By Niranjana Swami
The following is a partially edited transcription of a lecture given on June 15, 2014, at the Carpathian Festival in Ukraine – SB 1.2.19 – Becoming Free from the Three Modes of Nature.
Reading from the 1st Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, Chapter 2, Text 19.
tada rajas-tamo-bhavah
kama-lobhadayas ca ye
ceta etair anaviddham
sthitam sattve prasidati
tada — at that time; rajah — in the mode of passion; tamah — the mode of ignorance; bhavah — the situation; kama — lust and desire; lobha — hankering; adayah — others; ca — and; ye — whatever they are; cetah — the mind; etaih — by these; anaviddham — without being affected; sthitam — being fixed; sattve — in the mode of goodness; prasidati — thus becomes fully satisfied.
Translation: As soon as irrevocable loving service is established in the heart, the effects of nature’s modes of passion and ignorance, such as lust, desire and hankering, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes completely happy.
Purport by Srila Prabhupada:
A living being in his normal constitutional position is fully satisfied in spiritual bliss. This state of existence is called brahma-bhūta or atmananda, or the state of self-satisfaction. This self-satisfaction is not like the satisfaction of the inactive fool. The inactive fool is in the state of foolish ignorance, whereas the self-satisfied atmanandi is transcendental to the material state of existence. This stage of perfection is attained as soon as one is fixed in irrevocable devotional service. Devotional service is not inactivity, but the unalloyed activity of the soul.
The soul’s activity becomes adulterated in contact with matter, and as such the diseased activities are expressed in the form of lust, desire, hankering, inactivity, foolishness and sleep. The effect of devotional service becomes manifest by complete elimination of these effects of passion and ignorance. The devotee is fixed at once in the mode of goodness, and he makes further progress to rise to the position of vasudeva, or the state of unmixed sattva, or suddha-sattva. Only in this suddha-sattva state can one always see Krishna face to face by dint of pure affection for the Lord.
A devotee is always in the mode of unalloyed goodness; therefore he harms no one. But the nondevotee, however educated he may be, is always harmful. A devotee is neither foolish nor passionate. The harmful, foolish and passionate cannot be devotees of the Lord, however they may advertise themselves as devotees by outward dress. A devotee is always qualified with all the good qualities of God. Quantitatively such qualifications may be different, but qualitatively both the Lord and His devotee are one and the same.
(SB 1.2.19)
Niranjana Swami:
So we are reading some very important verses from Srimad Bhagavatam. These verses describe the cleansing of the heart by devotional service, and how obstacles are removed from the heart for those who engage in hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord in the association of devotees. In this verse today, the Srimad Bhagavatam is explaining how one comes to the platform of nistha, or steadiness in devotional service, and some of the symptoms of one who is situated on this platform. One who is on this platform is not affected by the modes of material nature. It is important to understand that there may be some trace of the modes of material nature even for one who is situated on this platform, but the point is that one is not influenced by them, and this is established here by the words ceta etair anaviddham, which means that one is not affected in the mind by these.
Prabhupada, I remember, used an example of how a devotee is one who stays in the boat of devotional service. If one is crossing the ocean and there is a lot of disturbance in the middle of the ocean, with so many waves, as long as one stays in the boat, though he will be influenced by the waves, at least he is not in the waves themselves.
It is one thing to be drowning in the waves in the middle of the ocean, but it is another thing to be in the boat. In other words, although one may be influenced by those waves in the boat, rocking back and forth, still one is in the boat. Srila Prabhupada said that to stay in the boat means that one should strictly follow the regulative principles of Krishna consciousness. This is what keeps us in the boat as opposed to jumping ship. If one jumps ship, there is not much hope.
Of course, Prabhupada uses that example to help us understand the importance of strictly following the regulative principles, not only the four regulative principles but the regulative principles of devotional service. Krishna says to Arjuna:
atha cittam samadhatum
na saknoshi mayi sthiram
abhyasa-yogena tato
mam icchaptum dhananjaya
(BG 12.9)
“If you cannot always fix your mind upon Me without deviation, then follow the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga. In this way you will develop the desire to attain Me.”
Krishna is not speaking to Arjuna about following the four regulative principles, He is talking to Arjuna about following the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga, which means “nasta-prayesv abhadresu nityam bhagavata-sevaya,” mentioned in the previous verse, which is “by regularly hearing Srimad Bhagavatam and serving the devotees, all that is inauspicious to the heart becomes destroyed.” The four regulative principles are the regulative principles of human life, not the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga. The four regulative principles are what distinguishes a human being from an animal. Krishna is telling Arjuna to follow the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga, which means that one has to regulate one’s hearing and chanting of the glories of the Supreme Lord. By regularly hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord in the association of devotees, the inauspicious things from within the heart become practically, but not completely, destroyed. The word “practically” is used because there is still some trace of influence of these modes of material nature. But one is not influenced by them.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains that the modes of material nature are not completely gone until one achieves the stage of bhava. Nonetheless, as Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains, the transition that one goes through by regularly hearing the message of Srimad Bhagavatam means that one passes through the stage of anisthita-bhakti to nisthita-bhakti. Anisthita-bhakti means unsteady devotional service, and nisthita-bhakti means steady devotional service. Then Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur explains the verses that we were reading in the last few days,
srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrt satam
(SB 1.2.17)
Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, cleanses the desire for material enjoyment within the heart of that person who develops the urge to hear His messages. This verse is actually for those who are still situated on the platform of anisthita-bhakti. Yesterday’s verse bhaktir bhavati naisthiki (SB 1.2.18), is the verse which describes nisthita-bhakti for those who are on the platform of nistha, and in the middle, between these two stages, is abhadrani vidhunoti, which means that inauspicious things become destroyed within the heart, which is anartha-nivritti. So there is anisthita-bhakti, unsteady devotional service; anartha-nivritti; and nisthita-bhakti; or bhajana-kriya, anartha-nivritti and nistha. Nonetheless the cleansing of the heart means removing the obstacles on the path of devotional service, and those obstacles exist due to one still being influenced by the modes of nature. And therefore Prabhupada, today in the commentary, says that self-satisfaction in the stage of devotional service, this self satisfaction is not like the satisfaction of the inactive fool. The inactive fool is in the state of foolish ignorance, whereas the self-satisfied atmanandi is transcendental to the material state of existence.
It is interesting how Prabhupada describes a person who is influenced by the mode of ignorance in the Bhagavad-gita. With respect to the inactive fool and the satisfaction he experiences, Prabhupada explains that when there is an increase in the mode of ignorance, then darkness, inertia, madness and illusion are manifested. This is Krishna’s illusion. To quote Srila Prabhupada, ‘One in the mode of ignorance does not work by a regulative principle; he wants to act whimsically, for no purpose. Even though he has the capacity to work, he makes no endeavor. This is called illusion. Although consciousness is going on, life is inactive. These are the symptoms of one in the mode of ignorance.”
Many times Srila Prabhupada told the story about Indra when he was cursed by Brihaspati. Indra had to come down to this world and take birth as a hog. He had a hog family; he had his hog wife, he had his hog children. And then Lord Brahma was calling Indra to come back. when Indra was being called, he was thinking, “Well, I have my wife, I have my children. Everything is going well. Why do I have to go back?” Prabhupada uses this example, that the hog is satisfied living in stool. He thinks, “This is nice, I am satisfied,” but somebody from a higher level of consciousness looks and says, “Oh, how can you be satisfied in that status?”
So Prabhupada is saying here that one who is steeped in the mode of ignorance is like the inactive fool. The inactive fool thinks, “Yes, I am satisfied, things are OK. I am satisfied with my ignorance. I am satisfied being inactive, there is nothing I am doing. I am just satisfied living like this. I am not influenced by the mode of ignorance.” But the mode of ignorance is manifested by darkness, inertia, madness and illusion. What is the symptom of passion? The symptom of passion is intense hankering in fruitive activity, always hankering for some result. When one comes to the stage of steady devotional service, this influence of the modes of ignorance and passion, is virtually nonexistent. That is the symptom of steadiness in devotional service, that there are no symptoms of the influence of the modes of nature.
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains that for one who comes to this level of nisthita-bhakti, actually situated on the platform of nistha, there are no symptoms of laya, or sleepiness while engaged in bhajan or kirtan. He describes the five symptoms of those still influenced.
The first symptom is laya, the tendency to sleep when one is engaged in kirtan, showing that there is still some influence of the mode of ignorance. Then there is viksepa, distraction. Viksepa means when one is distracted by tendencies towards material things while engaged in kirtan, like a devotee who is sitting and chanting japa, and then all of the sudden he is distracted by a tendency to speak prajalpa to the person next to him. He tried to be very visibly attentive, “Hareee…” and then… prajalpa. The third symptom of being influenced by the modes of material nature is apratipatti which means that although there is no visible influence by laya, or viksepa, still one cannot completely fix his mind in bhajan. Kasaya, that is the next symptom, means one is still influenced by pride, greed and anger. Obviously these are symptoms that one is still influenced by the modes of nature. And rasasvada, which is the fifth symptom means that although one has all facility to be absorbed in kirtan, whenever there is a proposal for some sense gratification, one gets distracted.
So nisthita-bhakti or nistha means that there is no influence; all these symptoms are gone. So of course, that is an advanced stage. Anisthita-bhakti is probably something which is more relevant for our discussion. The verse states “srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah,” that Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is within the core of the heart. He cleanses the desire for material enjoyment within the heart of a person who develops an urge to hear.
So this anisthita-bhakti is symptomized by six characteristics which are all explained by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. The first is utsaha-mayi, false enthusiasm. A person with this symptom thinks that because he has developed an ability to do something in bhakti, he is therefore qualified. He is enthusiastic, because people recognize his expertise. “I can play karatalas, really expertly!” Somebody sees, “Oh, you play very good karatalas.” “Yes, I am a very advanced devotee.” And as soon as somebody does not recognize his expert karatala playing, immediately he loses his enthusiasm. So this is called utsaha-mayi, false enthusiasm. It is not real. That is the first symptom.
The second is ghana-tarala. Ghana-tarala means that sometimes we are very, very attentive in our studies, completely into it. But then sometimes we are just not into it at all. We get absorbed in our mind and therefore cannot get into our studies at all. Ghana-tarala means thick and diluted. Then there is vyudha vikalpa. Vyudha vikalpa means indecisiveness. “Should I become renounced, forget about my duties in householder life; renounce everything? Yet when I read in the Bhagavatam there are so many householders, very elevated, saintly persons, some of them were even Mahajanas, I think I could become a householder. Look at the list of Mahajanas (SB 6.3.20-21). Many are householders. Of course I should follow in their footsteps, but household life is very troublesome. I can read about that in Bhagavatam too. What should I do?” Vyudha vikalpa; we live in a state of indecisiveness, going back and forth, “Should I renounce or not be renounced?” I think my mind is busy, engaged in devotional service. But I’m simply busy going back and forth, accepting and rejecting.
There is no nistha, there is no resolute determination. Simply riding on the chariot of the mind, manorathena. Lord Caitanya says:
‘dvaite’ bhadrabhadra-jnana, saba — ‘manodharma’
‘ei bhala, ei manda’, — ei saba ‘bhrama’
(CC Antya 4.176)
“To say this is good and bad, this is all a mistake.” He said this to Sanatana Gosvami. Sanatana Gosvami pleaded, “Please do not touch my body. It is bad.” Sanatana Gosvami’s body was full of sores and Lord Caitanya wanted to embrace him. And Lord Caitanya responded, “No, actually to think ‘this is good and this is bad’, this is all a mistake. It is an illusion.” And He used the word, ‘dvaite’ bhadrabhadra-jnana, saba — ‘manodharma’. Manodharma means the religion of mind: “this is good, this is bad.” Or as the verse says,
yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana
sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah
harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna
manorathenasati dhavato bahih
(SB 5.18.12)
Prabhupada would quote this verse many times, how all the qualities of the demigods become manifested in a devotee. On the other hand, a nondevotee cannot have any good qualities because he is driven on the chariot of the mind. So one has to be careful not to be influenced by this manorathena, to be riding on the chariot of the mind.
So vyudha vikalpa means manorathena, indecisiveness. Then there is visaya-sangara. Visaya-sangara is another symptom of anisthita-bhakti, which means that sometimes we get very determined, “I see what my maya is, I am going to renounce it. Better I make a vow and give it up.” Then the next day we indulge in the very same thing we had renounced. Then we think, “Oh, why did I do that?”
In fact there is a verse in the 11th Canto of the Bhagavatam, which illustrates this tendency. Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura also quotes this verse in reference to visaya-sangara. It is a very important verse because it is very much related to these verses that we are reading from Srimad Bhagavatam. The verse says, “Having awakened faith in hearing the narrations of My glories, being disgusted with sense gratification, and knowing that all sense gratification leads to suffering, but one still cannot give it up.” He said, “Therefore…” Krishna says, “But My devotee should remain happy and continue worshipping with faith and conviction, because My devotee knows that even though sense gratification leads to suffering, he sincerely repents when he engages in it.”
So this sincere repentance in the heart is very important. This verse illustrates the point about visaya-sangara; that we renounce something and then very soon we indulge in the very same thing we renounced. However for a devotee who has awakened his faith in hearing about Krishna, because he has awakened faith, “srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah”, he has the urge to hear more and more about Krishna. He goes on hearing because he knows that by continuing to do so, he can remain happy. By hearing, all these unwanted things will become destroyed. This is how he gets free from the symptoms of anisthita-bhakti: “nasta-prayesv abhadresu nityam bhagavata-sevaya”, by regularly hearing Srimad Bhagavatam. This is a regulative principle of devotional service, we are regularly hearing.
satam prasaṅgan mama virya-samvido
bhavanti hrt-karna-rasayanah kathah
taj-josanad asv apavarga-vartmani
sraddha ratir bhaktir anukramisyati
(SB 3.25.25)
In the association of devotees, discussions of the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead become very pleasing to the ear and to the heart. They go into the ear and enter into the heart. And when they enter into the heart, what happens? The devotee advances. Gradually, his faith becomes strong. He develops some attachment to Krishna. Then bhakti, real devotional service, begins. Sraddha ratir bhaktir anukramisyati means from sraddha all the way to prema, even those who are on the platform of prema, “prayena munayo rajan nivrtta vidhi-sedhatah” (SB 2.1.7), they derive their greatest satisfaction by hearing and chanting about Krishna. It begins with regulation, beginning with faith. Then progressively, regulation subsides because it becomes spontaneous, all the way to prema.
In the 10th Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam when Pariksit Maharaja and Sukadeva Gosvami are having some dialogue, Sukadeva Gosvami says, “Paramahamsas who have accepted Krishna within the core of their heart, they are attracted to the topics of Krishna as if they are ever fresh. And therefore they are spontaneously attracted to Krishna in the same way that a materialistic person is spontaneously attracted to speaking about women and sex.” A materialistic person does not have to practice talking about women and sex. Why? It is spontaneous. Why? It is always in the heart. Therefore, because it is always in the heart, spontaneously he speaks about these things. The slightest attractive object he sees, immediately and spontaneously it awakens a desire to speak about these topics. Similarly, paramahamsas who have accepted Krishna within the core of their hearts, they are spontaneously attracted to speaking about Krishna. They have accepted Krishna within the core of their heart, therefore to speak about Him is spontaneous, because they see Krishna in everything, they see Krishna everywhere.
So in the most advanced stages, certainly, one spontaneously speaks about Krishna. But for those on the platform of anisthita-bhakti, it is not so spontaneous. And because it is not spontaneous, one has to regularly hear— regularly! These are regulative principle of bhakti yoga; one has to regularly hear.
smartavyah satatam visnur
vismartavyo na jatucit
sarve vidhi-nisedhah syur
etayor eva kinkarah
(CC Madhya 22.113)
“Krishna must always be remembered and He must never be forgotten. All the rules and regulations given in the scriptures are meant to be the servant of these two principles.”
Servants of these two principles; vidhis and nisedhas. Vidhis means positive activities, nisedhas are prohibited activities. Positive activities: always think of Krishna. Negative activities we should avoid: do not forget Krishna. This is what we avoid, forgetfulness of Krishna. The positive is to always remember. So all these vidhis and nisedhas are meant to serve these two principles. But in the commentary of this verse, there is a very nice explanation. Smartavyah satatam, generally satatam means “always;” however in this verse, it implies something different. Because for one who is always remembering Krishna, why does he have to worry about forgetting Him? For one who is always speaking about Krishna, why does he have to worry about saying something that is not related to Krishna? Why should he think about wanting to say anything that is not Krishna conscious? He is always speaking about Krishna. Why does he have to think about prohibited activities? He is always speaking about Krishna.
Therefore in this verse means, the word “satatam” instead of meaning “always” means “every day.” Every day we must regularly hear. This is our regulative principle of bhakti yoga. This festival is meant to remind us of what we are supposed to be doing every day when we leave. It is not just, “Oh, I am going to hear at the festival,” and then we go back and think, “Until the next festival.” No, it is not from festival to festival. It is every day. Why? Because it cleanses the heart; that makes us qualified to relish Srimad Bhagavatam. It makes us qualified to get some taste, because we are regulating our lives around devotional service. And gradually, then, the influence of these unwanted things will be destroyed. This is the power. This is what is being explained in today’s verse; the influence of the modes of passion and ignorance will be gone.
Of course, we did not mention the other symptoms of anisthita bhakti. Quickly we will just mention them; after visaya-sangara is niyamaksama. For example, we make a vow to chant extra rounds but we cannot keep them. “Every Ekadasi, I am going to completely fast.” Somebody walks by with a plate of prasadam, “…starting next Ekadasi.” So that is niyamaksama. And taranga-rangini means enjoying the waves of bhakti. Sometimes bhakti is attractive, the person has a little bhakti, he becomes attractive to others and sometimes we get some benefits by being engaged in bhakti. We may get some facility, we may get our own room in the asrama, we may get some respect. Immediately we think, “Oh, yes! I am going to enjoy.” So taranga-rangini means enjoying the waves that come from being engaged in bhakti.
So these are all symptoms of anisthita-bhakti, and as we said these symptoms are probably more relevant to discuss, symptoms of how the modes of material nature will influence us. However these important verses from Srimad Bhagavatam that we have been reading from the last several days give every devotee hope of how we can come to a higher platform. And for us, these things that we spoke about, of hearing Srimad Bhagavatam regularly in the association of devotees, that for us is staying in the boat. We will still be influenced until we actually come to that platform of nisthita-bhakti, but we should simply stay in the boat. Staying in the boat means chanting our rounds, following the four regulative principles, and engaging in the regulative principle of devotional service. Krishna says:
atha cittam samadhatum
na saknosi mayi sthiram
(BG 12.9)
“If you follow these regulative principles of devotional service, the desire to attain Me will be awakened in your heart.”
Hare Krishna. All glories to Prabhupada.
Comments