So by this devotional process, adau
sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah, that love... Sadhakanam ayam premnah pradurbhave
bhavet kramah [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15].
There are stages, or steps, one after another, if we practice. Sadhu-sange, sato vrtteh sadbhir bhaktih prasidhyati. Srila Rupa Gosvami says that potent love for Krsna can be reinstated again, invoked again, by the prescribed method. Sadhu-sange sato vrtteh sadbhir bhaktih prasidhyati. Utsahan dhairyat niscayat. When you get little taste of love of Krsna... Just like we are sitting here. We have got little taste for loving Krsna. Otherwise, why we should waste our time in this way? This is called sraddha. So this sraddha is also invoked by association with sadhu, devotees. Then, if we little become enthusiastic... Just like you have become. Utsahan. You have left your country, everything, and you are going everywhere, coming with me. Not for any material profit, but for increasing your Krsna consciousness. This is called utsahan, enthusiasm. Our whole Krsna consciousness movement is depending on this enthusiasm. Just like I went to your country. At the age of seventy years, nobody goes out of home. But there was enthusiasm, "Yes, I must go." And because I went, there is something. You have got the information. Similarly, enthusiasm is the basic principle, adau.
Utsahan dhairyat. By patience. Not that "I am working so hard for Krsna, but I'm not getting any impetus." No. Don't be impatient. Krsna will give you chance. He's giving chance always, twenty-four hours, imperceptibly. But we cannot appreciate very much. Krsna sees. As far as we are able, according to our strength, He gives responsibility. But we must be... Rest assured, when we have taken shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna fully, without any reservation, Krsna must be pleased; maybe it will take some time. This is called niscayad, certainty, assurance. Utsahan dhairyat niscayad tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. You have to execute the routine prescribed duties. Tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. You cannot go against the principles of devotional service. With patience, you must execute. Tat-tat-pravartanat. Sato vrtteh. Sato vrtteh means dealings must be very honest. No duplicity. Very frank, plain. Sato vrtteh, sadhu-sange, and in association of devotees. Sadbhir bhaktir pranasya..., uh, prasidhyati. In this way, our propensity for, of love for Krsna will increase.
Similarly, there are other six methods. Prajalpa niyamagraha.
atyaharah prayasas ca
prajalpo niyamagrahah
jana-sangas ca, laulyam jana-sangas ca
sadbhir bhaktih pranasyati
[NoI 2]
Atyahara, eating or collecting more than necessity. That is atyahara. Ahara means eating and collecting. Aharah. So we should not collect more than what we need. Krsna will give, giving us. Just like we are spending so much money in all our centers. So Krsna is sending us the necessary expenditure. How... Otherwise, how we are maintaining? So... But we should not be hankering after collecting more than what is necessity. That is atyahara. Similarly, we should not eat more than what we need for maintaining the body and soul together. Atyahara prayasah, prayasah. We should not endeavor for anything which requires too much anxiety. That is called prayasah. Atyahara prayasah. Automatically, by Krsna's grace, whatever comes, that's all right. Atyaharah prayasas ca prajalpah [NoI 2]. Talking unnecessarily, nonsense. Just like people waste their time talking three hours on some political situation. You see. They have got enough time to discuss newspaper, but when they are invited to our class, they find no time.
So we should not waste our time, a single moment. Time is very valuable. In your country, they say, "Time is money." So either you take money, that is artha, or paramartha. Money is required in the material world, and in spiritual world, paramartha, spiritual asset. Some way or other, even those who are materialists, they do not waste their time. So we are after spiritual realization. How we can waste our time? Time is very valuable. So we should not waste time. Prajalpo niyamagrahah, jana-sangas ca. And associating with ordinary persons who are not devotees. Jana-sangas. People in general, they have no taste for Krsna. And greediness, laulyam. These things are impediments for advancing in Krsna consciousness. Sadbhir bhaktih. Niya..., niyamagrahah. Niyamagrahah means simply busy to follow the rules, but actually do not understand what is the meaning of such following. Not blindly. One should follow the regulative principles with firm conviction and understanding. Niyama agrahah and niyama-agrahah. Agrahah means eagerness to accept. And agrahah, not accepting. In both ways, niyama grahah. Not to accept the regulative principles, that is also faulty. And too much agraha, false agraha, without knowing the meaning of it, that is also faulty. So niyamagrahah.
atyahara prayasas ca
prajalpo niyamagrahah
laulyam jana-sangas ca
sadbhir bhaktih pranasyati
So we should be very careful. If we are... Because our only business is yato bhaktir adhoksaje, to increase our loving propensity for Krsna, Adhoksaja, who is beyond the reach of our senses. Krsna's another name is Adhoksaja, "beyond the reaches of senses." Anubhava. We can perceive Krsna's there, but not that by our senses. We can touch, we can see, we can smell. That we shall do as we increase, as we purify our senses. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau [Brs. 1.2.234]. Not immediately. Just like Sanatana Gosvami. He was talking with his Deity. So as we make advancement in spiritual consciousness, Krsna will talk with us directly. The Deity will talk with you. There are many instances. In Vrndavana, there was Gopala, Saksi-Gopala. He has now gone to Orissa. He talked with His devotees, and went with His devotee. So Krsna is giving us chance to touch Him, to see Him, to smell Him, to taste Him. By so many ways. This is called arcana-marga. And gradually, when we advance, it will be directly. Just like we are directly talking. That will be possible. So patiently, by following the regulative principles... Sadhu-marganugamanam.
Adau gurvasrayam. In the beginning, one has to accept the bona fide spiritual master. Sad-dharma-prcchat. Then inquiry from spiritual master. Athato brahma jijnasa. Jivasya tattva-jijnasa. In this way... Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya [Bg. 4.34]. Pariprasna. In this way, we shall have to make advancement and gradually our dormant love of Krsna will be fully manifest. This is the way. Go on.
Pradyumna: "In the... And The Nectar of Devotion teaches us how to stimulate our original love for Krsna and how to be situated in that position where we can enjoy our blissful life. In the primary stage, a child loves his parents, then his brothers and sisters..." Oh, I'm sorry. "This, this theme is the sum and substance of The Nectar of Devotion which teaches us how to love Krsna in five different transcendental mellows. Our..."
Prabhupada: Yes. The subject matter of Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, basic principle, how to love Krsna in five primary rasas: santa-rasa, sakhya-rasa, dasya-rasa, santa-dasya-sakhya-vatsalya-
Pradyumna: "Our loving propensity expands just as a vibration of light or air expands, but we do not know where it ends. The Nectar of Devotion teaches us the science of loving every one of the living entities perfectly by the easy method of loving Krsna. We have failed to create peace and harmony in human society, even by such great attempts as the United Nations, because we do not know the right method. The method is very simple, but one has to understand it with a cool head. The Nectar of Devotion teaches all men how to perform the simple and natural method of loving Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If we learn how to love Krsna, then it is very easy to immediately and simultaneously love every living being."
Prabhupada: Yes. This... Everyone in the human society is trying to establish love in the society, but it is being failed. The reason is that we are missing the central point. Just like from a point you can make a circle. What is called that?
Pradyumna: Compass.
Prabhupada: Compass. Yes. That compass, you put the pointed part on the center, you can make a circle. So if I do not take the central point, I make my own point, then my circle will overlap your circle, there will be a clash. But if the center is the same, I can draw one circle, you can draw one, another circle. None of these circles will overlap. So if taking Krsna as the center... Nirbandhe krsna-sambandhe. If we relate our activities, social activities, philanthropic activities, political activities, any a..., religious activities, any activity. If you make center Krsna, then my circle, your circle, another circle will not overlap. But it will give different lights. Krsna being center. That point we were discussing in this morning from Srimad-Bhagavatam. Atah pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasah. Everyone is trying to make his own circle. Political, social, humanitarian, philosophical, scientific. That's all right. But Bhagavata says that make your circle perfect from the point of Krsna. Don't miss the point. Svanu, svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]. Whatever you do, if you try to please Krsna, then your circle is perfect. Krsna must be center. Rupa Gosvami says, nirbandhe krsna-sambandhe. Krsna-sambandhe. You can deal in politics. Then politics will be perfect. Krsna-sambandhe, you can make circle of scientific knowledge. Then it will be perfect. Making center Krsna, either politics, sociology, philosophy, religion, whatever it may be. It will be perfect.
Yukta-vairagyam ucyate. Anasaktasya visayan yatharham upayunjate. Just like we are using this microphone. This is material, scientific advancement. Sometimes they criticize that "You are not materialistic. Why you are using the modern appliances? Why you are flying on the aeroplane?" So practically, our vision is that everything is Krsna's and everything must be utilized for Krsna's service. That is, that is our philosophy. Actually, it is so. This microphone is manufactured by Krsna's energy. Bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca, prakrti bhinna me astadha [Bg. 7.4]. So this metal portion, or the rubber portion, or any portion of this microphone is made of the five elements, earth, water, fire, air. So Krsna says, "They are My separated energy." So although separated energy, we are dovetailing with the service of Krsna. That, we do not see that this matter is separate from Krsna. Actually it is not so. When we see the matter is separate from Krsna, that is materialism. When we see the matter is energy of Krsna, that is not materialism. That is spiritualism. So it is our intellect how we can utilize everything with Krsna.
Nirbandhe krsna-sambandhe yukta-vairagyam ucyate. Anasaktasya visayan. If we utilize the same matter for our sense gratification, visaya, then it is material. The same flower, if I collect it for my sense gratification, this flower is material. The same flower, when I pick up for offering on the lotus feet of Krsna, this is spiritual. Then how the material thing transformed into spiritual? By the consciousness. Therefore our propaganda is to raise the Krsna consciousness. Nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti. That is our propaganda. As soon as we raise the consciousness to the platform of Krsna, then we become spiritualized. Nirbandhe krsna-sambandhe yukta-vairagyam ucyate. Who is talking? Nirbandhe krsna-sambandhe yukta-vairagyam ucyate.
Just like Ramananda Raya. He was governor. He was Governor of Madras, but he was the, one of the most confidential devotees of Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya and Ramananda Raya were talking together, and Sri Ramananda Raya was feeling little shyness because he did not belong to the brahmana community. He was governor, householder. So he thought that Caitanya Mahaprabhu was asking him question and he was answering, that means he was taking the superior position. So he felt little shyness. And when he was feeling such shyness, Caitanya Mahaprabhu encouraged him,
kiba vipra kiba sudra nyasi kene naya
yei krsna-tattva-vetta sei guru haya
[Cc. Madhya 8.128]
Encouraged him. Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught the whole world, how one can become exalted simply by learning the science of Krsna, Krsna-tattva-vetta. Tattva means science. It doesn't matter whether he's a sannyasi or a grhastha or a sudra or a brahmana. It doesn't matter. These are all designations of the body. Spiritually, we are all one. Panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18]. So if we are on the spiritual platform... On the spiritual platform means to understand the Science of Krsna, the Supreme Spirit. Then if we are conversant with the science of Krsna, then anyone who is such enlightened, he is perfect spiritual master. It doesn't matter what he is. Just like Haridasa Thakura. He was born in Muhammadan family. Sanatana Gosvami, Rupa Gosvami, they were rejected from the brahmana community and they took the Muslim names, Sakara Mallika, Dabira Khasa. But it is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's preaching that He collected all these exalted personalities. They were associates of Krsna, Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
But the universality of Caitanya Mahaprabhu's movement is such that anyone can become Krsna conscious, and anyone can accept or be elevated to the exalted post of gosvami, namacarya. Just like Haridasa Thakura was made the Namacarya. And Sanatana Gosvami, Rupa Gosvami, although rejected by the brahmana community, they were the exalted Gosvamis, six Gosvamis. Sri-rupa sanatana bhatta-raghunatha. Ei chaya gosi yara tara mui dasa. So our whole Vaisnava, Gaudiya Vaisnava community are servants of all these Gosvamis. So it doesn't matter. Krsna also confirms, mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg. 9.32]. It doesn't matter one is born in lower family. It doesn't matter. That...
Svado 'pi sadyah savanaya kalpate. Even the dog-eaters. In the beginning, we did not know who is the dog-eaters. In the beginning, we did not know who is the dog-eaters. Now, when we are travelling all over the water, we see so many dog-eaters. In Korea, China, Philippines, there are many dog-eaters. So in the sastras it is mentioned: even the dog-eaters, svado. Sva means dog. And adah, one who eats. Svado 'pi sadyah savanaya kalpate. If one is elevated to Krsna consciousness, even he's born in the family of dog-eaters or he is a dog-eater... Of course, he cannot remain dog-eater. After coming to become a Vaisnava, he does not remain a dog-eater. But dog-eating is not disqualification. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's specific contribution. Nothing is disqualification to come to Krishna consciousness, provided one is serious to come to this platform. Svado 'pi sadyah.
Srila Jiva Gosvami has commented on this line, svado 'pi sadyah, that a dog-eater, after becoming a devotee, immediately he becomes a qualified brahmana, so much so that he becomes competent to become a priest in the matter of offering sacrifices. But Jiva Gosvami says that even a person is born in brahmana family, he awaits the qualification of performing sacrifices. He has to be initiated. He has to be advanced in education, so many things. But one dog-eater, if he takes to Krsna consciousness, immediately, without waiting for reformatory method, he becomes immediately competent to act as priest in performing sacrifices. But we should not take advantage of this. Actually, we should become on the platform of brahmana, qualified brahmana, qualification Vaisnava so that others may not criticize. That is our special request. That chance is there, everyone. This path of Krsna consciousness is open to everyone. It does not matter. My position is very precarious.
This morning, one man came to challenge me that how I am converting these mlecchas and yavanas to Vaisnava. Yes. But how I an...? It is, it is there in the sastra.
kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-
abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadhayah
ye 'nye ca papa yad-upasrayasrayah
sudhyanti...
[SB 2.4.18]
They becomes purified according to sastra. Sri Sanatana Gosvami gives direction, tatha diksa-vidhanena dvijatvam jayate nrnam. By diksa-vidhana, by proper initiation, any person can attain the stage of dvijatvam. So our method is not against the sastra. Yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya. If we give up the direction of the sastra, then we are faulty. If we do not deviate the injunctions of the sastra... Sadhu-sastra-guru-vakya tinete kariya aikya. In the sastra it is sanctioned. My Guru Maharaja, he also ordered. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also ordered.
When Caitanya Mahaprabhu ordered that prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama, so that means He wanted that all over the world, in every town, in every village, His mission should be propagated. And what is His mission? His mission is: yei krsna-tattva-vetta sei guru haya [Cc. Madhya 8.128]. That is His mission, So it is not that in western countries one cannot become Vaisnava, one cannot become guru. This is not. This, such sort of remark is not tolerable from sastric point of view. It is completely, strictly to the sastric point of view. And it is a glory for us that people in other countries, outside India, they're accepting this cult of Krsna consciousness. But crippled people, they unnecessarily criticize this method. But we don't care for them.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => The
Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1972
The Nectar of Devotion
--
Vrndavana, October 26, 1972
--
Vrndavana, October 26, 1972
Pradyumna: "The Nectar of Devotion is specifically presented for persons who are now engaged in the Krsna consciousness movement. I beg to offer my sincere thanks to all my friends and disciples who are helping me..."
Prabhupada: That's all. So, next page.
Pradyumna: "Invoking auspiciousness: Lord Sri Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, the reservoir of all rasas, or relationships, which are called neutrality, or passive adoration, servitorship, friendship, parenthood, conjugal love, comedy, compassion, fear, chivalry, ghastliness, wonder and devastation. He is the supreme attractive form, and by His universal and transcendental attractive features, He has captivated all the gopis, headed by Taraka, Palika, Syama, Lalita, and ultimately, Srimati Radharani. Let His Lordship's grace be on us so that there may not be any hindrance in the execution of this duty of writing The Nectar of Devotion, impelled by His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada."
Prabhupada: So Krsna is described as akhila-rasamrta-sindhu. So there are different rasas, five primary rasas. Rasa means the mellow or the taste which we enjoy in every activity. That is called rasa. Everything is done with some taste. Whatever you do, you must enjoy some taste out of it. So there are twelve rasas, out of which five rasas are primary and seven rasas are secondary. They are described here.
When Krsna was fighting with Bhisma... You know the story, that Bhisma was criticized by Duryodhana: "My dear Grandfather, you are not fighting in full strength with Arjuna because the, on the other side, they are your grandsons, and you have got, you have got very natural affection for them. So I think you are not fighting according to your strength. Otherwise, they would have been finished by this time." So Bhisma also could understand that, his criticism. Then he promised immediately that: "Tomorrow I shall finish all these five brothers. Will that be happy for you? So I am keeping five arrows to be used tomorrow for killing these five brothers." So Duryodhana became doubtful. So he request grandfather, "My dear grandfather, may I keep these five arrows with me so that you can take it from me tomorrow and use it?" "All right, you keep it."
So Krsna could understand that "Now Bhisma has promised to kill the Pandavas tomorrow, and he has selected five arrows for them." So He has to protect His devotees. Now, He asked Arjuna that "Duryodhana sometimes promised to give you some benediction. Now it is the opportunity. You go there to Duryodhana. And he has kept five arrows very carefully; you take it, them." So Arjuna went to Duryodhana... Because after fighting, in the evening, they were friends. There was no enmity. One man can go to the other camp as friend, brothers. So when Arjuna arrived to Duryodhana, Duryodhana received him. That is Vedic etiquette. "Arjuna, why you have come? You ask something from me. I am ready to give you. If you want the kingdom without fighting, if you have come for this purpose, I'll give you." So Arjuna said: "No, my dear brother, I've not come for that purpose. But you remember that you wanted to give me some benediction. So I have come for that." "Yes, I am prepared." "So you give me those five arrows." He immediately delivered.
So next morning, when Bhismadeva asked that "Where are those five arrows? Give me," So Duryodhana said, "Sir, this is the story. It has been taken away by Arjuna." So he could understand it is the trick of Krsna. So immediately he, out of devotion, became angry. Yes. So devotion, devotional service can be executed in anger also. Not by simply flowers. If he, there is a devotee, he can serve Krsna by becoming angry. So he promised immediately that "Today Krsna has to break His promise." Because Krsna promised that "Although I shall be in the battlefield, I shall simply drive your chariot, but I shall not fight." That was His promise. Now Bhisma said that "Krsna has broken my promise. So I shall fight in this way today that either Krsna has to break His own promise or His friend Arjuna will be killed." Two alternatives.
So when Bhisma was fighting very fiercely, severely, Arjuna's chariot became broken and he fell down; at that time Krsna took one of the wheels of the chariot and immediately approached Bhisma, and when He was approaching Bhisma, Bhisma was also piercing His body with arrows. And Krsna was accepting the arrows move lovable than the flowers. This is the dealing. Therefore that is a rasa, ghastly rasa. Apparently it appears to be very severe, that Krsna is being pierced by the arrows. But Krsna was feeling pleasure. So Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has explained this portion very nicely, that he has given the example of kissing. Sometimes there is hard pressure of the teeth, but still it is pleasurable. He has given this example, that although Krsna was being pierced by the arrows Bhismadeva, still Krsna felt very pleasing. And Bhismadeva also, when he was on his death bed, he wanted to see that form of Krsna when He was very angry and approaching before him to kill him in the battlefield. He explained that feature.
So we can enjoy Krsna's loving service in so many ways. Not only by the embrace of the gopis, but in the fight of Bhisma with Krsna and piercing His body with arrows. Therefore Krsna is akhila-rasamrta. Any one rasa... There are twelve rasas, either primary rasa or secondary rasa. Any rasa, Krsna is ready to respond to any rasa you want to deal with Krsna. That is Krsna's position. Kamat krodhad bhayat dvesat. So what to speak of those who are loving. Just like Putana. Putana wanted to kill Krsna. That was his, that was her purpose. But when Putana was killed by sucking her breast and life both, then Putana was given the position of Krsna's mother. Because Krsna took it the bright side. Krsna thought that "Whatever her intention may be, she came to Me just like a mother, and I sucked her breast. Therefore she is My mother." She came as enemy, but Krsna did not take the inimical side. The motherly side. Tejiyasam na dosaya [SB 10.33.29]. Similarly, the gopis, they came to Krsna out of lust, but out of lust, they became purified. Just like the sun. The sun soaks the water from urinal, but sun is not polluted, but the urinal becomes sterilized. This is the process. So you try to approach Krsna, some way or other. Then your life is successful. It doesn't matter. Kamat krodhad bhayad dvesat.
And what to speak of those who are constantly engaged in love with Krsna. Everything is love. As soon as you divert your attention to Krsna, that is love. It may be perverted. Just like Kamsa. Kamsa was always thinking of Krsna. Krsna... He was also Krsna conscious. But he was thinking in terms of killing Krsna, as enemy. So this is not bhakti. This is not anukula. Pratikula. But still, Krsna is so kind that Kamsa was also given liberation. This is the special kindness of Krsna. So any rasa. There are twelve rasas. Yena tena prakarena manah krsne nivesayet. That is the direction given by Srila Rupa Gosvami." Some way or other, fix up your mind in Krsna." Then your life is successful. Some way or other. Yena tena. So if your mind is fixed up always in Krsna, then your senses will be also engaged in Krsna's service. Because mind is the center of all activities of the senses.
So as Ambarisa Maharaja, he first of all engaged his mind in Krsna. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh [SB 9.4.18]. By fixing up his mind in Krsna, then he could use all other senses, namely the tongue... Actually bhakti begins with the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. Beginning from tongue, Krsna-bhakti begins. It may be very awkward to hear, that "By tongue, how bhakti begins?" But that is the statement in the sastras. Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. Our present senses, blunt, materially covered, it cannot taste what is Krsna's name, what is Krsna's form, what is Krsna's quality, what is Krsna's pastime, what is Krsna's paraphernalia. Senses, they taste. But... Just like in, when one is suffering from liver disease, or jaundice, he cannot taste the sugar candy. The sugar candy is sweet, but a jaundiced patient, if he's given sugar candy, he'll taste it is bitter. Similarly, our senses being covered with material consciousness, we cannot at the present moment taste what is Krsna's form, what is Krsna's name, what is Krsna's quality, what is Krsna's pastime, what is Krsna's paraphernalia, so many things. It is not possible. Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. Our senses are materially contaminated. Therefore we cannot directly perceive by using our present senses what is Krsna. So it has to be purified.
Just like eyes. When it is suffering from the disease, cataract, you cannot see properly. But the, if the, by surgical operation, the cataract is moved, the eyes become purified, you can see. That is also stated in Brahma-samhita:
premanjana-cchurita bhakti-vilocanena
santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti
yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.38]
Premanjana-cchurita. You have to collect the ointment of love for Krsna. And if you apply that ointment on your eyes, then... Just like we use surma (?) for clear vision, similarly, when the love of Krsna surma is applied on the eyes, these eyes, you'll see Krsna. This is the process.
Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. You have to get yourself freed from the upadhis, designations. The designation, the sun and substance of designation: this material body. "I am this body." "I am Hindu." "I am Mussulman." "I am American." "I am Hin..., Indian." All designation of this body. So one has to become freed from the contamination of this bodily concept of life. That is called sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. When our spiritual body becomes revealed, the material body, contamination, is washed off, nirmalam. At that time, the senses remain. Senses are there. It is simply covered by the material energies. The senses are there. The living entity is not nirakara. Living entity has got hands, legs, everything, spiritual. Just like my, I have got my body, and this body's covered by this shirt, and because I have got this hand, the shirt has got hand. Otherwise wherefrom this hand comes? Unless the spirit soul has got hands and legs, how we have got these material hands and legs?
Therefore it is, the conclusion is that spirit soul has form. As Krsna has got form, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1], similarly spirit soul, jivatma, being part and parcel of Krsna, it has got form. That form is also described in the sastra. Kesagra-sata-bhagasya satadha kalpitasya ca, jiva bhago sa vijneyah [Cc. Madhya 19.140]. A rough idea of the form of the living entity has been given in the Padma Purana that one ten thousandth part of the tip of the hair... Now, perhaps we have no instrument how to measure one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. But this is given there. So anyway, because we get information from the Bhagavad-gita, that this body, material body is, is like a dress. Vasamsi jirnany yatha vihaya. As we give up old dress, garment, similarly, when this body becomes useless, we give up this body and accept another new body. Navani ghrnati.
This is the transmigration of the soul. The soul is transmigrating form one body to another. That is a fact. But the gross, gross materialists, they cannot see the subtle body. They simply see the gross body. Therefore they say, "When this body is finished, this gross body's finished, everything is finished." No, that is not. Within the gross body, there is subtle body, made of mind, intelligence and ego. So that is... Just like in every day we have got experience. The gross body is lying on the bed, but the subtle body goes out of the bed, out of the room, goes on the top of a hill or somewhere. It works. That is our practical experience. Similarly, when this gross body is finished, no more usable, the subtle body carries the soul to another womb of the mother. Karmana daiva-netrena jantor deha upapattaye [SB 3.31.1]. Through the semina of the father, the living entity is injected within the womb of the mother, and the two secretions becomes emulsified, and it becomes just like a small pea, and within that pea the soul is there, and it develops. This is the process of transmigration of the soul from one body to another.
So soul has got form. It is not formless. Similarly, Krsna has got also form. But that form is different from this form. When in the sastras it is said, nirakara, nirakara means nirakrta akara, "This akara, this form, is being nullified." Nirakara does not mean there is no akara. This body. When it is said, nirakara, that means the soul, the Supersoul or the soul, has no this akara, as we see. Just like we are seeing some dog or some cat or some hog, some tree, some plants, so many, eight million four hundred thousands of forms, but this is not the form. Nirakareti. Not this form. The soul has got a different form. That is described. Kesagra-sata-bhagasya satadha kalpitasya ca [Cc. Madhya 19.140]. We cannot see, at the present moment. So as we cannot see you. I am not seeing you, you are not seeing me... Just like a man's son dies, or father dies. He cries, "Oh, my father is gone, my father is gone." Where is your father gone? Your father is lying on the floor. Why do you say the father is gone? "No, he's gone. He's no more." That means this thing which has gone, he has never seen. He has seen simply this outward body, dress. This is called ignorance. I am not seeing you; still, I am speaking that I see you. So if I cannot see you, the part and parcel of God, how can I see God with these eyes? Therefore sastra says,
atah sri-krsna-namadi
na bhaved grahyam indriyaih
sevonmukhe hi jihvadau
svayam eva sphuraty adah
[Cc. Madhya 17.136]
na bhaved grahyam indriyaih
sevonmukhe hi jihvadau
svayam eva sphuraty adah
[Cc. Madhya 17.136]
You cannot see God, you cannot see Krsna by your, these blunt senses, but if you purify your senses, sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. That purification begins from tongue. That purification, sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. So by the tongue we can do two things. We can taste foodstuff and we can vibrate sound. So if you engage your tongue for vibrating this transcendental sound, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, and do not take anything except prasadam of Krsna, then your spiritual life immediately begins. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau, svayam eva... Then gradually, as you advance in spiritual life, Krsna reveals Himself to you, "Here I am." You cannot see Krsna, but by being satisfied with your service, Krsna sees you. Just like you cannot see sun at night. But when the sun sees you, you can see the sun and yourself, both. Similarly, when Krsna sees you, being satisfied with your service, then you can see Krsna, you can see yourself and you can see the whole world.
Now, whatever you are seeing, this is all illusion. You are not seeing, or we are not seeing. Because our senses are blunt to see things as they are. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is said that
vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah
[Bg. 5.18]
One who has got the eyes to see, he does not see that "Here is a learned brahmana, and here is a dog." He sees both the learned brahmana and the dog in equal vision. Because he does not see the dress. He sees the spirit soul within the brahmana and within the dog. That is called brahma-darsana. Samah sarvesu bhutesu. Mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg. 18.54]. When one has got that vision, transcendental vision, samah sarvesu bhutesu mad-bhakti, then the devotional service begins. Not that with blunt eyes and senses one can serve God, devotional service.
atah sri-krsna-namadi
na bhaved grahyam indriyaih
sevonmukhe hi jihvadau
svayam eva sphuraty adah
[Cc. Madhya 17.136]
This is the process.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => The
Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1972
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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