Take Krishna As Everything

Take Krishna As Everything

Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.39
Bombay, December 8, 1974

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Nitai: "(Thus the devotee who worships Me, the all-pervading Lord of the universe, in unflinching devotional service, gives up all aspirations to be promoted to heavenly planets) or to become happy in this world with wealth, children, cattle, home or anything in relationship with the body. I take him to the other side of birth and death."

Prabhupada:

imam lokam tathaivamum
atmanam ubhayayinam
atmanam anu ye ceha
ye rayah pasavo grhah

visrjya sarvan anyams ca
mam evam visvato-mukham
bhajanty ananyaya bhaktya
tan mrtyor atiparaye
 [SB 3.25.39-40]

So Kapiladeva is describing bhakti-yoga. Yesterday, last night, we have already discussed the previous verse. Then bhaktas yesam aham priya. Bhakta means who takes Krsna or the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the most dears, dearest of everything. And atma sutas ca sakha guruh suhrdo daivam istam. Everything. "Krsna is my guru. Krsna is my atma because I am part and parcel of Krsna." Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. "So Krsna is origin; I am part and parcel. Then Krsna is my..." One who wants to love Krsna as son... We have described already. Krsna is prepared to become your son because we love sons. We offer respect to guru. We offer respect to devata. So everything should be Krsna. Yesam aham priya atma sutas ca sakha, friend. Just like Arjuna. He accepted Krsna as his friend.

So everyone can accept Krsna in so many ways. So

sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
 [SB 7.5.23]

So you can love Krsna as sakha, as Arjuna did. And similarly, Pariksit Maharaja, he simply heard about Krsna, sravanam. These are the nine processes. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh: "Of Visnu, of Krsna." Krsna and Visnu -- the same. Not anyone else. You cannot say that "I am hearing about Mr. such and such, a great politician, sravanam." No, that will not help you. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh. Smaranam, "also always thinking of Me."

yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
 sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
 [Bg. 6.47]

man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
 [Bg. 18.65]

That is sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam [SB 7.5.23], always thinking of Krsna. Simply if you... Meditation, that is meditation. If you meditate about Krsna always, then you become the first-class yogi. That is said in the Bhagavad-gita in the Sixth Chapter, yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana [Bg. 6.47].

So this movement is teaching everyone always to be Krsna conscious, to become first-class yogi, and take Krsna as everything -- priya, suta, sakha, guru, everything. That is called bhakta. So in this way, visrjya sarvan anyams ca. Visrjya means giving up completely. If you want a son, all right, Krsna is prepared to become your son. If you want a lover, all right, Krsna is prepared to become your lover. If you want a friend, Krsna is prepared to become your friend. Everything Krsna is prepared, and that relationship is going on in this material world. Somebody... I love somebody as my son. I love somebody as my friend. I love somebody as my lover. I love somebody as my father. Or in this relationship, sakhyam. There is the mellows, the sakhya-bhava, vatsalya-bhava, vatsalyam, madhuryam, means loving platform, loving propensities. Krsna is prepared.

So if actually, if we want to become free from the clutches of this janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi... [Bg. 13.9]. That is our problem. Here... We have discussed many times that we, as spirit soul, we are not this body. I am not this body. You are not this body. I am Brahman, aham brahmasmi. You are also Brahman, or spirit soul. But I am not Parabrahman. That is mistake. Neither you are Parabrahman. There are two words in the scriptures: Brahman and Parabrahman, atma and Paramatma, isvara and Paramesvara. The Mayavadis, they think there is no difference. No, there is difference. Otherwise why the word is used, "parama"? So I may be isvara, you may be isvara, but you are not Paramesvara. You are atma; I am atma. But I am not Paramatma; you are not Paramatma. So in this way the Paramatma, Paramesvara, that is Krsna. Therefore it is said, visrjya sarvan anyams ca mam (sic:) eva. Bhagavan says, Kapiladeva... Kapiladeva is also Krsna. He says, mam eva, "Only unto Me. And what is the difference between you and Me? No, I am visvato-mukham. I am all-pervading. You are not all-pervading." That is the difference. You are sitting here. You are not at your home. But Krsna is here, being worshiped in this temple, but He is present in many, many millions of temples. Visvato-mukham. He is accepting devotional services from the devotee in many thousands of temples. Not only that. As Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that, what is that? I forget now. Now I am becoming old, I am forgetting.

Anyway, Krsna is Paramatma. He is present everywhere. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. That is visvato-mukham. He is living in everyone's heart. That is the difference between Krsna and me. Krsna and me, that is the difference. Aham. Here it is said, mam eva visvato-mukham. Mam eva. Krsna or Bhagavan, He says mam eva, but what is the mam eva? He is not a person like me or you. He is visvato-mukham. He, Krsna, says in the Bhagavad-gita that this body is the field of, ksetra, field of activities. Idam sariram ksetram ity abhidhiyate. Ksetra-ksetrajna. And the owner of the body or the occupier of the body, not owner... We are not actually owner of this body. Because as soon as there will be order that "You vacate this body," you have to immediately vacate. Therefore we are not owner; we are occupier. This is a machine given by Krsna.

isvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese arjuna tisthati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani
yantrarudhani mayaya
 [Bg. 18.61]

This is a yantra, machine. I am not this machine, but this machine has been given to me to move. Just like you get a car to move. Especially mentioned, yantra. Yantra, just like a car is machine, but you are not the car. Suppose if you want a car to move. Your father gives you a car, maybe costly or not. That depends on the father's condition or your condition. But the father or the..., you purchase. But here it is said that the..., because we want to move in this material world under difference desires, so Krsna gives us different types of bodies, 8,400,000 different species of yantra. They are just like machine, yantrarudhani, and that machine is made by maya, this material energy. That is not spiritual energy. I am spiritual energy; you are spiritual energy. But this vehicle, or the car, or the moving machine, that is not spiritual. That is material. Yantrarudhani mayaya [Bg. 18.61]. It is given by maya. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih... [Bg. 3.27]. We are in a machine made by maya. And so long we are on this machine, the machine will be old and you will have to change it for another machine. That is going on. That is called janma-mrtyu. That is called birth and death. Otherwise you and me, we have no birth and death. Na jayate na mriyate va kadacit. The soul, or the Brahman, he does not take birth or dies. Simply we change this machine, body. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. You are driving one car. If the car is broken or it is smashed, that does not mean you are smashed. You may have some accident, but you are not finished; the car may be finished. Similarly, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. Similarly, this body being finished, we are not finished. Tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13], we get another car, another body, just like we are getting different bodies in this life.

So the question is that if I am nityah sasvatah, na hanyate han... and my position is I never die, never take birth, so why I have been put into this condition, accepting this machine? That is real problem. That is real problem. Then what is the cause? That cause is that because I want to enjoy this material world. What is that material world? Here it is said, rayah pasavo grhah. Rayah means wealth. Formerly a man was considered to be wealthy -- now also it is... Dhanyena dhanavan, gavaya dhanavan. If you have got many number of cows, then you are considered to be rich man, not papers. Nowadays, if you have got bunch of paper written "one thousand dollar," but they are paper only. You are dhanavan. Formerly, practical. Not dhanavan by the papers, by the currency notes, but by how many cows you possess, because that is life. You get milk. And dhanyena, if you have got food grains, then you are rich, not by possessing some paper. No. Therefore it it said here, rayah pasavo grhah. So these are the material possession.

So, so long we are after this material possession, then we cannot get out of this circle of birth and death. But if we give up this material possession and you take Krsna and the Supreme Personality of Godhead and worship Him in bhakti-yoga, as it is said here, bhajanty ananyaya bhaktya... Ananyaya bhaktya. Ananyaya bhaktya means pure, not mixed. You should not mix bhakti with jnana and karma. That is pure bhakti. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam [Brs. 1.1.11]. To... Just like there are many bhaktas. They are not pure bhaktas. Chanting, they are also chanting, but they are aspiring after mukti. So they are not pure bhaktas; they are adulterated bhaktas. A bhakta does not want mukti. We have discussed all things. Bhakta wants nothing from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He simply wants to serve Him. That's all. And serve Him anukulyena, not whimsically, "I want to serve You as I like." No. Anukulyena. Just like Arjuna did. Arjuna served Krsna not whimsically, but as Krsna desired. Krsna... Arjuna was not willing to fight. He said, "No, Krsna, the other side, my friends and relatives, I cannot." That is whimsical. But when he decided after hearing Bhagavad-gita, karisye vacanam tava [Bg. 18.73]: "Yes, I shall do what You are asking, to fight. I shall kill my grandfather. That's all." That is anukula. Anukulyena krsnanusilanam bhaktir uttama [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. You cannot serve Krsna by your whims. Anukulyena. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam, anukulyena krsnanusilanam [Brs. 1.1.11]. You have to serve Krsna as He says. If I want a glass of water, you must give me a glass of water. You cannot say, "Prabhupada, milk is better than water. Why don't you take one glass of milk?" That is not anukula. You must supply me what I want. That is anukula. That is favorable. I want to drink water. Why should you give me milk? That is anukula. That is bhakti. That is ananyaya... You don't manufacture your own trademark of bhakti. No, that is not bhakti. It is not that...

Sometimes people say, some so-called bhaktas, they say that "I can worship the Lord in my own way." No, that you cannot do. You have to... But because you have no connection with the Supreme Lord, you simply think a fiction, an idea, imagination, kalpana. The Mayavadis, they say kalpana. Brahma-rupa-kalpanah: "Brahma has no rupa, but you imagine some rupa, or form." That is Mayavada. That is not. Krsna has got rupa. Krsna is present here with His original rupa, as it is described in the Vedic literature.

venum kvanantam aravinda-dalayataksam
barhavatamsam asitambuda-sundarangam
kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.30]

His form. Isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. Paramah. Isvarah paramah. We may be isvara; you may is isvara. That's all right. But you are not Paramesvara; I am not Paramesvara. Isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. The Paramesvara is Krsna. Paramatma is Krsna. We are not. Ksetra-ksetrajna. Ksetrajna means one who knows about the ksetra. We are acting with this body. I am also acting, you are also acting, the dog is also acting, cat is also acting, the tree is also acting -- according to the body. But within the body, dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam..., tatha deha... [Bg. 2.13], the owner, or the occupier of the body, is within.

So Krsna says, ksetra-jnam capi mam viddhi: "You are ksetrajna. You are owner of this body. But I am also ksetrajna. So I am ksetrajna. I am the real proprietor. You are simply occupier. You are not the proprietor." Yantrarudhani mayaya [Bg. 18.61]. He gives you. You wanted a body like this, oh, you have got, "Now take this body." Krsna is giving all facilities to enjoy this material world. Sometimes you want the body of a devata like Brahma, Indra, Candra. "All right." Yanti deva-vrata devan [Bg. 9.25]. It is said in the Bhagavad-gita, yanti deva-vratah. If you want to become devata, so you act like that. You qualify yourself, and you will go there, and you will get a body. You can get a body like Brahma or you can get the body of the worm in the stool, as you like. Now it is... "Or if you like a body like Me," Krsna says, yanti mad-yajino 'pi mam. And if you want to get a body like Krsna, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1] -- that is our body, real body, sat, cit, ananda -- then you can get it.

So our intelligence will be proved when we want to go back to home, back to Krsna. Mad-yaji mam... He gives you freedom, free pass. If you want to go to the demigod's planet... Yanti deva...what is that? Deva-yajna. Huh?

Devotee: Pitrn yanti pitr-vratah.

Prabhupada: Pitrn yanti pitr-vratah.

Devotee: Bhutani...

Prabhupada: Bhutani yanti bhutejya mad-yajino 'pi ya... Now it is your choice. It is your choice, where you want to go. You have to go somewhere. You can remain here in this material world, you can remain to the higher planets, or you can go beyond these higher planets. Avyakto 'vyaktat sanatanah, paras tasmat tu bhavah anyah [Bg. 8.20]. There is another nature. This is material nature, and there is another nature, spiritual nature. You can go there also, as you like. You are given full freedom. So here it is said... But wherever you go, it is said, abrahma-bhuvanal lokah punar avartino 'rjuna [Bg. 8.16]. Ksine punye punar martya-lokam visanti. You can go to the Svarga-loka, the heavenly planets, by your pious activities, but ksine punye, when your punya, pious acti..., resultant action of pious activities will be finished, then you have to come back again. Ksine punye punar martya-lokam...

But Krsna says, yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama: [Bg. 15.6] "If you, some way or other, you go to that place where I live..." Krsna lives everywhere. Krsna, isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61], but He has got a special home. Just like the governor or the president, he can move many places, but still, he has got his own place, the raja-bhavan, like that. Similarly, Krsna's place is Goloka Vrndavana. Cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-laksavrtesu sura... [Bs. 5.29]. But goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37]. That is Krsna. He can live in Goloka Vrndavana like you see here Krsna, His Goloka Vrndavana. He is enjoying the company of Vrndavanesvari, Radharani. So goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah. That is visvato-mukham. Here it is said, visrjya sarvan anyams ca mam evam visvato-mukham.

So if you concentrate your devotion, your mind, your activities by this bhakti-yoga, sravanam kirtanam... Bhakti-yoga means first of all to hear. Without hearing, how you can become bhakta? You must know about Krsna. If you want to make friendship with somebody or make some transaction, we have got already our relationship, eternal relationship with Krsna, because we are part and parcel of Krsna. But some way or other, we have forgotten it now. Therefore in the Caitanya-caritamrta it is said, anadi-bahirmukha jiva, krsna bhuli' gela. Some way or other, from long, long time, we have forgotten Krsna. Krsna bhuli' gela. Ataeva krsna veda-purana kaila: "Therefore Krsna has made all these Vedas and Puranas and sastra, everything, Mahabharata." Krsna comes there. This is... Because when we forget. Now this age is going on, Kali-yuga, forgetfulness. People are forgetting more and more Krsna. They are not interested anymore. But Krsna is interested. Krsna, because we are sons of Krsna... Just like a mad son, he is no more interested in home, or father, mother, but still, the father and mother is interested, that "This boy has gone out of home and is simply suffering." Bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. "He has accepted one type of body and again giving it up, again accepting another body. In this way he is traveling," abrahma-bhuvanal lokah, "all the planets, all the species of life. So let Me try to rescue him." Therefore Krsna comes. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata, tadatmanam srjamy aham [Bg. 4.7].

So we are falsely engaged in this material world, illusion. Ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair janasya moho 'yam [SB 5.5.8]. This material world, it is not our home. How we can say it is home? I am living in this body, in this home, say, for fifty, sixty, or hundred years, again get out. So how I can say it is my home? I am nitya. I must have an eternal home. Why I am this temporary? This is knowledge. This is knowledge. Unless one is not awakened to this knowledge, then he is a fool, rascal. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13]. One who is thinking, "This is my body. This is I am," sa eva go-kharah: he is no better than animals. There are dog thinking.

So if a man thinks that "I am this body," then what is this position? He is no better than a dog. You should not be that. This human form of life is meant for this inquiry, athato brahma-jijnasa. "If I am Brahman, then what is...? Brahman means eternal. So why I am busy with these bodily affairs?" This is called brahma-jijnasa. And if you become very learned scholar in the Vedanta and busy with these bodily affairs, that is another foolishness. If you actually Vedantist, then you should be inquiring that "I am eternal. Why I am put into this temporary body, and on account of this body, I am subjected to so many miserable condition of material life? Why I should remain in this condition? How I can get released from this condition?" That is human life. That is human life. And tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. If you actually very much eager to inquire about it, then you require a guru. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam: [SB 11.3.21] "One who is inquisitive about spiritual life, about spiritual identity," tasmat, "therefore," gurum prapadyeta, "you must seek out a bona fide guru."

So who can be better guru than Krsna? He is the original guru. Here it is stated, guruh. In the previous verse, yesam aham priya atma sutas ca sakha guruh. Guruh. So you don't accept anyone guru, but accept guru, Krsna. And Krsna is instructing Bhagavad-gita as guru. Sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam [Bg. 2.7]. Arjuna says, "My dear Krsna, I am accepting as my guru. I am Your sisya." So everyone should become like that, accept Krsna as guru. Or Krsna's representative. You can say, "Where is Krsna? I don't find." But Krsna's representative is there. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita:

tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah
 [Bg. 4.34]

So one who knows Krsna perfectly, he is Krsna's representative. And to know Krsna is very difficult task? No. Everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gita. But if you, like a rascal, interpret in a different way, then you are not a guru. You are a goru, then you are animal. You are guru so long you take Bhagavad-gita as it is.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.39-40 -- Bombay, December 8, 1974

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Krishna's Service-Absolute Delight

Krishna's Service-Absolute Delight

Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.38
Bombay, December 7, 1974

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Nitai: "The Lord continued: My dear mother, devotees who receive such transcendental opulences are never bereft of them; neither weapons nor change of time can destroy such opulences. Because the devotees accept Me as their friend, their relative, their son, preceptor, benefactor and the Supreme Deity, they cannot be deprived of their possessions at any time."

Prabhupada:

na karhicin mat-parah santa-rupe
nanksyanti no me 'nimiso ledhi hetih
yesam aham priya atma sutas ca
sakha guruh suhrdo daivam istam
 [SB 3.25.38]

So here is explained that how spiritual life is eternal and without any destruction. Here in the material world, whatever we have, it is destructible. It will be destroyed. Today one is my son, so tomorrow the son may be destroyed. But if you accept Krsna as your son, He will never be destroyed. That is the difference. Here whatever opulence we have got... We may have family, friend, sons, daughters, and so many things we possess. We enjoy life in the varieties of representation. Ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair janasya moho 'yam aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. Here we aspire after having good apartment, good house, grha, ksetra, possession, property. Ato grha-ksetra-suta, children; apta, friend; vitta, riches. We possess here. But this possession is illusion, janasya moho 'yam, because it will not stay. This grha... Either the grha will be destroyed or -- I am the inhabitant -- I will be destroyed. There will be separation. Here nothing is permanent. Grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittaih. Therefore it is illusion. We do not understand it. We take this, permanent, and Krsna, not permanent. But that is not the fact.

The fact is that Krsna is permanent, but Krsna's material energy is not permanent. Therefore it is said, santa-rupe, "My dear mother," na karhicin mat-parah. Mat-parah. Mat means Bhagavan. Bhagavan is speaking, mat-parah. Whenever... As in the Bhagavad-gita also there are many words, mat-parah, or plural number, mat-parah, the same thing. So here also, Kapiladeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, says, mat-parah -- means "My devotees. My devotees who have taken Me as his son, friend, lover, master..." There are so many rasas: santa-rasa, dasya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, vatsalya-rasa, madhurya-rasa, in so many. Those rasas, or mellows, are represented here in the material world in a temporary way. Here we have got the same rasa: I love my son. I love my friend. I love my husband. There is love, but this is all temporary. But if you transfer this love to Krsna either as your master or the Supreme or as friend or as your son or as your lover or husband, it will never be destroyed. That is permanent settlement. This is to be understood. But the Mayavadis, they cannot understand. They think that in the spiritual world there is no more such relationship as master, friend, or father and son, or beloved and the lover. There is no such thing.

But here in the sastra we see that that is real life. This is not real life. It is shadow. In the Bhagavad-gita in the Fifteenth Chapter it has been described as shadow. Urdhva-mulam adhah-sakham asvattham prahur avyayam [Bg. 15.1]. Asvattham. We have got experience of banyan tree. It is very durable. It stands for many, many hundreds of years. Therefore this material world has been compared with the asvattham, asvattham tree, very durable and very expansive. It goes on increasing, increasing. That is very nicely described in the Fifteenth Chapter. So it is called urdhva-mulam. Urdhva-mulam means... Here we have got experience: the tree has got its roots underneath, down. But this material world, which is compared with the asvattha tree, the root is upside and the branches downside. That means it is shadow. We can experience of this tree, urdhva-mulam. The root upside and the branches downside, we have got experience. Where it is? In the shadow. If you stand on the bank of a river or reservoir of water and if there is any tree by the side of that reservoir of water, you will find the shadow, urdhva-mulam. The root upside and the branches downside. Exactly the same tree, but it is shadow. It has no fact; it is simply shadow. Many places it has been compared with the mirage, mirage in the desert. Just like in bright sunshine in the desert you will find that there is water. So the thirsty animal, they think there is water. They jump over it, and the animal runs after the water, and the water also goes away, goes away, goes away. Sometimes we have got also experience. In bright sunshine on the street we find exactly a shadow of water, but there is no water. Tejo-vari-mrt, amrsa. In the Bhagavata it is stated: tejo-vari-mrt, amrsa. Sometimes in the water we see land, and on land we can see water. This is called maricika, or mirage.

Similarly, actual life... Our life means we are enjoying some rasa, some relationship. I enjoy in the family with my children. There is some rasa. They are calling me "father." I am enjoying. Or somebody is calling me as "son." I am enjoying. Some woman is calling me "husband." I am enjoying. Some woman I am calling, "wife." Some person I am calling "servant," and he is calling me... These relationship we enjoy. But this enjoyment is shadow. This is not real enjoyment. We have no information. This enjoyment can be achieved in the similar way with Krsna.

Krsna therefore comes in person just to teach us how you can enjoy with Krsna the same relationship. You can-Krsna-accept your master as the Supreme. You can accept Krsna as your friend. You can accept Krsna as your son, vatsalya-rasa, just like mother Yasoda. Mother Yasoda and Nanda Maharaja, Vasudeva or Devaki, they are all devotees. Nobody can become the father or mother of Krsna, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is not possible. He is the supreme father. Aham bija-pradah pita. He is everyone's father. Sarva-yonisu kaunteya [Bg. 14.4]. Therefore those who are not Krsna conscious, those who do not know how our relationship can be established with Krsna, they ask that "Who is the father of Krsna? If Krsna is the father of everyone, then who is the father of Krsna?" That is natural question. Because we are thinking Krsna like us. But the sastra says that He is the father of everyone, but nobody is His father. Anadir adih, govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. Anadi. Anadi means He has no beginning. Just like we have beginning from our father. Our life begins from our father. The father begets the child, and the birth is the beginning of our life. Similarly, we think that Krsna is also child of Vasudeva and Devaki; therefore He has the beginning.

But Krsna is not like that. In the Bhagavata it is described about the Krsna's birth. Krsna appeared as Narayana, Catur-bhuja, before Vasudeva and Devaki. But Devaki, because previously her seven sons were killed by Kamsa, so Devaki immediately prayed to the Lord that "This time You have appeared as the Supreme Lord Visnu. Now immediately Kamsa will kill You. Formerly my so many sons appeared as human child. They were killed. And Kamsa is searching after killing God, Krsna, the Supreme Lord. Now You have appeared, exactly four-handed Narayana. Immediately You will be killed." That is affection. That is called yoga-maya affection. "So kindly You appear as ordinary human child." This is the description in the Bhagavatam about Krsna's birth. So He did not appear immediately as a human child. He appeared first of all as the four-handed Narayana. Then, on the request of the father and mother, He became a child. This picture we have got in our Krsna book.

So that is the position of Krsna. Krsna is the father of everyone. That is said in Bhagavad-gita.

sarva-yonisu kaunteya
murtayah sambhavanti yah
tasam brahma mahad yonir
aham bija-pradah pita
 [Bg. 14.4]

The material world, the material nature is the mother of living entities. Just like to give birth to a child there is necessity of father and mother. So Krsna says that "I am the bija-pradah pita." So He is everyone's father. But we may ask, "Then who is His father?" His father is devotee. When He accepts anyone as His father, that father is His devotee. That is said here that karhicin mat-parah, yesam aham priya atma sutas ca. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is loved by the devotee as their son, as his son. Sutas ca. Somebody loves Krsna as his son.

The Vasudeva and Devaki, in their previous life they underwent severe austerities. After their marriage, they immediately were not anxious to beget child. They went to the forest and began practicing austerity and penances, severe, some hundreds of years. Then Krsna appeared that "What do you want? Why you are undergoing so much severe...?" "No, we want a son like You. Then we enter into the family life." So Krsna said that "Where is another Krsna?" Because God is one. "So if you want a son like Me, then I will have to become your son. There is no competitor." God has no competitor. God is one. Ekam brahma dvitiyam nasti. This is the... Krsna therefore says, mam ekam. Mam ekam. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam [Bg. 18.66]. Krsna is one, but Krsna can expand. That is Krsna. The Mayavadi philosophers say that "If Krsna has become everything, then where is Krsna? Krsna is finished." This is Mayavadi philosophy. That is materialistic idea. Just like you big piece of paper and you tear it into small pieces and throw it; then the paper has no existence. The paper is finished. But Krsna is not like that. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvanam ca [Bs. 5.33]. He has expansion, many, many thousands, many, many millions. Just like Krsna says, isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Krsna is situated in everyone's heart, and there are many millions and trillions of heart. Not only human being, there are animals, there are trees, plants, aquatics, fishes, so many. Anantyaya, sa anantyaya kalpate. There is no counting of the living entities. They are so... And the Paramatma, Krsna's another feature, He is everywhere. That does not mean the same materialistic idea that "If Krsna has entered so many millions of heart, then where is existence of Krsna?" This is called Mayavada, nirvisesa, "Now Krsna is finished." No. Krsna is not finished. Krsna still remains. That is the Vedic injunction. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam eva avasisyate [Iso Invocation]. We read this Vedic mantra; still, we think Krsna is finished. "Because He has entered so many hearts of living entity, therefore Krsna is finished. There is no more." That is nirakaravada.

But that is not the Vedic version. Vedic version is that not only Krsna's incarnation, but even if Krsna, the full, cent percent God, if He is distributed or if He distributes Himself in many millions of form, still, He is there in the same strength. Just like if you take some blood, my energy, out of my body, then after taking some quantity, my body becomes weak. Because so much energy is taken away. But the Vedas says, purnasya purnam adaya purnam eva avasisyate [Iso Invocation]. The balance is purna. That is Krsna. You take full strength. Krsna is sad-aisvarya-purna, almighty. So you take Almighty, and in millions and millions of units -- still the Almighty. That is Krsna. So we have to understand Krsna in that way. And if we can understand Krsna... Janma karma ca me divyam yo janati tattvatah [Bg. 4.9]. This tattva you will understand from the Vedic literature, what is tattva. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayam [SB 1.2.11]. So Krsna is never diminished.

There is a little story, very interesting. So one poor boy, he was student in a school, and the teacher's annual ceremony of father's death would be held. So he requested all his student, "What you will give me, contribution?" Formerly the teacher was not taking any salary. But whatever he wanted, the students will bring either from parents' house or by begging. That was the system. The teacher would not charge anything. A brahmana cannot be..., charge anything. Generally, the brahmanas were teachers. That is one of the profession of the brahmana. Everyone must have livelihood. So brahmana livelihood is pathana pathana. He must become a learned scholar, and he will make others also learned scholar. That is brahmana's business. Pathana pathana yajana yajana dana pratigrahah. Sat-karma. Six kinds of profession for the brahmanas. And ksatriya's profession is to give protection to the citizen and levy some tax, twenty-five percent, not more than that. Whatever is income your, give twenty-five percent to the ksatriya king. That's all. That includes sales tax, this tax, that tax, so many tax, income tax. All finished. You give twenty-five percent. And if you have no income, no tax. Not like that even you have no income, "No, last year you gave so much tax. You must give it. Otherwise your property will be sold." Not like that. So that is ksatriya's income. Similarly, vaisya's income, krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam [Bg. 18.44], agriculture, cow protection, and if there is excess foodstuff, then he can sell, make trade. And sudras, they will simply help.

So this teacher, the original story, the teacher asked the student for... Somebody said, "I will contribute this cloth," somebody said, "I'll rice," somebody said something, something, something. There was one poor student, he had no means. He was very poor. So when he was asked, so he replied that "I cannot say anything without asking my mother." "All right, you ask your mother and tell me tomorrow." So he asked, "My dear mother, all my class friend has promised the teacher to contribute this, that, this, that. So my turn is there. What shall I promise?" The mother said, "My dear son, we are so poor, we cannot give anything. But if Krsna gives, He is dina-bandhu, the friend of the poor. So if He gives something to you, you can promise." "Oh, where is Krsna? What is His name?" "Now, His name is Dinabandhu, friend of the poor." "Where He is?" "I understand that He is in the forest." So he went to the forest and called, "Dinabandhu brother, Dinabandhu brother, where You?" He began to cry. So Krsna came. When a devotee is very much eager to see Him, Krsna comes. He very is kind. So "Why you are asking?" "My mother... You are Dinabandhu?" "Yes." "So this is my condition, sir. What can I promise?" So He said that "You promise that you will supply yogurt, dahi. You will supply dahi." So he was very much satisfied. And he came to the teacher that "My Dinabandhu brother, dada, He will supply dahi, or yogurt, for whatever you require." "Oh, that's nice. Very good."

So on the day of ceremony, so he went to the forest again and called Dinabandhu dada, and He gave him a small pot of dahi, yogurt, a small pot. Oh, he was a child. He did not know. And the..., he brought it to the teacher, "Now, this is my contribution. My Dinabandhu brother has given. So you take." "The hundreds and thousands of people will be given foodstuff and this much dahi?" He became very angry. He became angry, he did not care, and the pot fell down, and the yogurt also fell down. But after some time, when he came, he saw that although the yogurt has fallen down, the pot is full. Then he again dropped it; again it is full. He dropped it; again it is full. Then he could understand it is spiritual. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam eva avasisyate [Iso Invocation]. You take the whole thing; still, the whole thing is there. That is Krsna. Not that because you have taken something, one minus one equal to zero. No. In the spiritual world, one minus one equal to one. And one plus one equal to one. That is called advaya-jnana. There is no duality. Plus and minus, they are two things. But in the spiritual world, either plus or minus, the same. That is to be understood. That is called Absolute, advaya-jnana.

So if you love Krsna, there will be no destruction like the material things. Either you love Him as your master... Here master, so long you are serving, the master is pleased. And the servant is pleased so long you are paying. But in the spiritual world there is no such thing. If I cannot serve under certain condition, then master is pleased. And the servant also -- the master does not pay -- he is also pleased. That is called oneness, Absolute. That is... This example is here. There are so many students in this institution. We are not paying anything, but they will do everything for me. This is spiritual relationship. That pandita Jawaharlal Nehru, when he was in London, his father gave him, the Motilal Nehru, three hundred rupees for keeping a servant. Then once he went to London, so he saw that the servant is not there. The pandita says, "Where is your servant?" He says, "What is the use of servant? I have no, nothing to do. I do it personally." "No, no. I wanted that an Englishman should be your servant." So he has to pay for it. This is an example. I have got hundreds and thousands of servants who I haven't got to pay. This is spiritual relationship. This is spiritual relationship. They are serving not for being paid. What I have got? I am poor Indian. What can I pay? But the servant is out of love, spiritual love. And I am also teaching them without any salary. This is spiritual. Purnasya purnam adaya [Iso Invocation]. Everything is full.

So if you accept Krsna as your son, as your friend, as your lover, you will never be cheated. So try to accept Krsna. Give up this false illusory servant or son or father or lover. You'll be cheated. You'll be cheated. If you love your son with your heart and soul, that very son will may be someday your most veritable enemy. Yes. This is the world. The wife you love so much, but the wife may be someday so great enemy that she can kill you for her own interest. There are so many instances. So if you want to have real... The Mayavadi philosophers, they are afraid of having such relationship again. Because they have got bitter experience of this material world, they want to make it zero -- no more relationship, no more son, no more daughter, no more lover, no more master. "Because we have got very bitter experience of these things, I am disgusted with these things. I will make it zero." But that is not the fact. The fact is that if you make the same relationship with Krsna, it will never become zero; it will be enthusiastic more and more. Anandambudhi-vardhanam, it is said. Ambudhi, ambudhi means sea. This morning we were walking. The sea cannot come, overflood, under certain extent, limitation. That is called... We have no experience the sea is increasing. No. But in the spiritual world, anandambudhi, the ocean of spiritual bliss, is increasing. Here the anandambudhi -- I have got some relationship with my father, with my wife, with my husband, with my master, but it will decrease by and by. The relationship is personal interest. "If you pay me, I will serve you." "If you serve me, then I will pay you." This is relative term, duality. But in the absolute world it is something different.

Therefore here it is said that na karhicin mat-parah santa-rupe, yesam aham priya atma sutas ca sakha guruh. You can establish your relationship in so many way. There is no question of making it zero. Because that is reality. Just like in the Bhagavad-gita, Fifteenth Chapter, it is stated, "the shadow of the tree." The shadow of the tree has got the branches, fruit, leaves. Everything is there. But it is nonreality. The real reality is up in the spiritual world. And that is shadow. Urdhva-mulam adhah-sakham [Bg. 15.1]. That is very practical example in the world. Urdhva-mulam. The real mula is up. Therefore we sometimes find that the lowest abominable thing is the highest there. Because the opposite. You see the upside of the tree down, but the upside is there. Therefore the rasas, there are so many mellows, and the parakiya-rasa... Parakiya-rasa means love without marriage. That is called parakiya-rasa. Therefore you will find the parakiya-rasa... Krsna's loving affairs with the gopis without marriage, that is called parakiya-rasa. Parakiya-rasa is the highest, topmost relishable spiritual bliss. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommended ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena ya kalpita. Krsna displayed everything so to attract us, that "You are captivated by this material jada-rasa, material rasa." There is rasa; otherwise why a man is working so hard to maintain the family? Unless there is some ananda, why he is taking? Nobody is taking so much hard responsibility for others. But children, wife, family, they take. There is... Unless there is some ananda, how he can take? So the relationship has got ananda. But this ananda is flickering, illusion. Ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair janasya moho 'yam [SB 5.5.8]. This is moha. It will not stay; it is temporary, illusion.

So don't be attached to this illusion. Tamasi ma. Tamasi means ignorance. In ignorance, if you accept somebody as son or wife or friend, that is darkness. It is not actual fact. It is ignorance. Tamasi ma jyotir gama: "Go to the light." Have real friendship, real fatherhood, real lover, real beloved, real son. So if... And another point is that a devotee, real devotee, he doesn't want to be the son of God. He wants to be the father of God. Why? The father means he will simply give to the son. And son means he will simply take. So just like in the Christian philosophy it is said, "O God, give us our daily bread." This is one philosophy. That's a fact. God is giving. Eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. God is feeding everyone. That's a fact. But a devotee does not want to take anything from God. He does not worship God for his daily bread. One who asks daily bread from God, they are pious, but they are not devotees.

catur-vidha bhajante mam
janah sukrtino 'rjuna
arto jijnasur artharthi
jnani ca bharatarsabha
 [Bg. 7.16]

Krsna says there are four kinds of beginners of devotional service, four kinds. What are..., who are they? Artah. Artah means one who is distressed; artha-arthi, one who is in want of money; arto ar...jijnasuh, one who is searching after knowledge; and jnani, and wise man. So out of these, arto and artharthi, they are low-grade worshiper. Those who are jnani and jijnasuh, they are higher grade. Generally, they are lower grade. But they are not pure devotees.

Pure devotees, as we have explained yesterday, they do not want anything from God. Even liberation they do not want, what to speak of this material... Therefore the philosophy of becoming the father of Krsna is very perfect. Because one hasn't got to ask like the son asks from the father, "Father, give me this, give me this." Because devotee want..., doesn't want to ask anything from. Then how he can become son? Son business is to ask from father. Therefore they do not aspire to become the son of Godhead, but they aspire to be father of God. This is perfection-Nanda Maharaja, father, Vasudeva, father. Krsna will always ask. Just like Krsna is always asking to suck the breast of mother Yasoda. Always demanding. And if she refuses, He'll create disturbance. And mother Yasoda is always thinking that "If I do not feed Krsna nicely, He'll die." This is love. This is love. Therefore it is said that yesam aham priya atma sutas ca. The devotee accept Krsna as suta, as son, not as father. Father means exacting.

So in this way, if we actually establish... Establish means reestablish. It is already established. We have got different types of relationship. That is called svarupa-siddhi. Svarupa-siddhi. When you are perfect in spiritual life, you will understand what is your relationship with Krsna automatically. That is called svarupa-siddhi. You have got original relationship with Krsna. Nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti. Caitanya-caritamrta. That is a... Just like you are son of some gentleman. That is a fact. It is not that the son becomes father or father becomes son. No. The son is son; the father is father. Similarly, we have got an eternal relationship with Krsna, either as father, or as lover, or as servant, like that. So that is self-realization. When you will be perfect in love, in loving Krsna, then in what status of life you will love, that you will under... That will be revealed. That is called svarupa-siddhi. So svarupa-siddhi is not something artificial. When one becomes perfectly spiritually realized, then he understands what is his relationship with Krsna and he begins his service in that relationship as father, as friend, as guru, or as servant, like that.

So this relationship is eternal. So instead of being attached to this temporary relationship... Somebody thinking that "I have to serve my father and mother. That is my first duty." That's all right. First of all you select who is your father and mother. Now we have got a certain living entity as your father. Again, as you change body, your father may be somebody else. Today you have got a father, human being, and tomorrow you may have a father who may not be human being. You have to accept a dog as your father, or a cat as your father. So your father is changing with the change of your body. So first of all select who is your father. This dog is your father? The man is your father? The cat is your father? Who is your father? The tree is here. The seed is your father? Then you become devotee of father. But that we cannot do. Therefore Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam: [Bg. 18.66] "You accept Me as your son, as your friend, as your master. Then you will be happy."

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.38 -- Bombay, December 7, 1974

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From Degradation to Devotion

From Degradation to Devotion

Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.32
Bombay, December 2, 1974

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Nitai: "Lord Kapila said: The senses are symbolic representations of the demigods, and their natural inclination is to work under the direction of the Vedic injunctions. As the senses are representatives of the demigods, so the mind is the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The mind's natural duty is to serve. When that service spirit is engaged in devotional service to the Personality of Godhead, without any motive, that is far better even than salvation."

Prabhupada:

devanam guna-linganam
anusravika-karmanam
sattva evaika-manaso
vrttih svabhaviki tu ya
animitta bhagavati
bhaktih siddher gariyasi
 [SB 3.25.32]

Bhakti is transcendental even to mukti. People generally consider dharma artha kama moksa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Adi 1.90]. In the beginning dharma, artha, economic development, kama, sense gratification, then moksa, merging into the supreme one. But bhakti is above that. Siddher gariyasi. It is above mukti. Mukti is not very much important thing for a bhakta. Bilvamangala Thakura says,

bhaktis tvayi sthiratara bhagavan yadi syad
daivena nah phalati divya-kisora-murtih
muktih svayam mukulitanjali sevate 'sman
dharmartha-kama-gatayah samaya-pratiksah

This is the experience of Bilvamangala Thakura. He was a South Indian brahmana, very rich brahmana. But by bad association or something like that, he became a very staunch prostitute hunter. So he engaged all his income, money, everything, after one prostitute. Her name was Cintamani. So it is a very nice story. I am briefly describing. So one night... Every night he was to go to that prostitute, and one night it was very terribly raining. So the prostitute thought, "Now this night Bilvamangala is not coming. It is terribly raining." But Bilvamangala went there, crossing the river, and the door was closed. He jumped over the door catching a snake. In this way, very dangerously, he reached the prostitute's house. And the prostitute was astonished, that "How is this condition you could come here? Oh, you are so much attracted by this skin. If this much attraction you would have to Krsna, how it would have been nice for you." So immediately he left the prostitute's house and went to Vrndavana.

The fact is in his previous life he executed devotional service up to bhava-bhakti. So his Cintamani, that prostitute, became his guru, remind that "You are so much fond of prostitute. If this attraction would have been to Krsna, how much successful you would have..." So it acted, and he left to Vrndavana and lived for seven hundred years. So he has a book, Krsna-karnamrta, Bilvamangala Thakura. That is recommended by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu for reading, Krsna-karnamrta. So in that book he writes, bhaktis tvayi sthiratara bhagavan yadi syat: "If we have got fixed-up devotion unto You, my Lord, Bhagavan," then daivena nah phalati divya-kisora-murtih, "then very easily we can see Your form," divya-kisora-murtih, "Your divine form," kisora-murtih, "very young boy." Krsna is always kisora. Krsna's another name is Kisora. Kisora-murtih. Kisora means kaisora, before marriage, before..., eleventh to sixteenth year. This is called kisora age. So kisora-murtih. Krsna is always kisora-murtih. So by devotional service, one can see the kisora-murtih of Krsna very easily. Bhaktis tvayi sthiratara bhagavan yadi syat: "If it is possible, then very easily we can see You."

When Bilvamangala Thakura was in Vrndavana he voluntarily plucked out his eyes. Because he was very much fond of seeing beauty of woman, so he thought, "These eyes are my enemies." So he personally plucked out his eyes. When he was going to Vrndavana, still he became attracted by a woman, and therefore... That woman, of course, was a very rich merchant's wife. So she told her husband that "This man is coming after me. What to do?" So that merchant received him. "Oh, he's saintly person. All right, you serve him." So Bilvamangala Thakura came to his senses. He said, "Mother, you give me the pins of your hair. So I am so much after the beauty of woman, so let me pluck out the eyes." So he made voluntarily blind. So he could not see, but still, Krsna was coming in Vrndavana. Krsna is always in Vrndavana. So He was supplying milk. So divya-kisora-murtih, he practically realized through bhakti. Therefore he wrote by his personal experience, bhaktis tvayi sthiratara bhagavan yadi syad daivena nah phalati divya-kisora-murtih. And so far dharmartha-kama-moksa [SB 4.8.41], moksa, muktih svayam mukulitanjali sevate asman: "Mukti is not very important thing. She is always standing at my service," mukulitanjali, "with folded hands, Mukti: 'My dear sir, what can I do for you?' " This is mukti's position.

So a devotee is not very much anxious for mukti because a devotee is always mukta. He is already mukta. Why should he... Suppose if you have got millions of dollars, why should you hanker after ten rupees? So bhakti is such a nice thing. But what is that bhakti? That bhakti is animitta bhagavati. That bhakti should be animitta, not with a motive that "I shall go to the temple and serve Krsna for this purpose." Krsna can fulfill any purpose you desire. It is not very difficult for Him, because He is almighty, full with all opulences. So if you want something, material happiness, from Krsna, it is not very difficult for Krsna. He can give you mukti even. But to ask from Krsna anything else than bhakti is foolishness. That is foolishness. My Guru Maharaja used to give this example: just like if you go to a rich man and he says, "Now whatever you like, you can ask from me. I shall give you," then if you ask him that "You give me a pinch of ash," is that very intelligent? Similarly, to... There is a story, that one old woman in the forest... I think it is in Aesop's Fable or somewhere. So she was carrying a big bundle of dry wood, and somehow or other, the bundle fell down. It was very heavy. So the old woman became very much disturbed, "Who will help me to get this bundle on my head?" So she began to call God, "God, help me." And God came, "What you want?" "Kindly help me to get this bundle on my head." (laughter) Just see. God came to giving benediction, and she wanted to "Give this bundle again on my head."

So we are doing the same thing. When we go to God we ask Him, "Kindly give me the bundle on my head. My family become may happy. I may have a large amount of money to enjoy material things." We ask that. That is our foolishness. Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches us, therefore, that actually, if you want something from God, that should be only begging for His service. This Hare Krsna maha-mantra means addressing God, "Krsna," "Hari," and His energy Hara, Srimati Radharani or Laksmiji, Hare: "O this internal potency of Krsna..." Hara is Krsna's internal potency. The external potency is Durga, and the internal potency is Radharani. Jaya Radhe. So this is daivi-prakrti. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah [Bg. 9.13]. The devotees, they take shelter of the daivi-prakrti, Radharani, Laksmiji. They worship, therefore, Vaisnava, Radha-Krsna, Laksmi-Narayana, Sita-Rama, the first of all, the energy. The energy. So this Hare Krsna mantra is first addressing the energy, the internal energy, potency, of Krsna. Hare. From Hara to Hare. That is the sambodhana. So Hare Krsna: "O Radharani, or Laksmi, or Sita, and Krsna, or Rama, or Narayana" -- the same thing. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, addressing Them, "O my Lord, O my Lord's energy." So when you address somebody, you want to ask something. So if they reply, "Yes, why you are calling?" then we're calling, "Please engage me in Your service." This is the prayer, not that "Give me money" or "Give me beautiful wife" or many followers. This is material hankering.

Everyone wants some prestigious position, labha puja pratistha, some material profit, labha, and prestigious position so that people will give him salaam, minister, president, and to become very famous, historically very famous. These are material hankerings. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, "No." Na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye [Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4]. We don't want. This is animitta bhakti. Nimitta, for some certain reason, if you become a bhakta, then you are not a suddha-bhakta. You are a viddha(?)-bhakta, a polluted bhakta. Pure bhakti is anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11], zero. Material hankerings, anything material, hankering, should be void. The void philosophy, nirvana, that indicates that you should completely finish these material desires. That is Lord Buddha's philosophy, nirvana. Nirvana means material desires, to make it void, no more. Lord Buddha said up to that. Because the people who were following him, they were not so expert, advanced; therefore he did not say what is after giving up every desires. Because desireless it cannot be. Desires... People say that "You become desireless. Give up your all desires." That give up all desires means you give up your material desires, because you cannot be desireless. Then you are dead body. But we are eternal living entity. Nityah sasvato 'yam na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. We are getting different types of body on account of different desires. So I become desireless of this habit; then I desire another habit. So that is going on.

So desireless is not possible. Desirelessness means you have to purify your desire. Don't desire anything except the service of Krsna. That is desirelessness, animitta. Animitta bhaktih siddher gariyasi. If you come to that position... As Caitanya Mahaprabhu, teaching us, na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye, mama janmani janmanisvare... [Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4]. He says, janmani janmani, "birth after birth." That means He does not require even salvation, because salvation means apunar bhava-janma, no more janma, no more birth. No more birth -- there are two kinds of more more birth. For the Mayavadis, or impersonalists, they want to stop birth, to merge into the existence of the Supreme, brahma-nirvana. Brahma-nirvana... The Buddha philosophy teaches nirvana, devoid of all material desires, that much. He does not give any more. Sankaracarya gives further, more, that brahma-nirvana, that "You become desireless of this material world, but you enter, merge into Brahman." That is called brahma-nirvana. And the Vaisnava philosopher says that "You make null and void all your material desires, enter into Brahman and be engaged in the service of the Lord." This is called bhakti. So brahma-nirvana is also siddhi, but more than that siddhi is to be engaged in the service, Brahman service.

That service is not ordinary service. The service to the Lord is not to be calculated as equal to this material service. The Mayavadi philosophers, they cannot understand it. But Krsna says personally that this devotional service is in the transcendental platform, Brahman service. Therefore He says, mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena sevate [Bg. 14.26]. This bhakti-yoga, one who is actually employed, engaged in pure devotional ser..., animitta, without any motives, without any material purpose, that is real spiritual service.

mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
 [Bg. 14.26]

Brahma-bhuyaya kalpate. That service is on the Brahman platform.

So some people, they do not know that there is another platform of service or another platform of activities which is called Brahman activities, because those who are grossly in the bodily concept of life, they have no information there is Brahman, or soul, within this body. So mukti means to deliver that Brahman from this material encagement. But actually, if you don't give him engagement, because actually the soul is working... That everyone can appreciate. We are very active. "Oh, I am prime minister." "I am president," "I am Birla," "I am Srila (?)," and so many things. That's all right. But is... That prime minister is this body or the soul? Because as soon as the soul is out of the body, what is the value of this prime minister's body? It is no more useful -- finished. That we do not understand. Actually, the soul is working in different capacities. Either as prime minister or Lord Brahma, King Indra, or the cat, or dog, or the insect, the soul is working in different atmosphere, in different body.

 

So the perfection of these activities, of the soul, that he has got already indriyas... We are acting with our hands, legs, ears, eyes, nose, everything, karmendriya. Ten kinds of activities are being performed by the senses, and there are five kinds of sense objects, tanmatra, fifteen, and the eight elements material, earth, water, fire. So fifteen and eight, twenty-three, and the soul. This is twenty-four. That is the subject matter of Sankhya philosophy, how these twenty-four different items are combined together and work. This is the study of Sankhya philosophy. Yesterday we talked about sankhyam. Tattvamnayam yat pravadanti sankhyam. So there is material Sankhya philosophers. They (they're) simply satisfied, simply studying these twenty-four types of elements. But the real Sankhya philosophy, as propounded by Kapiladeva, that is bhakti. That is... He has said, bhakti-vitana-yogam. The activities of the spiritual field, that is Sankhya philosophy, not of the material fields. In the material field you will find these twenty-four kinds of elements analyzed, but beyond these twenty-four there is soul, and the soul is acting. That is called spiritual activities, or bhakti-yoga.

So because it is transcendental to material activities, therefore in the bhakti-yoga there is no such desire for material benefit, animitta. Therefore it is said, animitta. Here all activities are done for some material profit. Nobody is... Even the so-called political leaders sacrifice everything. That's all right. But everything is for material benefit. Even in our country a big man like Mahatma Gandhi, he sacrificed everything -- his family, his profession. And many other leaders... But what for they were working? They were working for some material benefits, that's all, not for any spiritual benefit. So that is not transcendental activities. That is material activities, expanded material thoughts. Somebody is working for his family or somebody is working for himself, like animals, the cats and dogs. They work for himself. And human being, they're little advanced. They work for family, for wife, children, or, further extended, for society, for community, for nation. You can expand. Even international. They are all material activities, nimitta, simply expanded, expanded. Suppose if you steal for yourself and if you steal for your family or if you steal for your community, that stealing is there. Because you are stealing for greater family, that does not mean that you are not a thief.

There was a story, Alexander and the thief. The Alexander arrested one thief, big dacoit, plunderer. So when he explained, "My dear sir, Alexander, so what is the difference between you and me? I am also plunderer; you are also plunderer. I am a small plunderer; you are a big plunderer. So where is the difference in quality?" So Alexander the Great, he was very sensible. He released him: "Yes, there is no difference." So to become a big thief, big plunderer, does not mean that he is advanced. Similarly, our sense, for personal sense gratification or my family's sense gratification or for my nation's sense gratification -- that is sense gratification. That is not spiritual activity. That is material activity.

So long you will have desire for sense gratification, localized or expanded, the quality does not change. The quality will change when this sense gratification will be transferred to Krsna, not sense gratification for me, for my family, for my society, for my nation, or for my species. Just like there are many philanthropists. They are busy doing welfare activities for the human race, but they are not interested for the benefit of the animal race. "Animal race should be slaughtered, and human race shall eat." This is their philosophy. But we have already discussed Kapiladeva's philosophy, suhrdah sarva-dehinam. Suhrdah sarva-dehinam. The animal has got also body; we have also got body. But a Vaisnava is not only a friend to the human society, but he is friend to the animal society also, the bird society, tree society, every society. A Vaisnava does not like unnecessarily a tree should be cut down. That is Vaisnava philosophy. A Vaisnava does not like to trample over an ant. That is Vaisnava philosophy. Sarva-dehinam. Titiksavah karunikah suhrdah sarva-dehinam [SB 3.25.21]. We have already discussed this verse.

So how this can be possible? This suhrdah sarva-dehinam is possible when one has surrendered himself to the Supreme Being. On His account, because he has surrendered to the Supreme Being, he is friend to all living being. Artificially you cannot. Artificially you select some section, the poorer section, and worship him like Narayana, and you call him daridra-narayana. But a devotee, if he has got vision of Narayana, he will see the daridra-narayana, the rich Narayana, the chaga-narayana, and the every Narayana, panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18]. Why a section should be called Narayana? If you have got such broader vision, that you are seeing Narayana in everything, then what the rich man has done? He is also Narayana. And the goat has... He is also Narayana. The cow, he is also Narayana. Then you should... If you have such broader vision, that you see everywhere Narayana, then why should you specify a section, daridra-narayana?

So it is not possible. So long one is not a devotee, one who is not on the transcendental platform, this equal vision is not possible. It is crippled, all crippled. Therefore bhakti-yoga should be animitta, ahaituki. These words are used. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje, ahaituki [SB 1.2.6]. "I am serving Krsna..." The devotee is serving Krsna not with any purpose; just to satisfy Him, not any purpose, my profit-Krsna's profit. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gita. I... Several times we have repeated. Arjuna, on his own account, he was not willing to fight. "No, no, Krsna, I will not fight. The other side, they are my relatives, my brother, my nephews. No, no, I cannot kill them." But when he understood that "Krsna wants this fight," he said, "Oh, yes, I shall do." Karisye vacanam tava [Bg. 18.73]. So this is bhakti, that we have to do anything for pleasing Krsna. That is called animitta, no condition. Ahaituki. Ahaituki means no condition or animitta, no reason. Everything should be done for Krsna.

So animitta bhagavati bhaktih siddher gariyasi. That is better than siddhi. Siddhi means self-realization or Brahman realization. Therefore Krsna says also. What Krsna says and what Kapiladeva says, they are the same thing. Therefore here it is also said, bhagavan uvaca. And in the Bhagavad-gita also, you will find, bhagavan uvaca. Never said, krsna uvaca or kapila uvaca, because They are Bhagavan. So those who are self-realized soul, who know what is Bhagavan, so instead of speaking kapiladeva uvaca, he says, Vyasadeva says... Srimad-Bhagavatam is compiled by Srimad Vyasadeva. So as Bhagavad-gita also, it was heard by Arjuna, it was released to Sanjaya, and then, from Sanjaya heard Vyasadeva, and he made it recorded in writing in Mahabharata... So he says, bhagavan uvaca. Bhagavan uvaca means that is the perfect version. There is no mistake. If some ordinary says, there will be so many defects and cheating, because ordinary person has no perfect knowledge. He may be very, very advanced scholar, but that does not mean he is perfect. Perfection is different thing. Perfection means there should be no mistake, no illusion, no cheating, and no imperfections of the senses. That is perfection. And therefore it is said here, bhagavan uvaca. Bhagavan is all-perfect. Therefore we should take knowledge from Bhagavan or one who speaks according to the version of Bhagavan. We should not hear anybody else. That is imperfect.

So our Krsna consciousness movement on this principle. We are speaking not anything manufactured by us. That is not our business. Because how we can manufacture? We are defective. We are deficient, imperfect. What is the use of my philosophy? What is the use of my thinking? Generally they say, "I think," "In my opinion." He does not think that "I am a rascal. I have no value of my opinion." He thinks that he is something very big. No. Because our senses are imperfect, whatever knowledge we have gathered by our sense speculation, that is imperfect. That cannot be perfect. Therefore we have discussed already, tattva amnayam. We have to receive knowledge from disciplic succession, tattva. Then we will understand the truth. Tattvamnayam. This subject matter we have discussed already, amnayam, evam parampara, that we should not manufacture knowledge. We should take knowledge from the perfect. Just like here it is said, bhagavan uvaca. In the Bhagavad-gita also, bhagavan uvaca. If we follow this amnaya system, then we become guru.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said who is guru. He asked everyone to become guru. His mission is that people are suffering all over the world for want of this Krsna consciousness, or God consciousness. That's a fact. So He is advising everyone, especially those who are born in India,

bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara
 [Cc. Adi 9.41]

That is His mission. He is requesting every Indian, every Indian, because they have got the facility for understanding what is Bhagavad-gita, what is Srimad-Bhagavatam, what is Vedas. They have got this opportunity. Therefore He says, janma sarthaka kari': "You have taken your birth in India. You make your life successful by taking advantage of these scriptures and then assimilate the knowledge and preach all over the world." They are in darkness. That is being repeatedly said. But we are not taking advantage of. We are so misfortunate. We are misguided by the so-called leaders that we are neglecting this valuable literature which is spoken by Bhagavan. We are talking of some nonsense. That is our misfortune. So we have to take knowledge from Bhagavan and spread it all over the world. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's... So He says that "You become guru." He says, amara ajnaya guru hana: [Cc. Madhya 7.128] "By My order." Don't become a so-called guru, manufactured guru. "You become guru by following My instruction." Amara ajnaya guru hana.

Guru means who follows the predecessor, authorized predecessor. He is guru. Not that everyone is guru. So therefore we have to follow the superior order. Then we become guru, not that by cheating others we become guru. No. That is cheater. That is not teacher. Guru means who is following the superior order. The superior order is Krsna or His representative. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna. He is ordering, amara ajnaya, "By My order," guru hana, "you become guru." "Sir, it is very difficult to become guru. I have no education. I have no culture. I am not born in a very high family. I am very low." A devotee always thinks like that. He never thinks that "I have become very great man." Just like Caitanya-caritamrta, author of, he says, purisera kita haite muni se laghistha [Cc. Adi 5.205]. Purisa, purisa means stool, and there are worms in the stool. So Caitanya-caritamrta author is saying that "I am lower than the worms in the stool." That is Vaisnava conception. Trnad api sunicena. He is very humble. He never says, "Oh, I am the Supreme. I have become God." A most rascal, foolish. So that is not... Therefore we have to follow. If we actually want to become guru, there is necessity of many thousands of gurus to teach this cheated public. But how to become guru? That is... Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, amara ajnaya: "By My order." "What is Your order, Sir?" Yare dekha, tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Then you become guru. You simply advise people to follow Krsna's instruction. Then you become guru.

So that is our mission. This Krsna consciousness movement is that we are simply trying to convince people what Krsna has said, that's all. We are not manufacturing anything. So that is our business. Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. We are training our disciples "Just always think of Krsna, chant Hare Krsna, and become Krsna's devotee, offer Him prasadam, dress Him nicely." Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji: "Worship Me." Worship Krsna, the same thing. Krsna says, "Worship Me"; we are saying, "Worship Krsna." Krsna says, "Surrender unto Me"; we are saying, "Surrender to Krsna." So we have no difficulty. To become a guru there is no difficulty, provided we repeat the same thing as Krsna says. And if you say something more or less, then you are not a guru. Very simple thing. Very simple thing.

So that is advised here, animitta bhagavati, bhagavati bhaktih. You cannot manufacture the ways of bhakti. Bhagavati, what is advised by Bhagavan, the Supreme Lord. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. You cannot manufacture a line of dharma. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Dharma is the law given by the Supreme Lord. You cannot manufacture, "This dharma, that dharma, this dhar..." No. Dharma is one. Dharma cannot be different. Dharma means to abide by the orders of God. This is dharma. But if you do not know God, if you do not know what is order, then you must manufacture something rubbish and fight amongst yourself. That is not dharma.

Therefore Bhagavata says, dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra: [SB 1.1.2] "All cheating types of dharma is rejected and kicked out from Srimad-Bhagavatam." Dharmah projjhita. Projjhita, prakrsta-rupena ujjhita, just like you collect all dust and throw it. Similarly, this Bhagavata-dharma is not a cheating dharma. Bhagavata-dharma means in relation with the Supreme Lord. Bhagavati bhaktih. Bhakti can be applied only to Bhagavan. Bhakti means the business between Bhagavan and bhakta. That is bhakti. If there is no Bhagavan then where is bhakti? And where is bhakta? If Bhagavan is zero, then where is bhakti? Bhakti means the transaction between Bhagavan and bhakta. Just like here, the Bhagavan is there, and bhaktas are there, and the transaction is dressing the Bhagavan, feeding the Bhagavan, chanting the Bhagavan's name, calling people to hear about Bhagavan, to publish books about Bhagavan. This is bhakti, bhakti bhagavati, simply in relation with Bhagavan, no other business, animitta, without any material desire. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam [Brs. 1.1.11]. There is no touch even of jnana. Jnana means speculation. And trying to understand the Absolute Truth by his... [break]

jnanam parama-guhyam me
yad vijnana-samanvitam
sa-rahasyam tad-angam ca
grhana gaditam maya

These are the instruction of Lord Krsna to Brahma. Sa-rahasyam tad-angam ca. Anga, this bhakti-anga, this sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam [SB 7.5.23], these are different, I mean to say, branches, or not actually branches, different phases or features of bhakti, to hear just like we are hearing and chanting. I am speaking, chanting; you are hearing. This is bhakti. Sravanam kirtanam. What we are chanting and hearing? Visnu, not any other one. No. Visnu. Visnu. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh. You cannot say any other demigod. No. That is material. That is material. If you try to hear about some great person or demigod, that is material. But when you hear and talk about Visnu, that is bhakti. This is bhakti, different processes. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam.

So in this way we have to execute, as it is said, animitta bhagavati bhaktih, which is siddher gariyasi... [break] (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974

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Approach a Proper Guru

Approach a Proper Guru

Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.04
Bombay, November 4, 1974

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Nitai: "Sri Suta Gosvami said: The most powerful sage Maitreya was a friend of Vyasadeva. Thus being encouraged, Maitreya, pleased by Vidura's inquiry about transcendental knowledge, spoke as follows."

Prabhupada:

dvaipayana-sakhas tv evam
maitreyo bhagavams tatha
prahedam viduram prita
anviksikyam pracoditah
 [SB 3.25.4]

So this is the process of getting knowledge, to approach the proper person, guru, and submissively hear from him about transcendental knowledge. Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya [Bg. 4.34]. Don't try to receive spiritual knowledge or transcendental knowledge very cheaply. Although it is very easy, there is no difficulty, but the process must be known. Just like any machine -- we have got experience -- just like sometimes our typewriter machine or this dictaphone does not work. So if we go to the proper person, who knows the work, he immediately tightens one screw or changes something; it works. The process we must know. So if I go to a pan-wala for repairing my machine, that will be not good. He does not know the process. He may know to..., how to make pan, bidi; but doesn't matter, he does not know how to repair a machine.

Therefore the shastric injunction is, Vedic injunction, that tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. If you want to know transcendental knowledge, tad-vijnana... Tad-vijna... It is also vijnana. Actually, human life is meant for understanding tad-vijnana. Tad-vijnana means transcendental knowledge, not material knowledge, bodily. Bodily... Even a medical practitioner, he does not know, he has no knowledge of the spirit soul. He simply studies the mechanical arrangement of the body. The body's a big machine made by nature. It is called yantra. Actually it is a machine. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said,

isvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani
yantrarudhani mayaya
 [Bg. 18.61]

Yantrarudhani mayaya. This body is machine. The, those who are very much attached to this machine, for them, the yoga system is recommended because... One who is very much in the conception of the body, so they have been taught just to concentrate the mind on some practice, some gymnastic, so that mind may be concentrated and he can focus the mind towards Visnu, Lord Visnu. Real purpose is to understand Visnu, the Supreme. So the yoga system is therefore a mechanical arrangement. But the bhakti system is above the machine, above this mechanical arrangement. That is... Therefore it is called tad-vijnana. The mechanical understanding is material, and above that, tad-vijnana.

So tad-vijnanartham, if you want to understand spiritual knowledge, then you have to approach a guru. Guru. Guru means weighty, I mean to say, one who has got better knowledge. Heavy. Guru means heavy, heavy with knowledge. And what is that knowledge? "I have got so much knowledge." No. Transcendental... Tad-vijnana. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet, samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistham [MU 1.2.12]. That heaviness is brahma-nistham, how much one is attached to Brahman, Parabrahman, Bhagavan. That is guru's qualification. Brahmany upasamasrayam. This is the mantra of Kathopanisad, tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet. Similarly, in the Bhagavata also it is said, tasmad gurum prapadyeta [SB 11.3.21]. Tasmat, "Therefore one must approach guru." The here, in the Upanisad also gives definition who is guru. Guru means srotriyam brahma-nistham [MU 1.2.12], "one who has received knowledge by hearing Vedas," srotriyam. Because Vedas are called sruti.

So those who are in the line of hearing from the preceptorial succession, disciplic succession... As it is said in the Bhagavad-gita, evam parampara-praptam [Bg. 4.2]. Not, I mean to say, upstart knowledge. Standard knowledge. Standard knowledge is received from the parampara system, disciplic succession. Therefore it is said, srotriyam. Srotriyam means "who has heard from the parampara system." Srotriyam... And the result is brahma-nistham: "He is firmly fixed up in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Brahma-nistham. He has no other business. This is two qualifications. He must have heard the Vedic knowledge through the disciplic succession. It does not require that he is very learned scholar. No. Simply he must hear from the authority. Srotriyam. You have... Krsna has given you, God has given you the ear. This is our system. Simply they hear and they become big, big preacher. It doesn't require that he has to pass M.A., C.B.A.C., or Ph.D. examinations. Hearing is sufficient. Sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih. You remain in your position, in your place. You do not require to change it. Sthane sthitah.

Sthane sthitah means the varnasrama, four varnas and four asramas. Brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, and four asramas: brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasa. So this is civilization. Unless the society is divided into these eight divisions, that is animal civilization. That is not human civilization. You must be systematized, regulated system. Just like in this body there are different divisions: the head division, the arm division, the belly division, and the leg division. Similarly, without these four divisions, no society can be conducted very nicely. Then it will be chaos. So sthane sthitah means to remain in these regulative principles of varnasrama. That is called sthane sthitah. You remain in your position. It doesn't require you have to change. It is not that a sudra, without becoming a brahmana... Of course, sudra will become brahmana -- by hearing. Brahmana means brahma janatiti brahmanah. If he hears, even a sudra, he can understand what is Brahman. Then he becomes brahmana. So this is required. Sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih. With great attention, body, mind and words, intelligence -- with everything, one must hear.

So here we see, viduram pritah. Vidura was hearing from Maitreya Rsi, and Maitreya Rsi was very much pleased. Priti. Unless you satisfy your teacher, or guru, very nicely, you cannot get the right knowledge. That is natural. If you receive your guru, give him very nice place, he can sit comfortably, and he's pleased with your behavior, then he can speak very frankly and very freely, which will be very much beneficial for you. Therefore this word is... He was talking. He was preaching. He was giving instruction to Vidura, being pleased, priti. Maitreya Rsi was very much pleased. That is also recommended in the Srimad-Bhagavad-gita: tad viddhi pranipatena. Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya [Bg. 4.34]. Simply going and asking the spiritual master or guru, and not to accept his instructions, then don't waste your time. Don't waste your time. In a challenging spirit, if you go to a spiritual master, without any service, sevaya, and pranipatena... Pranipatena... Prakrsta-rupena nipata. Nipata means fall down, and pra means prakrsta-rupa, sufficiently. No reservation. This knowledge, the transcendental knowledge, is based on this pranipata. Therefore Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "You just surrender unto Me." And similarly we have to surrender to Krsna or His representative.

 

So guru is representative, external representative. Internal guru is Krsna Himself. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Not that Isvara, Krsna, is in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrndavana. He is everywhere, even within the atom. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37]. That is Paramatma. Atma is... I am atma, you are atma. We are all situated locally. You are situated within your body, I am situated within my body. But Paramatma is situated everywhere. That is the difference between atma and Paramatma. Atma and Paramatma... Those who are mistaking that "There is no difference between atma and Paramatma," no, there is difference. They are one in one sense, that both of them-cognizant. They are living entities. Cetanas cetananam. Cetanas cetananam, nityo nityanam. But they are different. In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna says, ksetrah ksetra-jnah. Ksetra-jnam capi mam viddhi sarva-ksetresu bharata [Bg. 13.3]. Ksetra-jna means the proprietor of the ksetra, this body. Body is called ksetra. So I am proprietor. Not proprietor, I am occupier. Just like in a house, the tenant and the landlord. The landlord is the occupier, tenant, and the landlord is the proprietor. Similarly, we atmas, we are simply occupier of this body. We are not proprietor. The proprietor is Paramatma. Sarva-ksetresu bharata. So if the proprietor says that "Get out of this house," or some, by law... Similarly, when the Paramatma says, "Now you have to leave this body," you have to leave this body. So this is Vedic knowledge.

So one must approach a proper guru. The guru's qualification is, in every sastra, that... Just like in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said, tad viddhi..., er, tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. One does not require to accept a guru unless he is inquisitive to understand the ultimate goal or benefit of life. Ordinary man who is interested with the bodily comforts of life, he doesn't require a guru. But generally, the, at the present moment, guru means who can give you some bodily medicine. Approaches some saintly person, "Mahatmaji, I am suffering from this disease." "Yes, I have mantra. Take this..." That sort of guru is accepted. So same bodily... Or some bodily wealth, bodily... No.

tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah
 [Bg. 4.34]

One should approach guru for seeing the tattva, the Absolute Truth. That is necessary. Not for any material benefit. One should not search out a guru for, I mean to say, curing some material disease. For that, there is medical practitioner. Why should you search out after a guru? But people search out, that "I have got some material disease, and if somebody can cure, some saintly person, then he's guru or he's Bhagavan. I am poor. If he can give me some money, then he's guru." No. The sastra does not say like that. Guru means srotriyam brahma-nistham [MU 1.2.12]. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam, sabde pare ca nisnatam [SB 11.3.21]. Guru means who knows the Vedic sastra, the Vedas. He knows the Vedic conclusion. And the Vedic conclusion is to understand Krsna. That is Vedic conclusion. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15].

Therefore those who are trying to understand Krsna, or partially... We cannot understand fully Krsna. That is not possible. We have not so capacity. Because Krsna is so big. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta. So with our limited knowledge we cannot understand... Even Krsna does not understand Himself, Krsna is so great. Krsna Himself, He does not know why He's so much attractive. Therefore, to understand this knowledge, why Krsna is so attractive, He became Lord Caitanya, taking the ecstatic emotion of Srimati Radharani. Radha-bhava-dyuti. That's a very great science. Krsna is such that Krsna... Of course, it is our calculation that Krsna does not understand Himself. So to understand Krsna, fully Krsna, it is not possible. But as far as our limited knowledge is concerned, if we understand Krsna so much, that is our perfection. That is our perfection. Therefore Krsna says, janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah [Bg. 4.9].

So if we understand Krsna as a human being like us, avajananti mam mudhah [Bg. 9.11], then we are mudhas. "Krsna is also... Krsna's body is made of these maya elements, or external elements, like us." Just like our body is made of these material elements. If we think Krsna also made of that elements, of these material elements, ksitir apo 'nalo vayuh, then we are mistaken. Krsna is... Here, in the previous verse, we have learned: atma-mayaya. There are... Of course, this material energy is also atma-maya, Krsna's. Not ours. Mama maya. Krsna says, mama maya. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya [Bg. 7.14]. This material world is Krsna's. We cannot say mama maya. No. We are under the control of this material nature. But Krsna is the controller of the material nature. That is the difference. We are controlled by the material nature, but Krsna is not controlled, but He's controller. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. One who understands this, that this prakrti, this material nature, is working under the direction of Krsna, that is our real knowledge. How the things are going on? That is not possible to understand. But the summary, sum total, if we simply understand... Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Everything is emanated from the Supreme Absolute Truth, Krsna. That much knowledge is sufficient. Then you can increase -- how they are working. How, by Krsna's energies, the material energy is working by the direction of Krsna, that is advanced knowledge. But on the whole, if we... As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. That is perfect knowledge. If we think that this matter is working independently, as modern scientists, they think that chemical evolution... No. No chemical evolution. Life does not produce by chemical evolution. Life is from life. That... Just like Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, that aham sarvatra, aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate [Bg. 10.8]. The answer is given there. The Vedanta-sutra, the question is "What is Brahman?" And the answer is there... athato brahma jijnasa, janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Indirectly given. The Brahman, Parabrahman, is that from whom everything emanates.

Everything means... There are two things: jada and cetana, living entities and nonliving entiti..., jada. Dull entities. Matter is dull. So everything means including both. Matter is also coming from Krsna, and these cetana, or living entities, they are also coming from... And the whole world is combination of this matter and cetana -- your body, my body. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakrtim param, jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat [Bg. 7.5]. This material energy is inferior, and the spiritual energy is superior. And superior why? Because the superior energy, the living entity, jiva-bhuta, they are controlling. Not controlling. They are trying to utilize. Just like we advanced living entities, human beings, we have created the modern civilization by utilizing the matter, utilizing the matter. That is our superiority. But we are also prakrti. Apareyam viddhi me prakrtim param. We are para-prakrti, spiritual energy. This is the understanding. In this way we have to understand tattva-jnana. The human life is meant for understanding tattva. Jivasya tattva-jijnasa. The Vedanta-sutra: athato brahma jijnasa. Jijnasa, tattva-jijnasa, the same thing.

So explanation of Vedanta-sutra is Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srimad-Bhagavatam begins that what is that tattva. Janmady asya [SB 1.1.1]. Janmady asya, from whom everything has emanated, or the Supreme, which is the source of everything, so what is the nature of that source? That is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: janmady asya yatah anvayad itaratas ca arthesu abhijnah [SB 1.1.1]. That source is abhijnah, cognizant, not matter. Matter is not cognizant. Life. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1], cognizant. So these scientists' theory, modern theory, that life comes from matter, this is wrong. The life comes from life. Because in the Bhagava..., Srimad-Bhagavatam it is explained that janmady asya yatah anvayad itaratas ca arthesu abhijnah [SB 1.1.1]. The identity from whom everything emanates, He's abhijnah, cognizant. He can understand. So cognizant means life. Not only that. Tene brahma hrda adi-kavaye. He instructed knowledge to Lord Brahma, about Vedic knowledge. So unless one is living entity, how he can impart knowledge?

So actually, the Absolute Truth is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, or the Vedanta-sutra's explanation, natural explanation,... Actually, Srimad-Bhagavatam was written by Vyasadeva. Here it is said, dvaipayana-sakha. Dvaipayana means Vyasadeva. Vyasadeva compiled this Brahma-sutra, and he explained it, bhasyam brahma-sutranam **, this Srimad-Bhagavatam. If we read some artificial comments on Brahma-sutra, we'll misunderstand. Generally, these Mayavadis give prominence of the comment given by Sankaracarya about Brahma-sutra, Sariraka-bhasya. But that is unnatural. The natural commentation is given by the author himself, Vyasadeva. So we have to understand... Vyasadeva has written Brahma-sutra, and we have to understand the meaning of Brahma... Brahma-sutra means codes only. So codes can be explained by the author himself. So our process is to accept the Brahma-sutra. Brahma-sutra-padais caiva hetumadbhir viniscitaih [Bg. 13.5]. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita. So Brahma-sutra is nyaya-prasthana. Nyaya-prasthana: very logically, transcendental knowledge. So brahma-sutra-padais caiva hetumadbhir viniscitaih [Bg. 13.5]. So we must... Therefore, according to our Vedic system, the acarya must understand Brahma-sutra and explain. Then he'll be accepted as acarya.

Therefore two sampradayas, the Mayavadi sampradaya and the Vaisnava sampradaya, both of them have explained the Brahma-sutra. Otherwise, they are not authorities. Without understanding Brahma-sutra, nobody can understand what is Brahman. Therefore here it is said that Vidura understood the anviksikyam, transcendental knowledge, from Maitreya. Who is Maitreya? Dvaipayana-sakha. He's the friend. That means he has association with Vyasadeva. Just like friend and friend, the one friend knows the other friend, what is his position, what is his knowledge. So Maitreya was friend of Vyasadeva. That means he knows what Vyasadeva knows. So we have to approach such spiritual master or instructor who is in disciplic succession of Vyasadeva. Vyasadeva. Everyone claims that "We are also following Vyasadeva." But not superficially. Actually following Vyasadeva. Just like Vyasadeva accepted Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When Arjuna said, param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12], he accepted Krsna as the Parabrahman, the Supreme Person. So one may say that "Arjuna was friend of Krsna; he might have accepted like that." No. He gave evidence that "Vyasadeva also accepts You. Vyasadeva also accepts You, 'You are the Parabrahman.' " Vyasadeva begins the comments on Vedanta-sutra: om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. He begins, janmady asya yatah, param satyam dhimahi [SB 1.1.1].

So if we actually are interested to understand spiritual knowledge, we must approach the representative of acarya. Pratijane. And acarya means who follows Vyasadeva. Just like Maitreya, dvaipayana-sakha. Maitreyo bhagavan. He has been addressed as Bhagavan. Of course, the Supreme Bhagavan is Bhaga... Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. But other powerful persons, just like Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, or Vyasadeva, Maitreya, very, very big personalities, they are also sometimes addressed as Bhagavan. Naradadeva. They are bhagavan. Actual Bhagavan is Krsna. But they have attained, as far as possible... It is not possible to have the cent percent knowledge of Krsna. Nobody can do that. Even Narayana cannot do that. Even Bhisma cannot do that. But those who are, I mean to say, devotees or followers of Krsna's instructions fully, they are also sometimes called bhagavan. But that bhagavan does not mean artificial bhagavan. Bhagavan means he knows what Krsna has taught. He's also bhagavan. Bhagavams tatha, praha, he said, idam, viduram, unto Vidura, and pritah, being pleased. Not that simply talking between friends and friends. No. Being pritah. Just to... He's also eager. He's also eager, and he's also very much pleased. Vidura was eager to receive the transcendental knowledge, and Maitreya was pleased upon him.

How one can be pleased? That is the process. Pranipatena sevaya. You can please one simply by surrendering to himself and by rendering service, "Sir, I am your most obedient servant. Please accept me and give me instruction." Sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam [Bg. 2.7]. Even Arjuna was a very intimate friend of Krsna, still, while learning Srimad-Bhagavad-gita from Him, he surrendered himself to Krsna and said that "I am no more your friend." Of course, friend is also, a friend of Krsna is also surrendered. That is... But specifically he said, sisyas te 'ham. Sisya means "You can rule over me now." Sas-dhatu. Sas-dhatu. From sas-dhatu, sastra, sisya, sastra, these things have come. So sisyas te 'ham. Sisya means "Now I am under Your full control. You can use me in whatever way You like." So in this way, anviksikyam pracoditah.

So this is the process of asking. Pariprasna is asking question. Of course, one, the sisya, must ask. He must... But not challenge. Just to understand. Jijnasuh sreya uttamam. Not to defeat the spiritual master. But one should be inquisitive, inquire from the spiritual master, being jijnasu, very inquisitive to understand the spiritual science. Not that "I know better than you. Let us talk." No. That is not with guru. You must find out a guru where you can surrender, pranipatena. If you don't find a person where you cannot surrender, don't waste your time and his time. First of all surrender. So this is the process of understanding transcendental... Anviksikyam pracoditah.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.4 -- Bombay, November 4, 1974

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