SB 2.3.17

Devotee: His Holiness Giriraj Swami Maharaja’s very intimate, personal associate. Whenever I hear about Svarupa Damodara, I remember Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had the same associate with him, similar name. So he is a very wonderful devotee. Let us welcome him also. Haribol.

Giriraj Swami: So my dear devotees we will read from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Two, Chapter Three: “Pure Devotional Service,” Text Seventeen.

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya,

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya,

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.

TEXT 17

āyur harati vai puṁsām

udyann astaṁ ca yann asau

tasyarte yat-kṣaṇo nīta

uttama-śloka-vārtayā

TRANSLATION

Both by rising and by setting, the sun decreases the duration of life of everyone, except one who utilizes the time by discussing topics of the all-good Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

This verse indirectly confirms the greater importance of utilizing the human form of life to realize our lost relationship with the Supreme Lord by acceleration of devotional service. 

COMMENT

So the idea is that we are already engaged in devotional service. So, we are already engaged in devotional service, but this verse says that we should accelerate our practices. Accelerate means to go faster. If you are driving a car, and you want to go faster, you step on the accelerator pedal. So the human form of life is attained after passing through eight million four hundred thousand species. It is very rare, and very precious. And the human form of life should be used for realizing our lost relationship with God. And this purport says by acceleration of devotional service. Why should we accelerate? Because we do not know how much time we have. So back to the purport.

PURPORT (continued)

Time and tide wait for no man. So the time indicated by the sunrise and the sunset will be uselessly wasted if such time is not properly utilized for realizing identification of spiritual values.

COMMENT

So, Srila Prabhupada was very expert in speaking in the language of his audience. And once he was having a discussion in his room, in Juhu with Sri Bridgerton Motta. Sri Bridgerton Motta had been the wealthiest man in what later became Pakistan, and he was married to the daughter of R.D. Birla. Srila Prabhupada said to him that in the ledger of your life, any time used in Krishna consciousness is profit, and any time used outside of Krishna consciousness is loss. So any businessman, or any person will want to maximize his profit, and minimize his loss. And so Srila Prabhupada was saying that any time used in Krishna consciousness is profit, and any time used outside of Krishna consciousness is loss. So we also should be very careful, how we use our time. Our life is made of time. So how we use our time means how we use our life. We should be very careful to use our time in Krishna consciousness. Now back to the purport. 

PURPORT (continued)

Even a fraction of the duration of life wasted cannot be compensated by any amount of gold. 

COMMENT

So at the time of death, if we want to extend our life even by a minute, by spending any amount of money, we will not be able to do so. That means that we cannot calculate the value of even one minute. So we should not waste any minute of our life, outside of Krishna consciousness. 

PURPORT (continued)

Even a fraction of the duration of life wasted cannot be compensated by any amount of gold. Human life is simply awarded to a living entity (jīva) so that he can realize his spiritual identity and his permanent source of happiness. A living being, especially the human being, is seeking happiness because happiness is the natural situation of the living entity.

COMMENT

The Vedanta sutra says ānanda-mayo ‘bhyāsāt—the absolute truth is full of bliss, and we are parts and parcels of the absolute truth. So by nature we are also joyful. And so we are also always naturally seeking happiness. 

PURPORT (continued)

A living being, especially the human being, is seeking happiness because happiness is the natural situation of the living entity. But he is vainly seeking happiness in the material atmosphere. 

COMMENT

So, we living entities belong to the spiritual nature and we are happy in the spiritual nature. And when we come into the material nature, we suffer. We are like a fish out of water. If you take a fish out of water and put it in a golden bowl, and fill the bowl with valuable gems, jewels, and like incenses, and spray perfumes, will the fish be happy? No, because the fish is the creature of the water. Similarly, we are creatures of the spirit and we can be happy in the spiritual atmosphere. And in the material nature, no matter how much we try to please our senses with different objects, we can never be happy. 

PURPORT (continued)

A living being is constitutionally a spiritual spark of the complete whole, and his happiness can be perfectly perceived in spiritual activities. The Lord is the complete spirit whole, and His name, form, quality, pastimes, entourage and personality are all identical with Him. Once a person comes into contact with any one of the above-mentioned energies of the Lord through the proper channel of devotional service, the door to perfection is immediately opened. In the Bhagavad-gītā (2.40) the Lord has explained such contact in the following words: “Endeavors in devotional service are never baffled. Nor is there failure. A slight beginning of such activities is sufficient even to deliver a person from the great ocean of material fears.”

COMMENT

So as Srila Prabhupada says in the purport in the Nectar of Instruction, devotional service is so pure, and perfect that once having begun one is dragged to ultimate success. So whatever devotional service we do in this life, will carry into the next life. Whatever we achieve materially will be finished with this body. For example, if I learn to speak many languages fluently, but when I leave this body and take my next birth, I don’t know any language. I can just say, ‘ga, ga, ga”. So whatever we achieve materially is lost, but whatever progress we make spiritually carries into the next life. So if I do 1 percent in this life, in the next life I begin from 2 percent. So there is no loss or diminution. And we a little advancement on the path saves one from the most dangerous type of fear, which is the fear that we will descend into a lower species of life. 

PURPORT (continued)

As a highly potent drug injected intravenously acts at once on the whole body, the transcendental topics of the Lord injected through the ear by the pure devotee of the Lord can act very efficiently.

COMMENT

Now it says the ear of the pure devotees, but I did some research, actually it says injected through the ear of the pure devotees, but that is a mistake. I did some research. 

PURPORT (continued)

Aural realization of the transcendental messages implies total realization, just as fructification of one part of a tree implies fructification of all other parts. This realization for a moment in the association of pure devotees like Śukadeva Gosvāmī prepares one’s complete life for eternity.

COMMENT

So here Srila Prabhupada brings the discussion back to the verse itself because the verse sounds very mysterious. By rising and by setting the sun decreases the duration of life of everyone, we all can understand that. Except one who utilizes the time by discussing topics of the all-good Personality of Godhead. So how is that? The answer is that by utilizing our time by discussing topics of the all-good personality of Godhead, we prepare ourselves for our eternal life with Krishna. 

PURPORT (continued)

And thus the sun fails to rob the pure devotee of his duration of life, inasmuch as he is constantly busy in the devotional service of the Lord, purifying his existence. Death is a symptom of the material infection of the eternal living being; only due to material infection is the eternal living entity subjected to the law of birth, death, old age and disease.

COMMENT

So when we realize our eternal spiritual identities, there is no more death. And thus the rising and setting of the sun, do not take away our duration of life. 

PURPORT (continued)

The materialistic way of pious activities like charity is recommended in the smṛti-śāstras as quoted by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. Money given in charity to a suitable person is guaranteed bank balance in the next life. Such charity is recommended to be given to a brāhmaṇa. If the money is given in charity to a non-brāhmaṇa (without brahminical qualification) the money is returned in the next life in the same proportion. If it is given in charity to a half-educated brāhmaṇa, even then the money is returned double. If the money is given in charity to a learned and fully qualified brāhmaṇa, the money is returned a hundred and a thousand times,

COMMENT

So, if you are looking for a good investment, I don’t think you will find a better one than this.

PURPORT (continued)

If the money is given in charity to a learned and fully qualified brāhmaṇa, the money is returned a hundred and a thousand times, and if the money is given to a veda-pāraga (one who has factually realized the path of the Vedas), it is returned by unlimited multiplication. The ultimate end of Vedic knowledge is realization of the Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ). 

COMMENT

So if the money is given to a veda-pāraga (one who has factually realized the path of the Vedas, such as Srila Prabhupada), it is returned by unlimited multiplications. Now how can it be returned by unlimited multiplication? Everything in the material world is limited. So for the money to be returned by unlimited multiplication suggests that the devotee will go to the spiritual world, to receive his unlimited return. When Srila Prabhupada was in Hong Kong, the devotees received him from the airport in a Rolls Royce, and they brought him to the penthouse suite, the most expensive suite in the Hong Kong Hilton for a press conference. And at the press conference, one of the reporters asked him that “You are supposed to be a spiritual person, why are you riding in a rolls Royce car?” And Srila Prabhupada said, ‘You are right, it is not appropriate, because I am a resident of the spiritual world, and everything in the spiritual world is made of cintāmaṇi jewels. So even they collected me in a solid gold Rolls Royce or a diamond Rolls Royce, it would not have been good enough. So why did I ride in the Rolls Royce? Because it was the best they could offer, so what could I do? So yes, this is you could say, unlimited multiplication that we get only in the spiritual world. 

PURPORT (continued)

There is a guarantee of money’s being returned if given in charity, regardless of the proportion. Similarly, a moment passed in the association of a pure devotee by hearing and chanting the transcendental messages of the Lord is a perfect guarantee for eternal life, for returning home, back to Godhead. Mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. 

COMMENT

In the Bhagavad-gītā, Krishna says one who attains to His abode, never has to take birth again. 

PURPORT (continued)

In other words, a devotee of the Lord is guaranteed eternal life. A devotee’s old age or disease in the present life is but an impetus to such guaranteed eternal life.

COMMENT

And therefore, the rising and setting of the sun do not rob him of his duration of his life. 

PURPORT (continued)

A devotee’s old age or disease in the present life is but an impetus to such guaranteed eternal life.

COMMENT

So there are so many miseries in the material world. janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam. In the Thirteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā Lord Krishna, He describes the process of knowledge and He says that janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi- duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam, that being aware of the faults of birth, death, old age, and disease is part of the process of knowledge. And here in the purport Srila Prabhupada says that devotee’s old age or disease in the present life is but an impetus to such guaranteed eternal life. Because old age and disease remind the devotee that the material world is not a happy place, that the physical body is not a comfortable residence for the spirit soul. And therefore they act, means old age and disease act as an impetus to the devotee to accelerate his devotional service. so that he can go back home, back to Godhead, and be free from this repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease. And of course in the present age of Kali-yuga, the recommended process is to chant the holy names. “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”

So we should utilize whatever time we have for chanting Hare Krishna, and hearing the glories of the Lord. As Srila Prabhupada said in a talk in Los Angeles, “If you have got time, chant Hare Krishna. Don’t speak nonsense. Chant Hare Krishna.” So thank you very much for joining us and listening so attentively. And if any of you have any questions or comments, or reflections you would like to share, please raise your hand. 

Devotee: Yes Prabhu. He has a question.

Devotee: Hello. Hare Krishna. Hare Krishna. Hare Krishna Swamiji.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna

Devotee: We are truly blessed to be here in your association today. Swamiji, sometimes I wonder that if Krishna is everyone’s friend, then why there are millions of people all around the world who are not aware of who Krishna is. Today we are all devotees of Lord Krishna, or we try to become devotees of Lord Krishna, but then there are millions of people for example, people who are born in China, people who are born in Arab countries; they don’t know who Krishna is. So how can they become devotees of Krishna, if they don’t know who Krishna is and why Krishna has deprived these millions of people of His bhakti?

Giriraj Swami: Well, Krishna wants all of His children to come back to Him. And due to their karma some living entities take birth in places like China, or Arabia. But even then devotees are going to those places with the holy name, and with Srila Prabhupada’s books. There is a whole division of the BBT—Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, now called BBTFEME, meaning BBT Far East, and Middle East. And they are making Srila Prabhupada’s book available in Arabic and other such languages. So there is hope for everyone, and the devotees are working tirelessly on behalf of the Lord to deliver the knowledge of Krishna consciousness, to people all over the world through Srila Prabhupada’s books, and the holy names.

Devotee: Hari Hari. Hare Krishna Maharaja

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna

Devotee: Thank you so much for a wonderful class, and also thank you so much, we have heard from a pure devotee now, so it has guaranteed our eternal life. Maharaja, I don’t know if this is a question or not, but this is regarding the multiplication of whatever charity that we give. Basically we are taught that devotional service is done in a ahaitukī spirit, without wanting any return. But these sort of passages tend to imply what is in it for me, kind of thing. If I do this, I will get multiple returns and things like that. So, could you please shed some light on that, because we are actually supposed to be doing ahaitukī bhakti.

Giriraj Swami: What you say is correct, that in devotional service we do not perform activities to get any material return. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has quoted the statements from the Smriti Shastra, to make a different point. And the point is that just like money given in charity is guaranteed to be returned, similarly time spent in glorification of the Supreme Lord is a guarantee for eternal life. Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has not mentioned those points to encourage us to give in charity to get some return. But I gave, I spoke on this verse once in Tuscan, Arizona and after my talk my books were on sale. And a very nice devotee named Jivananada dasa, not brahmachari, he is a vanaprastha, very nice devotee named Jivananada Prabhu gave an amount that was greater than the cost of the book. So I said, “Jivananda Prabhu, you are giving me more than the price of the book.” And he replied, “I may be stupid, but I am not deaf. I may be stupid but I am not deaf. And I just heard of the returns you get by giving in charity to a pure devotee, so I purposely gave extra.” Any other questions or comments.

Devotee: Hare Krishna. Thank you very much Maharaja. Maharaja, my question is that in the initial years, when I heard that “I am not this body, but I am a soul,” and then you gave the example of a fish out of water, so that was like a eureka moment and discovering something new. But it seems Maharaja that over the years, this understanding is nothing new. First of all, it seems theoretically I know that. But there is no experience, and also, how do I get the impetus Maharaja, which is mentioned in the shloka to advance. So this body, soul it seems very theoretical now, to me. So how can I try to get it more practically, Maharaja?

Giriraj Swami: Often when a devotee first comes to Krishna consciousness, Krishna gives him or her some special mercy. And they get realizations that are beyond their actual stage of advancement. And thereafter, they have to work to come to that stage where they have that realizations. So, it is good that you had that wonderful moment, when you understood that you are not the body. And now you have to work on realizing it as a constant factor. And of course, one process is the chanting of the holy names, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. By chanting of the holy names, we cleanse the dirt from the mirror of the mind. And Srila Prabhupada said that the first dirty thing, or the main dirty thing is identifying with the body. So that can be purified by chanting. And Srila Prabhupada also said that by engaging in deity worship, you confirm that you are not the body. Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja. Thank you for your wonderful class Maharaja. You mentioned in this lecture that a living entity always looks for happiness, because that is a nature of living entity. So in devotional service, if we look for happiness, but as we hear from Prabhupada’s books and from devotees, that you should look to give pleasure to Krishna, to serve than to look for our own happiness. So how to understand this principle?

Giriraj Swami: Yes, in devotional service we want to make Krishna happy. And when we make Krishna happy, then automatically we feel happy. The two cannot be separated. Srila Prabhupada initiated a disciple as Bhavananda. Bhavan means the repetition of birth and death, or you could say bhava means the material world, as opposed to bhāva which means ecstasy. So when he gave the name Bhavananda—the bliss of the material world, the disciple was concerned what is Srila Prabhupada trying to say, by giving him that name. And Srila Prabhupada explained that the bliss of the material world is preaching. And preaching gives Krishna the greatest pleasure. You cannot give Krishna that pleasure in the spiritual world, because there is no need to preach to anyone in the spiritual world. So the bliss of the material world, is giving pleasure to Krishna by preaching, and that is the greatest pleasure we can give to Krishna. And therefore that is the greatest pleasure that we can experience. But to have the power to preach, we also need to practice. As Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said that the best goṣṭhyānandī, is a bhajanānandī who likes to preach. So we should come to relish our practice of devotional service, and preach.

A few years ago I stayed with Vaisesika Prabhu at his residence in Burlingame, California. And I was with him when he went through his morning program at home. And he did many of the same things that we do, but he did it with great relish, and enthusiasm. Then afterwards, he was telling me about his new book which he was going to write, which has subsequently been published under the title, Our Family Business. And he said that one of the themes of his book was that the enthusiasm to preach and distribute books should come from the overflow of the ecstasy we feel from our spiritual practices. So the two go together, ultimately.

Devotee: Thank You

Giriraj Swami: Yes, Yes,

Devotee: Hare Krishna. Thank you so much Maharaja for your wonderful class. Maharaja, I just want to know that the relationship which Srila Prabhupada has offered you and all the disciples, that you are so much dedicated and grateful to Srila Prabhupada, that even after so many years you are serving Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, more enthusiastically, with more determination. But in our case, in my case, what I feel that even my spiritual master is present, and he is sacrificing lot of things for me, to elevate me from the material conditioned life, and to give me the pure bliss of Krishna consciousness. But still I feel that I am lacking in my determination. Every morning I feel that I will chant and hear very attentively, but more the day passes by I lose my determination. So Maharaja, will you please give me some guidance on how to develop my determination, and how to develop my gratitude towards my spiritual master, and my seniors?

Giriraj Swami: Well Srila Prabhupada said 90 percent of Krishna consciousness is association. So if you associate with devotees who are enthusiastic and determined, then you also become enthusiastic and determined. He also said that enthusiasm comes from following the regulative principles. So if you do that, and chant nicely, and associate with devotees, you should blossom in your Krishna consciousness. I would say the main factor is association.

Devotee: Hare Krishna Guruji. This is actually a personal question that I want to ask. I have recently connected with Krishna consciousness. So earlier I did not have any believe in Krishna, but before three—four months I still remember that I had a dream that I am going to heaven, and Krishna is waiting for me. I did not see his face but I knew that He is there, and I am actually going towards Him. And since then I feel that I am attracted to Him. I really want to know about Him, and want to chant the maha-mantra as well. But in my temple I have got Ganesh, and Hanuman idol as well. So whenever I do worship, whenever I do puja at home, I feel like Krishna is there, why should I ask something to Him, or maybe why should I worship Ganesh, why should I worship Hanuman. And then I feel, I am not doing right thing. I am disrespecting them. I do not do it intentionally but I don’t know, if that is correct or not. I am forgetting what I am trying to say. I am very confused because this is a very beginning for me, and I hope you can help me, or maybe you can advise something.

Giriraj Swami: All the demigods or devatās such as Ganesh are devotees of Krishna. They may not be pure devotees of Krishna, but they are devotees of Krishna, and certainly Hanuman is a pure devotee of Lord Rama. But it is true that if you are worshipping Krishna, you don’t need to worship any demigods. It is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that when you pour water on the root of a tree, the water is automatically distributed to all the limbs, and branches, and twigs, and leaves. So when you serve Krishna, the service is distributed to all the demigods, and in fact to every living entity. And the difficulty with keeping Ganesh on your altar, is for example if someone visits you and they know that you are a follower of ISKCON, they may think that ISKCON approves of worshipping demigods, such as Ganesh. So, I would suggest removing Ganesh from your altar. You can keep him in the house somewhere, and offer respects. I remember, oh he is a very nice devotee, some you may know of him, he is not with us anymore but Srinathji dasa in Bombay. So before he came to Krishna consciousness, he also had different demigods on his altar and he wasn’t sure what to do about them. And he was also concerned about what his family members would think, if he removes some of them from the altar. So I said, “You don’t have to worry about that. You just chant Hare Krishna, and serve Lord Krishna, and He will take over.” And it happened, somehow He took over the whole altar. So, yes you are on the right path, if anything, you are on the right path. 

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja. One devotee is asking this question online. He is asking that many of the times Prabhupada has quoted the word pure devotee in the purport. So the question is, who is a pure devotee?

Giriraj Swami: Pure devotional service is defined by Srila Rupa Gosvami in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu; anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ—he should have no other desire; jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam—his devotional service should not be covered by jñāna, impersonal speculation, karma fruitive activities or any other such pursuit. So, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ, jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanaṁ, ānukūlyena means it should be favorable to Krishna’s pleasure. And Krishna, Srila Rupa Gosvami explains, Srila Prabhupada explains Krishna means Krishna, His name, His form, His pastimes, His paraphernalia, and His pure devotees. Rupa Gosvami says that any of the services performed in relation to Krishna can also be offered to pure devotees. Bhakti uttamā, there is superior devotion. So what is a pure devotee.

A pure devotee is one who engages in devotional service without the motive of getting material gain or impersonal liberation. But there are degrees of maturity of pure devotees. Once someone asked Srila Prabhupada how many pure devotees are there in the world. And Srila Prabhupada replied, “How many devotees are there in ISKCON?” But he also explained that an unripe mango, and a ripened mango are both mangoes. But the unripe mango is hard and sour. And the ripe mango is sweet and juicy. So one can be a pure devotee, but like an unripe mango in a more beginning stage. But if that unripe mango stays connected to the tree, it will become ripened, and then it will become sweeter and juicy. The unripe pure devotee stays connected to Srila Prabhupada and the paramparā through teachings, then he will also become sweet and juicy. 

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja, thank you for coming here and giving these wonderful sessions. My question is, I wanted to flourish in spiritual life, but at the back of my mind there is always a question that what if I could not flourish in material life which my parent wishes to flourish in material life, because they wanted to serve them in that manner only. So there is always a question that, how come by doing this devotional service, I am not able to flourish in material life. So how could I answer that question and overcome the feeling that this should not happen.

Giriraj Swami: You said that your parents want you to flourish in material life, and what was the reason that they want you to flourish in material life?

Devotee: Because they wanted me to have a nice life, and as I am coming from backward classes so they did not want me to be like them. They wanted me to be a very good man earning like (Unintelligible 02:07:29–31).

Giriraj Swami: Well, can’t you be Krishna conscious, and also be successful materially? 

Devotee: Prabhuji, that is the thing I only wanted but the feeling is that the questions keep coming at the back of the mind. So how to overcome that feeling, that is the question.

Giriraj Swami: You understand what the question is?

Devotee: He has some kind of feeling that if I progress spiritually, then I may not advance materially.

Giriraj Swami: Oh. 

Devotee: Maharaja, at the back of his mind, he is clear that if I focus a lot on spiritual life, then whether I will be able to be successful in material life or not.

Giriraj Swami: Well, I will come back to the example of Srinathji dasa. So, Srinathji dasa’s father, (Unintelligible 02:08:36–38) Desai, was a very shrewd businessman. And after D.D Desai passed away, the talk in the business community in Bombay, because I was mixing with them, the talk in the business community in Bombay was that Doctor (unintelligible 02:09:13) Desai, Mr. D.D Desai’s son, was sort of a simple person, when it came to business management, and he might not be able to maintain his father’s business empire. But it so happened that under Srinathji dasa, the family’s fortune increased by many times. There are many details but I definitely felt that he was being empowered by Krishna, to make money. And he used a lot of his money for Krishna consciousness. So focusing on spiritual life does not mean that your material life has to suffer. It maybe the opposite, that you will flourish materially, at the same time that you will flourish spiritually. And I would cultivate people in Bombay, and I would sometimes invite them to Srinathji’s home to meet him, and to have prasāda, and they could see how by, along with practicing Krishna consciousness one could flourish materially as well.

[Skip 02:11:17- 02:15:40]

Giriraj Swami: Bhagavata Maharaja, he is asking for someone to speak about the books, you would like to give a brief description of the books. Oh, he is saying he wants me to speak about this book.

So yes, Madana Mohana Mohini dasi has been suffering from a very difficult disease, but she has compiled this beautiful book of her, you could say, reflection and I read some of the praise. The title of the book, Twice as Bright is taken from a saying by (Unintelligible 02:16:39) – “The flame that burns twice as bright, burns half as long,” because it is not expected that she will live that long, due to her illness. And here is some quotations from:

Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja. “Your writings are so full of realizations, and feelings. I would very much like to see them printed.”

And from Kala Chandji dasa, Tamal Krishna Goswami’s brother, author, editor, and professor emeritus, St. Ambrose University, “An intimate glimpse into a life of devotion. The reflections of a young girl on the path of bhakti, with a faltering body, but a heart full of love. touching and relatable in its vulnerable honestly, inspiring in its determination.”

And she quotes me, “Every spiritual aspirant and every person struggling with illness or imminent death should read this book.”

So yes, and it has a foreword written by His Holiness Indradyumna Swami, very beautiful foreword. So this book is also available.