Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)tac chraddadhana munayojnana-vairagya-yuktayapasyanty atmani catmanambhaktya sruta-grhitaya[SB 1.2.12]"The seriously inquisitive student or sage, well equipped with knowledge and detachment, realizes that Absolute Truth by rendering devotional service in terms of what he has heard from the Vedanta-sruti."Prabhupada: (interrupts and corrects one devotee's chanting of the verse:) We are repeating so that by hearing the sound, you can practice. You should be attentive. By... (chanting resumes)Very good, thank you. Yes. She has done better than all of you. All right. (chanting resumes) (Prabhupada interrupts again:) Yes. That's all.So people, they sometimes say, "Can you show me God? Have you seen God?" These questions sometimes we meet. So the answer is here. Yes, you can see God. Everyone can see God. I am also seeing God. But there must be the qualification. Just like God is there... Suppose a motorcar is there, something is wrong there. Everyone is seeing. But one engineer or mechanic, he sees differently. Therefore we have to go there. "What is the wrong in this car? It is not running." He immediately touches some machine part; it runs. So these rascals, they do not know that "How I can see God if I have not the qualification?" The machine has gone wrong, I am seeing the machine. And the engineer, the mechanic, he is also seeing the machine. But his seeing and my seeing is different. He's qualified to see. Therefore when the machine has gone wrong, immediately he touches some part, it runs. So if for a machine we require so much qualification, and we want to see God without any qualification? Just see the fun. Without any qualification. Rascal, they are so rascal, so fool, that they want to see God with their nuisance qualification.Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita: naham prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtah: [Bg. 7.25] "I am not exposed to everyone. Yogamaya, yogamaya is covering." So how you can see God? But this rascaldom is going on, that "Can you show me God? Have you seen God?" God has become just like a plaything. "Here is God. He is incarnation of God." Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. They are sinful, rascals, fools, lowest of the mankind. They inquire like that: "Can you show me God?" What qualification you have acquired, that you can see God? Here is the qualification. What is that? Tac chraddadhana munayah. One must be first of all faithful. Faithful. Sraddadhanah. He must be very much eager to see God, actually. Not that as a proclivity, frivolous thing, "Can you show me God?" A magic, just like God is a magic. No. He must be very serious: "Yes, if there is God... We have seen, we have been informed about God. So I must see."There is a story in this connection. It is very instructive; try to hear. One professional reciter was reciting about Bhagavata, and he was describing that Krsna, being very highly decorated with all jewels, He is sent for tending the cows in the forest. So there was a thief in that meeting. So he thought that "Why not then go to Vrndavana and plunder this boy? He is in the forest with so many valuable jewels. I can go there and catch the child and take the, all the jewels." That was his intention. So, he was serious that "I must find out that boy. Then in one night I shall become millionaire. So much jewelries. No." So he went there, but his qualification was that "I must see Krsna, I must see Krsna." That anxiety, that eagerness, made it possible that in Vrndavana he saw Krsna. He saw Krsna the same way as he was informed by the Bhagavata reader. Then he saw, "Oh, oh, you are so nice boy, Krsna." So he began to flatter. He thought that "Flattering, I shall take all the jewels" (laughter). So when he proposed his real business, "So may I take some of your these ornaments? You are so rich." "No, no, no. You... My mother will be angry. I cannot..." (laughter) Krsna as a child. So he became more and more eager for Krsna. And then... By Krsna's association, he had already become purified. Then, at last, Krsna said, "All right, you can take." Then he became a devotee, immediately. Because by Krsna's association...So some way or other, we should come in contact with Krsna. Some way or other. Then we'll be purified. Kamad bhayad dvesyat. Just like the gopis... The gopis came to Krsna being captivated by His beautiful features. They were young girls, and Krsna was so beautiful. So actually, they came to Krsna being lusty, but Krsna is so pure that they became first-class devotees. There is no comparison of their devotion. Because they loved Krsna with heart and soul. That is the qualification. That is the qualification. They loved so much Krsna that they didn't care for family, for reputation. When they were going at dead of night... Krsna's flute was there, and they were all fleeing. Their father, their brother, their husband: "Where you are going? Where you are going in this dead of night?" They didn't care. They neglected their children, their family, everything: "We must go to Krsna." So this is required. We must be very, very eager so that... And many gopis who were forcibly stopped, going to Krsna, they lost their life. Just see how much eager they are. So this eagerness is wanted. Then you can see God. Either you become lusty or a thief or a murderer or whatever it may be. Some way or other, if you develop this eagerness, that "I must see Krsna," then Krsna will be seen.So here is... The first thing is how much eager you are to see Krsna. Krsna will respond. If you are actually eager to see Krsna... It, the reason may be different, either you are lusty or to steal His ornament. Some way or other, you become attracted to Krsna, then your business is successful. Rupa Gosvami has advised that... He says in a poetry. It is on the matter of the gopis talking. One gopi is advising another gopi that "My dear friend..."smeran bhangi-traya-paricitam saci-vistirna-drstimvamsinyastadhara-kisalayam ujjvalam candrakenagovindakhyam haritanumitah kesi-tirthopakanthema preksisthastava yadi sakhe! bandhu-sange 'sti rangahThe idea is that one gopi is advising another gopi, "My dear friend, there is one boy. His name is Govinda. He is standing on the bank of Yamuna near the Kesi-ghata, and He's playing on His flute. And He's so beautiful that especially during full moon night, please do not go there." (laughter) Why? "Now, because if you have got intention to enjoy in this material world with your family members, wife, children, husband, please do not go there." Smeran bhangi-traya-paricitam saci-vistirna-drstim. Bhangi-traya. "Krsna always stands in three-curved way with His flute. That is Krsna's tri-bhanga-murari." Tri-bhanga. Three places, He is bent. So,smeran bhangi-traya-paricitam saci-vistirna-drstimvamsinyastadhara-kisalayam ujjvalam candrakenagovindakhyam haritanumitah kesi-tirthopakanthema preksisthastava yadi sakhe! bandhu-sange 'sti rangah"If you think that you will enjoy more your life in this material world, then you do not go there. You do not go there."The idea is that if you once see Krsna, then you will forget all this nonsense material enjoyment. That is seeing Krsna. No more. Svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace. "My dear Lord I don't want anything." Dhruva Maharaja... Dhruva Maharaja went to see Krsna to get the kingdom of his father, but when he saw Krsna, Visnu... Visnu offered, "Now, whatever benediction you want, you take." He said, svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace, "My dear Lord, I have no more any desire." That is Krsna seeing. That if you want to see Krsna for some business, that "I shall see Krsna..." Just like... Of course, if you are eager to see Krsna, the motive may be different, but somehow or other, due to your eagerness, you'll see Krsna. That is the only qualification.In another poetry Rupa Gosvami says, krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih kriyatam yadi kuto 'pi labhyate. The, our this Krsna consciousness, I have taken this from this word krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih. This is actual translation in Sanskrit or... Krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih. So Rupa Gosvami advises that "Krsna consciousness, if it is possible, please purchase. Don't delay." Krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih kriyatam. "Purchase immediately!" Krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih kriyatam yadi kuto 'pi. "Where it is available? It is very nice thing." "Yes, it is available. You can purchase. The movement is going on." "And what is the price?" "Price?" "It is such a nice thing; you have to pay price." "Yes, there is price." "What is that?" Tatra laulyam ekalam mulyam: "Simply your eagerness. That is price. This price you have to pay." Then you get Krsna. Immediately. Krsna is not poor. And the Krsna-seller, the Krsna devotee, he is also not poor. He can distribute Krsna free. And he's doing that. Simply you have to purchase by your eagerness. That is wanted. Tatra laulyam. "Oh, eagerness? I have got eagerness." "Oh, it is not so easy." Tatra laulyam ekalam mulyam janma-koti-sukrtair na labhyate: "This eagerness cannot be achieved even by pious activities for millions of births." If you simply go on doing pious activities... Because without being pious, you cannot approach Krsna. So if you go on doing simply pious, janma-koti-sukrtaih... Sukrti means pious activities, simply pious. Still, this eagerness is not awakened.So this eagerness is very important thing. But it can be awakened by the association of devotees. Therefore we are giving chance to everyone to invoke that eagerness. Then you will see God eye to eye. It is not difficult. Tac chraddadhana munayah. Those who have developed that eagerness, faith, that "I must see Krsna in this life..." This life is meant for seeing Krsna. It is not meant for becoming dogs and hogs. Unfortunately, the whole civilization is going on, they are being trained to become dogs and hogs. It is the only institution that is teaching people how to see Krsna. This is the only institution, this Krsna consciousness movement. It is so important. Tac chraddadhana munayo jnana-vairagya-yuktaya [SB 1.2.12]. By eagerness, automatically you will be enriched with knowledge and detachment. Knowledge does not mean, "Now we have discovered this atomic bomb." That is not knowledge. What knowledge this is? People are dying. You have discovered something which will accelerate death. But we are giving some knowledge to stop death. That is Krsna consciousness. This is knowledge. Jnana-vairagya-yuktaya. And as soon as you get this knowledge, automatically you become detached to all this nonsense material happiness.Hare Krsna. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (devotees offer obeisances) Chant Hare Krsna. (end)Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.12 -- Los Angeles, August 15, 1972
You need to be a member of ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT to add comments!
Q. 176. HOW CAN ONE BE BLESSED WITH EXPANDED INTELLIGENCE AND EXPANDED INFLUENCE ?
A. BY SRILA PRABHUPADA.
sa vai mahā-bhāgavato mahātmā mahānubhāvo mahatāḿ mahiṣṭhaḥ pravṛddha-bhaktyā hy anubhāvitāśaye niveśya vaikuṇṭham imaḿ vihāsyati
SYNONYMS saḥ — he; vai — certainly; mahā-bhāgavataḥ — the topmost devotee; mahā-ātmā — expanded intelligence; mahā-anubhāvaḥ — expanded influence; mahatām— of the great souls; mahiṣṭhaḥ — the greatest; pravṛddha — well matured; bhaktyā — by devotional service; hi — certainly; anubhāvita — being situated inthe anubhāva stage of ecstasy; āśaye — in the mind; niveśya — entering; vaikuṇṭham — in the spiritual sky; imam — this (material world); vihāsyati — will quit.
TRANSLATION That topmost devotee of the Lord will have expanded intelligence and expanded influence and will be the greatest of the great souls. Due to matured devotional service, he will certainly be situated in transcendental ecstasy and will enter the spiritual sky after quitting this material world. (Srimad Bhagavatam).
PURPORT There are three stages of transcendental development in devotional service, which are technically called sthāyi-bhāva, anubhāva and mahābhāva. Continual perfect love of Godhead is called sthāyi-bhāva, and when it is performed in a particular type of transcendental relationship it is called anubhāva. But the stage of mahābhāva is visible amongst the personal pleasure potential energies of the Lord.
It is understood that the grandson of Diti, namely Prahlāda Mahārāja, would constantly meditate on the Lord and reiterate His activities. Because he would constantly remain in meditation, he would easily transfer himself to the spiritual world after quitting his material body. Such meditation is still more conveniently performed by chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord. This is especially recommended in this age of Kali.
na niṣkṛtair uditair brahma-vādibhis tathā viśuddhyaty aghavān vratādibhiḥ yathā harer nāma-padair udāhṛtais tad uttamaśloka-guṇopalambhakam
SYNONYMS na — not; niṣkṛtaiḥ — by the processes of atonement; uditaiḥ — prescribed; brahma-vādibhiḥ — by learned scholars such as Manu; tathā — to that extent;viśuddhyati — becomes purified; agha-vān — a sinful man; vrata-ādibhiḥ — by observing the vows and regulative principles; yathā — as; hareḥ — of Lord Hari;nāma-padaiḥ — by the syllables of the holy name; udāhṛtaiḥ — chanted; tat — that; uttamaśloka — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; guṇa — of the transcendental qualities; upalambhakam — reminding one.
TRANSLATION By following the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies or undergoing atonement, sinful men do not become as purified as by chanting once the holy name of Lord Hari. Although ritualistic atonement may free one from sinful reactions, it does not awaken devotional service, unlike the chanting of the Lord's names, which reminds one of the Lord's fame, qualities, attributes, pastimes and paraphernalia. (Srimad Bhagavatam).
PURPORT Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura comments that the chanting of the holy name of the Lord has special significance that distinguishes it from the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies of atonement for severe, more severe or most severe sinful actions. There are twenty types of religious scriptures called dharma-śāstras, beginning with the Manu-saḿhitā and parāśara-saḿhitā, but herein it is stressed that although one may become free from the reactions of the most sinful activities by following the religious principles of these scriptures, this cannot promote a sinful man to the stage of loving service to the Lord.
On the other hand, chanting the holy name of the Lord even once not only frees one immediately from the reactions of the greatest sins, but also raises one to the platform of rendering loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is described as uttama śloka because He is famous for His glorious activities. Thus one serves the Lord by remembering His form, His attributes and pastimes.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains that this is all possible simply by chanting the Lord's holy name because of the Lord's omnipotence. What cannot be achieved through the performance of Vedic rituals can be easily achieved through the chanting of the Lord's holy name. To chant the holy name and dance in ecstasy is so easy and sublime that one can achieve all the benefits of spiritual life simply by following this process.
Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu declares, paraḿ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-sańkīrtanam: "All glories to Śrī Kṛṣṇa sańkīrtana!" The sańkīrtana movement we have started offers the best process for becoming purified of all sinful reactions and coming immediately to the platform of spiritual life.
SYNONYMS mat-āśrayāḥ — about Me; kathāḥ — stories; mṛṣṭāḥ — delightful; śṛṇvanti — they hear; kathayanti — they chant; ca — and; tapanti — inflict suffering; vividhāḥ— various; tāpāḥ — the material miseries; na — do not; etān — unto them; mat-gata — fixed on Me; cetasaḥ — their thoughts.
TRANSLATION Engaged constantly in chanting and hearing about Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the sādhus do not suffer from material miseries because they are always filled with thoughts of My pastimes and activities. (Srimad Bhagavatam).
PURPORT
There are multifarious miseries in material existence — those pertaining to the body and the mind, those imposed by other living entities and those imposed by natural disturbances. But a sādhu is not disturbed by such miserable conditions because his mind is always filled with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and thus he does not like to talk about anything but the activities of the Lord.
Mahārāja Ambarīṣa did not speak of anything but the pastimes of the Lord. Vacāḿsivaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (Bhāg. 9.4.18). He engaged his words only in glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sādhus are always interested in hearing about the activities of the Lord or His devotees. Since they are filled with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are forgetful of the material miseries.
Ordinary conditioned souls, being forgetful of the activities of the Lord, are always full of anxieties and material tribulations. On the other hand, since the devotees always engage in the topics of the Lord, they are forgetful of the miseries of material existence.
Q. 173. WHAT IS THE MOST PERFECT PROCESS OF ATONEMENT ?
A. BY SRILA PRABHUPADA.
naikāntikaḿ tad dhi kṛte 'pi niṣkṛte manaḥ punar dhāvati ced asat-pathe tat karma-nirhāram abhīpsatāḿ harer guṇānuvādaḥ khalu sattva-bhāvanaḥ
SYNONYMS na — not; aikāntikam — absolutely cleansed; tat — the heart; hi — because; kṛte — very nicely performed; api — although; niṣkṛte — atonement; manaḥ — the mind; punaḥ — again; dhāvati — runs; cet — if; asat-pathe — on the path of material activities; tat — therefore; karma-nirhāram — cessation of the fruitive reactions of material activities; abhīpsatām — for those who seriously want; hareḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; guṇa-anuvādaḥ — constant chanting of the glories; khalu — indeed; sattva-bhāvanaḥ — actually purifying one's existence.
TRANSLATION The ritualistic ceremonies of atonement recommended in the religious scriptures are insufficient to cleanse the heart absolutely because after atonement one's mind again runs toward material activities. Consequently, for one who wants liberation from the fruitive reactions of material activities, the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, or glorification of the name, fame and pastimes of the Lord, is recommended as the most perfect process of atonement because such chanting eradicates the dirt from one's heart completely. (Srimad Bhagavatam)
PURPORT The statements in this verse have been confirmed previously in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.17):
"Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who relishes His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted."
It is the special mercy of the Supreme Lord that as soon as He knows that one is glorifying His name, fame and attributes, He personally helps cleanse the dirt from one's heart. Therefore simply by such glorification one not only becomes purified, but also achieves the results of pious activities (puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtana). Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtana refers to the process of devotional service. Even if one does not understand the meaning of the Lord's name, pastimes or attributes, one is purified simply by hearing or chanting of them. Such purification is called sattva-bhāvana.
One's main purpose in human life should be to purify his existence and achieve liberation. As long as one has a material body, one is understood to be impure. In such an impure, material condition, one cannot enjoy a truly blissful life, although everyone seeks it.
Therefore Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.5.1) says, tapo divyaḿ putrakā yena sattvaḿ śuddhyet: one must perform tapasya, austerity, to purify his existence in order to come to the spiritual platform. The tapasya of chanting and glorifying the name, fame and attributes of the Lord is a very easy purifying process by which everyone can be happy. Therefore everyone who desires the ultimate cleansing of his heart must adopt this process. Other processes, such as karma, jñāna and yoga, cannot cleanse the heart absolutely.
SYNONYMS bhaktyā — by devotional service; pumān — a person; jāta-virāgaḥ — having developed distaste; aindriyāt — for sense gratification; dṛṣṭa — seen (in this world); śrutāt — heard (in the next world); mat-racana — My activities of creation and so on; anucintayā — by constantly thinking about; cittasya — of the mind; yattaḥ — engaged; grahaṇe — in the control; yoga-yuktaḥ — situated in devotional service; yatiṣyate — will endeavor; ṛjubhiḥ — easy; yoga-mārgaiḥ — by the processes of mystic power.
TRANSLATION
Thus consciously engaged in devotional service in the association of devotees, a person gains distaste for sense gratification, both in this world and in the next, by constantly thinking about the activities of the Lord. This process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the easiest process of mystic power; when one is actually situated on that path of devotional service, he is able to control the mind.
(Srimad Bhagavatam).
PURPORT
In all scriptures people are encouraged to act in a pious way so that they can enjoy sense gratification not only in this life but also in the next. For example, one is promised promotion to the heavenly kingdom of higher planets by pious fruitive activities. But a devotee in the association of devotees prefers to contemplate the activities of the Lord — how He has created this universe, how He is maintaining it, how the creation dissolves, and how in the spiritual kingdom the Lord's pastimes are going on. There are full literatures describing these activities of the Lord, especially Bhagavad-gītā, Brahma-saḿhitā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
The sincere devotee who associates with devotees gets the opportunity to hear and contemplate this subject of the pastimes of the Lord, and the result is that he feels distaste for so-called happiness in this or that world, in heaven or on other planets. The devotees are simply interested in being transferred to the personal association of the Lord; they have no more attraction for temporary so-called happiness. That is the position of one who is yoga-yukta. One who is fixed in mystic power is not disturbed by the allurement of this world or that world; he is interested in the matters of spiritual understanding or the spiritual situation.
This sublime situation is very easily attained by the easiest process, bhakti-yoga. Ṛjubhir yoga-mārgaiḥ. A very suitable word used here is ṛjubhiḥ, or "very easy." There are different processes of yoga-mārga, attaining yoga perfection, but this process, devotional service to the Lord, is the easiest. Not only is it the easiest process, but the result is sublime. Everyone, therefore, should try to take this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and reach the highest perfection of life.
sa veda dhātuḥ padavīḿ parasya duranta-vīryasya rathāńga-pāṇeḥ yo 'māyayā santatayānuvṛttyā bhajeta tat-pāda-saroja-gandham
SYNONYMS
saḥ — He alone; veda — can know; dhātuḥ — of the creator; padavīm — glories; parasya — of the transcendence; duranta-vīryasya — of the greatly powerful;ratha-ańga-pāṇeḥ — of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who bears in His hand the wheel of a chariot; yaḥ — one who; amāyayā — without reservation; santatayā — without any gap; anuvṛttyā — favorably; bhajeta — renders service; tat-pāda — of His feet; saroja-gandham — fragrance of the lotus.
TRANSLATION
Only those who render unreserved, uninterrupted, favorable service unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who carries the wheel of the chariot in His hand, can know the creator of the universe in His full glory, power and transcendence. (Srimad Bhagavatam)
PURPORT
Only the pure devotees can know the transcendental name, form and activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa due to their being completely freed from the reactions of fruitive work and mental speculation. The pure devotees have nothing to derive as personal profit from their unalloyed service to the Lord. They render incessant service to the Lord spontaneously, without any reservation.
Everyone within the creation of the Lord is rendering service to the Lord indirectly or directly. No one is an exception to this law of the Lord. Those who are rendering service indirectly, being forced by the illusory agent of the Lord, are rendering service unto Him unfavorably. But those who are rendering service unto Him directly under the direction of His beloved agent are rendering service unto Him favorably.
Such favorable servitors are devotees of the Lord, and by the grace of the Lord they can enter into the mysterious region of transcendence by the mercy of the Lord. But the mental speculators remain in darkness all the time. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord Himself guides the pure devotees toward the path of realization due to their constant engagement in the loving service of the Lord in spontaneous affection. That is the secret of entering into the kingdom of God. Fruitive activities and speculation are no qualifications for entering.
"The Complete Science of Bhakti-Yoga PART 8A " BY SRILA PRABHUPADA .
Bhakti begins when is..., one is actually liberated from the influence of the modes of material nature. That is real bhakti. Otherwise, when you are, we are in training, that is called prakrta-bhakta. Actually, we are in the material state, but we are being trained up, the Deity worship. This is, following the rules and regulations under the instruction of spiritual master. Or Vedic injunction, this is training period. But even in the training period, if one is sincere and serious, he's liberated. He's liberated. It is so nice. Krsna consciousness is so nice that even in the training period, although he's not mature, and even one falls immature stage, there is no loss. That is also confirmed by Narada Muni: tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer patet tato yadi apakva... [SB 1.5.17]. There is a verse like this -- I don't exactly remember -- that if one is engaged in Krsna consciousness and, and without being mature, somehow or other, if he falls down, there is no loss, whereas other persons, who are sticking to their sva-dharma, but has no idea of Krsna consciousness, he does not gain anything. These are the statements of Narada. Therefore our position should be, our real active life begins when we begin to serve Krsna with our senses without being designated, without being situated in designation. This is transcendental stage.
Therefore a bhakta, Vaisnava, Vaisnava should not be considered that he's coming from European group or this group or that group. No. Vaisnave jati-buddhih. Vaisnava should not be considered belonging to any jati. Vaisnave, arcye sila-dhir gurusu nara-mati. Just like we worship Deity. Everyone knows that Deity is made of stone, but do we worship the stone? Do we construct so big, big temples for worshiping a piece of stone? No. Unless one has got this connection, that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Saksad brajendra-nandana..." Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw Jagannatha Temple and immediately fainted. He saw saksad brajendra-nandana Hari, Krsna, immediately. So we have to learn how to see Vaisnava and Visnu. That is Krsna consciousness movement. That means we have to purify our senses. Then we can see Krsna always.
One has to smear the eyes with the ointment of love, how to love Krsna. Then one can see Krsna always within his heart. And one who has learned this art, how to see Krsna within himself, within his heart always... Krsna certifies, "He's the topmost yogi."
yoginam api sarvesam mad-gata antaratmana sraddhavan bhajate yo mam sa me yuktatamo matah [Bg. 6.47]
These are clear things. There is no hazy idea. Everything is clear. We have to become designationless, free from designation. We shall forget. Not that "Here are some foreigners. Pick up some quarrel with them and try to drive them away. Why they have come?" So many nonsense things are going on, for want of actual spiritual education. This is not good, at least, for Vrndavana. This is not good. People have not been educated properly with the Vrndavana spirit. Therefore things are happening like that. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam: [Cc. Madhya 19.170] how to engage the senses, being freed from designation, in the service of the Lord. That is Vrndavana life. That is Vrndavana atmosphere. If there is any other purpose than this, then it is very difficult to utilize the opportunity, the fortune of living in Vrndavana. One has to be designationless. Go on.
Pradyumna: "As long as one identifies himself as belonging to a certain family, a certain society, or a certain person, he is said to covered with designations. When one is fully aware that he does not belong to any family, society, or country, but is eternally related to Krsna, he then realizes that his energy should be employed not in the interests of so-called family, society or country, but in the interests of Krsna. This, this is purity of purpose and the platform of pure devotional service in Krsna consciousness."
Prabhupada: So our purpose... The Krsna consciousness movement is started with this summary idea, that nobody should think himself as belonging to certain family or sect or religion or country or nation. All these designations have created havoc in the world, these false designations. When I think that "This country is mine," it is a false designation. Country is not mine. I am a guest here. If I stay in a country, in a place, for, say, twenty years, fifty years, hundred years, does it, does it mean that it belongs to me? Because they have no Krsna conscious idea, they are misled in thinking in that way. Some group of men are thinking that "This is our country. We are American," "We are Indian," "We are German." This is the false... Illusion. Actually, everything belongs to Krsna. Krsna says, bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He's the proprietor. But because people are not educated in Krsna consciousness, they are thinking, "I am the proprietor." Aham mameti janasya moho 'yam [SB 5.5.8]. This aham mama, increasing the aham mama, is illusion. It is maya. And that is going on. Therefore there is great need of spreading Krsna consciousness in the human society. Those who are actually welfare workers, they should come forward and join this movement to spread it. Actually, it is being accepted very nicely. Although not nicely, they have begun to accept it all over the world. This is our experience. And if we present the philosophy in correct viewpoint, people will accept it. And people will accept it, and people from all parts of the world will come to Vrndavana. Because they are hearing about Vrndavana, about Krsna, naturally they are very much anxious to visit. But if we do not receive them nicely, if we remain sectarian, oh, it will be an unfortunate thing. That is my request. Those who are inhabitants of Vrndavana, they should be prepared to receive these foreigners, who are being educated in Krsna consciousness. They should come here to visit; so they should be received, they should be welcomed. That is my request. Yes. Next.
Pradyumna: " 'The Characteristics of Pure Devotional Service.' In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Third Canto, Twenty-ninth Chapter, 10th verse, Srila Kapiladeva, while instructing His mother, has given the following characteristics of pure devotional service: 'My dear mother, those who are My pure devotees, and who have no desire for material benefit or philosophical speculation, have their minds so much engaged in My service that they are never interested in asking Me for anything -- except to be engaged in that service. They do not even beg to live in My abode with Me.' "
Prabhupada: Yes. This is pure devotional purpose. Natural. "Here is a Krsna devotee." How much one should be glad to see a Krsna devotee. Naturally, his love for a Krsna devotee should enhance. That is pure devotion. Just like in foreign country, when one Indian meets another Indian, naturally, he has got some tendency: "Oh, wherefrom you are coming? How long you are here?" This conversation goes on. Similarly, natural flow of Krsna consciousness is that as soon as one sees a person in Vaisnava symptoms, he should be eager to welcome him. He should be very much anxious to talk with him about Krsna, Krsna-katha. Bodhayantah parasparam tusyanti ca ramanti ca. Krsna conscious people should be so nice that as soon as they meet together, they talk about Krsna, they try to understand about Krsna, and they feel pleasure in that way. That is Krsna consciousness society. We are trying to make a Krsna consciousness society to give this opportunity to these people, how one should be engladdened by seeing one devotee and talk with them, one another, about Krsna, forgetting their designations. That is Krsna consciousness. Go on.
Pradyumna: "There are five kinds of liberation, namely, to become one with the Lord, to live with the Supreme Lord on the same planet, to have the same features as the Lord, to enjoy the same opulences as the Lord, and to live as a companion of the Lord. A devotee, not to speak of rejecting material sense gratification, does not even want any of the five kinds of liberation. He is satisfied simply by discharging loving service to the Lord. That is the characteristic of pure devotion."
Prabhupada: Yes. This is instructed by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He rejects: na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye [Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4]. The karmis, they want all these things. Na dhanam. Great riches, and beautiful wife, great followers. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu is rejecting these, and He's rejecting also liberation. Dhiyamanam na ghrnanti (?). A pure devotee is not interested even in liberation. That is pure devotee. That... Just like Bhaktivinoda Thakura, he says, kita janma ha-u yatha tuya dasa, bahir mukha brahma janme nahi mora asa. A devotee does not pray that "Give me this, give me that, give me that." No. He prays that "Whatever you like, if you like me to take birth as an insect, that's all right. But my only request is that I may become an insect in the house of a devotee so that I may get the chance of prosecuting my devotional service. I may eat the remnants of foodstuff eaten by the devotee." Just like Bharata Maharaja, he became a deer, but he was associating with saintly persons. He understood that "I was formerly King Bharata. My chance, my mind being absorbed in the thinking of a deer, I have become a deer. All right. Doesn't matter." So he was associating with devotees. Similarly, a devotee is not interested to become liberated, go back to home, back to Godhead. Of course, even if he's not interested, Krsna takes him. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti [Bg. 4.9]. That is natural. But that is not our... We don't pray to Krsna for anything of sense gratification. Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore said, mama janmani janmani isvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi. Ahaituki apratihata. Our simply, simple desire is how to be engaged in the service of the Lord. Janmani janmani. When, when Caitanya Mahaprabhu speaks janmani janmani, that means He rejects liberation also. Na dhanam na janam na kavitam va yace. This is the karmi's, jnani's... And even liberation. He rejects liberation. Mama janmani. If one is liberated, then where is the question of janmani janmani? So liberation is also not aspired by a devotee. These are the characteristics of pure devotion. This chapter is "Characteristics of Pure Devotional Service." Pure devotional service should be without any desire, anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. The others, they are trying to make Krsna-sunyam, sunyavadi; our attempt should be to make our desires sunyam. Simply we be engaged in the service of the Lord. That is pure devotion. Go on, one paragraph more. What is the time now?
Pradyumna: "In the above statement by Kapiladeva from the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the actual position of a pure devotee is described, and the primary characteristics of devotional service are also defined. Further characteristics of devotional service are described by Rupa Gosvami with evidences from different scriptures. He states that there are six characteristics of pure devotional service, which are as follows: (1) Pure devotional service brings immediate relief from all kinds of material distress. (2) Pure devotional service is the beginning of all auspiciousness."
Prabhupada: Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati has described,
visvam purna-sukhayate vidhi-mahendradis ca kitayate yat-karunya-kataksa-vaibhavavatam gauram eva stumah (Caitanya-candramrta 5)
When actually one comes in the platform of devotional service, for him, there is no problem. The whole world is disturbed, agitated with so many problems, but for a devotee, there is no problem. Visvam purna-sukhayate. And they are trying, the whole world is trying to become very big man. Somebody's trying to be very big merchant or big industrialist, or minister, or this or that, and others, they are trying to occupy the post of Indra, Candra, devata. That is competition, going on. As soon as there is some competition, even persons, demigods, like Indra, Candra, they become disturbed, and they try to stop it. But a devotee has no such concern. He's not disturbed. Because he's engaged in the service of the Lord, he feels so much happy that he has no disturbance. Visvam purna-sukhayate. Neither he is anxious to occupy any very big post. Because for a devotee, vidhi-mahendradis ca kitayate. He knows that "What is this position? Say, for some years, ten years, twenty years, fifty years, hundred years, millions years." It is limited. As soon as the limited span of life is finished, either in this world, either in this planet, or in other planets... Suppose I go to the heavenly planet, I occupy the post of Indra. What is that? It is also limited. Ksine punye martya-lokam visanti [Bg. 9.21]. So long you have got assets of pious activities, you can occupy such post; then again come down. A-brahma-bhuvanal lokah punar avartino 'rjuna [Bg. 8.16]. So in this way we are wandering from up, down, down, up. In this way. Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore said,
We are wandering, life after life, in different species of life, different forms of life, in different planetary system. And that is going on. This is not progress. Where is progress? You are conditioned within this universe. Where is your progress? Suppose you... Just like if I jump with a limited space, where is my progress? Real progress is Krsna consciousness. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. If we actually want to make progress, then we must take to Krsna consciousness so that after leaving this body there is no more coming down to accept a material body. That is real progress. Otherwise, there is no progress. It is simply wandering with a limited space. That is not progress at all. But because we are in illusion, we are thinking it is progress. It is not progress.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end) The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1972
"The Complete Science of Bhakti-Yoga PART 7B " BY SRILA PRABHUPADA .
Pradyumna: (reading:) "So when our senses are engaged for the actual proprietor of the senses, that is called devotional service. In our conditional state, our senses are engaged in serving these bodily demands. When the same senses are engaged in executing the order of Krsna, it is called bhakti."
Prabhupada: Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Bhakti, it is very simple thing. Our relationship with Krsna is natural. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, mamaivamsa jiva-bhutah. We are part and parcel of Krsna; therefore our only duty is to serve Krsna. That is natural. There is no question about it. Part and parcel means helping the whole. As we have several times explained that this finger is the part and parcel of my body, so it is the duty of the finger always serve the body, whole body. It has no other occupation. As soon as I desire, "Finger, you come to this place," immediately it comes. "Finger, you come to this place," it immediately comes. So we can study. What is the meaning of part and parcel? Part and parcel means to serve the whole. Krsna is the Absolute Truth. We are relative truth. Therefore it is our duty to serve Krsna. That is our natural position.
But at the present moment, we are engaging our senses, ourself, in designation. I am thinking, "I am American," I am thinking, "I am Hindu," I am thinking, "I am brahmana" or "I am sannyasi." So many designations. Caitanya Mahaprabhu presented Himself, how to become designationless, sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. He said, "I am not a brahmana. I am not a sudra. I am not a ksatriya. I am not a brahmacari." He denied. At last He said, gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayoh dasa-dasanudasah [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. This is our position. We are not Indian; we are not American; we are not Hindu; we are not Muslim. These are all designations. Therefore (the) Krsna consciousness movement is to make people free from designation. Just like, actually, you see. Here are American, European boys and girls. They have forgotten that they are American or European or they come from Christian group or Jewish group. Similarly, we should also forget that "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," or "I am brahmana," "I am sudra," "I am ksatriya." No. This is the only platform, Krsna consciousness, where we can unite on spiritual platform. We cannot be united by resolutions. Just like the United Nations: they are trying for the last thirty years to become united -- simply resolution. On that platform we cannot be united. On political platform or social platform, that is not possible, because the designations are there. When we are free from designation, sarvopadhi-virnirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam, when we are purified, then we can unite in the service of the Lord, Krsna. That is real unity. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam... [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. That is Vaikuntha platform. Just like in Vaikuntha, the Vaikunthesvara, Narayana, or Krsna, He's the central point of service. Just like in Vrndavana... The Vrndavana... The animals, the birds, the beasts, the water, the trees, the flowers, the cowherds boy -- everyone -- center is Krsna. That is Vrndavana. They did not know that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but they loved Krsna with their heart and soul. That is Vrndavana. So if we come to this point of Krsna consciousness and simply learn how to love Krsna, then we can create the whole world as Vrndavana. Unfortunately, even in the Vrndavana, at the present moment, because our desires have been something else other than serving Krsna, there are so many factions. The center is missing.
So Krsna consciousness movement means to purify our senses from the designation and engage the senses in the service of the Lord. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. That is described here. That is wanted. It is called bhakti. "In our conditional state our senses are engaged in serving these bodily demands. When the same senses are engaged in executing the order of Krsna, it is called bhakti." This is bhakti. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna served Krsna by his talent. He was a soldier; he knew how to fight. So by, for his personal consideration, he was thinking not to fight, not to kill the other side, because the other side happened to be his kinsmen, his grandfather, his brother, his nephews. So he was thinking in terms of his own sense gratification, because "The other side, if they are killed, I'll be unhappy." That was his consideration. Therefore he was not willing to fight. And to induce him to become Krsna conscious, the whole Bhagavad-gita was explained. And at the end Krsna asked Arjuna, "What is your decision?" Yathecchasi tatha kuru [Bg. 18.63]. "You can do whatever you like. I have given you instruction, full instruction. Now whatever you like, you can do." This means every living entity has got a little independence. Krsna, or God, does not interfere with that independence. Yathecchasi tatha kuru. At the last, also, Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. "You do it." Krsna can instruct us, "You do it." If I don't do it, that is my option. That option is always there. Krsna does not oblige me. Otherwise, what is the difference between me and the stone? The stone has no independence. But I am a living entity; I have got my independence. So do you... Krsna does not interfere with my independence. Voluntarily, if we surrender to Krsna, voluntarily if we serve Him, then our life is successful. Voluntarily. Hitva anyatha-rupam svarupena vyavasthitih [SB 2.10.6]. We can become immediately liberated if we give up our designated post. If we simply come to the platform of Krsna consciousness, then immediately we become liberated. So many sages and saintly persons are trying to become liberated, mukta, to merge into the existence of impersonal Brahman. But because they have no information of Krsna, or they do not like to surrender to Krsna, they fall down. Aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adhah [SB 10.2.32].
So we must stick to Krsna consciousness without any designative ideas. We must stand on the transcendental platform. Sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. Transcendental platform means above the three modes of material nature, which is called brahma-bhutah. So this position, brahma-bhutah's position... Without being in brahma-bhutah position, liberated stage, nobody can be engaged in devotional service.
brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati samah sarvesu bhutesu mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg. 18.54]
Bhakti begins when is..., one is actually liberated from the influence of the modes of material nature. That is real bhakti. The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1972
"The Complete Science of Bhakti-Yoga PART 7A " BY SRILA PRABHUPADA .
Pradyumna: "The impersonalists sometimes misunderstand devotional service in such a way that they divide Krsna from His paraphernalia and pastimes. For example, the Bhagavad-gita is spoken on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, and the impersonalists say that although Krsna is of interest, the Battlefield of Kuruksetra isn't. The devotees, however, also know that the Battlefield of Kuruksetra by itself has nothing to do with their business, but in addition they know that 'Krsna' does not mean just Krsna alone. He is always with His associates and paraphernalia."
Prabhupada: There are so-called pseudo devotees. They say, "What we have to do with Bhagavad-gita?" They think that they are so advanced that they will jump over immediately to the Krsna's rasa-lila. That means Krsna's lila in the Kuruksetra is not very much important for them. But no. Krsna's lila, either in the Kuruksetra or in Vrndavana, the same thing. We should know. Abhinnatvad nama-naminoh. So better, first of all, read Bhagavad-gita, the preliminary study of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Try to read, or try to learn. Of course, in the Srimad-Bhagavatam there is everything. But for ordinary persons, because Bhagavad-gita is the ABCD of spiritual knowledge... People even commit mistakes in studying the ABCD of spiritual knowledge. People have become so much degraded that they cannot understand even ABCD of spiritual knowledge. They'll make their own interpretation. Such is the horrible condition. They'll try to make minus Krsna Bhagavad-gita, go on reading Bhagavad-gita for millions of years, setting aside Krsna. That is scholarly. This is going on. Scholar means they say, openly... I have seen Dr. Radhakrishnan. When he's explaining man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], he's saying openly, "It is not to the person Krsna." He's saying. Just see the attempt. He's writing comments on Bhagavad-gita and he's trying to make Krsna away, minus Krsna. Simply mental speculation. This is going on. We should be very careful. What is that? Go on. The impersonalists... The impersonalists, they do not know that Krsna and Krsna's body, not different. They take it for acceptance that when God, Brahman comes, He accepts a material body. That is Mayavadi philosophy. Therefore Krsna says, avajananti mam mudhah manusim tanum asritah [Bg. 9.11]. He comes... Sambhavamy atma-mayaya [Bg. 4.6]. He comes as He is. Otherwise how He can act so wonderfully? When He was on the lap of His mother, three months old, how He could kill the gigantic demon, Putana? He's not different from His body. He simply appears according to the necessity. Krsna has no such difference, body and soul. He's full, complete, spiritual. We have got, in this conditional state, soul and body difference. Dehi and deha. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [Bg. 2.13]. So dehantaram praptih. Krsna hasn't got to accept another body. So this, these things we should know. Krsna is complete, purna-brahman. There is nothing like material and spiritual in Krsna's body. Go on.
Pradyumna: "For instance, if someone says, 'Give something to eat to the man with the weapons,' the eating process is done by the man and not by the weapons. Similarly, in Krsna consciousness, a devotee may be interested in the paraphernalia and locations -- such as the Battlefield of Kuruksetra -- which are associated with Krsna, but he is not concerned with simply any battlefield. He is concerned with Krsna -- His speech, His instructions, etc. It is because Krsna is there that the battlefield is so important."
Prabhupada: Go on.
Pradyumna: "This is the summary understanding of what Krsna consciousness is. Without this understanding one is sure to misunderstand why the devotees are interested in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra."
Prabhupada: Yes. Sometimes we are asked that "Why Krsna induced Arjuna to become violent?" So then so many so-called scholars, they criticize Krsna, but they do not know what is Krsna. Krsna is absolute. In whichever way He acts, it is the same thing. God is good. It does not mean when He fights in the Battlefield of Kurksetra He becomes bad. No. He's still good. That is the conception of God: absolute. He can do anything and anything. Still, He continues to be the Absolute Truth. That is Absolute Truth. There is no relative understanding, "This is good for God, this is bad for God," as (if) God has come before me to be judged by me. You cannot judge God, Krsna. What He does... Just like Arjuna accepted Krsna: sarvam etad rtam manye yad vadasi kesava [Bg. 10.14]. "I accept whatever You say in toto, without any distinction." That is acceptance of Bhagavad-gita and Krsna. That is the way of understanding Vedas. You cannot judge the conclusion of the Vedas. You have to accept as it is. Because we are conditioned. We have got so many defects -- we are illusioned, we commit mistake, our senses are imperfect... So many defects. Bhrama-pramada-vipralipsa-kara-napatava, we want to cheat others. So therefore we cannot give perfect knowledge. We have to receive knowledge from the perfect. And who is better perfect than Krsna? Therefore whatever Krsna says, whatever Krsna does, that is all good. There is nothing criticizing. You cannot criticize Krsna. That is not possible. You cannot say, "Why Krsna took part in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra?" Yes, He had business to do it. Because He appeared, paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. He had to kill all the demons. That was His another business. Not only to dance with the gopis in Vrndavana, but He had other business to kill the demons. In Vrndavana also, so many demons were appearing daily, and Krsna was killing them. So that is another side of Krsna's business. But if you study Krsna from your materialistic angle of vision, you'll misunderstand. You should know Krsna's dancing with the gopis and Krsna's fighting in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra is the one and the same. That is Krsna consciousness.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972
The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972
Pradyumna: (reading:) "...as given by Rupa Gosvami in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, can be summarized thus: his service is favorable and is always in relation to Krsna. In order to keep the purity of such Krsna conscious activities, one must be freed from all material desires and philosophical speculation. Any desire except for the service of the Lord is called material desire. And philosophical speculation refers to the sort of speculation which ultimately arrives at a conclusion of voidism or impersonalism. This conclusion is useless for a Krsna conscious person. Only rarely by philosophical speculation can one reach the conclusion of worshiping Vasudeva, Krsna. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita itself. The ultimate end of philosophical speculation, then, must be Krsna, with the understanding that Krsna is everything, the cause of all causes, and that one should therefore surrender unto Him. If this ultimate goal is reached, then philosophical advancement is favorable, but if the conclusion of philosophical speculation is voidism or impersonalism, that is not bhakti."
Prabhupada: There is a verse in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: vasudeva-para veda vasudeva-param jnanam vasudeva-param gatim. So unless one is led to the conclusion vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19], jnana-vairagya-karma, anything that you are trying to achieve, if it is not targeted to the realization of Vasudeva, then it... Srama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8]. That is the conclusion of Bhagavata. Whatever you do, the ultimate goal should be realization of Vasudeva, Krsna. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. All Vedic conclusions should be ultimately to realize Vasudeva, Krsna. Bahunam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. This realization is achieved after many, many births of philosophical speculation, mystic yogic exercise or fruitive activities. Koti-karmi-madhye eka jnani srestha. To become karmi is the third-class stage of life. One has to make progress further, so that one may become self-realized, brahma-bhutah. So out of many, many karmis, one jnani, or one who has realized his identification, he's better. And out of many millions of jnanis who are trying to realize his self by philosophical speculation, brahma-jnana, so one mukta, or liberated soul, is better. And out of many thousands of liberated souls, it is said by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, it is very rare to find out a pure devotee of Krsna.
The conclusion is, a pure devotee of Krsna is picked up out of many, many liberated persons. Mukta-sangasya jayate. Krsna realization, bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam, mukta-sangasya jayate. Bhagavat-tattva, the truth, the Absolute Truth, which is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam. Tattva means truth, and that is Bhagavan. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti [SB 1.2.11]. Brahman realization is not all. One has to go further. Paramatma realization -- one has to go further. When one comes to realization of Bhagavan, sad-aisvarya-purna-bhagavan-Bhagavan means full will six kinds of opulences, person, sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah, sarva-karana-karanam [Bs. 5.1] -- that is ultimate goal of life. Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma su-durlabhah [Bg. 7.19]. Such kind of mahatma is very rare. That is the verdict of all Vedic literature, and confirmed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: koti-mukta-madhye durlabha krsna-bhakta. Krsna bhakta, a pure devotee of Krsna, is very rarely to be found out amongst the muktas, amongst the liberated souls. Others are trying to become liberated, but a Krsna-bhakta is above liberation. Pancama-purusartha. People are busy for dharma artha kama moksa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Adi 1.90]. Some of them are busy to become religious. Of course, without religious life, there..., there is no human society. Dharmena hina pasubhih samanah. Unless a society takes to religiosity, it is not human society. Therefore we see any civilized human society, there is a kind of religious system. It doesn't matter whether it is Hinduism, Christianism, or Buddhism, or Muhammadanism, but there must be a religious system. Without this system, that human society is not considered as human society. That is animal society. In the... Even I understand that in America the Red Indians, who are supposed to be not civilized, they had also a religious system. So maybe a perverted form of religious system. Similarly, in India also there are primitive races in the jungles, they have also... Religious system means approving the authority of some Supreme Being. That is religious system. So in the animal society there is no such conception that "There is God. We have got some relationship with God," what is that relationship. This type of discussion cannot be present in the animal society. So dharma artha kama moksa. Generally religious system is taken for improving social and economic condition. Artha. Artha means economy. Artha is required for sense gratification. We require economic development for our sense gratification. And when one is completely satisfied, then he can cultivate about spiritual realization, moksa, apavarga.
So dharmasya apavargyasya arthah na arthaya upakalpate. So dharma is not meant for developing economic condition. That is secondary. But dharma is meant for ultimate goal of liberation. People do not know that. People are not educated that what is the ultimate goal of life. Still, they take to religious life as a compromise between the contending elements, that "We must live peacefully under religious system." The aim is how to live in this material world peacefully. Sometimes religion and God is conceived in that way, that is, "If we have some conception of God, then we shall be moral, we shall be peaceful. Otherwise, there is no need of presenting God in the society." There are so many different opinions, different philosophers, different religious system, according to the modes of nature. But actually every system must be targeted towards realization of Krsna, or God. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. That is Bhagavata-dharma. Bhagavata-dharma means realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Prahlada Maharaja recommended culture of this Bhagavata-dharma from the very beginning of life: kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha [SB 7.6.1]. That is the success of human form of life, to execute Bhagavata-dharma. The, the process... And dharma, as we have several times explained, dharma means the codes of Bhagavan. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19].
So this Krsna consciousness movement is directly touching the point. Not step by step. There is no time. In the Kali-yuga there is very little time to go step by step. Otherwise, there are twenty different types of religious scriptures, vimsati-prakasa, dharma-sastra. So who will read, and who will try to understand? There is no time. Prayena alpayusah kalau asmin yuge janah. People who are very short-living and they are not very enthusiastic for self-realization. Manda. Even they, somebody becomes interested in self-realization, they accept some wrong path. Mandah sumanda-matayo [SB 1.1.10]. They have got different matah, opinion or path. And the so-called swamis, they also support that "Whatever opinion you have got about religious system, that is all right." Yata mata tata patha. But actually, the fact is different. The fact is that one should take simply to the devotional path, bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. If you are actually serious to know God, or Krsna, then you must take to this process of devotional service. Without this you cannot understand. Not through karma, not through mystic yogic exercises, but through devotional service. Bhaktya mam abhijanati, yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. That is clearly stated in the Bhagavad... But people do not know it. Anartha upasamam saksad bhakti-yogam adhoksaje. Bhakti-yogam, execution of bhakti-yoga, is the means of anartha upasama, subduing the anarthas. Material life means we have accumulated some unwanted things. Just like this material body -- this is also not wanted. But somehow or other, we have developed this, and as we have got this material body, we have got so many material necessities of life. So it is not that abruptly we have to give it up. But by yukta-vairagya, everything, the material activities, dovetailing with Krsna consciousness, it becomes gradually purified, and we come to the final stage of understanding Krsna. That is our success of life. Go on.
Pradyumna: "Karma, or fruitive activities, are sometimes understood to be ritualistic activities. There are many persons who are very much attracted by the ritualistic activities described in the Vedas. But if one becomes attracted simply to ritualistic activities without understanding Krsna, his activities are unfavorable to Krsna consciousness. Actually, Krsna consciousness can be based simply on hearing, chanting, remembering, etc. Described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam are nine different processes, besides which, everything done is unfavorable to Krsna consciousness. Thus one should always be guarding against falldowns."
Prabhupada: So we should directly take to the nine different processes of devotional service, sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23]. That we are stressing specifically every time, that hearing about Krsna is very important. Sravanam. As it is described in the Bhagavatam, srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah [SB 1.2.17]. Srnvatam. Simply hearing, srnvatam, those who are hearing... Caitanya Mahaprabhu has also recommended, sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih. One may stay in his position as a brahmana, as a ksatriya, as a vaisya, or as a sudra. Everyone can hear about Krsna. This assembly which we are holding, there is no such thing that only the brahmanas will come here, or the ksatriyas will come here. Anyone can come and hear about Krsna. That is the process of Krsna consciousness movement. We try to invite everyone, from every corner of the world, to hear about Krsna. And that is becoming successful also. Simply by hearing about Krsna -- Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare -- and reading Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, simply talking about Krsna, they are becoming successful. So we should take... In the Kali-yuga it is very difficult to go step by step. It is not possible. Therefore by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the easiest path has been recommended:
harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha [Cc. Adi 17.21]
Actually, we cannot accept various paths for self-realization. That is not impossible. Sometimes, because we give stress directly to accept this devotional service, people are not very happy that we do not give any importance to the process of jnana and karma and yoga. We do not condemn, but they're very difficult. The yogic process... Especially in Western countries, they are very much fond of the word yoga. We are therefore publishing this book, Krsna Consciousness Is the Topmost Yoga. Actually it is so. So the yoga system or the jnana system or the karma-kanda system, we do not make them null and void, but it will be very much slow form of progress. It will take long, long time. Neither it is possible to execute yoga system or karma system very properly in this age. Therefore the best contribution to the people of this age is Krsna consciousness. Immediately take to... Directly take to Krsna and your life will be successful. Krsna also says, sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. The yoga system, karma system, jnana system, they may be taken as different types of religious path, but Krsna recommends -- not only at the present moment, but eternally He recommends -- five thousand years ago, He said, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. "I'll give you protection," aham tvam sarva-papebhyo. Go on.
Pradyumna: "Srila Rupa Gosvami has also mentioned in this definition of bhakti the word jnana-karmadi. This karmadi, or fruitive work, consists of activities which are unable to help one attain to pure devotional service. Many forms of so-called renunciation are also not favorable to Krsna conscious devotional service."
Prabhupada: Yes. Karma... Rupa Gosvami has directly recommended, anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam [Brs. 1.1.11]. Actually, we find so many yogis, jnanis, karmis, they cannot understand even what is the benefit of this Krsna consciousness movement. Because we say directly, "You take to devotional service," sometimes they are not satisfied. But what can be done? This is the process recommended. And we are preaching through the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has recommended that this process of Krsna-kirtana..., param vijayate krsna-sankir..., sankirtanam.
This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's blessings, param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam. So go anywhere and everywhere, chant Hare Krsna mantra, and you'll become victorious. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's blessings. It is not our invention. And practically we are getting result. All over the world, our only means is to chant Hare Krsna mantra. Recently we have become victorious, very recently in Melbourne. You know, our men were being arrested and prosecuted. But one, the chief clergyman, archbishop, he has recommended that "These people are very nice people, God conscious. Don't give them trouble." Yes. And the government has stopped harassing. Now we are free to move on the street and go anywhere. This recent news we have got from Melbourne. Madhudvisa Maharaja has sent this news. Similarly, we were harassed in London also, and other places. In USA also. San Francisco. I do not know whether we were harassed in New York, but more or less... And in Japan also, they are talking that "You become bona fide religious organization. Otherwise you cannot come on the street." So although there is harassment by the governing agents, still we are coming out successful. Param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam. All glories to the Sri-Krsna-Sankirtana! Practically. So you stick to this principle, go on chanting Hare Krsna mantra anywhere it is possible, and you'll be victorious. That is the blessings of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Believe in it and you'll be successful. Yes. Go on.
Pradyumna: "Srila Rupa Gosvami has also quoted a definition from the Narada-pancaratra as follows: 'One should be free from all material designations and must be cleansed of all material contamination by Krsna consciousness. He should be restored to his pure identity, where he engages his senses in the service of the proprietor of the senses.' So when our senses are engaged for the actual proprietor of the senses, that is called devotional service."
Prabhupada: Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Bhakti, devotional service, does not mean inertness. Not simply sitting down or meditate. It is activity, engaging all the senses. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam. Hrsika means these senses -- not these senses, but purified senses. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Just like pranair arthair dhiyah vaca. Prana, life; artha, riches, money; dhiya, intelligence; and vaca, speeches. So everyone using... Just like for national cause people are engaging life, they are sacrificing life. So many, for attainment of independence in India, so many Indians gave up their life. Pranaih. So many people gave up their everything. We know during national movement, Mr. C. R. Das, a great leader of the Congress group, he sacrificed everything. He was a big, very big lawyer, barrister. He sacrificed his profession, he sacrificed his life -- everything. So as we are sacrificing everything for attainment of some so-called national independence, the same thing, if we sacrifice for Krsna, then our life becomes successful. Pranair arthair dhiya vaca sreya-acaranam sada.
So it is not inactivity. Caitanya Mahaprabhu or his followers, they were not inactive. They were acting. This Rupa Gosvami, he was so active that he could not sleep at night even for more than one and one half hour. They retired from the material activities. He was minister. He gave up his job and joined Caitanya Mahaprabhu in old age. He came to Vrndavana not to live a retired life, but a very active life.
Here is, sitting, Sri Gosvamiji. He's coming from Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. So all these six Gosvamis, they were not inactive. They were always active. As we are active in the karma, karmi life, so bhakti life is also activity. It is not sitting down idly or gossiping. One must find out some job to serve Krsna. That is bhakti life. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Sevanam means activity. Sevanam does not mean sit down idle, inert. No. As soon as seva... Seva means activity. One has to preach, one has to write, one has to do this, do that, cook, offer the prasadam, everything. Seva, activity.
So that activity and karmis' activity, there is difference. The karmi's activity is on upadhi. "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian." With this upadhi, we are acting. But bhakti means without upadhi. Sarvopadhi-virnirmuktam. Activity without upadhi. Working not as American. Working not as Indian. Working not as Hindu. Working not as Muslim. That is sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. If we think that "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am American," that is with upadhi. When we purely think that "We are...," or "I am servant of Krsna. My only business is to satisfy Krsna," that activity is called bhakti. If I become interested in some party, that is not... Sometimes people criticize these American and European devotees, that they think that "They are American devotee; we are Hindu devotee. There is difference." This is not bhakti-marga. This is upadhi. Why you should think yourself as Hindu? Why you should think of others who have come from America as American? That is less intelligent. Krsna-bhakta... Vaisnave jati-buddhih. If one thinks of Vaisnava as belonging to this class, this nation, he has no vision. Naraki. That is called naraki-buddhih. Vaisnave jati-buddhih arcye siladhir gurusu nara-matir vaisnave jati-buddhih. If we think the Deity as made of stone and made of wood, arcye sila-dhir; gurusu, nara-matih, if we accept spiritual master as ordinary human being; vaisnave jati-buddhih, and if we take a Vaisnava as belonging to America or Europe or India... No. They are transcendental. Neither the Deity in the temple is stone, neither the spiritual master is ordinary human being, nor the Vaisnava belongs to any caste. This vision is perfect vision. When you come to this vision, that is bhakti. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. A bhakta has to become purified. Tat-paratvena, being dovetailed with the service of tat, om tat sat. Tat-param. This is the process of devotional service. One should not be designated "I am this," "I am that," "I am that." No. The world should unite. This Krsna consciousness movement is so nice that one should forget that he's Indian or Hindu or Christian or American or Indian. Everything should unite as servant of Krsna. That is bhakti-marga. Unfortunately, they distinguish between American Vaisnava and Indian Vaisnava: brahmana Vaisnava, sudra Vaisnava. No. A Vaisnava is Vaisnava. Visnur asya devatah iti vaisnava. One who has accepted Visnu as "my Lord," he has no designation. A Vaisnava has no such distinction. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170].
So this is the sutra given by Narada. Tat tenaiva vinirdiset [SB 7.11.35]. So we must follow the path of mahajana, the instruction of the acarya. Then we can become purified. And unless we are purified, there is no question of pure devotional service. Sa bhaktah prakrtah smrta. If one does not want to become advanced, if one does not want to become purified, then he remains a prakrta-bhakta. Prakrta-bhakta means executing devotional service under the instruction of spiritual master and the regulative principles of sastra, but he's still on the platform of material understanding. That is called prakrta-bhakta. A prakrta-bhakta cannot understand how another bhakta is transcendental. A prakrta-bhakta cannot understand that Vrndavana is always transcendental. Therefore Srila Jiva Gosvami has discussed this point in his Tattva-sandarbha, that we cannot accept any manufactured ideas. Because everyone is defective by the four defects of material life, we have to accept the version of Vedas, Puranas. He has tried to establish Puranas as Vedic supplementary. Others, they reject Puranas out of the Vedas. But Jiva Gosvami established. All the Gosvamis. Just like Rupa Gosvami has given, sruti-smrti-puranadi-pancaratriki-vidhim vina, aikantiki harer bhaktir utpatayaiva kalpate [Brs. 1.2.101]. It is utpata, disturbance. If you do not follow the principles of sruti, smrti, purana, pancaratriki-vidhi... Just like we were discussing this point, sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. This is pancaratriki-vidhi. So if we do not follow these principles... Without following these principles, the so-called devotional service, Hari-bhakti, utpata, simply disturbance, simply a disturbance. Therefore we have to follow the principles laid down by the Gosvamis, Sad-gosvamis. Vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau. And then our attempt will be successful.
Thank you very much. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972
The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1972
Pradyumna: (reading:) "So when our senses are engaged for the actual proprietor of the senses, that is called devotional service. In our conditional state, our senses are engaged in serving these bodily demands. When the same senses are engaged in executing the order of Krsna, it is called bhakti."
Prabhupada: Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Bhakti, it is very simple thing. Our relationship with Krsna is natural. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, mamaivamsa jiva-bhutah. We are part and parcel of Krsna; therefore our only duty is to serve Krsna. That is natural. There is no question about it. Part and parcel means helping the whole. As we have several times explained that this finger is the part and parcel of my body, so it is the duty of the finger always serve the body, whole body. It has no other occupation. As soon as I desire, "Finger, you come to this place," immediately it comes. "Finger, you come to this place," it immediately comes. So we can study. What is the meaning of part and parcel? Part and parcel means to serve the whole. Krsna is the Absolute Truth. We are relative truth. Therefore it is our duty to serve Krsna. That is our natural position.
But at the present moment, we are engaging our senses, ourself, in designation. I am thinking, "I am American," I am thinking, "I am Hindu," I am thinking, "I am brahmana" or "I am sannyasi." So many designations. Caitanya Mahaprabhu presented Himself, how to become designationless, sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. He said, "I am not a brahmana. I am not a sudra. I am not a ksatriya. I am not a brahmacari." He denied. At last He said, gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayoh dasa-dasanudasah [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. This is our position. We are not Indian; we are not American; we are not Hindu; we are not Muslim. These are all designations. Therefore (the) Krsna consciousness movement is to make people free from designation. Just like, actually, you see. Here are American, European boys and girls. They have forgotten that they are American or European or they come from Christian group or Jewish group. Similarly, we should also forget that "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," or "I am brahmana," "I am sudra," "I am ksatriya." No. This is the only platform, Krsna consciousness, where we can unite on spiritual platform. We cannot be united by resolutions. Just like the United Nations: they are trying for the last thirty years to become united -- simply resolution. On that platform we cannot be united. On political platform or social platform, that is not possible, because the designations are there. When we are free from designation, sarvopadhi-virnirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam, when we are purified, then we can unite in the service of the Lord, Krsna. That is real unity. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam... [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. That is Vaikuntha platform. Just like in Vaikuntha, the Vaikunthesvara, Narayana, or Krsna, He's the central point of service. Just like in Vrndavana... The Vrndavana... The animals, the birds, the beasts, the water, the trees, the flowers, the cowherds boy -- everyone -- center is Krsna. That is Vrndavana. They did not know that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but they loved Krsna with their heart and soul. That is Vrndavana. So if we come to this point of Krsna consciousness and simply learn how to love Krsna, then we can create the whole world as Vrndavana. Unfortunately, even in the Vrndavana, at the present moment, because our desires have been something else other than serving Krsna, there are so many factions. The center is missing.
So Krsna consciousness movement means to purify our senses from the designation and engage the senses in the service of the Lord. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. That is described here. That is wanted. It is called bhakti. "In our conditional state our senses are engaged in serving these bodily demands. When the same senses are engaged in executing the order of Krsna, it is called bhakti." This is bhakti. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna served Krsna by his talent. He was a soldier; he knew how to fight. So by, for his personal consideration, he was thinking not to fight, not to kill the other side, because the other side happened to be his kinsmen, his grandfather, his brother, his nephews. So he was thinking in terms of his own sense gratification, because "The other side, if they are killed, I'll be unhappy." That was his consideration. Therefore he was not willing to fight. And to induce him to become Krsna conscious, the whole Bhagavad-gita was explained. And at the end Krsna asked Arjuna, "What is your decision?" Yathecchasi tatha kuru [Bg. 18.63]. "You can do whatever you like. I have given you instruction, full instruction. Now whatever you like, you can do." This means every living entity has got a little independence. Krsna, or God, does not interfere with that independence. Yathecchasi tatha kuru. At the last, also, Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. "You do it." Krsna can instruct us, "You do it." If I don't do it, that is my option. That option is always there. Krsna does not oblige me. Otherwise, what is the difference between me and the stone? The stone has no independence. But I am a living entity; I have got my independence. So do you... Krsna does not interfere with my independence. Voluntarily, if we surrender to Krsna, voluntarily if we serve Him, then our life is successful. Voluntarily. Hitva anyatha-rupam svarupena vyavasthitih [SB 2.10.6]. We can become immediately liberated if we give up our designated post. If we simply come to the platform of Krsna consciousness, then immediately we become liberated. So many sages and saintly persons are trying to become liberated, mukta, to merge into the existence of impersonal Brahman. But because they have no information of Krsna, or they do not like to surrender to Krsna, they fall down. Aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adhah [SB 10.2.32].
So we must stick to Krsna consciousness without any designative ideas. We must stand on the transcendental platform. Sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. Transcendental platform means above the three modes of material nature, which is called brahma-bhutah. So this position, brahma-bhutah's position... Without being in brahma-bhutah position, liberated stage, nobody can be engaged in devotional service.
brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati samah sarvesu bhutesu mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg. 18.54]
Bhakti begins when is..., one is actually liberated from the influence of the modes of material nature. That is real bhakti. The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972
"The Complete Science of Bhakti-Yoga PART 6B " BY SRILA PRABHUPADA .
Pradyumna: (reading:) "...Krsna we refer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, along with His many expansions. He is expanded by His plenary part and parcels, His differentiated parts and parcels, and His different energies. Krsna, in other words, means everything and includes everything. Generally, however, we should understand Krsna to mean Krsna and His personal expansions. Krsna expands Himself as Baladeva, Sankarsana, Vasudeva, Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Rama, Nrsimha, and Varaha, as well as many other incarnations and innumerable Visnu expansions. These are described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam to be as numerous as the uncountable waves. So Krsna includes all such expansions, as well as His pure devotees. In the Brahma-samhita it is stated that Krsna's expansions are all complete in eternity, blissfulness, and cognizance. Devotional service means to prosecute Krsna conscious activities which are favorable to the transcendental pleasure of the Supreme Lord Krsna, and any activities which are not favorable to the transcendental favor of the Lord cannot be accepted as devotional service."
Prabhupada: So Krsna does not mean alone. Krsna is not imperson. He's person, and He expands in so many persons. Eko bahu syam. He is one, but He expands Himself to innumerable forms. The Visnu forms, They are known as svamsa. And the servitor forms, the living entities, they are also expansion of Visnu, part and parcel, differentiated, vibhinnamsa. So everything -- expansion of Krsna. Parasya brahmanah saktih. Parasya brahmanah saktih sarvedam akhilam jagat. Whatever we see, experience within this world, within this universe, they're simply expansion of the energy of Krsna. Just like fire has got two energies, heat and light, similarly Krsna is expanding by His two energies, the material energy and the spiritual energy. So this material world is expansion of His material energy, and we are marginal We are also energy. We are not energetic. We are not purusa. We are prakrti.
In the Bhagavad-gita the living entities have been described as prakrti. Apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakrtim para. After describing the material energies -- earth, water, air, fire sky, mind, intelligence, ego -- Krsna says apareyam, all these energies, separated energies, material energies, they are apara, inferior. But that is also Krsna's energies. Inferior means not actually inferior, because they, there cannot be anything inferior which is emanating from Krsna. The inferior in this sense: by our absence of Krsna consciousness. Because we have come here, in this material world, to enjoy to satisfy, sense satisfaction, sense gratification, we have made it inferior. Otherwise it is not inferior. One who knows how to utilize this energy, for him, it is not inferior. Nirbandha-krsna-sambandhe yukta-vairagyam ucyate. One who does not know how to utilize this material energy for the purpose of Krsna, for them, it is inferior. Otherwise, advaya-jnana, absolute... Idam hi visvam bhagavan ivetarah. Narada Muni has described before Vyasadeva: idam hi visvam bhagavan ivetarah. It appears like different, but actually Krsna... A maha-bhagavata... This is the vision of maha-bhagavata, not ordinary man. Maha-bhagavata... Sthavara-jangama dekhi tara murti [Cc. Madhya 8.274]. A maha-bhagavata sees a tree or an animal or a... He does not see the form but he sees his ista deva murti; he sees there Krsna. Actually, Krsna is there as Paramatma. So he sees Paramatma. He does not see the external body. So Krsna's two energies... Inferior means where Krsna consciousness is almost absent. That is inferior. When there is Krsna consciousness, that is no more inferior; that is superior. So Krsna says, apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakrtim para. After all, any energy, prakrti... So the Mayavadi philosophers mistakes to elevate the living entities to the standard of purusa, the Supreme. But actually it is not so. It is prakrti. Prakrti means predominated and purusa means predominator. And actually, that is our position. We are not predominator. Artificially I am thinking that I am predominator. That is my illusion. I am not predominator. Nobody's predominator. Predominator is Krsna. Mattah parataro nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya. He's predominator. Aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate [Bg. 10.8].
So prakrti and purusa... Krsna is purusa. Purusam sasvatam. Arjuna has described, purusam sasvatam. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan, purusam sasvatam adyam [Bg. 10.12]. "You are the original purusa, enjoyer." That is Krsna consciousness. If we know that Krsna is the original person, enjoyer, and we are simply enjoyed... We are meant for being enjoyed, not to take the post of enjoyer. Here, in this material world, everyone is artificially trying to become enjoyer, both men and women. But that is illusion. Nobody's enjoyer. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. The supreme enjoyer is Krsna. So just like prakrti-purusa, we can get one idea, husband and wife. Husband is purusa, wife is prakrti. So if the wife is faithful, always trying to serve the husband, always to make her husband pleased, and husband takes care of the wife for all her necessities of life, as that home life becomes very beautiful and happy, similarly, Krsna is the Supreme Purusa, enjoyer. We living entities, if we simply try to serve Him and make Him happy, as the gopis did, then it is very congenial atmosphere as it was in Vrndavana. Everyone is serving Krsna. Everyone is trying to please Krsna. The birds, the beasts, the trees, the land, the water, the cowherd boys, the gopis, Krsna's father, mother, elderly people -- everyone -- the central point is Krsna. That is Vrndavana. So we can have Vrndavana anywhere and everywhere. Vrndavana is not that limited. It is not material. As Krsna is not limited... Krsna says in the Brahma-samhita, goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37]. Just like Krsna says that patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati, tad aham asnami [Bg. 9.26]. Now, one can say that "Krsna is far, far away in the Goloka Vrndavana. How He will eat?" That is material conception. Krsna can eat even He is in Goloka Vrndavana, provided the foodstuff is offered by a devotee. Yo me bhaktya prayacchati. It is a question of bhakti. Then Krsna eats. Krsna is present in His Goloka Vrndavana, in His dhama. He does not go out, but His expansion goes out and takes, accepts the service of the devotee. This is the bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam. One should understand the bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam. It is a science, how He takes... We have got our limited sense that "I am sitting here." If you offer my foodstuff some yards off from me, I cannot reach, because I am limited. But Krsna can expand His hand. He Himself comes. Svayam eva sphuraty adhah. Krsna becomes manifest to the devotee. Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih, sevonmukhe hi jihvadau [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. When one becomes devotee, beginning from the tongue, jihvadau, by chanting Hare Krsna mantra, sevonmukhe hi jihvadau, svayam eva sphuraty adhah, He becomes revealed. Yei nama sei krsna. That is the perfection of chanting without any offenses. Then you'll find the name is not different from Krsna. When you are chanting, you'll find Krsna is dancing on your tongue. This is the conclusion.
So we have to learn how to chant. Therefore in the sastras, in the Puranas, the ten kinds of offenses are described. And Srila Jiva Gosvami has given very much stress to avoid these offenses. Suddha-nama. In the beginning we cannot chant pure form of the name, because we are accustomed... But still, by chanting process, then it becomes namabhasa, almost pure. Abhasa means just like before sunrise, you find the darkness is off, but it is not sunlight. It is different from sunlight, but still, there is the dawn, you can see everything distinctly. Similarly, first there is offensive name and, if you avoid, avoid the ten kinds of offenses, then gradually it becomes namabhasa. And Srila Haridasa Thakura has said, Namacarya, that by namabhasa, one becomes liberated. There was some argument with Haridasa Thakura and one brahmana in the office of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami's father, uncle. So there were some high level talks on this namabhasa. So by namabhasa one becomes liberated. By chanting Hare Krsna mantra offensive, one becomes materially happy or distressed, but when one comes to the stage of namabhasa, he becomes liberated. And when he chants pure name, there is Krsna-prema. Just like Rupa Gosvami: he was chanting. We are also chanting. But we are not in the stage of Rupa Gosvami or Sanatana Gosvami and Haridasa Thakura. Actually, if we come to that stage then there will be Krsna-prema, love of Krsna. Just like Rupa Gosvami said that "What shall I chant with one tongue and two ears? If there were millions of tongues and trillions of ears, I could chant something." And we cannot finish even sixteen rounds, because we have not created our taste for chanting. Still we are in the namaparadha stage. But don't be disappointed. Go on chanting. You'll come to the right position, namabhasa, then suddha-nama. Everything requires gradual development.
So this nama is also another incarnation of Krsna. Nama-rupe kali-kale krsna-avatara. Name is... Because name and Krsna is not different. Abhinnatvad nama-naminoh. There is no difference. Here, in the material world, there is difference between the name and the substance, but advaya-jnana, in the Absolute world there is no such distinction. The name and the person, the same, identical. So actually, when we chant Hare Krsna mantra, we directly associate with Krsna, because name is the incarnation of Krsna. Nama-rupe krsna-avatara. Therefore, if we are sensible, then we should take very much respectful attitude to the name, because name and Krsna, the same. Suppose Krsna comes here. How much respectful we shall be, immediately. So similarly, when we chant Hare Krsna mantra, we should know Krsna is there. Therefore we should be very much cautious and respectful, not neglectful. That is offense. That is offense. If you become inattentive, that is offense. You should know this. Try to avoid. Krsna is giving us chance to meet Him in so many ways: nama, rupa, lila, parikara, vasistha. He is giving us chance in the form of name, in the form of Deity, in the form of His pastimes, in the form of His paraphernalia. Just like this Vrndavana. Vrndavana is as good as Krsna. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said. It is not my manufacture. Aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavana. As Krsna, the Brajendra-nandana Hari, Krsna, as He is worshipable, similarly His dhama is worshipable. We should be very much respectful to Vrndavana-dhama; otherwise we'll be offender. Dhamaparadha. Dhamaparadha. If we remain in Vrndavana we should know that we are living with Krsna. And how much we should be cautious, how much we should be careful if we are actually understand what is dhama. Dhama is also Krsna. If in the dhama we commit sinful activities, then we are, what is called, suiciding, committing suicide. It is a fact.
You know the story of Yamala-arjuna. So they were given the place in the dhama, Vrndavana-dhama, as a tree, but they had to waste time for so many hundreds years. Although there is guarantee, anyone who is in dhama, he'll get the shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna, but not... Why should we waste your time to become a tree or a monkey or a hog or a dog? Don't waste. You should be very careful. Don't commit any offense in the dhama. Then one life is sufficient to go back to home, back to Godhead. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaun... [Bg. 4.9]. If you actually live in Vrndavana carefully, without committing any offense and sinful life, then in this life you are going to Krsna. Krsna says, janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. To live in Vrndavana means to know Krsna -- how He appeared there, how He played here, how He executed His pastimes here. Janma karma divyam. These are all celestial, all transcendental. Jaya radha-madhava kunja-vihari.
So this is Vrndavana life of Krsna. So if we know Krsna, tattvatah... This tattvatah we discussed this morning. manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye yatatam api siddhanam kascit vetti mam tattvatah [Bg. 7.3]
So those who are living in Vrndavana, they should try to understand Krsna tattvatah. That is their business. Not that take advantage of Vrndavana and make some anyabhilasa, jnana-karma. No. That means we are wasting time. You'll get the chance because you have come to Vrndavana. Vrndavana's so powerful. But if we commit offense and sinful activities, it will be delayed. My Guru Maharaja used to say that "Don't waste time. Don't wait for another life. In this life, finish this business, to understand Krsna, and go back home, back to Godhead." That is required. If one is businessman... Just like in business they want to execute business free, finish the business very quickly, similarly, because we see that such a devotee like Bharata Maharaja, because he was little attached to a calf, a deer calf... What is called?
Devotee: Fawn.
Prabhupada: Fawn. Yes. So he had to take the life of a deer next life. Just see. Such a great devotee, but because he was a little attached... Yam yam vapi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. So we should be very careful that even in Vrndavana, if we miss the point, if we are attached to something, then we have to accept another life, either as beast or tree. Of course, the chance will be given to become a tree and beast in Vrndavana. That is also profitable, because next life, he's going back to home, back to Godhead. But why should we waste another life in this way? So Krsna-nama rupe-avatara. So we should respect chanting of Hare Krsna mantra with very care, carefulness, cautious so that we may not commit any offense. Then your business is successful. Namnad balad yasya hi papa-buddhih. If somebody thinks that "I am living in Vrndavana. I am chanting Hare Krsna mantra. So if I do something sinful, what it will do...?" Eka nama, krsna-name yata papa kare, papi haya tata papa karite naraya (?). "So what sinful I am doing? A little sinful..." Yes, little sinful will be excused. But if it is done not willingly, but if you commit sinful activities willingly, daily, then you'll be punished. That is laws of nature. Even if you are bhakta. You'll be given chance, but you'll have to be punished. So therefore we must be very careful. We are chanting Hare Krsna mantra means dealing with Krsna directly. Therefore we must be very careful, cautious, respectful. Then it is nice, it is success. Read. Next. The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972
Replies
Q. 176. HOW CAN ONE BE BLESSED WITH EXPANDED INTELLIGENCE AND EXPANDED INFLUENCE ?
A. BY SRILA PRABHUPADA.
sa vai mahā-bhāgavato mahātmā
mahānubhāvo mahatāḿ mahiṣṭhaḥ
pravṛddha-bhaktyā hy anubhāvitāśaye
niveśya vaikuṇṭham imaḿ vihāsyati
SYNONYMS
saḥ — he; vai — certainly; mahā-bhāgavataḥ — the topmost devotee; mahā-ātmā — expanded intelligence; mahā-anubhāvaḥ — expanded influence; mahatām— of the great souls; mahiṣṭhaḥ — the greatest; pravṛddha — well matured; bhaktyā — by devotional service; hi — certainly; anubhāvita — being situated inthe anubhāva stage of ecstasy; āśaye — in the mind; niveśya — entering; vaikuṇṭham — in the spiritual sky; imam — this (material world); vihāsyati — will quit.
TRANSLATION
That topmost devotee of the Lord will have expanded intelligence and expanded influence and will be the greatest of the great souls. Due to matured devotional service, he will certainly be situated in transcendental ecstasy and will enter the spiritual sky after quitting this material world.
(Srimad Bhagavatam).
PURPORT
There are three stages of transcendental development in devotional service, which are technically called sthāyi-bhāva, anubhāva and mahābhāva. Continual perfect love of Godhead is called sthāyi-bhāva, and when it is performed in a particular type of transcendental relationship it is called anubhāva. But the stage of mahābhāva is visible amongst the personal pleasure potential energies of the Lord.
It is understood that the grandson of Diti, namely Prahlāda Mahārāja, would constantly meditate on the Lord and reiterate His activities. Because he would constantly remain in meditation, he would easily transfer himself to the spiritual world after quitting his material body. Such meditation is still more conveniently performed by chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord. This is especially recommended in this age of Kali.
Q. 175. WHAT AWAKENS DEVOTIONAL SERVICE ?
A. BY SRILA PRABHUPADA.
na niṣkṛtair uditair brahma-vādibhis
tathā viśuddhyaty aghavān vratādibhiḥ
yathā harer nāma-padair udāhṛtais
tad uttamaśloka-guṇopalambhakam
SYNONYMS
na — not; niṣkṛtaiḥ — by the processes of atonement; uditaiḥ — prescribed; brahma-vādibhiḥ — by learned scholars such as Manu; tathā — to that extent;viśuddhyati — becomes purified; agha-vān — a sinful man; vrata-ādibhiḥ — by observing the vows and regulative principles; yathā — as; hareḥ — of Lord Hari;nāma-padaiḥ — by the syllables of the holy name; udāhṛtaiḥ — chanted; tat — that; uttamaśloka — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; guṇa — of the transcendental qualities; upalambhakam — reminding one.
TRANSLATION
By following the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies or undergoing atonement, sinful men do not become as purified as by chanting once the holy name of Lord Hari. Although ritualistic atonement may free one from sinful reactions, it does not awaken devotional service, unlike the chanting of the Lord's names, which reminds one of the Lord's fame, qualities, attributes, pastimes and paraphernalia.
(Srimad Bhagavatam).
PURPORT
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura comments that the chanting of the holy name of the Lord has special significance that distinguishes it from the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies of atonement for severe, more severe or most severe sinful actions. There are twenty types of religious scriptures called dharma-śāstras, beginning with the Manu-saḿhitā and parāśara-saḿhitā, but herein it is stressed that although one may become free from the reactions of the most sinful activities by following the religious principles of these scriptures, this cannot promote a sinful man to the stage of loving service to the Lord.
On the other hand, chanting the holy name of the Lord even once not only frees one immediately from the reactions of the greatest sins, but also raises one to the platform of rendering loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is described as uttama śloka because He is famous for His glorious activities. Thus one serves the Lord by remembering His form, His attributes and pastimes.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains that this is all possible simply by chanting the Lord's holy name because of the Lord's omnipotence. What cannot be achieved through the performance of Vedic rituals can be easily achieved through the chanting of the Lord's holy name. To chant the holy name and dance in ecstasy is so easy and sublime that one can achieve all the benefits of spiritual life simply by following this process.
Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu declares, paraḿ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-sańkīrtanam: "All glories to Śrī Kṛṣṇa sańkīrtana!" The sańkīrtana movement we have started offers the best process for becoming purified of all sinful reactions and coming immediately to the platform of spiritual life.
Q. 174. WHO DO NOT SUFFER FROM MATERIAL MISERIES ?
A. BY SRILA PRABHUPADA.
mad-āśrayāḥ kathā mṛṣṭāḥ
śṛṇvanti kathayanti ca
tapanti vividhās tāpā
naitān mad-gata-cetasaḥ
SYNONYMS
mat-āśrayāḥ — about Me; kathāḥ — stories; mṛṣṭāḥ — delightful; śṛṇvanti — they hear; kathayanti — they chant; ca — and; tapanti — inflict suffering; vividhāḥ— various; tāpāḥ — the material miseries; na — do not; etān — unto them; mat-gata — fixed on Me; cetasaḥ — their thoughts.
TRANSLATION
Engaged constantly in chanting and hearing about Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the sādhus do not suffer from material miseries because they are always filled with thoughts of My pastimes and activities. (Srimad Bhagavatam).
PURPORT
There are multifarious miseries in material existence — those pertaining to the body and the mind, those imposed by other living entities and those imposed by natural disturbances. But a sādhu is not disturbed by such miserable conditions because his mind is always filled with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and thus he does not like to talk about anything but the activities of the Lord.
Mahārāja Ambarīṣa did not speak of anything but the pastimes of the Lord. Vacāḿsivaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (Bhāg. 9.4.18). He engaged his words only in glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sādhus are always interested in hearing about the activities of the Lord or His devotees. Since they are filled with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are forgetful of the material miseries.
Ordinary conditioned souls, being forgetful of the activities of the Lord, are always full of anxieties and material tribulations. On the other hand, since the devotees always engage in the topics of the Lord, they are forgetful of the miseries of material existence.
Q. 173. WHAT IS THE MOST PERFECT PROCESS OF ATONEMENT ?
A. BY SRILA PRABHUPADA.
naikāntikaḿ tad dhi kṛte 'pi niṣkṛte
manaḥ punar dhāvati ced asat-pathe
tat karma-nirhāram abhīpsatāḿ harer
guṇānuvādaḥ khalu sattva-bhāvanaḥ
SYNONYMS
na — not; aikāntikam — absolutely cleansed; tat — the heart; hi — because; kṛte — very nicely performed; api — although; niṣkṛte — atonement; manaḥ — the mind; punaḥ — again; dhāvati — runs; cet — if; asat-pathe — on the path of material activities; tat — therefore; karma-nirhāram — cessation of the fruitive reactions of material activities; abhīpsatām — for those who seriously want; hareḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; guṇa-anuvādaḥ — constant chanting of the glories; khalu — indeed; sattva-bhāvanaḥ — actually purifying one's existence.
TRANSLATION
The ritualistic ceremonies of atonement recommended in the religious scriptures are insufficient to cleanse the heart absolutely because after atonement one's mind again runs toward material activities. Consequently, for one who wants liberation from the fruitive reactions of material activities, the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, or glorification of the name, fame and pastimes of the Lord, is recommended as the most perfect process of atonement because such chanting eradicates the dirt from one's heart completely. (Srimad Bhagavatam)
PURPORT
The statements in this verse have been confirmed previously in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.17):
śṛṇvatāḿ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi
vidhunoti suhṛt satām
"Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who relishes His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted."
It is the special mercy of the Supreme Lord that as soon as He knows that one is glorifying His name, fame and attributes, He personally helps cleanse the dirt from one's heart. Therefore simply by such glorification one not only becomes purified, but also achieves the results of pious activities (puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtana). Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtana refers to the process of devotional service. Even if one does not understand the meaning of the Lord's name, pastimes or attributes, one is purified simply by hearing or chanting of them. Such purification is called sattva-bhāvana.
One's main purpose in human life should be to purify his existence and achieve liberation. As long as one has a material body, one is understood to be impure. In such an impure, material condition, one cannot enjoy a truly blissful life, although everyone seeks it.
Therefore Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.5.1) says, tapo divyaḿ putrakā yena sattvaḿ śuddhyet: one must perform tapasya, austerity, to purify his existence in order to come to the spiritual platform. The tapasya of chanting and glorifying the name, fame and attributes of the Lord is a very easy purifying process by which everyone can be happy. Therefore everyone who desires the ultimate cleansing of his heart must adopt this process. Other processes, such as karma, jñāna and yoga, cannot cleanse the heart absolutely.
Q. 172. HOW CAN ONE GAIN DISTASTE FOR SENSE GRATIFICATION ?
A. BY SRILA PRABHUPADA.
bhaktyā pumāñ jāta-virāga aindriyād
dṛṣṭa-śrutān mad-racanānucintayā
cittasya yatto grahaṇe yoga-yukto
yatiṣyate ṛjubhir yoga-mārgaiḥ
SYNONYMS
bhaktyā — by devotional service; pumān — a person; jāta-virāgaḥ — having developed distaste; aindriyāt — for sense gratification; dṛṣṭa — seen (in this world); śrutāt — heard (in the next world); mat-racana — My activities of creation and so on; anucintayā — by constantly thinking about; cittasya — of the mind; yattaḥ — engaged; grahaṇe — in the control; yoga-yuktaḥ — situated in devotional service; yatiṣyate — will endeavor; ṛjubhiḥ — easy; yoga-mārgaiḥ — by the processes of mystic power.
TRANSLATION
Thus consciously engaged in devotional service in the association of devotees, a person gains distaste for sense gratification, both in this world and in the next, by constantly thinking about the activities of the Lord. This process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the easiest process of mystic power; when one is actually situated on that path of devotional service, he is able to control the mind.
(Srimad Bhagavatam).
PURPORT
In all scriptures people are encouraged to act in a pious way so that they can enjoy sense gratification not only in this life but also in the next. For example, one is promised promotion to the heavenly kingdom of higher planets by pious fruitive activities. But a devotee in the association of devotees prefers to contemplate the activities of the Lord — how He has created this universe, how He is maintaining it, how the creation dissolves, and how in the spiritual kingdom the Lord's pastimes are going on. There are full literatures describing these activities of the Lord, especially Bhagavad-gītā, Brahma-saḿhitā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
The sincere devotee who associates with devotees gets the opportunity to hear and contemplate this subject of the pastimes of the Lord, and the result is that he feels distaste for so-called happiness in this or that world, in heaven or on other planets. The devotees are simply interested in being transferred to the personal association of the Lord; they have no more attraction for temporary so-called happiness. That is the position of one who is yoga-yukta. One who is fixed in mystic power is not disturbed by the allurement of this world or that world; he is interested in the matters of spiritual understanding or the spiritual situation.
This sublime situation is very easily attained by the easiest process, bhakti-yoga. Ṛjubhir yoga-mārgaiḥ. A very suitable word used here is ṛjubhiḥ, or "very easy." There are different processes of yoga-mārga, attaining yoga perfection, but this process, devotional service to the Lord, is the easiest. Not only is it the easiest process, but the result is sublime. Everyone, therefore, should try to take this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and reach the highest perfection of life.
Q. 171. WHO CAN KNOW KRISHNA IN HIS FULL GLORY ?
A. BY SRILA PRABHUPADA.
sa veda dhātuḥ padavīḿ parasya
duranta-vīryasya rathāńga-pāṇeḥ
yo 'māyayā santatayānuvṛttyā
bhajeta tat-pāda-saroja-gandham
SYNONYMS
saḥ — He alone; veda — can know; dhātuḥ — of the creator; padavīm — glories; parasya — of the transcendence; duranta-vīryasya — of the greatly powerful;ratha-ańga-pāṇeḥ — of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who bears in His hand the wheel of a chariot; yaḥ — one who; amāyayā — without reservation; santatayā — without any gap; anuvṛttyā — favorably; bhajeta — renders service; tat-pāda — of His feet; saroja-gandham — fragrance of the lotus.
TRANSLATION
Only those who render unreserved, uninterrupted, favorable service unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who carries the wheel of the chariot in His hand, can know the creator of the universe in His full glory, power and transcendence. (Srimad Bhagavatam)
PURPORT
Only the pure devotees can know the transcendental name, form and activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa due to their being completely freed from the reactions of fruitive work and mental speculation. The pure devotees have nothing to derive as personal profit from their unalloyed service to the Lord. They render incessant service to the Lord spontaneously, without any reservation.
Everyone within the creation of the Lord is rendering service to the Lord indirectly or directly. No one is an exception to this law of the Lord. Those who are rendering service indirectly, being forced by the illusory agent of the Lord, are rendering service unto Him unfavorably. But those who are rendering service unto Him directly under the direction of His beloved agent are rendering service unto Him favorably.
Such favorable servitors are devotees of the Lord, and by the grace of the Lord they can enter into the mysterious region of transcendence by the mercy of the Lord. But the mental speculators remain in darkness all the time. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord Himself guides the pure devotees toward the path of realization due to their constant engagement in the loving service of the Lord in spontaneous affection. That is the secret of entering into the kingdom of God. Fruitive activities and speculation are no qualifications for entering.
"The Complete Science of Bhakti-Yoga PART 8A " BY SRILA PRABHUPADA .
Bhakti begins when is..., one is actually liberated from the influence of the modes of material nature. That is real bhakti. Otherwise, when you are, we are in training, that is called prakrta-bhakta. Actually, we are in the material state, but we are being trained up, the Deity worship. This is, following the rules and regulations under the instruction of spiritual master. Or Vedic injunction, this is training period. But even in the training period, if one is sincere and serious, he's liberated. He's liberated. It is so nice. Krsna consciousness is so nice that even in the training period, although he's not mature, and even one falls immature stage, there is no loss. That is also confirmed by Narada Muni: tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer patet tato yadi apakva... [SB 1.5.17]. There is a verse like this -- I don't exactly remember -- that if one is engaged in Krsna consciousness and, and without being mature, somehow or other, if he falls down, there is no loss, whereas other persons, who are sticking to their sva-dharma, but has no idea of Krsna consciousness, he does not gain anything. These are the statements of Narada. Therefore our position should be, our real active life begins when we begin to serve Krsna with our senses without being designated, without being situated in designation. This is transcendental stage.
Therefore a bhakta, Vaisnava, Vaisnava should not be considered that he's coming from European group or this group or that group. No. Vaisnave jati-buddhih. Vaisnava should not be considered belonging to any jati. Vaisnave, arcye sila-dhir gurusu nara-mati. Just like we worship Deity. Everyone knows that Deity is made of stone, but do we worship the stone? Do we construct so big, big temples for worshiping a piece of stone? No. Unless one has got this connection, that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Saksad brajendra-nandana..." Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw Jagannatha Temple and immediately fainted. He saw saksad brajendra-nandana Hari, Krsna, immediately. So we have to learn how to see Vaisnava and Visnu. That is Krsna consciousness movement. That means we have to purify our senses. Then we can see Krsna always.
premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti
yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.38]
One has to smear the eyes with the ointment of love, how to love Krsna. Then one can see Krsna always within his heart. And one who has learned this art, how to see Krsna within himself, within his heart always... Krsna certifies, "He's the topmost yogi."
yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gata antaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg. 6.47]
These are clear things. There is no hazy idea. Everything is clear. We have to become designationless, free from designation. We shall forget. Not that "Here are some foreigners. Pick up some quarrel with them and try to drive them away. Why they have come?" So many nonsense things are going on, for want of actual spiritual education. This is not good, at least, for Vrndavana. This is not good. People have not been educated properly with the Vrndavana spirit. Therefore things are happening like that. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam: [Cc. Madhya 19.170] how to engage the senses, being freed from designation, in the service of the Lord. That is Vrndavana life. That is Vrndavana atmosphere. If there is any other purpose than this, then it is very difficult to utilize the opportunity, the fortune of living in Vrndavana. One has to be designationless. Go on.
Pradyumna: "As long as one identifies himself as belonging to a certain family, a certain society, or a certain person, he is said to covered with designations. When one is fully aware that he does not belong to any family, society, or country, but is eternally related to Krsna, he then realizes that his energy should be employed not in the interests of so-called family, society or country, but in the interests of Krsna. This, this is purity of purpose and the platform of pure devotional service in Krsna consciousness."
Prabhupada: So our purpose... The Krsna consciousness movement is started with this summary idea, that nobody should think himself as belonging to certain family or sect or religion or country or nation. All these designations have created havoc in the world, these false designations. When I think that "This country is mine," it is a false designation. Country is not mine. I am a guest here. If I stay in a country, in a place, for, say, twenty years, fifty years, hundred years, does it, does it mean that it belongs to me? Because they have no Krsna conscious idea, they are misled in thinking in that way. Some group of men are thinking that "This is our country. We are American," "We are Indian," "We are German." This is the false... Illusion. Actually, everything belongs to Krsna. Krsna says, bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He's the proprietor. But because people are not educated in Krsna consciousness, they are thinking, "I am the proprietor." Aham mameti janasya moho 'yam [SB 5.5.8]. This aham mama, increasing the aham mama, is illusion. It is maya. And that is going on. Therefore there is great need of spreading Krsna consciousness in the human society. Those who are actually welfare workers, they should come forward and join this movement to spread it. Actually, it is being accepted very nicely. Although not nicely, they have begun to accept it all over the world. This is our experience. And if we present the philosophy in correct viewpoint, people will accept it. And people will accept it, and people from all parts of the world will come to Vrndavana. Because they are hearing about Vrndavana, about Krsna, naturally they are very much anxious to visit. But if we do not receive them nicely, if we remain sectarian, oh, it will be an unfortunate thing. That is my request. Those who are inhabitants of Vrndavana, they should be prepared to receive these foreigners, who are being educated in Krsna consciousness. They should come here to visit; so they should be received, they should be welcomed. That is my request. Yes. Next.
Pradyumna: " 'The Characteristics of Pure Devotional Service.' In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Third Canto, Twenty-ninth Chapter, 10th verse, Srila Kapiladeva, while instructing His mother, has given the following characteristics of pure devotional service: 'My dear mother, those who are My pure devotees, and who have no desire for material benefit or philosophical speculation, have their minds so much engaged in My service that they are never interested in asking Me for anything -- except to be engaged in that service. They do not even beg to live in My abode with Me.' "
Prabhupada: Yes. This is pure devotional purpose. Natural. "Here is a Krsna devotee." How much one should be glad to see a Krsna devotee. Naturally, his love for a Krsna devotee should enhance. That is pure devotion. Just like in foreign country, when one Indian meets another Indian, naturally, he has got some tendency: "Oh, wherefrom you are coming? How long you are here?" This conversation goes on. Similarly, natural flow of Krsna consciousness is that as soon as one sees a person in Vaisnava symptoms, he should be eager to welcome him. He should be very much anxious to talk with him about Krsna, Krsna-katha. Bodhayantah parasparam tusyanti ca ramanti ca. Krsna conscious people should be so nice that as soon as they meet together, they talk about Krsna, they try to understand about Krsna, and they feel pleasure in that way. That is Krsna consciousness society. We are trying to make a Krsna consciousness society to give this opportunity to these people, how one should be engladdened by seeing one devotee and talk with them, one another, about Krsna, forgetting their designations. That is Krsna consciousness. Go on.
Pradyumna: "There are five kinds of liberation, namely, to become one with the Lord, to live with the Supreme Lord on the same planet, to have the same features as the Lord, to enjoy the same opulences as the Lord, and to live as a companion of the Lord. A devotee, not to speak of rejecting material sense gratification, does not even want any of the five kinds of liberation. He is satisfied simply by discharging loving service to the Lord. That is the characteristic of pure devotion."
Prabhupada: Yes. This is instructed by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He rejects: na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye [Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4]. The karmis, they want all these things. Na dhanam. Great riches, and beautiful wife, great followers. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu is rejecting these, and He's rejecting also liberation. Dhiyamanam na ghrnanti (?). A pure devotee is not interested even in liberation. That is pure devotee. That... Just like Bhaktivinoda Thakura, he says, kita janma ha-u yatha tuya dasa, bahir mukha brahma janme nahi mora asa. A devotee does not pray that "Give me this, give me that, give me that." No. He prays that "Whatever you like, if you like me to take birth as an insect, that's all right. But my only request is that I may become an insect in the house of a devotee so that I may get the chance of prosecuting my devotional service. I may eat the remnants of foodstuff eaten by the devotee." Just like Bharata Maharaja, he became a deer, but he was associating with saintly persons. He understood that "I was formerly King Bharata. My chance, my mind being absorbed in the thinking of a deer, I have become a deer. All right. Doesn't matter." So he was associating with devotees. Similarly, a devotee is not interested to become liberated, go back to home, back to Godhead. Of course, even if he's not interested, Krsna takes him. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti [Bg. 4.9]. That is natural. But that is not our... We don't pray to Krsna for anything of sense gratification. Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore said, mama janmani janmani isvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi. Ahaituki apratihata. Our simply, simple desire is how to be engaged in the service of the Lord. Janmani janmani. When, when Caitanya Mahaprabhu speaks janmani janmani, that means He rejects liberation also. Na dhanam na janam na kavitam va yace. This is the karmi's, jnani's... And even liberation. He rejects liberation. Mama janmani. If one is liberated, then where is the question of janmani janmani? So liberation is also not aspired by a devotee. These are the characteristics of pure devotion. This chapter is "Characteristics of Pure Devotional Service." Pure devotional service should be without any desire, anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. The others, they are trying to make Krsna-sunyam, sunyavadi; our attempt should be to make our desires sunyam. Simply we be engaged in the service of the Lord. That is pure devotion. Go on, one paragraph more. What is the time now?
Pradyumna: "In the above statement by Kapiladeva from the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the actual position of a pure devotee is described, and the primary characteristics of devotional service are also defined. Further characteristics of devotional service are described by Rupa Gosvami with evidences from different scriptures. He states that there are six characteristics of pure devotional service, which are as follows: (1) Pure devotional service brings immediate relief from all kinds of material distress. (2) Pure devotional service is the beginning of all auspiciousness."
Prabhupada: Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati has described,
visvam purna-sukhayate vidhi-mahendradis ca kitayate
yat-karunya-kataksa-vaibhavavatam gauram eva stumah
(Caitanya-candramrta 5)
When actually one comes in the platform of devotional service, for him, there is no problem. The whole world is disturbed, agitated with so many problems, but for a devotee, there is no problem. Visvam purna-sukhayate. And they are trying, the whole world is trying to become very big man. Somebody's trying to be very big merchant or big industrialist, or minister, or this or that, and others, they are trying to occupy the post of Indra, Candra, devata. That is competition, going on. As soon as there is some competition, even persons, demigods, like Indra, Candra, they become disturbed, and they try to stop it. But a devotee has no such concern. He's not disturbed. Because he's engaged in the service of the Lord, he feels so much happy that he has no disturbance. Visvam purna-sukhayate. Neither he is anxious to occupy any very big post. Because for a devotee, vidhi-mahendradis ca kitayate. He knows that "What is this position? Say, for some years, ten years, twenty years, fifty years, hundred years, millions years." It is limited. As soon as the limited span of life is finished, either in this world, either in this planet, or in other planets... Suppose I go to the heavenly planet, I occupy the post of Indra. What is that? It is also limited. Ksine punye martya-lokam visanti [Bg. 9.21]. So long you have got assets of pious activities, you can occupy such post; then again come down. A-brahma-bhuvanal lokah punar avartino 'rjuna [Bg. 8.16]. So in this way we are wandering from up, down, down, up. In this way. Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore said,
ei rupe brahmande kono bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija
[Cc. Madhya 19.151]
We are wandering, life after life, in different species of life, different forms of life, in different planetary system. And that is going on. This is not progress. Where is progress? You are conditioned within this universe. Where is your progress? Suppose you... Just like if I jump with a limited space, where is my progress? Real progress is Krsna consciousness. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. If we actually want to make progress, then we must take to Krsna consciousness so that after leaving this body there is no more coming down to accept a material body. That is real progress. Otherwise, there is no progress. It is simply wandering with a limited space. That is not progress at all. But because we are in illusion, we are thinking it is progress. It is not progress.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1972
"The Complete Science of Bhakti-Yoga PART 7B " BY SRILA PRABHUPADA .
Pradyumna: (reading:) "So when our senses are engaged for the actual proprietor of the senses, that is called devotional service. In our conditional state, our senses are engaged in serving these bodily demands. When the same senses are engaged in executing the order of Krsna, it is called bhakti."
Prabhupada: Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Bhakti, it is very simple thing. Our relationship with Krsna is natural. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, mamaivamsa jiva-bhutah. We are part and parcel of Krsna; therefore our only duty is to serve Krsna. That is natural. There is no question about it. Part and parcel means helping the whole. As we have several times explained that this finger is the part and parcel of my body, so it is the duty of the finger always serve the body, whole body. It has no other occupation. As soon as I desire, "Finger, you come to this place," immediately it comes. "Finger, you come to this place," it immediately comes. So we can study. What is the meaning of part and parcel? Part and parcel means to serve the whole. Krsna is the Absolute Truth. We are relative truth. Therefore it is our duty to serve Krsna. That is our natural position.
But at the present moment, we are engaging our senses, ourself, in designation. I am thinking, "I am American," I am thinking, "I am Hindu," I am thinking, "I am brahmana" or "I am sannyasi." So many designations. Caitanya Mahaprabhu presented Himself, how to become designationless, sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. He said, "I am not a brahmana. I am not a sudra. I am not a ksatriya. I am not a brahmacari." He denied. At last He said, gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayoh dasa-dasanudasah [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. This is our position. We are not Indian; we are not American; we are not Hindu; we are not Muslim. These are all designations. Therefore (the) Krsna consciousness movement is to make people free from designation. Just like, actually, you see. Here are American, European boys and girls. They have forgotten that they are American or European or they come from Christian group or Jewish group. Similarly, we should also forget that "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," or "I am brahmana," "I am sudra," "I am ksatriya." No. This is the only platform, Krsna consciousness, where we can unite on spiritual platform. We cannot be united by resolutions. Just like the United Nations: they are trying for the last thirty years to become united -- simply resolution. On that platform we cannot be united. On political platform or social platform, that is not possible, because the designations are there. When we are free from designation, sarvopadhi-virnirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam, when we are purified, then we can unite in the service of the Lord, Krsna. That is real unity. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam... [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. That is Vaikuntha platform. Just like in Vaikuntha, the Vaikunthesvara, Narayana, or Krsna, He's the central point of service. Just like in Vrndavana... The Vrndavana... The animals, the birds, the beasts, the water, the trees, the flowers, the cowherds boy -- everyone -- center is Krsna. That is Vrndavana. They did not know that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but they loved Krsna with their heart and soul. That is Vrndavana. So if we come to this point of Krsna consciousness and simply learn how to love Krsna, then we can create the whole world as Vrndavana. Unfortunately, even in the Vrndavana, at the present moment, because our desires have been something else other than serving Krsna, there are so many factions. The center is missing.
So Krsna consciousness movement means to purify our senses from the designation and engage the senses in the service of the Lord. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. That is described here. That is wanted. It is called bhakti. "In our conditional state our senses are engaged in serving these bodily demands. When the same senses are engaged in executing the order of Krsna, it is called bhakti." This is bhakti. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna served Krsna by his talent. He was a soldier; he knew how to fight. So by, for his personal consideration, he was thinking not to fight, not to kill the other side, because the other side happened to be his kinsmen, his grandfather, his brother, his nephews. So he was thinking in terms of his own sense gratification, because "The other side, if they are killed, I'll be unhappy." That was his consideration. Therefore he was not willing to fight. And to induce him to become Krsna conscious, the whole Bhagavad-gita was explained. And at the end Krsna asked Arjuna, "What is your decision?" Yathecchasi tatha kuru [Bg. 18.63]. "You can do whatever you like. I have given you instruction, full instruction. Now whatever you like, you can do." This means every living entity has got a little independence. Krsna, or God, does not interfere with that independence. Yathecchasi tatha kuru. At the last, also, Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. "You do it." Krsna can instruct us, "You do it." If I don't do it, that is my option. That option is always there. Krsna does not oblige me. Otherwise, what is the difference between me and the stone? The stone has no independence. But I am a living entity; I have got my independence. So do you... Krsna does not interfere with my independence. Voluntarily, if we surrender to Krsna, voluntarily if we serve Him, then our life is successful. Voluntarily. Hitva anyatha-rupam svarupena vyavasthitih [SB 2.10.6]. We can become immediately liberated if we give up our designated post. If we simply come to the platform of Krsna consciousness, then immediately we become liberated. So many sages and saintly persons are trying to become liberated, mukta, to merge into the existence of impersonal Brahman. But because they have no information of Krsna, or they do not like to surrender to Krsna, they fall down. Aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adhah [SB 10.2.32].
So we must stick to Krsna consciousness without any designative ideas. We must stand on the transcendental platform. Sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. Transcendental platform means above the three modes of material nature, which is called brahma-bhutah. So this position, brahma-bhutah's position... Without being in brahma-bhutah position, liberated stage, nobody can be engaged in devotional service.
brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
[Bg. 18.54]
Bhakti begins when is..., one is actually liberated from the influence of the modes of material nature. That is real bhakti.
The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1972
"The Complete Science of Bhakti-Yoga PART 7A " BY SRILA PRABHUPADA .
Pradyumna: "The impersonalists sometimes misunderstand devotional service in such a way that they divide Krsna from His paraphernalia and pastimes. For example, the Bhagavad-gita is spoken on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, and the impersonalists say that although Krsna is of interest, the Battlefield of Kuruksetra isn't. The devotees, however, also know that the Battlefield of Kuruksetra by itself has nothing to do with their business, but in addition they know that 'Krsna' does not mean just Krsna alone. He is always with His associates and paraphernalia."
Prabhupada: There are so-called pseudo devotees. They say, "What we have to do with Bhagavad-gita?" They think that they are so advanced that they will jump over immediately to the Krsna's rasa-lila. That means Krsna's lila in the Kuruksetra is not very much important for them. But no. Krsna's lila, either in the Kuruksetra or in Vrndavana, the same thing. We should know. Abhinnatvad nama-naminoh. So better, first of all, read Bhagavad-gita, the preliminary study of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Try to read, or try to learn. Of course, in the Srimad-Bhagavatam there is everything. But for ordinary persons, because Bhagavad-gita is the ABCD of spiritual knowledge... People even commit mistakes in studying the ABCD of spiritual knowledge. People have become so much degraded that they cannot understand even ABCD of spiritual knowledge. They'll make their own interpretation. Such is the horrible condition. They'll try to make minus Krsna Bhagavad-gita, go on reading Bhagavad-gita for millions of years, setting aside Krsna. That is scholarly. This is going on. Scholar means they say, openly... I have seen Dr. Radhakrishnan. When he's explaining man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], he's saying openly, "It is not to the person Krsna." He's saying. Just see the attempt. He's writing comments on Bhagavad-gita and he's trying to make Krsna away, minus Krsna. Simply mental speculation. This is going on. We should be very careful. What is that? Go on. The impersonalists... The impersonalists, they do not know that Krsna and Krsna's body, not different. They take it for acceptance that when God, Brahman comes, He accepts a material body. That is Mayavadi philosophy. Therefore Krsna says, avajananti mam mudhah manusim tanum asritah [Bg. 9.11]. He comes... Sambhavamy atma-mayaya [Bg. 4.6]. He comes as He is. Otherwise how He can act so wonderfully? When He was on the lap of His mother, three months old, how He could kill the gigantic demon, Putana? He's not different from His body. He simply appears according to the necessity. Krsna has no such difference, body and soul. He's full, complete, spiritual. We have got, in this conditional state, soul and body difference. Dehi and deha. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [Bg. 2.13]. So dehantaram praptih. Krsna hasn't got to accept another body. So this, these things we should know. Krsna is complete, purna-brahman. There is nothing like material and spiritual in Krsna's body. Go on.
Pradyumna: "For instance, if someone says, 'Give something to eat to the man with the weapons,' the eating process is done by the man and not by the weapons. Similarly, in Krsna consciousness, a devotee may be interested in the paraphernalia and locations -- such as the Battlefield of Kuruksetra -- which are associated with Krsna, but he is not concerned with simply any battlefield. He is concerned with Krsna -- His speech, His instructions, etc. It is because Krsna is there that the battlefield is so important."
Prabhupada: Go on.
Pradyumna: "This is the summary understanding of what Krsna consciousness is. Without this understanding one is sure to misunderstand why the devotees are interested in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra."
Prabhupada: Yes. Sometimes we are asked that "Why Krsna induced Arjuna to become violent?" So then so many so-called scholars, they criticize Krsna, but they do not know what is Krsna. Krsna is absolute. In whichever way He acts, it is the same thing. God is good. It does not mean when He fights in the Battlefield of Kurksetra He becomes bad. No. He's still good. That is the conception of God: absolute. He can do anything and anything. Still, He continues to be the Absolute Truth. That is Absolute Truth. There is no relative understanding, "This is good for God, this is bad for God," as (if) God has come before me to be judged by me. You cannot judge God, Krsna. What He does... Just like Arjuna accepted Krsna: sarvam etad rtam manye yad vadasi kesava [Bg. 10.14]. "I accept whatever You say in toto, without any distinction." That is acceptance of Bhagavad-gita and Krsna. That is the way of understanding Vedas. You cannot judge the conclusion of the Vedas. You have to accept as it is. Because we are conditioned. We have got so many defects -- we are illusioned, we commit mistake, our senses are imperfect... So many defects. Bhrama-pramada-vipralipsa-kara-napatava, we want to cheat others. So therefore we cannot give perfect knowledge. We have to receive knowledge from the perfect. And who is better perfect than Krsna? Therefore whatever Krsna says, whatever Krsna does, that is all good. There is nothing criticizing. You cannot criticize Krsna. That is not possible. You cannot say, "Why Krsna took part in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra?" Yes, He had business to do it. Because He appeared, paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. He had to kill all the demons. That was His another business. Not only to dance with the gopis in Vrndavana, but He had other business to kill the demons. In Vrndavana also, so many demons were appearing daily, and Krsna was killing them. So that is another side of Krsna's business. But if you study Krsna from your materialistic angle of vision, you'll misunderstand. You should know Krsna's dancing with the gopis and Krsna's fighting in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra is the one and the same. That is Krsna consciousness.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972
The Nectar of Devotion
--
Vrndavana, November 1, 1972
Pradyumna: (reading:) "...as given by Rupa Gosvami in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, can be summarized thus: his service is favorable and is always in relation to Krsna. In order to keep the purity of such Krsna conscious activities, one must be freed from all material desires and philosophical speculation. Any desire except for the service of the Lord is called material desire. And philosophical speculation refers to the sort of speculation which ultimately arrives at a conclusion of voidism or impersonalism. This conclusion is useless for a Krsna conscious person. Only rarely by philosophical speculation can one reach the conclusion of worshiping Vasudeva, Krsna. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita itself. The ultimate end of philosophical speculation, then, must be Krsna, with the understanding that Krsna is everything, the cause of all causes, and that one should therefore surrender unto Him. If this ultimate goal is reached, then philosophical advancement is favorable, but if the conclusion of philosophical speculation is voidism or impersonalism, that is not bhakti."
Prabhupada: There is a verse in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: vasudeva-para veda vasudeva-param jnanam vasudeva-param gatim. So unless one is led to the conclusion vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19], jnana-vairagya-karma, anything that you are trying to achieve, if it is not targeted to the realization of Vasudeva, then it... Srama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8]. That is the conclusion of Bhagavata. Whatever you do, the ultimate goal should be realization of Vasudeva, Krsna. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. All Vedic conclusions should be ultimately to realize Vasudeva, Krsna. Bahunam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. This realization is achieved after many, many births of philosophical speculation, mystic yogic exercise or fruitive activities. Koti-karmi-madhye eka jnani srestha. To become karmi is the third-class stage of life. One has to make progress further, so that one may become self-realized, brahma-bhutah. So out of many, many karmis, one jnani, or one who has realized his identification, he's better. And out of many millions of jnanis who are trying to realize his self by philosophical speculation, brahma-jnana, so one mukta, or liberated soul, is better. And out of many thousands of liberated souls, it is said by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, it is very rare to find out a pure devotee of Krsna.
The conclusion is, a pure devotee of Krsna is picked up out of many, many liberated persons. Mukta-sangasya jayate. Krsna realization, bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam, mukta-sangasya jayate. Bhagavat-tattva, the truth, the Absolute Truth, which is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam. Tattva means truth, and that is Bhagavan. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti [SB 1.2.11]. Brahman realization is not all. One has to go further. Paramatma realization -- one has to go further. When one comes to realization of Bhagavan, sad-aisvarya-purna-bhagavan-Bhagavan means full will six kinds of opulences, person, sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah, sarva-karana-karanam [Bs. 5.1] -- that is ultimate goal of life. Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma su-durlabhah [Bg. 7.19]. Such kind of mahatma is very rare. That is the verdict of all Vedic literature, and confirmed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: koti-mukta-madhye durlabha krsna-bhakta. Krsna bhakta, a pure devotee of Krsna, is very rarely to be found out amongst the muktas, amongst the liberated souls. Others are trying to become liberated, but a Krsna-bhakta is above liberation. Pancama-purusartha. People are busy for dharma artha kama moksa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Adi 1.90]. Some of them are busy to become religious. Of course, without religious life, there..., there is no human society. Dharmena hina pasubhih samanah. Unless a society takes to religiosity, it is not human society. Therefore we see any civilized human society, there is a kind of religious system. It doesn't matter whether it is Hinduism, Christianism, or Buddhism, or Muhammadanism, but there must be a religious system. Without this system, that human society is not considered as human society. That is animal society. In the... Even I understand that in America the Red Indians, who are supposed to be not civilized, they had also a religious system. So maybe a perverted form of religious system. Similarly, in India also there are primitive races in the jungles, they have also... Religious system means approving the authority of some Supreme Being. That is religious system. So in the animal society there is no such conception that "There is God. We have got some relationship with God," what is that relationship. This type of discussion cannot be present in the animal society. So dharma artha kama moksa. Generally religious system is taken for improving social and economic condition. Artha. Artha means economy. Artha is required for sense gratification. We require economic development for our sense gratification. And when one is completely satisfied, then he can cultivate about spiritual realization, moksa, apavarga.
So dharmasya apavargyasya arthah na arthaya upakalpate. So dharma is not meant for developing economic condition. That is secondary. But dharma is meant for ultimate goal of liberation. People do not know that. People are not educated that what is the ultimate goal of life. Still, they take to religious life as a compromise between the contending elements, that "We must live peacefully under religious system." The aim is how to live in this material world peacefully. Sometimes religion and God is conceived in that way, that is, "If we have some conception of God, then we shall be moral, we shall be peaceful. Otherwise, there is no need of presenting God in the society." There are so many different opinions, different philosophers, different religious system, according to the modes of nature. But actually every system must be targeted towards realization of Krsna, or God. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. That is Bhagavata-dharma. Bhagavata-dharma means realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Prahlada Maharaja recommended culture of this Bhagavata-dharma from the very beginning of life: kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha [SB 7.6.1]. That is the success of human form of life, to execute Bhagavata-dharma. The, the process... And dharma, as we have several times explained, dharma means the codes of Bhagavan. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19].
So this Krsna consciousness movement is directly touching the point. Not step by step. There is no time. In the Kali-yuga there is very little time to go step by step. Otherwise, there are twenty different types of religious scriptures, vimsati-prakasa, dharma-sastra. So who will read, and who will try to understand? There is no time. Prayena alpayusah kalau asmin yuge janah. People who are very short-living and they are not very enthusiastic for self-realization. Manda. Even they, somebody becomes interested in self-realization, they accept some wrong path. Mandah sumanda-matayo [SB 1.1.10]. They have got different matah, opinion or path. And the so-called swamis, they also support that "Whatever opinion you have got about religious system, that is all right." Yata mata tata patha. But actually, the fact is different. The fact is that one should take simply to the devotional path, bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. If you are actually serious to know God, or Krsna, then you must take to this process of devotional service. Without this you cannot understand. Not through karma, not through mystic yogic exercises, but through devotional service. Bhaktya mam abhijanati, yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. That is clearly stated in the Bhagavad... But people do not know it. Anartha upasamam saksad bhakti-yogam adhoksaje. Bhakti-yogam, execution of bhakti-yoga, is the means of anartha upasama, subduing the anarthas. Material life means we have accumulated some unwanted things. Just like this material body -- this is also not wanted. But somehow or other, we have developed this, and as we have got this material body, we have got so many material necessities of life. So it is not that abruptly we have to give it up. But by yukta-vairagya, everything, the material activities, dovetailing with Krsna consciousness, it becomes gradually purified, and we come to the final stage of understanding Krsna. That is our success of life. Go on.
Pradyumna: "Karma, or fruitive activities, are sometimes understood to be ritualistic activities. There are many persons who are very much attracted by the ritualistic activities described in the Vedas. But if one becomes attracted simply to ritualistic activities without understanding Krsna, his activities are unfavorable to Krsna consciousness. Actually, Krsna consciousness can be based simply on hearing, chanting, remembering, etc. Described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam are nine different processes, besides which, everything done is unfavorable to Krsna consciousness. Thus one should always be guarding against falldowns."
Prabhupada: So we should directly take to the nine different processes of devotional service, sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23]. That we are stressing specifically every time, that hearing about Krsna is very important. Sravanam. As it is described in the Bhagavatam, srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah [SB 1.2.17]. Srnvatam. Simply hearing, srnvatam, those who are hearing... Caitanya Mahaprabhu has also recommended, sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih. One may stay in his position as a brahmana, as a ksatriya, as a vaisya, or as a sudra. Everyone can hear about Krsna. This assembly which we are holding, there is no such thing that only the brahmanas will come here, or the ksatriyas will come here. Anyone can come and hear about Krsna. That is the process of Krsna consciousness movement. We try to invite everyone, from every corner of the world, to hear about Krsna. And that is becoming successful also. Simply by hearing about Krsna -- Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare -- and reading Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, simply talking about Krsna, they are becoming successful. So we should take... In the Kali-yuga it is very difficult to go step by step. It is not possible. Therefore by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the easiest path has been recommended:
harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha
[Cc. Adi 17.21]
Actually, we cannot accept various paths for self-realization. That is not impossible. Sometimes, because we give stress directly to accept this devotional service, people are not very happy that we do not give any importance to the process of jnana and karma and yoga. We do not condemn, but they're very difficult. The yogic process... Especially in Western countries, they are very much fond of the word yoga. We are therefore publishing this book, Krsna Consciousness Is the Topmost Yoga. Actually it is so. So the yoga system or the jnana system or the karma-kanda system, we do not make them null and void, but it will be very much slow form of progress. It will take long, long time. Neither it is possible to execute yoga system or karma system very properly in this age. Therefore the best contribution to the people of this age is Krsna consciousness. Immediately take to... Directly take to Krsna and your life will be successful. Krsna also says, sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. The yoga system, karma system, jnana system, they may be taken as different types of religious path, but Krsna recommends -- not only at the present moment, but eternally He recommends -- five thousand years ago, He said, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. "I'll give you protection," aham tvam sarva-papebhyo. Go on.
Pradyumna: "Srila Rupa Gosvami has also mentioned in this definition of bhakti the word jnana-karmadi. This karmadi, or fruitive work, consists of activities which are unable to help one attain to pure devotional service. Many forms of so-called renunciation are also not favorable to Krsna conscious devotional service."
Prabhupada: Yes. Karma... Rupa Gosvami has directly recommended, anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam [Brs. 1.1.11]. Actually, we find so many yogis, jnanis, karmis, they cannot understand even what is the benefit of this Krsna consciousness movement. Because we say directly, "You take to devotional service," sometimes they are not satisfied. But what can be done? This is the process recommended. And we are preaching through the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has recommended that this process of Krsna-kirtana..., param vijayate krsna-sankir..., sankirtanam.
ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam
sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam
anandambudhi-vardhanam prapti-padam purnamrtasvadanam
sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam
[Cc. Antya 20.12]
This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's blessings, param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam. So go anywhere and everywhere, chant Hare Krsna mantra, and you'll become victorious. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's blessings. It is not our invention. And practically we are getting result. All over the world, our only means is to chant Hare Krsna mantra. Recently we have become victorious, very recently in Melbourne. You know, our men were being arrested and prosecuted. But one, the chief clergyman, archbishop, he has recommended that "These people are very nice people, God conscious. Don't give them trouble." Yes. And the government has stopped harassing. Now we are free to move on the street and go anywhere. This recent news we have got from Melbourne. Madhudvisa Maharaja has sent this news. Similarly, we were harassed in London also, and other places. In USA also. San Francisco. I do not know whether we were harassed in New York, but more or less... And in Japan also, they are talking that "You become bona fide religious organization. Otherwise you cannot come on the street." So although there is harassment by the governing agents, still we are coming out successful. Param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam. All glories to the Sri-Krsna-Sankirtana! Practically. So you stick to this principle, go on chanting Hare Krsna mantra anywhere it is possible, and you'll be victorious. That is the blessings of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Believe in it and you'll be successful. Yes. Go on.
Pradyumna: "Srila Rupa Gosvami has also quoted a definition from the Narada-pancaratra as follows: 'One should be free from all material designations and must be cleansed of all material contamination by Krsna consciousness. He should be restored to his pure identity, where he engages his senses in the service of the proprietor of the senses.' So when our senses are engaged for the actual proprietor of the senses, that is called devotional service."
Prabhupada: Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Bhakti, devotional service, does not mean inertness. Not simply sitting down or meditate. It is activity, engaging all the senses. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam. Hrsika means these senses -- not these senses, but purified senses. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Just like pranair arthair dhiyah vaca. Prana, life; artha, riches, money; dhiya, intelligence; and vaca, speeches. So everyone using... Just like for national cause people are engaging life, they are sacrificing life. So many, for attainment of independence in India, so many Indians gave up their life. Pranaih. So many people gave up their everything. We know during national movement, Mr. C. R. Das, a great leader of the Congress group, he sacrificed everything. He was a big, very big lawyer, barrister. He sacrificed his profession, he sacrificed his life -- everything. So as we are sacrificing everything for attainment of some so-called national independence, the same thing, if we sacrifice for Krsna, then our life becomes successful. Pranair arthair dhiya vaca sreya-acaranam sada.
So it is not inactivity. Caitanya Mahaprabhu or his followers, they were not inactive. They were acting. This Rupa Gosvami, he was so active that he could not sleep at night even for more than one and one half hour. They retired from the material activities. He was minister. He gave up his job and joined Caitanya Mahaprabhu in old age. He came to Vrndavana not to live a retired life, but a very active life.
nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau
lokanam hita-karinau tri-bhuvane manyau saranyakarau
radha-krsna-padaravinda-bhajananandena-mattalikau
vande rupa-sanatana raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau
Here is, sitting, Sri Gosvamiji. He's coming from Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. So all these six Gosvamis, they were not inactive. They were always active. As we are active in the karma, karmi life, so bhakti life is also activity. It is not sitting down idly or gossiping. One must find out some job to serve Krsna. That is bhakti life. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Sevanam means activity. Sevanam does not mean sit down idle, inert. No. As soon as seva... Seva means activity. One has to preach, one has to write, one has to do this, do that, cook, offer the prasadam, everything. Seva, activity.
So that activity and karmis' activity, there is difference. The karmi's activity is on upadhi. "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian." With this upadhi, we are acting. But bhakti means without upadhi. Sarvopadhi-virnirmuktam. Activity without upadhi. Working not as American. Working not as Indian. Working not as Hindu. Working not as Muslim. That is sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. If we think that "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am American," that is with upadhi. When we purely think that "We are...," or "I am servant of Krsna. My only business is to satisfy Krsna," that activity is called bhakti. If I become interested in some party, that is not... Sometimes people criticize these American and European devotees, that they think that "They are American devotee; we are Hindu devotee. There is difference." This is not bhakti-marga. This is upadhi. Why you should think yourself as Hindu? Why you should think of others who have come from America as American? That is less intelligent. Krsna-bhakta... Vaisnave jati-buddhih. If one thinks of Vaisnava as belonging to this class, this nation, he has no vision. Naraki. That is called naraki-buddhih. Vaisnave jati-buddhih arcye siladhir gurusu nara-matir vaisnave jati-buddhih. If we think the Deity as made of stone and made of wood, arcye sila-dhir; gurusu, nara-matih, if we accept spiritual master as ordinary human being; vaisnave jati-buddhih, and if we take a Vaisnava as belonging to America or Europe or India... No. They are transcendental. Neither the Deity in the temple is stone, neither the spiritual master is ordinary human being, nor the Vaisnava belongs to any caste. This vision is perfect vision. When you come to this vision, that is bhakti. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. A bhakta has to become purified. Tat-paratvena, being dovetailed with the service of tat, om tat sat. Tat-param. This is the process of devotional service. One should not be designated "I am this," "I am that," "I am that." No. The world should unite. This Krsna consciousness movement is so nice that one should forget that he's Indian or Hindu or Christian or American or Indian. Everything should unite as servant of Krsna. That is bhakti-marga. Unfortunately, they distinguish between American Vaisnava and Indian Vaisnava: brahmana Vaisnava, sudra Vaisnava. No. A Vaisnava is Vaisnava. Visnur asya devatah iti vaisnava. One who has accepted Visnu as "my Lord," he has no designation. A Vaisnava has no such distinction. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170].
So this is the sutra given by Narada. Tat tenaiva vinirdiset [SB 7.11.35]. So we must follow the path of mahajana, the instruction of the acarya. Then we can become purified. And unless we are purified, there is no question of pure devotional service. Sa bhaktah prakrtah smrta. If one does not want to become advanced, if one does not want to become purified, then he remains a prakrta-bhakta. Prakrta-bhakta means executing devotional service under the instruction of spiritual master and the regulative principles of sastra, but he's still on the platform of material understanding. That is called prakrta-bhakta. A prakrta-bhakta cannot understand how another bhakta is transcendental. A prakrta-bhakta cannot understand that Vrndavana is always transcendental. Therefore Srila Jiva Gosvami has discussed this point in his Tattva-sandarbha, that we cannot accept any manufactured ideas. Because everyone is defective by the four defects of material life, we have to accept the version of Vedas, Puranas. He has tried to establish Puranas as Vedic supplementary. Others, they reject Puranas out of the Vedas. But Jiva Gosvami established. All the Gosvamis. Just like Rupa Gosvami has given, sruti-smrti-puranadi-pancaratriki-vidhim vina, aikantiki harer bhaktir utpatayaiva kalpate [Brs. 1.2.101]. It is utpata, disturbance. If you do not follow the principles of sruti, smrti, purana, pancaratriki-vidhi... Just like we were discussing this point, sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. This is pancaratriki-vidhi. So if we do not follow these principles... Without following these principles, the so-called devotional service, Hari-bhakti, utpata, simply disturbance, simply a disturbance. Therefore we have to follow the principles laid down by the Gosvamis, Sad-gosvamis. Vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau. And then our attempt will be successful.
Thank you very much. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972
The Nectar of Devotion
--
Vrndavana, November 2, 1972
Pradyumna: (reading:) "So when our senses are engaged for the actual proprietor of the senses, that is called devotional service. In our conditional state, our senses are engaged in serving these bodily demands. When the same senses are engaged in executing the order of Krsna, it is called bhakti."
Prabhupada: Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Bhakti, it is very simple thing. Our relationship with Krsna is natural. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, mamaivamsa jiva-bhutah. We are part and parcel of Krsna; therefore our only duty is to serve Krsna. That is natural. There is no question about it. Part and parcel means helping the whole. As we have several times explained that this finger is the part and parcel of my body, so it is the duty of the finger always serve the body, whole body. It has no other occupation. As soon as I desire, "Finger, you come to this place," immediately it comes. "Finger, you come to this place," it immediately comes. So we can study. What is the meaning of part and parcel? Part and parcel means to serve the whole. Krsna is the Absolute Truth. We are relative truth. Therefore it is our duty to serve Krsna. That is our natural position.
But at the present moment, we are engaging our senses, ourself, in designation. I am thinking, "I am American," I am thinking, "I am Hindu," I am thinking, "I am brahmana" or "I am sannyasi." So many designations. Caitanya Mahaprabhu presented Himself, how to become designationless, sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. He said, "I am not a brahmana. I am not a sudra. I am not a ksatriya. I am not a brahmacari." He denied. At last He said, gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayoh dasa-dasanudasah [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. This is our position. We are not Indian; we are not American; we are not Hindu; we are not Muslim. These are all designations. Therefore (the) Krsna consciousness movement is to make people free from designation. Just like, actually, you see. Here are American, European boys and girls. They have forgotten that they are American or European or they come from Christian group or Jewish group. Similarly, we should also forget that "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," or "I am brahmana," "I am sudra," "I am ksatriya." No. This is the only platform, Krsna consciousness, where we can unite on spiritual platform. We cannot be united by resolutions. Just like the United Nations: they are trying for the last thirty years to become united -- simply resolution. On that platform we cannot be united. On political platform or social platform, that is not possible, because the designations are there. When we are free from designation, sarvopadhi-virnirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam, when we are purified, then we can unite in the service of the Lord, Krsna. That is real unity. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam... [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. That is Vaikuntha platform. Just like in Vaikuntha, the Vaikunthesvara, Narayana, or Krsna, He's the central point of service. Just like in Vrndavana... The Vrndavana... The animals, the birds, the beasts, the water, the trees, the flowers, the cowherds boy -- everyone -- center is Krsna. That is Vrndavana. They did not know that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but they loved Krsna with their heart and soul. That is Vrndavana. So if we come to this point of Krsna consciousness and simply learn how to love Krsna, then we can create the whole world as Vrndavana. Unfortunately, even in the Vrndavana, at the present moment, because our desires have been something else other than serving Krsna, there are so many factions. The center is missing.
So Krsna consciousness movement means to purify our senses from the designation and engage the senses in the service of the Lord. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. That is described here. That is wanted. It is called bhakti. "In our conditional state our senses are engaged in serving these bodily demands. When the same senses are engaged in executing the order of Krsna, it is called bhakti." This is bhakti. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna served Krsna by his talent. He was a soldier; he knew how to fight. So by, for his personal consideration, he was thinking not to fight, not to kill the other side, because the other side happened to be his kinsmen, his grandfather, his brother, his nephews. So he was thinking in terms of his own sense gratification, because "The other side, if they are killed, I'll be unhappy." That was his consideration. Therefore he was not willing to fight. And to induce him to become Krsna conscious, the whole Bhagavad-gita was explained. And at the end Krsna asked Arjuna, "What is your decision?" Yathecchasi tatha kuru [Bg. 18.63]. "You can do whatever you like. I have given you instruction, full instruction. Now whatever you like, you can do." This means every living entity has got a little independence. Krsna, or God, does not interfere with that independence. Yathecchasi tatha kuru. At the last, also, Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. "You do it." Krsna can instruct us, "You do it." If I don't do it, that is my option. That option is always there. Krsna does not oblige me. Otherwise, what is the difference between me and the stone? The stone has no independence. But I am a living entity; I have got my independence. So do you... Krsna does not interfere with my independence. Voluntarily, if we surrender to Krsna, voluntarily if we serve Him, then our life is successful. Voluntarily. Hitva anyatha-rupam svarupena vyavasthitih [SB 2.10.6]. We can become immediately liberated if we give up our designated post. If we simply come to the platform of Krsna consciousness, then immediately we become liberated. So many sages and saintly persons are trying to become liberated, mukta, to merge into the existence of impersonal Brahman. But because they have no information of Krsna, or they do not like to surrender to Krsna, they fall down. Aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adhah [SB 10.2.32].
So we must stick to Krsna consciousness without any designative ideas. We must stand on the transcendental platform. Sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. Transcendental platform means above the three modes of material nature, which is called brahma-bhutah. So this position, brahma-bhutah's position... Without being in brahma-bhutah position, liberated stage, nobody can be engaged in devotional service.
brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
[Bg. 18.54]
Bhakti begins when is..., one is actually liberated from the influence of the modes of material nature. That is real bhakti.
The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972
"The Complete Science of Bhakti-Yoga PART 6B " BY SRILA PRABHUPADA .
Pradyumna: (reading:) "...Krsna we refer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, along with His many expansions. He is expanded by His plenary part and parcels, His differentiated parts and parcels, and His different energies. Krsna, in other words, means everything and includes everything. Generally, however, we should understand Krsna to mean Krsna and His personal expansions. Krsna expands Himself as Baladeva, Sankarsana, Vasudeva, Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Rama, Nrsimha, and Varaha, as well as many other incarnations and innumerable Visnu expansions. These are described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam to be as numerous as the uncountable waves. So Krsna includes all such expansions, as well as His pure devotees. In the Brahma-samhita it is stated that Krsna's expansions are all complete in eternity, blissfulness, and cognizance. Devotional service means to prosecute Krsna conscious activities which are favorable to the transcendental pleasure of the Supreme Lord Krsna, and any activities which are not favorable to the transcendental favor of the Lord cannot be accepted as devotional service."
Prabhupada: So Krsna does not mean alone. Krsna is not imperson. He's person, and He expands in so many persons. Eko bahu syam. He is one, but He expands Himself to innumerable forms. The Visnu forms, They are known as svamsa. And the servitor forms, the living entities, they are also expansion of Visnu, part and parcel, differentiated, vibhinnamsa. So everything -- expansion of Krsna. Parasya brahmanah saktih. Parasya brahmanah saktih sarvedam akhilam jagat. Whatever we see, experience within this world, within this universe, they're simply expansion of the energy of Krsna. Just like fire has got two energies, heat and light, similarly Krsna is expanding by His two energies, the material energy and the spiritual energy. So this material world is expansion of His material energy, and we are marginal We are also energy. We are not energetic. We are not purusa. We are prakrti.
In the Bhagavad-gita the living entities have been described as prakrti. Apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakrtim para. After describing the material energies -- earth, water, air, fire sky, mind, intelligence, ego -- Krsna says apareyam, all these energies, separated energies, material energies, they are apara, inferior. But that is also Krsna's energies. Inferior means not actually inferior, because they, there cannot be anything inferior which is emanating from Krsna. The inferior in this sense: by our absence of Krsna consciousness. Because we have come here, in this material world, to enjoy to satisfy, sense satisfaction, sense gratification, we have made it inferior. Otherwise it is not inferior. One who knows how to utilize this energy, for him, it is not inferior. Nirbandha-krsna-sambandhe yukta-vairagyam ucyate. One who does not know how to utilize this material energy for the purpose of Krsna, for them, it is inferior. Otherwise, advaya-jnana, absolute... Idam hi visvam bhagavan ivetarah. Narada Muni has described before Vyasadeva: idam hi visvam bhagavan ivetarah. It appears like different, but actually Krsna... A maha-bhagavata... This is the vision of maha-bhagavata, not ordinary man. Maha-bhagavata... Sthavara-jangama dekhi tara murti [Cc. Madhya 8.274]. A maha-bhagavata sees a tree or an animal or a... He does not see the form but he sees his ista deva murti; he sees there Krsna. Actually, Krsna is there as Paramatma. So he sees Paramatma. He does not see the external body. So Krsna's two energies... Inferior means where Krsna consciousness is almost absent. That is inferior. When there is Krsna consciousness, that is no more inferior; that is superior. So Krsna says, apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakrtim para. After all, any energy, prakrti... So the Mayavadi philosophers mistakes to elevate the living entities to the standard of purusa, the Supreme. But actually it is not so. It is prakrti. Prakrti means predominated and purusa means predominator. And actually, that is our position. We are not predominator. Artificially I am thinking that I am predominator. That is my illusion. I am not predominator. Nobody's predominator. Predominator is Krsna. Mattah parataro nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya. He's predominator. Aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate [Bg. 10.8].
So prakrti and purusa... Krsna is purusa. Purusam sasvatam. Arjuna has described, purusam sasvatam. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan, purusam sasvatam adyam [Bg. 10.12]. "You are the original purusa, enjoyer." That is Krsna consciousness. If we know that Krsna is the original person, enjoyer, and we are simply enjoyed... We are meant for being enjoyed, not to take the post of enjoyer. Here, in this material world, everyone is artificially trying to become enjoyer, both men and women. But that is illusion. Nobody's enjoyer. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. The supreme enjoyer is Krsna. So just like prakrti-purusa, we can get one idea, husband and wife. Husband is purusa, wife is prakrti. So if the wife is faithful, always trying to serve the husband, always to make her husband pleased, and husband takes care of the wife for all her necessities of life, as that home life becomes very beautiful and happy, similarly, Krsna is the Supreme Purusa, enjoyer. We living entities, if we simply try to serve Him and make Him happy, as the gopis did, then it is very congenial atmosphere as it was in Vrndavana. Everyone is serving Krsna. Everyone is trying to please Krsna. The birds, the beasts, the trees, the land, the water, the cowherd boys, the gopis, Krsna's father, mother, elderly people -- everyone -- the central point is Krsna. That is Vrndavana. So we can have Vrndavana anywhere and everywhere. Vrndavana is not that limited. It is not material. As Krsna is not limited... Krsna says in the Brahma-samhita, goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37]. Just like Krsna says that patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati, tad aham asnami [Bg. 9.26]. Now, one can say that "Krsna is far, far away in the Goloka Vrndavana. How He will eat?" That is material conception. Krsna can eat even He is in Goloka Vrndavana, provided the foodstuff is offered by a devotee. Yo me bhaktya prayacchati. It is a question of bhakti. Then Krsna eats. Krsna is present in His Goloka Vrndavana, in His dhama. He does not go out, but His expansion goes out and takes, accepts the service of the devotee. This is the bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam. One should understand the bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam. It is a science, how He takes... We have got our limited sense that "I am sitting here." If you offer my foodstuff some yards off from me, I cannot reach, because I am limited. But Krsna can expand His hand. He Himself comes. Svayam eva sphuraty adhah. Krsna becomes manifest to the devotee. Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih, sevonmukhe hi jihvadau [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. When one becomes devotee, beginning from the tongue, jihvadau, by chanting Hare Krsna mantra, sevonmukhe hi jihvadau, svayam eva sphuraty adhah, He becomes revealed. Yei nama sei krsna. That is the perfection of chanting without any offenses. Then you'll find the name is not different from Krsna. When you are chanting, you'll find Krsna is dancing on your tongue. This is the conclusion.
So we have to learn how to chant. Therefore in the sastras, in the Puranas, the ten kinds of offenses are described. And Srila Jiva Gosvami has given very much stress to avoid these offenses. Suddha-nama. In the beginning we cannot chant pure form of the name, because we are accustomed... But still, by chanting process, then it becomes namabhasa, almost pure. Abhasa means just like before sunrise, you find the darkness is off, but it is not sunlight. It is different from sunlight, but still, there is the dawn, you can see everything distinctly. Similarly, first there is offensive name and, if you avoid, avoid the ten kinds of offenses, then gradually it becomes namabhasa. And Srila Haridasa Thakura has said, Namacarya, that by namabhasa, one becomes liberated. There was some argument with Haridasa Thakura and one brahmana in the office of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami's father, uncle. So there were some high level talks on this namabhasa. So by namabhasa one becomes liberated. By chanting Hare Krsna mantra offensive, one becomes materially happy or distressed, but when one comes to the stage of namabhasa, he becomes liberated. And when he chants pure name, there is Krsna-prema. Just like Rupa Gosvami: he was chanting. We are also chanting. But we are not in the stage of Rupa Gosvami or Sanatana Gosvami and Haridasa Thakura. Actually, if we come to that stage then there will be Krsna-prema, love of Krsna. Just like Rupa Gosvami said that "What shall I chant with one tongue and two ears? If there were millions of tongues and trillions of ears, I could chant something." And we cannot finish even sixteen rounds, because we have not created our taste for chanting. Still we are in the namaparadha stage. But don't be disappointed. Go on chanting. You'll come to the right position, namabhasa, then suddha-nama. Everything requires gradual development.
So this nama is also another incarnation of Krsna. Nama-rupe kali-kale krsna-avatara. Name is... Because name and Krsna is not different. Abhinnatvad nama-naminoh. There is no difference. Here, in the material world, there is difference between the name and the substance, but advaya-jnana, in the Absolute world there is no such distinction. The name and the person, the same, identical. So actually, when we chant Hare Krsna mantra, we directly associate with Krsna, because name is the incarnation of Krsna. Nama-rupe krsna-avatara. Therefore, if we are sensible, then we should take very much respectful attitude to the name, because name and Krsna, the same. Suppose Krsna comes here. How much respectful we shall be, immediately. So similarly, when we chant Hare Krsna mantra, we should know Krsna is there. Therefore we should be very much cautious and respectful, not neglectful. That is offense. That is offense. If you become inattentive, that is offense. You should know this. Try to avoid. Krsna is giving us chance to meet Him in so many ways: nama, rupa, lila, parikara, vasistha. He is giving us chance in the form of name, in the form of Deity, in the form of His pastimes, in the form of His paraphernalia. Just like this Vrndavana. Vrndavana is as good as Krsna. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said. It is not my manufacture. Aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavana. As Krsna, the Brajendra-nandana Hari, Krsna, as He is worshipable, similarly His dhama is worshipable. We should be very much respectful to Vrndavana-dhama; otherwise we'll be offender. Dhamaparadha. Dhamaparadha. If we remain in Vrndavana we should know that we are living with Krsna. And how much we should be cautious, how much we should be careful if we are actually understand what is dhama. Dhama is also Krsna. If in the dhama we commit sinful activities, then we are, what is called, suiciding, committing suicide. It is a fact.
You know the story of Yamala-arjuna. So they were given the place in the dhama, Vrndavana-dhama, as a tree, but they had to waste time for so many hundreds years. Although there is guarantee, anyone who is in dhama, he'll get the shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna, but not... Why should we waste your time to become a tree or a monkey or a hog or a dog? Don't waste. You should be very careful. Don't commit any offense in the dhama. Then one life is sufficient to go back to home, back to Godhead. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaun... [Bg. 4.9]. If you actually live in Vrndavana carefully, without committing any offense and sinful life, then in this life you are going to Krsna. Krsna says, janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. To live in Vrndavana means to know Krsna -- how He appeared there, how He played here, how He executed His pastimes here. Janma karma divyam. These are all celestial, all transcendental. Jaya radha-madhava kunja-vihari.
So this is Vrndavana life of Krsna. So if we know Krsna, tattvatah... This tattvatah we discussed this morning.
manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascit vetti mam tattvatah
[Bg. 7.3]
So those who are living in Vrndavana, they should try to understand Krsna tattvatah. That is their business. Not that take advantage of Vrndavana and make some anyabhilasa, jnana-karma. No. That means we are wasting time. You'll get the chance because you have come to Vrndavana. Vrndavana's so powerful. But if we commit offense and sinful activities, it will be delayed. My Guru Maharaja used to say that "Don't waste time. Don't wait for another life. In this life, finish this business, to understand Krsna, and go back home, back to Godhead." That is required. If one is businessman... Just like in business they want to execute business free, finish the business very quickly, similarly, because we see that such a devotee like Bharata Maharaja, because he was little attached to a calf, a deer calf... What is called?
Devotee: Fawn.
Prabhupada: Fawn. Yes. So he had to take the life of a deer next life. Just see. Such a great devotee, but because he was a little attached... Yam yam vapi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. So we should be very careful that even in Vrndavana, if we miss the point, if we are attached to something, then we have to accept another life, either as beast or tree. Of course, the chance will be given to become a tree and beast in Vrndavana. That is also profitable, because next life, he's going back to home, back to Godhead. But why should we waste another life in this way? So Krsna-nama rupe-avatara. So we should respect chanting of Hare Krsna mantra with very care, carefulness, cautious so that we may not commit any offense. Then your business is successful. Namnad balad yasya hi papa-buddhih. If somebody thinks that "I am living in Vrndavana. I am chanting Hare Krsna mantra. So if I do something sinful, what it will do...?" Eka nama, krsna-name yata papa kare, papi haya tata papa karite naraya (?). "So what sinful I am doing? A little sinful..." Yes, little sinful will be excused. But if it is done not willingly, but if you commit sinful activities willingly, daily, then you'll be punished. That is laws of nature. Even if you are bhakta. You'll be given chance, but you'll have to be punished. So therefore we must be very careful. We are chanting Hare Krsna mantra means dealing with Krsna directly. Therefore we must be very careful, cautious, respectful. Then it is nice, it is success. Read. Next.
The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972
-
1
-
2
-
3
-
4
-
5
of 7 Next