The Complete Science of Bhakti-Yoga #1

The Complete Science of Bhakti-Yoga #1

72/10/20 Vrndavana

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Pradyumna: (reading) "A living entity is offered a particular type of body as a result of his action in the present body. These activities are taken into account by superior authority known as daiva, or the authority of God. This daiva is explained in the Bhagavad-gita as the prime cause of everything, and in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that a man takes his next body by daiva-netrena, which means by the supervision of the authority of the Supreme. In an ordinary sense, daiva is explained as destiny. Daiva supervision gives us a body selected from 8,400,000 forms. The choice does not depend on our selection, but is awarded to us according to or destiny."
Prabhupada: So material rasas. That is being experienced in different types of body. Just like somebody wants to taste fresh blood, flesh and blood. So he's given the next life a body like a tiger, like a other carnivorous animal, and he tastes very nicely blood and flesh. Nature gives all the facilities.

prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
 [Bg. 3.27]

Prakrti, nature is doing everything. I am desiring something. That means I am contacting, contacting the certain type of the modes of material nature. This is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita: karanam guna-sangah asya sad-asad-janma-yonisu. Sad-asad-janma-yoni. Yoni means the source of birth. Mother is called yoni, and father is called bija. Yatha yoni yatha bijam. According to bijam and according to yoni, we get body. So why you are getting different types of body? Karanam guna-sangah asya. He is contacting a particular type of the modes of material nature. There are three modes of material nature: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. So if I am associating with sattva-guna, then next life, I'll get a sattva-guna body. Urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha. [Bg. 14.18] Sattva-guna body means higher standard of life. So similarly, if I am associating with the modes of passion, then I'll get a body, next life, passionate. If I am associating with ignorance, tamo-guna, jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha adho gacchanti tamasah. Tamasah. Tama-vrtti. The jaghanya, the lowest. There are so many varieties of life. So those who are associating with tamo-guna, drinking, flesh eating, smoking, illicit sex, gambling... These are the association of tamo-guna. Yatra papas catur-vidha. Where there are four kinds of sinful activities. So intoxication is sinful activities. That is tamo-guna. Associating with tamo-guna. So jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha adho gacchanti tamasah. Those who are associating with tamo-guna, their vrtti, their habits, are very abominable. Jaghanya. Therefore adho gacchanti. They go downwards.

In this way, everyone is enjoying a particular type of rasa, material rasa... and nature is offering him a particular type of body. Deha-yogena dehinam. We can enjoy a particular type of rasa... Just like the hogs. They are relishing the rasa of stool very nicely. You give them nice food, they'll not take. They'll prefer to taste the stool. Why? Because he has been offered a particular type of body. And this particular type of body has been offered to him, karanam guna-sangah asya... He has associated with jaghanya, tamo-guna, abominable tamo-guna. Therefore he has developed a body of a hog, and tasting the juice of stool. This is the way of transmigration of the soul. Actually, it is the living spirit soul, either hog or dog or a brahmana or a candala or a cow. This is simply a covering, or... Just like we cover ourself in dream. That is subtle covering. Similarly, this is also covering. In the Vedas it is said, asango hy ayam purusah. Actually, the living entity, the spirit soul, is neither hog, neither dog, nor brahmana, nor this, nor that. It is simply a covering. But this covering is developed by our association with the particular type of modes of nature. Karanam guna-sangah asya sad-asad-janma-yonisu.

But in this life, if we develop Krsna consciousness by association of devotees... As Narottama dasa Thakura has sung, tandera carana-sevi-bhakta-sane vasa. One's aim of life should be to serve the acaryas. Acarya upasanam. So our acarya in the Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya, the sri-rupa sanatana bhatta-raghunatha, sri-jiva gopala-bhatta dasa-raghunatha, the Six Gosvamins, and if we associate with them... this book, Nectar of Devotion, Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, if you read regularly, try to understand, this means you are associating with Srila Rupa Gosvami directly. And if you act accordingly, then you are serving their lotus feet. Tandera carana-sevi-bhakta-sane vasa. And unless you are associated with devotees, you will not be able to understand the import of the writings of Srila Rupa Gosvami. Caitanya Mahaprabhu's secretary, Sri Svarupa Damodara, recommended one brahmana, bhagavat para giya bhagavat sthane. Bhagavat... He, he came to Caitanya Mahaprabhu to read some poetry he had written, but it was the system that unless anything written... There were many devotees. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was living at Puri, Jagannatha Puri. So many devotees from other provinces used to come and visit. And some of them wrote some poetries. But all of them, first of all, would be tested by Svarupa Damodara. And then he'll be allowed to go before Caitanya Mahaprabhu and read it. That was the system. Because people do not know siddhanta. General people. Those who are advanced devotee, they know siddhanta, the conclusion. In the Caitanya-caritamrta, therefore, it has been advised,

siddhanta baliya citte na kara alasa
iha haite krsne lage sudrdha manasa
 [Adi 2.117]

If you neglect siddhanta, conclusion, given by the acaryas, then you will misunderstand Krsna. Krsna, therefore Narottama dasa Thakura says... These are the evidences.

rupa-raghunatha-pade haibe akuti
kabe hama bhujhaba se yugala-piriti

Narottama dasa Thakura, such an exalted acarya, he's teaching us, "Don't try to understand yugala-piriti, the love affairs between Radha and Krsna, concoctedly, by your own concoction." No. You should first of all try to serve the Six Gosvamis, rupa-raghunatha-pade haibe akuti, how they are directing. Just like this Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. Srila Rupa Gosvami is not teaching in the beginning the loving affairs of Radha-Krsna. No. He's training, first of all, the reader, the devotee, how to become first of all pure devotee.

anyabhilasita-sunyam
jnana-karmady-anavrtam
anukulyena krsnanu-
silanam bhaktir uttama
 [Brs. 1.1.11]

First of all, he's trying to bring the devotee to the standard devotional service. Vidhi-marga. Then gradually, when he becomes accustomed, then raga-marga will be revealed. Raga-marga is not artificial. It becomes, svayam eva sphuraty adhah. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau... [Brs. 1.2.234]. Everything, devotional relationship with Krsna, you cannot establish artificially. Everyone has got a particular relationship with Krsna in his original constitutional position. That will be revealed gradually as you advance in devotional service in the prescribed rules and regulations as they are directed in the sastras and by spiritual master. When you are trained up properly, you come to the platform of raga-marga, then your devotional si... That is called svarupa-siddhi. Svarupa-siddhi. So svarupa-siddhi is attained at a certain stage. Just like svarupa-siddhi... The desire for sex life is there in every human being, but when the boy and the girl come to the mature stage, it become manifest. It is, is not learned artificially. Similarly, the raga-marga, svarupa-siddhi, becomes revealed or manifest. Sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya. Udaya. This very word, udaya, is used. Just like sun. Sun becomes visible when the sun rises automatically. You cannot force the sun to rise at dead of night. That is not possible. Sun will rise. You just wait. When the time will be right, morning, six o'clock, you'll find the sun.

Similarly, the devotional service, we have to execute with patience, with enthusiasm. Utsahat dhairyat niscayat tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. We must be enthusiastic that we... "I shall engage myself very nicely in Krsna consciousness movement." That is first qualification, enthusiastic. Dullness will not help you. You must be very enthusiastic. My Guru Maharaja used to say, prana ache yara sei hetu pracara. A preacher can, a person can become a preacher if he has got life. A dead man cannot become a preacher. So you must be very enthusiastic that "I shall preach the glories of the Lord to my best capacity." It is not that one has to become very learned scholar to become a preacher. Simply it requires enthusiasm, "My Lord is so great, so kind, so beautiful, so wonderful. So I must speak something about my Lord." This is the qualification, enthusiasm. You may not know Krsna very perfectly. It is not possible to know Krsna very perfectly. Krsna is unlimited. We cannot know Krsna cent percent. That is not possible. But Krsna reveals as far as possible you can understand. So if we are sincere servant of Krsna, utsahan, and if we serve patiently, then Krsna reveals.

The example is given in this connection. Just like a girl is married. Generally, a girl wants a child. But if she wants a child immediately after marriage, that is not possible. She must wait. She must serve her husband nicely. Utsahan dhairyat tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. Just like a faithful wife. Time will come she will become pregnant and she will have child. So niscayat means... Just like the girl must know because she's married, because she has got a husband, that there must be a child. It is a fact. It may be little later. Similarly, when you have entered into devotional service, bhakti-yoga, bhakti-marga, your success is assured, provided you are enthusiastic and patient. Not that "Immediately I want a child," "Immediately I become fully Krsna consciousness and perfect." No. There may be so many imperfections. Because we are in the imperfect atmosphere. But patiently, if you go on executing your duties in devotional service as it is directed in the sastras and confirmed by the spiritual master, then rest assured that your success if guaranteed. This is the way. Utsahan dhairyat tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. You must execute the duties.

Just like we have asked our students to finish sixteen rounds chanting minimum. Sixteen rounds is nothing. In Vrndavana there are many devotees, they chant 120 rounds. Like that. So sixteen rounds is the minimum. Because I know in the Western countries it is difficult job to finish sixty-four rounds or 120 rounds, like that. Minimum sixteen rounds. That must be finished. Tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. This is the direction. Observing the regulative principles. In this way, we must be abiding by the direction of the spiritual master and the sastra. Then rest assured. Success if guaranteed. Go on reading, next.

Pradyumna: "If our body at present..."

Prabhupada: Bring the light. Hm. Go on.

Pradyumna: "If our body at present is engaged in the activities of Krsna consciousness, then it is guaranteed that we will have at least a human body in our next life."

Prabhupada: So one thing is guaranteed. If you engage in Krsna consciousness and suppose you do not become perfectly mature, some way or other, you fall down... We should not fall down. Because if we have got enthusiasm and patience, we shall not fall down. But suppose we fall down. Sastra says, tasya abhadra abhud amusya kim. There is nothing inauspicity because whatever you have done sincerely, that is recorded in the book. In the Krsna's book. Krsna has got accountant. He keeps nice account of the activities of His devotees. That's a fact. Just like the nondevotees' accounts are kept by Yamaraja for punishment. Similarly, devotees' accounts are kept by Krsna, personally. Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham [Bg. 4.11]. Unless he keeps account, how He says, "I respond to the devotee to the proportionate surrender"? Ye yatha mam prapadyante. The real business is surrender to Krsna. If we surrender immediately, cent percent, then Krsna also gives you the result immediately, cent percent. Krsna says,

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisya...
 [Bg. 18.66]

If Krsna relieves me from all kinds of sinful activities, then where is my miserable condition of life? Miserable condition of life is for them who are enjoying or suffering... There is no question of enjoyment. But it sometimes taken, enjoyment. The fruitive action, the result of fruitive action. So a devotee does not enjoy anything or suffer anything. Because a devotee does everything for Krsna. So therefore for his personal self, there is no question of karma-phala. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita: yajnarthe karma anyatra karma-bandhanah. If you act for Krsna, that is nice. If you act otherwise, then it is karma-bandhana. Yajnarthe karma anytra. Anyatra. Anyatra means except Krsna consciousness activities, the activities of the karmis and the jnanis and the yogis, they are all karma-bandhana, bound up. Suppose karmis, they are going to the heavenly planet or higher planetary system for getting higher standard of life, to take birth by pious activities in nice family, to become rich. But that is bandhana. That is bondage.

Similarly, the so-called mukti, jnanis, they merge into the existence, Brahman existence, of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nirbheda-brahmanusandhana. Nirbheda, without any distinction, enter, merge into the Brahman. That is also bandhana, bondage. Why? Because we find in the sastras: aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adhah [SB 10.2.32]. Aruhya krcchrena param padam. Param padam means brahma-pada, to merge into the effulgence, brahmajyoti. That is called param pada. According to Vaisnava, param pada means to go to Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrndavana and be engaged as servant, eternal servant of the Lord. But according to the jnanis, the param pada means merge into the effulgence of brahmajyoti. Sastra says that aruhya krcchrena param padam [SB 10.2.32]. To go to that param padam, that is also not very easy. Krcchrena. Severe austerities and penances, one has to undergo to merge into the Brahman effulgence. Therefore you'll find, the Mayavadi sannyasis, their stricture is very rigid. They must take bath thrice in, in a day and lie down underneath a tree and... Their renunciation is very rigid. Of course, those who are strictly following. In our Brahma, Vaisnava sannyasa, there is little leniency. Because they live in Krsna, so there is no need of very strict, rigid following. Although it is stated that they should live like this. But there is leniency. But Mayavada, they are very rigid in their principles of sannyasa life. That is called aruhya krcchrena. Krcchrena, with great difficulty, they merge into the Brahman effulgence. Aruhya krcchrena param padam [SB 10.2.32]. They attain in the perfectional stage. Not perfectional. Param padam. In the spiritual realm. But patanty adhah. Again falls down. Again falls down means because in the effulgence there is no varieties. The example is just like you have got a nice sputnik or, what is called...?

Indian man: Apollo. Apollo.

Prabhupada: No, no. By which they go?

Indians and Devotees: Rocket.

Prabhupada: Rocket, rocket. You have not very nice rocket running at the speed of eighteen thousand miles or twenty-five thousand miles per hour. But you may go. If you don't take, if you don't get shelter in some planet... Just as they're going in the moon planet, but do not get shelter and come back, similarly, supposing they are getting shelter, but that shelter is not very secure. They again come back. So without shelter, how long you can fly in the sky? The sky is unlimited. You can fly on your sputnik or capsules, but if you don't get the shelter in some planet, then again you come back to your place. So this is... The same example is given in the Bhagavata: aruhya krcchrena, with great scientific method you can go up. But if you don't get a shelter, then you come back again on this planet. Similarly, the nondevotees, the impersonalists, they undergo severe penances and austerities undoubtedly, and they rise up to the brahmajyoti... Aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adhah [SB 10.2.32]. From there, he again falls down. Same example. Why? Anadhrta-yusmad-anghrayah. Because they did not care for the shelter under the lotus feet of Krsna, therefore they have to come back again to this material world.

That is practically experienced. We have seen many, many great sannyasis. They give up this world and take sannyasa for merging into Brahman, but later on they come back again to the material activities for opening hospital, schools, and philanthropic work. Why? Because they could not get there. In their so-called Brahman realization, they could not get any pleasure. Therefore they come down again to the material activities. You have left this material world as brahma satyam jagan mithya. Then why you come back again to this mithya world, to open hospitals and schools? The reason is they could not get any pleasure in so-called Brahman-realization. Therefore they come back to give food to the poor, to open hospital, philanthropic work. So...

Indian Devotee: (in background) Haribol! Nitai Gaura Haribol!

Prabhupada: Therefore...

Devotee: (Hindi -- Jaya Radhe!)

Prabhupada: Therefore, if you stick to Krsna consciousness, you will enjoy blissful, transcendental blissfulness. Then you'll not be attracted with this humanitarian work or philanthropic work. Param drstva nivartate [Bg. 9.59]. In the service of the Lord, there are so much pleasure, transcendental pleasure. Just like in the life of Gosvamis, we find:

tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tucchavat
bhutva dina-ganesakau karunaya kaupina kantasritau
gopi-bhava-rasamrtabdhi-lahari-kallola-magnau sada
vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau

They gave up their ministerial posts. Tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tucchavat. Most insignificant. They gave up their ministerial posts. And they became mendicants. Tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tucchavat bhutva dina-ganesakau karunaya kaupina-kantasritau. Became very poor, voluntarily mendicant. It is very difficult. If one changes his dress artificially by imitating Rupa Gosvami, he cannot stay. He'll have to take to sex pleasure and intoxication to keep himself fit for bhajana. No. But the Gosvamis, they did not take into sex pleasure or intoxication. They were merged into the ocean of the dealings of the gopis with Krsna. Gopi-bhava-rasamrtabdhi-lahari. There is a... Lahari. There is a flow, constant flow of waves, in the ocean of loving affairs between Krsna and the gopis, So they were merged into that. Therefore this renunciation, this material renunciation, did not affect. Otherwise, if one artificially renounce this material world, and he does not get real shelter unto the lotus feet of Krsna, he'll fall down. That's a fact. Aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adhah anadrta-yusmad-anghrayah [SB 10.2.32]. So if you want to stay attached to the lotus feet of Krsna, then you must always keep yourself busy in the transcendental loving service of Lord.

Thank you very much. [break]

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972

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Krsna Is Sunshine

Krsna Is Sunshine

Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 22.31-33
New York, January 16, 1967

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Prabhupada: Krsna is the original sun; therefore wherever Krsna is present there cannot be any ignorance or illusion. Darkness is compared with ignorance, illusion, sleeping, laziness, intoxication, madness; these are all darkness. One who is in the quality of darkness, these things will be visible in his person: too much sleepy, lazy, ignorant. Just opposite, the opposite number of knowledge. So these are called darkness. So if actually one is in Krsna consciousness, these qualities will be not visible in his person. This is a test of progressing in Krsna consciousness.

krsna-surya-sama; maya haya andhakara
yahan krsna, tahan nahi mayara adhikara

Yahan krsna: wherever Krsna is there. Krsna is absolute. He can be present in His various potencies. He can be present by His name only. Just like we chant Hare Krsna -- He is present, because His name is not different from Him. That is the absolute sense. In relative sense... Suppose somebody calling me in my apartment, "Swamiji." Swamiji is here. The response cannot be. Just like in telephone. Yesterday Raymond was calling us by phone three thousand miles away. As soon as we took the, I mean to say, hanger, we could immediately hear him. If by material ways we can be touch in so swiftly, just see how much spiritual potency has Krsna. Although He's not present before us, He can be present in so many ways. He can be present by His name. Otherwise, all these great acaryas, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, would not have bothered themselves simply by chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. There is actually presence of Krsna. If you take any material thing... Suppose a very nice thing, a rose flower. "Rose flower, rose flower, rose flower" -- how long you can chant "rose flower"? Say thrice, four times, ten times, twenty times. Any more, you'll become disgusted. This is the test. But Hare Krsna you can chant twenty-four hours, you'll not feel tired. That is the test of absolute and relative.

So relative name and absolute name. Krsna, if you always keep Krsna in your presence, then where is the possibility of ignorance and delusion? No, there is no possibility. And this is the shortcut way of keeping Krsna always with you on your tongue -- Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama... And if you are rigidly in this chanting process, you must understand that Krsna is with you and there is no danger, there is no illusion, there is no maya. Krsna can be present by His fame. Just like we read something, we discuss something about Krsna's activities -- "Oh, He was present in the Battle of Kuruksetra. He became the charioteer and He delivered the lectures on Bhagavad..." These discussions, that is also presence of Krsna. Then His pastimes. Just like His lila in Vrndavana or with any other devotees. There are many lilas. Then Krsna's associates, those who are devotees of Krsna. If you speak about them, that is also a presence of Krsna. If you talk about Narada Muni, if you talk about Vyasa Muni, if you talk of Lord Caitanya, if you talk Rupa Gosvami -- those who are, I mean to say, unalloyed devotees of Krsna -- if you discuss about them, then Krsna is there. He is present by His name, He is present by His fame, He is present by His pastime, He is present by His associates. Anything in Krsna connection, that makes Krsna present in that spot. This is actual fact. One has to realize it, that's all.

So we may not... Just like the sun is so many millions miles away but he is..., sun can be present before us by his sunshine, his potency, sun's potency, energy. Similarly, these are all Krsna's spiritual energies, and He is compared with the sun because He is the original sun. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti [Bs. 5.40]. From the spiritual planet, Goloka Vrndavana, the glowing effulgence, brahmajyoti, is coming out. How it is coming out? That we can very easily understand. As the sunshine is coming out, emanating incessantly from the sun disc, similarly the real sunshine, brahmajyoti, is coming out of the spiritual planet Goloka Vrndavana incessantly. That is called brahmajyoti. Yasya prabha prabhavato [Bs. 5.40]. And due to that incessant shining, all the shining which you are experiencing, even this lamp, even this electricity, fire, moonshine, sunshine, any shining, that is due to that brahmajyoti. So yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti [Bs. 5.40]. In that shining, this material world, the spiritual world, they are resting. So impersonalists, they are concerned with the shining, that's all. The difference between the personalists and impersonalists is that impersonalists, they take that shining as final. But the personalists, they take, "No. Krsna is final." That is their difference of opinion. Otherwise, both of them in the spiritual realm. And so far Krsna is the cause of brahmajyoti, there are many evidences from Vedic literature. In Isopanisad and other Upanisads, in Bhagavad-gita also, the Lord says, brahmanah aham pratistha: "I am the source of brahmajyoti." You'll find in the Fourteenth Chapter, last verse, brahmanah aham jyoti. Is there any Bhagavad-gita? You find out Fourteenth Chapter, last verse.

Satsvarupa: The English?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Satsvarupa: "For I am the abode of Brahman, immortal, and the imperishable, of eternal law and of absolute good."

Prabhupada: That's all? So He's the source of brahmajyoti. So if we have such realization that Krsna is absolute, and if we realize... It is a question of realization.

Now, when you chant Hare Krsna, if we chant mechanically, then the effect is different. I have already given you ten kinds of offenses there are in chanting Hare Krsna. So mechanical way of chanting is also another offense. So offenseless chanting... Of course in the beginning, neophytes, we are apt to commit so many offenses. But we should be careful that the chanting should be offenseless. Then we shall realize that Krsna is present by His name. He is present. You'll realize and you'll have the same effect as you expect by meeting Krsna personally. You can see Krsna and you can hear Krsna. Because Krsna is absolute, there is no difference between seeing and hearing. That is the absolute sense. People give more stress on the eye: "Oh, can you show me Krsna?" Oh, can't you hear Krsna? Why do you give...? This is also one sense, that is also another sense. Do you think by seeing you'll understand everything? You are seeing so many things daily. Do you understand? So this is all foolishness, that "Can you show me?" Now we have got so many senses. So perception through any sense, because He is absolute, the same effect. Either you see Him personally or you hear Him. Rather, hearing is better because by seeing you cannot understand Krsna. When Krsna is present, all people saw Him, but they could not understand Krsna. But one who heard of Krsna even five thousand years after, just like we are hearing, we can understand Krsna as far as possible. So hearing is most important thing. You'll find in the Thirteenth Chapter, sruti parayana. Sruti parayana. Sruti parayana means one who is very much eager to hear about Krsna, he's a very nice qualified man. So hearing is very important thing than seeing or touching or smelling. Hearing is very... Hearing is the, is so important. When all other senses are not acting, sleeping, no other sense is acting, as soon as telephone bell is called, you get up. No other sense will act. So hearing is so perfect. Therefore according to Vedic principle this hearing is very important thing. Hearing. And one who is very much eager to hear about Krsna is very expert, because hearing is knowledge.

So if we hear Krsna, about Krsna, His name, His fame, then Krsna is present before us. And Lord Caitanya is giving another instance:

vilajjamanaya yasya
sthatum iksa-pathe 'muya
vimohita vikatthante
mamaham iti durdhiyah

In the Bhagavatam where describing the illusory energy... When Vyasadeva wrote Srimad-Bhagavatam he, first of all, he meditated himself in bhakti-yoga.

bhakti-yogena manasi
samyak pranihite 'male
apasyat purusam saksat
mayam ca tad-apasrayam
 [SB 1.7.4]

Maya ca yat, yaya sammohito jiva. So this maya, Krsna's maya, this illusory energy, external energy, also saw. Vyasadeva saw. He saw Krsna, apasyat purusam purnam. He saw the Supreme Personality as well as His maya. So maya, yad-apasrayam. Maya cannot come before Krsna. Because... Just like the sun. Sunshine, there ignorance or darkness cannot come, cannot approach. So he saw. Vilajjamanaya yasya sthatum iksa-pathe amuya. The maya is ashamed to come before Krsna because she is entrusted with very thankless task. Maya is entrusted by Krsna to take the conditioned souls and take charge of them. And maya has taken charge of all us conditioned souls, and her task is to punish, simply beating. So that is a very thankless task. She is discharging the duty entrusted to her by Krsna, but everyone, especially the transcendentalists, oh, they are hating, "Oh, maya, maya, maya." Nobody will like, transcendentalists, maya. Either personalist or impersonalist. But she's engaged. Just like police. Police is engaged by the state, but nobody likes police. Everyone will criticize police. Thankless task. Because they, unless they become strict, unless they become red-hot iron (?) they cannot execute their duty. That is their way of punishing. But people do not like them. Nobody likes police. You see. Even a police comes all of a sudden here to sit down here to hear us, we'll suspect, "Oh, he has come with some purpose." (laughs) It is such a thankless task. Similarly, maya is entrusted with thankless task. She cannot approach Krsna, neither she is liked by the conditioned souls.

So here it is said, vilajjamanaya yasya sthatum iksa-pathe 'muya. Why? Vimohita vikatthante. And illusioned by that maya, vikatthante, talks like a madman. What is that? Mamaham iti durdhiyah. The foolish conditioned souls are absorbed in two things: "I am," and "mine." "It is my, it is I am." "I am the lord of all I survey," or "This is my country, this is my society, this is my body, this is my son, this is my children, this is my home." This is..., this is the absorption. Although nothing belongs to him -- in a moment's notice everything finished -- but still he's so much vikatthante. "O my society, my country, my father, my mother." So many, "Mine, mine." Nothing belongs to him, but he says always, "Mine, mine." "My" and "I." This is maya.

So this maya cannot approach to a person who is always engaged in Krsna consciousness. This is the version of Lord Caitanya, and with evidences. So if we want to be free from the clutches of maya, then this is the only path -- to become Krsna conscious. There is no other means. Because here it is clearly stated, krsna surya-sama. Just try to understand the argument. Krsna surya-sama: Krsna is just like sun. Maya andhakara: and the maya is just like darkness. It is darkness. So just you cannot imagine where there is sunshine there can be darkness. Similarly, Krsna is just like sun; how can you imagine that Krsna and maya can exist together? No. That is not possible. If there is maya, there is no Krsna. And if there is Krsna, there is no maya. This is the test. If we are still in maya, that means I'm out of Krsna consciousness. And if I am actually in Krsna consciousness, there is no existence of maya. And what is the symptom of maya? Mamaham: "My country, my society, my father, my mother, my wife, my children, my property, my position, my, my, my." There is no end of "my," although nothing belongs to him. This is called maya.

So the more we make progress in Krsna consciousness, this "my" consciousness and "I" consciousness will vanish. Just like while eating, the hunger and weakness will vanish. When you are hungry, you have not eaten in three days, we become weak and we become hungry. So this is natural consequence. And as soon as you begin to eat, this weakness will disappear and the hunger will disappear, and satisfaction will come. There is no doubt about it. Similarly, if these two things cannot stand together, maya and Krsna, then if I am in Krsna consciousness then there is no question of maya. It may be that I'm not fully Krsna consciousness. That may be. Just like while eating it is not that immediately my hunger is satisfied or immediately I get my lost weakness. Takes little time. Similarly, Krsna consciousness may be a gradual process of advancement, but this is the rule. If we are in Krsna consciousness, there cannot be any existence of maya, illusion. That is the test. If I am still in illusion, then I should understand that my business in Krsna consciousness is not progressing. This is the test.

'krsna, tomara hana' yadi bale eka-bara
maya-bandha haite krsna tare kare para

This is a very nice thing. Why Krsna consciousness does not advance? Because due to our lack of surrender. We have got doubts that "Whether Krsna consciousness can make me actually advance?" We have got doubts. So long we have got doubts, the Krsna consciousness is not progressing. We should clear all doubts. That is, you have got, everyone has got right to clear doubts. Clear doubts. If you think Krsna as ordinary man, then that is doubt. Ordinary. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. "Foolish persons, they think Me as ordinary man." But He's not. He's God. We should not be, I mean to say, detached from Krsna because He's sitting on the lap of Yasoda. Still He's Krsna. There are instances. Therefore we have to hear about Krsna. Krsna, when He was only three months old, oh, very beautiful child... As beautiful child, He's taken care of other ladies and girls. Oh, it is very nice. So Putana, a demoness, she, in the dress of a very nice girl, approached Yasodamayi, and she had the desire... Because she was the agent of Kamsa. Kamsa was searching out to kill Krsna. So she came with poison in her breast so that she'll take the child, and naturally, the child, they suck breast of lady. And as soon as Krsna will suck the breast, and there is poison, it will die. That was his plan. Now Yasodamayi, she's very innocent lady. She came: "Oh, Yasoda, you have got very nice child. Will you kindly give in my lap?" "Yes, yes. Why not? Take." And she at once put the child on the breast and Krsna sucked. Krsna sucked the poison and Krsna sucked the life also. At once the demon fell, a gigantic body, and there was... "Oh, how He is powerful."(?) So He's all-powerful there in the lap of His mother. Yasodamayi thought, "Oh! God has saved my child! This demoness, they came to cheat me." Yasodamayi does not know that here is God on her lap. This is another maya. This is called yogamaya. If Yasodamayi understands He is God, then (s)he cannot, I mean to say, bring up the child just like her own child, ordinary child. Therefore she must be in ignorance, that she... Because there is the connection of love only. That's all. So out of love, as somebody forgets what he is or she is, similarly Yasodamayi constantly seeing so many wonderful things played by Krsna, still she is thinking, "Oh, He is my child. These things are happening by some supernatural power. It is God's grace. It is God's grace that my child is saved." She is simply anxious to save her child. That's all.

So these things are to be studied, to be seen. Therefore unless we hear about Krsna perfectly, then we cannot surrender. Therefore hearing is very essential. And krsna tomara... And when, as soon as we surrender unto Krsna... Krsna is very intelligent. He's more intelligent. At least two inches intelligent more. So how far I have surrendered, He knows. Simply artificially saying that "I have become Krsna conscious," He can understand. He can understand. But if actually one surrenders, then there is no question of attack of maya to him. All attack of maya finished. But the difficulty is that we have got doubts, we do not surrender, we do not understand Krsna, and therefore the difficulties always disturbing.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 22.31-33 -- New York, January 16, 1967

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Devotional Service Will Free You

Devotional Service Will Free You

Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 22.21-28
New York, January 11, 1967

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Prabhupada:

kevala jnana 'mukti' dite nare bhakti vine
krsnonmukhe sei mukti haya jnana vina

Mukti, liberation... The impersonalists think that simply by cultivating knowledge that "I am not matter; I am spirit," or "I am one with the Supreme Spirit; I am now... Out of ignorance, I am thinking different, but when I am fully elevated to the platform of knowledge, then I become liberated." But the..., there is no answer that "Why you have become conditioned?" The impersonalists think that "I am one with the Supreme. Now, due to my ignorance, I have forgotten that I am the Supreme." Because they do not recognize the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so they think that impersonal conception of the spirit soul: "I am now... Out of ignorance, I am thinking matter, but as soon as my ignorance is over, I shall become one with the Supreme." So this is the theory of the impersonalists. But they... They cannot give any answer that "Why you have become under the influence of ignorance? If you are the Supreme, then what is the cause that you have become conditioned? Then the Supreme will become conditioned under the material nature. Then how one can become the Supreme? Supreme cannot be conditioned." So there is no answer for this question from the impersonalists' school. But real fact is that the Supreme never falls down. The part and parcel of the Supreme, they fall down -- some of them; not all. So therefore the living entities, they are different from the Supreme. They are one in quality with the Supreme, but not in quantity.

So Lord Caitanya says that "Simply by thinking that 'I am not this matter; I am spirit soul, aham brahmasmi. I am Brahman,' that will not help you to get liberation." The real fact is that the individual living entities, they are part and parcel of the Supreme, but somehow or other, they wanted separation from the Supreme and wanted to lord it over the material nature. Therefore they are entangled. That is the real fact. And as such, we find from the Bhagavad-gita, the Lord asked that sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "Just surrender." So therefore, unless there is surrender of the individual soul to the Supreme, there is no question of liberation. There is no question of liberation. You can cultivate knowledge that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul," but that will not help for your liberation. Because real thing is that you have or we have rebelled against the supremacy of the Supreme Lord. That is the attitude, everywhere we can see actually. Everyone is: "Oh, what is God? What is God?" especially in this age. So this impersonalism is another type of atheism, and this impersonal theory of the Absolute Truth has converted practically the major portion of the world into atheism. So therefore Lord Caitanya says that simply by cultivation of knowledge that "I am not this matter. I am not this matter. I am spirit soul," that will not help.

Now He gives again evidence from scriptures. Every step, whatever He says, He gives some evidence from authoritative scripture. Mostly He gives evidence from Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, because for the Vaisnava school these two books are sufficient for acquiring knowledge. So far Vedanta-sutra is concerned, Bhagavata is Vedanta-sutra itself. Bhagavata is the natural commentary on the, on the Vedanta-sutra. Therefore one who has sufficient knowledge in Bhagavata, he has automatically sufficient knowledge in Vedanta-sutra. According to Vedic system, one must have sufficient knowledge in Vedanta-sutra. Then he'll be considered as learned in spiritual science. So Srimad-Bhagavatam, although the Vaisnavas, they have got their commentaries on Vedanta-sutra, but this Caitanya Mahaprabhu's sampradaya, they did not make any commentary on the Vedanta-sutra because they belonged to the disciplic succession of Vyasadeva. So Vyasadeva is the spiritual master. So the later acaryas, they did not think it proper that whatever the... Because their spiritual master has had already made a commentary on the Vedanta-sutra, "Oh, that is sufficient. Why should we do again?" These are some of the etiquette. Anyway, the Vedanta-sutra... And Bhagavata is natural commentary on Vedanta-sutra, and Lord Caitanya therefore gives evidence from the Bhagavata generally and Puranas also, and Mahabharata and every, I mean to say, Upanisad. They are all authorities. But especially He gives evidences from Srimad-Bhagavatam. Now, so far, in confirmation of this statement that knowledge, cultivation of knowledge, is not sufficient to give one liberation -- one must take to devotional service. Devotional service past knowledge is just like gold with flavor. Yes. So, of course, those who are engaged in devotional service, their knowledge automatically comes. They are not fools. Those who are actually, seriously in devotional service, in Krsna consciousness, they will not lack in knowledge because you'll find in the Bhagavad-gita that the Lord says that,

tesam satata-yuktanam
bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam
yena mam upayanti te
 [Bg. 10.10]

Those who are engaged in transcendental loving service of Krsna, for them knowledge automatically comes from within because Krsna is within us. So a sincere soul in Krsna consciousness will not lack in knowledge. And in the Vedic literature also it is confirmed:

yasya deve para bhaktir
yatha deve tatha gurau
tasyaite kathita hy arthah
prakasante mahatmanah
 [SU 6.23]

The Vedic knowledge, revelation, to whom it is revealed? It is revealed to a person who has unflinching faith and love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead as well as to the spiritual master. Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau. As much he has got faith in the Supreme, similarly he has faith in the spiritual master. Such a person gets revelation of the Vedic knowledge from within. So those who are actually serious in engaging themselves in Krsna consciousness, devotional service, for them knowledge is secondary. Knowledge automatically revealed to them. And those who do not take to the Krsna consciousness, devotional service, simply indulge in dry speculation, for them liberation is not possible. Not possible.

So Lord Caitanya gives one evidence from Srimad-Bhagavatam from Tenth Canto:

sreyah-srtim bhaktim udasya te vibho
klisyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye
tesam asau klesala eva sisyate
nanyad yatha sthula-tusavaghatinam

Real knowledge means to understand the last word of the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and surrender unto Him, after knowledge. As it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, bahunam janmanam ante: [Bg. 7.19] "After many, many births, one who is actually in knowledge, he surrenders." So Srimad-Bhagavata practically confirms the same, that sreyah-srtim bhaktim udasya te vibho. Any person who does not take to the devotional service in Krsna consciousness, simply indulge in dry speculation, klisyanti, takes trouble... Klisyanti means "takes trouble"; ye, "persons." Kevala-bodha-lab..., simply to understand that "This is not matter, this is not spirit, this is not...," like that, and that there is no separate Supersoul, only one soul is there, and this conception of individual soul is misunderstanding, ignorance -- in this way, there are volumes of books of, by Sankaracarya especially, and later on, his disciples. They are very, very learned scholars, undoubtedly. By their scholastic jugglery they want to cover the Supreme Personality of God. They do not want to cover; they think that they are advanced. But Krsna covers Himself so that they may not understand Krsna. Krsna does not want. Krsna wants that one should surrender and take to devotional service. So Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that naham prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtah: [Bg. 7.25] "I do not reveal Myself to everyone, one and all. No. I cover Myself." So these impersonalists, due to their, I mean to say, less intelligence, or misfortune, they cannot see Krsna. So therefore, for them this remark is here that sreyah-srtim, that "Actually what is auspicious, devotional service, if somebody gives that path away and takes to simply dry speculation, simply to understand..." Because jnana means to understand what is the difference between matter and spirit. So they, of course, indulge in that process of knowledge. But simply by that speculation the result is that tesam asau klesala eva sisyate. The trouble which they accept for discriminating matter from spirit... There is trouble. You have to see so many Vedic literatures, and you have to understand the instruction of Upanisads and logic, and so many things there are to, I mean to say, back your understanding. So tesam klesala eva... Their, their profit is that the trouble which they accept for studying so many Vedic literatures to prove that the Absolute Truth is not person, that trouble is their profit and nothing more. Klesala eva, tesam asau klesala eva sisyate: "They do not get any other profit except that troublesome business." That's all. Tesam klesala eva sisyate. How it is? The example is, nanyad yatha sthula-tusavaghatinam: "Just like husking the grain to take out the skin." Now, there are many grains which are skin over. So there is process of taking out the skin out of the grain. So if the grain is already taken out, only the skins are left. Then, if you husk on it and beat to get out the grains, so there is no possibility to get any grains from them because the grain is already taken out. So that is the trouble. Simply, I mean, beating the skin is no good. We must have some concrete result. That concrete result is one who is directly engaged in the transcendental service, loving service of the Supreme Lord. That is recommended.

daivi hy esa gunamayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te
 [Bg. 7.14]

So the same thing is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, Seventh Chapter, that the Lord says that... This is also another influence of maya, illusion. Just like under the spell of illusion we are thinking that "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am king," "I am big man," "I am poor man" -- so many we have got -- and this is all due to this body, bodily conception. It has no actual standing. It is all..., they are all designations. Similarly, the last snare of maya is to, I mean to say, induce one to think that "I am God." Just like we are under the spell of illusion. We are thinking, "I am this and that, this and that." So after many, many years' cultivation of knowledge, if one comes to the conclusion that "I am God. There is no other second God. I am God," so that is also another spell of illusion. So the Bhagavad-gita says that daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. One is trying to get out of the clutches of the illusory energy, but it is very difficult. Up to the last point the maya, illusion, will offer you something so that she will baffle your endeavor to get out of her clutches. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya. Then how to get out of her hands? Mam eva prapadyante mayam etam taranti... Only process is just you surrender to Krsna, and maya will not any more interfere with your business.

So therefore surrender is the only process by which you can get out of the clutches of maya.

'krsna-nitya-dasa'-jiva taha bhuli' gela
ei dose maya tara galaya bandhila

Just like we become..., sometimes we take a pet dog with shackles on the neck, similarly we are under the spell..., we are pet dogs of the illusory energy, with shackles. You see? So why? Now, 'krsna-nitya-dasa'-jiva taha bhuli' gela: "That the living entity is eternally servitor of the Supreme Lord, Krsna, that he has forgotten." That he has forgotten. Therefore... [break] ...galaya bandhila. Just like the dog is shackled on the..., we are in that way shackled.

tate krsna bhaje, kare gurura sevana
maya-jala chute, paya krsnera carana

Therefore, if one agrees to serve Krsna under the direction of spiritual master, follows the instruction of spiritual master, and engages himself in the service of the Supreme Lord, maya-jala chute, paya krsnera carana, then he can get out of this network of illusory energy and paya krsnera carana, and he can get the shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Krsna.

cari varnasrami yadi krsna nahi bhaje
svakarma karite se raurave padi' maje

Cari varna. Cari varna means four castes, four division of human society: the brahmanas, the ksatriya, the vaisyas and the sudras. They have got their specific duties. One who is brahmana, he has got his specific duty. Culture, cultivation of knowledge is their first and foremost duty. Similarly, ksatriya, he has got his specific duty. The fore and foremost is to establish good administration in the state. And vaisya, he has got also specific duty. What is that? Cow protection and agriculture. That is the duty of vaisya. And the sudras, they have no responsibility. Therefore they serve these three higher class: the intelligent class, engaged in cultivation of knowledge; the administrator class, who are engaged in good government; and the mercantile, class who are looking to the productive side of the society. So this is natural. There is no denying the fact. In every society there is a natural division. A certain class of men, they are intelligent class, a certain class of men, they are, take part in politics, and a certain class of men, they delight in doing business. And there are certain classes -- they do not do anything; simply by serving, they maintain themselves. So these four classes are there.

So according to Vedic civilization, these four classes are also recommended to serve the Supreme Lord, Supreme Lord. With their professional occupation, they want, they have to, they have to serve the Supreme Lord. That is the injunction of the Vedic literatures.

cari varnasrami yadi krsna nahi bhaje
svakarma karite se raurave padi' maje

Therefore Lord Caitanya says that suppose an intelligent brahmana, he's very learned scholar and great philosopher, big thinker... Everything is all right. But he has no relationship in the matter of rendering service to the Supreme Lord. That is minus. That means learned scholar minus Krsna consciousness. Similarly, a learned politician, able administrator, minus Krsna consciousness... Similarly, a successful businessman minus Krsna consciousness... Or the sudras... Anyone, if he is minus Krsna consciousness, then the result is that svakarma karite se raurave padi' maje: "By doing, by executing his specific duty, he's going to hell." Hell. It is fact. He's thinking that "I am doing my duty," but he's going to hell. So this is a version of Lord Caitanya Maha... He, even if he does his duty very nicely, still, he's going to hell. Raurave padi' maje. Raurave means hell.

And again He gives evidence from Srimad-Bhagavatam:

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

ya esam purusam saksad-
atma-prabhavam isvaram
na bhajanty avajananti
sthanad bhrastah patanty adhah

In the Srimad-Bhagavata, Eleventh Canto, these two verses are there. What is that? Mukha-bahuru-padebhyah purusasyasramaih saha. Now, according to Vedic conception of social life, there are four divisions of social order and four divisions of spiritual order. The four divisions of social order is the brahmanas, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra; and spiritual order is the sannyasi, vanaprastha, grhastha and brahmacari. To become a brahmacari means to make advance in spiritual life. And the social order is there, the brahmanas, ksatriyas. So it is called varnasrama-dharma. Actually, "Hindu," there is no such word as "Hindu" religion. We don't find in the Vedic scripture. Hindu religion... This "Hindu" word is given by the Muhammadans. They, they, they generally pronounce i as h. They... So there is river in the west, western side of India. There is river, Indus, Indus River. So Indus River the Muhammadans used to call "Hindus." From "Hindus" it has come to Hindustan, "the place of the Hindus." So Hindu, Hindu religion is a modern term given by the foreigners. Actually the Indians, bharatiya, they, their religion is varnasrama-dharma, religion of four castes and four spiritual orders, four spiritual orders and four social orders. The persons who follow these four orders of social status and four orders of spiritual advancement, they are called varnasrama. So Hindu religion is a miscalculation. Really, they are called varnasrama-dharma. That is the Vedic term.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 22.21-28 -- New York, January 11, 1967

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How Can There Be Peace

How Can There Be Peace

Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 20.154-157
New York, December 7, 1967

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Prabhupada:

isvarah paramah krsnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam
 [Bs. 5.1]

So Lord Caitanya has explained the particular features of Krsna, and He's giving evidence from Brahma-samhita and other authentic Vedic literatures. So we have concluded that Krsna is the origin. Origin. There are many demigods, gods, and living entities, energies, millions and millions. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. There is no estimate. But He is the origin of all. Just like in your New York City there are so many manifestation of electricity, but the origin is the powerhouse, similarly, He is the origin, powerhouse. Sarvadi, sarvamsi. He is the whole, and everything is part. And He is always just like a young boy of sixteen years old. And His body is transcendental, spiritual, full of bliss, eternity, and He is the shelter of everything. On Him everything is resting, and sarvesvara, He is the Supreme Lord.

svayam bhagavan krsna, 'govinda' para nama
sarvaisvarya-purna yanra goloka-nitya-dhama

Now, that Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna... Krsna is the original name of God, and Govinda is the qualitative name, transcendental qualitative. This Govinda, we have explained. Go means land, go means senses, and go means... Land, senses...

Devotee: Cow.

Prabhupada: Cow. Yes. This we have explained. And because He gives pleasure to all these things especially, cows and land and the senses, He is known as Govinda. Sarvaisvarya-purna. He is full of all opulences. There is definition of God in the Parasara-sutra. Parasara Muni, the father of Vyasadeva, he was a great sage. So he has given the definition of God. After consulting all Vedic literatures, he has given his, delivered the definition of God. What is that? Sad-aisvarya-purna: full of six opulences. And what are those six opulences? Aisvaryasya samagrasya: "He is the proprietor of all wealth, everything." So aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya: "He is the reservoir of all strength." Viryasya yasasah sriyah: "And He is the supreme famous." Nobody can be more famous than Krsna. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah (Visnu Purana 6.5.47). Sriyah means beauty. Nobody can be more beautiful than Krsna. And jnana, knowledge. Nobody can be more knower and full of knowledge than Krsna. And renunciation. And He is also, at the..., having so many opulences. He is renouncer of... He has nothing to do with all these things. He does not depend for His Godheadship on these qualifications. He is renouncer at the same time. So here also Lord Caitanya substantiates that sad-aisvarya-purna: "He's full of six opulences." Sad-aisvarya-purna yanra goloka-nitya-dhama. Nitya-dhama means He's homely. Homely. He's the proprietor of all land, but just like a king. A king is the proprietor of the whole state; still, he has got his personal residence, which is called palace, royal palace. So similarly, although Lord is the proprietor of everything, every land, every space, every, any, anywhere... This is the proprietorship of Lord, of God's.

So we are seeking after peace, but we do not know that where we are living. We are claiming proprietorship for the time being. We come here under different shapes, in different body, and claim proprietorship for the land where we are born. But we do not know by freaks of nature, any second, we can be driven away from this land and put another land. So where is my proprietorship? If I am staying for some time here, some time there... Bhojanam yatra yatra sayanam hatta-mandire: "I eat wherever eatables are available, and I sleep on the marketplace." Then where is my home? Where is my home? So this is our position. We are circumambulating under, in the cycle of birth and death. Sometimes I am claiming, "America is my land," sometimes claiming, "India is my land," sometimes claiming, "China is my land," sometimes claiming, "Moon planet is my land." No land belongs to you. Everything belongs to God. Isavasyam idam sarvam [Iso mantra 1]. He is the proprietor. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. That misunderstanding... We are falsely encroaching upon and falsely claiming proprietorship. Therefore there is no peace. You are searching after peace. How can there be peace? You are falsely claiming something which does not belong to you. So here it is said, sarvaisvarya-purna.

So every place belongs to God, but that Goloka Vrndavana, that place is particularly His abode. You have seen the picture. It is lotuslike. All planets are round, but that supreme planet is lotuslike. So that is in the spiritual sky, Goloka Vrndavana. And from that spiritual planet... Just like the, from the sun planet, the sunshine is emanating profusely. Just like this sun is, is compared with the eye, eyes of the Lord. Not... One eye. Another eye, the moon. It is figuratively stated. Yac-caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam raja samasta-sura-murtir asesa-tejah. Asesa-tejah, unlimited potency, sunlight, is coming from the sun. This material world, we can practically experience. But the sunlight is also emanating from that light which is emanating from that Goloka Vrndavana. That is the real light, which is called brahmajyoti. So in that brahmajyoti there are innumerable spiritual planets also. So in the spiritual sky, in that spiritual light, in that spiritual planets, there are innumerable liberated living entities, and each, each and every planet, there is expansion of Lord Krsna. They are named by different names. [break] Sad-aisvarya-purna yanra goloka-nitya-dhama. So origin. He is the origin. His planet, Goloka Vrndavana, is the original planet, and from that planet, that brahmajyoti, light, is coming. And in that light, everything is resting. And in an insignificant portion of that light, this material world is situated. In that place there are innumerable universes as we are seeing one. And one of these universes, there are millions and billions of planets, of which this earth is only a insignificant fragment. And in that earth, the land of America, United States, is still insignificant. And in that state, New York is still insignificant. And in that New York City, this 26 Second Avenue insignificant. And we are sitting here. So just see how much insignificant we are. And we are claiming "God." Do not know... Sad-aisvarya-purna. This is called ignorance. We do not know how much insignificant we are in the creation of God, and we are claiming, "God." This is called poor fund of knowledge, poor fund of knowledge.

Now Lord Caitanya says that... He's giving evidence from Srimad-Bhagavatam. In Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated,

ete camsa-kalah pumsah
krsnas tu bhagavan svayam
indrari-vyakulam lokam
mrdayanti yuge yuge
 [SB 1.3.28]

Now, in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, perhaps in the Third Chapter in the First Canto, you'll find there is description of different incarnations, principal incarnations -- not all the incarnations, principal, in different yugas. So in that list of incarnations you'll find Lord Krsna's name also, Lord Rama's name also, Lord Buddha's name also. Lord Buddha is mentioned in that list. So we, Vaisnavite, we respect Lord Buddha as incarnation, incarnation. So do not think that the Hindus, they have got disregard for Lord Buddha or for Lord Jesus Christ. No. They have all regard. Anyone who comes as representative of God, or as God, as powerful incarnation, they are all welcome. According to time, according to place, according to the audience, they may speak, speak something which is, which may be different from the Vedic conclusion, but they are accepted as powerful incarnations. So in that list of incarnations, Krsna's name is also there. But just to particularize Krsna from all others, this verse is mentioned there. What is that? Ete. Ete means "All this list of incarnations that we have seen or we are reading in the Srimad-Bhagavatam..." Ete ca amsa-kalah pumsah. Pumsah means the Supreme Lord. "The Supreme Lord's plenary portion or portion of the plenary portion..." Just like the... I have several times mentioned in this room, that the original lamp... This is original lamp. And you kindle another candle, from that, another, from that, another, from... In that... Thousands and millions of candles, you can light up, but the original is called the original. Similarly, the original God is Krsna. From Him, Baladeva, and from Him, Sankarsana, and from Sankarsana, then Narayana, and Narayana, then second Sankarsana, the second Sankarsana, purusa avatara, then purusa avatara, Maha-Visnu... You have seen the picture in the, what is called, title page of the Srimad-Bhagavatam. The Maha-Visnu is lying in the, lying in the Causal Ocean, and in that Causal Ocean, from Maha-Visnu, from His breathing, millions and millions universes are coming out. And when He, when He breathes externally, the universes come out, and when He inhales, all the universes go into Him. You see? That Maha-Visnu.

yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya
jivanti loma-vilaja-jagad-anda-nathah
visnur mahan sa iha yasya kala-viseso
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.48]

That Visnu, Maha-Visnu, is the part, part, part, part, part, part of the part of the part of Krsna, that Maha-Visnu. So they are called kala.

So all these list... Bhagavata is specifying about Krsna. All this full list of God's incarnation... Either they are part, plenary part, or parts of the parts of the parts of the Supreme, but here, the name Krsna, He's the original God. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam: [SB 1.3.28] "The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Krsna." That has been particularly pointed out in Srimad-Bhagavatam, although there are list of many. So that, that Krsna, although He is original, still, indrari-vyakulam lokam mrdayanti yuge yuge. Indrari. Indra. Indra is the king of heaven. And ari, ari means enemy. Just like the heavenly king and the Satan, conception of Satan. So when there is satanic influence over the kingdom of God, or the devotees, or the appointed demigods, they are disturbed by satanic influence, then Krsna comes. Yada yada hi... That is stated, confirmed, in Bhagavad-gita.

yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham
 [Bg. 4.7]

Whenever there is discrepancies in the discharge of natural laws of God, then God incarnates. Either He incarnates Himself, or He sends His bona fide representative, or He sends His powerful representative, like that. So whenever there is incarnation of God, it is to be understood that there is discrepancies in the matter of discharging the laws made by God. And the laws made by God is called dharma, dharma, or religion.

So religion, you cannot manufacture; I cannot manufacture. Just like there are so many religions now, manufactured by laymen. Oh, they are not religion. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam: [SB 6.3.19] "Dharma means, religion means, which is made by God." Or His representative. Not by anyone. Not that you make a club or association, you manufacture some idea and it becomes religion. No. Dharmam tu saksad bha... [SB 6.3.19]. Therefore God incarnates. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati [Bg. 4.7]. Glanir means when there is discrepancies. In that law, which is given by God, when there is discrepancies and people are disturbed, especially the devotees are disturbed, when there is satanic influence, there is, devotees are very much disturbed. So paritranaya sadhunam [Bg. 4.8]. When incarnation comes, now, paritranaya sadhunam, the first business is to give protection to the devotees. There is no necessity of God's coming here to settle up things. There is no necessity. He has got omnipotential power. He can do without His presence. But when His devotees become very much disturbed, He comes personally. He comes personally, sends His representative. Paritranaya sadhunam. Sadhunam means devotees. Paritranaya and vinasaya ca duskrtam. And, simultaneously, when He comes, all these miscreants, they are killed. They are annihilated. Vinasaya ca duskrtam. Dharma-samsthapanarthaya, and reestablishing the principle of religion. Yuge yuge sambhavami. The Lord says, "I come in different millenniums."

So that is going on. There are innumerable universes, which you cannot estimate, and each of the universes, the Lord is incarnating Himself by one of His plenary portions. Krsna is present in some of the universes even now. We do not know where is that universe because we cannot see. What is information we have got? We do not know anything about this universe. We see so many stars in the night, so many sun, moon, but what do we know about them? Still, we are claiming that "We are very powerful. We are very advanced in knowledge." This is our poor fund of knowledge. Anyone who is claiming that "I am God" or "I am everything," he is a fool number one. Take it for... Immediately take as fool. What does he know? So indrari-vyakulam lokam [SB 1.3.28]. There are many universes and many planets. So in either of them or each of them, some sort of incarnation is present there. Just like in government, in every department, there is a government representative. Just like in your city, your mayor, mayor is there. Or any responsible post, there is some director, there is... Similarly, indrari-vyakulam mrdayanti yuge yuge. Yuge yuge means different yugas. The same example. Just like the sun. The sun is present everywhere. Just at this moment it is now eight, eight o'clock in New York. In India it is night. There is no sun. But here it is, sun present. Similarly, in your country also, if you go more farther eastern, western side, somewhere the sun is already there somewhere, somewhere the sun is not there. So similarly, the sun is there, but it is the particular time and place where people can see and cannot see. So Krsna is there always, everywhere, but it is the power of seeing where Krsna is or Krsna is not.

So indrari-vyakulam...  He is, by His one plenary portion, He is in either of the all universes. So in this universe, when He comes... Just like when sun appears in your country it takes round of twenty-four hours, similarly, when Krsna comes on this universe, it is only in one day of Brahma, that is, some millions and millions of years after, He comes. He has got a scheduled time also, to appear in this universe. We get information from authentic scripture. Indrari-vyakulam lokam mrdayanti yuge yuge. So He is... Just like sun is rotating, or we are rotating, similarly, Krsna is there. At a certain interval of time we see Him in this universe. He is present always, but at a certain interval... Just like the motorcar passes... It is going on. But when it is in front of my storefront, I can see. That's all. Not that because the motorcar has passed away, out of my sight, there is no motorcar. No. It has passed away from your sight. That's all. It is going on. It is going on. Similarly, incarnation, representation of Krsna, is always going on. When we can see, then it is... Krsna we can see. That is His omnipotency.

Now to understand that Krsna... Already said that bhakti, only devotional service, can help you in understanding that Supreme Krsna.

jnana, yoga, bhakti -- tina sadhanera vase
brahma, atma, bhagavan-trividha prakase

That same Krsna, He manifests Himself before you in three different features. What is that? Param brahma. Brahman, impersonal Brahman; impersonal atma, Supersoul; and Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The same Krsna. Actually Krsna is everything. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Godhead, and He is Atma. He is situated as Paramatma, the Supersoul, in everyone's heart. And He is Brahman. He is impersonal brahmajyoti spreading everywhere. So how the same thing is understood in different features? That is said, jnana, yoga and bhakti. Those who are trying to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth through knowledge, they can go up to that impersonal Brahman. Those who are searching after the Supreme Absolute Truth through meditation, yoga, they can approach Krsna up to His plenary portion, Paramatma, or the Supersoul. And those who are pursuing the principles of devotional service, they can directly approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. So Krsna is everything. He is impersonal Brahman, He is localized Paramatma, and He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead at the same time, but due to our different processes, different process of approach, somebody is realizing Him as the impersonal Brahman, somebody is realizing Him as the localized Paramatma, Supersoul, and somebody is realizing Him, isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1], the most, supermost reservoir of all pleasure, Personality of Godhead, and associates with Him in different relationship and enjoys life, eternal life, blissful life and knowledge of full...

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 20.154-157 -- New York, December 7, 1966

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Becoming As Good As Krishna

Becoming As Good As Krishna

Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 21.13-49
New York, January 4, 1967

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Prabhupada: ...Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

nantam vidamy aham ami munayo agrajas te
maya-balasya purusasya kuto 'vara ye
gayan gunan dasa-satanana adi-devah
seso 'dhunapi samavasyati nasya param

This is a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam. This was recited by Brahma. The purpose of this verse is... Brahma says that "Although I am Brahma, and before me all the great sages, everyone, has tried to know the Supreme Lord in complete, but nobody could understand where is the end of the unlimited potencies of the Supreme Lord."

seho rahu-sarvajna-siromani sri-krsna
nija-gunera anta na pana hayena satrsna

Even Lord Sri Krsna Himself, He does not know how unlimited is His potency. Lord Caitanya says that. He also does not know.

seha rahu-vraje yabe krsna avatara
tanra caritra vicarite mana na paya para
prakrtaprakrta srsti kaila eka-ksane
asesa-vaikunthajanda svasvanatha-sane

In this way, the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna, by His plenary expansions, He is doing unlimited activities, transcendental.

So for a living entity, a small living entity like us, we cannot know. The only thing is that, as stated in the Bhagavad-gita, that satatam kirtayanto mam yatantas ca drdha-vratah, tusyanti ca ramanti ca [Bg. 9.14]. The subject matter is so nice that the devotees who are engaged in Krsna consciousness in the transcendental loving service, they like. And in the association of pure devotees these topics become palatable. There are many instances in the Bhagavata also. When Saunakadi Rsi, sages headed by Saunaka Muni, was hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam by Suta Gosvami, they also uttered this, vayam tu na vitrpyama. "You are reciting about the glories of the Supreme Lord, His activities, so please continue. We are not yet satisfied. The subject matter is so nice that we want to more and more..." Svadu svadu pade pade. As you go on hearing and as you become purified... There is a very practical example: the sugar candy. Sugar candy is, by nature it is very sweet. But if you give it to a patient who is jaundiced, if you give, he will taste it, that he'll say that it is bitter. It is bitter. You will have practical exam... If you ask him what is the taste, he'll say bitter. Everyone knows that sugar candy is very sweet, but if you give to a patient suffering from jaundice, he'll say it is bitter. Similarly, the krsna-katha, the Lord's name, fame, quality, entourage, all these things are very sweet. To whom? Those who are liberated from this jaundice of materialism. For them it is very sweet. So as you feel sweetness of this Krsna-katha, you should know that you are becoming liberated from this material entanglement. The same thing: sugar candy is the only medicine for jaundice. Those who are suffering from jaundice, they are prescribed by physician to take sugar candy water in the morning. And by drinking that sugar candy water, gradually he feels the sweetness of sugar candy. That is the test that he is getting free from the disease. So similarly, Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam or anything where the topics of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is discussed, if you feel it is interesting, that means you are getting out of the jaundice of this material disease. Yes. This is the test. If you don't feel interested, then you must know that the jaundice of material disease is there. So this is the test. The more you feel krsna-katha, the topics of Krsna, tasteful, the more you'll know that you are getting free from the jaundice of material disease.

e-mata anyatra nahi suniye adbhuta
yahara sravane citta haya avadhuta
'krsna-vatsair asankhyataih'-sukadeva-vani
krsna-sange kata gopa-sankhya nahi jani

Gopa. Krsna, you know, in His abode, He is just like a sixteen-years-old boy, and His main pastime is to take the cows in the pasturing ground with His friends, boyfriends, and play with them. This is Krsna's day's business. So Sukadeva Gosvami has written a very nice verse, that these boys who are playing with Krsna, in their past lives they had accumulated heaps of pious activities. Krta-punya-punjah [SB 10.12.11]. Sakam vijahruh. Ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhutya. Now, Sukadeva Gosvami is writing. These boys who are playing with Krsna, they are playing with whom? They are playing with the Supreme Absolute Truth, who is considered as impersonal by the great sages. Ittham satam brahma... Brahma-sukha. Brahma, transcendental Brahman realization. The reservoir of Brahman realization is here, Krsna. So these boys who are playing with this Krsna, He is the reservoir of that Brahman realization. Ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhutya dasyam gatanam para-daivatena. Dasyam gatanam, those who have accepted the Supreme Lord as master, that means devotees, for them this Krsna is the Supreme Lord. For the impersonalists He is Supreme Brahman, and for the personalists He is Supreme Lord. And mayasritanam nara-darakena. And those who are under the spell of materialism, for them He is ordinary boy. Mayasritanam nara-darakena sakam vijahruh krta-punya-punjah [SB 10.12.11]. With Him these boys, who had accumulated millions and millions births of pious activities, now they have got the opportunity of playing with Krsna face to face just like ordinary boys play. So similarly, Krsna is very much fond of playing with His young boyfriends. That is mentioned in the Brahma-samhita. Surabhir abhipalayantam, laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam [Bs. 5.29]. So these things are explained here also.

eka eka gopa kare ye vatsa carana
koti, arbuda, sankha, padma, tahara ganana

Now there are so many friends, cowherd boys, nobody can count. Nobody... Unlimited, everything unlimited. They have unlimited number of cows, unlimited number of boyfriends, everything unlimited.

vetra, venu dala, srnga, vastra, alankara,
gopa-ganera yata, tara nahi lekha-para

Now these cowherds boys, they have got a cane in the hand, vetra. And each of them has got a flute also. Vetra venu dala. And a lotus flower, and a srngara, a horn. Srngara vastra, and very nicely dressed. And full of ornaments. Just like Krsna is dressed, similarly, His friends, cowherd boys, they are also dressed. In the spiritual world, when you go, you'll not be able to understand who is Krsna and who is not Krsna. Everyone is like Krsna. Similarly, in the Vaikuntha planets everyone is like Visnu. That is called sayujya-mukti. The living entities, when they enter into the spiritual planets, they become as good as Krsna and Visnu -- there is no difference -- because it is absolute world. Here the difference is there. The impersonalists, they cannot understand that even in individuality there is no difference. As soon as they think of individuality, oh, they think that there is a difference. Then what is liberation? Yes. And actually there is no difference. The difference is only that Krsna's personality and others' personalities, they are conscious that "Krsna is our object of love." That's it. The center is Krsna. In this way the individual boys and girls and Krsna, everyone is enjoying spiritual bliss.

sabe haila caturbhuja vaikunthera pati
prthak prthak brahmandera brahma kare stuti
eka krsna-deha haite sabara prakase
ksaneke sabai sei sarire pravese

Now, these, all these cowherd boys and everything, cows and everything, they are all expansion of Krsna's energy. It is spiritual. Just like we are expansion of Krsna's marginal energy and the matter is also expansion of Krsna's inferior material energy, similarly, in the spiritual world all those things -- Krsna, the cowherd boys, the cows, and everything -- they are also expansion of His spiritual energy.

eka krsna-deha haite sabara prakase
ksaneke sabai sei sarire pravese
iha dekhi' brahma haila mohita, vismita
stuti kari' ei pache karila niscita

Brahma, he was bewildered. When Krsna came on this planet, Brahma... Muhyanti yat surayah. Brahma was astonished and Indra was astonished: "How is that my Lord Krsna has come at Vrndavana as a cowherd boy?" So they came to Vrndavana to test. So all... So Brahma, by his... He has got so much power. He had kidnapped all the cows and the boys of Krsna. And when he came back he saw Krsna is playing with the same cows and boys again. Then he could understand that "This boy is Krsna." Then he offered his prayer and begged pardon from Him that "I misunderstood." In this way there are many narrations in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Here Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is referring to that incident.

iha dekhi' brahma haila mohita, vismita
stuti kari' ei pache karila niscita

So he was astonished, and then, after prayer, he was satisfied.

ye kahe-'krsnera vaibhava muni saba janon'
se januka -- kaya-mane muni ei manon

So Brahma admitted that "If anybody says that 'I know Krsna. I know the Supreme Personality of Godhead in detail,' so maybe he may know, but so far I am concerned, I do not know." The purport is that Brahma is the first creature in this universe. He is the first living entity. He accepts his inability to understand about Krsna, and what to speak of others? What to speak of the commentator who says that "This is not Krsna; this is something else."

ei ye tomara ananta vaibhavamrta-sindhu
mora van-mano-gamya nahe eka bindu

Brahma admitted that "Your activities, Your pastimes, everything of You, it is not possible even to taste or to understand even a particle of it." The very verse recited here,

jananta eva janantu
kim bahuktya na me prabho
manaso vapuso vaco
vaibhavam tava gocarah

Nobody can understand how great is Krsna.

krsnera mahima rahu-keba tara jnata
vrndavana-sthanera dekha ascarya vibhuta

That is described, the glories of Krsna -- nobody can understand. Similarly, vrndavana-sthanera ascarya vibhuta. Similarly, the land which is known as Vrndavana, it has also got unlimited potency. Still, as I have several times mentioned, if you go to Vrndavana you'll find unlimited potency of spiritual atmosphere still. And therefore Lord Caitanya recommended that aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayah tad dhama vrndavanam: "As Lord Krsna is worshipable, similarly His place, Vrndavana, is as good as Krsna. It is also worshipable." And actually, still in India, if you go to Vrndavana, you'll see so many saints and sages are still there. They are worshiping Vrndavana-dhama.

apara aisvarya krsnera-nahika ganana
sakha-candra-nyaye kari dig-darasana
aisvarya kahite sphurila aisvarya-sagara

manendriya dubila, prabhu ha-ila phanpara
bhagavatera ei sloka padila apane
artha asvadite sukhe karena vyakhyane

Now, Caitanya Mahaprabhu's attitude was... When He was speaking of Krsna He sometimes became in trance, and He became sometimes unconscious. That was His... Because Caitanya Mahaprabhu's incarnation is that He is Krsna, and Krsna is trying to understand Krsna as Krsna's devotee. That is His feature. These are very complicated things, but that is the position of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So when He used to speak something of Krsna, He sometimes became unconscious.

brahma visnu hara-ei srstyadi-isvara
tine ajnakari krsnera krsna-adhisvara

So... So far the demigods are concerned, Brahma is the chief. Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara, they are ajnakari. They are under the order of Krsna: Brahma, Visnu, Mahesvara.

e samanya tryadhisvarera suna artha ara
jagat-karana tina purusavatara

Then there are three purusa-avataras, we have already discussed. Jagat... For material creation there are three purusa incarnations.

maha-visnu, padmanabha, ksirodaka-svami
ei tina-sthula-suksma-sarva-antaryami

And those three incarnations are called Maha-Visnu, Padmanabha, Padmanabha Visnu. Padmanabha means from His navel there is a stem of lotus flower, and Ksirodakasayi Visnu... Ei tina-sthula-suksma-sarva-antaryami.

ei tina-sarvasraya jagat-isvara
eho saba kala-amsa krsna-adhisvara

So all these incarnations are plenary parts of Krsna. And this is confirmed in Brahma-samhita:

yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya
jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah
visnur mahan sa iha yasya kala-viseso
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.48]

So Govinda, the Supreme Lord, the cause of all causes, His plenary portions are these three Visnus.

ei artha-madhyama, suna 'gudha' artha ara
tina avasa-sthana krsnera sastre khyati yara

Now, Krsna abode, the planet which is called Goloka Vrndavana, that has three divisions. As we have got replica on this earth, there is Vrndavana, Mathura, and Dvaraka. Dvaraka is in Gujarat, and Mathura and Vrndavana is in U.P., Uttar Pradesh, near Delhi. And Dvaraka is about three hundred miles or more than that from Delhi. So these are replicas of the original Krsnaloka.
'antahpura'-goloka-sri-vrndavana

yahan nitya-sthiti mata-pita-bandhu-gana
madhuraisvarya-madhurya-krpadi-bhandara
yogamaya dasi yahan rasadi lila-sara

So out of these three places, Vrndavana-dhama is the most important. That is the confidential home of Krsna. Just like a businessman might have many places for his business activities, but his home is different from all this business. He may live in the countryside in a cottage, but he may be a very big businessman. Similarly Krsna, although He's all-powerful, He lives at Vrndavana in the gardenlike city. Not city; a tract of land. A small city is there now. They have named Vrndavana. But Vrndavana's not that small city. It is a tract of land about eighty-four miles. So it is full of gardens and full of nice places. Anywhere you go, you will find something wonderful to see. There are many trees and fruits and flowers, many varieties of birds, and the cranes on the Yamuna side. Each and every place is remembering Krsna. If you go there you'll find that "Krsna is... Somewhere He was playing. I must find out." It is such nice place. So Vrndavana is the most confidential part of Krsna's abode.

tara tale paravyoma-'visnuloka'-nama
narayana-adi ananta svarupera dhama

So in the spiritual world, that Vrndavana planet is the highest planet, and below that planet there are innumerable Vaikuntha planets which are called Visnuloka.

tara tale paravyoma-'visnuloka'-nama
narayana-adi ananta svarupera dhama

And the presiding Deity, predominating Deity in those planets is called Narayana. Narayana is also expansion of Krsna. Generally, Narayana is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but from authentic scripture we understand that Narayana is expansion of Krsna.

'madhyama-avasa' krsnera-sad-aisvarya-bhandara
ananta svarupe yahan karena vihara

Although Krsna is two-handed and, I mean to say, busy with His flute-playing, but we do not know, many do not know, that He is, has expanded as Narayana and Visnu. He is the predominating Deity all over the spiritual world.

ananta vaikuntha yahan bhandara-kothari
parisada-gane sad-aisvarye ache bhari'

And in each and every planet there are innumerable devotees. He's surrounded by the innumerable devotees. And He's reciting evidences, verse from Brahma-samhita:

goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya
devi-mahesa-hari-dhamasu tesu tesu
te te prabhava-nicaya vihitas ca yena
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.43]

His own personal planet is Goloka Vrndavana, and below that planet there are many other, innumerable planets which are known as Vaikuntha. And below that spiritual world there is material world. And between material world and spiritual world there is another space, which is called Sivaloka. And below that Sivaloka is this Devi-dhama. This material is called Devi-dhama. Durga. The presiding deity of this Devi-dhama is Durga. He's giving evidences from many authentic Vedic literatures. One of them is Brahma-samhita. Then He's giving another evidence from Padma Purana, the existence of spiritual planets. In Indian spiritual society the evidences are given from Vedic literature. Then it is accepted, not that mental speculationist's theory, "I think this. I think that..." No. Just the same example I have several times cited before you, that the law court, they give evidences from the lawbook, sections from the lawbook. Similarly, the process is whenever we speak something transcendental subject, if we can pick up evidences from Vedic literatures... There are many authentic Vedic literatures. They are accepted by the spiritual societies. And one's learning is proved if he can give evidences from these Vedic literatures. Similarly Lord Caitanya, whatever He is speaking, He's giving immediately references from Vedic literature. So, so far the existence of the spiritual world and different planets, spiritual planets, Vaikuntha and Krsnaloka, one may think... Of course, those who have no knowledge, they may think that these are all stories. No, they are not stories. They are actual facts, and Lord Caitanya is giving evidences from Brahma-samhita, from Padma Purana, and similar other Vedic literatures.

Thank you very much. Any question? (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 21.13-49 -- New York, January 4, 1967

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