Christos and Krishna

I have quoted extensively from the book Way of a Pilgrim, since this book and its tradition are the basis for a mystic practice in Christianity involving taking the name of Jesus on beads, a practice that clearly mimics the devotional practices of Vaishnavism. During the 1980s devotees approached Śrīdhara Mahārāja and asked him about the relative value of this practice. This has been documented in The Search for Śrī Kṛṣṇa which we published at Guardian of Devotion Press in 1982.

“Christian: There is one book called The Way of The Pilgrim, about a Christian who chants the name of Jesus on beads.

Śrīdhar Mahārāj: Yes, the Catholics also use beads. Some Christians may chant the name of Christ.

Christian: This man was chanting the name of Jesus, his heart was growing soft, and he was feeling ecstasy, great love for Jesus.

Śrīdhar Mahārāj: Then he may attain the position of Jesus, at most. It may be that in his attempt for perfection, his growth is finished there, in the eternal paraphernalia of Jesus. He may remain there. If he has found his fullest satisfaction, he is fated to be there.

Many people objected that we included this section in the Search for Śrī Kṛśṇa. It was not "politically correct," we were told, since Śrīdhara Mahārāja appears to relativize the position of Jesus Christ. After all, hadn't Prabhupāda taught that the name was the same, whether Kristos or Krishna? In fact, of course, Prabhupāda in his conversations with Catholic and Orthodox priests was being generous and ecumenical. He was emphasizing the need for some religious practice in the godless 1960s, admitting that meditation on Jesus was worthwhile as long as the abhorrent practice of animal slaughter was left behind. (See the complete conversation with Father Emmanuel.  http://www.krishnapath.org/krishna-and-christ-with-srila-prabhupada-and-father-emmanuel/) In the above comments from The Search for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Śrīdhara Mahārāja draws an important ontological distinction between the teachings of Jesus and the ontology of the Krishna conception.

After all, if "The name is the same," we return to the question, "Why chant Hare Krishna?" The Jesus prayer would appear to be sufficient. Why adopt a different practice when Christianity is complete?  

It may be argued that Śrīdhara Mahārāja was naive--that as an adherent of an Eastern tradition, he was unaware of Christianity. But Śrīdhara Mahārāja was in his 80s at the time of these conversations. He was hardly innocent of any understanding of Christianity. In fact, he had been educated in the Jesuit school of President's College in Calcutta, where the authorities did their best to convert Bengalis to Christianity. He had been well aware of Christian doctrine and practice, not only as an erudite scholar, but as a preacher who had represented the Gaudiya Math all his life. Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja had published any number of scholarly articles and advised on the printing of many titles in English since the 1930s. He was highly esteemed by Professor Sannyal of Ravenshaw College who was Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati's voice in English. When we read Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati in English, we are reading the translations of Sannyal, who often consulted Śrīdhara Mahārāja on ontological and philosophical matters. Śrīdhara Mahārāja was well aware of the positions of Christian theologists, but held that Christianity falls short of the true principles of divine love taught in the Vaishnava school of  Chaitanya Mahāprabhu.

His point here is that Kristos promises salvation, especially salvation from sin. The promise of salvation or liberation mirrors the idea of "oneness" given by the school of Shankaracharya, the Advaitavadis. The "afterlife" in Christianity is left undefined. Dante's treatment of heaven in the Divine Comedy is fanciful, involving 9 spheres in a concentric pattern, each level bringing one closer to God who is identified as the Father. Dante has a flash of understanding in which he sees the divine light.  Some versions of heaven have angels circling in clouds playing Hosannahs in excelsior on golden harps; others have us reunited with lost family members. Many of these versions of heaven have fallen from favor; they are considered antiquated. Christians envision the afterlife as a kind of oneness with the eternal universe of divinity. 

Christian ideas of afterlife run the gamut from oneness with the universe to a life with "God the Father." Śrīdhara Mahārāja holds that an impersonal concept of God is imperfect. If the goal of Christianity is to become one with universal spirituality it resembles the "oneness" theory promulgated by the Advaita school of Vedānta. In that sense it is external, for it lacks any true consideration of divine love. True divine love must encompass not only immortality, but positive immortality of the sort permeated with rasa  or divine emotion.

In his analysis of the Jesus Prayer, Śrīdhara Mahārāja continues: [By chanting the name of Jesus...] "Then he may attain the position of Jesus, at most. It may be that in his attempt for perfection, his growth is finished there, in the eternal paraphernalia of Jesus. He may remain there. If he has found his fullest satisfaction, he is fated to be there. "

It is clear that Śrīdhara Mahārāja considers that the followers of Jesus may attain immortality in the spiritual position of Brahman. He considers this superficial, since there is no devotional position there.  But there is no prejudice expressed against the followers of Jesus. They may be able to penetrate even higher and develop a true devotional position.

"By the will of God, and by the powerful will of an exalted devotee, even from the impersonal Brahman effulgence one may be roused from his slumber and moved to action in devotional service. Generally, they pass long ages there in the nondifferentiated plane, satisfied with their spiritual attainment; however, in the consideration of infinite time, nothing is very great or spacious. They may remain holding that position for a long time, so many dissolutions and creations may come and go, but the possibility remains that their slumber may be broken at any time. Since time immemorial, this created world has been in existence, and so many souls are ascending to the Brahman effulgence and again descending. So, even in the midst of the infinite Brahman effulgence, some souls are coming out. It is a question of infinity, so the position of Jesus may be considered as eternal, and the time may come when Jesus himself may be converted into Vaiṣṇavism. It is not impossible.”

Since Jesus never speaks of Krishna or Vishnu, since he never describes the "Personality of Godhead" as such, but only refers to "My Father who is in heaven" in a vague sort of way, Śrīdhara Mahārāja has concluded that Jesus is not a Vaishnava. The "Christian" in the conversation is a friend of mine and I was personally present for many of these conversations. He was surprised when Śrīdhara Mahārāja insisted that Jesus was not a Vaishnava and was determined to probe further. 

“Christian: Do you think that Jesus had awareness of Kṛṣṇa as the Personality of Godhead?

Śrīdhar Mahārāj: When his inner attainment is most closely detected, then we are bound to say that in the course of his eternal life, there is some possibility of his achieving Kṛṣṇa.

At this point in the conversation, it is clear that Śrīdhara Mahārāja is considering Jesus as a teacher. Śrīdhara Mahārāja familiar with the teachings of Jesus, and here he is analyzing his position in terms of the teachings he has left. There are Christian theologians, for example, Karl Barth, who hold that the teachings of Jesus are not important; for such Christians the resurrection of Christ is the basis for faith, not the teachings of Jesus. In his sermon "Threatened by the Resurrection, Karl Barth describes the resurrection of Christ as "not a  miracle, but the miracle of God--the all-inclusive reneweal that leads from death to life that comes from him, God's life-word, resurrection from the dead! 

Christ's resurrection is the be-all and end-all of Christian faith for Barth, who discards the teachings of Jesus as interesting but irrelevant historical trivia. Rudolph Bultmann also finds that that historical Jesus is of little interest and that historical analysis of the New Testament if futile. On the other hand, 

Jesus’ resurrection is at the very core of the message preached by His disciples.  C.S. Lewis points out that the task of the apostles was to  “preach Christianity meant primarily to preach the Resurrection.” Followers of this point of view show that the founder of the Catholic church, the apostle Paul himself, stresses the  the importance of resurrection. According to Paul, if Christ had not been raised from the dead, our sins would not have been forgiven and Christian faith would be futile. (1 Cor. 15:17) The meaning of the resurrection can be seen and interpreted differently. Christ was risen from the dead and then went up to heaven. But what exactly is the concept of heaven or afterlife? 

If the conception of heaven and afterlife is similar to one-ness, then Śrīdhara Mahārāja's analysis holds. The completion of religious practice, then is salvation from sin, liberation from death, and ultimately the non-differentiated immortality celebrated in India by the Shankara school. Taken as a teacher, what Jesus promises not only through his teachings but even through his resurrection is "liberation from sin," and "salvation." If salvation from birth and death is unity with God or immortality, we're back to square one.  According to the Vaishnava school, liberation in One-ness is a stagnant position. 

Śrīdhara Mahārāja has so far explained that yes, there may be some benefit in deeply meditating on the holy name of Jesus and his teachings, but that since Jesus himself seems to teach Unity with the Godhead, his own position in terms of bhakti or divine love, is suspect. The Christian in the conversation isn't happy. Let's continue our analysis of the conversation with Śrīdhara Mahārāja in the Search for Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Christian: I don’t understand.

Śrīdhar Mahārāj: Is Jesus stagnant or progressive? Where he has reached, is that finished forever, or is he dynamic?

Christian: Christians will say that he has full knowledge.

Śrīdhar Mahārāj: So, is he stagnant there, finally fixed? Is that Jesus’ position? Do the bishops say that his position is final? Does he have a progressive life? Or is Jesus alone barred from making further progress? Is he a member of the dynamic world? Or the stagnant world?”

Śrīdhara Mahārāja is pointing out that all teachers have room for growth. If Jesus is a teacher, he may also have something to learn, even as the Son of God. According to Rupa Goswami, the worship God the Father is not the highest possible conception of divinity. Worship of the Fatherhood of Godhead implies awe and reverence, which impedes true devotion. Love vitiated by terror cannot be pure love. If God inspires terror as does the Old Testament Father, he cannot be the object of complete love. This has been described more completely by Rupa Goswami especially in Bhakti-Rasāmṛta Sindhu.  

Śrīdhara Mahārāja insists that the conception of Godhead as advanced by Christian theologians is incomplete as it doesn't consider complete love and its implications. The Kṛṣṇa conception is a complete version of divine love and must be considered by those who are interested in going deeper. The nature of the infinite is not an easy thing. No teacher is absolutely finished in studying the infinite,  not even Jesus himself.

“So, this is the nature of the infinite. Being finite, we are going to deal with the infinite? That is our ludicrous tendency. It is ludicrous for us to deal with the infinite. Why is Kṛṣṇa considered to be the Absolute Truth? This you should inquire about in a scientific way, step by step. As I have recommended, you should go on reading about that in the Śrī Kṛṣṇa Saṁhitā, and the Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta. You should try to follow very minutely the dynamic development of theism as it is presented there.”

Divine Sound and the Holy Name II

We often meet people who find that taking shelter of the holy name is a foreign practice. They point out that one of the 10 Commandments of the Christian faith is “Thou shalt not take the Lord’s name in vain.” They feel this is a prohibition on taking the holy name. At the same time many people object to our using the name Krishna. Our divine master, Śrila Prabhupada, once remarked that the holy name has equal power whenever it appeals to divinity. Divinity exists and when we appeal to divinity we experience divine revelation.

In 1974, near a yoga center in Frankfurt am Main, West Germany, Srila Prabhupada and several of his disciples were on a walk one morning with father Emmanuel Jungclaussen, a Benedictine monk from Niederalteich Monastery. Noticing that Srila Prabhupada was carrying meditation beads similar to the Catholic rosary, Father Emmanuel explained that he also chanted a constant prayer, the Jesus Prayer mentioned in the Philokalia: “Lord Jesus Christ, be merciful unto us.”



Śrila Prabhupada said, “When an Indian person calls on Krishna, he often says, “Krista.” Krista is a Sanskrit word meaning “attraction.” So when we address God as “Christ,” “Krista,” or “Krishna,” we indicate the same all-attractive Supreme Personality of Godhead. When Jesus said, “Our Father, who art in heaven, sanctified be Thy name,” that name of God was Krista or Krishna. "Christ" is another way of saying Krsta, and "Krsta" is another way of pronouncing Krsna, the name of God. Jesus said that one should glorify the name of God, but yesterday I heard one theologian say that God has no name-that we can call Him only "Father."



A son may call his father "Father," but the father also has a specific name. Similarly, "God" is the general name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose specific name is Krsna. Therefore whether you call God "Christ," "Krsta," or "Krsna," ultimately you are addressing the same Godhead. Actually, it doesn't matter-Krsna or Christ-the name is the same. To practice bhakti-yoga means to become free from designations like "Hindu," "Muslim," "Christian," this or that, and simply to serve God. We have created Christian, Hindu, and Muhammadan religions, but when we come to a religion without designations, in which we don't think we are Hindus or Christians or Muhammadans, then we can speak of pure religion, or bhakti. [divine love]

Father Emmanuel was following the Orthodox tradition of practicing the holy name of Jesus. There are remarkable parallels in the practice of taking the holy name of Krishna and Christos, as we shall see.

Prabhupada pointed out that the practice of the holy name is always beneficial, especially when taken together with the practice of nonviolence. Continuing the conversation, he remarked

 “I have not come to teach you, but only to request you to please chant the name of God. The Bible also demands this of you. So let's kindly cooperate and chant, and if you have a prejudice against chanting the name Krsna, then chant "Christos" or "Krsta"-there is no difference. Sri Caitanya said: namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktih. "God has millions and millions of names, and because there is no difference between God's name and Himself, each one of these names has the same potency as God." Therefore, even if you accept designations like "Hindu," "Christian," or "Muhammadan," if you simply chant the name of God found in your own scriptures, you will attain the spiritual platform. Human life is meant for self-realization-to learn how to love God. That is the actual beauty of man. Whether you discharge this duty as a Hindu, a Christian, or a Muhammadan, it doesn't matter-but discharge it!”

In the Christian tradition the practice of appealing to the holy name as a means of salvation is perhaps most powerfully seen in the teachings of the Philokalia, especially as revealed in a 19th Century work called The Way of a Pilgrim.

The Way of a Pilgrim is either the true story or a fictionalized account of a Russian Orthodox pilgrim and truth-seeker, who meets a starets or spiritual guide who advises him to take shelter of the “Jesus Prayer.”



The prayer simple says, “Jesus Christ have mercy on my soul.” He is to repeat the prayer continuously, internalizing it until it becomes one with his being. While immersing himself in the holy name of Jesus, he is given two instructions: read the Philokalia, and be humble. As the pilgrim continues his journey he finds great spiritual peace and divine revelation in the Jesus Prayer or prayer of the heart. It’s interesting to see how closely the ancient Christian practice aligns with the yoga practice of chanting mantras, especially the holy name, “hare krishna, hare krishna, krishna krishna, hare hare, hare rama hare rama, rama rama hare hare.”

The Way of the Pilgrim is possibly the best documentation of this practice within the Orthodox tradition. Along the way, the “pilgrim” constantly reads and refers to the Philokalia, a collection of writings by the spiritual masters of the Eastern Orthodox Church, spanning some 900 years between the 4th and 15th centuries. Philokalia means “Love of the Beautiful.” from the Ancient Greek φιλία philia "love" and the word κάλλος kallos "beauty.” The Philokalia was compiled in the 18th Century for the guidance and instruction of religious acolytes in the practise of the contemplative life. The compilation is generally attributed to St. Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain of Athos and St. Makarios of Corinth.

The anonymous pilgrim describes his first meeting with his guru and how he comes to know about the Jesus Prayer. This translation of “The Way of a Pilgrim” is available at Gutenberg.org:

[The teacher] took my request kindly and asked me into his cell. "Come in," said he. "I will give you a volume of the holy Fathers from which with God's help you can learn about prayer clearly and in detail." We went into his cell and he began to speak as follows. "The continuous interior prayer of Jesus is a constant uninterrupted calling upon the divine name of Jesus with the lips, in the spirit, in the heart, while forming a mental picture of His constant presence, and imploring His grace, during every occupation, at all times, in all places, even during sleep. The appeal is couched in these terms, 'Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.' One who accustoms himself to this appeal experiences as a result so deep a consolation and so great a need to offer the prayer always that he can no
longer live without it, and it will continue to voice itself within him of its own accord.
Now do you understand what prayer without ceasing is?"

"Yes indeed, Father, and in God's name teach me how to gain the habit of it," I
cried, filled with joy. Read this book," he said. "It is called The Philokalia, and it contains the full and detailed science of constant interior prayer, set forth by twenty-five holy Fathers. The book is marked by a lofty wisdom and is so profitable to use that it is considered the foremost and best manual of the contemplative spiritual life. As the revered Nicephorus said, 'It leads one to salvation without labor and sweat."

The old man explained all this to me and illustrated its meaning. We went on reading from The Philokalia passages of St. Gregory of Sinai, St. Callistus, and St. Ignatius, and what we read from the book the teacher explained in his own words. I listened closely and with great delight, fixed it in my memory, and tried as far as possible to remember every detail. In this way we spent the whole night together and went to matins without having slept at all. The teacher sent me away with his blessing and told me that while learning the prayer I must always come back to him and tell him everything, making a very frank confession and report; for the inward process could not go on properly and successfully without the guidance of a teacher.”

It is interesting to note that the teacher here instructs the pilgrim on the importance of the guidance of a spiritual master. The practice of the Jesus Prayer here, as we shall see later, mirrors the practice of a sādhana-bhakta who follows the Vaishnava practice of hari-nama, or taking the holy name of Krishna. It is instructive to see how closely the teachings of the Russian spiritual master parallel the Vaishnava practice of mantra-yoga.

In the Way of a Pilgrim, the truth-seeker describes how he began his practice, and some of the difficulties he faced on the path:
“And in this manner I took up my abode and began to learn interior prayer in the way I had been shown, and to go to see my teacher from time to time. For a week, alone in my garden, I steadily set myself to learn to pray without ceasing exactly as the starets had explained. At first things seemed to go very well. But then it tired me very much. I felt lazy and bored and overwhelmingly sleepy, and a cloud of all sorts of other thoughts closed round me. I went in distress to my teacher and told
him the state I was in.”

The pilgrim approaches his spiritual master for further guidance:
He greeted me in a friendly way and said, "My dear brother, it is the attack of the world of darkness upon you. To that world, nothing is worse than heartfelt prayer on our part. And it is trying by every means to hinder you and to turn you aside from learning the prayer. But all the same the enemy does only what God sees fit to allow, and no more than is necessary for us. It would appear that you need a further testing of your humility, and that it is too soon, therefore, for your unmeasured zeal to approach the loftiest entrance to the heart. You might fall into spiritual covetousness. I will read you a little instruction from The Philokalia upon such cases."

Note that the teacher’s guidance is given in a friendly way. The teacher is not an autocratic figure or absolute authority, but a friend who gives guidance on the path. The teacher here asks his student to persevere and to avoid negative thoughts. The teacher continues his advice.

He turned to the teaching of Nicephorus and read, " 'If after a few attempts you do not succeed in reaching the realm of your heart in the way you have been taught, do what I am about to say, and by God's help you will find what you seek. The faculty of pronouncing words lies in the throat. Reject all other thoughts (you can do this if you will) and allow that faculty to repeat only the following words constantly, "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me." Compel yourself to do it always. If you succeed for a time, then without a doubt your heart also will open to prayer. We know it from
experience.'

The teacher does not claim absolute knowledge, but suggests that his student follow the advice of the ancient masters, referring to scripture. He initiates his student into the practice of japa, telling the prayer on beads while praying internally. He gives him a goal: 3,000 prayers a day.

"There you have the teaching of the holy Fathers on such cases," said my spiritual master, “and therefore you ought from today onward to carry out my directions with confidence, and repeat the prayer of Jesus as often as possible. Here is a rosary. Take it, and to start with say the prayer three thousand times a day. Whether you are standing or sitting, walking or lying down, continually repeat 'Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.'

Not only is the student to repeat the name, but to do it meaningfully.



“Say it quietly and without hurry, but without fail exactly three thousand times a day without deliberately increasing or diminishing the number. God will help you and by this means you will reach also the unceasing activity of the heart." I gladly accepted this guidance and went home and began to carry out faithfully and exactly what my starets had bidden. For two days I found it rather difficult, but after that it became so easy and likeable, that as soon as I stopped, I felt a sort of need to go on saying the prayer of Jesus, and I did it freely and willingly, not forcing myself to it as before. I reported to my starets, and he bade me say the prayer six thousand times a day, saying, "Be calm, just try as faithfully as possible to carry out the set number of prayers. God will vouchsafe you His grace."

The pilgrim takes his guru’s advice seriously and begins to enter into the prayer more deeply:

In my lonely hut I said the prayer of Jesus six thousand times a day for a whole week. I felt no anxiety. Taking no notice of any other thoughts however much they assailed me, I had but one object, to carry out my starets's bidding exactly. And what happened? I grew so used to my prayer that when I stopped for a single moment I felt, so to speak, as though something were missing, as though I had lost something. The very moment I started the prayer again, it went on easily and joyously. If I met
anyone I had no wish to talk to him. All I wanted was to be alone and to say my prayer, so used to it had I become in a week.

The truth-seeker comes to the conclusion that the Jesus Prayer for mercy contains within it the Gospel and the teachings of Christ:

"It's all one and the same thing," I answered. "What the Gospel is, that the prayer of Jesus is also, for the Divine Name of Jesus Christ holds in itself the whole Gospel truth. The holy Fathers say that the prayer of Jesus is a summary of the Gospels."

The truth-seeker’s practice closely resembles the yoga breathing exercises or pranayama known and practiced in India:

When drawing the air in I looked in spirit into my heart and said, "Lord Jesus Christ," and when breathing out again, I said, "Have mercy on me." I did this at first for an hour at a time, then for two hours, then for as long as I could, and in the end almost all day long.

As the pilgrim deepens his practice, questions arise. He augments his practice by consulting the reflections found in the book given him by his spiritual master.

If any difficulty arose, if sloth or doubt came upon me, I hastened to take up The Philokalia and read again those parts which dealt with the work of the heart, and then once more I felt ardor and zeal for the prayer.

As the pilgrim realizes the value of his practice and the teachings of the “Love for Beauty” book, the Philokalia, he begins to teach it to others. When questioned about his practice by others, he recommends the reading of the book given him by his guru. He describes how he introduced others to the Jesus Prayer and the Philokalia and the benefits of practicing the holy name.:

“In the Philokalia you will find a full and complete study of how to reach the spiritual prayer of Jesus in the mind and heart also, and taste the sweet fruit of it.' At the same time I showed him my Philokalia. I saw that he was pleased to have this advice of mine, and he promised that he would get a copy for himself. And in my own mind I dwelt upon the wonderful ways in which the power of God is shown in this prayer. What wisdom and teaching there was in that book. I taught the prayer to the boy, and as a means of consolation, it became a help to him. Truly boundless is the love of God for us sinners. Is it not marvelous that so small an action—yes, just taking his rosary out of his pocket and carrying it in his hand and calling once upon the name of God—should give a man his life? In the scales of judgment upon men one short moment of calling upon Jesus Christ outweighs many hours of sloth. In truth, here is the repayment with gold. Do you see, brother, how powerful prayer is and how mighty the name of Jesus when we call upon it? St. John Karpathisky in The Philokalia says that when in the prayer of Jesus we call upon the holy name and say, 'Have mercy on me, a sinner,' then to every such petition the voice of God answers in secret, 'Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.' And he goes on to say that when we say the prayer there is at that moment nothing to distinguish us from the saints, confessors, and martyrs. For, as St. Chrysostom says, 'Prayer, although we are full of sin when we utter it, immediately cleanses us. God's loving-kindness to us is great, yet we sinners are listless, are not willing to give even one small hour to God in thanksgiving, and barter the time of prayer, which is more important than anything, for the bustle and cares of living, forgetting God and our duty. For that reason we often meet with misfortunes and calamities, yet even these the all-loving providence of God uses for our instruction and to turn our hearts to Him.”

Srila Prabhupada was being generous in his comparison of the name of Christ and Krishna. While there are many similarities between the Christos and Krishna conceptions, there are also some important differences. In the interest of ecumenical harmony we may accentuate the similarities. But the question will come, “If Krishna and Christos are the same, why not just go on with the worship of Christ? What need is there for any other conception?”



The answer may be found in the teachings of another great spiritual master, Swami B.R. Shridhar. He takes up this question in the Search for Shri Krishna.

When asked about Christ, he pointed out that there are different gradations of conception when contemplating the reality of divinity. Christianity is interested in the power and glory of God, whereas followers of Krishna are interested in the Love and Beauty conception.



Here’s an excerpt from Search for Sri Krishna:

Question: Christians think that if we are to be sincere, we should follow the Bible. We take very literally the word of Christ.
Śrīdhar Mahārāj: Yes, according to one’s capacity he may be enlisted in a particular class. Some will go to Christianity, and after finishing that, if their hankering is still unsatisfied, they will seek somewhere else, thinking, “What is God? I want to know more perfectly.”

Śridhara Mahārāja tells the story of Professor Nixon, a World War I flyer who had a near-death experience:

“In this regard, I can give one example: there was a Professor Nixon in England. He went to fight against Germany in the First World War, on the French side. As he was flying over the German lines, his airplane was hit, and began to fall. He saw that the plane would fall on the German lines. When I met him here in India, he told me, “At that time, I prayed, ‘If there is any God, let Him save me, and I promise that if I do not die in this plane crash, I will go to search after Him. I will devote my whole life in search of Him.”

The plane crashed, and when Professor Nixon regained consciousness, he found that he was behind the French lines, in a hospital in France. At that time, He thought to himself, “There is God! He has heard my last prayer.” When his wounds were healed, he went straight to England to see some churchmen. He told them, “I want to search after God, and engage myself twenty-four hours a day in the cause of His service. I want to see Him face to face.”

The intensity of Professor Nixon’s need to know God led him to India:

“He saw many clergymen and even some bishops, and they ultimately advised him, ‘If you want to see God face to face, then go to India.’ “We cannot recommend such a process to you. But we have heard that in India there are yogīs who internally connect with the Lord in the heart. You may try your fortune there.” So, he came here to India, where he met the Vice-Chancellor of Lucknow University. In talking with him, Professor Nixon met the Vice-Chancellor’s wife, who was a Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava, a devotee of Mahāprabhu. 

Professor Nixon, Swami Krishna Prema

He was so much charmed by her advice that he accepted her as his Guru. Finally he took sannyās (the renounced order of life), and his name became Swāmī Kṛṣṇa Prema. He established a temple here in India, and preached about bhāgavata-dharma, and Mahāprabhu. https://www.theosophical.org/publications/quest-magazine/2754



He made a comparative study of all religions, beginning from Christianity, and gradually came to Vaiṣṇavism, attracted by Mahāprabhu’s gift. One German scholar also said, “In all the religious conceptions of the world, the conception of twenty-four hour engagement with God (aṣṭakālīya-līlā) has never been given. I have studied all religious theologies, but none could even conceive of twenty-four hour service to the Supreme Lord. It is only given in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.”
Rūpa Goswāmī has given the scientific representation of Kṛṣṇa: akhila-rasāmṛta-mūrtiḥ. 



He is the reservoir of all possible pleasures. All possible tendencies for satisfaction that we may feel, and even those that we may not feel are present in Kṛṣṇa and have their ideal, purest satisfaction with Him alone. He is all-accommodating and all-comprehensive. Whatever satisfaction our inner heart demands can be fulfiled only by Him.”

Divine Sound and the Holy Name I

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the cult of the holy name has been an esoteric practice at least from the time of St. John Chrystostom of Greece. The Early Church Father, born in 349 AD was the Archinishop of Constantinople. While he was known for his golden-tongued oratory and his denunciation of abuses by Church authorities, he is perhaps best known as a contributor to the Philokalia, an important theological work in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. While Chrysostom was an initiator of the cult of the holy name in Orthodox Christianity, the Philokalia was collected by different spiritual masters of the Orthodox tradition somewhere between the 4th and 15th centuries.

In the 18th centuries two Greek monks, Saint Nicodemus and Saint Makarios, gathered the texts and reflections that form the basis of the Philokalia and had them published at Venice in 1782. The text was originally pubished in Greek. But it is the Russian translation of the book that was to capture the imagination of the Eastern world. Paisi Velichkovsky, the translator, was a Russian monk who had visited the Holy Mountin of Athos where Nicodemus had lived an worked. Velichovsky appreciated the transcendental character of the work and translated a section of the work into Slavic. His selection was published in Moscow in 1793 with the title Dobrotolubiye.

A popular novel, The Way of the Pilgrim, or The Pilgrim’s Tale incorporated this fragment of the Philokalia into its story. The Way of the Pilgrim recounts the story of a spiritual truth-seeker and pilgrim who wanders through Russia while chanting the holy name of Jesus, in the formula first mentioned in the Philokalia. The pilgrim carries with him a copy of the fragment of Philokalia referred to above as the Dorbrotolubiye.

The fictional story of the pilgrim serves as a device for exploring the Philokalia’s teachings about constant inner prayer, using the holy name of God, as well as surrender.

The version of the holy name prayer found in The Way of the Pilgrim was widely read and known in 19th Century Russia. Sections of the book may have served as a model for Dostoyevksy’s own Father Zossima in The Brothers Karamazov.

A Russian Pilgrim

The religious passion that animates the Way of a Pilgrim resonates through the novels of Tolstoy and Dostoyevksy, and echoes though even such modern works as Pasternak and Solzhenitsyn. The Way of the Pilgrim unfolds a profound mystical initiation into the ecstasy and reality of the Kingdom of God promised by Jesus Christ and promises to raise the practitioner up into a transcendental state of divine knowledge and love.

Father Zossima

In his foreword to “The Way of a Pilgrim” the Jesus Prayer Journey--Annotated and Explained, translated by Gleb Pokrovsky, 2013, Andrew Harvey explains his experience, comparing the Jesus prayer with the practice of chanting japa he had discovered in India:

“In India I had encountered for the first time the practice of japa--of repeating the name of God in the heart--and now realized that in the Jesus prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me,” the Eastern Orthodox tradition had made the same simple, all-transforming discovery of the power of the divine name.

The ecstasies and revelations of the anonymous narrator of the Way of a Pilgrim were no less profound and poignant than those that had so shaken me in Mirabai, Kabir, and Toukaram, the great hindu and Sufi mystics the discovery of whom had changed my life. And in the string of quotes from the Philokalia--from figures such as Symeon the New Theologicn, Isaac the Syrian and Gregory Palamas--then totally unknown to me--I recognized the pure sober note of mystical certainty and rigor that had thrilled me in the Bhagavad-Gita and the Upanishads.”

The esoteric path followed in the Way of a Pilgrim is not to be penetrated by the uninitiated. The pilgrim or truth-seeker is unsatisfied in his quest until he meets a starets--the Russian equivalent of a mystic holy man of guru. Since his attempts were unguided forays into wisdom before meeting the starets, the pilgrim could not enter into the secrets of a holy life. Mere curiosity wasn’t sufficient for divine illumination. But as the spiritual mentor guides the steps of the pilgrim, he understands the need for humility and surrender. The guru instructs him, “It is the humble, simple heart that attains to such prayer, through poverty of the spirit and a living experience of it.” The pilgrim’s surrender to God and his communion through prayer is realized through constantly taking the holy name.

J.D. Salinger

The Way of a Pilgrim might have been consigned to the dusty back shelves of used book stores and university libraries had it not been for the writing of J.D. Salinger. Salinger was the notoriously reclusive author of The Catcher in the Rye, a short novel about a crazy mixed-up teenager in the 1950s. While disarmingly adolescent in its appeal, the novel was originally written for adults. Salinger had been shell-shocked during the Second World War and returned shaken from the violence. His maladjusted teenager was a metaphor for the adults who had been devastated by the ravages of war. The World War II generation, the “Greatest Generation” fought and defeated Hitler’s program of genocide, but returned marked and wounded by the experience.

Postwar America did its best to console itself with cheap gasoline, TV comedies, and Rock and Roll, but the psychological damage had been done. Salinger’s promising career never really quite gelled as he never overcame the trauma from the war. Salinger was present at the liberation of the Dachau death-camp and later told his daughter, “you could live a lifetime and never really get the smell of burning flesh out of your nostrils.” He invested the dark traumatic psychology of war-torn Europe in the psyche of his adolescent hero, Holden Caulfield.

"Rebel without a Cause" James Dean

His book’s “troubled teen” syndrome was an instant hit. Holden Caulfield exemplified the 50s teenage "Rebel without a Cause," later incarnated by James Dean. Catcher in the Rye continues to sell millions and is often assigned reading in high school lit classes, both for its breezy prose and conversational style as for its theme of maladapted youth. His criticism of “phony” people hit home. Holden Caulfield became the emblem of existential teenage angst for generations. But fans of Salinger waited in vain for a follow-up book that would equal or surpass Catcher in the Rye. Salinger never published a major novel after his initial offering.

Readers who loved Catcher in the Rye waited years for a sequel or a new novel, only to be offered a curious short story, called Franny. Later published as a small book with the novella Zooey under the title Franny and Zooey, Franny tells another story of teenage angst. This time the protagonist is an intellectual college undergraduate, a young woman, who, estranged by the phoniness of the consumer society around her suffers a nervous breakdown. In the story, she escapes her tension and anxiety by following the spiritual discipline explained in a book she’s reading, The Way of a Pilgrim.

Just as the truth-seeking pilgrim in the story carries with him the Dorbrotolubiye given him by his mentor, Franny carries in her handbag The Way of the Pilgrim and takes shelter of the Jesus Prayer when she can no longer tolerate the hypocrisy of American middle class society in the 1950s. Franny is concerned with overcoming ego, I'm sick of not having the courage to be an absolute nobody,” she says, “I’m just sick of ego, ego, ego. My own and everybody else’s. I’m sick of everybody that wants to get somewhere, do something distinguished and all, be somebody interesting. It’s disgusting.” 

In an attempt to achieve some modicum of psychic peace, Salinger had gone from Jewish mysticism to Zen Buddhism to the teachings of the Bengali mystic Ramkrishna and Kriya-yoga. Just as Franny recovered her composure by taking shelter of the Jesus prayer, Salinger himself is rumored to have passed hours in meditation, intoning the ancient mantras of the Vedas. His reclusive life precludes our entering too deeply into his own mystic search for the truth, but it is quite clear that this quintessential of American authors, whose work is required reading for high school students everywhere, took great interest not only in the Christian mystic tradition of the holy name, but also in its far more profound Hindu version, the chanting of the holy name of Krishna.

Salinger’ Franny explains the power of the Jesus Prayer in the voice of an undergraduate student sharing a soda with a friend, "Anyway," she went on, "the starets tells the pilgrim that if you keep saying that prayer over and over again—you only have to just do it with your lips at first—then eventually what happens, the prayer becomes self-active.

Something happens after a while. I don't know what, but something happens, and the words get synchronized with the person's heartbeats, and then you're actually praying without ceasing. Which has a really tremendous, mystical effect on your whole outlook. I mean that's the whole point of it, more or less. I mean you do it to purify your whole outlook and get an absolutely new conception of what everything's about."

This dialogue takes place in a restaurant. Franny tries to explain to her boyfriend how mysticism works, while he eats a plate of Frog’s legs and she smokes.

"As a matter of fact, that makes absolute sense," Franny said, "because in the Nembutsu sects of Buddhism, people keep saying 'Namu Amida Butsu' over and over again—which means 'Praises to the Buddha' or something like that— and the same thing happens. The exact same—"

If you keep in mind that Franny was published in 1955, this dialogue seems quite advanced, considering that a friend of mine was recently arrested in Russia for discussing yoga.

"You get to see God. Something happens in some absolutely nonphysical part of the heart— where the Hindus say that Atman resides, if you ever took any Religion—and you see God, that's all." She flicked her cigarette ash self-consciously, just missing the ashtray. She picked up the ash with her fingers and put it in. "And don't ask me who or what God is. I mean I don't even know if He exists. When I was little, I used to think—"

She stopped. The waiter had come to take away the dishes and redistribute menus.

"You want some dessert, or coffee?" Lane asked.

Salinger did his best to hide from publicity, from the press and from the outside world, living as a recluse in upstate New York and dedicating himself to religious study. It is said that he may have come in connection with the teachings of A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swāmī Prabhupāda who advocated a life of strict discipline and dedication to the chanting of the holy name.

Bhaktivedānta Swami first came to New York in the 1960s where his Hare Krishna movement influenced poets like Alan Ginsburg, Bob Dylan, and later the Beatles.

Poets of the Beat with Dylan and Alan Ginsberg

But perhaps his influence was most deeply felt on J.D. Salinger whose fascination with the holy name had already become manifest in his novels. If the key to enlightenment expressed in Philokalia and the Way of a Pilgrim involved humility, surrender, and constant absorption in the holy name, Bhaktivedānta Swāmi stressed exactly these elements to his students and in his books.

Poet Alan Ginsberg with spiritual leader Bhaktivedanta Swami

Bhaktivedānta Swami was a tireless exponent of the holy name of Krishna and left behind volumes of writings supporting the thesis that the holy name gives deliverance from all evil. In support of this thesis, for example, he quotes from different authorities. You may find the following in his writings.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura quotes the following verses from the scriptures:

नाम्नो हि यावती शक्तिः पाप-निर्हरणे हरेः

तावत् कर्तुं न शक्नोति पातकं पातकी नरः

nāmno hi yāvatī śaktiḥ pāpa-nirharaṇe hareḥ
tāvat kartuṁ na śaknoti pātakaṁ pātakī naraḥ

बृहद्-विष्णु पुराण

"Simply by chanting one holy name of Hari, a sinful man can counteract the reactions to more sins than he can commit." (Bṛhad-viṣṇu Purāṇa)

अवशेनापि यन्-नाम्नि कीर्तिते सर्व-पातकैः

पुमान् विमुच्यते सद्यः सिंह-त्रस्तैर् मृगैर् इव

avaśenāpi yan-nāmni kīrtite sarva-pātakaiḥ
pumān vimucyate sadyaḥ siṁha-trastair mṛgair iva

गरुड पुराण

"If one chants the holy name, even in a helpless condition or without desiring to do so, all of one's sinful reactions immediately depart, just as a lion's roar causes the small animals in the forest to flee in fear." (Garuḍa Purāṇa)

सकृद् उच्चारितं येन हरिर् इत्य् अक्षर-द्वयम्

बद्ध-परिकरस् तेन मोक्षाय गमनं प्रति

sakṛd uccāritaṁ yena harir ity akṣara-dvayam
baddha-parikaras tena mokṣāya gamanaṁ prati

स्कन्द पुराण

"A person who once chants the holy name of the Lord, consisting of the two syllables ha-ri, guarantees his path to liberation." (Skanda Purāṇa)

Bhaktivedānta Swāmi founded a worldwide association of truth-seekers dedicated to the chanting of the holy name Kṛṣṇa, the Personal Godhead. The movement's main purpose is to promote the well-being of human society by teaching the science of God consciousness (Kṛṣṇa consciousness) according to the timeless Vedic scriptures of India. But while the ancient Vedic scriptures define universal truths and values, the Godhead may be known by many names, according to His different qualities and activities. In the Bible he is known as Jehovah ("the almighty one"), in the Koran as Allah ("the great one").

The Way of a Pilgrim and the Philokalia advocate the Jesus Prayer and the taking of the holy name in that way. The ancient Bhagavad-gītā reveals God as Kṛṣṇa. The world Krishna means “infinite beauty, infinite love.” a Sanskrit name meaning "the all-attractive one." There are many conceptions of the infinite--infinite time, infinite space, infinite power. But these are external to the ultimate reality. Infinite love attracts infinite love and surrender infinitely and irresistably. The holy name calls upon God’s mercy and his mercy and love are infinite. This is the most elevated concept of infinite--divine love. And one who calls upon that divine love by immersing herself in the holy name of God--be it, Krishna or Christ--will ultimately achieve the goal.

Bhaktivedānta recommended the chanting and vibration of the holy name of Krishna: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This is transcendental sound vibration. It will help us to cleanse the dust from the mirror of the mind. At the present moment we have accumulated so much material dust on the mirror of the mind, and as a consequence we are unable to see things in perspective. This vibration of transcendental sound (the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra) will cleanse away this dust and enable us to see clearly our real constitutional position. As our consciousness is purified by this process of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, all our material miseries will disappear.

Dandi wins case!

Good news. Dandi Swami innocent.  All charges dropped. Russians may practice Yoga... for now. 

The Gandharva

In my last post, I mentioned the story of the Pandavas and the Kurus and how they met the Gandharva warriors.  I remember the tale as told to me by my Guru Mahārāja, B.R. Śrīdhara. The way he told it, we must overcome sectarian differences to find unity among brothers, even when the family differences are strong. I have adapted this section from my memories of his telling the tale and by consulting the excellent translation of K.M. Ganguli, which is in the public domain. This is a retelling of the Mahābharata I've been working on. I hope you find it to your satisfaction.

The Pandavas. Left to right: Bhima, kneeling with mace, Yudhisthira seated with Draupadi, Arjuna on the Right. The twins, Nakula and Sahadeva in back.

Krishna meets with the Pandavas in Exile in the Forest

And so it was that Markandeya spent a long time in the forest, with Krishna and Satyabhama, the Pandavas and all the gathered saints and spoke at great length about the purpose of life citing many examples and stories from the ancient histories and Puranas. He discussed the importance of brahmanas and the rules for kings as well as the proper conduct for women. And when it came time for him to leave, he departed into the deep heart of the forest.

And Krishna also, the slayer of Madhu, also called Janardana, having conversed at great length for many days with the sons of Pandu and with those brahmanas headed by Markandeya, mounted his golden chariot and called for Satyabhama. Satyabhama was sad to say goodbye to Draupadi and told her, “O thou of black eyes, it has been foretold that one day you will rule Hastinapura in peace with your husbands. So be it.” And so saying bade them farewell, mounting the chariot of  Krishna. And Krishna, vanished into the woods just as a lightning flash that appears in the sky briefly and then disappears.

With the end of Krishna’s visit, the sons of Pandu moved once again through the forest until the had reached the lake and woods known as Dwaita.

Now it came to pass that a learned brahmana had been following the company of the Pandavas for some time.

A Brahmana in Hastinapura

And so it came to pass, that one day that brahmana left the forest and the Pandavas behind, and in his wanderings came to Hastinapura. There he was received by the old blind King, Dhritarasthra.  And when the king asked him about his adventures, seeking truth in the universe, the brahmana replied that he had spent time in the forest with the exiled Yudhisthira.

With this the blind King took a great interest and so the brahmana who was an excellent storyteller described the sons of Pandu. He told the King that they were weak and emaciated from fasting and from performing penances and austerities in the forest. Shadows of their former selves they were reduced going to exposure to wind and sun. And hearing this the old blind King took pity on them, and was afflicted with grief to think that those royal princes were now swimming in a river of sorrow.

He asked, "and how is Yudhisthira?"

The brahmana described what he'd seen. He told of how Arjuna had returned from the heavenly planets armed with godly weapons: how he was readier than ever to march against the Kurus in deadly battle. How Bhima had sent many a ghostly warrior and many of forest monster to the court of death. He mentioned that the twins spent hours daily readying themselves for war. He told of how Yudhisthira had spoken with Krishna and that the Pandavas now had many allies: The Vrishnis, the Madhus, and even Yakshas and Rakshasas, friends of Bhima's son Ghatotkacha. He spoke of Bhima's alliance with Hanuman and the godly weapons bestowed by Shiva, Vayu, and Indra. He explained that while the sons of Pandu had suffered various kinds of hardships, they were now hardened by experience and readier than ever for war.

And thanking the brahmana, giving him arms, and sending him on his way, the blind King went to his son Duryodhana and told him everything. Duryodhana in his turn sought counsel with Shakuni and Karna. And in this way by discussion they began to make a conspiracy.

And Shakuni argued that the best course would be to attack the Pandavas in the forest, now while they were weak.  He said, "Your rivals the Pandavas have been exiled to the forest lo these long years. And so you rule the kingdom of Hastinapura alone. Yudhisthira and his brothers have been forgotten and are nothing more than the stuff of legends, while the people love you and kings from north and south offer you treasure in tribute. Now is the time to consolidate your power. Let us ride forth into the forest with a huge entourage of followers. You can ride with your queens dressed in fine silks of gold thread. And when the starving and miserable Draupadi, dressed in rags and deerskins beholds the opulence of our retinue she will be humiliated and tear her hair in despair.  We shall humiliate the Pandavas with our wealth.  And by so doing either they will be so disheartened that they will renounce the idea of war, or so feverish that they shall attack us unprepared. When they attack we shall waste them and cut them down like so many dried sheafs of wheat after the harvest.”

A Plot is hatched

And hearing the words of the clever Shakuni, the cruel Duryodhana took heart and said, “I like this. This is a good plan. But what of my father the king. He is always melancholy and rues the day we exiled the Pandavas. He feels sympathy for Yudhisthira and his brothers. I don’t think he will allow us to penetrate the forest where they are exiled. And he has the backing of Drona our military guru and of Bhishma the great grand-father of us all. O clever Shakuni, we need a pretext to go into that forest.”

Karna said, “Our herds of cattle are passing through that very forest. What if we go under the pretext of caring for the many cows and bulls that wander there now?”

“Brilliant!” said Shakuni. “The very idea I was looking for. The king shall surely give us permission to care after our kine.”

And so the three laughed and rubbed their hands with glee. The plot was set and they planned on the humiliation of the Pandavas.

And so they went off to see the king, Dhritarastra. They sat in the throne room, asking after his health when their cowherd, Samanga, entered. On a sign from Duryodhana, Samanga turned the conversation to cows and their needs and began to talk of how the herd was stranded in the Dwaita forest. Karna joined the talk. Careful not to mention the Pandavas, he went on about the importance of cow protection. He turned to his friend Duryodhana and said, “O Kaurava, our cattle-stations are now set in a delightful place in the Dwaita forest. Some of the cows are calving. It is an auspicious time to visit them, now that we are in the holy month of Kartikka. The hunting is very good right now after the rainy season and many stags are running free.”

And Dhritarasthra said, “Yes, this is an excellent time there for cow protection and for hunting the wild boars and stags that range free there. But we have heard that those great souls, the Pandavas, have made their home there. After all, they were cheating of their kingdom by deceitful means. It would be a shame to offend them. I do not think it good that you disturb or offend them.”

Shakuni said, “King Yudhisthira is the very emblem of righteousness. Why would he be disturbed if we are engaged in the protection of our own cows? And his brothers follow him, knowing that his decision is true. I don’t think they will be angry with us. Anyway, we are all interested in a good hunt, but we won’t go that way. We will avoid any clash with the Pandavas and will stay away from their camp.”

And having listened the the expert arguments of the clever Shakuni, Dhritarastra gave his permission for a hunting picnic to take place in the Dwaita forest, near where the Pandavas held their camp, provinding Yudhisthira and his brothers were not disturbed.

In this way, Duryodhana, the son of Gandhari set out for the Dwaita forest accompanied by Karna and surrounded by a large host.  Shakuni and Dushasana went with him as well as many other armed prince. The entourage included many ladies of the court dressed in their finery. They set out with many elephants and horses, foot-soldiers and body-guards, as well as many shops and pavilions and traders eager to do business in the great picnic in the Dwaita woods.  Slowly they left Hastinapura behind and wended their way down the road to the great Kamyaka forest. Gradually Duryodhana’s company approached the woods and leaving behind the king’s paved road and the dust and clamour of the city, they entered that sylvan paradise of verdant groves and flowery vales.  And moving from one grove to another, King Duryodhana with  many followers and vehicles penetrated the Kamayaka forest and entered the Dwaita woods.  The long train of followers was astonishing to behold with its many horses and elephants, soldiers ready for battle and brilliant chariot cars. Duryodhana rode at the head along with Karna and Dushashana and their uncle, Shakuni. The cowherd Samanga was their guide and showed them where their cattle-stations were and where the cows were grazing. They reached a delightful shady area with trees and water and began raising tents and pavilions with all the comforts of a palace.  They spent the night there and the next day King Duryodhana set out along with his brothers and inspected the cows and bulls that grazed in that part of the forest.  In this way they marked the bulls and cowsf with special marks, counting all the three-year-old calves. And in the evening the princes along with the cowherds played different sports and picnicked there. The herdsmen played their pipes and drums and danced and sang. They ate lavishly, and then, as the moon rose over the woods, sylvan virgins decked in jewels sported with the son of Dhritarastra, assuring his every princely satisfaction.  And the following day the king surrounded by the ladies of the court gave wealth in charity, and lavished food and drink upon all.

The cruel Duryodhana loved hunting and slaying animals of all kinds and sported by killing hyenas and buffaloes and deer and wild bear who inhabited those hillls. In this way Duryodhana and his followers despoiled that forest, cutting down trees to enjoy the beehives whose fine honey intoxicated his followers and their ladies.   He pierced many an animal with  fast-flying darts from his bow. They chased the blue-throated jays from the trees and ran and sported everywhere. Finally they beheld the wonderful lake, Dwaitayana, near the place where the Pandavas and Draupadi had made their camp. And when his  spies had confirmed  that indeed the Pandavas were near, Duryodhana ordered his men saying, “Let pavilions and pleasure house be constructed here near this lakeside with great splendour and opulence, and spurning no opportunity to humiliate the Pandavas.”

The Gandharvas are not pleased

But as Duryodhana’s men began entering the woods near the lakeshore with the purpose of collecting wood for construction they were turned back by a number of Gandharvas who forbade them to enter, saying, “Dear sirs, the King of the Gandharvas is now within these woods sporting with the celestial apsaras, the courtly dancing girls of heaven. It is not an auspicious time to enter.”

 Now Gandharvas are godlike beings with mystic powers and it is best to avoid offending them. But Duryodhana did not heed the warnings of his men and ordered his soldiers saying, “Punish those wretches who wish to oppose my will.”

And hearing these words of Duryodhana his officers and sons, endowed with great strength, armed for battle and rushed at the Gandharvas who had been guarding the gates of the woods near the lake.

The Gandharvas, upon seeing that warlike host, gently forbade them to enter. But the Kuru soldiers disregarded them and began advancing into the woods, prepared to chop down trees, gather wood, hunt the boars and deers there, and do the will of their master, the cruel king Duryodhana.  So when the Gandharvas realized that the warriors of Duryodhana could not be stopped by words they went to their king, Chitrasena. Chitrasena, upon hearing of the madness and pride of Duryodhana, became enraged, saying, “Punish these miserable curs. Advance and make war.”

Gandharvas versus duryodhana

With this the Gandharvas took up weapons against the followers of Duryodhana and rushed their ranks.

With this the Gandharvas took up weapons against the followers of Duryodhana and rushed their ranks. The soldiers fled they had ran back to Duryodhana. They told the Duryodhana everything that the fierce Gandharva had said. And Duryodhana became enraged. He said, "Punish them. Ride forth and slay them." And so it was that the Army of the sons of Dhirtarastra wrote in their chariots to destroy the Gandharvas. The Gandharva's rushed towards the followers of Duryodhana with the upraised weapons vibrating divine mantras. And the sight of those celestial warriors was such that the Kuru soldiers turned and fled the field of battle. Only the heroic Karna stood his ground. And seeing the mighty host of Gandharvas rushing toward him thirsty for blood, Karna dispatched many of them to the land of the dead. With great dexterity and a light hand he struck down hundreds of soldiers using different kinds of arrows and weapons made of bone and steel. The great warrior made many Gandharva's heads roll, causing panic in their ranks.

And as the troops of Chitrasena were slain in battle, that Gandharva King became enraged and led his warriors forth to crush the army of the kurus. Chitrasena was determined to exterminate the kurus. And being celestial creatures born of the gods the Gandharva's employed there mystic powers and weapons of illusion. With this the kuru warriors were stripped of their senses. They were confused and saw Gandharva's on all sides's pressing them with their sharp weapons. Terrified by the onslaught of Chitrasena the soldiers who had so valiantly supported Karna his attack now turned and fled. Karna himself fought valiantly, but soon the Gandharva warrior's fell upon him in close combat with swords and battle axes and spirits. They smashed the axle of his chariot, and stampeded his horses. They cut down the umbrella of his chariot and destroyed it, breaking his chariot in half. Karna leapt from his chariot, sword and shield in hand. He ran to his friend Vikarna's chariot and to his shame fled the battle.

And as he ran from the battle King Duryodhana himself entered the fray, speeding through the ranks and his chariot and laying down a curtain of fierce arrows. But the Gandharvas paid no heed to his iron darts, but closing upon him cut his chariot into pieces. They killed his horses and driver and shattered his car with their battle axes. All at once the great King of the Gandharvas, Chitrasena himself grabbed Duryodhana by the hair. He seized him with such strength that it appeared that he had torn the very soul from his body. In the same way the Gandharvas arrested Dushasana and the clever Shakuni and took them to their camp.

the pandavas react

And as this was taking place on the battlefield, those soldiers who had fled from the action raced to the ashram of Yudhisthira. And before the proud Bhima and Arjuna, they fell on their knees and prayed for the protection of the Pandavas. Their eyes bulged from their head in terror and sweat dripped from therefore heads as they recounted the events on the field.

"The mighty armed son of Dhirtarastra has been taken captive by the warlike Gandharvas. And now that King, his brothers headed by Dushasana, as well as their queens and all the ladies of the royal xourt are being dragged away in chains. Help us oh my brothers! Only you can save us."

And so the followers of Duryodhana, mad with grief, fell at the feet of the Pandavas and begged for help. The mighty Bhima shook his sides with laughter. He said, "What we might have done with great labor the Gandharva has done for us. It seems to me that a ruthless and deceitful King is trapped in the reactions to his own karma."

But the righteous Yudhisthira turned to his brother and said, "Hold thy tongue. After all, Duryodhana is family. It is true that there is dissension between us, and that we are five against his 100. But, when we are attacked from without, we are 105. Let us ride forth in the chariots that were left behind. We shall see how they deal with the powerful right arm of Arjuna."

And even then, Arjuna himself said, "if the Gandharvas do not surrender and release the son of Dhirtarastra, then I swear by my powerful right arm that this day the earth shall drink the blood of their King."

The pleasure pavilions and tents with different goods and wares were all surrendered to the protection of the Pandavas as were horses, elephants, foot-soldiers, chariots, bows, arrows, and all the weapons of Duryodhana’s royal entourage. The Pandavas prepared themselves for war encasing themselves in chain-mail decorated with gold and armed with celestial weapons of all kinds. And cheered by the words of Yudhisthira, Bhima led the warriors into battle. The Kuru army reformed with a mighty should with Bhima and Arjuna at their head.

They rode into battle against the Gandharvas who were heady with victory. Yudhisthira had instructed that the Pandavas engage in a skirmish only to demonstrate the force of their arms, but the Gandharvas were proud and began a murderous charge. Arjuna appealed to their good sense, reminding them that he was friends with Chitrasena, but the headstrong and reckless Gandharvas ran against him. So it was that Arjuna rained a shower of sharp arrows against them and cut down many Gandharvas. and while the sons of Pandu were only four and the Gandharvas thousands, the battle was terrible. The Gandharvas tried and failed to break the chariots of the Pandavas. And Arjuna became angry and rained celestial weapons upon the Gandharvas, using his fire weapons to burn their ranks. Bhima slew many with his own mighty bow and Nakula and Sahadeva sent many a Gandharva to the court of Yamaraja.

Finally Chitrasena himself came forward and said, “Behold! My old friend Arjuna is battling with me.”

And drawing up his chariot between the hosts, he said, “Hold! Hold thy weapons. I would speak with Arjuna.”

With this the soldiers paused their arms and watched in silence as Arjuna approached Chitrasena on the field of battle. As they grew closer they lay down their weapons and greeted each other with great friendliness, remembering their adventures among the celestials and the affair of Urvasi. Chitrasena sat in his chariot and talked to Arjuna and inquired after the health of his brothers.

And Arjuna said, “What have you against the Kurus, my friend? What is the cause of this bloodshed.”

And Chitrasena smiled, saying, “Why I heard from my spies of Duryodhana’s plan to come here and humiliate you. Indra himself, the lord of rain, your father came to me and said, ‘Capture Duryodhana and his minions. Protect my son.’ For this purpose I have come to Lake Dwaipayana and set my camp. This wicked prince even now is in chains. I shall deliver him to the court of the gods for his judgment. There is no doubt he will be executed for his crimes. I am sorry if I have caused any trouble to your or your brothers. There must be some misunderstanding. But why do you fight my Gandharva soldiers? We are your friends.”

“Release him.” said Arjuna.

“But this vain wretch has deceived and wronged both you and your lord Yudhisthira.”

Yudhisthira appeared before them on a golden chariot. “Release him.” said the king. “You have done us a great act of kindness by humiliating our enemies. But this is not your fight. In good time we shall take Hastinapura by force of arms, but the time is not yet ripe. We thank you for defending the honor of our family and of Draupadi. The envious king who wanted to humiliated us has been humiliated.”

“So be it,” said the Gandharva Chitrasena. He gave orders for his men to retire from the field of battle. Others set about freeing Duryodhana, Dushasana, and the ladies of the court. The Pandavas were pleased to see their sisters and cousins freed from the Gandharva warriors. Finally Duryodhana stepped forward, burning with envy and shame.

Yudhisthira addressed him, saying, “My child, you must avoid such rash acts in the future. The time will come when you will be judged for your deceit, but that time is not now. Return to your capital and take your men. We shall see Hastinapura again soon enough. Now go.”

And Duryodhana was overwhelmed with shame and anguish. He bend his head in grief and melancholy and, gathering his troops and entourage he left the Lake of Dwaitayana and disappeared through the forest the way he had come. He proceeded towards his city thinking of his defeat and burning with envy. On the path he met with Karna who also felt the shame of cowardice having run from the enemy. And Karna saluted him saying, “Duryodhana! You are alive. Then you have conquered the foe where I have failed. I turned and ran like a coward, but you stood your ground and prevailed. You are a true warrior, where I have been shamed by the enemy.”

duryodhana humiliated

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And Duryodhana replied, “No, Karna, it is not so. It is true that we fought hard with the Gandharvas, but I owe my life to our enemies the Pandavas. They have humiliated me once again by rescuing me from the Gandharvas who conquered us all. It was Arjuna who rescued me, having made peace with Chitrasena the lord of the Gandharvas. It is with a heavy heart that I return to Hastinapura, knowing that once again I have been bested by Arjuna and company.” And with this, Duryodhana hung his head and wept.