SRI ISOPANISAD

Mantra Seventeen

Verse: The devotee is appealing that his material body be consumed again by material
nature, and that the Lord remember all he has done, so that he may come to Him.

Para One: These material bodies are artificial impositions on us.

Para Two: Material nature cleverly gives bodies according to our different desires, but
humans are not meant to live like meat eating animals, they are built to be vegetarian.

Para Three: One body comes after another, but we are meant to get out of this cycle of
birth and death and go back to Godhead, where we have eternal forms.

Para Four: An intelligent person sees the oneness which is there among all living beings
on the spiritual platform., and then surrenders to Krsna.

Para Five: The brahmajyoti is full of spiritual sparks, some of who sometimes want to
fall down. So to be in the brahmajyoti is not perfection. That is found in pure devotional
service.

Para Six: Srila Prabhupada explains that the devotee makes this type of prayer at the time
of death. He wants to go back to Godhead, so he wants to remember Krsna, and He wants
Krsna to remember him. The karmis remember their material activities and take material
bodies accordingly.

Para Seven: Unlike the animals, dying humans can remember their life like a dream. So
seeing their minds are surcharged with material desires, they then take birth again, and
are not able to get spiritual bodies. But even if a devotee is not able to remember Krsna,
Krsna remembers him. Even if the devotee does not ask Krsna to remember him and
what he has done, the Lord does.

Para Eight: The Lord’s relationship with the devotees is very intimate and deep, as
described in Bhagavad-gita 9.30-34.

Para Nine: Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura gives very interesting explanation of how 9.30
may work, in terms of the balance between the material and spiritual sides of a devotee.

Para Ten: The impersonalists cannot penetrate the brahmajyoti because they don’t
believe in the personality of the Absolute Truth.

Para Eleven: There are nine devotional processes, performed by nine devotees. If one
does these regularly one will keep one in constant contact with the Lord, and in this way
at the end of life one will remember Krsna.
Para Twelve and Thirteen: This mantra’s explanation appears in Srimad Bhagavatam.
Maharaja Pariksit asked Sukadeva Gosvami what is the duty of a person at the time of
death, and SG replied with Srimad Bhagavatam 2.1.5.

Para Fourteen: So one should dedicate all one’s time to Krsna consciousness.

Para Fifteen: Read last paragraph.

In Bhagavad-gita 18th Chapter Lord Krsna explains the rigorous process of the jnanis,
who may or may not realize Him. Then in vs. 56 He says:

sarva-karmany api sada

kurvano mad-vyapasrayah
mat-prasadad avapnoti
sasvatam padam avyayam

“Though engaged in all kinds of activities, My pure devotee, under My protection,

reaches the eternal and imperishable abode by My grace.”

In his purport, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says:

Arjuna: This doesn't sound logical. Jnani takes many births and performs so much
austerity after so long and so much difficulty. How is it possible, bhakta has little
knowledge and isn't renounced? What is the logic?
Krsna: The logic is that it is beyond logic. It is by My mercy. My mercy has
inconceivable power in it.

Story of Lord Rama and Vibhisana.

Mantra 18, Para 7: If one takes shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, it is to be
understood that he has obtained the grace of the Lord. The Lord appears as the spiritual
master for the devotee. Thus the spiritual master, the Vedic injunctions and the Lord
Himself from within—all guide the devotee in full strength. In this way there is no
chance for a devotee to fall again into the mire of material illusion.