Wednesday, May 22, 2013

My My My - What Ignorance




Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.3
Mayapur, March 24, 1975

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Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
 

Nitai: "What the Upanisads describe as the impersonal Brahman is but the effulgence of His body, and the Lord known as the Supersoul is but His localized plenary portion. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna Himself, full with six opulences. He is the Absolute Truth, and no other truth is greater than or equal to Him."

Prabhupada:

yad advaitam brahmopanisadi tad apy asya tanu-bha
ya atmantaryami purusa iti so asya amsa-vibhavah
sad-aisvaryaih purnah ya bhagavan iha sa svayam ayam
na caitanyat krsnaj jagati para-tattvam param iha
 [Cc. Adi 1.3]

Now the author, Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, is establishing with great stress that na caitanyat krsnat jagati para-tattvam param iha: "There is no greater truth than Krsna Caitanya." We are after truth, so here the author of Caitanya-caritamrta, he is asserting that "Here is the Supreme Truth, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu." Na caitanyat krsnat. Krsnat, because Krsna has appeared as Krsna Caitanya. We have explained this truth yesterday according to Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya's declaration, vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yogam-siksartham ekah purusah puranah [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. Purusah puranah. Purusah puranah is Krsna. Purusah, He is purusah, and puranah, adyam, the original person. Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. In many Vedic literature Krsna is described as the puranah purusah, the oldest. Puranah purusah nava-yauvanam ca [Bs. 5.33]. Although He is the oldest of all, still, He is always like fresh youth, nava-yauvanam ca. So how it is possible? They are trying to understand God. Sometimes they paint the picture of God as very old man. Because He is the original person, so by this time He must have become very old. This is imagination. This is not actually the form of the Lord. The form of the Lord is there in the Brahma-samhita and other Vedic literatures. Even Sankaracarya, who is a impersonalist, he has accepted Lord Krsna as the supreme Narayana. In his comment on Bhagavad-gita he says, narayanah parah avyaktat: "Narayana is beyond this material creation." And while describing Narayana, he has affirmed, sa bhagavan svayam krsnah: "That Narayana is Krsna." And he has clearly mentioned, "Now He has appeared as the son of Devaki and Vasudeva," to confirm just like identification is confirmed when the father's name is there.

So Krsna is para-tattva, accepted by all acaryas. We are not talking of the fools and rascals who are theorizing without any knowledge. We are concerned with the authorities. So authorities... Especially in India, the whole Vedic system is being followed by the people under the authorities of the acarya. Acaryavan puruso veda. One who is following the path of the acaryas, he knows. Acaryavan puruso veda. We cannot accept anyone as authority if he does not follow the parampara, disciplic succession of acarya. That is the Vedic system. Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. So Krsna is para-tattva. Na caitanyat krsnat jagati para-tattvam param iha. He is very emphatically asserting that "There is no more greater truth than Krsna and Krsna Caitanya." So according to the Vedic system, if you say something very emphatically, you must prove by Vedic evidences. Otherwise you can go on talking; nobody will hear. Sometimes people ask us about Krsna and Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that "What is the Vedic evidences?" So that Vedic evidences will be given, later chapters of Caitanya-caritamrta. He is not falsely asserting. Kaviraja Gosvami is very, very advanced devotee and scholar. He is not ordinary human being. He was empowered by Madana-mohana.

So nobody should try to write any Vedic literature. Vedic literature means the sruti, smrti, Purana. They are Vedic literature. Therefore Srila Rupa Gosvami has also confirmed,

sruti-smrti-puranadi-
pancaratriki-vidhim vina
aikantiki harer bhaktih
utpatayaiva kalpate
 [Brs. 1.2.101]

Utpata, simply disturbance. Yata mat tata patha: "I can manufacture my own way." This rascaldom has been condemned by Srila Rupa Gosvami. He says that harer bhaktih... You will find many so-called bhaktas crying, falling down on the ground. But immediately after, he is smoking bidi. So why this is going on? Because they do not follow the injunction of Srila Rupa Gosvami. Chanting, dancing very loudly, and after the performance is finished -- I have seen it -- "Can you give me a bidi?" You see? "My throat is now dried up." So this is utpata. Srila Rupa Gosvami has described this kind of so-called devotional attitude is simply disturbance. They imitate. Imitate. Therefore Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has condemned. There are so many apa-sampradaya going on in the name of Caitanya Mahaprabhu's devotee. Who are they? Aula, baula, kartabhaja, neda, daravesa, sani, sahajiya, sakhibheki, smarta, jata-gosani. Then ativadi, cudadhari, gauranga-nagari, tota kahe ei tara sanga nahi kori: Tota Babaji, he says, "I do not associate with these classes of men." So after disappearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, so many apa-sampradaya sprang up. So we should be very much careful that... Sampradaya means who are carefully following the Vedic principle. Therefore Kaviraja Gosvami, although asserting the truth, he is prepared to give Vedic evidences. Now he has begun.

The Vedas, they begin with the Upanisad. Vedanta-sutra, Upanisad, they are all Vedic literature. Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, they are all Vedic literatures. Four Vedas -- Sama, Yajur, Rg, Atharva -- then the Upanisad, then the Vedanta-sutra, then Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srimad-Bhagavatam and Vedanta-sutra is the same thing. It is explanation. Therefore at the end of each chapter of Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated by Vyasadeva, brahma-sutrasya bhasya. Srimad-Bhagavatam means comment on the Brahma-sutra. Brahma-sutra is the gist code of all Vedic literature. And then it is explained, athato brahma jijnasa. That is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Jivasya tattva-jijnasa: "Jivasya, for living being, the only business is to enquire about the Absolute Truth." That is the only business. People are in trouble because they have given up their real business. Human life is meant for this business, brahma-jijnasa, to enquire about the Absolute Truth. We have been given so many facilities by nature. There are so many living entities, they are standing on the ground for many years. The trees, the plants and the aquatics, for many, many years they are in the water. The flies and insects, for many, many years they are in that condition. And gradually, by evolution, we come to this form of human life. Especially the Aryans, the advanced, civilized human being, he has got all the facilities. The uncivilized men live in the jungle, and they cannot utilize the resources. (people making noise) Ask them to stop. Somebody must remain there.

So therefore Narottama dasa Thakura, in very simple Bengali song, he says, hari hari biphale janama gonainu. This is our life. We have got this human form of life, but we are simply spoiling it. This is the whole situation. In our this movement we are traveling all over the world, and according to our views, how they are spoiling their very valuable human life in false identification that "I am this body," everyone, in big, big names, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am German," "I am...," and they are spoiling their life under this bodily concept of life. According to sastra, anyone who is identifying himself, this body... That is the first instruction of the Bhagavad-gita. Krsna brought Arjuna to fight with the Kurus, and he identified himself as this body, and therefore he thought, "Killing of my cousin-brothers, it will not be good because I have got bodily relation." So to dissipate this conception of life -- that is the beginning of Bhagavad-gita -- Krsna chastised him, Arjuna, asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase [Bg. 2.11]. We are talking very, very big, big talks and plans, but actually we are nothing better than cats and dogs. This is our position because we are identifying with this body. "My country, my community, my society, my family, my..." Aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. Jivasya moho ayam aham mameti. They do not know. This is the ignorance, basic ignorance. "I" and "my." "I am this body, and anything in relationship with the body is mine." This is ignorance. But this ignorance is going on all over the world. That's a fact, this ignorance.

Therefore in the beginning the author said,

vande sri-krsna-caitanya-
nityananda sahoditau
gaudodaye puspavantau
citrau sandau tamo-nudau
 [Cc. Adi 1.2]

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu, both of Them have come to deliver these fallen souls of this material world who are in the darkness of conception. So They are fighting all over the world this darkness. Just now somebody told me that the king of the Arabia is killed. He is killed now by his nephew or somebody else. This is going on. Even in family affairs it is going on. Why? This darkness. Aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. Janasya moho 'yam aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu along with His associates, Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, Gadadhara Prabhu and Srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda, they are trying to dissipate the darkness of this false identification. Krsna simply instructed Arjuna about his darkness of identity, and He punished him, asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase: [Bg. 2.11] "You are talking very big, big words, but you are lamenting on a subject matter on which no learned person laments." Gatasun agatasums ca nanusocanti panditah. That means "You are fool number one." Panditah. "No pandita makes like that. Now try to understand what is the position."

Then He said,

dehino 'smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptih
dhiras tatra na muhyati
 [Bg. 2.13]

"First of all try to understand what you are." That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gita. It is no politics. It is knowledge, pure knowledge. Bhagavad-gita is pure knowledge. The politicians take advantage of it. The sociologists, the so-called swamis, yogis, they take advantage of it and try to prove their all nonsensical theories. But it is not at all Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita as it is is pure knowledge, beginning with the first knowledge one has to understand, that he is not this body. Because this is the basic principle all ignorance: "I am this body." "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brahmana," "I am this," "I am that" -- this is the basic principle. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also says the same thing in a different way. He says, "I am not a brahmana, I am not a ksatriya, I am not a vaisya, I am not a sudra, I am not a brahmacari, I am not a grhastha, I am not a vanaprastha, I am not a sannyasi." These are negation. Then what is the positive? He says, gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah: [Cc. Madhya 13.80] "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the gopi-bhartuh, Krsna, who maintains the gopis."

So this is our identification. But we have forgotten our identification.

krsna bhuliya jiva bhoga vancha kare
pasate maya tare japatiya dhare

We have forgotten our real relationship with Krsna, and we are trying to be happy by material adjustment. This is modern civilization. One is thinking, "If I get such nice house, nice motorcar, nice business, nice bank balance, nice wife, nice children..." This is material civilization. But they do not know. Despite all these nice things, he will never be happy. Now you Europeans and Americans, you have got a good qualification. I described many times that you are no more very much interested with all these "nice" things, so-called nice things. Real nice thing is spiritual understanding. That nice thing begins: aham brahmasmi, "I am not this body." That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gita. Krsna is instructing Arjuna that "You are not this body. You are spirit soul. Try to understand."

So we should learn from Krsna. We should learn from Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is Krsna Himself. Therefore the author says that "You accept this authority." Na caitanyat krsnat para-tattvam param iha. If you want knowledge, then... You have missed already, because when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared five hundred years ago people already became fools and rascals. They did not care for the teachings of Bhagavad-gita. Therefore He again came as devotee of Krsna to teach us how to serve Krsna, how to love Krsna. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's cult, the same thing. When Krsna appeared He said, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "Give up everything, so-called rascaldom. Just surrender to Me." And Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He said the same thing as a devotee: yare dekha, tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. He did not say anything new. That is the authenticity. "I have manufactured some way" -- these are all rascaldom. The same thing you should... You can... Just like in your country it is said, "Old wine in a new bottle." Similarly, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is teaching the same thing. Krsna says, mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7]. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says the same thing: yare dekha, tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. And we are saying the same thing, na krsnat caitanyat para-tattvam: "There is no more superior truth than Krsna Caitanya." Why? Because He is talking the same truth as Krsna said. This is called parampara system. What Krsna said, Caitanya Mahaprabhu said the same thing, and we are talking the same thing.

So there is no difficulty to understand the Absolute Truth. It may be presented in a different way... Not different way. It is directly. Krsna says directly that "You surrender to Me," and Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that "You preach this cult," yare dekha, tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128], the same thing. We are not going to teach anything which is not spoken by Krsna and which is not supported by Krsna Caitanyadeva. This is our principle. This is Krsna consciousness movement. Krsna preached Krsna Himself, Caitanya Mahaprabhu preached the same principle, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28], and we are preaching the same thing. We do not preach anything else. We do not manufacture anything. That is not our business.

So by the grace of Krsna, by the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, you all European boys and girls joined this movement under my soliciting. I went to your country with this word only. I did not show you any magic, neither I have any knowledge how to play magic. That is not possible. I simply repeat the same thing, that "Here is Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Here is Krsna Caitanyadeva, the devotional form of Krsna. You accept Them. Your life will be successful."

Thank you very much. (end)
 
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 1.3 -- Mayapur, March 27, 1975
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.

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