Protect A Cow

Some of them said that it is greatly fortunate for the Americans that I have started the Krsna consciousness movement in America.

Bg Preface

Our Krsna consciousness movement is genuine, historically authorized, natural and transcendental due to its being based on Bhagavad-gita As It Is. It is gradually becoming the most popular movement in the entire world, especially amongst the younger generation. It is becoming more and more interesting to the older generation also. Older gentlemen are becoming interested, so much so that the fathers and grandfathers of my disciples are encouraging us by becoming life members of our great society, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. In Los Angeles many fathers and mothers used to come to see me to express their feelings of gratitude for my leading the Krsna consciousness movement throughout the entire world. Some of them said that it is greatly fortunate for the Americans that I have started the Krsna consciousness movement in America. But actually the original father of this movement is Lord Krsna Himself, since it was started a very long time ago but is coming down to human society by disciplic succession. If I have any credit in this connection, it does not belong to me personally, but it is due to my eternal spiritual master, His Divine Grace Om Visnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya 108 Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja Prabhupada.
If personally I have any credit in this matter, it is only that I have tried to present Bhagavad-gita as it is, without adulteration. Before my presentation of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, almost all the English editions of Bhagavad-gita were introduced to fulfill someone's personal ambition. But our attempt, in presenting Bhagavad-gita As It Is, is to present the mission of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Our business is to present the will of Krsna, not that of any mundane speculator like the politician, philosopher or scientist, for they have very little knowledge of Krsna, despite all their other knowledge. When Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru, etc., we, unlike the so-called scholars, do not say that Krsna and His inner spirit are different. Krsna is absolute, and there is no difference between Krsna's name, Krsna's form, Krsna's qualities, Krsna's pastimes, etc. This absolute position of Krsna is difficult to understand for any person who is not a devotee of Krsna in the parampara (disciplic succession). Generally the so-called scholars, politicians, philosophers, and svamis, without perfect knowledge of Krsna, try to banish or kill Krsna when writing commentary on Bhagavad-gita. Such unauthorized commentary upon Bhagavad-gita is known as Mayavadi-bhasya, and Lord Caitanya has warned us about these unauthorized men. Lord Caitanya clearly says that anyone who tries to understand Bhagavad-gita from the Mayavadi point of view will commit a great blunder. The result of such a blunder will be that the misguided student of Bhagavad-gita will certainly be bewildered on the path of spiritual guidance and will not be able to go back to home, back to Godhead.

LIGHT OF THE BHAGAVATA : With good rains, the farmer's business in agriculture flourishes. Agriculture is the noblest profession. It makes society happy, wealthy, healthy, honest, and spiritually advanced for a better life after death.

LoB 9
   A picturesque scene of green paddy fields enlivens the heart of the poor agriculturalist, but it brings gloom to the face of the capitalist who lives by exploiting the poor farmers.

   With good rains, the farmer's business in agriculture flourishes. Agriculture is the noblest profession. It makes society happy, wealthy, healthy, honest, and spiritually advanced for a better life after death. The vaisya community, or the mercantile class of men, take to this profession. In Bhagavad-gita the vaisyas are described as the natural agriculturalists, the protectors of cows, and the general traders. When Lord Sri Krsna incarnated Himself at Vrndavana, He took pleasure in becoming a beloved son of such a vaisya family. Nanda Maharaja was a big protector of cows, and Lord Sri Krsna, as the most beloved son of Nanda Maharaja, used to tend His father's animals in the neighboring forest. By His personal example Lord Krsna wanted to teach us the value of protecting cows. Nanda Maharaja is said to have possessed nine hundred thousand cows, and at the time of Lord Sri Krsna (about five thousand years ago) the tract of land known as Vrndavana was flooded with milk and butter. Therefore God's gifted professions for mankind are agriculture and cow protection.
Trade is meant only for transporting surplus produce to places where the produce is scanty. But when traders become too greedy and materialistic they take to large-scale commerce and industry and allure the poor agriculturalist to unsanitary industrial towns with a false hope of earning more money. The industrialist and the capitalist do not want the farmer to remain at home, satisfied with his agricultural produce. When the farmers are satisfied by a luxuriant growth of food grains, the capitalist becomes gloomy at heart. But the real fact is that humanity must depend on agriculture and subsist on agricultural produce.
  No one can produce rice and wheat in big iron factories. The industrialist goes to the villagers to purchase the food grains he is unable to produce in his factory. The poor agriculturalist takes advances from the capitalist and sells his produce at a lower price. Hence when food grains are produced abundantly the farmers become financially stronger, and thus the capitalist becomes morose at being unable to exploit them.

Protection and grazing ground for the cows are among the essential needs for society and the welfare of people in general. The animal fat required for the human body can be well derived from cow's milk.

LoB 27
   After good rains the grazing ground for the animals was full of green pasture, and both the bulls and the cows sat down on the grass fully satisfied. The cows, followed by their calves, appeared tired of grazing, because of full milk bags. Calmly and quietly the cows and calves rested and ruminated, chewing their cud.

    Protection and grazing ground for the cows are among the essential needs for society and the welfare of people in general. The animal fat required for the human body can be well derived from cow's milk. Cow's milk is very important for human energy, and the economic development of society depends on sufficient food grains, sufficient milk, and sufficient transportation and distribution of these products. Lord Sri Krsna, by His personal example, taught us the importance of cow protection, which is meant not only for the Indian climate but for all human beings all over the universe.
   Less intelligent people underestimate the value of cow's milk. Cow's milk is also called gorasa, or the juice from the body of the cow. Milk is the most valuable form of gorasa, and from milk we can prepare many important and valuable foodstuffs for the upkeep of the human body. The killing of cows by human society is one of the grossest suicidal policies, and those who are anxious to cultivate the human spirit must turn their attention first toward the question of cow protection.
  If we really want to cultivate the human spirit in society we must have first-class intelligent men to guide the society, and to develop the finer tissues of our brains we must assimilate vitamin values from milk. Devotees worship Lord Sri Krsna by addressing Him as the well-wisher of the brahmanas and the cows. The most intelligent class of men, who have perfectly attained knowledge in spiritual values, are called the brahmanas. No society can improve in transcendental knowledge without the guidance of such first-class men, and no brain can assimilate the subtle form of knowledge without fine brain tissues. For such important brain tissues we require a sufficient quantity of milk and milk preparations. Ultimately, we need to protect the cow to derive the highest benefit from this important animal. The protection of cows, therefore, is not merely a religious sentiment but a means to secure the highest benefit for human society.

A society with no brahminical culture and no cow protection is not a human society but a chaotic, animalistic society.

JSD 6.3           Spiritual Advice to Businessmen :  Arjuna  is a good example of how a member of the ksatriya department should take advice. He was a military man; his business was to fight. In the Battle of Kuruksetra he engaged in his business, but at the same time he took the advice of the brahmanya-deva, Lord Krsna. As it is said,

                      namo brahmanya-devaya
                      go-brahmana-hitaya ca
                      jagad-dhitaya krsnaya
                       govindaya namo namah

   "Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Krsna, who is the worshipable Deity for all brahminical men, who is the well-wisher of cows and brahmanas, and who is always benefiting the whole world. I offer my repeated obeisances to the Personality of Godhead, known as Krsna and Govinda." (Visnu Purana 1.19.65)
  In this verse the first things taken into consideration are the cows and the brahmanas (go-brahmana). Why are they stressed? Because a society with no brahminical culture and no cow protection is not a human society but a chaotic, animalistic society. And any business you do in a chaotic condition will never be perfect. Business can be done nicely only in a society following a proper cultural system.href="http://protectacow.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/10/07/60607_008.jpg">

 

You are killing innocent cows and other animals--nature will take revenge. Just wait. As soon as the time is right, nature will gather all these rascals and slaughter them.

JSD 6.5             Slaughterhouse Civilization
Eat hogs. We don't prohibit the killing of these less important animals. We neither sanction nor prohibit. But especially we request cow protection, because it is ordered by Lord Krsna. Go-raksya: "Protect the cows." That is our duty.
   And economically, also, it is very useful. Krsna has not recommended this for nothing; it is not like that. Krsna's order has meaning. The cows on our Hare Krsna farms are giving more milk than other cows--because they are confident, "We will not be killed here." It is not like these rascals, these so-called Christians, say: "They have no soul; they have no intelligence." They have intelligence. In other places they do not give so much milk. But on our farms they are very jolly. As soon as the devotees call, they'll come. Yes--just like friends. And they are confident, "We'll not be killed." So they are jubilant, and they are giving much milk. Yes.
  In Europe and America the cows are very good, but the cow-killing system is also very good. So you stop this. You simply request them, "You'll get the cow's flesh. As soon as she is dead, we shall supply you free of charge. You haven't got to pay so much money. You can get the flesh free and eat it then. Why are you killing? Stop these slaughterhouses." What is wrong with this proposal?
  We don't want to stop trade or the production of grains and vegetables and fruit. But we want to stop these killing houses. It is very, very sinful. That is why all over the world they have so many wars. Every ten or fifteen years there is a big war--a wholesale slaughterhouse for humankind. But these rascals--they do not see it, that by the law of karma, every action must have its reaction.
    You are killing innocent cows and other animals--nature will take revenge. Just wait. As soon as the time is right, nature will gather all these rascals and slaughter them. Finished. They'll fight amongst themselves--Protestants and Catholics, Russia and America, this one and that one. It is going on. Why? That is nature's law. Tit for tat. "You have killed. Now you kill yourselves.

Any leader who is at all religious should resign his post in protest if cow slaughter goes on under his rule.

JSD 7.1           Plato: Goodness and Government 

In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna says that the brahmanas--the most intelligent men, who are interested in transcendental knowledge and philosophy--should be given the topmost posts, and under their instructions the ksatriyas [administrators] should work. The administrators should see that there is law and order and that everyone is doing his duty. The next section is the productive class, the vaisyas, who engage in agriculture and cow protection.

If you are thinking of universal way, how you can give protection to a human being born in America, and send a cow to the slaughterhouse.

670106BG.NY                  Lectures   

There is a nice example. A hunter... In Sanskrit language it is called vyadha. He was hunting in the forest and killing the animals, boar and other, deer and so many animals--hunter's business is to kill animals--so half-dead. And Narada was passing through that road. He saw that "These half-dead animals are flapping. Who has killed them in that way, half-dead? Why not full kill?" So he went to the vyadha, hunter, that "Why you are doing this business? Better kill them altogether so that they may not suffer. It is a great sinful act." So he explained, "Oh, I do not know what is sinful or not, pious. My father has taught me this business. I am doing this." So Narada explained him, "So it is not a very good business. You better do another business for your livelihood. Simply killing, and half-killing. Better kill them fully. That is also [not] very good." So he said, "Then I am committing sins?" And Narada said, "Yes, you are committing sins." "Then, if I give up this business, how shall I eat, my living?" Narada said, "All right, I shall give you your necessities of life. I shall supply you. You give up this business." So he was initiated, and he was seated in a sacred place.
   So the villagers understood that a vyadha, a hunter, has become a great saint. So everyone was coming and offering some rice, some flowers, some fruits. So he was executing his devotional service according to the instruction of Narada. Then, after some time, Narada wanted to show that devotee to his friend, Parvata Muni, and he was coming to that devotee, hunter devotee. At that time the devotee was going to receive Narada, and while going, he was very careful that an ant may not be killed on the path. So he was jumping. Whenever there was an ant, he was jumping. So Narada inquired that "While you were coming here, why you were jumping?" So he said, "Sir, there were so many ants. So how can I kill ant?" Just see. The same man who was without any kindness killing so many animals, he has become kind to the ant even.
   This is universal. As soon as you become Krsna conscious, as soon as you become God conscious, then  your real universal, ideal, universal consciousness develops. Otherwise it is all simply jugglery. There are so many doctrines of universal love, universal friendship, fraternity, but they are fighting, and they are killing simply, because there is no God consciousness. If you are universal, if you are after universal love, then how you can maintain regular slaughterhouse? How you can think that an American gentleman or lady is your countryman and not a cow, and not a goat, not a serpent? Where is your universal idea?
   So unless there is development of God consciousness, this universal ideas, oh, these are nonsense. There cannot be. It is all false, jugglery of words. So first business is to understand your identity, identity of God, your relationship, and your action reformed in that way. Then there is question of universal, brotherhood, universal... Otherwise it is simply jugglery of words.
   If you are thinking of universal way, how you can give protection to a human being born in America, and send a cow to the slaughterhouse.

ROMANIAN DIVINING COWS PROVIDE MILK, FIND WELLS

BUCHAREST-- Romanian farmers are enjoying new supplies of fresh water, uncovered by ancient methods rediscovered by new entrepreneurs. Tapping into a rich peasant folklore, students at the Agricultural Institute in Focsani have strapped divining rods onto a herd of cattle.

Mirela, one of many Romanian "Dairy Diviners."

For a fee their herd will trample over a farmer's fields and, by making signs, point to hidden sources of water.

Critics scoff at the plan, but poorly educated peasants, desperate for water not contaminated by pollution and fertilizer run-off are eagerly lining up to pay up to two tanks of gas and a fat hen for the chance of a fresh start.

"My neighbour polluted all my water when he put in a new septic tank," said Mazonn Roumenscia, "but these city slickers and their magical cows found a spring hidden under a stack of hay. Now I almost feel bad that I poisoned that nemernic. Not only did they find a new source of water, they let me keep the dung. Now I have clean, fresh water, and enough fuel to last until November."

Gheorghe Ceasceasculop and Dmitri Romouscensc, were studying advanced industrialization of post-collective farming co-ops when they stumbled across a farmer's manual from 1904. Among amusing anecdotes and remedies for warts and vampires, they found a diagram of a cow with a dowsing rod strapped to its neck. Recognizing an opportunity when they saw one they immediately quit school, sold their Soviet-era motorcycles and acquired three cows from Dmitri's uncle.

"At first it was hard work," said Gheorghe, "we had to bribe many officials for the right business licences. But as soon as the cows started producing results everything took off." They now have 15 cows and a truck to carry them. When not searching for springs and areas to dig the cows are kept in Dmitri's apartment.

"It's a bit tight for space," admits Dmitri. "But with the good profits we're making I'll soon be able to buy a ducha in the country. With a Rolls Royce."

A dowsing session usually starts with both Gheorghe and Dmitri haggling with the farmer over price. Gheorghe then does a 'pre-cow walking check' with a hygrometer. "It's to look for places where the cows might trip. These are valuable animals," Ivan explains.

The cows are then driven in and the local priest is asked to bless the herd of cattle with a sprinkle of holy water. Dmitri then sets them loose with a smart swack on the flank.

As the cows wander over the fields Gheorghe and Dmitri will interpret each animal's actions to the farmer. Eventually one will give a portentious sign and the order is given to dig there. The cows are rounded up, the fee paid, and they go home. It is up to the farmer to dig the well.

Gheorghe and Dmitri hope to expand their business. "We were thinking of setting up a franchise, and selling the idea to interested people in Bulgaria, Macedonia, and even the United States," said Gheorghe. "But only for the right price."

Sri Isopanisad confirms that these pseudo religionists are heading toward the most obnoxious place in the universe after the completion of their spiritual master business, which they conduct simply for sense gratification.

Sri Isopanisad  

Mantra Twelve

                     TEXT

   andham tamah pravisanti
   ye 'sambhutim upasate
   tato bhuya iva te tamo
    ya u sambhutyam ratah

                  SYNONYMS

andham--ignorance; tamah--darkness; pravisanti--enter into; ye--those who; asambhutim--demigods; upasate--worship; tatah--than that; bhuyah--still more; iva--like that; te--those; tamah--darkness; ye--who; u--also; sambhutyam--in the Absolute; ratah--engaged.

                           TRANSLATION

   Those who are engaged in the worship of demigods enter into the darkest region of ignorance, and still more so do the worshipers of the impersonal Absolute.

                             PURPORT

   The Sanskrit word asambhuti refers to those who have no independent existence. Sambhuti is the Absolute Personality of Godhead, who is absolutely independent of everything. In the Bhagavad-gita (10.2), the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, states:

                      na me viduh sura-gana
                     prabhavam na maharsayah
                       aham adir hi devanam
                      maharsinam ca sarvasah

   "Neither the hosts of demigods nor the great sages know My origin or opulences, for in every respect I am the source of the demigods and sages." Thus Krsna is the origin of the powers delegated to demigods, great sages and mystics. Although they are endowed with great powers, these powers are limited, and thus it is very difficult for them to know how Krsna Himself appears by His own internal potency in the form of a man.
   Many philosophers and great rsis, or mystics, try to distinguish the Absolute from the relative by their tiny brain power. This can only help them reach the negative conception of the Absolute without realizing any positive trace of the Absolute. Definition of the Absolute by negation is not complete. Such negative definitions lead one to create a concept of one's own; thus one imagines that the Absolute must be formless and without qualities. Such negative qualities are simply the reversals of relative, material qualities and are therefore also relative. By conceiving of the Absolute in this way, one can at the utmost reach the impersonal effulgence of God, known as Brahman, but one cannot make further progress to Bhagavan, the Personality of Godhead.
   Such mental speculators do not know that the Absolute Personality of Godhead is Krsna, that the impersonal Brahman is the glaring effulgence of His transcendental body, or that the Paramatma, the Supersoul, is His all-pervading plenary representation. Nor do they know that Krsna has His eternal form with its transcendental qualities of eternal bliss and knowledge. The dependent demigods and great sages imperfectly consider Him to be a powerful demigod, and they consider the Brahman effulgence to be the Absolute Truth. But the devotees of Krsna, by dint of their surrendering unto Him and their unalloyed devotion, can know that He is the Absolute Person and that everything emanates from Him. Such devotees continuously render loving service unto Krsna, the fountainhead of everything.
   In the Bhagavad-gita (7.20, 23) it is said that only unintelligent, bewildered persons driven by a strong desire for sense gratification worship the demigods for the temporary relief of temporary problems. Since the living being is materially entangled, he has to be relieved from material bondage entirely to attain permanent relief on the spiritual plane, where eternal bliss, life and knowledge exist. Sri Isopanisad therefore instructs that we should not seek temporary relief of our difficulties by worshiping the dependent demigods, who can bestow only temporary benefit. Rather, we must worship the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Krsna, who is all-attractive and who can bestow upon us complete freedom from material bondage by taking us back home, back to Godhead.
    It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita (7.23) that the worshipers of the demigods can go to the planets of the demigods. The moon worshipers can go to the moon, the sun worshipers to the sun, etc. Modern scientists are now venturing to the moon with the help of rockets, but this is not really a new attempt. With their advanced consciousness, human beings are naturally inclined to travel in outer space and to reach other planets, either by spaceships, mystic powers or demigod worship. In the Vedic scriptures it is said that one can reach other planets by any one of these three ways, but the most common way is by worshiping the demigod presiding over a particular planet. In this way one can reach the moon planet, the sun planet and even Brahmaloka, the topmost planet in this universe. However, all planets in the material universe are temporary residences; the only permanent planets are the Vaikunthalokas. These are found in the spiritual sky, where the Personality of Godhead Himself predominates. As Lord Krsna states in the Bhagavad-gita (8.16):

                      abrahma-bhuvanal lokah
                      punar avartino 'rjuna
                      mam upetya tu kaunteya
                      punar janma na vidyate

   "From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains My abode, O son of Kunti, never takes birth again." Sri Isopanisad points out that one who worships the demigods and attains to their material planets still remains in the darkest region of the universe. The whole universe is covered by the gigantic material elements; it is just like a coconut covered by a shell and half-filled with water. Since its covering is airtight, the darkness within is dense, and therefore the sun and the moon are required for illumination. Outside the universe is the vast and unlimited brahmajyoti expansion, which is filled with Vaikunthalokas. The biggest and highest planet in the brahmajyoti is Krsnaloka, or Goloka Vrndavana, where the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna Himself, resides. Lord Sri Krsna never leaves Krsnaloka. Although He dwells there with His eternal associates, He is omnipresent throughout the complete material and spiritual cosmic manifestations. This fact has already been explained in Mantra Four. The Lord is present everywhere, just like the sun, yet He is situated in one place, just as the sun is situated in its own undeviating orbit.
   The problems of life cannot be solved simply by going to the moon planet or to some other planet above or below it. Therefore Sri Isopanisad advises us not to bother with any destination within this  dark material universe, but to try to get out of it and reach the effulgent kingdom of God. There are many pseudo worshipers who become religionists only for the sake of name and fame. Such pseudo religionists do not wish to get out of this universe and reach the spiritual sky. They only want to maintain the status quo in the material world under the garb of worshiping the Lord. The atheists and impersonalists lead such foolish pseudo religionists into the darkest regions by preaching the cult of atheism. The atheist directly denies the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the impersonalists support the atheists by stressing the impersonal aspect of the Supreme Lord. Thus far we have not come across any mantra in Sri Isopanisad in which the Supreme Personality of Godhead is denied. It is said that He can run faster than anyone. Those who are running after other planets are certainly persons, and if the Lord can run faster than all of them, how can He be impersonal? The impersonal conception of the Supreme Lord is another form of ignorance, arising from an imperfect conception of the Absolute Truth.
   The ignorant pseudo religionists and the manufacturers of so-called incarnations who directly violate the Vedic injunctions are liable to enter into the darkest region of the universe because they mislead those who follow them. These impersonalists generally pose themselves as incarnations of God to foolish persons who have no knowledge of Vedic wisdom. If such foolish men have any knowledge at all, it is more dangerous in their hands than ignorance itself. Such impersonalists do not even worship the demigods according to the scriptural recommendations. In the scriptures there are recommendations for worshiping demigods under certain circumstances, but at the same time these scriptures state that there is normally no need for this. In the Bhagavad-gita (7.23) it is clearly stated that the results derived from worshiping the demigods are not permanent. Since the entire material universe is impermanent, whatever is achieved within the darkness of material existence is also impermanent. The question is how to obtain real and permanent life.
   The Lord states that as soon as one reaches Him by devotional service--which is the one and only way to approach the Personality of Godhead--one attains complete freedom from the bondage of birth and death. In other words, the path of salvation from the material clutches fully depends on the principles of knowledge and detachment gained from serving the Lord. The pseudo religionists have neither knowledge nor detachment from material affairs, for most of them want to live in the golden shackles of material bondage under the shadow of philanthropic activities disguised as religious principles. By a false display of religious sentiments, they present a show of devotional service while indulging in all sorts of immoral activities. In this way they pass as spiritual masters and devotees of God. Such violators of religious principles have no respect for the authoritative acaryas, the holy teachers in the strict disciplic succession. They ignore the Vedic injunction acaryopasana--"One must worship the acarya"--and Krsna's statement in the Bhagavad-gita (4.2) evam parampara-praptam, "This supreme science of God is received through the disciplic succession." Instead, to mislead the people in general they themselves become so-called acaryas, but they do not even follow the principles of the acaryas.
   These rogues are the most dangerous elements in human society. Because there is no religious government, they escape punishment by the law of the state. They cannot, however, escape the law of the Supreme, who has clearly declared in the Bhagavad-gita that envious demons in the garb of religious propagandists shall be thrown into the darkest regions of hell (Bg. 16.19-20). Sri Isopanisad confirms that these pseudo religionists are heading toward the most obnoxious place in the universe after the completion of their spiritual master business, which they conduct simply for sense gratification.

Although the gross material body is left, the living entity and his desires, as well as the resultant reactions of his past activities, go on. It is Yamaraja who decides what kind of body one gets next in accordance with one's past actions.

SB 4.28.23 P Puranjana Becomes a Woman in the Next Life
                      TEXT 23

 pasuvad yavanair esa
 niyamanah svakam ksayam
 anvadravann anupathah
 socanto bhrsam aturah

                   SYNONYMS

   pasu-vat--like an animal; yavanaih--by the Yavanas; esah--Puranjana; niyamanah--being arrested and taken away; svakam--to their own; ksayam--abode; anvadravan--followed; anupathah--his attendants; socantah--lamenting; bhrsam--greatly; aturah--being distressed.

                                       TRANSLATION

   When the Yavanas were taking King Puranjana away to their place, binding him like an animal, the King's followers became greatly aggrieved. While they lamented, they were forced to go along with him.

                                        PURPORT

  When Yamaraja and his assistants take a living entity away to the place of judgment, the life, life air and desires, being followers of the living entity, also go with him. This is confirmed in the Vedas. When the living entity is taken away or arrested by Yamaraja (tam utkramantam), the life air also goes with him (prano 'nutkramati), and when the life air is gone (pranam anutkramantam), all the senses (sarve pranah) also go along (anutkramanti). When the living entity and the life air are gone, the lump of matter produced of five elements--earth, water, air, fire and ether--is rejected and left behind. The living entity then goes to the court of judgment, and Yamaraja decides what kind of body he is going to get next. This process is unknown to modern scientists. Every living entity is responsible for his activities in this life, and after death he is taken to the court of Yamaraja, where it is decided what kind of body he will take next. Although the gross material body is left, the living entity and his desires, as well as the resultant reactions of his past activities, go on. It is Yamaraja who decides what kind of body one gets next in accordance with one's past actions.