Way to Die: The Central Message of the Shrimad Bhagavatam

Article of the Month - February 2012 by Nitin Kumar

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It is well known in India that while the Ramayana teaches us how to live, the Shrimad
Bhagavatam instructs us on how to die. The text itself is a blend of numerous inspiring stories
intertwined together, the outer core being formed by the story of king Parikshit. This king had
just been informed that he was destined to die within the next seven days. This in a symbolic way
explains our own existential position since we too have to leave this world on any one of the
seven days. However, what was the kings reaction on hearing the news? Did he set out to protect
his physical body in any way? No. On the contrary, this is what he did:
King Parikshit regarded this as a blessing, since it gave him a reason to detach himself from this
world which had nothing more to offer him now. (Shrimad Bhagavatam 1.19.4)

Then having decided that this world is worth rejecting, he renounced it and realized that Bhakti
towards Lord Krishna was the highest objective of life. He thus sat down on the banks of the
River Ganga with a vow to abstain from food till death. Indeed, since this sacred river carries the
waters divine with the fragrance of dust from the feet of Krishna, mixed as it is with the pollen of
the sacred plant Tulsi, which person about to die will not
resort to its holy banks? (1.19.5-6)

Thus King Parikshit was now sitting in a place of

pilgrimage, with a vow to fast till the inevitable came
about. In the Garuda Purana, Lord Krishna lauds such a
gesture as follows:
"The man, who realizing his inevitable demise, dies by fasting, leaves the human form and
secures an effulgence equal to me. The person who on realizing that he is suffering from an
incurable disease observes fast until death he never has to suffer again from disease, and he
reigns in heavens like a god. If a mortally sick man takes Sannayasa he is relieved from the cycle
of rebirth from this world full of sorrows and afflictions. The one who during his last days
forsakes his sons, wealth etc, and takes recourse in a holy place, gains both contentment and
nourishment. In fact, if such a person, after undertaking his vow, even dies before he has reached
the holy place, even then he gains a meritorious place amongst the great saints. If he dies under
the vow at his house, even then he goes straight to the heavens. The person who during his last
days, casts off food and water, and drinks only the waters from my feet, he is not reborn on this

earth. The one who, on hearing of his imminent death, starts off on pilgrimage, and does not
indulge in any violence of any sort, with each step gains a merit equal to the gift of a cow. What
more is there to say? The one who embraces his inevitable death by voluntarily fasting, he gains
an everlasting merit." (II.36.37)
What Happened Next?
Having decided to sit on the banks of Ganga and abstain from food (till death), king Parikshit
gave up all attachments, took the vows of a Sannayasi and began to concentrate on the lotus feet
of Lord Krishna. At that very moment there arrived near king Parikshit a large number of saints,
along with their disciples. Actually the saints, under the guise of going on a pilgrimage, purify
the holy places themselves. All of them approved and lauded the kings action, who with folded
hands addressed them thus:
"Oh indeed I am the most blessed amongst all kings because I have gained the favor of great
saints like you. Alas, the race of kings is an unworthy one since we have to neccessarily indulge
in terrible actions like inflicting punishment etc. It is Lord Krishna himself who has come to me
in the form of my imminent death, because the entire episode has given rise to a complete
detachment in a sinner like me, who otherwise was extremely attached to his wife, house etc.
This is indeed a blessing because when confronted with such a situation, a person becomes
terrified leading to renunciation."
"May all the great Brahmins assembled here and also the river Ganga know me as one who has
taken refuge at the feet of the Lord. Let death bite me to its satisfaction, you all please only go
ahead and sing to me the glories of Lord Krishna."
To this the saints replied:
"Oh the best amongst kings, since you belong to the race of Pandavas, it is no surprise that in
your desire to attain vicinity with Lord Krishna, you have without a second thought vacated the
mighty imperial throne. We shall stay here now till you, the foremost devotee of Lord Krishna,
leave your mortal body and go the highest world which is free from all suffering and afflictions."
The Appearance of the Guru
Even as this conversation was going on, there arrived at the spot, the greatest amongst the great,
the saint Shukadeva, son of Veda Vyasa. The king venerated Shri Shukadeva, offered him a seat
and himself remained standing before him with bowed head, and said:
"Today we unworthy race of kings have been blessed by being sanctified by your graceful
presence. Please tell me what a person should do when confronted with death?"
Shri Shukadeva replied:
"At the last stage of life, one should be bold enough not to be afraid of death. But one must cut

away all attachment to ones body and everything related to it (e.g. wife and children). With
patience the person should leave his house, bathe in the waters at a scared site, and then sit on an
asana as prescribed in the scriptures. He should then start chanting mentally the sacred syllable
OM, made up of the three letters A, U, and M. He should regulate his breath and subdue his
mind. No even for a single moment should he forget OM. With the help of his intelligence
(buddhi), he should restrain his outgoing senses and focus his distracting mind on the auspicious
image of Lord Krishna."

The entire sequence of Shri Shukadeva arriving to assist

Parikshit in his last days illustrates an important point:
Everyone needs a Guru for guidance. There is no hope
of deliverance without a Guru. Therefore, one
necessarily needs to have a Guru. However, the search
for the Guru is not a physical one. It is more of a
preparation, and the day you are prepared, the Guru
suitable for you will appear. This is what happened with king Parikshit. No sooner had he made
the supreme resolve, there arrived Shri Shukadeva to show him the way.

The Message behind King Parikshits Story

There is a remarkable consistency in the Shrimad Bhagavatam in as much it reveals that our
whole life should be an effort directed towards improving our last moments. The first step in this
is indeed voluntarily giving up the home when the time is ripe and the children have become
responsible enough to take over the household. The scriptures are clear that not for a moment
should one then stay in the house. Still, if the wife wants to stay with her children she can
continue to live with them, or if she wants she can accompany her husband. However this may
be, one thing is certain according to the Shrimad Bhagavatam:
One should leave home, freed from all obligations of family etc, and die at a time and place
unknown to ones relatives. Whether it be through ones own inner voice or through wisdom
granted by others, the wise person is one who becomes indifferent to material things and leaves
his home with Lord Krishna in his heart. (1.13.25)
This ideal is ideally exemplified in the conduct of Yudhishtra, the eldest of the five Pandava
brothers:
Having installed his grandson on the throne, Yudhishtra decided to go away from material life.
He gave up his silken garments and gold ornaments, and became free of all possessions. He then
internalized his outward disposition, and clad himself in old, torn clothes. He voluntarily became
dumb, and with disheveled hair presented himself as if he was a madman or a dullard. Then
without waiting for anybody, acting as if he was deaf, the once mighty king Yudhishtra set out

from his home towards the northern direction, traversing a path marked by great men since time
immemorial.
His four younger brothers followed in the footsteps of Yudhishtra. They too had resolved in their
mind that it is the lotus-feet of Lord Krishna which are the ultimate refuge for all, and therefore
they concentrated their hearts on the same. The resulting surge of devotion totally cleansed their
minds and they became established in the Supreme State which can be gained only by those who
have totally washed away all their sins, and not by those still in the throes of material
attachments. Their beloved wife Draupadi too, having realized that her husbands had lost interest
in her, concentrated her mind on Lord Krishna and attained to him. (1.15.37-50)
The Varnashrama Dharma
In the eternal Vedic social system, a mans life is divided into four stages:
1). Brahmacharya: This stage extends from the birth of a child to his marriage after the
completion of his studies. Brahmacharya means complete celibacy, meaning that till ones
education is complete one has to remain celibate.
2). Grihastha: Entering into the life of a householder. After completing ones education one has
to get married and enjoy the material things in life begetting children, so that the system of life as
handed down to us by our forefathers continues unbroken.
3). Vanaprastha: As soon as some young fellow from the family is ready to take on the household
affairs, one should at once retire from family life to prepare oneself for spiritual upliftment. One
is not supposed to stumble in the dark alleys of household life till one is forcefully dragged out
by the will of death.

4). Sannayasa: Indeed, everyones life must be so arranged that in the last stage of life, at least
fifteen to twenty years prior to death, one can be absolutely devoted to the contemplation of the
lotus feet of Lord Krishna. The first part of these last years is formed by the Vanaprastha
ashrama. The last part is known as Sannayasa, where one has to give up absolutely everything,
except a small cloth to cover ones private parts. The final stage of Sannayasa is for exclusive
and concentrated meditation on the Supreme Essence illuminating everything in
this world.

Conclusion:
Even today in India we can see the first two ashramas, Brahmacharya and
Grihastha, being followed almost to the letter. However, we seem to have
forgotten the latter two stages of life, having got stuck in extreme attachment to what we have

acquired in these first two stages. We must realize that while the first two are stages where we
acquire material things, the next two represent stages where we are taught how to leave things.
This is the crux of Vedic education. While the modern system only teaches us how to acquire,
our ancient system instructs on also how to leave things in the right manner at the correct time.

References & Further Reading:

Dogre, Shri Ramachandra Keshav. Shrimad Bhagavat Rahasya (Collection of

Discourses): Delhi.

G. P. Bhatt & J. L. Shastri (tr).The Bhagavata Purana (5 Volumes) Delhi, 2002

Saraswati, Swami Akhandananda (tr). Shrimad Bhagavata Purana (2 Volumes):

Gorakhpur, 2004.

Shastri, J.L. (ed.).The Garuda Purana (3 Volumes) Delhi, 2007

Swami Prabhupada, A.C. Bhaktivedanta. Srimad Bhagavatam: Mumbai.

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Article Reviews

What else can I say..Splendid..Marvelous..Great..

Life & death. This is the 2 fenomena that bothers everyone & the course of the birth of religons.So why the conflicts? Lets seek the truth as he says I'm everything(life)
& the same time nothing(death).Thank you.

- raj
4th Jun 2012

I am impressed with the details in your article. Can I reprint it and use your name on my reprint.

- Madan
12th Mar 2012

Your articles I usually enjoy very much. I enjoyed this one, too, but
have to say that the Srimad Bhagavatam was written thousands of years
ago, and to a true devotee of Krishna,in a different culture, and may
give the wrong message to people today. I think endurance is usually
the best course, except maybe for the brain-dead or severely
terminally ill when pulling the plug of life-support may be o.k.,
depending on the situation. But the way you put it could tip someone
who has time left - maybe plenty of time - over the edge. There is
spiritual value in suffering, and not only in terms of burning off
karma..

- Peter Holleran (peterhol@aol.com)

9th Mar 2012

I tank you warm-heartedly for your kind attention in sending me these delightful messages.
Hare Krishna.

- Mike Losban
19th Feb 2012

Thanx for this fantastic letter.

- Iva Sokhadze
16th Feb 2012

Dearest Sincere Spiritual Seeker and Lover of the Beloved of our Hearts SRI SRI KRISHNA,
Thank You so much for your inspirational message which has so uplifted and inspired us who read with an open heart and mind! May you be blessed 1000x1000 times
for making these priceless words and principles available to your worthy patrons. Within such a world and within such a service as this internet, to have a business such
as yours, purveyors of goods and material possessions that you are, conveying such invaluable words of hope and consolation, words which lead us from the inordinate
attachment to the very material possessions that are your stock and trade, is rare and wonderful indeed!
May the Divine Lord bless you and your business and enter into all of your merchandise and impart sincere aspiration for His Lotus Feet to all who see, touch, and
hopefully buy these articles from you!
From one who is the dust of the dust on the feet of the lowest of His devotees

- Steve Kindler
16th Feb 2012

Thank you once again for the very informative article on a critically important topic.
I am currently doing some research on bioethics. Ethical principles of medical practice that guide all work of physicians for their patients.
In all western countries where medical practice actually is based on typical western values of ethics -derived from Hippocrates in ancient Greece ( the Hippocratic oath
of doctors is based on this )- doctors always follow the Four ethical values of non-maleficense(doing no harm), beneficense, distributive justice ( making budget
decisions about which patient to help with scarce resource) and autonomy ( patient must be told the truth of his illness and it is he who then decides).
As you well realize -how a western mindset focused on individualism - can interpret these values differ fundamentally from the eastern faith values of many patients ,
for example , where wife or family do not want doctor to tell patient about his hopeless prognosis.
Also, we have to understand that these ancient Greek social norms are neither scientific nor universal.
It would be good if in future you can write some article about Charaka -the ancient sage who was supposed to be also a great ayurveda guru.
It would be good to know if from your own research or knowledge you can describe similar ethical principles from ancient Indian scriptures dealing with life and death ,
and especially illness and doctors' duties.
Thank you to Exotic India for these valuable learnings and thank you for sharing these worldwide with us all.

- A Global Reader
16th Feb 2012

Holy sir, Awesome, awesome, awesome !!!!!! Many thanks. Namaste !!!!!!!

- Vernon Victor Young jr.

16th Feb 2012

I am grateful to you for the article on the essence of Bhagvatam which I found very informative and written beautifully. It has impressed me very much for
its focused conceptulization of a lengthy scripture with a profound message for contemporary Hindu community.

- Dr. Vijaya Rao

16th Feb 2012

On March 30th, 2012, the Occupy Movement-Phase Two: Spring Offensive kicks off in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House in
Washington D.C. Considering that Ram Navami begins the next day at 1:30PM east coast time (relative to New Delhi, midnight April 1st), and Kalki Avatar is certainly
going to appear before the entire planet earth environmentally implodes and the humanity sinks into a confused global chaos, please show up in D.C. and participate
and chant, offer prasadam to the protesters, and support the Occupy base camps! Hare Krishna

- Craig Louis Stehr (craigstehr@hushmail.com)

16th Feb 2012

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Way to Die: The Central Message of the Shrimad

Bhagavatam

Article of the Month - February 2012 by Nitin Kumar

Printer Friendly Version

PDF (Acrobat) - 230 kb

It is well known in India that while the Ramayana teaches us how to live, the Shrimad
Bhagavatam instructs us on how to die. The text itself is a blend of numerous inspiring stories
intertwined together, the outer core being formed by the story of king Parikshit. This king had
just been informed that he was destined to die within the next seven days. This in a symbolic way
explains our own existential position since we too have to leave this world on any one of the
seven days. However, what was the kings reaction on hearing the news? Did he set out to protect
his physical body in any way? No. On the contrary, this is what he did:
King Parikshit regarded this as a blessing, since it gave him a reason to detach himself from this
world which had nothing more to offer him now. (Shrimad Bhagavatam 1.19.4)

Then having decided that this world is worth rejecting, he renounced it and realized that Bhakti
towards Lord Krishna was the highest objective of life. He thus sat down on the banks of the
River Ganga with a vow to abstain from food till death. Indeed, since this sacred river carries the
waters divine with the fragrance of dust from the feet of Krishna, mixed as it is with the pollen of
the sacred plant Tulsi, which person about to die will not
resort to its holy banks? (1.19.5-6)

Thus King Parikshit was now sitting in a place of

pilgrimage, with a vow to fast till the inevitable came
about. In the Garuda Purana, Lord Krishna lauds such a
gesture as follows:
"The man, who realizing his inevitable demise, dies by fasting, leaves the human form and
secures an effulgence equal to me. The person who on realizing that he is suffering from an
incurable disease observes fast until death he never has to suffer again from disease, and he
reigns in heavens like a god. If a mortally sick man takes Sannayasa he is relieved from the cycle
of rebirth from this world full of sorrows and afflictions. The one who during his last days
forsakes his sons, wealth etc, and takes recourse in a holy place, gains both contentment and
nourishment. In fact, if such a person, after undertaking his vow, even dies before he has reached
the holy place, even then he gains a meritorious place amongst the great saints. If he dies under
the vow at his house, even then he goes straight to the heavens. The person who during his last
days, casts off food and water, and drinks only the waters from my feet, he is not reborn on this
earth. The one who, on hearing of his imminent death, starts off on pilgrimage, and does not

indulge in any violence of any sort, with each step gains a merit equal to the gift of a cow. What
more is there to say? The one who embraces his inevitable death by voluntarily fasting, he gains
an everlasting merit." (II.36.37)
What Happened Next?
Having decided to sit on the banks of Ganga and abstain from food (till death), king Parikshit
gave up all attachments, took the vows of a Sannayasi and began to concentrate on the lotus feet
of Lord Krishna. At that very moment there arrived near king Parikshit a large number of saints,
along with their disciples. Actually the saints, under the guise of going on a pilgrimage, purify
the holy places themselves. All of them approved and lauded the kings action, who with folded
hands addressed them thus:
"Oh indeed I am the most blessed amongst all kings because I have gained the favor of great
saints like you. Alas, the race of kings is an unworthy one since we have to neccessarily indulge
in terrible actions like inflicting punishment etc. It is Lord Krishna himself who has come to me
in the form of my imminent death, because the entire episode has given rise to a complete
detachment in a sinner like me, who otherwise was extremely attached to his wife, house etc.
This is indeed a blessing because when confronted with such a situation, a person becomes
terrified leading to renunciation."
"May all the great Brahmins assembled here and also the river Ganga know me as one who has
taken refuge at the feet of the Lord. Let death bite me to its satisfaction, you all please only go
ahead and sing to me the glories of Lord Krishna."
To this the saints replied:
"Oh the best amongst kings, since you belong to the race of Pandavas, it is no surprise that in
your desire to attain vicinity with Lord Krishna, you have without a second thought vacated the
mighty imperial throne. We shall stay here now till you, the foremost devotee of Lord Krishna,
leave your mortal body and go the highest world which is free from all suffering and afflictions."
The Appearance of the Guru
Even as this conversation was going on, there arrived at the spot, the greatest amongst the great,
the saint Shukadeva, son of Veda Vyasa. The king venerated Shri Shukadeva, offered him a seat
and himself remained standing before him with bowed head, and said:
"Today we unworthy race of kings have been blessed by being sanctified by your graceful
presence. Please tell me what a person should do when confronted with death?"
Shri Shukadeva replied:
"At the last stage of life, one should be bold enough not to be afraid of death. But one must cut
away all attachment to ones body and everything related to it (e.g. wife and children). With

patience the person should leave his house, bathe in the waters at a scared site, and then sit on an
asana as prescribed in the scriptures. He should then start chanting mentally the sacred syllable
OM, made up of the three letters A, U, and M. He should regulate his breath and subdue his
mind. No even for a single moment should he forget OM. With the help of his intelligence
(buddhi), he should restrain his outgoing senses and focus his distracting mind on the auspicious
image of Lord Krishna."

The entire sequence of Shri Shukadeva arriving to assist

Parikshit in his last days illustrates an important point:
Everyone needs a Guru for guidance. There is no hope
of deliverance without a Guru. Therefore, one
necessarily needs to have a Guru. However, the search
for the Guru is not a physical one. It is more of a
preparation, and the day you are prepared, the Guru
suitable for you will appear. This is what happened with king Parikshit. No sooner had he made
the supreme resolve, there arrived Shri Shukadeva to show him the way.

The Message behind King Parikshits Story

There is a remarkable consistency in the Shrimad Bhagavatam in as much it reveals that our
whole life should be an effort directed towards improving our last moments. The first step in this
is indeed voluntarily giving up the home when the time is ripe and the children have become
responsible enough to take over the household. The scriptures are clear that not for a moment
should one then stay in the house. Still, if the wife wants to stay with her children she can
continue to live with them, or if she wants she can accompany her husband. However this may
be, one thing is certain according to the Shrimad Bhagavatam:
One should leave home, freed from all obligations of family etc, and die at a time and place
unknown to ones relatives. Whether it be through ones own inner voice or through wisdom
granted by others, the wise person is one who becomes indifferent to material things and leaves
his home with Lord Krishna in his heart. (1.13.25)
This ideal is ideally exemplified in the conduct of Yudhishtra, the eldest of the five Pandava
brothers:
Having installed his grandson on the throne, Yudhishtra decided to go away from material life.
He gave up his silken garments and gold ornaments, and became free of all possessions. He then
internalized his outward disposition, and clad himself in old, torn clothes. He voluntarily became
dumb, and with disheveled hair presented himself as if he was a madman or a dullard. Then
without waiting for anybody, acting as if he was deaf, the once mighty king Yudhishtra set out
from his home towards the northern direction, traversing a path marked by great men since time

immemorial.
His four younger brothers followed in the footsteps of Yudhishtra. They too had resolved in their
mind that it is the lotus-feet of Lord Krishna which are the ultimate refuge for all, and therefore
they concentrated their hearts on the same. The resulting surge of devotion totally cleansed their
minds and they became established in the Supreme State which can be gained only by those who
have totally washed away all their sins, and not by those still in the throes of material
attachments. Their beloved wife Draupadi too, having realized that her husbands had lost interest
in her, concentrated her mind on Lord Krishna and attained to him. (1.15.37-50)
The Varnashrama Dharma
In the eternal Vedic social system, a mans life is divided into four stages:
1). Brahmacharya: This stage extends from the birth of a child to his marriage after the
completion of his studies. Brahmacharya means complete celibacy, meaning that till ones
education is complete one has to remain celibate.
2). Grihastha: Entering into the life of a householder. After completing ones education one has
to get married and enjoy the material things in life begetting children, so that the system of life as
handed down to us by our forefathers continues unbroken.
3). Vanaprastha: As soon as some young fellow from the family is ready to take on the household
affairs, one should at once retire from family life to prepare oneself for spiritual upliftment. One
is not supposed to stumble in the dark alleys of household life till one is forcefully dragged out
by the will of death.

4). Sannayasa: Indeed, everyones life must be so arranged that in the last stage of life, at least
fifteen to twenty years prior to death, one can be absolutely devoted to the contemplation of the
lotus feet of Lord Krishna. The first part of these last years is formed by the Vanaprastha
ashrama. The last part is known as Sannayasa, where one has to give up absolutely everything,
except a small cloth to cover ones private parts. The final stage of Sannayasa is for exclusive
and concentrated meditation on the Supreme Essence illuminating everything in
this world.

Conclusion:
Even today in India we can see the first two ashramas, Brahmacharya and
Grihastha, being followed almost to the letter. However, we seem to have
forgotten the latter two stages of life, having got stuck in extreme attachment to what we have
acquired in these first two stages. We must realize that while the first two are stages where we

acquire material things, the next two represent stages where we are taught how to leave things.
This is the crux of Vedic education. While the modern system only teaches us how to acquire,
our ancient system instructs on also how to leave things in the right manner at the correct time.

References & Further Reading:

Dogre, Shri Ramachandra Keshav. Shrimad Bhagavat Rahasya (Collection of

Discourses): Delhi.

G. P. Bhatt & J. L. Shastri (tr).The Bhagavata Purana (5 Volumes) Delhi, 2002

Saraswati, Swami Akhandananda (tr). Shrimad Bhagavata Purana (2 Volumes):

Gorakhpur, 2004.

Shastri, J.L. (ed.).The Garuda Purana (3 Volumes) Delhi, 2007

Swami Prabhupada, A.C. Bhaktivedanta. Srimad Bhagavatam: Mumbai.

We hope you have enjoyed reading the article. Any comments or feedback that you may
have will be greatly appreciated. Please send your feedback
to feedback@exoticindiaart.com.

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Article Reviews

What else can I say..Splendid..Marvelous..Great..

Life & death. This is the 2 fenomena that bothers everyone & the course of the birth of religons.So
why the conflicts? Lets seek the truth as he says I'm everything(life) & the same time
nothing(death).Thank you.

- raj
4th Jun 2012

I am impressed with the details in your article. Can I reprint it and use your name on my
reprint.
- Madan
12th Mar 2012

Your articles I usually enjoy very much. I enjoyed this one, too, but
have to say that the Srimad Bhagavatam was written thousands of years
ago, and to a true devotee of Krishna,in a different culture, and may
give the wrong message to people today. I think endurance is usually
the best course, except maybe for the brain-dead or severely
terminally ill when pulling the plug of life-support may be o.k.,
depending on the situation. But the way you put it could tip someone
who has time left - maybe plenty of time - over the edge. There is
spiritual value in suffering, and not only in terms of burning off
karma..
- Peter Holleran (peterhol@aol.com)
9th Mar 2012

I tank you warm-heartedly for your kind attention in sending me these delightful messages.
Hare Krishna.
- Mike Losban
19th Feb 2012

Thanx for this fantastic letter.

- Iva Sokhadze
16th Feb 2012

Dearest Sincere Spiritual Seeker and Lover of the Beloved of our Hearts SRI SRI KRISHNA,
Thank You so much for your inspirational message which has so uplifted and inspired us who read with
an open heart and mind! May you be blessed 1000x1000 times for making these priceless words and
principles available to your worthy patrons. Within such a world and within such a service as this
internet, to have a business such as yours, purveyors of goods and material possessions that you are,
conveying such invaluable words of hope and consolation, words which lead us from the inordinate
attachment to the very material possessions that are your stock and trade, is rare and wonderful
indeed!
May the Divine Lord bless you and your business and enter into all of your merchandise and impart
sincere aspiration for His Lotus Feet to all who see, touch, and hopefully buy these articles from you!
From one who is the dust of the dust on the feet of the lowest of His devotees
- Steve Kindler
16th Feb 2012

Thank you once again for the very informative article on a critically important topic.
I am currently doing some research on bioethics. Ethical principles of medical practice that guide all

work of physicians for their patients.

In all western countries where medical practice actually is based on typical western values of ethics
-derived from Hippocrates in ancient Greece ( the Hippocratic oath of doctors is based on this )doctors always follow the Four ethical values of non-maleficense(doing no harm), beneficense,
distributive justice ( making budget decisions about which patient to help with scarce resource) and
autonomy ( patient must be told the truth of his illness and it is he who then decides).
As you well realize -how a western mindset focused on individualism - can interpret these values differ
fundamentally from the eastern faith values of many patients , for example , where wife or family do
not want doctor to tell patient about his hopeless prognosis.
Also, we have to understand that these ancient Greek social norms are neither scientific nor universal.
It would be good if in future you can write some article about Charaka -the ancient sage who was
supposed to be also a great ayurveda guru.
It would be good to know if from your own research or knowledge you can describe similar ethical
principles from ancient Indian scriptures dealing with life and death , and especially illness and
doctors' duties.
Thank you to Exotic India for these valuable learnings and thank you for sharing these worldwide with
us all.
- A Global Reader
16th Feb 2012

Holy sir, Awesome, awesome, awesome !!!!!! Many thanks. Namaste !!!!!!!
- Vernon Victor Young jr.
16th Feb 2012

I am grateful to you for the article on the essence of Bhagvatam which I found very
informative and written beautifully. It has impressed me very much for its focused conceptulization of
a lengthy scripture with a profound message for contemporary Hindu community.
- Dr. Vijaya Rao
16th Feb 2012

On March 30th, 2012, the Occupy Movement-Phase Two: Spring Offensive kicks off in
Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House in Washington D.C. Considering that Ram
Navami begins the next day at 1:30PM east coast time (relative to New Delhi, midnight April 1st), and
Kalki Avatar is certainly going to appear before the entire planet earth environmentally implodes and
the humanity sinks into a confused global chaos, please show up in D.C. and participate and chant,
offer prasadam to the protesters, and support the Occupy base camps! Hare Krishna
- Craig Louis Stehr (craigstehr@hushmail.com)
16th Feb 2012

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