We Should Have Firm Faith

We Should Have Firm Faith

Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.30
Bombay, January 7, 1975

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Nitai: "Doubt, misapprehension, correct apprehension, memory and sleep, as determined by their different functions, are said to be the distinct characteristics of intelligence."

Prabhupada:

samsayo 'tha viparyaso
niscayah smrtir eva ca
svapa ity ucyate buddher
laksanam vrttitah prthak
 [SB 3.26.30]

So the modern psychologists, they have divided the function of the mind: thinking, feeling, willing, and then other subdivisions. That is known as the science of psychology. But intelligence... Above mind there is intelligence. I don't think in the modern science there is any analytical study of the intelligence function. But in the Vedic literature there is analysis of the intelligence. They are described here: samsaya, doubtfulness. The samsaya, samsayatma vinasyati.

In the Bhagavad-gita there is a statement: "Those who are doubtful about the existence of God," vinasyati, "they are finished." Their progress is finished. Samsayatma vinasyati. That niscayatma, that is very good, to believe, to have faith, niscaya, by full assertion. Just like Krsna said, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. So if by your intelligence you become doubtful, "Whether Krsna is able to give me protection?" then you are finished. Samsayatma vinasyati. But if you have faith in Krsna's words, niscaya, "When Krsna says that if I surrender unto Him, He will give me protection, there is no doubt about it," that is called faith. Niscayatmika. Vyavasayatmika buddhih. Buddhi, intelligence, vyavasayatmika, niscayatmika, that is very good.

vyavasayatmika buddhir
ekeha kuru-nandana
bahu-sakha hy anantas ca
buddhayo 'vyavasayinam
 [Bg. 2.41]

Avyavasayinam, those who have no faith, doubtful, they have got different branches of activities. But one who has got faith, niscayatmika, "Yes, here Krsna says that He will give me protection. Let me surrender," then his life becomes successful.

This is beginning of successful life. Adau sraddha, this sraddha, or this niscayatmika buddhi, or vyavasayatmika buddhi, is the beginning of spiritual life. If one has no faith in the words of the authorities, then he has no hope. Samsayatma vinasyati. Vinasyati means he does not get any chance to enter into spiritual life. We are in the material world. We are... Vinasyatsu. We are in an atmosphere of being finished. That everyone, we know. This body... I am concerned with this body, and the body is to be finished. But the soul is not finished. Therefore our bhakti-marga... How one can make progress in bhakti-marga? If we have got faith in the words of Krsna, that Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], if we apply our intelligence, niscayatmika, then our spiritual life begins. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. These are the different methods to make advance in spiritual life, especially in bhakti-yoga, devotional life.

So adau sraddha. Krsna says these are on the intellectual platform. Sometimes intellectual platform is taken as sentimental. But if it is rightly taken, somebody believes, even Krsna..., Krsna's statement, they are not sentimental. They are vijnana-sahitam. Jnanam vijnana-sahitam. Yaj jnatva moksyase asubhat, jnanam vijnana-sahitam pravaksyamy anasuyave, yaj jnatva moksyase asubhat. This is the statement in Bhagavad-gita. Jnanam te 'ham sa-vijnanam idam vaksyamy asesatah [Bg. 7.2]. Pravaksyamy asesatah, yaj jnatva moksyase asubhat. That asubha, inauspicious, we do not understand. We have taken inauspicious thing as auspicious. This is called maya. We accept something maya, or illusion, or vivarta. We accept something for something. The example is given: there is a rope, and due to my ignorance or insufficient knowledge, I take it as a snake. This is my insufficient knowledge. The snake is fact, and the rope is fact. But when we take the rope as snake, that is ignorance, or the snake as rope, that is ignorance. The Mayavadi philosopher says that "We are accepting snake..., er, rope as a snake. But there is no snake." But we, Vaisnava philosopher, we say, "No, there is snake, and there is rope. But when we accept the rope as snake, that is maya." Similarly, there is spiritual world and there is material world. But when we accept the material world as everything, that is maya. That is illusion.

There is spiritual world. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that paras tasmat tu bhavah anyah: [Bg. 8.20] "There is another bhava, nature." What is the nature? Sarvesu nasyatsu na vinasyati: "When the material world, this cosmic manifestation, the phenomenal world, will be finished, that will stay. That will not be finished." There are many example. Just like mirage in the desert. Sometimes you see there is vast mass of water in the desert. The animal runs after the water, being thirsty, but there is no water. Therefore the animal dies. But human being should not be like the animal. They should raise their standard. They have got special consciousness. They can raise their standard of understanding by these literatures, Vedic literatures given by God. Vyasadeva is incarnation of Krsna, so he has given us the Vedic literature. Therefore his name is Vedavyasa, incarnation of God, Vedavyasa. Maha-muni-krte kim va paraih. There is no need of speculating. Just follow Vyasadeva in the disciplic succession. Vyasadeva's disciple is Narada Muni. Narada Muni's disciple is Vyasadeva. So in this parampara system: if we receive knowledge, then that is perfect knowledge. So we have to accept it. Niscayatmika.

Therefore Rupa Gosvami says that spiritual life can be advanced, the first principle is utsaha. Utsahat. Utsaha means enthusiasm: "Yes, Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. I will accept it and work enthusiastically on the principle, as Krsna says." Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], and we have to do it, execute it enthusiastically: "Yes, I shall always think of Krsna." Man-manah. Krsna says directly. Man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah, "You just become My devotee." So we have to be enthusiastic, "Yes, I shall become Krsna's devotee." Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji. Krsna says, "Worship Me," so we should be very much enthusiastic to worship Krsna, offer mangala-aratrika, rise early in the morning. These are all enthusiasm, utsaha. Those who are not enthusiastic, lazy, lethargetic, they cannot advance in spiritual life. Simply sleeping, they cannot make. One must be very, very enthusiastic, positive. Utsahad dhairyat. Dhairya means patience, not that "Because I have begun devotional service with great enthusiasm..." So you are already on the perfectional platform, but if you become impatient that "Why I am not becoming perfect? Sometimes why maya is kicking me?" Yes. That is habitual. That will go on. It will stop. Niscayat. Dhairyat, niscayat, that "When Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], now I have given up everything. I have no other occupational duties. Simply to serve Krsna. So when I have taken to it, then niscaya, Krsna will surely give me protection." That is called niscaya. Don't be disappointed. Krsna is not a false speaker. He says aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami.

So we should have firm faith, niscaya. Niscayat..., utsahad dhairyat niscayat. But niscayat; at the same time, you should not sit idly. You should work according to the direction of the spiritual master. Tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. "Now Krsna has given me assurance. Now let me sleep. Everything will come automatically." No. Tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. The spiritual master says, "You must do this. You must do that." That is called tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. Not that "Now I am initiated and..." That is going on in so many places. The guru says, "You think of me. Everything will be all right." I do not wish to name, but a very big ashram, they simply sit idly, and the guru has advised that "Think of me," that's all. This is not Vaisnava principle. Vaisnava principle is you must act according to the order of spiritual master. That is also an order. But the Vaisnava spiritual master orders according to the sastra. Sadhu-sastra-guru-vakya. Guru-mukha-padma-vakya, cittete koriya aikya, ar na koriho mane asa **. This is the instruction of our acarya.

So this is called vyavasayatmika buddhi. Vyavasayatmika buddhi, niscayatmika buddhi means, with good faith, that "I must execute it. That is my life and soul." If we take that, then our life is successful. Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastraih. Guru is accepted identical with Krsna. Haritvena. It is accepted in all the sastras, Vedic literature, tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih. And those who are devotees, pure devotees, they accept like that. So why they accept? Kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya. Guru is very dear to Krsna because under the direction of Krsna, by the parampara system, he is training, "You do like this. This is parampara system. Do not deviate." Because he is training people according to the desire of Krsna. Krsna is desiring that everyone should surrender unto Him. That is His desire. So guru's business is to train people how to surrender to Krsna, not to become Krsna. That is foolishness. You cannot become Krsna. Your respect is as Krsna because you are doing the most confidential service of Krsna, but if you think that you have become Krsna, then you are not guru. Kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya.

saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair
uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih
kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya

This saksad-dharitvena, equal to Krsna, why? Priya eva tasya. Because he is very, very dear to Krsna.

Now, how he has become dear to Krsna? Because he is preaching the same principle as Krsna wanted.

ya idam paramam guhyam
mad-bhaktesv abhidhasyati
 [Bg 18.68]

na ca tasman manusyesu
kascin me priya-krttamah
 [Bg. 18.69]

Krsna says, "Anyone who is preaching this confidential cult..." Mad-bhaktesu abhidhasyati. Bhaktesu means "amongst the devotee." Who will understand Krsna? And who will surrender to Krsna unless he is bhakta? Therefore, guru's business is first of all to make him bhakta. Then he will be able to understand what is Krsna and surrender to Him. He has got very double business. Krsna says, mad-bhaktesu abhidhasyati. "This cult, who preaches, anyone who preaches this cult of bhakti-yoga amongst My devotees..." He is selecting, "devotees." He never says the jnanis, yogis. The jnanis, yogis, will not be able to understand what is Krsna. From the very beginning they think they have become Krsna. Vimukta-maninah. They think like that. Actually it is not. Krsna is not so cheap thing that one can become Krsna. One can become Krsna's most confidential servant -- that is possible. But one cannot become Krsna. That is another illusion, maya.

Therefore Krsna said that sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This cult, who will understand unless he is devotee? A jnani, yogi cannot understand. It is not possible. Because they are not bhakta, they cannot understand Krsna. Bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. Krsna never says, "By jnana or by yoga, by karma one can understand Me." No, that is not possible. Therefore jnani, yogi, karmi, they cannot understand. Therefore they are misled. Maya-mohita. Nabhijanati mam ebhyah param avyayam. Tribhir gunamayair bhavaih. Nabhijanati, they cannot understand. Mam ebhyah param avyayam. So Krsna says, therefore, "Preach this cult amongst the devotees." He never said that "Preach this cult amongst the karmis, amongst the jnanis, amongst the yogis." Because they are very unfortunate, they cannot understand Krsna. Mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa [Cc. Madhya 6.169]. One who comes in touch with the Mayavadi... Mayavadi means one who thinks Krsna is also in maya. That is called Mayavadi. "Krsna's body is also maya." They are called Mayavadi.

So Caitanya Mahaprabhu warns that mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa. Anyone who listens to the commentary of the Mayavadi philosopher, then his fate is doomed. He is finished. He will never be able to understand bhakti philosophy. It is so poisonous. Therefore Sanatana Gosvami has warned not to hear from avaisnava about Krsna. There is a very famous Bhagavata reader in Bombay. He is a pakka avaisnava. But he is going on, and he is infusing poison -- means those who are hearing him, they will never be able to understand what is Krsna. They will never be able. It is so poisonous. Therefore Sanatana Gosvami says, avaisnava-mukhodgirnam putam hari-kathamrtam, sravanam na kartavyam: "Avaisnava, who is not Vaisnava, who is not devotee, if he speaks about Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, nonsense..." He will speak nonsense. So it is not good. Avaisnava-mukhodgirnam putam hari-kathamrtam, sravanam na kartavyam: "You should never hear." On principle you should avoid hearing from such rascals. This is the injunction of Sanatana Gosvami. "Why? He is speaking Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam. Why one should not hear? Bhagavad-gita is very nice." That's all right. He gives the example, sarpocchistam payo yatha. Milk... Everyone knows milk is very good food. But if it is touched by the lip of a serpent, then it is finished. Then it is finished. He will die. If you take such milk, then your destiny is to death.

That is very important point, that Caitanya Mahaprabhu's secretary, Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, he advised... Many person used to come to see Caitanya Mahaprabhu, but he was first of all examined by His secretary whether he is actually fit for talking with Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Otherwise he will simply waste His time. So one brahmana from East Bengal came with some literature. Many people used to write something. So when it was examined by Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, he said, "No." Then he explained how the literature was defective. He pointed out. These are described in the Caitanya-caritamrta. Then he saw the person was submissive. He did not protest. Then Svarupa Damodara Gosvami advised him that "You..." Bhagavata pada giya bhagavata sthane: "You go to a Bhagavata, person Bhagavata, and read or hear Bhagavata from him. Otherwise you will be misled, doubtful."

So samsayatma vinasyati. So it is our business to be very, very careful from understanding spiritual life or devotional life from nondevotee class of men. Nondevotee means one who does not accept Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is nondevotee. Krsna abhakta ara. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was asked by His one devotee, grhastha devotee, that "What is the primary function of a devotee?" So Caitanya Mahaprabhu said in two lines: asat-sanga-tyaga, ei vaisnava-acara [Cc. Madhya 22.87]. Asat. Asat means those who are nondevotees. They are asat. They are asat. Why asat? Because they will remain in this material world. Therefore they are asat. And those who will go to the spiritual, who will be promoted to the spiritual world, back to home, back to Godhead, they are sat, om tat sat, because they are being promoted to the eternal kingdom. That is sat. This is the distinction between asat and sat. Those who will perpetually remain within this material world, they are called asat. The karmis, jnanis, and yogis. Yogis, they... Just like... What is that big yogis? That rsi, great rsi?

Devotee: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi? Swami Tuk?

Prabhupada: No, no, not this swami. He was very angry.

Devotee: Durvasa.

Prabhupada: Durvasa, yes. Durvasa Muni, he was a very, very big yogi. He was such a big yogi that he could go anywhere, even the spiritual world. The yogis can go, travel. There is a planet which is called Siddhaloka. These are called siddhis, yoga-siddhi: anima, laghima, prapti. Nowadays there are so many yogis, but they are not siddhas. They cannot display all these yoga-siddhis. Simply by some exercise, gymnastic, they become yogi. That is... Gymnastic is required in the beginning for controlling the mind. But the yoga-siddhi is different. That require perfect yoga practice. Anima, laghima, prapti-siddhi, isita, vasita.

So there is a planet which is called Siddhaloka. In that Siddhaloka, the inhabitants are by nature siddhas. They can fly in the sky. From one planet to another planet they can go. There is siddhi, there is laghima-siddhi, to become lighter than the air. So they can fly in the air without any burden. These are Siddhaloka. So even these Siddhalokas, the inhabitants who are by nature born perfect in yoga-siddhis, they also could not enter into the Vaikunthaloka. And karmis, they go up to the heavenly planet. And jnanis, they may go up to Brahman effulgence. Param padam. Aruhya krcchrena param padam [SB 10.2.32]. Aruhya krcch... They elevate themself very high, so much so that they enter the spiritual world, param padam. Param padam, the spiritual world. Really param padam means the lotus feet of Krsna. But param padam, because this Brahman effulgence is also bodily rays of Krsna, the Brahman effulgence is also called sometimes param padam. But those who are aspiring to merge into that param padam, Brahman, they are actually not vimukta, vimukta-maninah. They are thinking, "Now we have become liberated." Maninah. Maninah means the position is different, but he is thinking that "I have become now perfect."

So why if they have gone to the spiritual world and stays in the Brahman effulgence and still they are maninah, not certain? Yes. Why? Because they cannot stay there. This is very logical argument and statement of the Vedic literature. Aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adhah [SB 10.2.32]. They fall down because they do not get ananda. Spiritual effulgence is simply eternity. So suppose if you live eternally without any ananda, how long you will like to live like that? Is it possible? That you cannot do. Suppose somebody lives eternally in the sky without any death. Rather, he will try to commit suicide. It is not possible. It is not possible. Just like we have got experience. If you remain for very long time -- I have got experience -- in the sea or in the air, you feel very uncomfortable. You want to land down, land down, another air station, another port, and feel very uncomfortable. The airplane men, they come down and they take rest on the ground. It is not our nature because it is impersonal. In the air there is no variety, simply air. Similarly, in the sea there is no variety, simply water. So it becomes suffocating. Similarly, those who are aspiring to go to the Brahman effulgence... Brahman effulgence is spiritual world, certainly, but there is no variety. There is no Krsna's enjoying with the cowherds boys or Srimati Radharani. You cannot find there. You simply remain in the Brahman effulgence.

But because we are part and parcel of Krsna, as Krsna wants enjoyment, anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12), anandamaya, so we part and parcel of Krsna, we also want ananda. So to remain in the Brahman effulgence is not ananda. It is eternity only. It is not ananda. Therefore on account of absence of ananda, they come down again to enjoy this material ananda. We have got many experience of persons. The Mayavadi sannyasi, they take sannyasa, brahma satyam jagan mithya, but after some time they come to take parts in politics. Why? Is (If) jagan mithya, why you are taking to politics? Because they could not get ananda. Nirvisesa, nirakara -- simply philosophizing, but there was no ananda. "Therefore let me go to the jail by political activities. There is ananda." (laughter) Yes, they do practically, yes. So they will take ananda in the jail, not with Krsna.

Therefore, sastra says, aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adhah anadrta-yusmad-anghrayah [SB 10.2.32]. This class of men, although after severe penance and austerities, aruhya krcchrena, very severe penance and austerities performing... The Mayavadi sannyasi, those who are really following the principles, their life is very strict, stricter than the Vaisnavas'. So in spite of such strict observance of rules and regulation and rising up to the Brahman effulgence, because they do not get ananda... Ananda is there with Krsna. Krsnaloka. Ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhis tabhir ya eva nija-rupataya kalabhih [Bs. 5.37]. Krsna is enjoying in the Goloka Vrndavana, expanding Himself in so many gopis, so many cowherds boys, so many trees, plants, water, land -- everything Krsna's expands. Here also it is Krsna's expansion, this material world. Bhumir apah analo vayuh. That is bhinna prakrtir astadha. That is separated energy. Apareyam, this is inferior. Itas tu viddhi me prakrtim param. That information is there. There is another prakrti, para-prakrti. And what is that para-prakrti? What is the sample? Jiva-bhuta, living entities. That prakrti is living, and this prakrti is dead. That is the difference. Anyone can understand. There also, the trees, they are living tree. Here also living tree, but covered by the material body, his life is not manifested. Just like why we cannot go to other planet? Because I am covered by these material elements. But when I am not covered by the material elements, sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170], then I can go everywhere automatically. Just like Narada Muni goes everywhere. He has no impediment.

So everyone can possess that status of life. So this is niscaya. If we understand Krsna philosophy, Krsna consciousness, rightly, then there will be no doubt by intelligence. Without intelligence, nobody can understand Krsna philosophy. Dull-headed, poor fund of knowledge, they cannot understand Krsna. Therefore Krsna says, bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan [Bg. 7.19]. Actually, those who are thinking they are jnanis, they are not jnanis. They are still in maya, darkness, because they think that they have finished their business; now they have become liberated. They have become Narayana. Instead of separate Narayana, each, every one them, is Narayana. They address amongst themselves, "Narayana." That is their foolishness. At least you must show the four hands of Narayana. Where is your four hand? You are begging, and you are Narayana? What kind of Narayana you are? Now daridra-narayana they have manufactured. "Yes, I am Narayana, but daridra-narayana." But we do not know daridra-narayana. Narayana is Laksmi-Narayana. He is the husband of Laksmi.

So they manufacture all these concocted ideas. Therefore it is called maninah. They are thinking they have become liberated. Vimukta-maninah. They are ordinary living being, but they can befool some foolish persons. But they are not liberated. They are under the spell of maya. Maya is dictating. Just like in the material world, maya is dictating, "Now you are prime minister. Now you are president. Now you are very rich man, so your life is..." [break] Then you can surrender. Yes. Mattah... Actually, He is na mattah paratara... That is fact. Even Sankaracarya accepts: narayanah parah avyaktat: "Narayana is not a living being of this world," but his followers, they are thinking, "I am Narayana." You see? They do not know even their original philosophy. It is clearly written by Sankaracarya, narayanah parah avyaktat. So... And in the sastra it is said, yas tu narayanam devam brahma-rudradi-daivataih, ekatvena or samatvenaiva vikseta sa pasandi bhaved dhruvam [Cc. Madhya 18.116]. Pasandi. Unbeliever, atheist, infidel, faithless -- they are called pasandi. So anyone who thinks Narayana on the same level with such exalted demigods like Lord Siva and Lord Brahma, brahma-rudradi-daivataih samatvenaiva vikseta, if he puts Narayana on the same level, sa pasandi bhaved dhruvam, he is pasandi.

So these pasandis are flourishing in this Kali-yuga on account of our these doubts. What is that? Samsaya, this samsaya. So the first business of spiritual life is to become free from samsaya. Because samsayatma vinasyati. We should accept the statement of the sastra, we should accept the statement of authorities and make our life following. Evam parampara-praptam [Bg. 4.2]. That is actually parampara system, as Krsna says, as Krsna's devotee says, His authorized agent says. Then our life will be successful. Otherwise samsayatma vinasyati.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

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This Body Is Imitation

This Body Is Imitation

Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.29
Bombay, January 6, 1975

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Nitai: "By the transformation of the false ego in passion, intelligence takes birth, O virtuous lady. The functions of the intelligence are to help in ascertaining the nature of objects when they come into view, and to help the senses."

Prabhupada:

taijasat tu vikurvanad
buddhi-tattvam abhut sati
dravya-sphurana-vijnanam
indriyanam anugrahah
 [SB 3.26.29]

So these things are taking place daily within the womb of the mother -- how the child is developing from the day of union of the father and the mother, and, on the first day, it is like a pealike form by the semina of father and mother, and then everything develops. Different types of body, different types of intelligence, different types of brain -- how it takes place? If it is simply material, then all children would have come out of the same quality. But it does not so come. Every child, baby born, has got everything separate from the others. How subtle laws of nature is working, we can just imagine. It is not possible to understand by our these material senses even this material formation of the body, what to speak of spiritual understanding.

Therefore, in the sastras it is advised, acintyah khalu ye bhava na tams tarkena yojayet. Acintyah khalu ye bhavah. Things which are beyond your perception, sense perception, acintya, mental speculation, not cintaniya... Acintya. Acintya means mentally speculating. Beyond that, acintya, you cannot think of how this pealike form develops into such a big brain or small brain. The hands, legs, and the mechanical process of different body... This is a machine. In the material world we manufacture machine, manufacturing different parts and assembling them. (aside:) The child may be... But this machine is automatically developing. There is no question of manufacturing each part and then assembling. It is yantra. This body is yantra, machine. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita:

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

Isvara, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is situated in everyone's heart. He is supervising what kind of yantra, or machine, this living entity requires for fulfilling his desires. That is karma. He is engaged in such karma, and he is manufacturing by his karma another body. Everything is going on by the laws of nature. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. Gunaih. By different gunas -- sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna, goodness, passion, and ignorance -- very subtle machineries are going on. They are all material.

So here it is said, therefore, dravya-sphurana-vijnanam. Dravya means physical. Dravya-jnana. Dravya-jnana means physical knowledge. And brahma-jnana means spiritual knowledge. So here it is said, dravya-sphurana. The material, physical, phenomenal atmosphere is developing one after another. The medical science, they are trying to study different cells; but wherefrom the cells came into action? That is by the influence or by the manipulation of prakrti. Prakrteh kriyamanani [Bg. 3.27]. And prakrti is working under the direction of Supreme Lord, Krsna. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih [Bg. 9.10]. Therefore, ultimately, by the superintendence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead everything is going on. But how it is going on, that we cannot explain. We have got limited knowledge. Therefore sastra says, "Don't try to speculate, because you are imperfect, but things are going on like this." Try to understand. Acintyah khalu ye bhava na tams tarkena yo... Simply by your so-called argument and logic you cannot understand. You have to hear from the authorities that "Things are going on like this."

This is called sruti, Veda-jnana. Sruti, Veda, perfect knowledge is called sruti. Srutibhih pratipanna, pratipanna. What is established by the sruti, by the Vedic knowledge, that we have to accept. Otherwise there is no other way. So this is even in the material field of activities, and what to speak of the spiritual. Therefore we have to hear from the authorities of sruti. Authorities of sruti... Krsna is the original speaker of sruti, or Veda knowledge. Therefore Vedic knowledge is called apauruseya. It is not manufactured or concocted by some mental speculator. It is coming from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it was imparted first of all to Lord Brahma, not by personal presentation, but through the heart. Brahma is the original person to understand Vedic knowledge. So after his birth he meditated for hundreds of years, and by meditation, through his heart the knowledge of Vedas, sruti, became revealed. Tene brahma hrda adi-kavaye. Adi-kavi means Brahma. And Brahman means Vedic knowledge. So we have to accept in that way. There is no physical science which can ascertain all this, how the things are taking place. But they are coming. In this way we have to learn from the sruti. Dravya-sphurana-vijnanam indriyanam anugrahah.

So dravya, the physical body, that is influenced by the taijasat vikurvanat . This physical body is developed by the mode of passion, the ego. The false ego of the spirit soul, when it is influenced by the mode of passion, then these indriyas, different indriyas, senses-eyes, ear, nose, tongue, hands, legs, genital, rectum -- all these things -- nine chidras, holes in the body -- develop. And they ultimately come to become the different parts and limbs of the senses of the body.

taijasat tu vikurvanad
buddhi-tattvam abhut sati
dravya-sphurana-vijnanam
indriyanam anugrahah

In this way the senses came into being. And we have discussed last night the all this controlling is going on under the supervision of Aniruddha. Aniruddha is in charge of development of these indriya also. Indriyanam adhisvaram. Yad vidur hy aniruddha-akhyam hrsikanam adhisvaram. Hrsika means the indriya, or the senses. So actually we have discussed already. We are simply under some machine. Bhramayan sarva-bhutani yantrarudhani [Bg. 18.61]. A machine is manufactured immediately. Just like your medical men. They also manufacture some skeleton according to the requirement of the patient. So this body is manufactured by the supervision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the ingredients given by material nature, and I am put into the machine. This is my position. As I desire to enjoy... Actually, I haven't got to enjoy or reject anything. I am put into a certain type of machine, and I have to go or work. Actually, I do not also work. The work is also going on by different agents. I am simply put into it just to satisfy my desires as I wanted. Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham [Bg. 4.11]. Krsna is so kind that He has given us the chance of enjoying.

The same example as I have already spoken several times, that a gentleman takes his dog chained, and the dog passes urine, and the gentleman also stands. He passes. He wants to go there, this and there, gives the facility -- but under the control of the chain. Similarly, we, after forgetting our relationship with Krsna, when we want to enjoy independently, the chance is given. This chance is given. That is material world. We get a material body, and we are given chance to enjoy as we like. But that is not very fruitful for our satisfaction. After all, we are part and parcel of sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. Sat, cit, ananda. Sat means eternal, cit means knowledge, and ananda means bliss. So we, being part and parcel of Krsna, the sac-cid-ananda-vigraha, we have got also the same type or same quality of constitutional position. But because we wanted independently, therefore we are in a position or in a circumstance which is neither sat nor cit nor ananda. Asat acit nirananda.

This body, material body, is asat. Everyone knows. It will not stay: temporary. Avinasi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idam tatam. This body is vinasi, and the dehino 'smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13], the dehinah, the proprietor of the body, he is avinasi. He is sat, but this body is asat. Asad-grahat. The sastra says that sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat [SB 7.5.5]. This living entity, although part and parcel of the Supreme Being, Krsna, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha, so why, instead of ananda, we have got anxieties? Instead of ananda... Actually, we should have been in ananda. Anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). Just like Krsna is before us. He is ananda, He is enjoying, He is playing on His flute, and Srimati Radharani is serving Him, and all the gopis serving Him. And those who are devotees, they are also trying to assist Srimati Radharani and the gopis to give Krsna pleasure. Ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhih. All the expansion, Krsna -- Srimati Radharani and the gopis -- they are expansion of ananda-cinmaya-rasa; they are not material. They are all ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhis tabhir ya eva nija-rupataya kalabhih [Bs. 5.37]. They are also Krsna's. Everything is Krsna, separated and personal. So these are personal expansion. We are also Krsna's. We are separated now in this material... Therefore we have forgotten Krsna.

So ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhis tabhir ya eva nija-rupataya kalabhih. Krsna is enjoying, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1], by expanding His ananda-cinmaya-rasa, transcendental bliss and spiritual, cinmaya, not material. And so unless we do not know the difference between the material and spiritual, we should not try to understand Krsna's pleasure potency. If we try to understand Krsna's pleasure potencies, then we will misunderstand that "Krsna is also like us. He is enjoying amongst the young girls. Let us imitate it." That is falldown. Yes. That is called sahajiya. But Krsna's this enjoyment is not material. They are all spiritual. They are explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, that when the gopis came to Krsna, they came in their spiritual body. The material body was lying down with their husband. The husband could not know that "My wife has gone to Krsna." These are explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam.

So this is all spiritual. Ananda-cinmaya-rasa. Rasa, rasa means mellow, the juice. There is juice, but that is not material juice. Material juice is different. That is temporary, asat. That is not sat. So if we want to taste this material juice, then we must be put into always in anxiety. Material life is anxiety. Therefore in this material world we..., I may love somebody, but it is full with anxieties. "My lover may not cheat. She may not go away" or "He may not go away." Because we are not in the spiritual platform, asad-grahat, we are simply trying to love the external feature which is asat, which will not exist. Just like if you try to love a doll made of earth, dirt, very nicely painted as they are exhibited in the window of the tailor's shop. Who is going to love that? Nobody is going to. Everyone knows that this is imitation. Similarly, this body is imitation. It is a layer on the spiritual body. The spiritual body, when gives up this body, it has no value. A dead body of a beautiful man or beautiful woman, nobody likes because the spiritual essence is gone. Therefore love is actually on the spiritual platform. Material love is simply superficial, and it will cheat you. We must know this. Asad-grahat. Sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat [SB 7.5.5].

So on the sat existence, this material existence develops, and the process of development is described here. And the development of the body is described here, dravya-sphurana-vijnanam. Dravya-sphurana. Dravya means physical, development of physical body. Vijnana, this is the vijnana, how things are developing one after another, one after another. Prakrteh kriyamanani. This is all by the material nature.

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

So dravya-sphurana-vijnanam indriyanam anugrahah. So our senses follow, and we enjoy these false senses, and that is material existence. So the endeavor should be how to become free from this material existence and come to our spiritual platform. That should be the endeavor of human life. The cats and dogs, they have no such advanced consciousness. They cannot try for it. They are satisfied with this material body and material senses. But in the human-form body there is chance to understand that these senses, this physical formation of the body, is false or temporary. Or false in this sense that it is not my original body. Original body is within this material body. That is spiritual body. Asmin dehe dehinah. Dehino 'smin, tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13], asmin dehinah. So the spiritual body is actually the body, and this material body is covering. It is explained in different way in the Bhagavad-gita. Vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya [Bg. 2.22]. This material body is just like dress. The dress... I am putting on the shirt, you are putting on the shirt and coat. That is not very important thing. The important thing is the body within the shirt. Similarly, this material body is simply outward covering of the spiritual body by physical atmosphere, but real body is within. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. This external, physical body is called deha, and the owner of this deha is called dehi, "one who possesses this deha." That you have to und... This is the first instruction in the Bhagavad-gita.

So one should be inquisitive to know "How this physical body has come into existence, covering myself, the spiritual body?" Aham brahmasmi. So to understand this science, Kapiladeva is explaining the physical Sankhya philosophy, how things are developing. To understand that... The same thing: to understand the simple thing, that "I am not this body. The body has developed from the soul." Therefore we challenge the material scientists. They say that the soul has developed from the body. No. Soul has not developed from the body, but the body has developed from the soul. Just the opposite. The material scientists, they think that combination of these physical elements creates a situation where is..., when there is living, life symptoms. No. That is not. The real is that, fact is, that the spirit soul is there. They are wandering all over the universe. Brahmanda brahman. Brahmanda means all over the universe. The spirit soul is sometimes in one species of life; sometimes he's another species of life. Sometimes he is in this planet; sometimes another planet. In this way, according to his karma, he is wandering. That is his material life. So ei rupe brahmanda bhramite [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. He is loitering, wandering without any aim. "What is the aim of life? Why I have put into this condition, accepting this material body, the source of all miseries?" -- these questions should be asked. This is called brahma-jijnasa. And that should be answered properly. Then our life will be successful. Otherwise it is as useless as the body of a cat or a dog -- no understanding, mudha. Mudha.

So the cats' and dogs' life or the cats and dogs in two legs... Any human being who has no spiritual knowledge, he is no better than the cats and dogs, but difference is: the cats and dogs have got four legs, and this animal has got two legs, that's all. Dvipada-pasu. They have been described as dvipada-pasu. Dvi means two, and pada means leg. So anyone who has no knowledge of the spiritual existence -- how this material body has developed, how we are put into different conditions life -- without this knowledge he is two-legged animal, that's all. So don't remain as two-legged animal. You may develop from two-legged animal another body -- four-legged animal -- but that is not our business. Our business is athato brahma jijnasa. That is our life. Now this human form of life should be inquisitive: jijnasuh sreya uttamam. That is life. You must be very much inquisitive to understand what is your ultimate goal of life. Sreya uttamam. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21].

Therefore Bhagavata says that in order to understand the Supreme goal of life, sreya uttamam... Sreya means the best. Sreya and preya. Preya means immediately palatable, and sreya means ultimately beneficial. That is called sreya. Just like for a child, playing is priya, preya. He likes to play. But he is by force, by the parents, he is studied books. That is called preya. But because without education, his future life will be dark. So parents know it. Therefore, although the child likes to play -- that is preya -- the parents engages them into sreya, into education. So that is the Vaisnava's duty. These rascals and fools, they are busy in material sense gratification, and it has become the duty of the devotee. Because the devotees means the servant of the supreme father, Krsna. So they have been engaged. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, yare dekha, tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. So devotees are so confidential servant of the Supreme Lord. Therefore they are engaged in preaching Krsna consciousness. They have no business for themself -- they are completely perfect as soon as they have accepted Krsna -- but they are working on behalf of Krsna to turn these two-legged animals to become Krsna conscious. This is the meaning of Krsna consciousness movement.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.29 -- Bombay, January 6, 1975

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Centering the Central Sense

Centering the Central Sense

Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.28
Bombay, January 5, 1975

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Prabhupada:

yad vidur hy aniruddhakhyam
hrsikanam adhisvaram
saradendivara-syamam
samradhyam yogibhih sanaih
 [SB 3.26.28]

yam brahma varunendra-rudra-marutah stunvanti divyaih stavair
vedaih sanga-pada-kramopanisadair gayanti yam sama-gah
dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yogino
yasyantam na viduh surasura-gana devaya tasmai namah
[SB 12.13.1]

This is a mantra, Vedic mantra: "The Supreme Lord is worshiped by all the demigods." Yam brahma varunendra-rudra-marutah stunvanti divyaih stavaih. Varuna, Indra, and other demigods, even Lord Siva or Lord Brahma... Siva-virinci-nutam: [SB 11.5.33] "He is worshiped by Siva and Virinci." Virinci means Lord Brahma. So the only Lord, master, is Krsna. I have explained, ekale isvara krsna [Cc. Adi 5.142]. Isvara, the supreme isvara, controller, is Krsna. And He is worshiped by... Yam brahma varunendra-rudra-marutah stunvanti divyaih stavaih. He is the objective of worshiping.

So dhyanavasthita-manasa..., dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa yam pasyanti yoginah. Yogis, they are desirous of mystic power, eight kinds of mystic power. They also meditate on the Supreme Lord. And the feature of the Supreme Lord on which the yogis meditate by concentrating their mind is called Aniruddha. Sankarsana, Aniruddha..., Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Aniruddha, Pradyumna. So this is described. Aniruddha is the Deity of the mind, and mind is the central sense of all senses. Indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah [Bg. 3.42]. In the material conception of life the senses are very prominent. So long we are under the bodily concept of life, our objective is to satisfy the senses. But the master of the senses is the mind, and the controlling Deity of the mind is Aniruddha. Therefore God's another name is Hrsikesa. And bhakti means to serve Hrsikesa, because He is the proprietor of the senses.

Here it is said, yad vidur hy aniruddhakhyam hrsikanam adhisvaram. Hrsika. Hrsika means senses. And another name of God or Krsna or Aniruddha is Hrsikesa. Senayor ubhayor madhye... The Hrsikesa name is there in the Bhagavad-gita. Hrsikesa means hrsikanam adhisvaram. So practically, the senses which you are using, the real proprietor is Aniruddha, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You can utilize the instrument. Just like you hire some instrument to use it for some purpose, but the instrument belongs to somebody else, similarly, our the instrument, the karana, the means of working, or instrument, as you say -- the proprietor is Hrsikesa, or Aniruddha. So we are now utilizing instruments without fulfilling the desire of Aniruddha, or the Hrsikesa. That means we are using it for sense gratification unlawfully. Therefore we are becoming implicated in sinful activities. (aside:) Who is talking this side? Stop them. So, therefore, bhakti means that when you don't use the hrsika, or the senses, for any other purpose than to serve the Hrsikesa, that is called bhakti. Hrsikena hrsikesa sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Hrsikanam adhisvaram.

Actually, the proprietor of the senses is Aniruddha, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no difference between Krsna and His expansion.

advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam
adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvanam ca
vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.33]

In the Brahma-samhita we understand that the Lord is one, but He can expand Himself into multiforms. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs. 5.33]. Nava-yauvanam ca. This is... This expansion is going on from time immemorial. Still, the Lord is nava-yauvanam, very young, sixteen to twenty years old, that's all. Purana. Although He is the adi, origin of all living entities, still He is young. And although He has expanded Himself into multiforms, still He is one. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs. 5.33]. Advaita. Advaita is one, not that because He has expanded Himself into many forms, therefore He has got many, He has become many. No. He is one still. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam eva avasisyate [Iso Invocation]. That is absolute knowledge, that the Supreme Lord, if He expands Himself into supreme for..., er, unlimited forms, unlimited supreme forms, still He remains supreme. It is not material; material is supreme. If you take one lakh of rupees, if you take one lakh of rupees, then it becomes zero. But in the spiritual world the Absolute means you take the Supreme, the Supreme may expand Himself into many millions of Supreme form; still, the original Supreme remains. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam eva avasisyate. These things are spiritual understanding.

So this Aniruddha is the objective of meditation for the yogis. Nowadays they have manufactured so many objective, but that is not authorized. The authorized is that you have to concentrate your mind upon the form of Visnu known as Aniruddha. That is the real meditation. Visnu has got many forms. "Many forms" means the Visnu forms are all catur-bhuja, four-handed, and the symbolic representation of each hand is sankha-cakra-gada-padma: the conchshell, the disc, sankha-cakra, gada, the club, and the lotus flower. Now the Lord is differently named... Ordinarily, there are twenty-four names. So those names are there according to the situation of the symbolic representation. It begins from the right lower hand, and then it comes to the left lower hand, this sankha-cakra-gada-padma, differently situated. Just like begin, sankha, then cakra, then gada, then padma. Then begins cakra, gada, lotus flower, and conchshell. In this way there are different positions of the sankha-cakra-gada-padma, and according to that different position, the name is changed: Nrsimha, Vamana, Padmanabha, Narayana, like that.

So there are innumerable forms and innumerable names, advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs. 5.33], but they are all one. There is no difference, advaita. This is the conception of spiritual understanding, because these forms, each form, has got a separate planet. Just like here in this material world, each demigod has got a separate planet. The demigod Candradeva... He is also demigod. So he has got a separate planet which is called Candraloka. Similarly Suryaloka, Varunaloka, Vayuloka, Indraloka, many. There are hundreds and thousands of demigods, and they have got their different planets. Similarly, the Lord in the spiritual world has got multiforms, and the each and every form is the predominating Deity of the Vaikuntha planets. The spiritual planets are called Vaikuntha planets. The material planets, they are not Vaikuntha; they are kuntha. Here, in these planets, anyone living, he is always full of anxiety, kuntha. In the Vaikuntha planets there is no such thing as anxiety. That is the difference between the spiritual and material planets. Vaikuntha planets means without any anxiety. Here everyone is full of anxiety, whatever he may be. He may be Lord Brahma or he may be Mr. Ant, small, very insignificant. Everyone is full of kuntha. Sada samudvigna-dhiyam. Samudvigna, fully anxious, "What will happen next? What will happen next? How things will go on?" This anxiety. He may be very rich man or very poor man. The anxiety must be there. Why? Sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat: [SB 7.5.5] "Because they have accepted this material body."

So Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Sankarsana, or other Visnu form, or the living entities who are living there in those Vaikuntha planets, they have no anxiety. There is no anxiety, neither there is influence of this maya, neither there are the activities of the three modes of material nature. That is called spiritual world, Vaikunthaloka. They are free. Neither there is birth, death, old age, and disease. These things are absent. Everyone is full of transcendental bliss. Anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). By nature they are anandamaya, always jolly. And here also, in this material world, when we become free from this material concept of life, bodily concept of life, when we are fully aware of the thing that "I am not this material body; I am spirit soul, aham brahmasmi," he also becomes jolly because he acquires the spiritual quality. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma. That is the sign. Prasannatma. Na soc... Prasannatma. What does it mean, prasannatma? Na socati na kanksati: [Bg. 18.54] "There is no hankering, and there is no lamentation." Then it is possible to see everyone on the equal level. Samah sarvesu bhutesu.

This is the preliminary condition of becoming a devotee, when one has attained this stage, prasanna-manasah. Evam prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah [SB 1.2.20]. This stage can be attained by bhakti-yoga, the simple method. Bhakti-yoga means hearing and chanting: chant Hare Krsna and hear Srimad-Bhagavatam. That's all. Sit down together, all the family members, and chant Hare Krsna and read some passages from Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam. This is bhakti-yoga. If possible, install Deity, worship it properly. There is no need of going to cinema, restaurant, eating all nonsense. This will be automatically finished. Anartha. These are anartha, unwanted things. Anartha-nivrttih syat. If you take to this devotional service, bhakti-yoga, the anarthas, unnecessarily nonsense things -- smoking bidi, cigarette, drinking tea, going to the cinema, restaurant, and so many other -- they are not required. What is the necessity of these things? If you say there is some ananda, that is not ananda. Ananda is here, to hear about the Supreme Lord. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23] -- that is ananda. This is not ananda. This is false ananda. But we are accustomed to this. That is our misfortune. Anartha. So (to) come to the bhakti platform, one has to become free form the anarthas. Otherwise bhakti will not be substantial. Anartha-nivrttih syat. Tato nistha. When anarthas are finished, no more attraction... Bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra syat [SB 11.2.42]. If one is really devotee, then he will be detached to the anarthas, unwanted things. That is the test of bhakti. And "I am devotee; also I am devotee of bidi," that is not devotee. "I am smoking, also chanting." In the Bengal it is said, ami dugha khai tamogha khai.(?) No, not like that.

So that is the test who is a devotee. Simply by advertising himself, advertisements will not do. How much you are freed from the anarthas. Viraktir anyatra syat. Bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra syat [SB 11.2.42]. The example is given: just like if you are hungry, you are hankering after food, but when sufficient food is supplied to you, then the next stage will be: "No, no, I don't want any more. That's all right." "No, no, take more." "No, no, no, no. I am not..." He is satisfied, fully satisfied. Just like Prahlada Maharaja: he took advantage of bhakti for some material... Not Prahlada Maharaja, Dhruva Maharaja. I am sorry. So when actually saw Krsna, Visnu, who came to satisfy him, being pleased upon his austerities, little boy of five years, at that time, when he saw Krsna, he said, "No, no, I don't want anything." Svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace: [Cc. Madhya 22.42] "Svamin, my Lord, I am fully satisfied. I have no more demand."

That is the bhakti stage -- no more demand. The karmis, the jnanis, the yogis, they have got demand. They want something. The karmis, they want promotion to the higher planets for sensual satisfaction, for higher standard of material living condition, karmis. The more you are karmis, you can live very high standard of life just like Europeans, Americans. They are big, big karmis, big, big manufacture of machine, wonderful machine, and they get money-cost one dollar and they are charging five hundred dollars. You get money and good opportunity for sense gratification. So that is the idea of karmis. They want higher standard of sense gratification, scientific method of sense gratification. They have got machine even for shaving, even for tooth brushing. So everything machine. The idea is sense gratification. This is karmi. And jnanis, they have also demand: "I shall become one with God." Ekatvena. But the bhaktas, they don't want ekatvam. That is jnani. And yogis, they want mystic powers. Because if they can manifest some mystic power, immediately so many foolish person will be followers, and they will get some material reputation, position. So there is demand. And when there will be no demand, that is bhakta stage. Svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace: [Cc. Madhya 22.42] "No more varam, Sir. I have taken much varam."

What is that varam? Everything is supplied by Krsna. Why the devotee should be anxious for varam, for benediction? Krsna says, yoga-ksemam vahamy aham [Bg. 9.22]. Tesam nityabhiyuktanam. Those who are constantly engaged in the service of the Lord, all that is required by him, that is carried by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself to supply him. He says, yoga-ksemam vahamy aham. What you have got, He will give protection, and what you have not got, He will supply you -- for the devotees. The devotees do not want, but Krsna... Just like a child, dependent on the parents. He does not want anything, but the parents are very much anxious, "What my child needs?" The bhakta, devotee, wants how to keep satisfied the Lord, how to keep Him in comfortable position. Just like here the devotees, they are always dressing and giving flower garland and sandalwood pulp and tulasi and cleansing the... Tan-mandira-marjanadau. What is the idea? That Krsna may sit down here very pleasingly. This is bhakta's activity. And Krsna's anxiety is "How My devotees will remain without any want." This business is going on, without any difficulty. So the bhaktas, they will not want anything. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's instruction. Na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye [Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4].

So the Aniruddha, He is the master of the senses, as it is stated here, hrsikanam adhisvaram, adhisvaram, master, proprietor. So the common sense is that if my hand is the property of Krsna, why it should be used for me? It should be used for Krsna. This is good sense. Suppose something belongs to somebody else. If you use it for your purpose, that is illegal, not lawful. This is my watch. If you take away this watch and use for your purpose, then it is criminal. You cannot say the watch is being used either by him or by... It is being used, that's all. No. You cannot use it. You can use it only by the permission of the proprietor. Without permission of the proprietor, if you use it, then you are criminal or you are sinful. Similarly, we have got all the senses. The senses are meant for working. The eyes are meant for seeing, the ears are meant for hearing, the nose is meant for smelling, the hand is meant for touching, the leg is meant for going, the stomach is meant for eating -- so many, we have got, different senses. They are meant for different purpose. But if the purpose is for your sense gratification, then you are criminal because you are not proprietor. This is to understand bhakti. If you do not use all the senses for Krsna's purpose, then it is criminal. That is called papa.

So you are doing that. Every one of us, who is doing for Krsna? Nobody is doing for Krsna. Everyone is doing for his own purpose. He is taking one flower. The devotee is bringing the flower: "Oh, very nice flower. Let me take it to the temple and offer it to Krsna." That is devotion. The same flower, "Oh, it is very nice flower. Oh, let me pin it on my bunch of hair." That is papa. The same thing. You must know how to utilize it. That is called bhakti. Everything can be utilized. Nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe yuktam vairagyam ucyate. That art we have to learn. Anasaktasya visayan. Visayan means objectives for sense gratification, visayan. Ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca. These are called visaya-eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. Visaya.

So we are visaya. Everyone are. We are eating. Everyone is eating. Who can say, "I am not eating"? So visaya. So our business should be not to be attached for eating. Then shall I starve and die? No, you eat Krsna prasadam. Eating is not stopped. Eating is not stopped. Eating means as you are cooking for yourself at home, the same cooking, do it for Krsna and offer it to Krsna and eat it. That's all. The mode of life should be changed. That is Krsna consciousness. It is not that you shall give up eating. No, how can I give you that? No, it is not possible. Neither Krsna says, "Just give up eating." Never you will find in the Bhagavad... Yuktahara-viharasya. You must eat what you need. Yuktahara-viharasya yogo bhavati duhkha-ha. Krsna never says that "Unnecessarily you starve." You never find in the Bhagavad-gita; neither any acarya will say. Rather, you offer to Krsna first-class foodstuff because He is the enjoyer, and Krsna is so kind, He will leave everything for you for taking prasadam. So automatically you can satisfy your tongue. You offer to Krsna first-class food, and Krsna is so kind that He will eat; at the same time, He will keep it for you. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam eva avasisyate [Iso Invocation]. Krsna's eating is not like that: because you have given Him very nice foodstuff, He will eat everything and nothing for you. (laughter) That is not Krsna. Krsna eats everything, He accepts your service, and keeps everything for you.

So this is bhakti-marga. It is very nice. Simply you have to learn how to engage your senses. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Your senses are property of Hrsikesa. As it is said here, hrsikesa adhisvaram. Hrsikesa adhisvaram. He is adhisvaram. He is the proprietor. So you must use it. It is not that you stop your senses. That is not required. That is not bhakti. Bhakti means you must engage your senses fully with more enthusiasm, but it should be for Krsna. That's all. If you want to do business, do it very nicely, but give the profit to Krsna. Yat karosi yaj juhosi yad asnasi, kurusva tad mad-arpanam [Bg. 9.27]. Krsna says, "Give it to Me." That is bhakti. Nothing is stopped, but you cannot do any unlawful. Bhakti does not mean you can do anything unlawful. But ultimate issue: whatever you do, if it is for Krsna, that is rightful. Just like materially, Arjuna was trying to become very gentleman, nonviolent, Arjuna: "Krsna, I am not going to fight." People very much appreciate, "Just see, Arjuna is so gentle, he is trying to become nonviolent, and Krsna is inducing him to become violent." This is the vision of the demons. They do not know, whatever Krsna desires, that is rightful. Krsna wanted Arjuna to fight. That is rightful. And Arjuna wanted to become nonviolent. That is not rightful. Therefore Krsna chastised him, kutas tva kasmalam idam visame samupasthitam: "Why you are talking like anarya?" Anarya-justam: "This kind of talking... You are ksatriya, and you are not willing to fight. What is this? This kind of proposal is made by the anarya, uncivilized. You are a ksatriya. Your duty is to fight, and you are trying to refrain from the fight? You have become so ignorant? Oh, this is not good." Then, when Arjuna understood that he was not in the right point, declining the fight, karpanya-dosa upahata-svabhavah, karpanya-dosa. "I am not doing my duty. I can understand. All right. But I am perplexed. Therefore I become Your student." Sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam: [Bg. 2.7] "I surrender unto You as sisya, as Your disciple. Now correct me." And he was, when he was corrected, the same Arjuna said, "Yes." Karisye vacanam tava [Bg. 18.73]: "Yes, I will fight."

This is Krsna consciousness. You have to act by the desires of Krsna. That is the proper use of your senses. You cannot use for your purpose. Anything... Just like you are working in some establishment. Anything in that establishment, you can use for the proprietor's business. You cannot use it. Just like in hospital there are blankets. It is written there, "Hospital Property." So long you are in the hospital, you can use it. But you cannot take it outside. Then you are criminal. Similarly, everything... Isavasyam idam sarvam [Iso mantra 1]. Everything belongs to God, and you can use it for the service of God. Tena tyaktena bhunjitha ma grdhah kasya svid dhanam. This is the instruction, Vedic instruction. You can use it as prasadam, but everything should be offered to the Supreme. Yajnarthe karmanah loko 'yam karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9]. If you do not do that, if you engage yourself always in good activities, as the karmis they do, and earn money and use it for your own sense gratification, that is papa activity.

yajna-sistasinah santo
mucyante sarva-kilbisaih
bhunjate te tv agham papa
ye pacanty atma-karanat
 [Bg. 3.13]

"Those who are cooking in the kitchen very palatable dishes for satisfying the tongue, they are simply eating sinful things." Ye pacanty atma-karanat.

So therefore, if we become sinful every moment, how we can become happy? It is not possible. If you want to become happy, you have to become pious. And the standard of piety is to become Krsna conscious, devotee of Krsna. That is the highest perfection of life.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.28 -- Bombay, January 5, 1975

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Controlling the Uncontrollable

Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.27
Bombay, January 4, 1975

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Nitai: "From the false ego of goodness, another transformation takes place. From this evolves the mind, whose thoughts and reflections give rise to desire."

Prabhupada:

vaikarikad vikurvanan
manas-tattvam ajayata
yat-sankalpa-vikalpabhyam
vartate kama-sambhavah
 [SB 3.26.27]

So this mind is material because it is the product of transformation of the modes of goodness. Then, gradually, being contaminated by different kinds of material desires, it becomes degraded. Kama esa krodha esa rajo-guna-samudbhavah. When it is deteriorated, then, from the standard of goodness, it comes to rajo-guna. And rajo-guna means lusty desires, unending desires. And if desires are not fulfilled, then there is krodha, anger. In this way, kama krodha lobha moha matsarya -- everything becomes very prominent, and we become servant of these propensities, kama, krodha, moha, matsarya, mada, lobha. This is called illusion, gradually degraded mind. And the business of the mind is sankalpa and vikalpa. Sankalpa means decide to do something, and vikalpa means again to reject it. That is the business of mind. Everyone desires the peacefulness of mind, but the material mind -- the nature is sankalpa and vikalpa, restlessness. You cannot fix up.

So if you can control the senses by the yogic, mystic yogic process, this mechanical endeavor, how to control the mind, then you can again be placed in the original spiritual status. That is the yoga system. The yoga system is recommended to persons whose mind is very restless. Everyone's mind is restless -- not a particular man mind is restless. Everyone's. But it is very difficult, also, to bring the mind into peaceful status. So long the desires are there, it is not possible to bring the mind in complete peace and tranquillity. It is not possible because the sankalpa-vikalpa... Vartate-kama-sambhavah. So long there is desire, so it is not possible to bring the mind under control. Therefore Caitanya-caritamrta says, Kaviraja Gosvami, that even the pious actors, those who are acting very piously... Those who are acting impiously, sinfully, there is no question of peace of the mind. That is not possible. Even those who are acting very piously, that is also not possible. You cannot control even the mind in that way. Then those who are desiring to stop these material activities completely, pious or impious, they also cannot control the mind. And then the yogis... The first group, who are interested in pious activities, they are karmis. And those who are neither interested in pious activities or impious activities -- they want to stop all kinds of activities... Just like the Buddha philosophy says, nirvana: "Stop the activities of the mind or desires." On that status also, it is not possible to control the mind, meditation. And... These mukti-kami. And then siddhi-kami, the yogis, they also cannot control the mind, what to speak of ordinary man who are neither interested in pious activities or in mukti or yogic perfection?

So when Krsna advised Arjuna to practice yoga for controlling the mind in the Sixth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna refused. Arjuna said, "My dear Krsna, You are advising me to control the mind by practicing yoga, but I have no such opportunity because I am a family man. I am also politician, royal family. I have to see things, administration of the kingdom. And besides that, in family life I have to seek for my material interest. So how it is possible for me to control the mind?" So he flatly said,

cancalam hi manah krsna
pramathi balavad drdham
tasyaham nigraham manye
vayor iva suduskaram
 [Bg. 6.34]

"My dear Krsna, I think the mind is very, very restless." Cancalam hi manah krsna. Pramathi: "as madman." As madman is always restless... "And very strong. I want to control the mind, but it does not come under control. So this is the position. Therefore, You are asking me to control the mind..." Tasya aham nigraham manye vayor iva suduskaram: "I think it is more difficult than controlling the wind." Suppose there is very strong wind, and if you want to stop it, you see, it is not possible. There is cyclone. Similarly, Arjuna has compared the mind with the speed of cyclone. How it is to be controlled? So completely denied. But Krsna said, just to encourage Arjuna, that he should not be disappointed because he could not control the mind. But still, because his mind was always engaged in the lotus feet of Krsna, he is the best of all the yogis.

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

He encouraged Arjuna that "Don't be disappointed because your mind is always engaged in Me." Arjuna might be anything, but he was always thinking of Krsna. He was always associating with Krsna. He did not know anything else, Krsna. That is the position of first-class yogi. Otherwise, if you try to control the mind from kama, krodha, lobha, moha, matsarya, that is not possible. You have to change the position of such activities.

Narottama dasa Thakura... Here it is said that kama-sambhavah. Kama, kama means desire. So mind is restless, always desiring something, desiring something. So the best policy to control the mind is to desire how to spread Krsna consciousness. This is the best. Kamah krsna-karmarpane. Narottama dasa Thakura has said that you cannot be free from desire. That is not possible. This is useless attempt. They say that "You become desireless." No, that is not possible. How can I...? If I become desireless, I become dead. So long I am living entity, I must desire. I cannot check it. Therefore kama means desire. So at the present moment, we are desiring how to become happy in this material world, how to acquire so much money, how to acquire this, how to acquire this, how to get this, how to get that. This is kama. So this brain taxation, if you engage in Krsna's service -- how to spread Krsna consciousness, how to convince people about Krsna, how to take them to the Krsna's desire, sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66] -- and in this way, if you go on making plan for spreading Krsna consciousness, then your mind is controlled.

You cannot stop desire. That is not possible. The kama-sambhavah... Sankalpa-vikalpabhyam vartate kama-sambhavah. This is the mind's position. I am desiring something, and if it is not very palatable, then I reject it. I accept another desire. This is. You cannot keep the mind vacant even for a single moment. Nobody has got this experience, that mind is vacant. If, by force, you are trying to do that, it is simply laboring. It is not possible. Just like to concentrate one's mind in the vacant... Kleso 'dhikataras tesam avyaktasakta-cetasam [Bg. 12.5]. Klesah, klesah adhikataras tesam. Impersonal and void. If you want to engage your mind in the impersonality or voidness of variegatedness, it is simply very, very difficult. The best, easy way of controlling the mind... Because Krsna has said that yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana [Bg. 6.47], antar-atmana, sraddhavan bhajate yo mam. This is the way. Anyone who is making plan, the plan-making... Kama-sambhavah means plan-making. You see the whole world, the big, big politicians. In our government, central government, there is a planning commission. Perhaps every one of you know it, planning commission. From, for the last twenty years they are making simply plans, and no plan has become successful. Every plan (chuckling) is unsuccessful, and the result is eight rupees kilo rice, your staple food. The plan has come successfully to bring rice eight rupees per kilo. That is not possible. So long the, you are materially affected and making plan how to get out of it, the material nature is so strong that it will baffle all your plans, and therefore you will have to remain perpetually restless. One plan you make, and it is baffled by the material nature, stringent laws of nature. And at last, making plan, making plan, making plan -- one day the time comes and immediately orders, "Please vacate your presidency, your prime ministership." Although I am trying to make plan, successful plans, up to the point of death... Pralayanta, pralayanta, asuric plan, up to the end of life... And then he entrusts. He says, "My dear son, my dear daughter, I could not fulfill this plan, so you do it. Now I hand it over to you." And the son also going on, making plan, plan, plan. It will never be fulfilled.

That is the verdict of the sastra. Durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah. Durasaya. It is impossible. Therefore this sankalpa-vikalpa, accepting some plan and rejecting again, this is going on perpetually. It is never fulfilled; neither it will be fulfilled at any time. And for making this plan, sankalpa-vikalpa, perpetually I am giving up one kind of body; I am accepting another body. I am giving up the residence of one planet. I am going to the heavenly planet:

urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha
madhye tisthanti rajasah
jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha
adho gacchanti tamasah
 [Bg. 14.18]

Plan in the modes of goodness and passion, in ignorance. So different plans, different kinds of body, different residential quarter in different planets, different... You see? We have got experience even in Bombay. If one body is living here in Bombay for fifty years, how many plans he has had made and how many apartments he has changed and still, the plan-making business is going on. Everyone has got this experience. It is not very difficult.

So as it is going on in this life, in this span of life, similarly, it is going on life after life, this plan-making business. So the intelligent persons, they should understand that how to stop this unlimited plan-making business. Still there is no solution. That is called athato brahma jijnasa. That is life, athato brahma-jijnasa, when one is inquisitive to know the broader plan, Brahman plan. Brahman means the biggest, brhatva, the biggest. The biggest plan, if anyone wants to understand, becomes inquisitive, then his life, real life, begins. Athato brahma jijnasa. So wherefrom brahma-jijnasa? Brahma-jijnasa... This ordinary jijnasa, inquiry, "What is the price of rice today?" or "What is the situation of strike? What is the situation of this, that?" that you can ask from the newspaper or from anyone, friend. But so far brahma-jijnasa, inquiry of Brahman, then where shall you inquire? Will you go to the exchange market or in the other market? No. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Sa gurum evabhigacchet. That is the injunction of the Vedas, that you must find out guru. Samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistham. Guru means brahma-nistham. Brahma-nistham. That is the guru's qualification. And srotriyam, one who has heard from the disciplic succession, he is guru, not anyone, magician, no. Guru, as Krsna said...

Krsna is the original guru. He is Brahma's guru. Then who can be better guru than Krsna? Tene brahma hrda adi-kavaye. He instructed Brahma. Brahma instructed Narada, and Narada instructed Vyasadeva, and Vyasadeva has given us so many literatures. This is called parampara system. Vedavyasa. Vyasadeva has given us four Vedas: Sama, Yajur, Rg, Atharva; then explained them in the 108 Puranas. Then again, he has summarized them in Vedanta-sutra. Then again, he has explained the Vedanta-sutra by Srimad-Bhagavatam. Brahma-sutra-bhasya. In every chapter of Srimad-Bhagavatam you will find this statement by Vyasadeva, brahma-sutra-bhasya. Brahma-sutra-bhasya is not that Sankara's bhasya, Sariraka-bhasya. That is artificial. Here the brahma-sutra-bhasya. Brahma-sutra is written by Vyasadeva, and because he knew that in future so many rascals will misinterpret this Brahma-sutra, therefore he compiled personally the bhasya of Brahma-sutra. That is Srimad-Bhagavatam. Bhasyam brahma-sutranam vedartha-paribrmhitam **: "The meaning of the Vedas is completely described, and it is the original comment on Brahma-sutra." Therefore you will see Srimad-Bhagavatam begins from the words of Brahma-sutra: jivasya tattva-jijnasa. As it is said in the Brahma-sutra, athato brahma jijnasa, the Bhagavata says that jivasya tattva-jijnasa: "The living entity's only business is to inquire about the Absolute Truth." Na yas ceha karmabhih: "No other business." Dharmartha-kama-moksa [SB 4.8.41].

So dharma... generally, people think that "Becoming religious, we shall be economically developed." Dharma artha. "We shall get artha. We shall be..." That is... Automatically it comes. If you are actually following the religious principle, artha will come. There is no doubt. And... But we do not know what is dharma. That is the difficulty. That you have to learn from Krsna, athato brahma jijnasa, from the guru. And what guru says, Krsna says? sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is dharma. Anything else, that is all cheating. Dharmah projjhita-kaitavah atra. Kaitava. Kaitava means cheating. And Sridhara Svami says, "This moksa is also another cheating." Moksa is another... "I shall make me void. I shall finish my existence, individual existence. I shall merge into the existence of the Absolute," this conception, moksa, mukti, is also commented by Sridhara Svami, "This is another cheating, another cheating." Because there cannot be moksa. You cannot become one with the Supreme. How you can be? As it is said in the Bhagavad-gita, mamaivamso jiva-bhutah jiva-loke sanatanah [Bg. 15.7]. Sanatanah. You are part and parcel of the Supreme. How you can become one? So this kind of attempt is also cheating. You cannot become one. Because eternally, sanatana, eternally, you are different. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that "Myself, My dear Arjuna, yourself, and all the soldiers and kings who have assembled in this battlefield, they were the same individual in the past, and they are individual now, and they will continue to remain individual." So where there is oneness? In the past, present, future the individuality is there.

So it is a concoction, to finish the individuality. It is called spiritual suicide. Just like if a man becomes disappointed and he cuts his own throat or hangs him, some way or other, eats some poison, to finish, does it mean that he is finished? Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. He is rascal. He does not know. By finishing this body he is finished -- no, that is not possible. The result is, because he violated the rules of nature, he becomes a ghost. That is his life. One who commits suicide, he becomes a ghost. Ghost means he does not get this material body. He remains in the subtle body, mind, intelligence. Therefore ghost can go because he is in the mind. Mind speed is very strong. If you have got this material body, you cannot go immediately hundred miles off. But if you are in the mental body, you can go immediately, thousand miles immediately, within a second. So the ghost, they can play something wonderful because... But they are not happy because they have no gross body. They want to enjoy. He's materialist. He has committed suicide for some material want. So he is want of material..., fulfilling material desire. He could not fulfill in this body; therefore commits suicide, but the desire is there. The desire is there, and he cannot fulfill it. He becomes perplexed. Therefore the ghost create disturbance sometimes.

So in this way desires cannot be finished. That is not possible. Kama-sambhavah. It is not possible. Therefore the best thing is that fix up your mind in Krsna, in Krsna consciousness. Then you will be happy, the mind always engaged in Krsna's business, planning how to satisfy Krsna. That you are, require. That is intelligence. Krsna wants everyone to surrender unto Him. When Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], He does not say only to Arjuna; He says to everyone. So that is Krsna's desire, and if you want to serve Krsna, to fulfill His desire, that means you canvass everyone to surrender to Krsna. This is preaching. Krsna wants it. It is declared. So your business is to satisfy Krsna. So do it. Why don't you do it? Why you are aspiring after mukti, siddhi, and bhukti? These are all personal. Anyone who is executing pious activities, acquiring punya, what is the result? Punya means he will go to the heavenly planet. That is sense gratification. Heavenly planet, you go to the heavenly planet. You live for many thousands of years, many millions of years, and get the association of apsaras, very nice standard of life, and so on, so on. These are all personal comforts, bhukti, a better standard of material enjoyment. To go to the heavenly planet means a better standard of, thousand times better, millions times better than this planet. As you go up and up... This is Bhurloka. Then Bhuvarloka, Svarloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Brahmaloka, so many lokas. Urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah [Bg. 14.18]. If you increase your modes of goodness, then you gradually promoted more and more comfortable situation. If you go to the Siddhaloka, immediately you become a perfect yogi. The yogis are trying to get some power, material power, anima laghima prapti-siddhi. If one gets this prapti... Prapti-siddhi means whatever he likes he can get immediately. That is cal... And people become after him, "Oh, here is God. He is creating rasagulla." (laughter) You see? Yes. One yogi in Benares, he... Anyone who would come to him, immediately he will present two rasagulla in a pot. He will give, and immediately rasagulla will be there. And big, big men, they become surprised, "Oh, here is God." He does not say, "What is the price of these rasagulla?" Say, four annas? So by jugglery of four annas, he became God. This is going on. This rascaldom is going on. By jugglery of four annas, eight annas, or four hundred or four thousand, if one can make some jugglery, then he becomes God. This is foolishness. This is going on.

Therefore Krsna says that this kind of yoga practice is simply cheating. The first-class yogi is he... Yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana [Bg. 6.47]. One who is thinking of always Krsna, "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna," he is first-class yogi. And they are all cheaters. Some foolish people are cheated by this yogic jugglery and he gets some position, some material position. So material positions there are many. Even a politician, if he talks, many millions people gather to hear him. But what is the benefit of such hearing? First of all we have to see what is the benefit. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23]. If you are interested of hearing lectures, then sastra says that "Hear of Visnu," not of any rascal. Hear from Vaisnava. Then you will be benefited. Otherwise you will not be benefited. Avaisnavo gurur na sa syat. This is the injunction of the sastra. One who is avaisnava, he cannot become guru. Sat-karma-nipuno vipro mantra-tantra-visaradah. A brahmana, and he is very expert in sat-karma... Sat-karma means six kinds of occupational duties. What is that? Pathana. A brahmana must be very, very learned scholar by reading Vedic literature, and pathana, and teach others of the Vedic literature. Therefore it was the custom of the brahmanas -- they would not accept anyone's service. They will sit down anywhere and open a school for teaching Vedic literature. Pathana pathana. He will personally become learned, and he will teach others. And the students, they will go from door to..., brahmacari, door to door for begging, "Mother, give me some alms," and they will give because their students are there in the gurukula or catuspathi. So whatever they will bring, that will be cooked and offered to Krsna, and the prasadam will be distributed amongst themselves. This was the process, not twenty rupees' fee and give some bribe to enter into the school, and that is also all rascal education, no. First-class education, without any fee, from the realized soul -- that was educational system, varnasrama-dharma.

So we have to find out such guru, Vaisnava. Sastra says, sat-karma-nipuno vipro mantra-tantra-visaradah. Not only expert in six kinds of occupational..., pathana pathana yajana yajana dana pratigraha, but mantra-tantra-visaradah: "Vedic mantra or tantra -- everything he knows perfectly well." Sat-karma-nipuno vipro mantra-tantra..., avaisnavo gurur na sa syat: "But if he has got one disqualification -- he is faithless; he does not believe in the Supreme Personality of Godhead or Visnu; he is believer in other demigods and other process, even Lord Siva or Lord Brahma, the best of all the demigods -- then he becomes avaisnava." Just like Ravana. Ravana was very learned scholar, son of a brahmana, very good scholar, and economically developed, but only fault was avaisnava: he did not care for Rama. So he is designated as raksasa. So avaisnava, who is not devotee of Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, gurur na sa syat, he cannot become guru. That is not possible. And vaisnavah sva-paco guruh. Sva-paca. Sva-paca means the dog-eaters, the lowest of the mankind, dog-eaters, candala. Candalo 'pi dvija-srestho hari-bhakti-parayanah. If somehow or other he has become Vaisnava, then he can become guru, not this brahmana, sat-karma-nipuno vipro mantra-tantra-visaradah. Because that one disqualification is there, that he is not a Vaisnava, he cannot become guru. But a person born in the lowest of the human society, papa-yoni, which is called papa-yoni... Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg. 9.32]. Krsna says that "Anyone who takes shelter of Me, even he belongs to the papa-yoni..." Papa-yoni means the candalas, less than the sudras. Striyo vaisyas tatha sudrah... Again He mentions. Te 'pi yanti param gatim. So they are eligible to go back to home, back to Godhead. There are so many instances. Kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah, ye 'nye ca papah: [SB 2.4.18] "Lower than them, still more sinful," sudhyanti, "they can be purified," prabhavisnave namah, "if he becomes a Vaisnava."

So vaisnave jati-buddhih is naraki-buddhih. One should not consider a Vaisnava, whether he is born of low family, he is not born of brahmana family. This kinds of consideration is naraki-buddhi. So there are many instances. Sri Sanatana Gosvami says that avaisnava-mukhodgirnam putam hari-kathamrtam, sravanam na kartavyam. If a avaisnava, if a Mayavadi, he speaks about Bhagavatam or Bhagavad-gita, one should not hear it. He should avoid it because it will create some misimpression. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has forbidden strongly, mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa: [Cc. Madhya 6.169] "If one hears from a Mayavadi about Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, then that person is doomed." So this is, therefore, tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. This injunction means one should approach a Vaisnava to accept him as guru and then take lessons from him and make his life successful.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.27 -- Bombay, January 4, 1975

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Breaking Our Karmic Chains

Breaking Our Karmic Chains

Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.26
Bombay, January 3, 1975

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Nitai: "This false ego is characterized as the doer, as an instrument and as an effect. It is further characterized as serene, active or dull according to how it is influenced by the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance."

Prabhupada:

kartrtvam karanatvam ca
karyatvam ceti laksanam
santa-ghora-vimudhatvam
iti va syad ahankrteh
 [SB 3.26.26]

So last night we discussed Sankarsana. Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha. Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha. Four expansion are there for taking charge of four kinds of different activities. So this false ego and the material world, "I am this body," they are also divided into three, santa, ghora, and mudhatvam, according to the modes of material nature. Santa means sober, serene. Persons who are in the modes of goodness, for them, this material world is manifest in the matter of its constituency. And those who are in modes of goodness, they can see things as they are. And the ghora, those who are in the modes of passion, they are unnecessarily going on, making plan and full of activities without any aim of life. And mudhatvam, that is like animal, do not know what is the aim of life, what for he is working, what is the value of life, nothing of the sort.

So this false ego, "I am this material body. I belong to this material world, I belong to this community, sect, or nation," so many, they are all based on ahankara. Ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate [Bg. 3.27]. Actually, every one of us who are in this material world, they are, we are all under the full control of this illusory energy and working differently according to the influence of the different modes of material nature. I am not real karta. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani [Bg. 3.27]. Gunaih karmani. I am under the influence of different gunas, and still, falsely, I am thinking that "I am the doer. I have got the capacity of acting. And the effect, whatever I have produced, it is due to my labor." This is called illusion, moha. Mohah ayam aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. This conception of life is moha. Moha, delusion or illusion, just like a person in feverish convulsion is lying unconscious, thinking something else. This is our position. Moho 'yam. So our real business is how to get out of this moha.

So Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, They are controlling by different senses and the sense controller, different demigod. It is a very complicated situation, but we can get out of it by controlling the senses. That is also very difficult. At the present moment, especially in the Kali-yuga, that is also very difficult. The easiest way, as suggested by sastras and great personality, is bhaja vasudevam. Yat-pada-pankaja-palasa-vilasa-bhaktya karmasayam grathitam udgrathayanti santah.

yat-pada-pankaja-palasa-vilasa-bhaktya
karmasayam grathitam udgrathayanti santah
tadvan na rikta-matayo yatayo 'pi ruddha-
sroto-ganas tam aranam bhaja vasudevam

Karmasayam, this false ego -- we are creating different hopes of activity: "I shall do this. I shall do that." Grathitam, they are very deep-rooted, grathitam. So we have to pluck out this karmasayam, the root of karma. Kuta-stha, then phalonmukha, and phala-prapti. There are three stages, karmasayam: kuta-stha, in the seed form, kuta-stha; then phalonmukham, sprouting; then prapta, prarabdha. In the beginning it is aprarabdha, not yet manifest, and prarabdha means manifest. The same example, as we have given several times, infection. We have infect... Suppose I have infected some chronic disease or infectious disease. It is not yet manifest, but it is kuta-stha. It is... In the seed form there is. Then, all of a sudden, we get some feverish condition. That is called phalonmukha. And when it is high fever and quite manifest, the delusion and so many other things, that is called prarabdha.

So we are all undergoing prarabdha-phalam, manifest phala, for our past deeds. So they are very deep-rooted. It is very difficult to uproot them. But there is one process. That is recommended: bhaja vasudevam. Bhaja... The others... There are many yogis, jnanis, they are trying to get out of the situation, kuta-stha, phalonmukha, prarabdha situation of our life. But Srimad-Bhagavata says that the devotees, they can very easily uproot the causes of our material miserable condition of life. Yat-pada-pankaja-palasa-vilasa-bhaktya. Vilasa. Vilasa means enjoying, and bhaktya means devotees. They are always attached to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh [SB 9.4.18]. The devotees are always engaged, they are always attached, padaravindayoh. Aravinda, lotus flower and the lotus feet. So devotees, they are concerned, always seeing the lotus feet of the Lord. They do not try to see even the face. Beginning with the lotus feet. The devotee begins offering tulasi leaves with sandalwood pulp and offering to the lotus feet of the Lord. That is their vilasa, enjoyment. Yad-pada-pankaja-palasa-vilasa. They enjoy. That is transcendental bliss, offering a little sandalwood pulp and tulasi leaves on the lotus feet of the Lord. Yat-pada-palasa-vilasa...pankaja-palasa-vilasa, vilasa. That is their vilasa.

 

Vilasa means enjoyment. Bhoga-vilasa. Devotees, they have no bhoga. They have vilasa, enjoyment. And indirectly, this is also bhoga, transcendental bliss, ecstasy. Sometimes they are crying. Sometimes they are shivering. Sometimes they are laughing. There are eight kinds of sattvika transformation. So when one is completely pure devotee, these symptoms are visible. That is called vilasa, enjoyment. Yat-pada-pankaja-palasa-vilasa-bhaktya karmasayam. When one is engaged in that vilasa, enjoyment, spiritual blissful life, then the root cause of karma becomes vanished. Karmani nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhajam [Bs. 5.54]. In the Brahma-samhita it is said. They are no more interested with the attraction of fruitive activities. Karmasayam grathitam, very deep-rooted. Yat-pada-pankaja-palasa-vilasa-bhaktya karmasayam grathitam udgrathayanti. Very easily they can uproot. Tadvan na rikta-matayah. Rikta-matayah, those who are attached to live in the forest, in the mountain, in the cave, alone in a secluded place, and with great endeavor trying to stop the agitation of the senses... Tadvan na rikta-matayo yatayo 'pi ruddha-sroto-ganah. Ruddha means controlled. The yogis especially, they do that. And jnanis also, they read philosophy, discuss philosophy. The yogis control the senses. Yoga indriya-samyamah. In this way they are trying to get out of this chain of fruitive activities. Karmasayam grathitam.

But devotees, being attracted to the flavor of the lotus flower of Krsna's feet, lotus flower... Krsna, His face is called also lotus-eyed, His navel is called padma-nabha, His feet is called lotus feet, pada-padma, and His garland is also padma. He is very much fond of padma. So when a devotee is attached to the lotus flower of Krsna's feet, automatically they forget the all such material activities. They haven't got to endeavor separately. The jnanis and the yogis, they are trying to, by their endeavor, by their different endeavors, they are trying to get out of this entanglement, but the devotees, simply by engaging himself in the vasudeva-bhakti, vasudeva-parayana, simply by bhakti, they come out of the entanglement without any difficulty. That is stated in this verse. Tadvan na rikta-matayo yatayo 'pi ruddha-sroto-ganas tam aranam. Sroto-ganas tam, stop functioning, they cannot do so nicely.

Therefore aranam bhaja vasudevam. Vasudeva is the ultimate aranam, ultimate shelter. Bhaja vasudevam. In other place also, it is said,

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

Janayaty asu vairagyam jnanam ca yad ahaitukam. One cannot understand what is the cause of a vasudeva-bhakta to become so much renounced. Just like in India these young men from America and Europe... They are surprised, "How they have become so much aloof from material activities?" It is surprising. That is... It is not surprising, because bhaja vasudevam: they have taken to the shelter of Vasudeva. If you do also, you shall become. But we are not inclined. In India, "Oh, Vasudeva, we have... We know everything of Vasudeva. Hare Krsna, oh, this is... What you can teach? We know everything." This is the Indian disease. Because familiarity breeds contempt. Because Indians are familiar with the name of Vasudeva, with the name of Hare Krsna, they think... Just like in European and American cities these boys and girls, they go for sankirtana, and the Indian people, they say, "Oh, we know everything about it. We have now come here to learn how to eat meat, how to drink wine." You see? This is the condition. Bhaja vasudevam -- this is not very much appealing. But this is the only way to become out of entanglement. Otherwise, this santa-ghora-vimudhatvam iti va syad ahankrteh. We shall always remain in this false ego that "I am this body. I am of this material world," no information of the spiritual world.

Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. They have no information. They do not know the svartha-gatim. Everyone is declaring, "I have my self-interest." But they do not know what is self-interest. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah [SB 7.5.31]. Durasa, the hope which will never be fulfilled. What is that hope? They are trying to adjust this material world to become happy. This is durasa. Durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah. Andha, and the leaders, they are also leading in that way. "Give up this Vedic culture. Throw away." The leaders say openly that "Throw away your sastras in the water. No more sastra. Now you take to industry, technology, if you want to become happy just like the Americans, like the Europeans." So the leaders, such leaders, have been described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, andha. Andha means blind. They do not know how to lead people, what is the aim of life. The aim of life is not to understand or learn some technical knowledge by which we can make some bodily comforts. That is not aim of life. The aim of life is different. We are part and parcel of God. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. Now we are separated. Not separated; just like a criminal is not separated from the state. He is in the state, but in a different condition. Similarly, we cannot be separated from God. That is not possible. We are part and parcel of God, but we can be separated by diseased condition. Just like my finger cannot be separated, or can be separated, but in the diseased condition it cannot work. It cannot work in its original, constitutional position. Similarly, due to our this material disease, we cannot properly serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead, our, the whole. We are part, and He is the whole. The complete. We are not... Some way or other we are detached. So we cannot be separated. But under certain conditions it appears that we are separated. This is forgetfulness, more or less.

So we have to revive this old consti... That is the whole subject matter of the Sankhya philosophy, Kapiladeva, how we are becoming degraded from the original state of Krsna consciousness. So our only business is how to revive again. That revival is possible only by this process, bhaja vasudevam. Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]. Sudurlabhah mahatma, not ordinary mahatma. Mahatma, mahan atma yasya iti mahatma. Not cripple atma: "This is my community. This is my nation. This is my family. I have to maintain it. I have to make them..." This is not mahatma. Mahatma means one who is broader, Krsna consciousness. Sarva-yonisu. Krsna is the supreme father of all living entities, and they are suffering. Tato vimukha-cetasa maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan [SB 7.9.43]. Prahlada Maharaja says that "I am simply anxious, perplexed only for these persons who are bereft of Krsna consciousness. So I am thinking of them." This man is mahatma. He is thinking of all living entities who are bereft of Krsna consciousness and making plan how to again take them to Krsna consciousness.

Because this is the cause of all unhappiness, they are suffering, and they are making plan. Maya-sukhaya. Maya-sukhaya means the happiness which has no standing, false, illusory. For this purpose, bharam udvahato vimudhan, big, big adventure, big, big things, they are contemplating, planning. That is called ghora, ghora-rupa. Here it is called ghora. Santa-ghora. If you go to some industrial place in a factory, iron factory like Tata's, you will see how they are engaged in ghora activities, horrible activities -- after all, you have to eat something -- but they have planned a ghora activity, very fierceful, ugra-karma. By nature's way, Krsna has given us everything. You can simply work little. You get food grains. Krsna says like that. Krsna never says that "You open big, big fierceful, horrible industries." You will never find in Bhagavad-gita. For your livelihood, Krsna says very simple method. Annad bhavanti bhutani [Bg. 3.14]. Annad. Anna, you produce anna. Why you are planning big, big industries? The oil will come from America through the channel, and the Arabia will refuse to supply oil. There will be power problem, so many things, one after another, one after another. But Krsna does not say that do all these things, ghora. No. He says, annad bhavanti bhutani: "You just produce food grain." And bhavanti bhutani. Bhutani means all living entities, they will be stout and strong by eating. What you want more? Annad bhavanti bhutani parjanyad anna-sambhavah. And if there is sufficient rain, then automatically, then it will be very easy to grow food grains. Parjanyad anna... If there is no parjanya, rain, then your so-called tractor will not help you, or knowledge, agricultural knowledge, will not help you. You will have to depend on Krsna for rains. Parjanyad anna-sambhavah. And yajnad bhavati parjanyah [Bg. 3.14]. If you perform yajna, then there will be regular rainfalls.

In the Kali-yuga there is no yajna. Therefore there is anavrsti, anavrsti. The Kali-yuga people will forget performing yajna. They will be busy in ghora-rupa activities, horrible and fierceful activities, not yajna. They will neglect yajna. So then how your these bolts and nuts and rubber tires will help you? Therefore there is scarcity of anna. That will increase more and more. It will so increase that now you are getting anna by paying high price, but time will come when even if you are prepared to pay price, there will be no more anna. That time is coming. Naturally, what people will eat? They will eat mamsa and roots and seeds. No milk. No sugar. No wheat. These things will be stopped. As we are becoming entangled in ghora-rupa activities or mudha activities, then the more we shall be entangled with sufferings of material existence. They do not know what is the actually interest. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31].

So therefore this planning, real planning, is this varnasrama-dharma. Varnasrama means a regulative, regulative life. So we have come to this world. There will be no difficulty for our maintenance. Peacefully let us live and save time for spiritual consciousness, for advancement of. Tapo divyam yena suddhyet sattvam [SB 5.5.1]. We have to rectify, purify our existence. This present existence is not purified. Otherwise, why we are accepting death? Because the existence is not purified. But we don't care for it. We are so dull, mudha. Mudhatvam. Mudhatvam. There are so many big, big scholars of Bhagavad-gita, but they do not know the first lessons of Bhagavad-gita, first lessons of Bhagavad-gita. First lesson of Bhagavad-gita is there. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. Na jayate na mriyate va kadacit, nityah sasvato 'yam na hanyate hanyamane sarire. Who is thinking of this, that na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20], if after the destruction of this body, I am not annihilated -- that is a fact -- but who is making research about it? And still, they are big, big scholars of Bhagavad-gita, and they do not know even the ABCD of Bhagavad-gita.

This is the first lesson of Bhagavad-gita:

dehino 'smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati
 [Bg. 2.13]

Na jayate na mriyate va kadacit, na hanyate hanya... They do... These things do not strike even their dull brain, that "If atma... I am atma. I am the soul. I do not die even after the annihilation of this body. But that means I will have to accept another body. But is this very good job? Why not seek after our original position, when there is no more change of body?" This question does not arise even. But it is very easy. For that reason, Bhagavad-gita is there. Everyone can avoid this birth and death. That is the business of human life, how to stop... Jara-marana-moksaya. Vita-raga-bhaya-krodhah [Bg. 2.56]. Everything is there. This is the aim of life. But not... We are under this false ego, "I am this body." And some of us in the modes of goodness... That is also another kind of bondage: "I am brahmana. I am very learned scholar." But... That's all right, but still you have to go further, above the brahminical stage, not simply become proud of having nice birth, full of knowledge and learning. That is not sufficient. The learning should be perfect. What is that perfect learning? That vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15]. If you are actually learned, if you are proud of becoming vedanti or knowledge in Vedanta, then you must be aware of Krsna. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah. Otherwise srama eva hi kevalam.

dharmah svanusthitah pumsam
visvaksena-kathasu yah
notpadayed yadi ratim
srama eva hi kevalam
 [SB 1.2.8]

Either you become santa or ghora or mudha, three kinds of position in this material world... santa. Santa means in the brahminical qualification, and ghora means activities, material activities, fruitive activities, and mudha, just like animal, neither santa nor ghora, simply animal. Udaram bharitah. Svartham udaram bharitah. Svartham, interest, means if one somehow or other fulfills his belly, then he thinks, "Now all my mission is fulfilled." This is called mudhatvam. Svartham udaram bharitah. Daksyam kutumba-bharanam. Generally in this age, people will be interested to fulfill his own belly. Because that is also very difficult task nowadays. To get sufficient food daily, that is also a problem. And if one can maintain his family in these hard days -- family means husband, wife, and a few children -- then daksyam kutumba-bharanam, then he is just like Maharaja Daksa. Daksa, daksa means very expert. Those who are maintaining big family, working very nicely, many business, they are called daksa. So in the Kali-yuga, if one can maintain a family, small family, then he will be considered daksa. Daksyam kutumba-bharanam. Otherwise, if one can fulfill his belly only, his all interest is fulfilled. This will be the condition of this age. That means mudhatvam, mostly mudhatvam. They do not know. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31].

So this is the position, mudhatvam, at least in this age. Rajas tamas. Mudhatvam, some of them are busy in ghora activities, and some of them are mudhas. Generally, they are mudhas. The so-called active persons, they are also mudhas. That is described in the Bhagavad-gita. Na mam prapadyante mudhah duskrtino naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. So unless you come to Krsna consciousness, unless you become a pure devotee of Krsna, then our life is unsuccessful. It has begun since we have come to this material world. Under different influence, we have come to this condition of santa, ghora, mudha. But we have to become above this condition -- even above this santa condition. This conception that "I have become now brahminically qualified. I have got knowledge. I can see things," jnanam vijnanam astikyam, that is not sufficient. You have to stop your birth and death. This process you have to stop. Then your life is successful.

And that can be easily done if you become Krsna conscious. Bhaja vasudevam. You have to become devotee of Vasudeva. Vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah prayojitah [SB 1.2.7]. You have to take the shelter of bhakti-yoga, Vasudeva. Then your life will be successful. Sa mahatma sudurlabhah. Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma [Bg. 7.19]. You have to become sudurlabhah mahatma, not cheap mahatma. A cheap mahatma will not help you. You have to become real mahatma. What is real mahatma? Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah, bhajanty ananya-manasah [Bg. 9.13]. That is mahatma.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.26 -- Bombay, January 3, 1975

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