The Glories of the Holy Name
Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.15
Vrndavana, September 18, 1975
download flash player
Take a testVrndavana, September 18, 1975
download flash player
Prabhupada:
patitah skhalito bhagnah
sandastas tapta ahatah
harir ity avasenaha
puman narhati yatanah
[SB 6.2.15]
These are the, some of the practical examples. There are persons who criticize chanting of Hare Krsna mantra. Namnad artha-vada. Because the glories of the holy name are described here, that one can become free from the sinful reaction of life simply by chanting the holy name of the Lord, so sometimes those who are not in the line, they think, "It is too much. It is too much." So the next verse, the... It is advised... Not it is too much. You can test it. Test it. What is that test? Patita. When you fall down from a high place... Suppose from the roof you may fall down, patitam. Skhalita: you may slip and fall down. Bhagnah: by falling down you may break your bones. Then sandastah: you may be bitten by some animal -- cats, dogs, a snake. There are so many, domestic. Then tapta: you may be burned. And ahatah: you may be injured from others. Then during this time you can test, practical. What is that test? Harir ity avasena aha. Try to chant Hare Krsna. Puman. If anyone does so, na arhati yatanah. You'll immediately feel that from the injuries you are not feeling pain. This is practical seen. Even a snake bite... You may be saved. The author says, never says, that you may be saved from death, but the suggestion is that you may not feel much pain. This is practical.
Because this material world is full of dangers, these symptoms of dangerous position, patitam skhalito bhagnah... Especially in the modern age, in the Western countries, accident, motor accident and die, is very common thing nowadays. Here also it is becoming. On the whole, even there is no motor accident, there are so many accidents. In every step there is danger. Padam padam yad vipadam [SB 10.14.58]. This material world means every step there is danger. There is no question of safety. At any moment. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja recommended, kaumaram acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha. Why in the beginning of childhood one should learn bhagavata-dharma? Durlabham manusam janma. Somehow or other, we have got this body, human form of body, durlabham, after many, many births. They do not know. The foolish persons, they do not know what is the value of this human form of life. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati, krmayo rudra-sankhyatah. In this way 8,400,000 different forms of life we have to pass through. Then we have got this. Especially a civilized human being. The human race, they are also 400,000..., 400,000 types. Out of them, those who are civilized, they are called Aryans. Aryan means civilized. Aryan means those who are making progress. They are called Aryans.
So amongst the Aryans there is the division -- brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha. The Aryans, they do follow it, these Vedic principles, varnasrama-dharma. Varnasramacaravata purusena parah puman, visnur aradhyate [Cc. Madhya 8.58]. What is the purpose of varnasrama? Now, visnu aradhana. Why Visnu aradhana? There are so many other demigods. That is also answered by Lord Siva. When he was asked by Parvati, "What is the best form of worship?" he recommended, aradhananam sarvesam: "There are many different types of worship." Sarvesam. Visnur aradhanam param. He never said, Lord Siva, that "My aradhana is..." Krsna says, mam ekam saranam vraja, but no other demigod has ever said. No. You'll never find. Here Lord Siva says, visnur aradhanam param. Then again he stresses, tasmat parataram devi madiyanam, tadiyanam aradhanam: "Visnu aradhanam is the best, but better than this best there is another aradhanam." What is that? Tadiyanam aradhananam: "To worship the Vaisnava." Visnu aradhana is the topmost, but Vaisnava aradhana is still more. Narottama dasa Thakura therefore says, chadiya vaisnava-seva, nistara payeche keba. The Vaisnava aradhana is so important.
Therefore Krsna says,
tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti tad jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah
[Bg. 4.34]
Tattva-darsi. This word tattva is very important. Unless one is tattva-darsi, there is no use to take instruction from him. Useless waste of time. Tattva-darsi means... Krsna says in another place, manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. Siddhi means liberated, means who has no more the bodily concept of life. This is the Vedic meaning of aham brahmasmi. Aham: "I, the spiritual spark, I am not this matter. I am a spirit soul." That is brahmasmi. So long we are in the bodily concept of life, that is called jiva-bhuta-mamivamso jiva-bhutah -- conditioned soul. And when one understands aham brahmasmi, that is called [SB 4.30.20] brahma-bhuta. There are two words. The conditioned soul is called jiva-bhuta. He is thinking, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brahmana," "I am ksatriya," "I am cat," "I am dog," "I am this," "I am that." That is called jiva-bhuta. And in the human form of life, when he studies athato brahma jijnasa, when he is inquisitive to understand Brahman, spirit, that is real life. Jivasya tattva-jijnasa.
In the Srimad Bhagavatam it is said that dharmartha-kama-moksa [SB 4.8.41]. So moksa means tattva-jijnasa. Jivasya tattva-jijnasa na yas ceha karmabhih. So that tattva-jijnasa means to understand Krsna. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gita, kascid vetti mam tattvatah. The same. Tattva-jijnasa... Who will inquire about tattva? Those who are siddha. So that siddha stage, brahma-bhuta stage, is not for everyone. Manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. Out of many millions of persons, one may be interested how to become siddha, to understand aham brahmasmi. That is called siddha. And yatatam api siddhanam kascid vetti mam tattvatah [Bg. 7.3]. This is called tattva-jijnasa. So tattva-jijnasa is meant for the siddhas, not for the fools and rascals. They cannot. They are inquiring, ke apa haya. (Hindi?) You find in the market, big, big merchants, they have got exchange in Calcutta, Bombay. The inquiry is ke apa haya. So not that inquiry. Ke apa haya, share cut ke apa haya, cao ke apa haya, dal ke apa haya.(?) Not That is not tattva-jijnasa. Tattva-jijnasa means "What is Brahman?" That is tattva-jijnasa, because Vedas indicates that "Try to understand aham brahmasmi, 'You are Brahman.' " Tat tvam asi. So 'ham. So this is the Vedic injunction.
So the Vedic injunction, tattva-jijnasa, that is the first aphorism in the Vedanta-sutra. Athato brahma-jijnasah: "The human form of life is meant for inquiring about the Absolute Truth." Therefore Bhagavata explains, jivasya tattva-jijnasa. That is the explanation of Brahma-sutra. Therefore you will find at the end of each chapter of Srimad Bhagavatam, srimad-bhagavate maha-purane brahma-sutra-bhasye. The Srimad Bhagavatam is the real comment on Brahma-sutra, Vedanta-sutra. Vedanta-sutra was compiled by Vyasadeva. He summarized all the Vedic knowledge, summarized all Vedic knowledge into Brahma-sutra, in nutshell. Then he was not satisfied, although he made so many Puranas, Mahabharata, Brahma-sutra, Upanisads and... Means these were correct. He wrote into letters in the book. Being compassionate on the people of this age, all fools and rascals -- they have no good memory -- therefore he compiled all these Vedas into writing. Before that, there was no writing. People were so sharp in memory, simply by hearing from the guru, they will remember. Simply. The education and the brain and the capacity was so nice. So that is not possible in the age. Everything is diminishing. The strength, bodily strength, is diminishing. The memory is diminishing. The duration of life is diminishing. Man's propensity to be merciful is diminishing. At the present moment, even in the civilized world, so-called civilized, if one man is being killed on the open street, nobody will go and help him because the tendency for showing mercy to others, that is diminishing. And bodily strength is diminishing. Memory is diminishing. Dharma, the principle of religion, that is diminishing. This is calculated. Therefore brahma-jijnasa.
When Caitanya Mahaprabhu was questioned by Prakasananda Sarasvati at Benares, follower of Sankara philosophy, that... There was meeting between Caitanya Mahaprabhu... Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not like to meet the Mayavadi sannyasis. He used to live alone. But sometimes these Mayavadi sannyasis, they were criticizing Him that "This Bengali sannyasi comes from Bengal, and He does not indulge in reading Brahma-sutra or Vedanta-sutra. He dances and chants with some ecstatic people. What kind of sannyasi He is? A sannyasi is meant for studying Vedanta-sutra, Sankhya philosophy." Some of them were very learned scholars. There's no doubt about it. But when Caitanya Mahaprabhu was inquired by Prakasananda Sarasvati, "Sir, I learned that in your previous life..." He was a learned scholar. He was known as Nimai Pandita. "And You have taken sannyasa. So instead of reading Sankhya philosophy and Vedanta-sutra, You are simply chanting and dancing with some fanatics. What is this?" This was the question. Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied that "Sir, if I reply your question candidly, please do not be sorry." "No, I am not sorry. We are prepared." "Because My guru maharaja saw Me: I am the greatest fool." Guru more murkha dekhi, karila vedanta nahi tava adhikara [Cc. Adi 7.71]. He became a fool. The purpose was that at the the present moment they are simply fools and rascals. What they will understand about Vedanta? Therefore the sastric injunction is harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam [Cc. Adi 17.21].
So there was very long discussion, and all the sannyasis, sixty thousand sannyasis, they were convinced about Caitanya Mahaprabhu's philosophy, His explanation of the Upanisad. So it is not that the Caitanya Mahaprabhu's sampradaya is simply chanting and dancing. If required, they are prepared to answer all Vedic discussion. They are prepared. We have got so many books, all Vedic discussions. Not that we are simply indul... But this is sufficient. Simply chanting is sufficient. But if one thinks like Prakasananda Sarasvati, that "These people simply chant and dance..." Sometimes one sannyasi accused us like that. Germany or some...? That Bharati? So we answered them that "Come on. We have got at least seventy-five books, four hundred pages each, to teach you Krsna consciousness. Come on." So we are prepared. It is not that. We are the followers of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was chanting and dancing, but when there was Prakasananda Sarasvati, when there was Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, He discussed Vedanta very elaborately, not with fools and rascals. A pandita like Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, a sannyasi like Prakasananda Sarasvati who knew what is Vedanta, what is Vedas -- then we are prepared, because we know certainly. Krsna says, vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. If anyone understands Krsna, it is to be understood that he has studied all the Vedas. There is no doubt about it. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15].
bahunam janmanam ante
jnanavan mam prapadyate
vasudevah sarvam iti
sa mahatma sudurlabhah
[Bg. 7.19]
So everything is explained there. We are preaching Krsna consciousness not with empty hand. We are prepared to talk on Vedanta. We are prepared to talk on Upanisad. And the conclusion is krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. Ete camsa-kalah pumsam krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. This is the conclusion. Krsna also confirms that mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjayah, pranava [Bg. 7.7]. Sometimes they take pranavah as the Supreme. Krsna says, pranavah aham sarva vedesu: "This pranava, omkara, in all the Vedas, that is I am. That is My sound representation." So this holy name of Krsna is so powerful that simply by chanting, one can become liberated. This is the blessing of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He said, iha haite sarva siddhi haibe tomara. All siddhis. Ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Siddhi means to cleanse the heart. That is siddhi. Because we are now materially obsessed, we are thinking, "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am this and that," all material -- upadhi. And bhakti means when you are freed from the upadhi, then bhakti begins.
brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
[Bg. 18.54]
Then bhakti begins. Bhakti is not for the person who is not liberated, because as soon as you begin bhakti, devotional service, you immediately come to the liberated platform. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita.
mam cavyabhicarini
bhakti-yogena yah sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
[Bg. 14.26]
Bhakti, beginning of bhakti, means immediately he is on the Brahman platform. We are trying to understand aham brahmasmi, but if you take to devotional service you are immediately on the platform of brahma-bhuyaya kalpate.
So this is the scientific understanding of brahma-bhutah stage, or aham brahmasmi, and... Everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gita. So therefore this name is Brahman. The holy name of Lord is Brahman, Brahman's name. Brahman's name means Brahman. Because Brahman is Absolute, He is not different from His name, He is not different from His form, He is not different from His quality. Otherwise how we are worshiping this form of Krsna here? This Krsna and that Krsna... There is no "this" and "that." Krsna is one. But even if we think that this is the statue of Krsna, that is our misconception. It is not statue. It (is) Krsna. We have to prepare our eyes to see Him. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu. When He entered Jagannatha temple, He immediately fainted -- "Here is Krsna. Here is Krsna" -- because He had the eyes to see Krsna. So we have to prepare our eyes to see. That eye is also explained in the Brahma-samhita: premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-
So you cannot understand Krsna by argument or by your these staring eyes. No. You have to prepare your eyes, you have to prepare your ear, you have to prepare your nose, you have to prepare your tongue, you have to prepare your hand, you have to prepare your leg -- all the senses.
sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam
tat-paratvena nirmalam
hrsikena hrsikesa-
sevanam bhaktir ucyate
[Cc. Madhya 19.170]
These senses, now it is upadhi. I am thinking, "I am American; therefore my hand is American, my leg is American, my eyes are American." No. You have to become free from these "American eyes" or "Indian eyes" or "brahminical eyes" or... No. Pure eyes. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. When your eyes are purified from all these designations, when your senses are purified, then nirmalam... Nirmalam means purified. That senses... Purification does not mean that you are senseless. No. Just like cataract operation of the eyes does not mean pluck out the eyes. No. The eyes will remain; the cataracts will be taken away. Then you will see. So when your material conception of life is finished, aham brahmasmi. That is called aham brahmasmi. And to simply realize aham brahmasmi will not stay. You have to go further.
brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
[Bg. 18.54]
If you make further advance, then your Brahman activities will begin, and that is called bhakti, para-bhakti.
Thank you very much. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase =>
Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.15 -- Vrndavana, September 18,
1975
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
No comments:
Post a Comment