nature than the American society that the world tries to emulate.

And why daiva-varṇāśrama society treats nature better than modern culture depends on one thing more than anything else. The people—Vaiṣṇavas—know how to enjoy life without unduly impacting the environment.

In 1970 in Los Angeles, Śrīla Prabhupāda called me into his room to gently chide me for not better overseeing the devotee laborers. They had left some half-eaten plates of prasādam on the windowsill of their work area. He began by explaining how Vaiṣṇavas respect prasādam and how such respect fits into the most natural culture on earth. He then proceeded to describe that culture.

In the nearly one-hour conversation, he told me story after story that etched two things in my brain. First, Vaiṣṇava culture is harmonious with nature. It is the natural way for humans to live. Second, Prabhupāda loves the daiva-varṇāśrama culture and wants to establish it around the world.

He did not explicitly say the word varṇāśrama. Instead, he used terms like brāhmaṇas, villagers, sadhus, and disciples. However, varṇāśrama society was implicit in most of the stories.

He mentioned one thing that struck me at the time and has remained with me, always within easy reach of my mind. He said the villagers go to the brāhmaṇa’s house for entertainment.21

For example, Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, “Even one hundred years ago in India, all dramatic performances were centered around the superhuman activities of the Supreme Lord. The common people would be verily entertained by the performances of dramas, and yātrā parties played wonderfully on the superhuman activities of the Lord, and thus even the illiterate agriculturist would be a participant in the knowledge of Vedic literature, despite a considerable lack of academic qualifications. Therefore, expert players in drama, dancers, singers, speakers, etc., are required for the spiritual enlightenment of the common man.”22

Devotees of Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa often think it is important to teach others via lectures, discourses, and classes. However, the common people tend to retain knowledge when it is embedded within an entertainment medium.

Thus, most people should be taught with that in mind. One might argue that through modern education most people are literate. However, despite such education, they are generally not interested in topics that will elevate them to sattva, nor are they keen to learn about transcendental knowledge.

And their philosophical musings under the influence of intoxication do not translate into dharmic principles.

Prabhupāda explained in a lecture on rasa-varjaṁ raso ’py asya: “So spiritual life, or transcendental life, does not mean that we are free from activity. Simply artificially if we sit down, ‘Oh, no more I shall do anything material. I shall simply meditate.’

“Oh? What meditation you will do? Your meditation will be in a moment broken, just like even Viśvāmitra Muni, he could not continue his meditation. We have to always, cent percent, be engaged in spiritual activities. That should be the program of our life. Rather, in spiritual life you will hardly find any time to get out of it, you have got so much engagement. Rasa-varjam. And that engagement can only be possible when you find some transcendental pleasure in it.”23

The following article is adapted from a pamphlet I wrote on enjoyment. It is to be used to convince non-Vaiṣṇavas of the necessity of daiva-varṇāśrama culture.

Three types of enjoyment

The Bhagavad-gītā (the Gītā) describes three levels of worldly enjoyment—degrading (tamasic), selfish (rajasic),24 and elevating (sattvic).25 There are effectively infinite combinations of these three.

Enjoyment of drugs is an example of degrading, tamasic enjoyment.

Selfish, rajasic enjoyment is achieved by exploiting others and nature. It is characterized by attachment to immediate gratification, which results in long-term suffering.

The third, or highest level of worldly enjoyment, sattvic, elevates oneself and others. It is selfless and requires discipline in the beginning, but it brings about long-term satisfaction.

The Gītā also describes a form of enjoyment that is more refined and even less exploitative than these three.26 That is pleasure or joy that transcends or goes beyond this world. It is called enjoyment in pure goodness or śuddha-sattvic enjoyment.

Modern culture has an abundance of the first two, which results in self-destruction and degradation of society and the environment. The highest forms are not absent, but their influence is almost non-existent.

Daiva-varṇāśrama seeks to elevate society to sattva and śuddha-sattva.

Daiva-varṇāśrama Society

For thousands of years, enjoyment that does not harm others or the environment has sustained daiva-varṇāśrama or Vaiṣṇava society.

Such pleasure elevates society.

The terms daiva and Vaiṣṇava mean centered on Viṣṇu, who is the Supreme. And the Bhagavad-gītā is the best place to find the basic values of that culture.

Those values include identifying oneself and all other beings as soul, not the body, seeking unification with the Supreme, and being detached from a world of suffering.

Vaiṣṇava Worldly Enjoyment

Much of the Gītā describes analyses of nature, work, time, the individual, and the supreme.27 It also presents perspectives on how humans can maintain a balanced life in their environment.

One important concept introduced early in the text is that enjoyment is based on economies.28 In other words, people earn money and, aside from purchasing necessities, use it to enjoy life. Thus, societies evolve economies that facilitate the two: necessities and enjoyment.29

As mentioned above, there are three types of enjoyment. When economies are focused on just the selfish and degrading forms, society suffers.

Those in the daiva-varṇāśrama culture, however, enjoy redirecting their money and harvest away from selfish consumption to higher purposes, like charity, good deeds, and supporting renunciants, who are examples of detachment from consumption.30

Vaiṣṇavas derive satisfaction working for success, not by acquiring more money and status, but through individual and social elevation.

They enjoy focusing inward towards the soul rather than outward towards the world of greed and dissipation.

In the traditional culture, young Vaiṣṇavas are taught that detachment from possessions is a positive and pleasurable state. And throughout their lives, they maintain the idea that such detachment is indeed enjoyable.31

Transcendental Enjoyment

For a culture to be properly sustained and uplifted, transcendental enjoyment must predominate.32

Transcendental enjoyment is based on the life force—the soul, the essence—not the external world that fosters greed, division, prejudice, and hatred. Such enjoyment seeks to leave behind any tinge of selfishness.

The highest forms of entertainment and enjoyment in daiva-varṇāśrama culture are associated with līlās and divine names (nāmas), which find their expression in art, architecture, home and temple worship, festivals, music, drama, dance, and more.

Līlā

In Sanskrit, līlā means play, sport, pastime, or drama.33 Traditionally, it refers to the dramas that are enacted by an incarnation of the Supreme.

Vaiṣṇavas embrace the concept that the creator appears within His creation to assist in its maintenance. When the demigods or humans have serious trouble, the Supreme may appear at His will.34

However, His appearance and activities are not just meant to aid humanity during difficulty but are also a chance for Him to enjoy Himself through enacting a role within His own drama.

Thus, His līlās are characterized by victory and joy. For example, Kṛṣṇa was victorious over many opponents. But beyond His supreme displays of heroism, He demonstrated transcendental joy through friendly, filial, and conjugal love.

Vaiṣṇavas enjoy grand celebrations honoring His līlās and those of Viṣṇu. Such festivities are joyful reminders that life is not meant for selfish pursuits.

Instead of focusing on consumption of material goods, Vaiṣṇavas enjoy public and private festivals,35 parades, home worship, temple worship, renunciation, devotion, cultivation of transcendental knowledge, food distribution, and so on—all with the aim of pleasing Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa.

The idea is that giving pleasure is the best way of receiving it. And by watering the root of creation, who is Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, the branches and leaves—that is, all beings—become satisfied.

Throughout history, people in daiva-varṇāśrama communities enjoyed dance,36 drama,37 music, art, sculpture, architecture, science, and literature that have focused on līlās.

Divine Names

Divine names, or names of Viṣṇu, also permeate the daiva-varṇāśrama culture. They are present within nearly all conversations as salutations, music, chanting, meditation, festivals, daily life, worship, and more. They are integrally connected to the līlās. Indeed, most divine names invoke remembrance of a specific līlā.38

There are thousands of such names. Since the Supreme is absolute, His names and līlās are identical with Him. Like Him, they are on the absolute level. And by uttering His names, one invokes the company or association of the Supreme. He dances on the tongue.39

His name appears in common greetings like Jai Rām, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hari bol, and Nārāyaṇa.

Many recite a thousand names of Viṣṇu daily. Others chant Kṛṣṇa, Rām, or Nārāyaṇa thousands of times a day.40

Transcendental Enjoyment Conclusion

In daiva-varṇāśrama society, transcendental enjoyment is expressed through celebration of Viṣṇu’s or Kṛṣṇa’s names and līlās.41

Certainly not all Vaiṣṇavas enjoy on the same high level, and they do not represent a utopian society. However, where transcendental enjoyment prevails, it serves to uplift society and enable it to flourish in relative harmony with nature.

Indeed, their hundreds of millions are doing a far better job at respecting and preserving nature than hundreds of millions of Americans whose worldwide influence of exploitation and greed has already caused serious harm to the planet.42

In that way, the daiva-varṇāśrama culture has the practical solution to environmental disaster—enjoyment that elevates. It is a proven solution. Modern liberal political, economic, and social solutions will not work. They are unproven.43 Daiva-varṇāśrama is the solution.

The Gītā and Daiva-varṇāśrama Culture

Kṛṣṇa’s teachings in the Bhagavad-gītā contain solutions to environmental disturbances caused by humans.

For 5,000 years, the Gītā has given the essence of daiva-varṇāśrama values. Moreover, it is impossible to divorce it from the entire Indian experience.

The Gītā molds the values and mentality of the people. Whether or not they regularly study it, they have been raised and shaped by its ideals. Thus, those in the daiva-varṇāśrama culture, and even those outside but influenced by it, are naturally more inclined to respect nature and the environment than those in modern, post-industrial cultures.

For example, most Vaiṣṇavas are vegetarian. Their thinking is that all living beings have souls. A human has no right to take the life of another creature.44 Meat-eating consumes immense amounts of water, land, and energy resources; thus, Vaiṣṇavas conserve those resources. Moreover, Vaiṣṇavas do not endanger animal species by hunting them to extinction.

Even today, about 50 percent of Vaiṣṇavas live in agrarian settings. In general, they believe that a simple, non-materialistic life will be good for their progress in this life and the next.

Those are just some of the practical influences of the Gītā. Everyone should read the Gītā to understand those influences.

The Gītā’s Solution to Greed and Overconsumption

The Gītā’s perspective on overconsumption, or greed, is particularly relevant to the environment. Kṛṣṇa teaches that the body is designed around five knowledge-acquiring senses—seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, and smelling—along with five working senses—tongue, arms, legs, genitals, and anus. And the mind is supposed to control those senses.45

The problem is that the senses are uncontrollably attracted to the objects of the world. And that attraction fosters worldly enjoyment.46

Although such enjoyment may seem desirable, it is temporary, illusory, and often degrading. Thus, it is false enjoyment, resulting in overconsumption of natural resources. True enjoyment—transcendental enjoyment—may be experienced by one who rises above the magnetism of the sense objects and contacts the soul. Such enjoyment is required to control overconsumption, which is the root cause of environmental destruction.47

Gītā Perspectives and Practices

The Gītā prescribes methods for connecting with the soul.

Again, the mind is supposed to be in control of the senses, but in fact, the worldly predicament is that the senses have subjugated the mind.

For the mind to regain control over the senses, transcendental enjoyment must replace sense enjoyment. And to obtain such enjoyment, there must be practical means to do so.

The Gītā details such means. The Gītā is not a work of history or religious sentiment. It is analytical and meant to provoke action.

It systematically unfolds a science in the true sense of the word—knowledge. It analyzes work or occupation, money derived from occupations, social order, universal order, psychology, knowledge, devotion, character, godliness, and more.

And the Gītā indicates that all this analysis can be reduced to one essence—enjoyment of the līlās and names of the Supreme.48

Adopting the sciences presented in the Gītā will bring about a tremendous change in humanity’s relationship with nature. And that is not a theoretical idea, nor has it proven itself on a small scale. Hundreds of millions demonstrate the effectiveness of the daiva-varṇāśrama culture.49

  1. In his conversation with Professor Kotovsky Śrīla Prabhupāda says, “Vaiṣṇava. This is called Vaiṣṇava cult. The Vaiṣṇavas, as far as you know—you have been in India—there are many millions of Vaiṣṇavas.” Thus, when presenting how well daiva-varṇāśrama interacts with nature, it is perfectly acceptable to point out that for thousands of years, Vaiṣṇava society has not destroyed the environment. Even today, daiva-varṇāśrama's impact on nature is very low despite the negative influence of modern materialism.
  2. “This is Vedic system, varṇāśrama-dharma. Now it is foolishly going as Hindu dharma. What is the Hindu dharma? ‘Hindu’ is not found even in the scriptures.” Lecture on Bhagavad-gītā (BG) 9.4, Apr 23, 1976.
  3. Srila Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura gave the seed ideas for Srila Bhaktisiddhānta to establish the system of daiva-varṇāśrama. Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (CC) Adi 12.73. Also, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (SB) 5.1.24 purport: “Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, however, wanted to reestablish daiva-varṇāśrama.”
  4. CC 12.73 and CC 3.6 purports
  5. Todd M. Johnson and Brian J. Grim, The World’s Religions in Figures: An Introduction to International Religious Demography, 1st edition (Wiley-Blackwell, 2013), 400. There are several scholarly estimates ranging from the size of America’s population (330 million) to 800 million.
  6. Such Vaiṣṇavas have some faith (śraddhā) in Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa, or Rāma. Thus, they should be embraced into the Vaiṣṇava community at large. It is the duty of pure devotees to guide them not demonize them for being impure.
  7. See Prabhupāda’s article on Yajna and Varṇāśrama from the May 20, 1956, edition of Back to Godhead reproduced in this journal.
  8. Room conversation in Mayapur, Feb 14, 1977.
  9. From “How This Book Came To Be,” Varṇāśrama Compendium, Sivarama Swami
  10. “The Global Religious Landscape,” Pew Research Center website, Dec 18, 2012.
  11. Śrīla Prabhupāda—Talk About Varṇāśrama, SB 2.1.1-5, June 28, 1977.
  12. See The Environmental Solution by Michael Wright for a thorough analysis of cultures and the way they treat nature.
  13. Global Footprint Network website (footprintnetwork.org) includes maps and data collected to calculate biocapacity and ecological footprint of individuals and countries.
  14. “India Rural Population 1960-2023,” recorded by macrotrends.org website.
  15. Wikipedia: “Telecommunications in India” and “Direct-to-home television in India.”
  16. There are many articles and media discussions, like “Influence of Westernization of Indian Culture” by Mrinmoy Biswas, May 28, 2023, Times of India. I lived in India more than five years spanning four decades, and I see most people try to resist materialism as much as they can, but it presents a temptation. Some have determined that many highly educated Indians spend tremendous energy trying to emigrate to the materialistic West, but they often become homesick, so they renew their love for the original culture. That is one reason they establish temples and revive religious practice. They realize Western materialism was not what they wanted after all.
  17. Global Footprint Network website
  18. Global Footprint Network website. Again, compared to the U.S., India has 4.2 times the population that must be satisfied with .45 of the resources and ability to absorb waste. Therefore, the average American is automatically, by birth, 9.25 times richer and more capable of waste than the average Indian. Plus, the U.S. has other wealth advantages over India, one of which is that the world economy is indexed on the dollar. All of those wealth advantages help Americans disguise the level of their overconsumption, which is related to their greed and lack of satisfaction.
  19. “Environmental issues in India,” Wikipedia. There are many contributing factors to Indian pollution. The British railway system began serious deforestation. After independence in 1948, the Congress government pursued Soviet-style industrialization. However, India’s isolationist policies prevented excessive consumption. When the Congress government passed laws in 1989-1991 enabling India to enter the global market, the current overconsumption and pollution began. Although most Indians remain attached to their traditional culture, the influences of TV, movies, automobiles, cell phones, etc. have taken their toll. Having said all that, daiva-varṇāśrama culture still hangs on. It still offers an example of less consumption, less waste, less materialism, and greater faith in the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa, and Rāma. When compared with American culture, India’s daiva-varṇāśrama culture, even in its weakened state, is a far better example of daiva versus asura behavior.
  20. ISKCON = the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
  21. I realize now that Śrīla Prabhupāda was teaching me about daiva-varṇāśrama through entertaining me with stories.
  22. SB 1.11.20
  23. BG 2.58-59 lecture; Also, in 2019, I was discussing the idea of transcendental enjoyment with Bhakti Caru Swami. He related a time when Prabhupāda asked him how he would maintain his vow of sannyāsa. When Bhakti Caru Maharaja responded that he would be very strict, Prabhupāda cautioned him, saying that Viśvāmitra was strict, and Menaka tempted him. Therefore, the goal is to acquire a higher taste. One must enjoy Kṛṣṇa consciousness more than sense gratification to become fixed. Of course, ruci (pleasure/taste) is described as more advanced than niṣṭha (fixed), but the beginnings of ruci and laulyam (longing) contribute to niṣṭha. Ref: Lecture & Initiation, Oct 20, 1968, Seattle; SB 1.2.18 lecture, Sep 26, 1974; BG 2.58-59 lecture Apr 15, 1966; Morning Walk Apr 26, 1976
  24. In this article, I use degrees of selfishness as the best one-word description of tamasic, rajasic, and sattvic behavior. See, for example, SB 1.2.8, SB 12.3.29, and SB 10.14.51
  25. BG 18.37-39
  26. BG 2.59, 5.21, 6.21, 6.27, 9.2
  27. Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Introduction
  28. BG 3.10-16
  29. Note that much of the discussion here communicates the concept of dharma, artha, and kāma in modern language. See, SB 7.5
  30. This concept is found in BG, chapters 3 and 4 as well as 12.
  31. SB 7.12.1. This paragraph refers to the āśrama part of varṇāśrama. In daiva-varṇāśrama society, the people are far more tolerant of nature than in modern materialistic society, which seeks to overcome and exploit nature. See BG 2.14-15
  32. Not everyone in society will be on the level of ruci or bhāva; however, the social influence of those who are in the mode of goodness, the brāhmaṇas, must be strong. They, in turn, must be strongly influenced by those on the higher levels of bhakti. (See CC Madhya 23.14-15; SB 3.26.20; Dec 29,1974 lecture by Śrīla Prabhupāda, etc.)
  33. Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary
  34. SB 1.1.18, 1.2.34, 1.16.8, 2.2.36, and 11.5.32; BG 4.7
  35. An important celebration of one of Kṛṣṇa’s līlās is Rathayātrā. Also, Prabhupāda wrote: “There is not one incident like Rathayātrā, but there are many hundreds of thousands of incidents in different appearances of the incarnations of Lord Kṛṣṇa. In different cities and different centers, we can introduce such multi-pastimes ceremonies of Lord Kṛṣṇa.” (Letter to Aniruddha, July 7, 1968)
  36. Indian regional dances are displays of Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu līlās.
  37. Throughout South and Southeast Asia, dramas, puppet shows, paintings and sculptures demonstrate līlās from the Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, and Purāṇas.
  38. Some names, out of thousands that are associated with līlās, are Nṛsiṃha (half-man half-lion), Vāmana (dwarf), Madhusūdana (killer of Madhu), Brajendra-nandana (beloved son of the King of Braj), and Śyāma (blackish).
  39. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Śrī Bhajana-Rahasya (Gauḍīya Vedānta Publications, 2015); Stava-Mālā of Śrī Rupa Gosvāmi in Prathamā-caitanyāṣṭaka: hare kṛṣṇety uccaiḥ sphurita-rasanaḥ “The mahā-mantra ecstatically dances of its own accord on the theatrical stage of His tongue.”
  40. Of all mantras, the greatest is Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
  41. Śrī Śrī Siksastakam, 1-8; SB 6.2.46, 6.3.31, 2.1.11, 11.5.32; BG 4.7
  42. The Environmental Solution, Michael Wright, Center for Vishnu Culture
  43. In the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal,” September 18, 2023, a study concludes there will be a mass extinction, especially of those high on the food chain like humans. The study says, “Immediate political, economic, and social efforts of an unprecedented scale are essential if we are to prevent these extinctions and their societal impacts.” Such a suggestion is typical but not proven to work. It is grasping at straws. Nobody wants to suggest that the human addiction to energy must be addressed. However, that is the revolutionary position of daiva-varṇāśrama preachers.
  44. Manu-saṃhitā: 5.27-44, 5.51, 5.55, and 5.38: “As many hairs as the slain beast has, that many births and deaths will its killer suffer.” And verse 5.45: “He who injures innocent beings from a wish to give himself pleasure never finds happiness, neither living nor dead.”
  45. BG 3.42
  46. BG 2.62-63
  47. BG 2.59
  48. BG 10.8-11; Viśvanātha Cakravarti Ṭhākura confirms: “These four verses, which are the essence of the Gītā for preventing the degradation of the jīvās (living beings), I have explained to give happiness to all.” Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa states that these four Gītā verses describe the bhakti characterized by the highest ekānta (single-purposed) devotees.
  49. Note that aside from quoting Śrīla Prabhupāda, I have not used the word “spiritual.” In modern society, spiritual is most often identified with impersonalism, rejection of organized religion, new age beliefs, and sometimes simply deep feelings or thoughts. (See Cambridge Dictionary, “It was a spiritual communion that he found with her.”) Thus, I prefer to use specific terms like bhakti, daiva-varṇāśrama culture, Vaiṣṇava culture, etc.