Nobody's Servant but Krishna's
Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.18
Bombay, November 18, 1974
download flash player
Take a testBombay, November 18, 1974
download flash player
Nitai: (leads chanting, etc.)
Translation: "In that position of self-realization, by practice of knowledge and
renunciation in devotional service, one sees everything in the right
perspective; he becomes indifferent to material existence, and the material
influence acts less powerfully upon him."
Prabhupada:
jnana-vairagya-yuktena
bhakti-yuktena catmana
paripasyaty udasinam
prakrtim ca hataujasam
[SB 3.25.18]
The conditioned state of life means influence of material nature. When we are very much influenced by the material nature... We have already discussed: guna. Karanam guna-sango 'sya [Bg. 13.22]. Material nature means the three gunas, three material qualities: ignorance, passion and goodness. Goodness is better than the other two qualities, ignorance and passion. But mostly, especially in this age, they are conducted or influenced by the modes of ignorance and passion. People do not know what is the aim of life. Just like they are called sudras. Sudras means they do not know what is the aim of life. Just like animal. Animal does not know what is the aim of life. That is ignorance. And passion is power, creative power, or working for sense gratification. That is called passion. And goodness means knowledge. One can see what is what.
So we have discussed in the last verse how one becomes liberated.
tada purusa atmanam
kevalam prakrteh param
nirantaram svayam-jyotir
animanam akhanditam
Animanam, anu. We are minute particle of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. We are not Krsna, but Krsna's part, minute part. That minute part also we have discussed -- one ten-thousandth part of the upper portion of the hair. Kesagra-sata-bhagasya satadha kalpitasya ca [Cc. Madhya 19.140]. So when we realize this, that "I am not God, but I am godly. I have got the quality of God..." I have given the example also: just like the sea and the drop of water of the sea. So chemically, the drop of water of the sea is the same quality. There is no change of taste or other chemical composition. Similarly, we should understand fully that we are simply qualitatively one with God, but quantitatively, God is great and we are very minute particle. This is self-realization. Therefore part and parcel. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. The all living entities, Krsna says, "They are My part and parcel."
Part and parcel, we have several times explained. Just like in my body there are different parts, but the business of the part is to satisfy the central point, stomach. The leg is working, the hand is working, the eyes, the ears, everyone is working. Why working? To satisfy the stomach. The Hindi, there is a pe kaste, sat.(?) So similarly, we should work for Krsna. Because we are part and parcel of Krsna, therefore we should work for Krsna. I can repeat the same story again: udarendriyanam. The indriyas, the different parts of the body, because they were working hard, and the stomach within the abdomen, he's simply eating, so they went on strike: "We shall no more work. This part is only simply..., this man is simply eating, and we are working. We shall not work." They stopped work. The indriyas, they stopped work. So gradually they became weak. So when next meeting, they saw that "We have become weak," therefore again decided that "Let us supply food to the stomach."This is sense.
dharmasya glanih. When the society
forgets Krsna and stops Krsna's service, that is called dharmasya glanih. Real
dharma means the characteristic. Dharma does not mean some rules and
regulations. So just like sugar. Sugar, the characteristic of sugar is to become
sweet. The characteristic of chili means to become hot. If sugar becomes hot and
chili becomes sweet, then nobody cares for it. Similarly, our characteristic is
to serve Krsna. And when we serve anything other than Krsna, that is our
diseased condition of life. Just like this hand is meant for picking up
something eatable and put it into the mouth. If it is unable to do it, then it
is diseased. If the fingers and hands cannot pick up nice foodstuff and put into
the mouth, then it is diseased condition. Similarly, when we are unable to serve
Krsna, or we do not serve Krsna, we serve... Serving we are. That is a fact. We
cannot become master. Nobody... Can anyone say that he is master? He's not
serving anyone? Everyone is serving. That's a fact. Either you are serving your
family or society or country or office or so many service. If anyone hasn't got
to serve anything, then he picks up a master, a cat and dog, and serves him.
Because service is my nature. But we are missing where to put the service. That
is Krsna. That is, that is Krsna.
So when we understand that we are missing... We are serving, but we are having no pleasure. Kamadinam kati na katidha palita durnidesah. We are serving... Instead of serving Krsna, I am serving my lusty desires. Kama-lobhadi. If I go to serve any office, I am not going to serve that particular person, proprietor of the office, but I require some money. Therefore I am serving. So I am serving the money, not the person. Therefore it is said, kama-lobha. Lobha. We serve the... Service must be... Krsna is the master. Ekale isvara krsna ara saba bhrtya [Cc. Adi 5.142]. Only master is Krsna, and anyone -- all demigods or man or animal or trees or -- anything, they are all servants. This is the position. And when one realizes this position, that "I am eternal servant of Krsna, particle, part and parcel of Krsna. My duty is to serve Krsna," then it is called self-realization. Not that aham brahmasmi, "I become Bhagavan." How you become Bhagavan? If you are Bhagavan, if you are actually the supreme powerful, then why you are in miserable condition under maya? Does Bhagavan come under maya? No. Krsna says, mama maya. Maya is the maidservant of Krsna. And we are servant of maya. So how we can become maya, uh, Bhagavan? This is common sense. Had I been Bhagavan, then why I have become servant of maya?
Therefore we are engaged in the service of maya in so many phases and different names. Somebody's serving country, somebody's serving society, somebody's serving family, office, this, that, so many. This is maya's service. Now, when we come to our senses, that "I am..., so long I was engaged in maya's service. Now I have to engage myself in Krsna's service," that is self-realization. That is described here that jnana-vairagya-yuktena. [SB 3.25.18] Jnana-vairagya. This is knowledge, that "I am servant of Krsna. I am nobody's servant." This is jnana. Because I am in illusion, I am, for nothing, without any benefit, I am serving so many... Kamadinam kati na katidha palita durnidesah. Kama-lobha. I am serving this kama, lobha, moha, matsarya, but without any benefit, without any pleasure. So when we come to this stage, to know, that is called jnanam. And as soon as you become jnani, actually in knowledge, then what is the next step? Vairagya. "No more I am serving anyone. I shall serve only Krsna. That's all." This is called vairagya. Jnana-vairagya.
Therefore in the Bhagavata it is said,
vasudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogah prayojitah
janayaty asu vairagyam
jnanam ca yad ahaitukam
[SB 1.2.7]
If one is engaged in the service of Vasudeva, Krsna, this knowledge also comes. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births, if one is actually jnani, seeking after knowledge, then he comes to this conclusion. What is this? Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]. This is mahatma, not anyone who is defying Krsna and he's trying to become Krsna. He's not mahatma; he's duratma. Mahatma means, vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. And knowing this, mam prapadyate. That is mahatma. Don't mistake mahatma, who is mahatma. What is the symptom of mahatma?
mahatmanas tu mam partha
daivim prakrtim asritah
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jnatva bhutadim avyayam
[Bg. 9.13]
He's mahatma. You cannot manufacture mahatma. This is the qualification of mahatma: vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19], who knows that Krsna is everything. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. He is mahatma. And his business is mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim... [Bg. 9.13]. He is under the daivi-prakrti. There are two kinds of prakrtis: para-prakrti and apara-prakrti. Apara-prakrti means this material world, and daivi-prakrti is the spiritual world. So immediately, as soon as he understands this philosophy of life, that "I am uselessly serving this material world or the society, friendship, country and so on, so on, without serving Krsna," that is called jnana, knowledge. And as soon as one comes to this knowledge, that knowledge is, that position is called brahma-bhuta [SB 4.30.20] stage. Brahman realization.
That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54]. As soon as one comes to this platform of knowledge, then he becomes prasannatma. "Oh, why I am serving these nonsense? I forgot that I am a spirit soul, minute particle of Krsna. My business is to serve Krsna." Just like... I have already explained. Part and parcel means serving the whole. That is called part and parcel. Any example you can take. In office there are so many workers, but they are working for satisfaction of the whole. Similarly, the whole is Krsna. Anything, we individually or anything, they are meant for Krsna's satisfaction. Isavasyam idam sarvam [Iso mantra 1]. Upanisads. Isavasyam idam sarvam. Anyone who has understood that everything belongs to Krsna, Isa... Isa means Krsna. Isa or isvara. There are so many isvaras or isa, but Isvara, real Isvara, is Krsna. Isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. And Krsna also says in the Bhagavad-gita, mattah parataram nanyat [Bg. 7.7]. There are many isvaras, or isas. That is all right, but "Nobody is greater than Me." That is Krsna. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. So this is jnana. So as soon as one comes to this conclusion, that "Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I am Krsna's part and parcel. I have got the same quality as Krsna has got, but He is Prabhu, I am servant. He is master, and I am servant," this is perfect knowledge. Then jnana-vairagya-yuktena bhakti-yuktena [SB 3.25.18].
So bhakti means when one has attained real jnanam. Without real jnanam, nobody can become bhakta. The foolish person says that bhakti's meant for ajnani, or less intelligent. No. Bhakti is meant for the most intelligent person. Because bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. You become experienced, very, very experienced, after many, many years. So it is not many, many years, but many, many births, one actually becomes jnani. And what is that jnana? Vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. That is jnanam. So long you cannot understand Krsna, or Vasudeva, you should understand yourself that you are still fool. You may advertise yourself as very jnani, but you are fool. That is the shastric conclusion. Because if you are actually jnani, then you should have surrendered to Krsna. That is also stated in another place in the Bhagavad... Mayaya apahrta-jnanah.
na mam duskrtino mudhah
prapadyante naradhamah
mayayapahrta-jnana
asuram bhavam asritah
[Bg. 7.15]
Who does not surrender to Krsna? These classes of men. What is that? Duskrtinah, always acting sinful activities. Because those who are sinful, they cannot understand Krsna. Bahunam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. Or yesam anta-gatam papam. One who is completely free from papa, he can surrender to Krsna. He can be engaged in devotional service.
So to become free from papa, sinful life, one may say that "It will take many years..." Because yesam anta-gatam papam jananam punya-karmanam. Unless we act piously, it is not possible to become free from impious, or sinful, life. But there is very simple process. What is that process? Krsna says that process:
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
[Bg. 18.66]
Aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami. If you simply surrender to Krsna, sarva-dharman... Sarva... There are many dharmas, or many activities or function. Some of them are pious; some of them are impious. There are two kinds. So Krsna says, "You give up, pious and impious, both." That is sarva-dharman. Because we are acting piously and impiously. So you can give up both pious activities and impious activities. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was thinking that "Fighting with my brother, it is impious." So Krsna was insisting that "You must fight." So how Arjuna could take impious activities? Because Krsna's service is above these pious and impious activities. That is called sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. Just like the gopis. The gopis went to Krsna at mid..., midnight, by simply hearing the flute of Krsna. So young girl, going to Krsna at midnight, this is impious activities. According to sastra, according to moral, it is impious activities. But because it was done for Krsna, it is understood as the most pious. Recommends. Who recommends? Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena ya kalpita. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He was sannyasi. He was very, very strict. And no woman could come near Him to offer respects. He was very strict about woman. And now, He's saying, ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena ya kalpita: "What can be more wonderful process of worship than as it was conceived by the gopis?" The six Gosvamis also: gopi-bhava-rasamrtabdhi-
So this requires jnanam. Therefore this is called transcendental knowledge, how serving Krsna, one becomes transcendental to all these pious and impious activities. That requires knowledge.
mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
[Bg. 14.26]
Pious and impious... Piety or impiety, they are within these material gunas, qualities, good and bad. And Krsna's service is transcendental, above good and bad. So that is called real knowledge, and if one is fortunate enough to understand this knowledge, then immediately he becomes detached to these material pious and impious activities. Bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra syat [SB 11.2.42]. That is called vairagya. Jnana-vairagya. Bhakti-yuktena. Without bhakti, there cannot be jnana and vairagya. Actually, the human life is meant for jnana and vairagya, for two things. Otherwise, we remain animal. The animal cannot attain any jnana, neither animal can attain any vairagya. That is animal qualification. But a human being, he has the opportunity to come to the stage of jnana and vairagya.
Jnana means to understand that "I am not this material body. I do not belong to this material body. I am a spirit soul. I am part and parcel of Krsna. Krsna is the Supreme Spirit, and I belong to the spiritual world. Therefore my business is to finish this material world business and go back to home, back to Godhead." This is jnana, knowledge. Therefore we have to understand Krsna. If we have to go somewhere, we must know where we are going. Because we are serving here. Now, another program has to be made to serve Krsna and live there in the spiritual world. So we have to understand Krsna very nicely. That... And if you can understand Krsna... Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah [Bg. 4.9]. To understand Krsna in truth, that is not very easy task. That is very, very difficult task. Even the muktas cannot understand Krsna. Manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. Siddhi means mukti, liberation. Kascid yatati. Who is trying for liberation? Nobody's trying. But still, there are somebodies who are trying for liberation. So Krsna says, yatatam api siddhanam [Bg. 7.3]. After being liberated, those who are trying to understand Krsna, some of them can understand Krsna in truth, tattvatah. Therefore you have to understand Krsna tattvatah, what is Krsna.
So if you can understand Krsna... Janma karma me divyam [Bg. 4.9]. Krsna says that "If you can understand Me, how I come here, how I come, I play the part of a human being and teach the whole world, Bhagavad-gita, what is My mission, why I come, everything, where is My residence, what is My father's name..." People are searching after God, but God is canvassing, "Please understand Me. Here I am." But people will not understand. So what God will help you? How can He help you? He says everything. Now, "I come from My Vaikuntha, or spiritual world." Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata, tadatmanam srjamy aham [Bg. 4.7]. "At that time I come. And I teach. And what do I teach? Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]." This is dharma. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Dharma means the law given by God. That is dharma. You cannot make Hindu dharma, just like you cannot make any law. This is... Suppose the government is there. Now, you cannot say that "We Hindus, we have made this law," "We Muslim, we have made this law," "We Parsees, we have made this law." No. What all law is given by the government you have to accept, either you are Hindu, Muslim, or Christian and Hin... It doesn't matter. Therefore dharma means to accept the law of God. Not that you manufacture something. Therefore in the Bhagavata it is said, dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra [SB 1.1.2]. All cheating type of dharma is rejected, kicked out. Because real dharma is what is given by God. And what God says? Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam... [Bg. 18.66]. This is real dharma. This is real dharma.
So we have to learn this, what Krsna says. We have to understand Krsna by tattva, by truth. Then we become liberated. That is called jnana-vairagya. And as soon as you become learned scholar about Krsna, then you become immediately detached to this material world, and... Jnana-vairagya-yuktena bhakti-yuktena [SB 3.25.18]. Then real bhakti begins. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita:
brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
[Bg. 18.54]
Bhakti begins there, where jnana-vairagya is complete. Not that foolish person... But one can say that "In our society there are not many very learned scholars." No, there are learned scholars. But even there are fool... Just like the children. A child, he also chants and dances, so he will attain this jnana and vairagya. The other day I was asking the boy. He's not very learned scholar. So I asked him, "What is Krsna?" He immediately said, "The Supreme Personality of Godhead." That is jnana-vairagya result. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. He was already got the knowledge. What you have to learn it, after many, many births, a child, a boy, has already learned it. Here is the boy. He said, "The Supreme Personality of Godhead." Then what is that? Similarly, instead of endeavoring jnana and vairagya artificially, you accept what Krsna says. Immediately you become jnani and vairagi. Immediately.
So our Krsna consciousness movement is so nice that even a child can be on the highest position of jnana and vairagya -- if he takes the word of Krsna by association, good association. Sangat sanjayate kamah. So this Krsna consciousness movement is meant for giving chance to people to take the advantage of association of jnani and vairagi. Not fools and rascals, but jnani and vairagi. Jnana-vairagya-yuktaya [SB 1.2.12] Bhakti-yuktena ca atmana [SB 3.25.18]. Then, what is the result? Paripasyaty udasinam prakrtim, prakrtim ca hataujasam. Now prakrti has no more any influence. No more attraction for cinema. No. No more attraction for cigarette. You see practically. These are young men from Europe and America. Because they have taken to Krsna consciousness, they have no more any attraction for meat-eating, cigarette or cinema. No. This is called vairagya. How they attained this vairagya? Only for this bhakti. Bhakti-yuktena.
So the real purpose of life is to attain jnana and vairagya. This is the meant for human life. Because we are suffering in this material condition on account of ignorance, no jnana. I am not this body, but I am thinking "I am this body," "I am American." I am not actually so. I am thinking "American," "I am Engli...," "Pakistani," "I am Hindustani." And fighting. This whole world is going on on this ajnana. Because I am not this body. But the whole world is being conducted this ajnana. And there is no vairagya. Very much attached. The so-called family, society, love and... Everything will be finished as soon as this body is finished. No more love, no more family, no more attraction. So this is going on -- ajnana and attachment. Moha, illusion. Ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair janasya moho 'yam aham mameti [SB 5.5.8].
So this aham mameti, this is ajnana. So when one is jnani, then this influence of material nature, aham mameti [SB 5.5.8], will be reduced to nil. That is, it is said, prakrtim ca hataujasam. "Now no more prakrti can disillusion me that I am this body, and in bodily relation everything is mine." This ajnana, ignorance, is immediately mitigated, and he becomes free. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. "Then I do not belong to all these things. Why I am falsely inclined to all these things? So it will come, how?" This bhakti-yuktena. If you take to bhakti-yoga, these things automatically...
vasudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogah prayojitah
janayaty asu vairagyam
jnanam ca yad ahaitukam
[SB 1.2.7]
How he became so powerful jnani? It is very difficult to understand, how a small boy, and he's saying Krsna, the Supreme Personalty of Godhead? Not only he -- even a small child. There is another small child, only five years old. He goes to preach, "You know what is Krsna?" And somebody says, "No, I do not know." "The Supreme Personality of Godhead." Anyway she has learned, that is jnana. But that is a fact. I may not know to analyze what is fire, but my father has said, "This is fire. Don't touch it. It will burn." So that's all right. He may be child, but he has got the real knowledge. Similarly, by hearing process, sruta-parampara... Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. If you go through the process of disciplic succession, hearing from the authorities, you may be fool, I may be fool, but because I am hearing from the authority, my knowledge is perfect. My knowledge is perfect. Just like I may be imperfect. I don't say that I am perfect. But I am speaking to the whole world, "Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." The same thing. As the child says, as the boys says, I am also saying the same thing. But it is becoming effective because this is the fact. This is the fact. I don't make any miracles or create any gold or this or that. No. These boys and girls, they are captivated to me not by miracles, but by chanting Hare Krsna. Because this is the fact.
So Krsna consciousness is not very difficult thing. You try to understand Krsna.
janma karma me divyam
yo janati tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti...
[Bg. 4.9]
This will be the effect. If you simply try to understand Krsna by this Krsna consciousness movement,... You can understand by chanting only Hare Krsna mantra, but if you think yourself that you are very learned scholar, scientist and philosopher, we have got dozens of books like this. You can read. And try to understand Krsna. Simply by understanding Krsna, you'll be successful in your life.
Thank you very much. (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
No comments:
Post a Comment