Pradyumna: (reading:) "...bhakti, or devotional service,
following in the footsteps of previous acaryas, can be summarized in the
following statement by Srila Rupa Gosvami: 'First-class devotional service is
known by one's tendency to be fully engaged in Krsna consciousness, serving the
Lord favorably.' "
Prabhupada: Hmmm. Serving the Lord favorably. Not whimsically. Favorably. Anukulyena krsnanu-silanam bhaktir uttama [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. This is the exact word, anukula. Anukula means favorably, "What I want, you shall do." That is favorable. I want something and you do something else, that is not favorable. Favorable means what Krsna wants, you do that. So to come to this understanding, preliminarily... Because we have forgotten Krsna, or God, at the present stage, in our material condition of life. Material condition means forgetting our relationship with God. That is material condition. The, this is... Therefore it is called maya. Maya means illusion, which has no existence, hallucination. The same thing as we see tiger when dreaming and crying: "Oh, here is tiger! Save me! Save me!" So this is called... This is the example of hallucination. There are many others. Just like water in the desert. Sometimes there is, due to reflection of the sun, it appears there is vast mass of water, and the animals, they go after it, the water. These are the, some of the examples of hallucination, illusion. So this hal... To be in the stage of hallucination, illusion, that is called maya. This is called maya. Ma-ya. Ma means "not"; ya means "this."
So we are in this condition now, in maya. We can practically experience. I have several times explained. Just like while we are asleep we forget everything of our day's life, and during daytime, we forget everything, what we saw in dream. So these two stages... So this is also dream, this is also dream, and I am observer of the dream. Therefore I am the fact, and this is illusion. Both the conditions. So therefore the question arises: "Then what I am?" That is called brahma-jijnasa. Sanatana Gosvami went to Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu to ask this question, "What I am?" And in, any intelligent man can understand that "I am simply dreaming. At night, I am dreaming something, forgetting night's dream, uh, day's dream. And in day, daytime, I am dreaming something. I am forget the night's dream. So actually both of them are dreams, and I am the observer. Then what I am?" This is the question. Athato brahma jijnasa This is the beginning of Vedanta-sutra. One should be inquisitive. Unless one comes to this point of inquiring about himself, then what I am? Why I am dreaming this daytime and nighttime? What is my actual position? This is human life. When one comes to this point of inquiring, "What I am?" that is the beginning of human life. Otherwise animal life. The animals, they do not know what I am, neither this question comes to them, "What I am?" He's thinking, "I am dog," "I am cat," "I am ass," "I am tiger," "I am this and that." Similarly, if we simply think like that, that "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brahmana," "I am this," "I am that," that is animal life. That is animal life. When you come to this point, understanding, jivasya tattva-jijnasa... Jivasya tattva-jijnasa nas ceha yat karmabhih. Kamasya na, na indriya-pritih, jiveta yavata. This is the Bhagavata philosophy. People are working very hard. Animal also working very hard, but in the human society there are four principles: dharma, artha, kama, moksa: [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Adi 1.90] religious life, then economic development, then sense gratification, and then moksa, liberation. This is human life. Dharma, artha, kama, moksa. The religious life you cannot find in animal society. In the human society, either he may be Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddha, Jews, anything, there is a kind of religious principles.
So that is the beginning of human life -- religion, dharma. Then generally, because we are in the bodily concept of life, therefore economic development: "I want money. I want comfortable position, comfortable situation, so that I can eat, drink, sleep nicely." This is called economic development. So dharma, artha... Then why I don't, why I want economic development? Now kama. Because I have got my senses, I have to gratify it. I'll gratify my senses. When my children grow up, I also give them chance to gratify their senses. Yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45]. So we think by sense gratification we shall be happy. That is called kama. And when we are dissatisfied or frustrated by this process of sense gratification, economic development, then we give up. Brahma satyam jagan mithya: "This is all false. Now I shall merge into Brahman." This moksa. But Bhagavata says this is not life. This is not life. What is that verse? Dharmasya... Dharmaikantasya. You have got the First...? Yes. Narthaya upakalpate. Na artha... Dharma does not mean... People take to religious life for economic development. That... They think that by... That is also fact. So... But Bhagavata says that the religious life does not mean economic development. Economic development does not mean to satisfy your senses. Then what shall I do? My... I've got my senses. There is demand of satisfaction for the senses. What shall I do? Therefore Bhagavata says, kamasya nendriya-pritir jiveta yavata [SB 1.2.10]. Kamasya... Just like you have to eat. That is the demand of your body. But don't manufacture varieties of menus. Eat only to live, not to live to eat. They have made it a point not to eat for living, but they're living for eating. Therefore Bhagavata says, kamasya nendriya-pritir [SB 1.2.10]. Our indriya-pritir, our sense gratification, is eating, sleeping, sex life and defending. That is our indriya-pritir. So Bhagavata says, "Yes, you're allowed to satisfy your senses so that you can keep fit yourself so, to execute higher procedure of life." And what is that higher procedure of life? That higher procedure of life is jivasya tattva-jijnasa. That tattva-jijnasa, "What I am?" For this purpose, you shall eat, you shall sleep, you shall satisfy your senses. You should defend yourself. To fulfill this mission of life, to understand what I am. Otherwise the animals are also doing that. Indriya-pritir.
So Caitanya Mahaprabhu was approached by Sanatana Gosvami. They were ministers in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah, in Bengal. In those times there was a Pathan government, and they were responsible ministers. One was chief minister, one was finance minister. Very responsible post, Rupa Gosvami. And they almost became Muhammadans. Because formerly the brahminical society was very strict. If any brahmana accepts service of another person... Generally ksatriyas. And he, they were Muslims. So they were, I mean to say, rejected from brahmana society, and they changed their name also. Almost they became Muhammadans. Sakara Mallika and Dabira Khasa -- both the brothers, Sanatana Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami. And they met Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Then they decided to resign from the government post and join this Krsna consciousness movement. This Krsna consciousness movement is not new. It, it, it is continuing, it is going on since Krsna appeared. And later on, five hundred years ago, Caitanya Mahaprabhu revived it, this Hare Krsna movement. Harer nama harer nama harer nama iva kevalam [Cc. Adi 17.21]. So when they met Caitanya Mahaprabhu, both the brothers decided that "Now we shall join Caitanya Mahaprabhu's movement. It is very nice movement." So, after resigning their posts, Rupa Gosvami stealthily left the country and Sanatana Gosvami was situated. He formally wanted to resign the post, but the Nawab would not allow him to resign; therefore he was arrested. And somehow or other, he managed to come out of the prison and then join Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Benares.
So when he met, there was discussion of life's..., value of life between Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sanatana Gosvami. So Sanatana Gosvami first of all questioned this, that gramya-vyavahare kahe pandita satya kari mani. "Now the ordinary few friends, my countrymen, they consider me, I am very learned scholar." He was very learned scholar actually. He was great scholar in Sanskrit and in Arabi, Arabic language and Persian language. Because in those days there were Muhammadan kingdom. So actually they were very learned scholars, from... Because we understand from their writings, later on, after becoming disciples of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau. So actually they were pandita, learned scholars, brahmana, and learned scholar. But he was asking that gramya-vyavahare kahe pandita satya kari mani: "These people, my neighboring friends, they call me as learned scholar. And actually I accept that I am scholar, I am learned pandita. But I do not know what I am. This is my position. I am pandita. They call me pandita, learned scholar, and I accept it. But actually I do not know what I am. I am such a pandita." So this is the position. You call any person, any scientist, any philosopher, any politician, any minister, at the present moment, and ask him: "What you are?" he'll fail to answer. He'll say, "Yes, I am Mr. such and such," "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am minister." He'll say like that. This question was discussed with a great professor in Moscow. He said, "Swamiji, after finishing this body, everything's finished, what I am. That's all." This is the position. But actually that is not. Therefore Sanatana Gosvami first of all inquired this question, gramya-vyavahare kahe pandita. "Ordinary behavior, my neighbors, they call me very learned scholar, but I am such a scholar that I do not know what I am." Ke ami kene more jare tapa... Why I am put into this miserable condition of life -- birth, death and disease and old age? And threefold miseries -- adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika? And the whole struggle is to minimize our miserable condition of life. The struggle is going on, whole day: work, day and night. What is the purpose? Atyantika duhkha nivrtti. To minimize our miserable condition of life. So why I am put into this miserable condition of life although I do not know, I do not want it? So what I am? What is my position? That is Bhagavata decision. The, you don't forget yourself by simply satisfying your senses. Kamasya nendriya-pritir [SB 1.2.10]. Don't be satisfied simply when you see that your senses are satisfied. No. Jivasya tattva-jijnasa. One should be forward to understand what he actually is. The same, same story, that I am simply seeing dreams, day and night. I am seeing, that's a fact. Law of identity, I am. Then what I am? I'm simply seeing these dreams? What is my actual life? That is tattva-jijnasa. What is that? Read it. Anukulyena krsnanu-silanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167].
So when we go deep into the matter, to inquire about ourself, what is my position, then we come to this understanding, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu instructed to Sanatana Gosvami: jivera svarupa haya nityera krsna dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108]. That we have forgotten. Our constitutional position is eternal servant of Krsna. That is our position. So as soon as we come to this position... The Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu begins from this point. When a living entity, when a person comes to the understanding, without any doubt, that he's eternal servant of Krsna, then his real life begins. Unless he understands this point, he's still in the hallucination of animal life. Jivera svarupa haya nityera krsna dasa. Actually we are engaged as servant always. Here, everyone who are sitting here, every one of us, servant: servant of the society, servant of the family, servant of the community, servant of the country, servant of the nation. In this way, we are servant. That's a fact. And we are serving. Everyone is serving. Nobody is actually enjoying; everyone is servant. That is the constitutional position of living entity. But they are serving hallucination. They are not serving the real fact. The constitutional portion is going on. Jivera svarupa haya nitya krsna dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Therefore one brahmana, he approached the Supreme Personality of Godhead that "I have served the whole of my life..." Kamadinam kati na katidha palita durnidesah. Serving means we are serving the society, country, family, the... The essence is I am ser..., not serving; I am satisfying my sense gratification. But I am pushing on this sense gratification in the name of service. A man is working whole, whole day and night to maintain his family, considering himself that he is the master of the family. But he's the, actually he's the servant of the family. That is his real position. And servant of the family means he's servant of his senses. Yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham kanduyanena karayor du... [SB 7.9.45]. They are, their happiness is that sex life. For enjoy that sex life, they are working so hard, day and night. Therefore he's neither serving the society, community, family, but he's serving his sense gratification. That's all. This is their service.
Therefore the Avantipura brahmana says that kamadinam kati na katidha palita durnidesah: "My dear Lord, I have served my senses so abominably. I should not have served in that way. Still I have done." Just like sometimes we commit so many criminal activities to satisfy our senses, because we want money. So palita durnidesah. My conscience says, "You don't do it." But, because I want to enjoy my senses, I must do it. I must do it. A thief knows that "If I steal, I, then I'll be punished." He has heard from sastra, or he has known the state laws, that, if one commits theft, he's punished. He knows it. And he has seen it, that one man has stolen, or committed theft, he's arrested, taken by the police. He has seen it. But still he commits theft. Why? Why? Therefore it is a... That is my... I become habituated to serve the process of sense gratification in such low grade that what is not to be done, I still do it. Therefore he says, kamadinam kati na katidha palita durnidesah, tesam mayi na karuna jata. But anyone who serves for somebody, ask him: "Whether you are satisfied? I have served you so much." They'll never say. Just like... Take the example -- I've given this example many times -- that who can serve his country than Mahatma Gandhi better? Nobody. But still he was shot dead. Still he was shot dead. His service was not acknowledged, recognized. Otherwise how he shot dead? There are so many cases. So many cases.
So this world, however faithfully you give service, it will be never recognized -- because it is hallucination, illusion. You are serving your senses. You are not serving any person. You are serving your senses. So when one comes to this position, he understands that "I am actually servant, but I am posing myself falsely as master." That is real sense. Then whose servant I am? I am Krsna's servant. Therefore Krsna comes and demands: sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. We have forgotten that. We have forgotten Krsna and Krsna's service. That is maya. Therefore Krsna comes again and again as Himself, as a devotee, or he sends His servitors, His Vaisnava, to preach this cult, Krsna consciousness, that "Educate people to serve Krsna, to serve Me." Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. We are also preaching this cult, that "You serve Krsna." Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. We are preaching this cult. So we are not manufacture anything. This Krsna consciousness movement is nothing concocted. It is fact. Everyone is servant, but at the present moment he's serving maya. So, instead of serving maya, let him serve Krsna, the original Personality of Godhead. This is the Krsna consciousness movement.
So that service, when one agrees to serve Krsna... Because nobody's agreeable to serve Krsna. They will... Krsna personally came, canvassed. How many people are serving Krsna? Avajananti mam mudha [Bg. 9.11]. "Oh, it is too much. Krsna is asking that 'Give up everything and serve un..., unto Him.' It is too much." People are taking, avajananti mam mudha, because they are mudhas. They are thinking, "Why shall I serve Krsna? I shall serve dog. I shall keep a dog and take him in the street. As soon as he stands, I shall stand. As soon as he passes urine..." (laughter) That is the position. If you don't serve God, then you have to serve god, dog, maya. You cannot be, become without service. That is not possible. That is not possi... You must have to serve somebody. But you'll not be satisfied. By such service, you'll ne... The, the master whom you are serving, he will never be satisfied, neither you'll be satisfied. But if you serve actually the Supreme Master, Krsna, He will be satisfied and you will be satisfied.
patram puspam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam
asnami prayatatmanah
[Bg. 9.26]
Krsna says that "You simply try to serve Me. Offer Me little water, little flower, little leaf." Anyone. Universal. Anyone can collect little water, little flower or little leaf and offer to Krsna. Krsna is prepared to accept your service in that way. What ms the difficulty to serve Krsna? But they will not do. This is maya.
So one has to make his determination. Anukulyena krsnanu-silanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. This bhakti... Anukulyena means Krsna wants. You serve. You supply. This is anukula. Now He says, Krsna: man-mana bhava mad-bhakta. Now you become always engaged in thinking of Krsna. Chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare... That is man-mana, always thinking of Krsna. Because thinking of Krsna and Krsna, there is no difference. Krsna is absolute. As soon as you chant Hare Krsna, as soon as you remember Krsna, that means Krsna is on your tongue, dancing. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna... Abhinnatvad nama-naminoh. Therefore by constant company with Krsna, punya-sravana-kirtanah. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah [SB 1.2.17]. If you simply hear about Krsna, then you become pious. Punya-sravana. Simply by hearing, you become pious. You haven't got to arrange for great, great sacrifices, tons of ghees. No. Simply by hearing Krsna-kathah, you'll be purified. These are the statements of great personalities, Caitanya Mahaprabhu:
ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam
sreyah-kairava-candrika-
anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamrtasvadanam
param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam
[Cc. Antya 20.12]
Sri-krsna-sankirtana is so nice that Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Why don't you become, always think of Krsna? Where is the loss? If you are walking on the street or going on bus or on your car, if you chant Hare Krsna mantra, what is your heavy loss? Is there any loss? Why don't you do it? Try it. There is no loss. And if there is any gain, why don't you try it? For nothing, without any loss. These Europeans and American boys, they are chanting Hare Krsna. They are more enlightened, so far material civilization is concerned. But in their country, almost all young men, as a hobby, they have taken a bead and chanting. Our, the George Harrison, the famous Beatle, he is supplying beads and bags to his friends: "Chant Hare Krsna." And he has written in his record that "Anyone who is friend of Krsna, I am his friend." What he has written?
Gurukrpa: "Any friend of Krsna is friend of mine."
Prabhupada: Eh?
Gurukrpa: "Any friend of Krsna is friend of mine."
Prabhupada: Yes. Anyway... So we Indians, why you are over gentlemen? They're also gentlemen, they're also Europeans. But why you are afraid, why you are ashamed to chant Hare Krsna mantra even on walking, even going on...? What is the harm? This is the purpose of Hare Krsna mantra movement, that anyone can chant. A child can chant. A old man can chant. A rich man can chant. A poor man can chant. There is no tax. But see the result. See the result. Kirtaniyah sada harih.
trnad api sunicena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih
[Cc. Adi 17.31]
This is the Caitanya Mahaprabhu's order, that "Always chant Hare Krsna." The sastra says,
harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha
[Cc. Adi 17.21]
In this age, especially, we cannot execute any other process of religious method. This is... We can, but at the present moment, it is very difficult. The best things is, as it is recommended in the Brhan-naradiya Purana-many other puranas also, in Upanisad,
hare nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha
[Cc. Adi 17.21]
And in the Bhagavad-gita also you'll find,
satatam kirtayanto mam
yatatantas ca drdha-vratah
namasyantas ca mam bhaktya
tusyanti ca ramanti ca
[Bg. 9.14]
Satatam kirtayanto mam. Anyone who is chanting, he's mahatma. He's mahatma. Chanting. So these, these boys, although they're very young, but because they're chanting, always, they're mahatmas. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah, bhajanty ananya-manaso [Bg. 9.13]. Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. So this is the process in this age. You can chant. There is no loss, but there is much gain. Why don't you try it?
So that is called bhakti. Anukulyena krsnanu-silanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Favorably. Krsna says that "You become always thinking of Me." Man-mana. So you think of Krsna. That is bhakti. That is anukula. Anukulyena krsnanu-silanam. Krsna says, and we carry out the order, just like Arjuna did. Krsna said that "You kill. I want. The other party must be killed." He, first of all, he hesitated: "How can I kill my grandfather and nephews, my brothers, the other side? No, I cannot," when he was bodily conscious. But when he understood Krsna's Bhagavad-gita, he said, karisye vacanam: "Yes, I shall do it." That is anukula. That is anukula. In the beginning, he was becoming very good gentlemen, nonviolent, but Krsna chastised him:
kutas tva kasmalam idam
visame samupasthitam
anarya-justam asvargyam
akirti-karam (arjuna)
[Bg. 2.2]
"Oh, you are proposing something which is the action of the anarya, not of the Aryans. So give up this klaibhyam, this deficiency, defect or..." What is called?
Devotee: Weakness.
Prabhupada: "...weakness, weakness of your heart. Give it up." So then when he became His sisya, sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam [Bg. 2.7], at that time, as his sisya, He immediately chastised him: asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase. "My dear Arjuna, you are talking just like a very learned man, but you do not know what is learning. You do not know."
asocyan anvasocas tvam
prajna-vadams ca bhasase
gatasun agatasums ca
nanusocanti panditah
[Bg. 2.11]
"This is not talk of the pandita. Just learn what is panditah, how..." Then, then when He began to teach him how to become pandita, the first instruction was,
dehino 'smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantaram-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati
[Bg. 2.13]
Asmin dehe, within this body, there is the soul. This is the beginning of spiritual understanding. How many people know? They do not know it. They think that "I am this body." "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am..."
Thank you very much. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => The Nectar of Devotion --
Bombay, January 11, 1973
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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