"Mahatma Speaks in Krishna's Favor"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.30
Vrndavana, August 11, 1974

Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

jnanam guhyatamam yat tat
saksad bhagavatoditam
anvavocan gamisyantah
krpaya dina-vatsalah

Translation: "As they were leaving, those bhakti-vedantas, who are very kind to poor-hearted souls, instructed me in that most confidential subject which is instructed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself."

Prabhupada:

jnanam guhyatamam yat tat
saksad bhagavatoditam
anvavocan gamisyantah
krpaya dina-vatsalah

So yesterday we have been discussing the symptoms of guru and the symptoms of disciple -- who is actual disciple and who is actual guru. It is stated by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura,

saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair
uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih
kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam **

So guru's position is very exalted. Exal... Why exalted? Because he is the confidential servant of Krsna. Kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya. One... Suppose you want to do some business and..., with some firm, and a representative comes to transact business, naturally, one tries to satisfy that representative so that the business can be done very fairly. This is natural psychology. Similarly, kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya. Guru is very dear to Krsna because his business is to serve Krsna. His business is to execute the will of Krsna.

Therefore here it is said, yat tat saksad bhagavatoditam. (aside:) Don't disturb in this way. Saksad bhagavatoditam. Saksat means directly. What was spoken directly by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And that is jnanam, that is real knowledge. Jnanam guhyatamam. Guhyatamam, most confidential. Guhya, guhyatara, and guhyatamam. What is that verse in the Eighteenth Chapter? Guhyad guhyatamam pravaksyami... That... The conclusion is that the most confidential knowledge is that which is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly. And what it is said in the Bhagavad-gita? Guhyad guhyatamam. Find out this verse. Could not? Before sarva-dharman... Yes.

Nitai:

iti te jnanam akhyatam
guhyad guhyataram maya
vimrsyaitad asesena
yathecchasi tatha kuru

Prabhupada: Hm. Read the...

Nitai: "Thus I have explained to you the most confidential of all knowledge. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do."

Prabhupada: So Krsna personally giving the most confidential knowledge. And here it is also mentioned that the saintly persons, the mahatmas, they simply spoke what was spoken by Krsna Himself directly. That's all. Here it is stated, anvavocan gamisyantah, guhyatamam yat tat saksad bhagavato... This is very important statement. Jnanam guhyatamam, the most confidential part of knowledge is that which is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly. Anyone who is interested in spiritual knowledge, they will benefit simply by accepting what Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita. This is jnanam. That is also stated by Krsna. Etaj jnanam. Etad anyatha yad ajnanam. Anything beyond this knowledge, what is spoken by Krsna, that is ajnana, ignorance. That is not jnana.

Unfortunately, it has become a fashion now to interpret Bhagavad-gita in their own foolish way and mislead the public. This I have repeatedly spoken in many places, that in the Western countries so many swamis and yogis, they went there. For the last, at least, one hundred years. One hundred years, from India many swamis and yogis had been... Still they are going. But they could not turn even a single person to Krsna consciousness. Not a single person. Throughout the whole history of these hundred years of swamis going to the Western countries, but could not turn even a single soul to understand Krsna. This is a fact. It is not that I am very proud. No. The truth must be spoken. Why they could not do so? The defect was that they did not say what Krsna said directly. They said their own words. They manufactured their own philosophy.

Here the, I mean to..., saintly persons, the mahatmas, gamisyantah, when they were going, they confidentially said what was spoken by Krsna directly. This is the secret of success. Try to understand. Anvavocan gamisyantah krpaya dina-vatsalah. Guru, or mahatma, they are very merciful, merciful in this way that they know how a person can be elevated to the topmost platform of knowledge, and they can give him. And this is not very difficult. It is said here that yat tat saksad bhagavatoditam. This is mercifulness. A guru's business is to deliver the same message as Krsna said. Then he's dina-vatsala. Otherwise, if he says something else, he's a cheater. He's not guru. He must be, to the suffering humanity, being kind upon them. Dina-vatsala. Dina means very poor, poor in knowledge. At the present moment, the... Not only at the present moment, always. Those who are in the material world, they are very, very poor. Very, very poor. Grhinam dina-cetasam. Because their mind is very crippled. They are thinking that this duration of life -- say, fifty years or twenty years or utmost seventy, or hundred years -- this is everything. That's all. Therefore they are very poor. Their expansion of knowledge is very, very meager. And it is the business of the saintly persons to be kind upon them, that "This is not the life. You are thinking, making adjustment to live for fifty years or hundred years very comfortably, or even next life..." Karmis, they also take consideration of the next life, to be promoted in the heavenly planet or other higher planetary system. But still, they are poor. Poor. Because they are lacking in the knowledge of eternal life, full of knowledge and blissfulness. That they do not know. Sac-cid-ananda life.

So it is the business of the mahatma to enlighten them to the real platform of life. Krsna says personally,

mam upetya punar janma
duhkhalayam asasvatam
napnuvanti mahatmanah
samsiddhim paramam gatah
[Bg. 8.15]

This is real life, to go back to home, back to Godhead, Krsna. Mam upetya. If you go back to home, back to Godhead, that is samsiddhim paramam. That is the highest perfection of life. But generally... Generally, almost... Why generally? Almost everyone. Ninety-nine point nine percent people, they want to become happy within this material world. Therefore they are poor, very, very poor. And the mahatmas, they give the knowledge that "This is not life. This is a temporary platform." Asasvatam, duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. This is confidential knowledge. You are trying to be happy... Suppose Brahma. He lives for many millions of years. Still, it is duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. That life is also temporary. What is millions of years' duration of life in comparison to the eternal life? So beginning from Brahma down to the small ant, whoever is within this material world, it is to be understood their understanding is very poor. And the mahatma, being kind upon these poor souls, they deliver the same knowledge as Krsna gives. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam.. [Bg. 18.66]. This is guru's business. Do not manufacture anything. There is no question of... There is no need of manufacturing anything. Simply you speak to the suffering humanity the same thing which Krsna says. Saksad bhagavata uditam. This is the business of guru. It is clearly said.

Now he'll explain further, in the next verses, how he became advanced. This verse is very important, that jnanam guhyatamam yat tat. Actually, perfect knowledge you can get from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and in parampara system you get that knowledge. Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. Parampara means they do not change the word of Krsna. That is parampara. Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], and the parampara system says the same thing. No change. They never said that "I have now become Krsna and you surrender unto me, think of me." There are many so-called incarnations who are preaching like that: "You think of me." Same, repeating the same words in his own favor, not in Krsna's favor. That is not mahatma. That is duratma. Mahatma means who always speaks in Krsna's favor. That is mahatma. This is the purport of this verse. Jnanam guhyatamam yat tat saksad bhagava... Bhagavan says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66].

So our business should be to repeat the same thing, that "You give up all nonsense engagement. Simply surrender to Krsna. Simply you think of Krsna. Simply become a devotee of Krsna. Simply offer obeisances to Krsna. That will make your life successful." This is mahatma's business. Saksad... Not indirectly. Directly. Directly... Here Krsna says, guhyad guhyatamam. Read that verse again.

Nitai:

iti te jnanam akhyatam
guhyad guhyataram maya
vimrsyaitad asesena
yathecchasi tatha kuru

Prabhupada: Yathecchasi tatha... The word is used there, yathecchasi tatha kuru. We have got the little independence. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. But why people are not doing that? Because they have got little independence. Every living entity is part and parcel of Krsna. Krsna has got the quality of full independence. Naturally, the part and parcel of Krsna, it has also independence. But that is not absolute independence. Just like independent country. America, independent country. We are also now independent country. But the citizens, they have independence dependent on the state independence. Not absolute independence. Similarly, we have got independence. We living entities, we have got independence -- but dependent on the independence of Krsna. Not absolute independence. So... Therefore we become entangled in our own karma. Krsna does not give anyone a position or karma. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, that He does not give anyone a better position or anyone an inferior position. Everyone creates his own position. Krsna simply orders that "This is your position. Now you enjoy or suffer." We create our own position.

Therefore the most confidential part of knowledge is... Krsna says that sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. That is the guhyatamam. Jnanam guhyatamam. The same thing, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Therefore Bhagavad-gita is the preliminary study of Srimad-Bhagavatam. One who has understood Bhagavad-gita properly, he can understand what is Srimad-Bhagavatam. Where Bhagavad-gita ends? Bhagavad-gita, teachings of Bhagavad-gita ends at the point when Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], to surrender. And the Bhagavata begins from that point. Janmady asya yatah... [SB 1.1.1], satyam param dhimahi. Satyam param dhimahi. Surrender. Otherwise, in the next paragraph of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, in the beginning, dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra: [SB 1.1.2] "Except surrendering to Krsna, there cannot be any religious system." The real religious system... Therefore Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. That is religion, to surrender to Krsna. Otherwise, as it is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra [SB 1.1.2]. All cheating type of religious system is kicked out from Bhagavad, Srimad-Bhagavatam. Kicked out, projjhita. To merge into the Supreme, to become God, to become incarnation of God -- these kind of religious systems is very rigidly kicked out from Srimad-Bhagavatam. Because they are not religion. Real religion is to surrender to Krsna.

Therefore it is said, yat tat saksad bhagavata uditam. If you want to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you must abide by the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But they have no idea who is Supreme Personality of Godhead, what is His order, what is our relationship with Him. These things are unknown. It is simply known to the, I mean to say, devotees. Why it is monopolized by the devotees? That is also answered in the Bhagavad-gita: bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. If you want to know what is God, what is Krsna, then you have to go through this bhakti-marga, or devotional... There is no other way. Krsna never says that He can be known through speculation or cultivation of so-called speculative knowledge. No. Then He would have said "Through jnana one can understand Me." No. Neither karma one can understand. Neither yoga. This is explained in many, various places of the sastra. Only bhakti. Only bhakti. And it is the duty of the spiritual master, or mahatma, to spread bhakti cult. That is the most confidential... That is the most merciful humanitarian activity.

Because people are suffering for want of this knowledge. Therefore our Krsna consciousness movement is the only movement -- I can declare very proudly -- which can actually do some benefit to the human society. It is the only movement. All other, bogus movements, I declare. Let them come and study the sastras and decide for themselves. They're all cheating. Only this bhagavad-bhakti. Because you cannot understand Bhagavan without undergoing the process of devotional service. Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. If you want to know in truth, tattvatah... Krsna wants that one should understand Him tattvatah. Not that superficially to take Krsna, that "He was very fond of the gopis, and let us hear the lila of Krsna." Why Krsna's gopis' lila? Why not Krsna's lila killing the demons? That, the people are not interested, to hear about Krsna's killing the demons. Because the gopis' lila, it appears to be the transaction between young woman and man, it very quickly appeals. But Krsna's other business is there. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. That is also Krsna's lila. That is Krsna's lila. Just like Lord Ramacandra is killing the Ravana. That is also Krsna's lila. Lord Ramacandra's lila and Krsna's lila, there is...

So we should take any lila of Krsna as Supreme. Not that simply the most confidential... The vrndavana-lila, Krsna's lila with the gopis, is the most confidential lila. We should not entertain this confidential lila unless we are liberated. It is very difficult subject. And because they cannot understand what is Krsna's lila, they imitate, they fall down. There are so many things. We do not wish to discuss. But we should be... If we are actually serious about advancing in krsna-lila, then we must know first of all what is Krsna, what He desires, and how we shall act. Then we can enter into the confidential part of Krsna's lila. Otherwise we shall misunderstand and fall down.

So the... Here it is said that saksad bhagavatoditam, uditam. That... What is Bhagavata, Bhagavata? Krsna never says that "First of all you hear My lila with the gopis." He never says that. He first of all says that "You surrender unto Me." First of all learn how to surrender to Krsna. First of all learn how to love Krsna. Then you can taste what is Krsna's lila with the gopis. It is just like mukharavinda. Just like... Krsna's lila in the Dasama-skandha with the gopis is compared with Krsna's face, smiling face. But we have to worship Krsna beginning with the feet. Not immediately we shall look to the face of Krsna. We shall misunderstand. First of all try to be Krsna's devotee by offering your worshipable things at the lotus feet of Krsna. The First Canto or Second Canto of Bhagavad-gita are the two lotus feet of Krsna. So from the very beginning we should hear Srimad-Bhagavatam. Gradually, we shall come to the face. That is real understanding of Krsna. And without understanding of the other nine cantos of Bhagavad-gita, er, Srimad-Bhagavatam, if we simply jump over the Tenth Canto, and especially to the Thirty-fifth Chapter, the five chapters, Rasa-pancadhyaya, this is not very favorable. Of course, it is favorable. Krsna's lila, you hear any way, this way or that way... But if we misunderstand Krsna, then there is fall down. That is instructed by Sri..., Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, that don't try to understand Krsna's lila all of a sudden without understanding Krsna. Tattvatah. So regulative principle -- to serve, as it is stated in the sastras or as it is enjoined by the spiritual master.

adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango 'tha bhajana-kriya
tato 'nartha-nivrttih syat tato nistha rucis tatah
athasaktis tato bhavas tatah premabhyudancati
sadhakanam ayam premnah pradurbhave bhavet kramah

So dina-vatsalah. The mahatmas who instructed Narada Muni that "Here is the confidential knowledge: Please fully surrender unto the lotus feet of Krsna." So Narada Muni admits here, anvavocan gamisyantah. Gamisyantah means the mahatmas were going. He served for four months. So they became very happy, they became very pleased. This is the business, how to make the mahatma pleased. Yasya, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah **. If you try to please mahatma, the spiritual master, then bhagavat-prasadah will automatically come. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah **. So here it is said, anvavocan gamisyantah krpaya. Krpaya dina-vatsalah. Actually, Vaisnava is dina-vatsala. They are very unhappy. Just like Prahlada Maharaja. Prahlada Maharaja was unhappy seeing the people, degenerated people, suffering in this material world. Prahlada Maharaja said to Nrsimhadeva, "My dear Sir, I have no problem. I am happy anywhere by chanting Your holy..., by glorifying Your activities. But I am simply morose seeing the fallen-down condition..." Maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan [SB 7.9.43]. "I am simply thinking of these rascals, whose, who, for flickering happiness, engage themselves in so many material activities, forgetting your relationship."

So dina-vatsalah, the sadhus, they should be very much compassionate to the suffering humanity and give them the message which is spoken directly by Krsna, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam... [Bg. 18.66]. This is the mission of Krsna consciousness.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.30 -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974