"Devotee Doesn't Want Anything"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.27
November 7, 1972, Vrndavana



Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

rajas-tamah-prakrtayah
sama-sila bhajanti vai
pitr-bhuta-prajesadin
sriyaisvarya-prajepsavah

Translation: "Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance worship the forefathers, other living beings and the demigods who are in charge of cosmic activities, for they are urged by a desire to be materially benefited with women, wealth, power and aristocratic birth."

Prabhupada: So...

rajas-tamah-prakrtayah
sama-sila bhajanti vai
pitr-bhuta-prajesadin
sriyaisvarya-prajepsavah

Sriyaisvarya-praja. (aside:) Stop that. Sri means beauty, aisvarya means riches, opulence, and praja means progeny, sons, grandsons, great-grandsons. In Bengal there is a proverb, nati nati sagye bhati(?): "If one can see grandson of the grandson, his life is successful." His door to heaven is open now. Nati means grandson, and nati's nati, grandson. That means six generations. So people like this -- good family and full of beautiful women and very good bank balance, motorcars -- then life is successful. Sriyaisvarya-prajepsavah. But who are after this sriyaisvarya-prajepsavah? That is explained: rajas-tamah-prakrtayah. Rajas-tamah-prakrtayah, those who are influenced by the modes of passion and ignorance.

In the Bhagavad-gita, the division of the society is given there: catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. According to guna and according to karma, there are four classes of men. The first class men, the brahmanas, because they are on the platform of goodness. Goodness means they can see. One who is qualified brahmana, he can see what is what, what is this world, what is God, what the human being... Everything is clearly prakasa. It is called prakasa, illumination. If one is situated in the modes of goodness, platform of goodness, he can see things as they are. Prakasa. And the next stage is passion, productive. Productive, ruling, administrating, like that. Creation. Just like the king's royal orders, they want to conquer expansive kingdom. And next stage is mixed-up -- ignorance and passion. That is the stage of vaisyas. They want simply money, somehow or other. They do not care for anything, the vaisya. Brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra. Sudra, they are completely ignorant. They cannot produce anything, neither they have got any enthusiasm for ruling or administration. So their business is to submit to the higher classes and live peacefully. These are the divisions of the society. But all of them are required for upkeep of the society.

It is exemplified in the Srimad-Bhagavatam:

mukha-bahuru-padebhyah
purusasyasramaih saha
catvaro jajnire varna
gunair vipradayah prthak

In the Srimad-Bhagavatam the same thing is confirmed, that the brahmanas are the face of the Supreme Lord. Therefore, according to our Vedic civilization, whenever, whenever there is any ceremony, the brahmanas are..., are sumptuously fed. Because brahmanas are considered to be the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The mouth, the business of mouth is to speak and to eat. So brahmana's business is to speak Vedic knowledge, distribute Vedic knowledge. Veda-vadi. That is their speaking. Just like Ambarisa Maharaja used to do.

sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor
vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane...

The brahmana's business is to speak about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just like Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is speaking about Himself... Because the purpose of Vedas is to understand Krsna. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15]. That is the purpose of Veda. If you become a very great scholar in Vedas, but you do not know what is Krsna, it is useless. Because Vedas means... Veda means knowledge. And Vedanta means the ultimate end of knowledge.

So ultimate end of knowledge is Krsna. So Vedanta means the ultimate goal of knowledge is to know Krsna. That is Vedanta. Vedanta does not mean anything else. Because Krsna says, vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15]. That is Vedanta. And He also confirms: vedanta-vid vedanta-krd ca aham. "I am the compiler of Vedanta philosophy, and therefore I know perfectly well what is Vedanta." Therefore if you follow the instruction of Krsna, then you are completely in knowledge of the Vedanta. That's all. This is Vedanta philosophy. Vedanta philosophy does not mean to make some jugglery of words and deviate one from Krsna. That is not Vedanta. That is misleading, bluffing. That is going on, in the name of Vedanta.

So in the previous verse it has been explained that,

mumuksavo ghora-rupan
hitva bhuta-patin atha
narayana-kalah santa
bhajanti hy anasuyavah

Those who are in the platform of goodness, they worship narayana-kalah santah, Narayana and His expansions. In the spiritual world, there are innumerable Vaikuntha planets. As we have got experience within this material world, within this universe, there are innumerable planets, similarly there is another sky. Paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanah [Bg. 8.20]. That sky is eternal. This sky is not eternal. It is created. It has got a date of creation, and it will be annihilated at a certain date. So beyond the sky there is another sky, which is called paravyoma, or sanatana, eternal sky. And in that sky there are innumerable Vaikuntha planets. Vaikuntha means vigata-kuntha hy asmat. There is no anxiety. Here in this material world everyone is full of anxiety. This is the material nature. Even a small bird -- you give some grains to the small bird, he'll be full of anxiety. He'll look like this, look like this. Yes. "If somebody's coming to kill me? Somebody's coming to kill me?" That is explained by Prahlada Maharaja: sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat. The living entities in this material world, they are full of anxieties. Why? Asad-grahat. Why? Because they have accepted something which will not exist. Asad-grahat. There are two things: asat and sat. So om tat sat. Parambrahma Bhagavan, He's sat. And this material world, asat. Asat means "that which does not exist."

So because we have accepted this material body, asad-gra hat, therefore we must be always in anxiety. This is the law. Tat sadhu manye 'sura-varya dehinam, dehinam. One who has accepted this material body, he must be full of anxiety. He may be the King of heaven, Indra, or he may be a small ant in the stool. It doesn't matter. Everyone is full of anxiety. So Prahlada Maharaja recommended that when his father asked him: "What is the best thing, my dear boy, you have learned?" He explained, "My dear father..." He did not say "father." He addressed his father as "the best of the demons," asura-varya. Asura-varya. Because he was... (Hindi, aside) Asura-varya. Varya means the best, variyan, varya.

So,

tat sadhu manye 'sura-varya dehinam
sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat
hitvatma-patam grham andha-kupam
vanam gato yad dharim asrayeta
[SB 7.5.5]

Harim asrayeta. Unless we take shelter under the lotus feet of Krsna, Hari, so long we shall be full of anxiety. This Krsna consciousness movement is trying to bring everyone under the shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna, so that they may become free from all anxieties. This is the Krsna consciousness movement. Otherwise, unless one comes under the shelter of Krsna, he cannot be free of anxiety. That is not possible. Therefore it is explained here that rajas-tamah-prakrtayah. Those who are on the platform of the modes of goodness, brahmana platform, satyam samo damas titiksa arjavam astikyam jnanam vijnanam brahma-karma svabhava-jam. This, these are the qualities of brahmana. Not that because one is born of a brahmana father, he will be brahmana. No. Guna-karma-vibhagasah. He must have the qualities of brahmana and must act as a brahmana. Then he'll be accepted as brahmana. Otherwise he'll be called brahma-bandhu, dvija-bandhu. Stri-sudra-dvija-bandhu. Stri, woman, sudra and dvija-bandhu. Dvija-bandhu means born of a brahmana father but his actions are like something else. He's called dvija-bandhu. Or born of a ksatriya father. Dvija means brahmana, ksatriya, and vaisya also -- those who are born for the second time by initiation. First birth is by the father and the mother, and the second birth is by the spiritual master and Vedic knowledge. Vedic knowledge is the mother, and spiritual master is the father. So when one approaches a bona fide spiritual master, his second birth is there by advancement of spiritual knowledge, and that sacred thread is offered to him. Upanayana. Upa means "near," and nayana means "bringing."

So this sacred thread is the symbol that one has accepted a spiritual master and he knows Vedic knowledge. That is the symbol of sacred thread. Acaryavan puruso veda. One who has accepted a acarya, it is to be understood that he knows things as they are. That is the symbol of sacred thread. So those who are not mumuksavah, they are to considered under the influence of ignorance and passion. They are called rajas-tamah-prakrtayah. Those who are on the platform of brahminical understanding, brahminical qualities, controlling the senses, controlling the mind, tolerant, simplicity... And Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana has given about this arjava, "simplicity." He says that a brahmana even to a enemy will disclose all his secrets. Even to his enemy. Nobody discloses his secrets before an enemy, but a brahmana, if he, even he finds out a enemy, he will disclose all the secrets. He has no secret. Brahmana means open-minded, liberal. And the opposite word is krpana, miser.

So anyone who is trying to utilize fully the advantage of this human form of life, being desire, desirous of becoming liberated from these material clutches and acts accordingly, he's a brahmana. Mumuksavah. Others, who are not brahmanas, those who are influenced by the material ignorance and passion, rajas-tamah-prakrtayah, their business is how to get money, how to get beautiful woman, and how to have many followers. Caitanya Mahaprabhu denies this. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, "My dear Lord, Jagadisa, I don't want riches," dhanam, na janam, "neither good," I mean to say, "progeny or followers," na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kama... Sundarim kavitam, "very poetic, beautiful wife." Na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye. "I don't want all these things." Just see. This is the difference between sattva-guna and rajo-guna. Rajas-tamah-prakrtayah, those who are influenced by the passion and ignorance, their desire is sriyaisvarya-prajepsavah. Sri. Sri means beauty. Sriyaisvarya, opulence, sriyaisvarya. And praja, good progeny. That nati. Nati.

So this is the desires of the persons who are influenced by passion and ignorance. And one who is influenced by the sattva-guna, goodness, he denies. Especially on the platform where devotional service. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu denies: na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye. Then what do you want? Mama janmani janmanisvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi. "My dear Lord, I want life after life..." Not He... He doesn't want even mukti. Otherwise, if one is liberated, then, according to Bhagavad-gita and every Vedic sastra, punar janma naiti tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. That is mukti. The mukti means to go out of this ignorance of the darkness of this material world. But Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He says, mama janmani janmani. He doesn't want to stop even punar janma. Krsna says mukti means no more birth, no more accepting this material body, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, janmani janmani janmani, "life after life." That means a devotee, who is actually pure devotee, anyabhilasita-sunyam [BRS 1.1.11], no other desire than to serve Krsna, he doesn't want even mukti. Diyamanam na grnanti.(?) Diyamanam na gr... Mukti, if it is offered to a devotee, he doesn't care for it; he doesn't want it. He doesn't want anything. He simply wants how to be a faithful servant of Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness. He doesn't want anything.

So those who are not in the modes of goodness, mumuksavah, they worship... Rajas-tamah-prakrtayah sama-sila bhajanti. Sama-sila, according to their temperament. There are recommendations that "If you want this thing, you worship this demigod. If you want education, you worship this demigod. If you want money, then you worshi p this demigod. If you want very beautiful wife, then you worship Uma and..." The recommendations are there. That is not false. These are all Vedic recommendations. Because, if you want this, then... Bhagavad-gita also, Krsna says that yanti deva-vrata devan pitrn yanti pitr-vratah [Bg. 9.25]. "If you want to go to the heavenly planets, then you worship such and such demigod. If you want to go to the Pitrlokas, then you worship such and such demigod." These are explained there. They are not false. They are facts. If you want... Just like they are going, trying to go to the moon planet. So how to go to the moon planet, that process is described. You can, you can adopt that process and automatically, after your death, you'll be transferred to the moon planet. You don't require this artificial sputnik. No. Neither you can go there by the sputniks. It is not possible. You must be qualified to enter into a particular type of planet. You cannot go by force. I have given this example many times in America, that if somebody wants to come to America, he has to secure the proper passport and visa. Otherwise, the immigration department will not allow him to enter. Similarly, if you want to go to a particular type of planet, higher planetary system, you must have the required passport and visa. Otherwise, how you can enter there?

Therefore Krsna says,

yanti deva-vrata devan
pitrn yanti pitr-vratah
bhutani yanti bhutejya
yanti mad-yajino 'pi mam
[Bg. 9.25]

Krsna never says that "You do anything nonsense and you come to Me." Krsna never says. If you, if you worship demigods, you'll be promoted to the planets of the demigods. If you want to, if you worship the Pitrs, the sraddha performance, then you enter the Pitrlokas. But one who is endeavoring in devotional service, yanti mad-yajinah. Mad-yajinah. Mad-yaji. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji. Krsna recommends, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. And in another place He says, mad-yajino 'pi yanti mam.

So those who are devotees, those who are always engaged in the worship of Krsna, Narayana... Krsna, Narayana, Visnu -- They're all the same, visnu-tattva. So in the previous verse: narayana-kalah santa bhajanti hy anasuyavah. Anasuyavah, they're not envious. They, they're not envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not like the so-called scholar, envious of Krsna. When Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam, he's envious of Krsna. He's recommending, "It is not to the person Krsna," Because he's envious. He does not like that Krsna should be worshiped. Not only he; there are many persons. As soon as we put that Krsna, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam, "You just worship Krsna," they will protest: "No. Why Krsna? We have got so many other demigods. We shall worship them." They are asuyavah. They are himsaka, himsaka. They are envious of Krsna. And because our life, this material life has begun being envious of Krsna... "Why Krsna shall be the enjoyer?" Krsna says, bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. Our enviousness is "Why Krsna shall be the only enjoyer? I also, I shall enjoy. Why He shall enjoy the rasa-lila? I shall imitate. Or I shall also make arrangement for rasa-lila." You see. This is rascaldom. Nobody can imitate Krsna. Then that is... That is described in the Bhagavata. If someone thinks of imitating Krsna, he'll be ruined. He'll be ruined. That is said, stated there in the Srimad-Bhagavatam on the question of Pariksit Maharaja.

So Krsna consciousness means to be completely nonenvious. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, in the beginning, it is said, dharmah projjhita-kaitavah atra paramo nirmatsaranam. Paramo nirmatsaranam. Those who are completely free from enviousness, they can understand what is Bhagavatam. Paramo nirmat... Dharmah projjhi... It is not a cheating type of religion, enviousness. Paramo nirmatsaranam, or paramahamsa, those who are not at all envious. They're always friend. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. Paramahamsa means suhrdam sarva-bhutanam, "friend for everyone." Not for this human society or this society. A paramahamsa is friend for everyone. Paramo nirmatsaranam satam. They are satam, Vaisnava. Vastavam atra vedyam atra tapa-trayonmulanam sivadam. These things are mentioned.

So those who are envious of Krsna, they take to the worship of other demigods. Sriyaisvarya-prajepsavah. Because to quickly attain achievement or achieve perfection in these three things, beauty, opulence, and good generation. So Bhagavata says that "Even though you are very much anxious to get all these things," sriyaisvarya-praja, "still, we recommend that you worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

akamah sarva-kamo va
moksa-kama udara-dhih
tivrena bhakti-yogena
yajeta purusam param
[SB 2.3.10]

That is the recommendation. Akama. Akama means bhakta. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu is saying: na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye. "We don't want." He's called akama, no desire. Akamah sarva-kamo va [SB 2.3.10]. Sarva-kama means this: sriyaisvarya-prajepsavah. Dhanam dehi rupam dehi yaso dehi balam dehi dehi dehi dehi dehi dehi. They are sarva-kama. Akamah sarva-kamo va [SB 2.3.10]. And another, moksa-kama. So moksa-kama and sarva-kama or, what is called, the yogis, siddhi-kama. They are also siddhi-kama. Some of them are moksa-kama; some of them are sarva-kama; some of them are siddhi-kama -- all of them are kamis, lusty. The yogis, the karmis and the jnanis -- all of them -- they are kamis. Means they want something. Only the devotee, he doesn't want anything -- except Krsna. He doesn't want Krsna also. He simply wants to serve Krsna.

Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches: aslisya va pada-ratam pinastu mam marma-hatam karotu va adarsanat. A devotee desires to see Krsna. But he says: "I don't mind if You break my heart by not being present. I don't mind. You break my heart." Because a devotee is always anxious to see Krsna. Just like Radharani. She's always anxious to see Krsna. But Krsna does not come. Just like Krsna left all the gopis, immediately went to Mathura. Renouncement. So much love with the gopis, and He could renounce immediately. This is one of the qualifications of God. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah, jnana-vairagyam. Vairagya. Krsna was so much attached to the gopis, so much, but when it was necessary, He left all of them in Vrndavana and went to Mathura for killing Kamsa. That is God, renouncement. So these gopis remained simply crying for all the life, rest of their life. That is pure devotion. Marma-hatam, broken-hearted. Krsna made them broken-hearted. "Never mind. We shall remain broken-hearted, crying all the life. You do Your business." That is love of Krsna. That is love of Krsna.

aslisya va pada-ratam pinastu mam
adarsanan marma-hatam karotu va
yatha tatha va vidadhatu lampato
mat-prana-nathas tu sa eva naparah

This is... The lampata. Just like lampata husband goes to so many other women, but the chaste wife still loves the husband: "Never mind." So similarly we have to become so chaste, so honorable, just to stick to the lotus feet of Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness movement.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.27 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1972