Why should we study Krsna’s pastimes?

2. Why should we study Krsna’s pastimes? • Purifies the heart • Most potent way of reviving our memory about the Lord SB 11.24.26 • We see through hearing SB 1.8.18- SB 1.8.24 • Overcome material nescience SB 11.6.22 to 24 • Delivered from the ocean of material miseries SB 12.4.40, SB 3.25.23 • Overcome fear • Overcome hankering, envy and anxiety SB 4.30.35-37 • Saved from the danger of bad elements SB 10.6.3 • Increases attachment for the Lord

3. SB 10.31.9tavakathāmṛtaḿ tapta-jīvanaḿkavibhirīḍitaḿ kalmaṣāpahamśravaṇa-mańgalaḿ śrīmadātataḿbhuvigṛṇanti ye bhūri-dājanāḥ The nectar of Your words and the descriptions of Your activities are the life and soul of those suffering in this material world. These narrations, transmitted by learned sages, eradicate one's sinful reactions and bestow good fortune upon whoever hears them. These narrations are broadcast all over the world and are filled with spiritual power. Certainly those who spread the message of Godhead are most munificent

4. Why are we reading about demon pastimes • Historically: • Pastimes are real • Krsna’s wonderful pastimes and qualities • His protection of devotees • Symbolically: • Demons represent the obstacles in the path of Bhakti, in cultivating the mood of Vraja • (Sri KrsnaSamhita- Chapter 8, Text 13 by SrilabhaktiVinodaThakur)

5. Demons in Vrindavan Killing of putanakrsna book chapter 6

6. Nanda maharaja ponders on Vasudeva’s warning • Kamsa instructs putana

7. Putana’s qualification • Black Magic: • knew the black art of killing small • Khechari • Fly from one place to another on the branch of a tree • Witchcraft useless in places where there was chanting and Hearing.

8. Putana takes the form of a very beautiful woman and gets the opportunity to nurse KrsnaPūtanā thought, “This child is so powerful that He can destroy the whole universe immediately.”

9. Putana represents a pseudo Guru • A deceitful, so-called guru who preaches sense gratification or liberation or both. • engaged in some Krsna conscious activity but has not realized the course of pure devotional service • gives instructions to his disciples beyond his own understanding, or without regard for their situations.

10. Putana represents a pseudo Guru • Bhaktisiddhanta also equates Putana with religious careerists who, pretending to be devoted and with intention to deceive, use religious institution to fulfill their selfish motives. Veneered in humility, faithfulness and loyalty to God, their only motive is public reputation, desire for name, fame or high position.

11. Putana –pseudo Guru (externally) • Propensity for real loving service is poisoned even if you are most elevated person. • One should not be enchanted by the forms and the words but should check if you are being nourished right thing.

12. The inwardly manifest "spiritual" guide, in the form of the mundane empiric reasoning faculty (the material mind), is also like Putana. Putana represents falsity within - worldliness and desire for sensual pleasures.To the degree we have that attraction we will fall for such things

13. Putana –pseudo Guru (internally) We know Krsna is watching us and we know His instructions. Still due to our conditionings the mind focusses on egoistic or sensual aspirations and due to the mind the intelligence becomes corrupted and we act abominably The mind covers that intelligence and impels us to act contradictory to what is right.

14. As soon as a child is born , it falls into the clutches of so many pseudo teachers • Religion careerists • Atheists • Other who take the child away from God

15. Krsna closes His eyes • Because she had killed so many children • She was coming in the mood of being His mother. • She was a woman

16. Krsna is Supremely merciful • Putana’s moment of sincerity- motherhood • She felt some affection • Some milk, mostly poison • How does this relate to us? • Service with right mentality • Gopis • Service with wrong mentality

17. 3.2.23 ahobaki yam stana-kala-kutam jighamsayapayayadapyasadhvi lebhegatimdhatry-ucitamtato 'nyam kamvadayalumsaranamvrajema TRANSLATION Alas, how shall I take shelter of one more merciful than He who granted the position of mother to a she-demon [Putana] although she was unfaithful and she prepared deadly poison to be sucked from her breast?

18. Service with wrong mentality • We will be purified • Krsna sucked, squeezed and kicked • Suffering purified Putana • All her sinful tendency removed • What was left was only affection for Krsna • SrilaPrabhupada’s preaching to the hippies

19. Service with Right motivation • Gopis

20. See everyone from Krsna’s point of view

21. World is a mirror of our own heart

22. Gratefully accept suffering • Krsna is purifying us. Wants us back sooner. He is pulling us fast • All that will be left is love for Krsna

23. What is our qualification?

24. We have received some opportunity to appreciate Krsna

25. Putana Runs out • False Guru will be exposed automatically • Our own fakeness will be exposed by Krsna

26. Krsna sucks out her breath • All misgivings will leave us if we offer even little service to Krsna

27. From Krsna Book: As she died screaming, there was a tremendous vibration on the earth and in the sky, on the upper and lower planets, and in all directions, and people thought that thunderbolts were falling. Thus the nightmare of the Pūtanā witch was over, and she assumed her real feature as a great demon. She opened her fierce mouth and spread her arms and legs all over. She fell exactly as Vṛtrāsura did when struck by the thunderbolt of Indra. The long hair on her head was scattered all over her body. Her fallen body extended up to twelve miles and smashed all the trees to pieces, and everyone was struck with wonder upon seeing this gigantic body. Her teeth appeared just like plows, and her nostrils appeared just like mountain caves. Her breasts appeared like small hills, and her hair was a vast reddish bush. Her eye sockets appeared like blind wells, and her two thighs appeared like two banks of a river. Her two hands appeared like two strongly constructed bridges, and her abdomen seemed like a dried-up lake. All the cowherd men and women became struck with awe and wonder upon seeing this. And the tumultuous sound of her falling shocked their brains and ears and made their hearts beat strongly.

30. Purificatory Rituals • Chant the names of Vishnu • Acaman • Tail of the cow and purifying with cow urine and dust raised by cow hoofs • Importance of the cow for mode of goodness and Brahminical culture • Mother Yashoda chants different names of Vishnu to protect different bodily parts

31. Putana’s body • Putana’s body equated to snake’s body • Aguru aroma • Body had become transcendental

32. How do we protect ourselves from the Putanas?

33. Cheaters and the Cheated • Those are, therefore, greatly mistaken who are disposed to look forward to the amelioration of the worldly state in any worldly sense from the worldly success of any really spiritual movement. It is these worldly expectants who become the patrons of the mischievous race of the pseudo-teachers of religion. the Putanas, whose congenial function is to stifle the theistic disposition at the very moment of its suspected appearance. But the real theistic disposition can never be stifled even by the efforts of those Putanas. The Putanas have power only over the atheists. It is a thankless but salutary task which they perform for the benefit of their willing victims.

34. Thank You