You Belong to Spiritual World
Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.02
Bombay, December 14, 1974
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Take a testBombay, December 14, 1974
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Nitai: "Knowledge is the ultimate
perfection of self-realization. I shall explain that knowledge unto you by which
the knots of attachment to the material world are cut."
Prabhupada:
jnanam nihsreyasarthaya
purusasyatma-darsanam
yad ahur varnaye tat te
hrdaya-granthi-bhedanam
[SB 3.26.2]
What is jnana, knowledge? We have got... Jnana means consciousness or living symptoms. That is jnana. Cetana. Cetana, ce..., nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). Nitya and cetana. Cetana means consciousness. Two things we find, generally, conscious and unconscious. Just like this table is unconscious, but a small ant, it is conscious. That ant is coming this side, you try to stop it, it will struggle, it will resist. Because it is conscious. But the table, you take it and throw it away, it will not protest, because it is unconscious. So, this consciousness is the symptom of life, and that develops one after another.
Just like within the earth you have seen, you go to the beach, you'll find within the sand, there are so many living entities. But they are inferior, and the plants on the sand, we have seen there are many green plants, herbs, they are better. They have improved their consciousness. But better than these plants and herbs are the crawling insects, snakes, snail, because they can move. The herbs, they cannot move, and within the sands there are living entities, they cannot sprout. So in this way, this is called evolution, one after another. So the insects, the reptiles, they are better than the standing herbs and plants, and these insects, the worms, they grow wings at the end of their life. In this way they are elevated to the bird's life. In this life they could not attain the bird's life, but on account of very strong willingness they grow the wings, and next life they become small birds, they fly. So they are better, the small birds, they are better than these insects. Then there are birds, big, big birds, the eagle birds, they can fly very high. In this way, beast life, that is better. In this way, beast life, then human life, uncivilized life, that is better. And then civilized life, that is better. Then civilized life, those who are organized, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, they are better. And amongst the brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, the brahmana is the best, because they are on the platform of spiritual realization. This is the evolution. Evolution, we are coming in that evolution. Bahu-sambhavante. Bahu-sambhavam, bahunam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19], bahu-sambhavante.
So this human life is after many, many evolutionary process. We have forgotten that. So this life is meant for jnanam, ultimate knowledge. In the lower grade of life, there is jnanam, there is consciousness, there is knowledge. A mosquito bug, mosquito knows where to bite. The knowledge is there. They will bite on the joints. Therefore there is mosquito, you have to eat(?) your hands and legs, the joints, but they know where to bite. This knowledge is there, for eating, sleeping and sex life. Nobody takes education for sex life. Nobody takes education for eating or sleeping. Where is the education that you shall eat like this, you shall sleep like this, you shall have sexual intercourse like this? That is automatically known. This knowledge is automatically known. So human civilization does not mean that scientifically you have to do this, do that, eating, sleeping, mating. That is going on, scientifically. Now this science of mating is that we shall have sex intercourse, but there will be no pregnancy. Contracept. So this is not knowledge. Knowledge is different thing.
Knowledge means jnanam nihsreyasarthaya purusasya atma-darsanam, that is knowledge. Atma-darsanam, self-realization. That is jnanam. Otherwise this lower jnana or knowledge, how to eat, how to sleep, how to perform sexual life, and how to defend, this knowledge is there even in the mosquito or small ant. And what to speak of other, higher grade living entities. That is jnanam, but that is not nihsreyasaya. Sreya and preya, there are two things. Preya means to fulfill immediate necessities of life. That is called preya. And sreya means the knowledge, sreya means the goal of life. Nihsreyasaya, nihsreyasaya. Nihsreyasaya means the ultimate benefit. That education is lacking. In the material world, the jnana, especially in the present age, jnana means technical knowledge. How to eat, how to sleep. Now they are Somebody was telling me that they have invented eating, eatables from petrol. (aside:) Who was speaking the other day?
Nitai: Bhagavata Dasa.
Prabhupada: Bhagavata Dasa. So they might be very advanced in scientific knowledge but the ultimate aim is how to eat. That's all, nothing more. How to eat, how to sleep, that's all. Tranquilizer pills, in USA, a large selling line. That means how to sleep. This is the advancement, scientific advancement. There is no sleeping? Without scientific knowledge, he was sleeping very nice. But with advancement, advancement of scientific knowledge he has lost his sleep, insomnia. So they are taking the advancement of knowledge in this way, but the Vedic scripture says that, jnanam nihsreyasarthaya, to achieve the highest perfection. That we are discussing in so many ways. And what is that highest perfection? Highest perfection is there, mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita, napnuvanti mahatmanah samsiddhim paramam gatah. Highest perfection, samsiddhim paramam. Param means the supreme, and samsiddhim means perfection.
mam upetya kaunteya
duhkhalayam asasvatam
napnuvanti mahatmanah
samsiddhim paramam gatah
[Bg. 8.15]
This is highest perfection, Krsna says. All sastra, it says like that, and the whole Vedic literature is meant for achieving the highest perfection of life. Vedic literature, you will get all kinds of knowledge. Veda means knowledge, and the Vedic literature is full of knowledge. Nigama-kalpa-taru. Nigama means Vedic knowledge and kalpa-taru means the tree from where you can get anything you desire. Whatever you desire. Generally we have got experience that a mango tree, if you desire mango, you can get from the mango tree. If you desire coconut, then you can get from the coconut tree. But you cannot get coconut from the mango tree, and mango from the coconut tree. But there are trees where you go, you can get both mango, and banana, and coconut, and everything you like. That is called kalpa-vrksa. We have no experience in this material world, but there is a tree. That is not in this material world, that is in the spiritual world. Cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam [Bs. 5.29]. So we have to take knowledge from Vedic, Vedic scripture. Then the description of the spiritual world is there, what is that? Cintamani-prakara-sadmasu. They have got houses, they are made of touchstone. Here it is made of bricks and stone, ordinary stone. But there is another stone which is called touchstone. If you touch it with the iron, the iron becomes gold. That is called touchstone, paresapatha (?). So the spiritual world, all the houses are made of this touchstone. You can take the Tata iron factory and touch it there. (laughter) It will be very profitable. (laughter) Yes. Or go there and bring some touchstone as these moon exploiters. They go and they have brought some stone, and some sand. But if you go to Krsnaloka you can bring some touchstone and make the whole Tata iron factory gold. (laughter) These informations are there. If you have got capacity, then you will go and bring it.
So in the spiritual world, the houses are made of touchstone cintamani-prakara-sadmasu, cintamani, the touchstone. Sanskrit name is cintamani. Cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa [Bs. 5.29], and the trees, there are trees. But not like this, that you get coconut from coconut tree, and mango from mango tree. But cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa [Bs. 5.29]. There any fruit you require, or even kacauri, you can get. (laughter) That is called kalpa-vrksa. There are trees like that. Cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa [Bs. 5.29], and maybe one or two, no. Laksavrtesu, there is a nice garden, or jungle you can say. There are many, many. Just like you have got experience here in this material world. If you go to the forest, you get so many trees, congested. In Africa I have seen. Very, very high, long trees and very congested, jungle. So prakara laksavrtesu, similarly in the spiritual world, there are trees of this kalpa-vrksa, where you can get anything you desire.
Laksavrtesu surabhir, and surabhir abhipalayantam [Bs. 5.29]. There Krsna is very fond of cows. There is Krsna's another name is Gopala. Gopala means who tends cows. Go means cow and pala means one who tends. Therefore Krsna's another name is Gopala. Govinda. Govinda means one who gives pleasure to the cows or Govinda means one who gives pleasure to the senses. So Krsna's name are different. Cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam [Bs. 5.29]. There Krsna is tending this surabhi. Surabhi cow means, that is also wonderful, spiritual. You can milk cow, milk from the cows, as many times as you like. Just like here in the, we have got experience, we can take milk from the cows morning and evening, not more than that. But there you can milk the cows whenever you like, and you can draw milk as much as you like. That is called surabhi cow. The trees are like that, the cows are like that, but there are houses, there are forests, jungle trees, cows, water, everything, but they are all spiritual. All spiritual, therefore there is one. Here is also one, because everything material. Whatever, either you take cow's body or your body, or tree's body, or any body, what it is made of? Ksitir ap teja marut vyoma, the earth, water, air, fire, and sky, that's all. Here it is all one, but, and there also it is one, but there it is all spiritual, and here it is all material. That is the difference.
That spiritual and material, what is the difference? The material is dull, and spiritual is consciousness. That is the difference. How the tree gives you, a mango tree there gives you a coconut? Because it is conscious. Suppose if I ask from you, because you are a conscious being, that "Give me some coconut." You can give me. "Give me some mango." You can give. But when you are out of this body, then I ask the body, "Give me some milk or cow or...," no response. This is material and spiritual. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). So jnanam, real knowledge is that, when we understand that I am spiritual being, I am not this material, and I, my country, that is spiritual world. That is my place. That is jnanam, self-realization. Atma-darsanam, atma-darsanam. Suppose a foreigner is in America, an Indian is in America, or an American is in India, so he is conscious that "I am American," or "I do not belong to this country." Or Indian when he goes to America, he knows, "I am Indian. I do not belong to this country." Similarly when you realize, when you understand that you do not belong to this material world, you belong to the spiritual world, that is self-realization. Atma-darsanam, that we discussed, atma-darsanam.
Jnanam nihsreyasarthaya purusasya-atma-darsanam. Purusa, purusa means enjoyer. And prakrti means enjoyed. Something is being enjoyed and somebody is enjoyer. That is called prakrti-purusa. So here it is said purusa. Purusa means the living entity, who is trying to enjoy. He is trying to enjoy. But he is trying to enjoy where? In the material world, therefore he is not satisfied. In the spiritual world, the purusa, the living entity, enjoys with Krsna, not alone. Therefore you will find Krsna is always accompanied by someone else. Either Radharani or cowherds boy, or the gopis, or Mother Yasoda, or Nanda Maharaja, or the cows and the calves, like that. Or even with the monkeys. Krsna, you will never find alone. Therefore as soon as we speak Krsna, you must know there are so many associates. Krsna, just like if I say the president is coming, so one should know the president is not coming alone. He must be accompanied by his secretaries, by his military aide-de-camp, and so many other people, cabinet members. At least one dozen persons are coming with him, or with some soldiers, bodyguards. So similarly when you mean Krsna or God, you should immediately know that He is not alone. He is not impersonal boy. He is full with opulence, full with associates. Therefore this description is of the spiritual world in the Brahma-samhita, Vedic literature, cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam [Bs. 5.29]. This is the trees, plants, and animals. Then laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-
So one has to realize this. That is jnanam. Jnanam does not mean that because I am disgusted with this material world, to make this material world, not make, the material cannot be also made into zero, but we can imagine also something where there is no more these trees, and houses, and animals, and woman, and this and that, everything is finished. Nirakara. Nirakara, all kinds of akara, or forms, nirvisesa. Visesa means with varieties, and nirvisesa means without varieties. This is Mayavada philosophy. Finish this visesa, the varieties. Simply realize "I am," aham brahmasmi, so 'ham, like that. But that is not jnanam. That is not jnanam. That will be explained, one after another. Because nirvisesa, there is no possibility of nirvisesa. That I explained to you. As soon as you say Krsna, immediately you have to think of Krsna's paraphernalia. Not Krsna alone. So everywhere Krsna is there.
isvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani
yantrarudhani mayaya
[Bg. 18.61]
Krsna is everywhere. Andantara-stha-paramanu-
So the ananda, the spiritual happiness is not without varieties, anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). Spirit, Brahman, Parabrahman, is full of happiness, and how happiness can be possible without varieties? Variety is the mother of enjoyment. So therefore this nirvisesa, nirakara, or without any varieties, or voidness, this is not perfect knowledge. That is not self-realization. Self-realization is to understand that I am spirit soul. I do not belong to this material world. I am Brahman, not matter, that is called so 'ham, aham brahmasmi. But they have misinterpreted in a different way. So 'ham means, "I am the Supreme Lord." That is craziness. You are not Supreme Lord, but you are of the same quality. As Krsna, the Supreme Lord, He is also seeking enjoyment and because you are also part and parcel of Krsna, you are also seeking enjoyment. But you are seeking enjoyment in a field which is just opposite, in the material world.
What is that material world? Material world means forgetting Krsna. Krsna is covered. Krsna is there, Krsna is andantara-stha-paramanu, but they have no Krsna consciousness. Whole world, you analyze, there is no Krsna consciousness, there is no (indistinct). Rather they are declining, "There is no God." "God is dead." "I am God." "You are..." Because they have no information, no information of, that is material world. That is the difference between material world and spiritual world. Spiritual world means there is full consciousness of the existence of God, and material world means to full forgetfulness of God. This is the difference between material world and the spiritual world. So if you bring, in the material world also, Krsna consciousness, then it is spiritual world. How it is possible? Yes, it is possible. Just like you put one iron rod in the fire. It will become gradually warm, warmer, warmer, then the iron rod will be red hot and if that redness you will touch anywhere, it will burn you. It is no more iron rod, it is fire. So you keep yourself always in Krsna consciousness, then even if you possess this material body, you will be in the spiritual world. This is called jnanam. Jnanam atma-darsanam, jnanam nihsreyasaya.
So we have to come to this platform, spiritual platform. We are suffering on account of being on the material platform. So by keeping yourself always in the fire of Krsna or Krsna consciousness, you are transferred to the spiritual world. Very nice example, this iron rod, red hot. You cannot use it for any other purpose. It is simply for burning. Similarly you can become Krsnized. That we have already discussed in the previous verses. The, anyone who is fully absorbed in Krsna consciousness in devotional service he is two kinds of external body, namely the gross body, material body, this gross body made of earth, water, fire, air and sky, and the subtle body made of mind, intelligence, and ego. These two kinds of body become dissolved. Just like if you eat something, put into your stomach, and if you have got good digestive function, then everything will be digested. Similarly if you become Krsna conscious, spiritualized, the material activities will have no effect. It is dissolved. Otherwise, any material things you will do, it will have repercussion or reaction. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, yajnarthe karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9]. Yajnarthe, yajna means Krsna, Yajna-purusa, Yajnesvara. Krsna's another name is Yajnesvara. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam [Bg. 5.29], Krsna says. Yajna-tapasam, bhokta, so therefore there is Yajnesvara. So whatever you do for Krsna, it will have no reaction. Digest everything. And if you do not do for Krsna, then it will take time to digest.
Therefore here it is said, jnanam nihsreyasarthaya purusasya atma-darsanam. Purusa, purusa means the enjoyer. So, here in this material world, either the so-called man and so-called woman, everyone is hankering after sense enjoyment. Therefore all of them together has been described as purusa. A woman is not purusa, but by mentality she is purusa, because she also wants to enjoy. Although she has got the body of being enjoyed, but she has the mentality of enjoying. Therefore everyone is described, although by nature everyone is prakrti, not purusa. Prakrti means enjoyed. That is stated in the Bhagavata, prakrti me bhinna astadha. This material body is made of earth, water, fire, air, sky. That is prakrti. Bhinna, separated. Itas tu viddhi me prakrtim param. There is another nature that is para prakrti. That is spiritual nature. And how I can understand? Na jiva-bhuta. You can understand that para-prakrti is the living entity, yayedam dharyate jagat [Bg. 7.5], which is sustaining this material nature. So actually in the Bhagavad-gita they, both of us are described as prakrti, not purusa. Purusa is Krsna. Therefore Arjuna, when he realized after reading Bhagavad-gita, he addresses Krsna as Purusa. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan, purusam sasvata [Bg. 10.12]. We are, not that you have become purusa now, but sasvata, eternally.
Just like here, we are purusa. This birth I am purusa, next birth I may become stri or prakrti. If I am too much fond of woman, and at the time of death, if I think of woman, then I get a woman's body. Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajanty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. Therefore too much attachment for woman is not good, because, or too much attachment for anything in this material world, that is doomed. Therefore, here it is said, hrdaya-granthi-bhedanam. Hrdaya-granthi-bhedanam, my attachment, my heart attraction is so strong, it is like granthi, knot. So atma-darsanam means hrdaya-granthi-bhedanam, opening the knot. Hrdaya-granthi-bhedanam, that is atma-darsanam. When I become free from all attachment of this material world, that is called hrdaya-granthi-bhedanam. And how the hrdaya-granthi, knot in the heart begins? That begins, pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etat tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim ahuh. We are in this material world, it is going on, pumsah, the man, and striya, of the woman, attachment. Pumsah striya mithuni, what is that attachment? Sex. Sex. Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etat tayor, the desire is there, and as soon as they unite by marriage or by agreement, by any way, then hrdaya-granthim ahuh. Then the attachment becomes more and more. There are thousands and millions of women, but the woman with whom I have got my bodily relation, I cannot forget her, and she cannot forget me. Hrdaya-granthim ahuh. The attachment increases. And as soon as they are united the, that is hrdaya-granthi, knot between heart to heart. "You my dear, you my heart." So then, "We must find out an apartment." There was no need of apartment, but as soon as there is hrdaya-granthi, there is need of a...
Atah grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair janasya moho yam aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. This hrdaya-granthi increases, develops. Now there is a need of attachment, apartment, grha. Now there is need of land for getting food grains. Now there is, they have gotten, what is called? Service, go to the office fifty miles away and you will get your food grains. Formerly this was not possible, therefore one must possess some land to produce food grains. Now, if you can get some money, you can purchase eight rupees kilo food grains. That is... But formerly even that was not possible. And formerly you must have land. Parjanyad anna sambhavah, annad bhavanti bhutani [Bg. 3.14], you have to produce. People are not interested now producing food grains. They, somehow or other, if they can get that paper currency, they can purchase. Therefore everyone has got this printed paper. The value is increasing. Competition. I can pay two rupees kilo. The other says, "No, I can pay three rupees." What is this rupees? This paper. You, somehow or other you gather this paper, and there will be competition and the price will increase. This is the economy. Because they have got false money, therefore there is false increment of price. Bad money. Gresham's theory: "Bad money drives away good money." As soon as there is bad money, this paper currency, the coin, gold coins and silver coins, they are finished, they are no more.
So hrdaya-granthi, we are, how we are becoming tied up between so-called one heart to another. Atah grha, first of all attachment for man and woman, then attachment for the apartment, grha, then land, grha-ksetra, then suta, children, then apta, friends, society, friendship, love. Suta, apta, then vitta, money. In this way we increase our, the knot, one after another. One knot, two knots, three knots, fourth knot, it is going on. And self-realization means opening the knots, opening the knots. The knots began like that. Janasya moho yam aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. And here it is said, hrdaya-granthi-bhedanam. Bhedanam means separate them. Separate them. That is self-realization. Self-realization means that "I am spirit soul," aham brahmasmi. So 'ham, "I am as good as the Supreme Spirit, Krsna. Somehow or other I am now in contact with this material attachment." This is called atma-darsana. And that is clearly explained, atma-darsana means hrdaya-granthi-bhedanam. Atma-darsanam does not mean hrdaya-granthi vrddhi or increasing. Therefore, real atma-darsana, real liberation, real consciousness is separation from this material attachment. Voluntarily, forcefully, or by knowledge, that is required.
Therefore you will find, India, Vedic civilization is meant for this unknotting, the hrdaya-granthi. Therefore sannyasa is compulsory. Vanaprastha is compulsory. If you really follow Vedic principle you become student, brahmacari, you learn everything. What is this life, what is this world, what is Krsna, what is God, what is your relationship with Him. These studies, that is complete study. But still, if you want to be knotted by hrdaya-granthi, grhastha, a concession, all right. Pumsah striya mithuna. Mithuna, that concession is for sex life. Grhastha life is a concession given for enjoying sex life. Otherwise, there is no need of grhastha life. Therefore there were many brahmacaris, akhanda-brahmacari, never married in life, many. But that is not possible at the present. But there is training. The brahmacari is taught that this is the position: "Don't be knotted with this material world." But still, if he cannot do that, then with the permission of the spiritual master, he accepts a wife. That is grhastha life. But that also not for many years. Say for 25 years. After 25 years he will remain a student brahmacari, then you accept one wife according to religious ritualistic ceremony, but no illicit sex. That is not allowed. Bachelor daddy is not allowed. That is very dangerous.
So kamam, dharma-viruddho kamam aham asmi, Krsna says. Even without wife and everything. Then you take sannyasa. That is the stage of hrdaya-granthi-bhedanam. Hrdaya-granthi-bhedanam. Not that up to the last point of death you are attached to a family and wife and children. That is animal life. That is not human life. Human life, you must try to unknot this hrdaya-granthi, man and woman. Hrdaya-granthi-bhedanam. That is self-realization. So this Sankhya philosophy described by Kapiladeva is very scientifically described and if we try to assimilate it then our life will be successful.
Thank you very much. (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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