"The Material World--A Chance"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.23
August 26, 1972, Los Angeles



Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

sattvam rajas tama iti prakrter gunas tair
yuktah parah purusa eka ihasya dhatte
sthity-adaye hari-virinci-hareti samjnah
sreyamsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nrnam syuh

Translation: "The transcendental Personality of Godhead is indirectly associated with the three modes of material nature, namely passion, goodness and ignorance, and just for the material world's creation, maintenance and destruction, He accepts the three qualitative forms of Brahma, Visnu and Siva. Of these three, all human beings can derive ultimate benefit from Visnu, the form of the quality of goodness."

Prabhupada: So material world means the three qualities. Material world is going on under three energetic energies: sattva, rajas, tamas. We have explained several times, we see varieties of living entities, varieties of trees, varieties of everything. Anywhere you go, you simply find varieties. Some of them you like, some of them you do not like. So these varieties are due to these three material modes of nature, sattva, rajas, tamas.

So when creation has taken place, the things should be managed properly, so Krsna Himself, He expands into three forms for management. One form is Lord Visnu, one form is Lord Siva and the other form is Lord Brahma. Brahma creates, Lord Visnu maintains, and Lord Siva destroys. Because in the material nature, you cannot have anything permanent. That is material nature. It is just like the flashlight. When you pass through roads and avenue, there are three colors -- red, blue and yellow. They're passing through, always. Not that the blue is always existing, or red is always existing, or the yellow is always. Passing, simply. That is the nature, material nature. Here, everything is born. That is called srsti, creation.

Everything is creation. That is our experience. Everything is created and it is maintained for some time. Just like my body, your body, is created. And it will be maintained for some times. But at the end, when the body is old, it will be destroyed. This is material nature. Some of the philosophers, they say there is no such thing, creation or destruction; everything is existing always. That we also accept. That everything is existing always means Krsna. And Krsna... The creation is going through three stages. The creation taking place, it is being maintained for some time, and again it is destroyed. These things are going on. The same example: the lights, flashlights. They are coming and going. But the puller of the lights, behind the light, he is existing. Similarly, the creator is existing, but not the creation. Creation is coming into existence, is sustained, and again... But the creator is there. Aham evasam agre. Lord Krsna says that "Before creation I was there." Otherwise who will create? "Before creation I was there. While creation is maintained, I am there. And when it is destroyed, still I am there."

So in three stages, Krsna is there: in the past, present and future. Therefore He knows everything. If, under my direction, something is going, going on, I have created something, it is maintained, and it is destroyed, I am seeing, or I am ordering, then I am always existing. I know when it is created, when it is maintained and when it is destroyed. So Krsna knows past, present and future. Krsna does not mean alone. Krsna means there is another kingdom. Just like when we speak of a king, it means the king is not alone. There is queen, there is palace, there is bodyguard, there is secretary, there is commander in chief, so many things. Just like in England, there is Queen Elizabeth. It does not mean that Queen Elizabeth is alone. She has got so many paraphernalia. Similarly, when we speak of Krsna, Krsna means His name, His form, His quality, His activities, His pastimes, His friends, His mother, His father, His cowherd, cows, His Vrndavana... So many things. That is another variety. And here this material world, this variety, this variety is imitation of that variety. And that variety is eternal. This variety is created, maintained and destroyed. But in the middle, the point, Krsna, He is ever-existing.

Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, urdhva-mulam adhah-sakham [Bg. 15.1]. You have... You know. Just like a tree, standing on the shore of a reservoir of water. You'll find the reflection of the tree downward. Everything is topsy-turvied. The trunk, the root is on the up, and the foliage, which is on the up, that has come down. Similarly, this material world is described in the Bhagavad-gita, Fifteenth Chapter: urdhva-mulam adhah-sakham. Generally, we see tree downwards, root, but in the reflection you will find the roots upward. Therefore urdhva-mulam adhah-sakham means these material varieties are simply an imitation of the original variety. Just like I'll give you very nice example. Just there will be a great fair. Just like we had in this Allahabad, Magha-mela. So because government knew that many people will come to take bath in the Ganges, confluence of Ganges and Yamuna, all of a sudden, a great city, practically, was developed. Those who have seen -- so many houses, camps, electric lights, post office, everything. Temporary, created. But as soon as... It is maintained also so long the mela, the fair, is going on. And as soon as the duration of mela is finished, all people go away and the temporary township is also demolished. That we have seen. Similarly, this material world means it is a kind of fair, assembly of so many men. What is the purpose? The purpose is to give them chance, just the Magha-mela is a chance to become purified, to become pious. They take bath in the Ganges. They become, get an opportunity, an auspicious moment to take bath.

So it is like that. There are living entities who are eternally conditioned and there are living entities eternally liberated. The eternally liberated souls, living entities, they are with Krsna, they're dancing with Krsna, because they have no other desire than to satisfy Krsna. That is the difference between eternally conditioned and eternally liberated. Eternally liberated means they have no other desire. All these gopis, all the cowherds boys, all the cows, all the trees, all the water, all the father, mother, friends, they're simply trying to satisfy Krsna. That is Vrndavana. They have no other business. That is Vrndavana. The central point is Krsna. And here, in this material world, everyone is trying to satisfy himself. His center is he himself. Therefore he's exploiting others, he's cheating others, he's making so many things, bluffing, because he wants to enjoy himself. That's all. This is the difference between spiritual world and material world. If you want to satisfy yourself, your senses, that is material. And if you want to satisfy Krsna, Krsna's senses, then it is spiritual. This is the difference. So either do it here or go to Vaikuntha, Goloka, do there -- the business is the same.

So this is a chance, these conditioned souls who have come to this material world to enjoy senses, they are given chance, they are given chance, "All right, you enjoy. You want to enjoy as human being. All right, body of human being. If you want to enjoy like a tiger, all right, body. If you want to enjoy as demigod, all right, take a body." Krsna is so liberal, "Take, and enjoy as you like. But you'll never be happy." That is the crucial point. "If you want to happy, then surrender unto Me." This is the point. You cannot manufacture your happiness. That is not possible. Therefore this is, this creation is there. Try to understand. Why there is creation? This creation is a chance given to the conditioned soul, how to come to his senses, that living entity, that he is eternally servant of Krsna, part and parcel. His only business is to satisfy Krsna. So here is a chance. If we don't take this chance, then again the creation will be wound up, it will be destroyed. Again there will be creation, again another chance will be given. This is going on. Bhutva bhutva praliyate. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, bhutva bhutva praliyate. It is manifested sometimes and maintained for some time and again destroyed.

Now the original person is Krsna. Now, to maintain this creation, He expands Himself into three: hari, virinci, hara. Hari means Visnu, virinci means Brahma, and hara means Lord Siva. Hari-virinci-hareti samjnah. But, just like the Mayavadi philosopher says that "Then, if Krsna has become Hari, Virinci and Hara, three, so I can worship anyone." No. That is hinted here: sreyamsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nrnam syuh. But if you want your ultimate goal, then you take shelter of Visnu -- sattva-tanoh -- not Siva, not Brahma. Here, clearly says. If you want... Because your conditioned life is due to your disobedience to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So unless you surrender unto Him, you again become obedient, there is no question of your goodness or your good or fortune. That is not possible. That is explained here. Sreyamsi, if you want... Sreyamsi means if you want really ultimate benefit of your life, then sattva-tanoh. Sattva-tanoh means Visnu. You have to take shelter of the form of the Lord who is representing sattva-guna, goodness. Not the rajo-guna not the tamo-guna. If you take to rajo-guna, tamo-guna, then tada rajas-tamo-bhavah kama-lobhadayas ca ye [SB 1.2.19], then you will be influenced by two qualities, namely greediness and lust. That's all. You'll never come to your senses. You'll be carried away by these two modes of material nature. Bhaktivinoda Thakura therefore said, mayar bose, jaccho bhese' Khaccho habudubu bhai. "My dear brother, you are being carried away by the waves of this material nature, two modes of material nature, and you are being harassed. Sometimes you are drowned, sometimes you are up."

So, jiv krsna-das, e bisvas, korle to' ar duhkho nai. If you simply believe that you are eternal servant of Krsna, then there is no more carrying out, no more carried away by these two things, lusty, lust and greediness. Therefore it is advised here that sreyamsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nrnam syuh. Our ultimate benefit rests when you take shelter of the sattva-tanoh.

Purport?

Pradyumna: "Why Lord Sri Krsna with his plenary parts shall be rendered devotional service as it is explained above is confirmed by this statement. Lord Sri Krsna and all His plenary parts are visnu-tattva, or the Lordship of Godhead. From Sri Krsna, the next manifestation is Baladeva. From Baladeva is Sankarsana; from Sankarsana is Narayana; again from Narayana there is the second Sankarsana; and from this Sankarsana the Visnu purusa-avataras. The Visnu or the Deity of the quality of goodness in the material world is the purusa-avatara known as Ksirodakasayi Visnu, or Paramatma. Brahma is the deity of rajas, or passion, and Siva for ignorance. They are three departmental heads of the three qualities of this material world. Creation is made possible by the quality of passion and endeavor; it is maintained by the goodness of Visnu; and when it is required to be destroyed, Lord Siva does it by tandava-nrtya. The materialists and the foolish human beings do worship Brahma and Siva respectively, but the pure transcendentalists do worship the form of goodness, Visnu, in His various forms. Visnu is manifested by His millions and billions of integrated forms and separated forms. The integrated forms are called Godhead, and the separated forms are called the living entities, or the jivas. But either the jivas or Godhead, both of them have their original, spiritual forms. The jivas are sometimes subjected under the control of the material energy, but the Visnu forms are always controller of the material energy. When..."

Prabhupada: There is a difference between ordinary form and Visnu form. Ordinary forms, they are controlled by Visnu. Go on... nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam eko bahunam yo vidadhati. That is the Vedic injunction. Go on.

Pradyumna: "When Visnu or the Personality of Godhead appears in the material world, He comes to deliver the conditioned living beings who are under the material energy. Such living being appears in the material world with intention of lording it over falsely, and thus becomes entrapped by the three modes of nature. As such, the living entities have to change the material coverings for undergoing different terms of imprisonment. The prison house of the material world is created by Brahma, under instruction of the Personality of Godhead, and at the conclusion of a kalpa, the whole thing is destroyed by Siva. But so far maintenance of the prison house is concerned, it is done by Visnu, as much as the state prison house is maintained by the state. Anyone, therefore, who may wish to get out of this prison house of material existence, which is full of miseries like repetition of birth, death, diseases and old age, must please Lord Visnu for such liberation. Lord Visnu is worshiped by devotional service only, and if anyone has to continue the prison life in the material world, he may ask for relative facilities from the different demigods like Siva, Brahma, Indra, Varuna, etc., for temporary relief. No such demigods can, however, release the imprisoned living being from the conditioned life of material existence except Visnu. As such, the ultimate benefit may be derived from Visnu, the Personality of Godhead."

Prabhupada: Just like one is a prisoner. So if he pleases the superintendent of prison, he can get some little facilities. Now I have seen, practically, that one young boy, he was imprisoned for some criminal act. So he was typing in the office of the jail superintendent. So that means he was educated, but he was put into ordinary prison term. He was breaking some stone. But he satisfied the jail superintendent that "I am not accustomed to this. However, I can serve you in some other way." So, he saw that "He is educated. He knows. All right. You come to my office. Just help me, in typing."

So this facility one can have. But not released from the prison house. That is not in the power of the superintendent. Similarly, all the demigods, they can give you a temporary facility, but they cannot give you relief from this prison house. Abrahma-bhuvanal lokah punar avartino 'rjuna [Bg. 8.16]. People are going to heavenly planets and our planets... Just like they are going to the moon planet. But they are again coming down, again coming down. Either by machine or by fruitive activities, you can be transferred to higher planetary system, but again you have to come back. Ksine punye punah martya-lokam visanti. You cannot get release. If you want to get release, then you have to come to Visnu. Then you will get release. Sudhyanti prabhavisnave namah. Visnu can do. Harim vina na mrtim taranti. This is Hari. If you do not surrender to Hari, then you cannot get release from these four principles of material life, namely birth, death, old age and disease. You cannot get.

Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is stated: kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah yajante anya-devatah [Bg. 7.20]. Hrta-jnanah, hrta-jnanah, those who have lost their intelligence. They are influenced by their lust and greediness. They worship different demigods to get some material temporary benefit. Therefore they are called nasta-buddhi. His real problem is how to get out of this entanglement of repetition of birth and death, but he doesn't care that. He thinks, "Oh, now I am living in this way. If I live in a palatial building, then my problem is solved." That is not your problem, solution of the problem. That is not solution. But people are very much enamored by this temporary material elements. Therefore they are called by Krsna as nasta-buddhayah, hrta-jnanah. They're actual knowledge is lost. Real thing is... Just like in the jail. The same example: the boy was given a little relief. Instead of breaking stone, he was allowed to type in the office. That does not mean his problem is solved. His problem is solved when he's out of the prison. That is. But that the superintendent of police cannot give. That will be given by the government. Similarly, if we want to get relief from this prison house of material existence, we must take to Krsna consciousness. No other method will relieve us.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.23 -- Los Angeles, August 26, 1972

"How To Derive The Ultimate Benefit"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.23
November 3, 1972, Vrndavana


Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

sattvam rajas tama iti prakrter gunas tair
yuktah parah purusa eka ihasya dhatte
sthity-adaye hari-virinci-hareti samjnah
sreyamsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nrnam syuh

Translation: "The transcendental Lord is indirectly associated with the three modes of material nature, namely passion, goodness and ignorance, and just for the material world's creation, maintenance and destruction He accepts the three qualitative forms of Brahma, Visnu and Siva. Of these three, all living beings can derive ultimate benefit from Visnu, the form of the quality of goodness."

Prabhupada:

sattvam rajas tama iti prakrter gunas tair
yuktah parah purusa eka ihasya dhatte
sthity-adaye hari-virinci-hareti samjnah
sreyamsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nrnam syuh

The material creation, mahat-tattva... Sa iksata. As it is said in the Vedic literature, simply by glancing over the material nature and agitating the three modes of material nature, the whole creation comes out. This is an sum, sum and substance of material creation. Maha-Visnu is lying in the Causal Ocean, Karanarnava, and He is breathing, and from His breathing innumerable universes are coming out. And in each and every universe, Maha-Visnu, in His further expansion as Garbhodakasayi-Visnu, He enters. That Garbhodakasayi-Visnu, from His abdomen there is a lotus stem, and in that lotus flower Lord Brahma is born. In this way, creation is made.

So actually, Brahma, Visnu, Mahesvara, they are the principal directors of the three gunas. Therefore Brahma, Visnu, Mahesvara, they are called gunavatara. Lord Visnu is in charge of sattva-guna activities. Therefore brahmana, the symbol of sattva-guna, they are Vaisnavas. Formerly, in each and every home of a brahmana, there was Visnu worship. A brahmana cannot worship any other demigods except Visnu, because Visnu is in the charge of the sattva-guna and brahmana is also in the sattva-guna. So Visnu asya devata. For this reason brahmana's another title is Vaisnava. Brahmana-vaisnava. Or brahmana-pandita.

So on account of the three gunas, there are three types of Vedic literatures. Not directly sruti, but smrti, the puranas, they are divided into three divisions: sattvika-purana, rajasika-purana and tamasika-purana. Siva Purana, Devi Purana, they are sattvika, rajasika. Brahmanda Purana, Visnu Purana, Srimad Bhagavata Purana, they are sattvika-puranas. The whole scheme is that everyone, every living entity within this material world, they are infected. That we have discussed. The most inferior infection is the rajas-tamas. And the superior rajas, uh, sattva-guna, that is also infection, but it is less harmful, whereas the infection of rajo-guna and tamo-guna is very much embarrassing.

Tada rajas-tamo-bhavah kama-lobhadayas ca ye [SB 1.2.19]. The whole material world is going on, impelled by rajo-guna and tamo-guna. Generally. Sattva-guna is very little. Especially in this age, practically there is no sattva-guna. Rajo-guna also, very little. Tamo-guna predominant. For this reason, sastra says in this age most people are sudras because there is scarcity of sattva-guna and rajo-guna. Brahmana-ksatriya. Brahmanas' activities and ksatriya, practically nil. There is no protector. Ksatriya means one who protects people from being injured. Therefore the ksatriya class, they were royal families, and the brahmanas, they were meant for giving spiritual education. Brahma janati iti brahmana. And the vaisyas, they were meant for trading, agriculture and cow protection. As the ksatriyas were interested, entrusted for protecting the citizens, similarly the vaisyas were entrusted for protecting the cows. Krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44]. So now vaisyas, they have got big, big factories, they can maintain big, big factories, but they cannot maintain a cow. That is the position. Similarly, Ksatriyas, they have taken different occupational duties. Brahmanas also, they have left their occupation. Only everyone has come to the platform of sudras. Therefore it is very difficult to convince them about spiritual life. Mostly people are sudras. Sudras, less intelligent. They cannot understand. Mudha. Less intelligent means mudha. The symbol of less intelligence is ass, mudha. The ass... Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has described the karmis as mudha because they work very hard. Although the necessity of life is very little, still they work very hard, day and night. The ass is the symbol because the ass eats only a morsel of grass, but for the washerman, he works so hard. So mudha. Because the people are mudhas, they cannot understand Krsna consciousness. Krsna says,

na mam duskrtino mudhah
prapadyante naradhamah
mayayapahrta-jnana
asuram bhavam asritah
[Bg. 7.15]

So the three gunas, sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna, that is going on since the creation. So here it is said, sthity-adaye hari-virinci-hareti samjnah. This, the same Lord, Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, has expanded Himself as Lord Siva and Lord Brahma. We are also expansions. Brahma is also jiva-tattva. He's also like us, jiva-tattva. Lord Siva is between visnu-tattva and jiva-tattva. And Lord Visnu is visnu-tattva. Visnu-tattva, via media, and jiva-tattva. So they are all expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So for controlling these three gunas they have taken charge. Visnu is in charge of sattva-guna, and Brahma is in charge of rajo-guna and Lord Siva is in charge of tamo-guna. So Lord, Lord Brahma creates, Lord Visnu maintains and Lord Siva destroys. These three things are going on. Srsti-sthiti-pralaya. So sreyamsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nrnam syuh.

Now, for our..., solving our problems... What is our problems? That we do not know. There is a great problem. The problem is repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. This is the problem. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam . Those who are intelligent, they will..., they will see that these are the real problems. But they do not care. Mrtyu, they think, "All right, it is coming naturally. Let us die." But they do not know, after death, where he's going? "Never mind. I shall forget." People say like that. In Western countries, when I speak, these questions are raised and they are so callous, they say, "Never mind. Next time, if I become a dog, what is the harm? I'll forget that I was a man." Plainly they say. So many people have gone so much down that they cannot understand that low-grade life is not desirable. They do not make any distinction. In whatever life it may be, if there is sufficient arrangement for eating, sleeping, mating, then they are happy. Visayah khalu sarvatah syat. By God's grace, nature has sufficiently given opportunity for enjoying these things: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Just like these monkeys, they have got enough facilities for eating, sleeping, mating, especially mating, they have got very good facility. Beginning from the morning, they are going on in sex matters. And defending also, they have got nails and teeth.

So these things, sastra says, visayah khalu sarvatah syat. These necessities of life, they can be obtained in any form of life. There is no scarcity. But the human form of life, if it is wasted only for these facilities of life -- eating, sleeping, mating and defending -- then what is the credit of getting a human form of life? The sastra therefore says, tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovidah. In human form of life one should try to achieve that perfection which was not obtained in previous lives after wandering heaven and hell and all species of life. Bhramatam upary adhah. Upari adhah means upwards and downwards. And we are wandering: sometimes downwards, sometimes outwards, sometimes poor, sometimes rich, sometimes man, sometimes dog, sometimes tree, sometimes demigod. In this way, we are wandering. Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore says, ei rupe brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. We are wandering in this way in different species of life, in different planets, but somehow or other, if one is fortunate, he comes in contact with a devotee by the grace of Krsna. Guru-krsna-krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija [Cc. Madhya 19.151].

Here it is, also, it is said, sreyamsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nrnam syuh. If want our ultimate goal, ultimate success, then we should accept the sattva-guna form of the Lord. The rajo-guna form and tamo-guna form are there, Lord Siva and Lord Brahma. But sreyamsi, if we want our real benefit of life, then it is better to take shelter of the form of sattva-guna. That will be explained in the next verse: parthivad daruno dhumas tasmad agnis trayimayah. Just like earth, from the earth the tree grows. So tree grows means wood. Now, if you ignite the wood, first of all there is smoke, then there is fire. So my necessity is fire, neither the wood, nor the earth, nor the smoke. Similarly, for getting out of these material clutches one has to take shelter of Visnu -- not of Lord Brahma nor Lord Siva. It is explained in the Bhagavad-gita: kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah yajante anya-devatah [Bg. 7.20]. Anya-devatah means Lord Siva and Lord Brahma and others. There are many, thirty-three crores of different demigods. Indra, Candra, Varuna, so many. So the chief of them is Lord Brahma and Lord Siva. Lord Siva is therefore called Mahadeva. He is above all these demigods. And Lord Si... Brahma is called pitamaha. Pitamaha means he's the father of all demigods. He's the father of Lord Siva also.

So in this way, if we really want salvation, free, freedom from these clutches of maya... That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita: daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. This maya is very, very hard to pass over. Duratyaya. Only means is: mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti. This is the verse. Here it is also, the same thing confirmed: sreyamsi. If you want ultimate goal, ultimate goal means to get free from the conditional life, repetition of birth, death, old age -- then you have to take shelter of Lord Visnu. But people do not know that. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. For temporary benefit they go to worship other demigods. But that is not their ultimate goal. Antavat tu phalam tesam tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam. Antavat tu phalam. If you take any benediction from other demigods, that is antavat. That will be finished. That is temporary. Antavat tu phalam..., tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam. Just like Lord Siva's name is Asutosa. He's very quickly becomes pleased to offer benediction; therefore generally people go to Asutosa, Lord Siva. He does not consider. If you can please him, you can take any kind of benediction from him. He'll be ready: "All right. You take it." Because he wants to avoid botheration. So when the devotees come, bother him, so to..., just to get him out, he says: "All right, whatever you like, you take and go away." Therefore his name is Asutosa. And people take the shelter of Asutosa, Lord Siva, for quick result. But Lord Visnu is not like that. If you want something extraordinary from Lord Visnu, it is not possible. He'll not give. Lord Brahma also.

So, so here it is indicated: sreyamsi. If you want your ultimate goal, then you take shelter of Visnu, the Lord of sattva-guna. Then you'll be benefitted. Not by others. But we are generally influenced by the rajo-guna and tamo-guna, lust and greediness. Therefore kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah [Bg. 7.20]. We, we are lost of intelligence, influenced by lust and greediness, and therefore we take shelter of other demigods. Kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah yajante anya-devatah [Bg. 7.20]. Antavat tu phalam tesam tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam. Alpa-medhasam. Alpa-medhasam means people do not know. Suppose I take some material benefit, temporary benefit... Every material benefit is temporary. Whatever benefit we have in this life, as soon as this body's finished, all our benefit finished. Then I'll have to take another body which may not be even human form of body. Sometimes we are being too much attached to our present possession. We remain in the possession, but in a different form. In a different form. There are many, I mean, Puranic, Pauranic indences(?). That is long story, that by karma, we take birth in different forms of life, and if we have got too much attachment... Sometimes a person, the proprietor of the house, after death, remains in that house as serpent, sometimes as dog, sometimes as tree. Being too much attached to the possession, they cannot get better life. And sometimes we can get the body of a hog and monkey in Vrndavana also.

That is a great science one has to learn: how the transformation of the body takes place, how our attachment acts in that way. Yam yam vapi smaran loke. This is a great science. Unfortunately, there is no educational system. Neither do they know the process of transmigration of the soul. So everyone is in ignorance. Everyone is in ignorance. Neither they're interested to take knowledge from the Vedic scripture. Everything is described there. Just like Srimad-Bhagavatam. It is the end of knowledge. Vidya-bhagavatavadhi. If one wants to be educated, he has to come to the limit of Srimad-Bhagavatam, and all the sublime informations are there.

Now if we take instruction of Srimad-Bhagavatam, as it is indicated, every one of us should take to Krsna consciousness. It is clearly said, sreyamsi tatra khalu sattva-tanoh, sattva-tanor nrnam syuh. Lord Visnu. And Visnu, the original Visnu, is Lord Krsna. So if we take to Krsna, Krsna's shelter... Krsna also says: sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. So if we take shelter of Krsna, according to the injunction of the sastras and Vedas... Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15]. That is stated in Bhagavad-gita. The purpose of all Vedic Knowledge is to understand Krsna, and as soon as we understand Krsna, what He is, then tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9], then harim vina na mrtim taranti. If we want to stop this repetition of birth, death, old age and disease, then we must take shelter of Lord Visnu. And Krsna is the origin of all visnu-tattva. That means we must become Krsna conscious. That is our highest benefit of life.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.23 -- Vrndavana, November 3, 1972

"Enlivening To The Self"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.22
November 2, 1972, Vrndavana


Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.:)

ato vai kavayo nityam
bhaktim paramaya muda
vasudeve bhagavati
kurvanty atma-prasadanim

Translation: "Therefore all transcendentalists have been rendering loving service with great delight to Lord Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, from time immemorial because such devotional service is enlivening to the self."

Prabhupada:

ato vai kavayo nityam
bhaktim paramaya muda
vasudeve bhagavati
kurvanty atma-prasadanim

Bhaktim atma-prasadanim. Devotional service is atma, means self, or mind also, even body... Atma means the body, the mind and the self also. So atma-prasadanim means if you want to satisfy your mind, if you want to satisfy your self, or even you want to satisfy your body... We are living in three stages: bodily concept of life, mental concept of life and spiritual concept of life. Those who are grossly in ignorance, they are thinking in terms of bodily concept of life; those who are little more advanced, they are thinking in terms of mental or psychological concept of life; and those who are still more advanced, they are thinking in terms of spiritual concept of life. The spiritual concept of life, as it is described before: vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam [SB 1.2.11]. Tattvam means truth. The truth is spirit, not this matter. Matter is truth, subordinate to spirit. On the basis of spirit, the matter grows, just like our body has grown on the basis of our spiritual existence.

So spiritual realization is the ultimate goal of our life. Jivasya tattva-jijnasa nartho yas ceha karmabhih. We have discussed these verses previously. This human form of life, jivasya tattva-jijnasa... Jijnasa, about the truth, inquiry about the truth, that is the main business of the living entity. But lower than human being -- animals, birds, beasts, trees, aquatics, insects -- they have no privilege to inquire about the Absolute Truth. It is in the human form of life one can inquire about the Absolute Truth. Athato brahma jijnasa. So when one is actually inquisitive about the Absolute Truth, he realizes three transcendental subject: brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate.

So ultimately one has to reach to the platform of Bhagavan, Vasudeva. Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]. One who reaches to the point of understanding Vasudeva, he is the perfect mahatma. Vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. According to Vedic description, mahatma means one who has reached to the point of Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who has reached... All of them are transcendentalists, kovidah, men of knowledge, but one who has reached to the point of understanding Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he's called mahatma. Mahatma is a very common word in India. Any saintly person is called a mahatma. But according to Vedic description, a mahatma is he who has reached to the point of understanding Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In another place it is stated:

mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimuktes
tamo-dvaram yositam sangi-sangam...

There are two ways. Our life, they are going in two ways. One way is liberation, and the other way is bondage. Just like you have seen the reel. The reel is rolling. One way it is rolling to roll the thread, and another it is giving way to the thread. Similarly, we can lead in two ways, our life, either towards liberation or towards darkness of bondage. This, our human life, by gradual evolutionary process, we come to the human form of life. Now we can move it two ways, either towards liberation or towards bondage. We do not know, modern education. There is no such information what is called bondage and what is called liberation. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanah. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. They do not know. There is no such education, that students may understand what is Visnu, what is God, what he is, what is his relationship with God, Visnu. These things are unknown to the modern educationist.

The sastra therefore says,

andha yathandhair upaniyamanas
te 'pisa-tantryam uru-damni-baddhah

Uru-damni-baddhah. Uru means very strong. Damni means rope. Just like if your hands and legs are tied very strongly, it is very difficult for you to move. Similarly, by the laws of nature, every living entity is bound up very strongly, isa-tantryam, by the laws of the Supreme Lord. We are bound up. We cannot deviate. We cannot violate the laws of nature. Everyone can experience. A little violation, little deviation from the laws of nature, we accept some suffering. That is our daily experience. Suppose we are eating, but if we eat little more than we digest... The laws of nature is that you can eat as much as you can digest. But if you eat more than you can digest, immediately, by the laws of nature, you suffer from indigestion. You cannot violate. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. Nobody can violate the laws of nature.

So we have discussed how to get out of the laws of nature -- mukta-sangasya jayate. Mukta-sanga means one who has become freed from the three modes of material nature. After being freed from the laws of material nature or by the three modes of material nature, then we can talk of vasudeva-bhakti. But one can become free from this bondage of material nature simply by devotional service to Vasudeva. That is being stressed in this chapter of Srimad-Bhagavatam from the very beginning.

vasudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogah prayojitah
janayaty asu vairagyam
jnanam ca yad ahaitukam
[SB 1.2.7]

If we simply learn how to render devotional service to Vasudeva, Krsna, Krsna consciousness, vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah prayojitah. This is actually translated into English as Krsna consciousness. Everything for Krsna. So that Krsna consciousness, if we take to Krsna consciousness, then janayaty asu vairagyam. Asu, very soon, one becomes detached from this material bondage. Janayaty asu vairagyam jnanam ca. And jnana, knowledge, real knowledge.

In the material knowledge, that is the cause of bondage. Bhaktivinoda Thakura has said,

anitya samsare moha janamiya
jada-vidya jato mayara vaibhava

Material knowledge, advancement of material knowledge, means more and more bondage. And advancement of spiritual knowledge means more and more liberation. But our problem is how to liberate ourselves from this material bondage. We are bound up. Just like I am a spirit soul, you are spirit soul, but we are put into this material bondage. Because we are in material bondage, therefore we have no freedom. People do not understand this. Just like spirit soul is described as sarva-ga. Sarva-ga means the spirit soul can go anywhere he likes. But due to this material bondage, because we have this material body, we are checked. Even we cannot go to the other planet. But we have got instances... Just like Narada Muni. Narada Muni is traveling all over the universes, not only within the material world, but in the spiritual world, because he has got spiritual body. There is no material bondage.

These are very subtle matter, but one can realize if he meditates upon it. The yogis, they can, because they become, by yogic process, they become a little free from this material body, therefore they can transfer from one place to another very quickly. Even those yogis who are on this material platform, on this planet, they travel very quickly. There are many yogis still in India who take bath in four places daily in the, early in the morning. They take bath in Jagannatha Puri, in Ramesvaram, in Hardwar. In this way, four places they take bath. There are some books about the yogis. These things are written there. And actually we met some yogis and they said how quickly they can go from one place to another. That we can understand from our experience. Just like the mind. Mind is so swift that in a second the mind can reach thousands of miles away.

So the spirit soul is still more subtle. And the speed of spirit soul is very, very great. Just like in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. Tyaktva deham. "Just after giving up this body, he immediately comes to Me in the spiritual world." These are the Vedic statement. You can try to understand. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti: [Bg. 4.9] we accept another body immediately after death. It is said just like go forward, when the first step, you find it is secure, you take up the second step. Similarly, as soon as the next body is arranged by superior arrangement, we give up this body and enter into another gross body. Immediately. Immediately we are transferred to a mother's womb for manufacturing another gross body. This is the law.

So here Krsna says, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. If the living entity does not enter into another gross body, then where does he go? So Krsna says, mam eti. "He comes to Me." Now just imagine what is the speed of spirit soul, just after leaving this body after death, he immediately goes to Goloka Vrndavana, or at least where Krsna is there. Mam eti. Krsna's nitya-lila, that has been described in the Caitanya-caritamrta, how Krsna's nitya-lila is going on. Krsna is present in a bhauma-lila in one of the universes every time. The Lord Caitanya has given the example as the movement of the sun. The sun is moving, and the twenty-four hours into sixty minutes, into sixty seconds... The... All these time changes are there, every time. Just like our sunrise was, say, at six-thirty, or six. This six thirty, passed here, but somewhere else it is now six-thirty. Again when it will pass six-thirty there, in somewhere else there will be six-thirty. Similarly Krsna is passing from one universe to another, and when He's visible in this universe, we find Krsna's appearance.

So Srila Sanatana Gosvami has informed us that those who are competent, those who have become competent to associate with Krsna, as Krsna says, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti... [Bg. 4.9]. This mam eti, that spirit soul goes to Krsna first of all within some universe where Krsna is having His pastimes, bhauma-lila. He goes there. Then just like when a person is trained up as apprentice, then he's given the post. Just like a magistrate, after passing the examination, I.C.S. examination, he's trained up under some magistrate, and then he's given the post. Similarly, a living entity, when he is actually eligible by Krsna consciousness, by development of Krsna consciousness, then immediately after giving up this body, he's transferred to that universe where Krsna is there. Bhauma-lila. And after his being trained up thoroughly, then he's transferred to the original Krsnaloka, Goloka Vrndavana. (aside:) These boys may be given some prasadam. These boys who have come. Come here, boys! Ask them. Come here. One in hand... (Syamasundara is distributing rasagullas in background) Why...? Give them one in hand.

So the, my point is that how swift is the spirit soul that either he goes to one of the universes... One of the universes means there are millions and trillions of universes. That we do not know. We have got information of this universe, materially. But from Vedic literature, we get information there are millions and trillions of universes like this. We can see only one universe. We get this information from Brahma-samhita: yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti [Bs. 5.40]. This very word is used. Jagad-anda means "one universe." And koti, koti means "millions." So there are unlimited number of universes also. And in each universe, kotisu vasudhadi-vibhuti-bhinnam, in each universe, there are millions and trillions of planets, each different from one another. This is the creation. So just imagine that what is God's creation, how He attains every universe continually. His lila is going on. As soon as in one universe the Krsna's birth, appearance, is finished, immediately in another universe His birth takes place. This is called nitya-lila. Exactly like... The same example: as soon as six-thirty, morning, finished here in India, immediately the six-thirty of the sunrise in some other place. Six-thirty another place. another... The six thirty is going on. It is very easy to understand. The six-thirty or seven-thirty or eight, nine, whatever you take, that is going on. That is called nitya-lila. Krsna's lila is going on. So just imagine how many universes are there.

So the spirit soul has got immense power, immense power. That is only fragment of Krsna, part and parcel. Now, just you can imagine what is the power of Krsna. A..., a small, fragmental portion of Krsna... Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. The living entity, he has got so much potencies. And what potency Krsna has got, who is full of spiritual potency? So actually if we want to be happy, as part and parcel of Krsna, we must join Him. That is our value. This example I have given several times, that a small screw of a machine has got immense value when it is attached with the machine. The same small screw, when it is detached from the machine, it has no value. Not even a farthing. Similarly, we are part and parcel of Krsna, Vasudeva. Our value is in full when we join Krsna, when we dovetail our activities in Krsna consciousness. Then it is valuable. Otherwise the so-called progress is simply illusion. There is no progress. It is simply illusion. Ato vai kavayo nityam bhaktim paramaya muda.

Therefore if we actually want happiness, pleasure, then we must dovetail our activities, devotional service, with Krsna, Vasudeva. Vasudeve bhagavati kurvanty atma-prasada... It is for your interest. It is not for Krsna's interest. Krsna can create millions of living entities like you. He doesn't require your service. He's complete. But if you want your satisfaction, then vasudeve bhagavati, bhaktim kurvanty ahaitukim. Then you have to dovetail yourself in devotional service to Krsna. That is intelligence. Otherwise foolish, ignorance, illusion.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.22 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1972

Devotee Is Beyond All Doubts

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.22
August 25, 1972, Los Angeles



Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

ato vai kavayo nityam
bhaktim paramaya muda
vasudeve bhagavati
kurvanty atma-prasadanim

Prabhupada: (interrupts devotees chanting verse) The word, not "vay", it is vai. (chanting resumes)

Pradyumna: Translation: "Therefore all transcendentalists have been rendering loving service with great delight to Lord Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, from time immemorial because such devotional service is enlivening to the self."

Prabhupada: So "therefore." The word is "therefore." "Therefore" means after concluding something, then we say "therefore." When we talk, when we argue, when we come to the conclusion, then we say "therefore." Or when our argument is strong, then we say "therefore." So this "therefore" means that one is firmly convinced. As it is described in the previous verse, bhidyate hrdaya-granthis chidyante sarva-samsayah. Sarva-samsayah. Samsaya means doubtfulness.

Now this morning we were talking with our scientist friend whether the ultimate source of everything... First of all, the conclusion is that everything is, are, relatively situated here. Just like some gentleman, he is son of another gentleman, relative. Then his father is also son of another gentleman. So our... this world is relative depending one thing upon another. Nobody is self-independent. This is going on. Then... So find out the original source of everything, that original source, whether it is sentient or insentient? The conclusion is original source must be sentient. Because in this, our experience, experimental knowledge, we see something matter and something living. I am seeing here is a small ant and here is a big stone. The big stone is insentient. It cannot move. For millions of years you wait, whether the stone will move -- you cannot see. No, it will not move. Because it is insentient. Whereas a small ant, it is going. You just check its marching. It will struggle. It will struggle this way, this way, this way. And ultimately you have to give way. This is sentient. Therefore sentient is superior.

There are two things within our experience: one, matter, not sentient; and another sentient. So this... Now, I am seer. Or sometimes I control both these things. But I am not supreme controller. But I can observe that there are two things, sentient and insentient, and I am observing. So, for the time being, I am superior of both the sentient and nonsentient. So the conclusion is the ultimate source of everything, ultimate knower, ultimate analyzer, must be a sentient. It cannot be insentient. That is experimental knowledge.

So in this way, this, our Krsna consciousness movement, bhagavata-dharma, it is not sentiment. We can explain how God created. Sometimes it is, in Bible, it is said, "God said, ‘Let there be creation,' and there was creation." But they cannot explain. Therefore in the modern age, scientifically advanced, they do not take it. But we can explain. Our bhagavata-dharma can explain how, simply by desiring, there is creation. So here it is said: chidyante sarva-samsayah. Chidyante sarva-samsayah. One, by this, following this bhagavata-dharma, studying from Bhagavata, the ultimate knowledge of everything, one can become completely doubtless that God is a person, He is sentient, He is the supreme director, He's the supreme knower, He's the supreme physist, the supreme chemist -- everything, supreme.

Just like Krsna lifted the mountain, giri-bara-dhari. Jaya radha-madhava kunja-bihari gopi-jana-vallabha giri-bara-dhari. When there was torrents of rain, Vrndavana was being overflooded, and all the inhabitants became so much disturbed. They were seeing to, looking to Krsna, because they did not know anything beyond Krsna. Krsna said, "Yes, I am lifting this mountain. Let it become a big umbrella of the whole state, or whole village." The atheist will say these are all stories. No. They're not stories. Because God is supreme, He is supreme physist, He knows how to make this mountain weightless. He knows the art. Just like so many gigantic planets are floating in the sky. That is a fact. Now who is floating? You cannot float even a small thing in the air, but such gigantic... Not only one, millions and trillions, they are floating. Who has made it possible, floating? So, God can do that. Therefore He is called all-powerful, the great.

So if Krsna is God, then floating or make this mountain weightless, is it very difficult task for Him? No. He entered the ocean. Unless He knows the physical laws how to enter the ocean... It is technique only. Modern scientists, they are also entering, by machine. They're floating by machine. That is also physical science. So, if you know the physical science still more perfectly, you can float in the air without machine, you can enter within the water without machine, you can lift the mountain without machine. It is a question of perfect knowledge. (knocking sound) What is that knock, sound?

So here it is said that when you are actually advanced in spiritual knowledge, in devotional service, then chidyante sarva-samsayah. Samsaya means doubtfulness. Sometimes... Yes. Generally, "Oh, these are stories. Krsna lifted a mountain." Because atheists say and we say, "Yes, maybe." But no. You must be firmly convinced, yourself, if you are Krsna conscious, that "Yes, Krsna did it." It is possible because He knew the physical science very perfectly. He knows and He, He can know, He can do it. One thing into another. Just like electrician, he can turn cooler into heater, heater into cooler. Because he knows the science. You cannot do that. So don't study Krsna thinking yourself as Krsna, that "I am also Krsna." No. That is the defect. Everyone thinks that frog philosophy. Frog philosophy, he has got experience of three-feet well, and he has been informed that there is Atlantic Ocean. He's simply imagining, "How it is possible? How it is possible?" He is thinking maybe little more, four feet, five feet, six feet, ten feet, and as soon as ten feet he's burst. Because he has no more knowledge. But how the three-feet well can be compared with the Atlantic Ocean? That he does not know.

So we are think..., we have got limited energy, creative energy, so-called scientific knowledge, so-called other knowledge. Limited. Because our senses are limited. And we are thinking that God may be a little bigger than me, Krsna? But as soon as it comes to the point that He, He can lift the mountain and the world, the planet, then they doubt. That is samsaya. But actually, if you are advanced in Krsna consciousness, you must be free from all doubts. You must know perfectly well what is Krsna. So that is also possible by devotional service. Just like Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita: bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. "If one wants to understand Me perfectly..." Krsna cannot be understood perfectly, but still, just to drive away our doubts... Because we have got so many doubts. So that doubts can be also dissipated bhaktya, by bhakti.

How? Why not by knowledge? Because there are three ways: karma, jnana, bhakti. By knowledge, scientific knowledge, Krsna cannot be known. Why bhakti? Why Krsna is prescribing bhakti? No. By knowledge, so-called knowledge, you cannot understand Krsna. Therefore the so-called scientists, they are in doubts. It is not possible. If you think that "I shall speculate. Through knowledge, I shall understand God," that is not possible. Because God is unlimited; your knowledge is limited. How you can know God? How the bhaktas -- they are not scientists, not educated very much -- how they can know? Yes, they can know. How? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita:

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

Dadami buddhi-yogam tam. Tam means "unto Him." Whom? Bhajatam priti-purvakam. Those who are engaged in devotional service with love and faith. Because God is within you. You haven't got to search out where is God. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam, hrdy antah-sthah [Bg. 18.61].

We have begun this chapter srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah... [SB 1.2.17]. (aside:) You are sleeping, this boy... Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah. Anyone who is engaged in hearing about Krsna... To whom? To Him, not those who are sleeping. Those who are actually hearing, srnvatam. Srnvatam means hearing, not sleeping. To such person. Bhajatam priti-purvakam, and engaged in devotional service. Buddhi-yogam dadami tam, "I give intelligence." It doesn't require... If he's sincere, if he's actually a devotee, Krsna will help him. Guru-krsna-krpa. Guru is secondary, another mercy of Krsna. Krsna is helping within and without. That without help is guru, Krsna's representative. So Krsna is always ready to help us, and when Krsna is helping us, it is very easy to understand Him. Therefore a devotee is beyond all doubts. Beyond all doubts. There is no doubt. Not that blindly we are accepting Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. No. We have got all our arguments, scientific, philosophical, anything. Then we accept Krsna. That acceptance is nice. That is uttama-adhikari.

Kanistha-adhikari, madhyama-adhikari and uttama-adhikari. There are three stages of devotees -- lower class, middle class and first class. The first-class devotee is without any doubt. The third-class devotee, he's accepting, he's accepting: "Here is God," that's all. But he has many doubts. The second class, he, although he has got doubts, he's accepting on the authority of Vedas. That is second class. And the first class, he knows perfectly well that "Here is God." That is the, the sarva-samsayah. Chidyante. They are beyond all doubts. "Yes, Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Here is Krsna. In this temple here is, my Lord is standing. He has very kindly, mercifully, He has come to accept my service." That is first-class devotee. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu. As soon as He saw Jagannatha in the temple, immediately fainted. "Here is My Lord; I was searching after."

So there are stages. So those who are first class... Here it is stated ato vai kavayah. Kavayah means first class. Ato vai kavayo nityam. Perpetually, eternally. Bhaktim paramaya muda. Devotional service. Transcendental, paramaya. The devotional service... For the third-class devotee, the devotional service is also third class. And the, although third class, first class, second class, we are distinguishing, it is not ordinary material first class, second class... Even in the spiritual world there is such divisions. The same division. Just like in the light, in the sunlight, there is division: the sunshine, the sun globe, and the sun-god. There are three divisions. It is not that because you are in the sunshine you know what is the sun globe or what is sun god. That is another stage. Similarly, just to become a devotee on the devotional service, there are stages. Stages. That is kanistha-adhikari, madhyama-adhikari. So uttama-adhikari, uttama-adhikari means first class. He's firmly convinced, "Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Nobody can deviate. He can convert others to understand Krsna, that He's the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But nobody can convert him that Krsna is not God. That is not possible. That is first class.

So here it is said: ato vai kavayo nityam bhaktim paramaya muda vasudeve bhagavati. Therefore those who are actually in the knowledge of Krsna consciousness, science of God, they're firmly fixed up in the devotional service of Krsna, Vasudeva. Vasudeve bhagavati. Then what about the third class? The third class also, if he stick to the devotional service according to the rules and regulation, vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah prayojitah... [SB 1.2.7]. Prayojita means "just begun." Janayaty asu vairagyam jnanam ca yad ahaitukam. Then that devotional service to Vasudeva, Krsna, will gradually help him how to become vairagya, how to become detached with material attraction, and how to acquire knowledge about Krsna. Everything will come.

So for the kanistha-adhikari, we must stick to the principle. Gradually, everything will be revealed. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. In the beginning, because we have got blunt material senses, we cannot understand what is Krsna, what is Krsna's service. Atah sri-krsna-namadi... What is Krsna's chanting of name. We are thinking that this is chanting, just like we chant so many vibrations, this is also like that. We cannot understand. But if we take up all this devotional service in right earnestness to serve the Lord, then everything will be gradually revealed. That is required. But if we become slack in following the rules and regulations, then we remain the third class. We cannot raise ourself to the second class, first class position. Therefore all doubts remain. This is the position.

Thank you very much. Chant. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.22 -- Los Angeles, August 25, 1972

Knot Between Matter And Spirit

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.21
November 1, 1972, Vrndavana



Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.:)

bhidyate hrdaya-granthis
chidyante sarva-samsayah
ksiyante casya karmani
drsta evatmanisvare

Translation: "Thus the knots of the heart and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions, karma, is terminated when one sees the self as master."

Prabhupada:

bhidyate hrdaya-granthis
chidyante sarva-samsayah
ksiyante casya karmani
drsta evatmanisvare

This is complete liberated stage. In the previous verse it has been spoken, bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam mukta-sangasya jayate. The science of God, bhagavat-tattva, the science of Absolute Truth, becomes manifest to the liberated soul. We find sometimes that one man is posing to have very much advanced in spiritual understanding or a great devotee, but mukta-sanga..., he's not mukta-sanga; he cannot give up smoking bidi. You see. These are the small tests. One who has actually tasted spiritual life, his unwanted things of life would at once diminish. There is no need. Anartha-nivrttih syat. Anartha. Anartha, things which are not wanted, which has no meaning. So mukta-sanga means no material attachment. That is mukta-sanga. When one is actually liberated, these are the signs.

Bhidyate hrdaya-granthih. Our material life begins by a knot in the heart. What is that knot? That is sex desire. This is the knot. A man is hankering after a woman, and a woman is hankering after a man. This attachment is the beginning of material life. Everyone, not only human society. In animal society, in bird society, in beast society, you'll find this sex attachment. This is the hrdaya-granthih, beginning. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, the first teaching to a student is to give him lesson how to become brahmacari. How not to become attached in sex life, that is called brahmacari. Tapasa brahmacaryena [SB 6.1.13]. Tapasa, to become brahmacari, to become..., abstaining from sex life, it requires tapasya. It is not so easy thing. Tapasa brahmacaryena damena samena [SB 6.1.13]. One has to practice how to control the mind, how to control the senses. This is brahmacarya. Tapasya. It requires tapasya. At the present moment, the students are, what to speak of tapasya, they are given all kinds of luxuries. So how there will be brahmacaris? It is not possible. Especially in the Western countries, the boys and girls, they are educated in one place, co-education, and they live in the same building, and there are so many things. You know, better than me.

So there is no brahmacari. There is no brahmacarya. That means the knot in the heart, sex desire, is more and more increased. It is not decreased. But if one takes to Krsna consciousness, by practice, one comes to the point of giving up all these unwanted things. Chidyante, bhidyate hrdaya-granthih. I have several times explained to you that this knot of the heart is the sex desire. Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam. Sex desire, mithuni-bhavam etam. Tayor hrdaya-granthim. And when they're actually united, that knot becomes more and more tight. But if one takes to Krsna consciousness, then gradually, bhidyate hrdaya-granthih, that knot, sex desire... That is the test whether one's sex desire has diminished. That is the test. Bhidyate hrdaya-granthih. Bhidyate hrdaya-granthis chidyante sarva-samsayah. Samsayah. We are now in hazy conclusion, what is our position. We do not know. We do not know what is God, what I am, what is our relationship. Everyone is speculating. There are, therefore, there are so many parties. The jnani party, the yogi party, the karmi party. Generally... and within each and every party there are hundreds and thousands of parties. So when one actually becomes free from the knot, or the knot is cut off, the attachment for material desires is cut off, at that time, he can understand what is his position, what is his position.

Therefore two things must go on in parallel lines. One side, a person should cultivate Krsna consciousness and, another side, he should try to give up all the unwanted things. That will help him. You cannot continue both the things. Just like when a person is diseased, he's given medicine. At the same time, he has to act, not to take this, not to take that. That is the way of treatment. Not that whatever you like, you can eat; whatever you like, you can do, at the same time you become spiritually advanced. This is all nonsense. Tapasa brahmacaryena [SB 6.1.13]. One has to practice tapasya. Tapas. Tapas means a little inconvenience, voluntarily accepting inconvenience. Just like brahmacari lies down on the floor. A sannyasi also, they follow the same practice as far as possible. Taking bath three, thrice daily, and so many rules and regulations are there. But at the present age, it is not possible to follow all the rules and regulations, but at least everyone who is interested in advancing in Krsna consciousness must rise early in the morning, before four. And take his bath and become cleansed, perform mangala-aratrika and study. These are tapasya. Tapasa brahmacaryena samena ca damena ca tyagena [SB 6.1.13]. Tyagena means renouncement. I like something, but voluntarily I should give it up. That is called tyaga. Of course, one who takes to Krsna consciousness seriously, Krsna helps him to become qualified in these matters. So bhidyate hrdaya-granthis chidyante sarva-samsayah.

Now unless one is taken to this Krsna consciousness practice, he has got so many doubts. "Why I shall do this? Why I shall do that?" But when he is raised to the platform of goodness, as it is expressed, mukta-sangasya jayate, bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam, when he understand the science of God, automatically he becomes disinterested with these unwanted things. Ksiyante ca asya karmani. Karmani, karmani nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhajam [Bs. 5.54]. We are bound up in this material existence due to our karma. According to my past karma, I have got this body, and again, as we are acting in this body, I am preparing forward my next body. Karmana daiva-netrena. We have got varieties of body, varieties of body. Not that because we are all human beings... We have got common factors -- two hands, two legs, one head -- but each body is different from the other body. You won't find one pair of body exactly of the same nature. That is not possible. Because everyone's karma is different. Karmana daiva-netrena. According to our karma, we get different types of body. So we have to stop this karma. We have to stop this karma. How you can stop this karma? Yajnarthe karmanah anyatra karma-bandhanah. If we simply act for Krsna, then we get rid of the resultant action of karma. Yajnarthe karma. Whatever you do, you do for Krsna. Yajnarthe. Yajna means Visnu. Krsna's the origin of visnu-tattva. So whatever you are ordered to do for Krsna, you are not bound up by the karma. Otherwise, good or bad, you are bound up by the resultant action of karma.

So when one is actually in the liberated stage... Liberated stage means to remain fixed up in devotional service, bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah... Otherwise it is not possible. Evam prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah [SB 1.2.20]. You can stand liberated on the platform of devotional service. As soon as you deviate from devotional service, immediately the maya is standing. She'll capture you. You can see practically. There is sunshine, and just next to the sunshine, there is darkness or shadow. So little deviation from the sunshine there is shadow. And little deviation from the shadow, you go to the sunshine. Both things are side by side, maya and Krsna. Maya means absence of Krsna. Shadow means absence of light, sunshine. So if you always keep in Krsna consciousness, there is no shadow of maya.

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

Krsna is just like sunshine and maya is just like darkness. So wherever there is sunshine, there cannot be any possibility of darkness. So you keep always yourself in Krsna consciousness. Then there is no possibility of maya. And maya means to engaged in fruitive activities.

Trtiya-karma, karma-sangah anya trtiya-saktir isyate. Maya... So long we are in maya, we have to engage ourself in fruitive activities, karma. Therefore here it is said, ksiyante ca asya karmani. One who is liberated, being engaged in devotional service, his karma, fruitive activities, stop immediately. In the Brahma-samhita it is said,

yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma-
bandhanurupa-phala-bhajanam atanoti
karmani nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhajam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.54]

Yas tu indra. Indra means the King of heaven. And there is another indra, indra-gopa. It is a, it is an insect, very small. That is called indra-gopa. So it is said, "Beginning from that Indra, the King of heaven, down to this indra, the small insect," yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma, "everyone is enjoying, suffering according at the karma." The, that Indra, the King of heaven, is... You can become the King of heaven, provided you have got a mass of pious activities. You are promoted. Just like if you have got sufficient education, you can become high court judge. It is not very difficult. Similarly, this Indra, Candra, Brahma, big, big demigods, they have got all these posts on account of their great pious activities. Punya. Punya-karma. Similarly, the hogs and dogs and other animals, they are due to the papa-karma, impious activities. So both of them are resultant action of our karma.

So everyone is suffering or enjoying the resultant action of his karma. Yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma-bandhanurupa. Bandhana. As he's bound up by the resultant action of karma... Bandhanurupa-phala-bhajanam ata... They are getting different results of their karma. It is very easy to understand. But for the devotees it is said, karmani nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhajam [Bs. 5.54], those who have taken to Krsna consciousness in devotional service, their karma is cut off. There is no resultant action. Just like you know chick peas. Chick peas, if you sow on the ground, it will fructify into a plant. But the same chick pea, if it is fried and you sow on the ground, it will not fructify. So our karma should be fried up by devotional service. Then it will not produce any result. And Krsna also says in the Bhagavad-gita, aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami. So there is no resultant action of a devotee's activity. Therefore here it is said, ksiyante ca asya karmani. Unless you have completely finished your resultant action of karma, you cannot be promoted to the spiritual world. You have to accept a type of material body so long karma will go on. Therefore in another place, Bhagavata, it is said that people are engaged as karmis, and Rsabhadeva says na sadhu manye. One is engaged in karma. It is not very good.

...na sadhu manye yata atmano 'yam
asann api klesada asa dehah
[SB 5.5.4]

By karma only we are getting different types of body, although it is temporary. But as soon as we are encaged in this body, we become subject to threefold miseries of life.

So for a devotee, there is no more karma, or there is no more material body. Krsna also confirms in the Bhagavad-gita, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. After giving up this body, a devotee, he does not get anymore birth in this material body. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti [Bg. 4.9]. In his spiritual body, he comes back home, back to Godhead. So the same thing is expressed here: ksiyante ca asya karmani drsta atmani isvare. He sees, atmani drsta, he realized his relationship with God, isvare. He realized that "I am eternal servant of God, eternal servant of Krsna." Jivera svarupa haya nitya-krsna-dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. He realizes it. And because he realizes it, he engages himself in that way. That is the perfection of life.

bhidyate hrdaya-granthis
chidyante sarva-samsayah
ksiyante casya karmani
drsta evatmanisvare

Read the purport.

Pradyumna: "Attainment of scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead means seeing one's own self simultaneously. As far as the identity of the living being as spirit self is concerned, there are a number of speculations and misgivings. The materialist does not believe in the existence of the spirit self, and empiric philosophers believe in the impersonal feature of the..."

Prabhupada: This is doubt, whether there is soul or not. Chidyante sarva-samsayah. There are so many doubts for the material scientists. Somebody says, "There must be something." Somebody says, "No, there is no soul. It is the combination of matter. The life symptoms come out." There are so many theories. So actually, when becomes enlightened by Krsna consciousness, his all doubts are moved. Go on.

Pradyumna: "...and empiric philosophers believe in the impersonal feature of the whole spirit without individuality of the living beings. But the transcendentalists affirm that the soul and the Supersoul are two different identities qualitatively one..."

Prabhupada: This is also another doubt. Because the impersonalists, they think, ghatakasa-potakasa. Just like the sky. The sky is within the pot, and the sky is outside the pot. So when the pot is broken, the inside sky becomes one with the outside sky. That is their theory. So these doubts are also dissipated when one comes to Krsna consciousness. That this potakasa means the sky within the pot, no, ghatakasa, the sky within the pot, it cannot be made analogy with the sky in the pot and outside. Because they are individual souls. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that they are part and parcel of God sanatana, eternally, not that they have been cut off. Just like the sky within the pot is walled by the wall of the pot, but actually we are not walled. We are individual. Every, every one of us are individual. We are not surrounded by some material wall. This material wall is supposed to be this body. Actually, we are individual, and therefore, because we are individual, according to our individual karma, we have got different types of body. So these are the doubts. When one become completely, I mean to say, cognizant with the Krsna consciousness science, his all doubts are removed. Go on.

Pradyumna: "There are many other theories, but all these different speculations are at once cleared off as soon as Sri Krsna is realized in truth by the process of bhakti-yoga. Sri Krsna is like the sun, and materialistic speculations about the Absolute Truth are like the darkest midnight. As soon as the Krsna sun is arisen within one's heart, the darkness of materialistic speculations about the Absolute Truth and the living beings is at once cleared off. In the presence of the sun, the darkness cannot stand, and the relative truths that were hidden within the dense darkness of ignorance become clearly manifested by the mercy of Krsna, who is residing in everyone's heart as the Supersoul. In the Bhagavad-gita (10.11), the Lord says that in order to show special favor to His pure devotees, He personally eradicates the dense darkness of all misgivings by switching on the light of pure knowledge within the heart of a devotee."

Prabhupada: This is another advantage of the devotee. Because Krsna shows a special favor to the devotee. Although He's equal to everyone, He's specially, I mean, inclined favorable to the devotees. Tesam eva anukampartham aham ajnana-jam tamah. There... He takes special care. He says, samo 'ham sarva-bhutesu. Although He's equal to everyone, still He's specially inclined to the devotees. For the devotees, he gives special instruction from within. Yena mam upayanti te. This is the special advantage of a devotee. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Therefore, because of the Personality of Godhead taking charge of illuminating the heart of His devotee, certainly a devotee, engaged in His service in transcendental love, cannot remain in darkness."

Prabhupada: So there is no question that a devotee will remain in darkness. Sometimes it is argued that mostly devotees are not very much educated. It doesn't matter. This external, academic education has no value for spiritual advancement. So here it is said, aham nasayamy atma-bhavasthah. Krsna is within everyone, and if every, anyone is purified, Krsna takes charge and He instructs. And who can be greater instructor than Krsna? Therefore it is wrong theory that devotees are ignorant. They're full of knowledge. If one is actually a devotee, there is no lack of knowledge. That's a fact. Go on.

Pradyumna: "He comes to know everything of the absolute and the relative truths. The devotee cannot remain in darkness, and because a devotee is enlightened by the Personality of Godhead, his knowledge is certainly perfect. This is not the case for those who speculate on the Absolute Truth by dint of their own limited power of approach."

Prabhupada: Yes. One can speculate about the Absolute Truth to certain extent. Therefore, generally, these speculators become impersonalists. Because they cannot go beyond that. But that impersonal knowledge is not complete. As we have several times stressed on this point, one has to go further, onward: realization of Paramatma, realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But they stop only in impersonal view. That's all. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Such knowledge is called parampara, or deductive knowledge, coming down from the authority to the submissive aural receiver, bona fide by service and surrender. One cannot challenge the authority of the Supreme and know Him also at the same time. He reserves the right of not being exposed to such a challenging spirit of an insignificant spark of the whole, subjected to the control of illusory energy. The devotees are submissive, and therefore the transcendental knowledge descends from the Personality of Godhead to Brahma, and from Brahma to his sons and disciples in succession. This process is helped by the Supersoul within such devotees. That is the perfect way of learning transcendental knowledge. This enlightenment perfectly enables the devotee to distinguish spirit from matter, because the knot of the spirit and matter is untied by the Lord. This knot is called ahankara, and it falsely obliges a living being to become identified with matter. As soon as this knot is loosened, therefore, all the clouds of doubt are at once cleared off. He sees his master and fully engages himself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, making a full termination of the chain of fruitive action. In material existence a living being creates his own chain of fruitive work and enjoys the good and bad effects of those actions life after life. But as soon as he engages himself in the loving service of the Lord, he at once becomes free from the chain of karma. All his actions no longer create any reaction."

Prabhupada: That's all right. Have kirtana. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.21 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972

Bound By So Many Knots

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.21
August 24, 1972, Los Angeles



Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

bhidyate hrdaya-granthis
chidyante sarva-samsayah
ksiyante casya karmani
drsta evatmanisvare

Translation: "Thus the knots of the heart and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions, or karma, is terminated when one sees the self as master."

Prabhupada: So bhidyate means cut into pieces. What is that? Knot. Hrdaya-granthi. Hrdaya means heart, and granthi means knot. So our everyone's heart is knot. What is that knot? The knot is sex. Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam. This is knot. The material enjoyment begins There is, everyone's heart, man, woman... Man wants to have woman; woman wants to have man. This is searching after. And some way or other, if they unite, the knot becomes tied up, very strong. That is called knot. Then as soon as the knot is there, then house, then land, then grha-ksetra-suta, children. Then friends, then money. In this way, one after another, one after another, we become knotted in so many things. This is called knot. Hrdaya-granthi, one after the other. Just like, to make it tight, you give one knot, again a knot, another knot, another knot, another knot, to make it secure. So this is our position. This material world, we are knotted in so many ways, and we are creating more knot. In this life... (tapping sound in background) Who is making that sound? Oh...

So we have to cut down this knot. We are bound up in this material life by so many knots. So the process of cutting down, we have begun: yad anudhyasina. What is that verse? Yad anudhyasina, yes.

yad anudhyasina yuktah
karma-granthi-nibandhanam
chindanti kovidas tasya
ko na kuryat katha-ratim

The fifteenth verse, we began, yad anudhyasina. These knots are there. The whole world is working so hard on account of being knotted in so many ways. But this Krsna consciousness, if you take this sword, and carefully work, then all these knots will be cut off. You will become free. The living entity, soul, is bound up the subtle body and gross body on account of these knots, attachment. And different attachment. And Krsna is giving us facilities as we want. If you want a human body, you get it. If you want animal body, you get it. If you want tiger's body, you get it. You want Brahma's body, demigod's body, you get it. That is going on. Prakrteh kriyamanani. You are, God is within you, and you are hankering after something, God is noting down: "All right." Even if you forget, He'll give you. "You wanted this facility. Now here it is. You can take." Krsna is so kind.

We are being harassed by getting these different types of body and engagement according to the body. That we can understand. We are not happy. One after another. Because our main business is sense gratification. So we cannot enjoy all these senses fully in one kind of body. There is some defect. Just like we are trying to gratify our senses by flying to another planet, moon planet. This is another sense gratification. We are meant for this planet. We are bound up by conditions. Artificially we are trying to go there. And making plans, so many plans: "There will be intermediate station, and the petrol will be carried from here," and this and that. So many things. Simply spending money. Just like childish. The child, they spoil their time and energy in certain playing. Similarly, this is going on. Because it is a sense gratification. That's all. Simply mere sense gratification: "Let us go, how it is, moon planet." You have no business there. You cannot do there anything. You cannot live there, but still, "Let us go, let us go. And spend all the money, taxpayers' money, spend like water." This is going on.

So if you actually want to go to moon planet, there is clear process:

yanti deva-vrata devan
pitrn yanti pitr-vratah
bhutani yanti bhutejya
yanti mad-yajino 'pi mam
[Bg. 9.25]

That Easy Journey... Long time ago, I think sometimes in 1960, so one gentleman met me: "Sir, your book, Easy Journey... So we shall go there?" "Yes, we shall go." "And again I shall come back?" "No, no coming back." So "Then what it is?" That means he want to sense gratification. He wants to go to moon planet or to any planet, come back, and become boast amongst his friends, "You see, I have gone there." (laughter) That is his business. Actually, he doesn't want to go there, neither he has got power to go, but he wants to satisfy his senses that "I shall go there and come back and show my chest very swollen, that ‘I have gone to the moon planet.' " Eh? That one aeronautics, he first went with that, what is called, capsule? And he was greeted all over the world. He went to India also. Our rascal leaders, they also greeted him. Kruschev and others. What? "He has gone round." And it was published in the... When he was rounding, then he was seeing, trying to see, "Where is my Russia? Where is my Moscow?" So the attraction is here, in Moscow.

Just like there is a proverb. The vulture goes very high, three miles, four miles high. It is very difficult for us to fly, single-handed. But the aim is, "Where is a dead body?" He's looking forward, "Where is a dead body?" The aim is, not very good. He's looking after some dead corpse to eat. That is his business. But he has gone very high, four miles high. Similarly, all these so-called rascal scientists, their aim is how to stuck-up in this knot of material existence, and they are trying to become so many things. You see? Hrdaya-granthi. Real attachment is here. Just like the hog; the real attachment is the stool. But he's getting very fat, "Oh, I am so happy." You see? So this is going on. Nature is very clever. Just to make you attached to stool, she gives you certain body, type of body, hog. You become very pleased: "Oh, I am so happy. I am living in heaven." Sometimes actually Indra, the king of heaven, he was cursed to become a hog, and he was, he became hog. He had so many kiddies, wife, and living in filthy place, eating stool. So Brahma came that for his absence, the management in the heavenly kingdom is not going nice. So he came: "Indra, now please come with me." "Where shall I go to, sir?" "Heaven." "What is that? I cannot go. I have got responsibility. I have got my wife, my children, and I am happy here. I do not know what is heaven."

So this is the attachment. Even if you say... Just like what we are, we are doing? We are canvassing, "Please come with us, go, let us go." Just like Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, radha-krsna bolo, sange calo, ei-matra bhikha cai. So Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that "Kindly chant ‘Radha and Krsna' and come with me. We are going back to home, back to Godhead." Nobody is interested. "What is this ‘Radha-Krsna' nonsense? We are very happy here." Knot. Even if you describe, "Oh, here is Radha-Krsna. You see how nicely They're dressed and They enjoy. Just see dancing here." They're... They don't care for it. "Oh, we are very happy here. Why shall I go to Goloka Vrndavana?" "You will not be able to stay here." "Oh, that's all right. As long as I can stay, let me enjoy this stool." That's all. Attachment. This is called attachment. Attachment is so strong that even if you explain that "You will go back to home, back to Godhead. Your father is Krsna, all-powerful. You can enjoy there blissful life, eternal life," "No. It is better here."

So by Krsna consciousness movement, if people take to it seriously and become advanced... The same process, srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah [SB 1.2.17], simply hearing about Krsna, as we are doing. Then, gradually, we come to the platform of goodness, and the lower modes of material nature, namely ignorance and passion, cannot disturb us. We become situated in goodness. And then, gradually, this stage comes, evam prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti yogatah [SB 1.2.20]. You become engladdened, you become joyful, by discharging devotional service. And the knots, you will be no more interested with this rascal life of material existence. Bhidyate hrdaya-granthih.

Just like if you are, just like Dhruva Maharaja. Dhruva Maharaja wanted the kingdom of his father, but actually when he saw Lord Visnu before him, he said, "Sir, I do not want anything." Svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace. "My dear Lord, I have no more any aspiration of this kingdom or that kingdom, that kingdom." This position comes. It is just like that... You are hungry, but if you are given food, if, when your belly is filled up, you will automatically say, "No, no, I don't want any, anything more. That's all right." Krsna consciousness is like that. Actually, we don't want to eat. We have nothing to eat. I am spirit soul, you are spirit soul. It is our material hankering. In order to maintain this body, we require some material things to eat. Otherwise, as spiritual soul, I or you don't want to eat anything. There is nothing to be eaten. Therefore the eating propensities should be satisfied by eating Krsna's prasadam, so that you gradually become spiritualized and your eating propensities may be diminished. Just like the Gosvamis. Nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau catyanta-dinau ca yau. Nidrahara. These are our necessities, sleeping, eating. Nidrahara and vihara, and sex enjoyment. Nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau, conquered. Conquered. Because in spiritual life there is no need of eating, there is no need of sleeping. That is a different thing. So nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau.

So this Krsna consciousness, as we have discussed, gradually will bring you to that stage where no more knot for the material attachment. Bhidyate, bhidyate hrdaya-granthis chidyante sarva-samsayah. Samsayah. Now everyone is... We are speaking that "You are not this body; you are soul..." The people cannot understand. They are in doubt, "Oh, how is it I am soul? I am this body." But as soon as you come perfectly in spiritual consciousness, or Krsna consciousness, the doubts will be over: "I am spirit soul, I am eternal servant of Krsna." Then that will be fixed up.

bhidyate hrdaya-granthis
chidyante sarva-samsayah
ksiyante casya karmani
drsta evatmanisvare

We are bound up by karma, by karma acting. In this life, I am acting in such a way so that I am preparing my next life. Again, next life, I shall act in such a way, I shall prepare my next life. In this way, one after another, one after another, one after another. But if we take to Krsna consciousness and if we simply act for Krsna, yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9], simply if we act for Krsna, there will be no more karma-bandhana. Then one after another, that will be finished.

Karmani nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhajam [Bs. 5.54]. In the Brahma-samhita this is, that "Those who have taken to Krsna consciousness, their karma, their action of, resultant action of karma, is stopped." How it is stopped? Krsna gives you assurance in the Bhagavad-gita: aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami. "I shall give you protection from all kinds of resultant action of your sinful life. You just surrender to Me." Krsna can do everything. Just like king can give you, excuse you. Although by law you are condemned to death, but if you appeal to the supreme executive, the king or the president, if he likes, he can excuse you. Similarly, by nature's law we cannot be freed from the resultant action of our sinful life. That is not possible. But if Krsna desires, if Krsna is pleased upon you, He can excuse, He can excuse you. Chidyante sarva-samsayah, ksiyante casya karmani. How casya karmani? Drsta eva atmani isvare. Because, at that time, actually when you are Krsna conscious, we'll always see Krsna atmani, within mind, within heart. That very seeing is, what is called, immunity from all sinful activities. Then you become free, go back to home, back to Godhead.

Thank you. (devotees offer obeisances) Begin. [break] (initiation ceremony) Thank you. Your name is Rupa-narayana dasa. Rupa-narayana. Hare Krsna. (Prabhupada chants japa) So what are the rules and regulations?

Devotee: No meat, fish or eggs, no intoxicants, no gambling or mental speculation, and no illicit sex.

Prabhupada: So your name is Mayapura-candrodaya. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's name. (japa)

Devotee: No meat, fish or eggs, no intoxicants, no gambling, and no illicit sex life.

Prabhupada: So your name is Nitai-gauracandra dasa. Hare Krsna. (japa)

Devotees: Jaya! [break]

Devotee: ...sex, eating of fish, meat or eggs, no intoxicants.

Prabhupada: So your name is Madana-mohana dasa. Hare Krsna. (japa)

Devotee: Richard.

Prabhupada: (japa) Hm. What are the rules?

Richard: No meat, fish, or eggs, no intoxications, no illicit sex, and no gambling.

Prabhupada: So your name is Radha-gopinatha dasa. (japa) What are the rules and regulations?

Devotee: No meat, fish, or eggs, no illicit sex life, no intoxicants, and no gambling.

Prabhupada: So you are Vrnda-devi dasi. Vrnda-devi? Yes. Vrnda-devi is another name of tulasi. (japa) So what are the rules?

Devotee: No illicit sex life, no intoxications, no gambling, no mental speculation, no intoxicants...

Prabhupada: Hm, what is the name?

Devotee: ...no meat-eating, meat, fish or eggs.

Prabhupada: So your name is Mathura-mohana dasa. Hare Krsna

Devotee: Thank you very much, Srila Prabhupada. (japa)

Prabhupada: ...rules? What are the rules?

Devotee: No illicit sex, no fish, meat or eggs, no intoxicants, no gambling.

Prabhupada: All right. Your name Ravindranatha (pause) dasa. (laughter)

Devotee: Mark Prabhu. No, Paula. (japa)

Prabhupada: What are the rules?

Devotee: No illicit sex, no meat, fish or eggs, no gambling and no..., intoxication.

Prabhupada: So your name is Paramahamsi-devi. (laughter) Don't laugh. Hare Krsna. (japa) (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.21 -- Los Angeles, August 24, 1972

Spiritual Life Means Joyfulness

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.20
October 31, 1972, Vrndavana



Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

evam prasanna-manaso
bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah
bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam
mukta-sangasya jayate
[SB 1.2.20]

"Thus established in the mode of goodness, the man rejuvenated by loving service to the Lord gains liberation from material association, or mukti, and comes to know scientifically of the Personality of Godhead."

Prabhupada:

evam prasanna-manaso
bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah
bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam
mukta-sangasya jayate
[SB 1.2.20]

So the Absolute Truth is scientific knowledge. It is not sentiment -- "I accept somebody as God by votes." That is not bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam. One must know what is the definition of God. It is not that somebody comes forward with a long beard and says, "I am God," and we rascals accept him as God. No, not like that. It is vijnanam. Vijnana means science. Without scientific knowledge, one cannot understand what is God. Bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam. And who can understand this vijnana, this scientific knowledge? Mukta-sangasya. One who is liberated from the contamination of the three modes of material nature, he can understand.

Those who are contaminated with tamo-guna, rajo-guna, they can create their own God. There are different types of "God" also. In one sense everyone is God. God means the controller. So everyone is to some extent a controller. But as I have explained several times, real controller means who is not controlled by others. That is God. If I am controlled by the material nature, daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya... [Bg. 7.14]. Birth, death, old age and disease, if I am controlled by these conditions of nature, then how I can become God? God is never controlled. Therefore one who can understand God must be free from the contamination of this material nature. Mukta-sangasya.

This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita:

brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
[Bg. 18.54]

When one has realized Brahman, prasannatma, prasannatma, brahma-bhutah prasannatma... Here also it is said, evam prasanna-manasah. The same thing you will find everywhere. There cannot be any contradiction. Prasanna-manasa and prasannatma, the same thing. So how one can become prasannatma or prasanna-manasa? That is described here. Bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah. Evam prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah [SB 1.2.20]. If you accept bhagavad-bhakti-yoga, devotional service to the Lord, you shall be prasanna-manasa. You shall be always feeling jolly. If I am not jolly, if I am not prasanna-manasa, that means maya has attacked me. A bhagavad-bhakta shall never be aprasanna, not joyful. Always joyful. If he is actually in contact with Krsna, how he can become morose? No. If he is morose, if he is unhappy, that means maya has attacked him. This is the test.

Therefore Rupa Gosvami says, utsaha. We shall be always enthusiastic. But we cannot become enthusiastic artificially. There must be bhagavad-bhakti-yoga. Just like these visitors in the temple, see how much enthusiastic they are. They are rising early in the morning, going to take bath in the Yamuna, and they are visiting so many temples, especially this Damodara temple, because it is Damodara month. And from five o'clock or before that, three o'clock, they are enthusiastic. They are not sleeping very nicely. That means lack of bhagavad-bhakti-yoga. It is maya. So you must be very careful. Test. If we cannot rise early in the morning, that means we are under the clutches of maya. This is the test.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore says,

jiv jago jiv jago gauracanda bole
kota nidra jao maya-pisacira kole

Sleeping is very dangerous. It is to be understood that I am under the clutches of maya, the more we sleep, because the symptom of tamo-guna is laziness and sleep. This is the symptom of tamo-guna, laziness and sleeping. And symptoms of rajo-guna -- very active, but just like monkey. Monkeys are very active, but all injurious. Wherever they will sit, they "Gata-gata-gat-gat-gat." Not a single moment they are inactive, but all foolishness. That is passion. And goodness means knowledge. So in the previous verse it is described how to come to the platform of goodness. When one comes to the platform of goodness, then he becomes prasanna-manasa, because he is not attacked by the modes of ignorance and passion, means laziness, sleep and foolishly active. Foolishly active is more dangerous than less active. Because if one is dangerous, it is better not to become very much active, because... Just like this monkey. You will find always very active, but nobody likes them. As soon as a monkey comes, everyone drives them away: "Get out! Get out! Get out!"

Therefore we should not be lazy and sleepy, at the same time not foolishly active. We must come to the real standard of life, goodness. Then we can begin our devotional service. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita:

brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
[Bg. 18.54]

After being brahma-bhuta, after understanding clearly aham brahmasmi, one can take to transcendental loving service of the Lord, not before. Before, if we take bhakti-yoga... Of course, we shall become gradually brahma-bhuta also... Bhakti-yoga is so nice that it does not depend on any condition. Ahaituky apratihata. Apratihata means not under any condition. You can begin, in whichever position you are, you can begin immediately. You can begin hearing about Krsna from any point. Sravanam kirtanam. It doesn't matter. And if you follow strictly the bhagavad-bhakti-yoga process, then automatically you are situated above goodness. Sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26].

Anyone who has taken seriously devotional service... Vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah prayojitah, janayaty asu vairagyam [SB 1.2.7]. Liberation means knowledge and detachment. Knowledge, full knowledge means that "I am not this body, I am spirit soul, and my bodily activities are not congenial for my ultimate goal of life. I must engage myself in spiritual activity." This is called jnana and vairagya. When one knows that he is not body, then why should he work hard day and night for maintaining this body? That is knowledge. And karmis, they are trying to maintain this body. Sometimes karmis also take to bhakti-yoga. Not bhakti-yoga, so-called bhakti. But their aim is how to maintain this body nicely. That is also accepted. Akamah sarva-kamo va moksa-kama udara-dhih [SB 2.3.10]. Because if you take to bhakti-yoga even for maintaining this body nicely, that is also very nice, because gradually, due to the influence of bhakti-yoga, you will come to the platform of mukta, mukta-sanga. Bhakti-yoga is so strong.

Therefore sastra recommends that either you are karmi, either you are jnani, either you are yogi, you take to devotional service. Your all desires will be fulfilled. That is the injunction.

akamah sarva-kamo va
moksa-kama udara-dhih
tivrena bhakti-yogena
yajeta purusam param
[SB 2.3.10]

This is the recommendation. It is all-inclusive. If you have got desire like the karmis or the jnanis or the yogis, you take to bhakti-yoga. Bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah. You will become prasanna-manasa. You will be engladdened. You will come to the platform of joyfulness. Anandamayo 'bhyasat. Spiritual life means anandamaya. There is no displeasure. Always ananda. That is spiritual life. Spiritual life means ananda, and material life means anxiety. You can distinguish. If you are always put into anxiety, that is material life. And if you are always jolly, that is spiritual life. Anandamayo 'bhyasat.

So here it is, the same thing. Because one has taken to bhakti-yoga, he must be prasanna manasa, very joyful. If you are full of anxiety, how you can understand the science of God? That is not possible. So evam prasanna manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah [SB 1.2.20]. By execution of bhakti-yoga you come to the platform of transcendental bliss, prasanna-manasa. Transcendental, spiritual life means eternal, blissful life of knowledge. That is spiritual platform. And material life means temporary life of miserable condition. Temporary life of miserable condition. That is material life. And spiritual life means eternal, blissful life of knowledge. This life is temporary, but when we are transferred to our spiritual life that is eternal. Sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1].

We are also part and parcel of sac-cid-ananda-vigraha. Vigraha means form. Sac-cid-ananda does not mean impersonal. That is foolishness, another foolishness. Ananda cannot be impersonal. You can make experiment. Suppose if you are put into a big room without any man coming there, so you cannot feel very comfortable for long time. You will feel lonely. You shall try to come out. Just like we have got experience. Everyone has got experience, when we rise very high in the sky, but we cannot remain in that condition more than, utmost, eight to ten hours. Then we become very restless. Although it is very high in the sky, but we cannot remain in that way. Therefore sastra says,

...aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah
patanty adho 'nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah
[SB 10.2.32]

One who does not take shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna, he may rise up very high by austerity and penance, but he cannot remain in that position. He may give up artificially this material world, jagan mithya, but he has to come down again to this mithya jagat and open schools and hospitals, because he cannot remain in that impersonal way. That is the experience. All so-called brahmavadi, they say that "We have become liberated" but not liberated. That is simply concoction, vimukta-maninah. They think like that. Actually they are not liberated. Avisuddha-buddhayah. Without being liberated, when one speaks that "I have become liberated," that means avisuddha-buddhayah: the intelligence is not clear. He does not know what is liberation. Liberation means prasanna-manasa, full of joyfulness, that is liberation. Evam prasanna-manasah, bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam. Tattva means truth. You have to understand Bhagavan in truth.

So that, to understand in truth, that is a science. That is not sentiment. Vijnana. In another place Krsna says, to advise Brahma, catuh-sloki-bhagavata, jnanam... In the Bhagavad-gita also. Jnanam sa-vijnanam. Jnanam me parama-guhyam yad vijnana-samanvitam. The jnanam me parama-guhyam, the knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very, very confidential. Jnanam me parama-guhyam yad vijnana-samanvitam. It is not sentiment. It is full of scientific knowledge. So when we understand the truth, the Absolute Truth, scientifically, that is called bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam. That bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam is understandable by a person who is liberated. One who is very busy, anxious with politics, sociology, humanitarianism, one who is very busy always in politics, how he can become interested or how he can understand bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam? That is not possible.

Therefore these are the tests to understand. A politician may pose himself that he is very advanced in spiritual life, but when we see that he is more interested in politics than in Krsna, then we can understand what is his position. These are the tests. Or politics or sociology or anything, a pure devotee is always interested how Krsna would be satisfied. Just like Arjuna. Of course, when one is interested in that way, all other things, subordinate things, they come within. Just like Arjuna was a great devotee of Krsna, but at the same time he was a politician also. So, but the first interest is to become Krsnized, how to satisfy Krsna, not that "For political purpose I love Krsna." No. You love Krsna, and your all problems, political, social and other things, will be solved. This is Krsna consciousness. You don't require to attempt for political reason and make Krsna consciousness secondary. Therefore we say that if people, not all, if some percentage of the whole population of the world become Krsna conscious, then all the problems of the world will be solved. We don't expect that cent percent people will be Krsna conscious, but simply a few percent, say five per cent. If the people of the whole population, they become Krsna conscious, then the face of the world will change -- isavasyam idam sarvam -- because if the leaders, they understand Krsna consciousness and act accordingly, the others will follow. Yad yad acarati sresthas tat tad evetaro janah. Itarah janah, common men, follows the leaders.

So evam prasanna-manasah. How to become happy mood of life, that is described here. Bhagavat-bhakti-yogatah. One has to take to Krsna consciousness. And mukta-sangasya, bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam mukta-sangasya jayate. Nobody can understand Krsna unless he is liberated from the influence of the modes of material nature. You can read the purport.

Pradyumna: "In the Bhagavad-gita (7.3) it is said that out of many thousands of ordinary men, one fortunate man endeavors for perfection in life. Mostly they are conducted by the modes of passion and ignorance, and thus they are engaged always in lust, desire, hankerings, ignorance and sleep. Out of many such manlike animals, there is actually a man who knows the responsibility of human life and thus tries to make life..."

Prabhupada: So human being in the modes of ignorance and passion, they are animals. They are not considered as human being. They are animals. Rajas-tamo-bhavah, kama-lobhadayas ca ye. So actually a person is considered to be human being when he comes to the platform of goodness or he acquires the quality of a bona fide brahmana. Then he is considered as human being. Go on.

Pradyumna: "...and thus tries to make life perfect by following the prescribe duties. And out of such many thousands of persons who have thus attained success in human life, one may know scientifically about the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna."

Prabhupada: Yes. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. Because we are coming from animal by the evolutionary process... According to sastra, it is said that... The Darwin's theory says from monkey. That is also fact, that after monkey the living entity comes to the human form. Somebody says after lion. Somebody says after cow. So from the animals, we, the human form is developed. So unless that human body also reformed, so he remains animal. That reformation required, samskara, reformation, enlightenment, cultural life. That cultural life culminates when one actually becomes a brahmana, Vaisnava. That is real cultural life. Not by birth but by cultivation of knowledge, education, advancement, spiritual knowledge, one comes to the platform of brahmana.

So manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye. This is the platform of siddhi. But nobody is interested to become a brahmana, qualified. Everyone wants to become a sudra. Kalau sudrah sambhavah. Especially in this age nobody is interested. Just like we are asking people to take to Krsna consciousness and give up the habit of illicit sex life and intoxication and gambling and meat-eating, and people laugh, that "What is this? This is the life. If we give up these things..." Especially in the Western countries, they think it is denying the primary necessities of life. They say. Some of my students, they left our association because they could not follow these principles. They are complaining that "Prabhupada is denying the primary necessities of life." Therefore it is said, manusyanam sahasresu [Bg. 7.3]. It is very difficult to give up these four bad habits. Manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye. But this is the path of perfection. But they are not interested in perfection. They want to rot as hogs and dogs in this world. That is their purpose. And therefore Krsna says, manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye. Nobody is interested to become brahmana. They are interested to become dogs and hogs. That is their interest.

Manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye. And yatatam api siddhanam [Bg. 7.3]. It is not that coming to the platform of a qualified brahmana, one can understand Krsna. That is also not. Still, you have to go farther. Brahma-bhuta. Brahma janati iti brahmanah. Brahmana can understand Brahman. He can understand that he is also part and parcel of Brahman. But that understanding is not sufficient. He has to go further, to become a Vaisnava, to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, as person. Vaisnava means to understand the Absolute Truth as person, not imperson. In the brahmana state, even they understand Brahman, that is impersonal view. But one has to go far above. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate. One has to make progress from the Brahman platform to Paramatma platform, then to the Personality of Godhead understanding. Therefore Krsna says, yatatam api siddhanam [Bg. 7.3]. Somebody is trying to come to the platform of brahma-bhuta stage. That is called siddha state. But yatatam api siddhanam kascid vetti mam tattvatah [Bg. 7.3]. So they also cannot understand Krsna. Krsna can be understood only by this process, bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah.

evam prasanna-manaso
bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah
bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam
mukta-sangasya jayate
[SB 1.2.20]

One has to become liberated from the brahminical stage also. Then he can understand Krsna.

So Krsna understanding is not so easy. It is very difficult. Krsna says. But by the grace of Krsna, because He wanted to distribute Himself, Caitanya Mahaprabhu is giving us Krsna freely... Krsna-prema-pradaya te [Madhya 19.53]. Rupa Gosvami says that namo maha-vadanyaya. Krsna was also not so liberal. He simply asked us, "Surrender," but He did not distribute Himself. But in the form of Caitanya Mahaprabhu He distributed Himself: "Take Me, take Me, take Me. Without any price, take Me." This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is Krsna, and He has come in the form of Caitanya, Krsna Caitanya, to distribute Himself. Therefore He is recognized, namo maha-vadanyaya, "the most munificent." No other incarnation, even Ramacandra or Bhagavan Krsna, they were not so liberal. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu is so liberal. Papi tapi jata chilo hari-name uddharilo. They distributed Himself through the chanting of Hare Krsna mantra.

So these Krsna consciousness movement, the Westerners, they are understanding Krsna. It is very, very difficult subject matter. But because we are trying to understand Krsna through Caitanya Mahaprabhu, therefore it has become easy. Otherwise it is very difficult subject. Otherwise Krsna Himself said, manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati sidd... [Bg. 7.3]. It will take... But as we are fallen, Krsna is also as much liberal also, this age. So if we still, you do not take advantage, then how much unfortunate we are, we can consider.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.20 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1972