SB 5.17

1. WBN on the glories of Mother Ganga. Draw her 4 paths. (SB.5.17.1-10)

1. Touching the water of the Ganga purifies all living entities internally( freedom from sins and inner purification) and externally(protection and freedom from disease)
2. Knowing it to be the water that touched that touched the Lord's Lotus Feet Dhruva Maharaja and the sapta rsis accept the water on their head with great devotion.
3. Since they are bhaktas and not impersonalists the sapta rsis neglect all other means of perfection and constantly meditating on the Lord they accept the Ganges water on their head

Her paths:

2. WBN on the 8 heavenly Varshas. (SB.5.17.11-15)

The eight heanevly varsas are known as Bhauma Svarga

1. People live long and youthful lives there
1. Their bodies are extremely trong like 10000 elephants and sturdy like thunderbolts
2. Women only conceive in the last year of their lives
3. They enjoy sense pleasure without tribulations
2. The place is very beautiful filled with gardens, flowers, hermitages, lakes and many birds
3. The demigods there enjoy with their wives 
4. The Lord Narayana expands Himself and resides in each of these varsas to remain near His devotees to give them mercy and accept their service.

3. Write the flow of Lord Siva's prayers to Lord Sankarshan. Quote 5.17.18 bhaje bhajanyäraëa… Give salient points from 19P. (SB.5.17.16 -24)

Lord Siva worships Lord Sankarasana knowing Him to be the original cause of his own existence. 

He glorifes Him by sayin :

1. Reservoir of all transcendental qualities
2. Unlimited
3. Unfathomable
4. Lotus Feet protect devotees from all dangers
5. Highest shelter of six opulencesManifests his different forms for the satisfaction of his devotees
6. Stops the repetition of borth and death, origin of material creation
7. Not affected by material world
8. But we are completely affected and therefore we must worhsip the Lord so we can conquer the senses
9. Lord Remains unagitatede.g Naga patnis)
10. Does creation, maintainence, and destruction. He is unlimited and holds the universes on His hoods
11. He is the greatest , greater than Siva and Brahma and all the demigods
12. We cannot understand Him because we are covered by Maya. Without being favored by him we cannot get out of Maya nor understand the Lord.

SB 5.16

1. Write the importance of focusing one’s mind on the Lord’s external energy.SB 5.16.1-3

Since we are in conditional life constantly associated with matter and also our minds are difficult to focus on. When we learn how to see everything around us in relation with Vishnu it purifies our consciousness as we stop seeing things from an exploitative tendency to a way we can worship things as they are all connected to Vishnu.

When we understand the creation of the cosmos, the planets, the bhu mandal we realize how everything is connected to the Lord. Thus having seeing the connection with Krishna our mind shifts from exploitation to reverence and thus to mode of goodness.

We also understand how all the creation of things of material enjoyment have come from the mode of ignorance ( 2 nd canto) and if we further associate with those things to enjoy we will remain in ignorance. Rather we learn the art of seeing the connection with Krishna and using in Krishna's service and not for our own sense gratification.

2. Draw and mark with details the following: 

(i) Structure of Jambhudvipa and its Varshas

(ii) Ilavrta-varsa and the details surrounding Mt. Sumeru,

(iii) The demigod abodes on top of Mt.Sumeru.

3. WBN on the people of Kali-yuga (SB.5.16.20-21P).

1. People in Kali Yuga like ourselves feel very proud of our existence and material wealth. Those with more money think they are living a superior form of life when they compare themselves with the have nots.
2. However planetary systems there is so much opulence- mud on banks of jambu river mixes with jambu river and due to the reaction of sunlight on it, large quantities of gold are produced.However in Kali Yuga produce huge quantities of gold.
3. But people in Kali Yuga think that their opulence is in plastic - plastic money, jewels and vessels instead of gold currency, gold jewels and gold vessels.
4. Lured by a promising life in heavenly planets they want to be promoted after death or achieve the same through space missions, but they can never do so.
5. Pure devotees do not want any of this, they only want the humble service of the Lord.