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RV 5 Parampara: Knowledge Through Disciplic Succession

2022-02-27T04:01:13Z

Abhay:

[[Category:Raja-Vidya The King of Knowledge]]
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''Bhagavad-gītā'' [[BG 4.1|4.1]]

:''śrī bhagavān uvāca
:''imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ
:''proktavān aham avyayam
:''vivasvān manave prāha
:''manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt''

"The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku."

Many ages ago Kṛṣṇa imparted the divine knowledge of ''Bhagavad-gītā'' to Vivasvān, the god of the sun. To the best of our knowledge, the sun is a very hot place, and we do not consider it possible for anyone to live there. It is not even possible to approach the sun very closely with these bodies. However, from the Vedic literatures we can understand that the sun is a planet just like this one but that everything there is composed of fire. Just as this planet is predominately composed of earth, there are other planets which are predominately composed of fire, water and air.

The living entities on these various planets acquire bodies composed of elements in accordance with the predominating element on the planet; therefore those beings who live on the sun have bodies which are composed of fire. Of all beings on the sun, the principal personality is a god by the name of Vivasvān. He is known as the sun-god (''sūrya-nārāyaṇa''). On all planets there are principal personalities, just as in the United States the chief person is the President. From the history called the ''Mahābhārata'' we understand that formerly there was only one king on this planet by the name of Mahārāja Bharata. He ruled some 5,000 years ago, and the planet was named after him. Subsequently the earth has become divided into so many different countries. In this way there is usually one and sometimes many controllers of the various planets in the universe.

From this first verse of the Fourth Chapter we learn that millions of years ago Śrī Kṛṣṇa imparted the knowledge of ''karma-yoga'' to the sun-god Vivasvān, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who imparts the teachings of ''Bhagavad-gītā'' to Arjuna, here indicates that these teachings are not at all new but were enunciated many ages ago on a different planet. Vivasvān, in his turn, repeated these teachings to his son, Manu. In turn, Manu imparted the knowledge to his disciple Ikṣvāku. Mahārāja Ikṣvāku was a great king and forefather of Lord Rāmacandra. The point being made here is that if one wants to learn ''Bhagavad-gītā'' and profit by it, there is a process for understanding it, and that process is described here. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is speaking ''Bhagavad-gītā'' to Arjuna for the first time. It is estimated by Vedic authorities that the Lord imparted these divine instructions to Vivasvān some 400 million years ago. From the ''Mahābhārata'' we understand that ''Bhagavad-gītā'' was spoken to Arjuna some 5,000 years ago. Before Arjuna, the teachings were handed down by disciplic succession, but over such a long period of time, the teachings became lost ([[BG 4.2|BG 4.2-3]]):

:''evaṁ paramparā-prāptam
:''imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
:''sa kāleneha mahatā
:''yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa''

:''sa evāyaṁ mayā te 'dya
:''yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ
:''bhakto 'si me sakhā ceti
:''rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam''

"This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost. That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend; therefore you can understand the transcendental mystery of this science."

In ''Bhagavad-gītā'' a number of yoga systems are delineated - ''bhakti-yoga, karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, haṭha-yoga'' - and therefore it is here called ''yoga''. The word ''yoga'' means "to link up," and the idea is that in ''yoga'' we link our consciousness to God. It is a means for reuniting with God or re-establishing our relationship with Him. In the course of time, this yoga imparted by Śrī Kṛṣṇa was lost. Why is this? Were there no learned sages at the time Śrī Kṛṣṇa was speaking to Arjuna? No, there were many sages present at the time. By "lost" it is meant that the purport of ''Bhagavad-gītā'' was lost. Scholars may give their own interpretation of ''Bhagavad-gītā'', analyzing it according to their own whims, but that is not ''Bhagavad-gītā''. This is the point that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is stressing, and a student of ''Bhagavad-gītā'' should note it. A person may be a very good scholar from the material point of view, but that does not qualify him to comment on ''Bhagavad-gītā''. In order to understand Bhagavad-gītā, we have to accept the principle of disciplic succession (''paramparā''). We must enter into the spirit of ''Bhagavad-gītā'' and not approach it simply from the viewpoint of erudition.

Of all people, why did Śrī Kṛṣṇa select Arjuna as a recipient of this knowledge? Arjuna was not a great scholar at all, nor was he a ''yogī'', meditator or a holy man. He was a warrior about to engage in battle. There were many great sages living at the time, and Śrī Kṛṣṇa could have given ''Bhagavad-gītā'' to them. The answer is that despite being an ordinary man, Arjuna had one great qualification: ''bhakto 'si me sakhā ceti'': "You are My devotee and My friend." This was Arjuna's exceptional qualification, a qualification which the sages did not have. Arjuna knew that Kṛṣṇa was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore he surrendered himself unto Him, accepting Him as his spiritual master. Unless one is a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa's, he cannot possibly understand ''Bhagavad-gītā''. If one wants to understand ''Bhagavad-gītā'', he cannot take help from other methods. He must understand it as prescribed in Bhagavad-gītā itself, by understanding it as Arjuna understood it. If we wish to understand ''Bhagavad-gītā'' in a different way, or give an individual interpretation, that may be an exhibition of our scholarship, but it is not ''Bhagavad-gītā''.

By scholarship we may be able to manufacture some theory of ''Bhagavad-gītā'', just as Mahātmā Gandhi did when he interpreted Bhagavad-gītā in an effort to support his theory of nonviolence. How is it possible to prove nonviolence from ''Bhagavad-gītā''? The very theme of ''Bhagavad-gītā'' involves Arjuna's reluctance to fight and Kṛṣṇa's inducing him to kill his opponents. In fact, Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna that the battle had already been decided by the Supreme, that the people who were assembled on the battlefield were predestined never to return. It was Kṛṣṇa's program that the warriors were all destined to die, and Kṛṣṇa gave Arjuna the opportunity of taking the credit of conquering them. If fighting is proclaimed a necessity in ''Bhagavad-gītā'', how is it possible to prove nonviolence from it? Such interpretations are attempts to distort ''Bhagavad-gītā''. As soon as the Gītā is interpreted according to the motive of an individual, the purpose is lost. It is stated that we cannot attain the conclusion of the Vedic literature by the force of our own logic or argument. There are many things which do not come within the jurisdiction of our sense of logic. As far as scriptures are concerned, we find different scriptures describing the Absolute Truth in different ways. If we analyze all of them, there will be bewilderment. There are also many philosophers with different opinions, and they're always contradicting one another. If the truth cannot be understood by reading various scriptures, by logical argument or philosophical theories, then how can it be attained? The fact is that the wisdom of the Absolute Truth is very confidential, but if we follow the authorities, it can be understood.

In India, there are disciplic successions coming from Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka, Viṣṇu Svāmī and other great sages. The Vedic literatures are understood through the superior spiritual masters. Arjuna understood ''Bhagavad-gītā'' from Kṛṣṇa, and if we wish to understand it, we have to understand it from Arjuna, not from any other source. If we have any knowledge of ''Bhagavad-gītā'', we have to see how it tallies with the understanding of Arjuna. If we understand ''Bhagavad-gītā'' in the same way that Arjuna did, we should know that our understanding is correct. This should be the criteria for our studying of Bhagavad-gītā. If we actually want to receive benefit from ''Bhagavad-gītā'', we have to follow this principle. ''Bhagavad-gītā'' is not an ordinary book of knowledge which we can purchase from the market place, read and merely consult a dictionary to understand. This is not possible. If it were, Kṛṣṇa would never have told Arjuna that the science was lost.

It is not difficult to understand the necessity of going through the disciplic succession to understand ''Bhagavad-gītā''. If we wish to be a lawyer, an engineer or doctor, we have to receive knowledge from the authoritative lawyers, engineers and doctors. A new lawyer has to become an apprentice of an experienced lawyer, or a young man studying to be a doctor has to become an intern and work with those who are already licensed practitioners. Our knowledge of a subject cannot be perfectionalized unless we receive it through authoritative sources.

There are two processes for attaining knowledge - one is inductive and the other is deductive. The deductive method is considered to be more perfect. We may take a premise such as, "All men are mortal," and no one need discuss how man is mortal. It is generally accepted that this is the case. The deductive conclusion is: "Mr. Johnson is a man; therefore Mr. Johnson is mortal." But how is the premise that all men are mortal arrived at? Followers of the inductive method wish to arrive at this premise through experiment and observations. We may thus study that this man died and that man died, etc., and after seeing that so many men have died we may conclude or generalize that all men are mortal, but there is a major defect in this inductive method, and that is that our experience is limited. We may never have seen a man who is not mortal, but we are judging this on our personal experience, which is finite. Our senses have limited power, and there are so many defects in our conditional state. The inductive process consequently is not always perfect, whereas the deductive process from a source of perfect knowledge is perfect. The Vedic process is such a process.

Although the authority is acknowledged, there are many passages in ''Bhagavad-gītā'' which appear to be dogmatic. For instance, in the Seventh Chapter Śrī Kṛṣṇa says ([[BG 7.7|BG 7.7]]):

:''mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat
:''kiñcid asti dhanañjaya
:''mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ
:''sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva''

"O conqueror of wealth (Arjuna), there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread."

Śrī Kṛṣṇa is saying that there is no authority greater than Him, and this appears to be very dogmatic. If I say, "There is no one greater than me," people would think, "Oh, Swāmījī is very proud." If a man who is conditioned by so many imperfections says that he is the greatest of all, he blasphemes. But Kṛṣṇa can say this, for we can understand from the histories that even while He was on this earth, He was considered the greatest personality of His time. Indeed, He was the greatest in all fields of activity.

According to the Vedic system, knowledge which is achieved from the greatest authority is to be considered perfect. According to the Vedas, there are three kinds of proof: ''pratyakṣa, anumāna and śabda''. One is by direct visual perception. If a person is sitting in front of me, I can see him sitting there, and my knowledge of his sitting there is received through my eyes. The second method, ''anumāna'', is auricular: we may hear children playing outside, and by hearing we can conjecture that they are there. And the third method is the method of taking truths from a higher authority. Such a saying as "Man is mortal" is accepted from higher authorities. Everyone accepts this, but no one has experienced that all men are mortal. By tradition, we have to accept this. If someone asks, "Who found this truth first? Did you discover it?" it is very difficult to say. All we can say is that the knowledge is coming down and that we accept it. Out of the three methods of acquiring knowledge, the ''Vedas'' say that the third method, that of receiving knowledge from higher authorities, is the most perfect. Direct perception is always imperfect, especially in the conditional stage of life. By direct perception we can see that the sun is just like a disc, no larger than the plate we eat on. From scientists, however, we come to understand that the sun is many thousands of times larger than the earth. So what are we to accept? Are we to accept the scientific proclamation, the proclamation of authorities, or our own experience? Although we cannot ourselves prove how large the sun is, we accept the verdict of astronomers. In this way we are accepting the statements of authorities in every field of our activities. From newspapers and radio we also understand that such and such events are taking place in China and India and other places all around the earth. We're not experiencing these events directly, and we don't know that such events are actually taking place, but we accept the authority of the newspapers and radio. We have no choice but to believe authorities in order to get knowledge. And when the authority is perfect, our knowledge is perfect.

According to the Vedic sources, of all authorities Kṛṣṇa is the greatest and most perfect (''mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya'' ([[BG 7.7|BG 7.7]])). Not only does Kṛṣṇa proclaim Himself to be the highest authority, but this is also accepted by great sages and scholars of Bhagavad-gītā. If we do not accept Kṛṣṇa as authority and take His words as they are, we cannot derive any benefit from ''Bhagavad-gītā''. It is not dogmatic; it is a fact. If we study scrutinizingly what Kṛṣṇa says, we will find that it is right. Even scholars like Śaṅkarācārya, who have different opinions from the Personality of Godhead, admit that Kṛṣṇa is svayaṁ bhagavān - Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord.

Vedic knowledge is not a recent discovery. It is all old revealed knowledge. Kṛṣṇa refers to it as purātanaḥ, which means ancient. Kṛṣṇa says that millions of years before He spoke this yoga to the sun-god, and we do not know how many millions of years before that He spoke it to someone else. This knowledge is always being repeated, just as summer, autumn, winter and spring are repeated every year. Our fund of knowledge is very poor; we do not even know the history of this planet more than 5,000 years back, but the Vedic literatures give us histories extending millions of years ago. Just because we have no knowledge of what happened 3,000 years ago on this planet, we cannot conclude that there was no history then. Of course one can disclaim the historical validity of Kṛṣṇa. One may say that Kṛṣṇa, according to ''Mahābhārata'', lived 5,000 years ago, and this being the case, there is no possibility of His having spoken ''Bhagavad-gītā'' to the sun god so many millions of years before. If I said that I gave a speech on the sun some millions of years ago to the sun-god, people would say, "Swāmījī is speaking some nonsense." But this is not the case with Kṛṣṇa, for He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Whether we believe that Kṛṣṇa spoke ''Bhagavad-gītā'' to the sun-god or not, this fact is being accepted by Arjuna. Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord, and therefore he knew that it was quite possible for Kṛṣṇa to have spoken to someone millions of years before. Although Arjuna personally accepts the statements of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, in order to clarify the situation for people who would come after him, he asks ([[BG 4.4|BG 4.4]]):

:''aparaṁ bhavato janma
:''paraṁ janma vivasvataḥ
:''katham etad vijānīyāṁ
:''tvam ādau proktavān iti''

"The sun-god Vivasvān is senior by birth to You. How am I to understand that in the beginning You instructed this science to him?"

Actually this is a very intelligent question, and Kṛṣṇa answers it in this way ([[BG 4.5|BG 4.5]]):

:''bahūni me vyatītāni
:''janmāni tava cārjuna
:''tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi
:''na tvaṁ vettha parantapa''

"Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy!"

Although Kṛṣṇa is God, He incarnates many, many times. Arjuna, being a living entity, also takes his birth many, many times. The difference between the Supreme Personality of Godhead and a living entity is, ''tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi'': Kṛṣṇa remembers the events of His past incarnations, whereas the living entity cannot remember. That is one of the differences between God and man. God is eternal, and we are also eternal, but the difference is that we are always changing our bodies. At death we forget the events of our lifetime; death means forgetfulness, that's all. At night, when we go to sleep, we forget that we are the husband of such and such a wife and the father of such and such children. We forget ourselves in sleep, but when we wake up, we remember, "Oh, I am so and so, and I must do such and such." It is a fact that in our previous lives we had other bodies with other families, fathers, mothers and so on in other countries, but we have forgotten all of these. We might have been dogs or cats or men or gods - whatever we were we have now forgotten.

Despite all these changes, as living entities, we are eternal. Just as in previous lives we have prepared for this body, in this lifetime we are preparing for another body. We get our bodies according to our ''karma'', or activities. Those who are in the mode of goodness are promoted to higher planets, in a higher status of life ([[BG 14.14|BG 14.14]]). Those who die in the mode of passion remain on earth, and those who die in the mode of ignorance may fall into the animal species of life or may be transferred to a lower planet ([[BG 14.15|BG 14.15]]). This is the process that has been going on, but we forget it.

At one time, Indra, the king of heaven, committed an offense at the feet of his spiritual master, and his spiritual master cursed him to take the birth of a hog. Thus the throne of the heavenly kingdom became empty as Indra went to earth to become a hog. Seeing the situation, Brahmā came to earth and addressed the hog: "My dear sir, you have become a hog on this planet earth. I have come to deliver you. Come with me at once." But the hog replied:. "Oh I cannot go with you. I have so many responsibilities - my children, wife and this nice hog society." Even though Brahmā promised to take him back to heaven, Indra, in the form of a hog, refused. This is called forgetfulness. Similarly, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa comes and says to us, "What are you doing in this material world? ''Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja'' ([[BG 18.66|BG 18.66]]). Come to Me, and I'll give you all protection." But we say, "I don't believe You Sir. I have more important business here." This is the position of the conditioned soul - forgetfulness. This forgetfulness is quickly dissipated by following in the path of disciplic succession.
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RV 4 Knowledge by Way of the Mahatmas, Great Souls

2022-02-25T03:49:10Z

Abhay:

[[Category:Raja-Vidya The King of Knowledge]]
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The presence of Kṛṣṇa in all aspects of the creation is perceived by the ''mahātmās'', the great souls, who are always engaged in the worship of Kṛṣṇa. As Kṛṣṇa Himself states, these great souls are conversant with the confidential knowledge found in the Ninth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, and they know Kṛṣṇa to be the source of all things ([[BG 9.13|BG 9.13]]):

:''mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha
:''daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ
:''bhajanty ananya-manaso
:''jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam''

"O son of Pṛthā, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible."

The great soul knows without a doubt that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that He is the origin of all emanations. The ''Vedānta-sūtra'' states, ''athāto brahma jijñāsā'': Human life is meant for inquiring about Brahman. At present we are all engaged in studying temporary, small things. Brahman means the greatest, but instead of concerning ourselves with the greatest, we have become enmeshed in trying to solve the animal problems of eating, sleeping, defending and mating. These small problems are automatically solved. Even the animals are enjoying mating, sleeping, eating and defending. The arrangements are all provided. These demands of the body are not really problems, but we have made them into problems. The ''Vedānta-sūtra'' enjoins us not to concern ourselves with these problems, for they are satisfied in any form of life. Our problem is to inquire about the source of all these manifestations. The human form of life is not meant for struggling hard to solve the material problems which even a hog, a stool-eater, can solve. The hog is considered to be the lowest among animals, yet he has eating facility, mating facility, sleeping facility, and facilities for defense. Even if we don't strive for these things, we will have them. Man is meant, rather, to find out the source from which all these things are coming. The Vedānta-sūtra states that Brahman is that from which everything is emanating (''janmādy asya yataḥ'' ([[SB 1.1.1|SB 1.1.1]])). Philosophers, scientists, ''yogīs, jñānīs'' and transcendentalists are all trying to find out the ultimate source of everything. This source is given in Brahma-saṁhitā, ''sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam'': (Bs. 5.1) Kṛṣṇa is the cause of all causes.

Understanding Kṛṣṇa to be the primal source of everything, how do the great souls act? Kṛṣṇa Himself characterizes them in this way ([[BG 9.14|BG 9.14]]):

:''satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ
:''yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ
:''namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā
:''nitya-yuktā upāsate''

"Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion."

That glorification is this process of ''bhakti-yoga'', the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. The great souls, understanding the nature of God, His descent and His mission, glorify Him in so many ways, but there are others who do not accept Him. Kṛṣṇa also mentions them in the Ninth Chapter ([[BG 9.11|BG 9.11]]):

:''avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā
:''mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam
:''paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto
:''mama bhūta-maheśvaram''

"Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and my supreme dominion over all that be."

The ''mūḍhas'', or foolish men, who are lower than the animals, deride Him. Any person who doesn't believe in God must either be a madman or fool number one. There is no reason not to believe in God, and there is every reason to believe in Him. Man may say that he doesn't believe in God, but who gives him the power to say this? When death comes, this speaking power ceases - so who is giving the power of speech? Has the speaking power come automatically from stone? As soon as the speaking power is withdrawn by the Supreme Authority, the body is no better than stone. The very power of speech is proof that there is a Supreme Power who is giving us everything. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person knows that whatever he has is not under his control. If we do not believe in God, we must believe in some power beyond us which is controlling us at every step, call that power God or nature or whatever. There is a controlling power in the universe, and no sane man can deny it.

Kṛṣṇa was present on this earth and appeared just like a human being with supernatural power. At that time, however, ninety-nine percent of the people could not recognize Him as God. They could not recognize Him because they had no eyes to see (''paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ'' ([[BG 9.11|BG 9.11]])). How is it possible to recognize God? He can be recognized through supernatural power, by the evidence of authorities, and by scriptural evidence. As far as Kṛṣṇa is concerned, every Vedic authority has accepted Him as God. When He was present on earth, His activities displayed were superhuman. If one does not believe this, it is to be concluded that he will not believe whatever evidence is given.

One must also have the eyes to see God. God cannot be seen by material senses, therefore the ''bhakti-yoga'' process is the process of purifying the senses so that we will be able to understand what and who God is. We have power of seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and so on, but if these senses are blunt, we cannot understand God. The process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the process of training these senses through regulated principles, specifically through the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa further characterizes the ''mūḍhas'' ([[BG 9.12|BG 9.12]]):

:''moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo
:''mogha-jñānā vicetasaḥ
:''rākṣasīm āsurīṁ caiva
:''prakṛtiṁ mohinīṁ śritāḥ''

"Those who are thus bewildered are attracted by demonic and atheistic views. In that deluded condition, their hopes for liberation, their fruitive activities, and their culture of knowledge are all defeated."

The word ''moghāśā'' indicates that the aspirations of the atheists will be baffled. The ''karmīs'', or fruitive laborers, are always hoping for something better to gratify their senses. There is no limit to where they will stop. They are trying to increase their bank balance and are hoping to be happy at a certain point, but that point never comes because they do not know the ultimate point of satiation. Those who are enamored by the attractions of illusory energy cannot understand the ultimate aim of life. The word ''mogha-karmāṇaḥ'' indicates that they are laboring very hard but that in the end they will only meet with frustration. Unless we are established in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all of our activities will be baffled at the end.

This is not the verdict of an ordinary man, but of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself. If we are searching for knowledge, we should conduct research to find out whether Kṛṣṇa is not God. Without any objective, what is the point of thousands of years of speculation? The Supreme Lord is so vast that one cannot reach Him by mental speculation. If we travel at the speed of mind and wind for millions of years, it is not possible to reach the Supreme by speculation. There is not one single instance in which one has arrived at the Supreme Absolute Truth by means of his own mental speculation. Therefore the word ''mogha-jñānāḥ'' indicates that the process of mundane knowledge is bewildering. Through our own endeavor it is not possible to see the sun after it has set. We have to wait until the sun reveals itself in the morning at sunrise. If it is not possible with our limited senses to perceive a material thing like the sun, how is it possible to perceive the nonmaterial? We cannot find out or understand Kṛṣṇa by our own endeavor. We have to qualify ourselves through Kṛṣṇa consciousness and wait for Him to reveal Himself ([[BG 10.10|BG 10.10]]):

:''teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
:''bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
:''dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
:''yena mām upayānti te''

"To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me."

Kṛṣṇa is within, but due to our material conditioning, we do not realize it. Those who are of the nature of fiends and demons (''rākṣasīm āsurīm'') think that this material life is all and that it is the purpose of human life to squeeze out as much pleasure from matter as possible. They try squeezing, but they are constantly baffled. Squeezing material nature is not the process for finding out real pleasure. If we are searching for real pleasure, we have to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All happiness in the material world has a beginning and an end, but happiness in Kṛṣṇa is unlimited, and there is no end. In order to get this happiness we simply have to sacrifice a little time and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. In former ages, the great sages and demigods used to sacrifice their whole lives for realizing the Supreme, and still they would not attain success. For this age Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given an easy process for God realization. All that is necessary is careful listening. We have to listen to Bhagavad-gītā, and we have to chant the names of Kṛṣṇa and listen to them carefully. We should not be puffed up, falsely thinking that our knowledge is great or that we are very learned. We need only become a little gentle and submissive to hear the messages from Kṛṣṇa.

At present, this world is being managed by the ''rākṣasas''. The ''rākṣasas'' are man-eaters who eat their own sons for the satisfaction of their senses. Now great regimes have been created to smash so many people for the satisfaction of the ''rākṣasas'' senses, but they do not realize that their senses will never be satisfied in this way. Nonetheless, the ''rākṣasas'' are prepared to sacrifice everything to satisfy their whimsical desires. It is very difficult for them to understand the real situation because they are overly enamored with material civilization. Who then can understand? Those who are ''mahātmās'', whose hearts have become magnified, understand that "everything belongs to God, and I also belong to God."

Such ''mahātmās'' are not under the control of material nature (''mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ'' ([[BG 9.13|BG 9.13]])). God is great and the ''mahātmā's'' heart also becomes great by serving the great. ''Mahātmā'' is not a stamp for a political leader. One cannot be stamped ''mahātmā'' by votes. The standard for ''mahātmā'' is given in ''Bhagavad-gītā'': the ''mahātmā'' is he who has taken shelter of the superior energy of the Lord. Of course all energies are His, and He does not make distinctions between spiritual energy and material energy, but for the conditioned soul who is situated marginally between material energy and spiritual energy, there is a distinction. The ''mahātmās'' see this distinction and so take shelter under the spiritual energy (''daivīṁ prakṛtim'').

By serving the great, the ''mahātmās'' also become great through identifying with the superior energy: (''ahaṁ brahmāsmi'') "I am Brahman-spirit." It is not that they become puffed up and think that they are God. Rather, if one becomes Brahman, he must show his activities in Brahman. Spirit is active, and to become Brahman is not to become inactive. Brahman is spirit, and these material bodies are active only because Brahman is within them. If we are active despite our contact with material nature, do we cease to be active when we purify ourselves of the material contamination and establish ourselves in our proper identity as pure Brahman? Realizing "I am Brahman" means engagement in spiritual activity because we are spirit, and our activities are exhibited even though we are contaminated by matter. To become Brahman does not mean to become void but to establish ourselves in the superior nature, which means superior energy and superior activities. To become Brahman means to be completely engaged in rendering devotional service to the Lord. Thus the ''mahātmā'' understands that if service is to be rendered, it is to be to Kṛṣṇa and no one else. We have so long served our senses; now we should serve Kṛṣṇa.

There is no question of stopping service, for we are meant for service. Is there anyone who does not serve? If we ask the President, "Who are you serving?" he will tell us that he is serving the country. No one is devoid of service. Service we cannot stop, but we do have to redirect our service from the illusion to the reality. When this is done, we become ''mahātmā''.

This process of kīrtana (kīrtayantaḥ), always chanting the glories of the Lord, is the beginning of ''mahātmā''. That process is simplified by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu who imparted to mankind this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. There are nine different processes of devotional service, of which ''śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam'' ([[SB 7.5.23|SB 7.5.23]]), hearing and chanting, are the most important. ''Kīrtanam'' actually means "describing." We can describe with music, words, pictures, etc. ''Śravaṇam'' goes hand in hand with kīrtanam, for unless we hear, we cannot describe. We don't need any material qualifications in order to attain the Supreme. All we have to do is hear from authoritative sources and repeat accurately what we hear.

Formerly, the ''Vedas'' were heard by the student from the spiritual master, and thus the ''Vedas'' became known as śruti, meaning "that which is heard." In ''Bhagavad-gītā'', for example, we see that Arjuna is listening to Kṛṣṇa on the battlefield. He is not engaged in the study of ''Vedānta'' philosophy. We can hear from the Supreme Authority in any place, even in the battlefield. The knowledge is received, not manufactured. Some people think, "Why should I listen to Him? I can think for myself. I can manufacture something new." This is not the Vedic process of descending knowledge. By ascending knowledge, one tries to elevate himself by his own effort, but by descending knowledge one receives the knowledge from a superior source. In the Vedic tradition, knowledge is imparted to the student from the spiritual master, as in ''Bhagavad-gītā'' (''evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ'' ([[BG 4.2|BG 4.2]])). Submissive hearing is so powerful that simply by hearing from authoritative sources we can become completely perfect. In becoming submissive, we become aware of our own imperfections. As long as we are conditioned, we are subject to four kinds of imperfections: we are sure to commit mistakes, to become illusioned, to have imperfect senses and to cheat. Therefore our attempt to understand the Absolute Truth by our faulty senses and experience is futile. We must hear from a representative of Kṛṣṇa who is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa's. Kṛṣṇa made Arjuna His representative because Arjuna was His devotee: ''bhakto 'si me sakhā ceti''. ([[BG 4.3|BG 4.3]])

No one can become a representative of God without being a devotee of God's. One who thinks, "I am God," cannot be a representative. Because we are part and parcel of God, our qualities are the same as His, and therefore if we study these qualities in ourselves, we come to learn something of God. This does not mean that we understand the quantity of God. This self-realization process is one way of understanding God, but in no case can we preach, "I am God." We cannot claim to be God without being able to display the powers of God. As far as Kṛṣṇa is concerned, He proved that He was God by displaying so much power and by revealing His universal form to Arjuna. Kṛṣṇa showed this awesome form in order to discourage people who would claim to be God. We should not be fooled by one who claims to be God; following in the footsteps of Arjuna, we should request to see the universal form before accepting anyone as God. Only a fool would accept another fool as God.

No one can be equal to God, and no one can be above Him. Even Lord Brahmā and Śiva, the most exalted demigods, are subservient to Him and pay their respectful obeisances. Instead of trying to become God by some meditational process or other, we had better hear about God submissively and try to understand Him and our relationship to Him. The representative of God or the incarnation of God never claims to be God but the servant of God. This is the sign of the bona fide representative.

Whatever we learn of God from authoritative sources can be described, and that will help us make spiritual progress. This description is called ''kīrtana''. If we try to repeat what we hear, we become established in knowledge. By the process of ''śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam'' ([[SB 7.5.23|SB 7.5.23]]), hearing and chanting, we can become free from material conditioning and attain to the kingdom of God. In this age it is impossible to practice sacrifice, speculation or ''yoga''. There is no way open to us but the way of hearing submissively from authoritative sources. This is the way the ''mahātmās'' received the most confidential knowledge. It is the way Arjuna received it from Kṛṣṇa, and it is the way we must receive it from the disciplic succession stemming from Arjuna.
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SC 13 Ajamila Begins His Degraded Life

2022-02-18T05:53:35Z

Abhay:

[[Category:A Second Chance - The Story of a Near-Death Experience|S13]]
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The Yamadūtas continued: "In the same way that the sun and moon are eclipsed by a low planet, the brāhmaṇa Ajāmila lost all his good sense. Thus he always thought of the prostitute, and within a short time he took her as a servant in his house and abandoned all the regulative principles of a brāhmaṇa.

"Ajāmila began spending whatever money he had inherited from his father to satisfy the prostitute with various material presentations so that she would remain pleased with him. He gave up all his brahminical activities to satisfy her. Because his intelligence was pierced by her lustful glance, Ajāmila engaged in sinful acts in her association. He even gave up the company of his extremely beautiful young wife, who came from a respectable brāhmaṇa family.

"This rascal Ajāmila, although born of a brāhmaṇa family, lost his intelligence because of the prostitute's association, and thus he earned money somehow or other, regardless of whether properly or improperly, and used it to maintain her and her children. In this way he spent his long lifetime transgressing all the rules and regulations of the holy scripture, living extravagantly, and eating food prepared by a prostitute. Therefore he is full of sins. He is unclean and is addicted to forbidden activities.

"Ajāmila did not undergo atonement. Therefore because of his sinful life, we must take him into the presence of Yamarāja for punishment. There, according to the extent of his sinful acts, he will be punished and thus purified." ([[SB 6.1.63|''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' 6.1.63-68]])

=====We must serve . . . but whom?=====
As mentioned before, Ajāmila was trained as a proper brāhmaṇa from birth, and thus he was properly situated in service to his spiritual master, elders like his father, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But due to his association with a prostitute, he gave up his brahminical engagements and became a servant of Lord Kṛṣṇa's illusory energy, ''māyā''.

There are two kinds of servants: ''māyā's'' servants and Kṛṣṇa's servants. Every living entity is originally a servant of Kṛṣṇa. Lord Caitanya Himself affirms this: ''jīvera 'svarūpa' haya-kṛṣṇera 'nitya dāsa''.' "The constitutional position of the living entity is to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." ([[''CC Madhya'' 20.108|''Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā'' 20.108]]) In this world, everyone is trying to be a master. Individually and collectively, everyone is trying to assert, "I am the lord of all I survey." But this attitude is futile, because by nature everyone is a servant. Instead of becoming a servant of Kṛṣṇa, we have become the servant of our senses. In either case we are servants. Therefore, those who are really intelligent think, "If I have to work as a servant, why not be a servant of Kṛṣṇa?" Only the Kṛṣṇa conscious devotee is sane, because he accepts his natural position as a servant of Kṛṣṇa.

Worship of Lord Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu, is the actual goal of Vedic civilization, but the so-called Vedāntists do not accept this. They divert their attention to the worship of demigods and advise that one may worship any of them. No! Even demons (''asuras'') sometimes worship demigods. Rāvaṇa was a great devotee of Lord Śiva, but he was an ''asura''. Similarly, Hiraṇyakaśipu was a great devotee of Lord Brahmā, but he was also an ''asura''. Anyone who is not a devotee of Lord Viṣṇu is an asura. That is the verdict of the Vedas. Ajāmila was a ''brāhmaṇa'', which means that he was a servant of Nārāyaṇa. In other words, he was a Vaiṣṇava.

A Vaiṣṇava is one who recognizes that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the supreme proprietor and enjoyer, and that everyone else is His servant. Just as the master is the enjoyer of his entire establishment, so Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer of everything and everyone in both the material and spiritual worlds. Actually, no one else is the enjoyer - no one else is in the position to enjoy. Kṛṣṇa is the only enjoyer.

When we forget our relationship with Kṛṣṇa as His eternal servitors, we become servants of our senses. Following the dictation of our senses, we enter into the darkest regions of illusion and are subjected to the punishment of Yamarāja. Sometimes our conscience forbids us, "Don't do this," but we surrender to our lust and greed, and thus we do it anyway. Kṛṣṇa is within our heart, also dictating "Don't do it," yet still we do it. This kind of service to our senses simply brings suffering. Since we must serve, why not serve Kṛṣṇa? Why should we serve our senses, which are never satisfied anyway? We should become servants of God; that is the perfection of life. Otherwise we shall be obliged to become servants of our senses and suffer.

One who becomes a servant of Kṛṣṇa becomes a gosvāmī, a master of his senses. The title "''Gosvāmī''" indicates one who refuses to follow the dictations of his senses. Instead he follows the dictation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just as Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī did. "''Gosvāmī''" is not a caste title. Before becoming a ''gosvāmī'', Rūpa Gosvāmī served the Mohammedan government as a minister and was consequently rejected by the Hindu ''brāhmaṇa'' society. But when he gave up the dictation of Nawab Hussain Shah to follow the dictation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Lord made him a ''gosvāmī''.

All genuine ''gosvāmīs'' are also ''vairāgīs'', renunciants. But if one is unable to be a real ''vairāgī'', then he must become a ''gṛhastha'' (householder). It is not that one may pose himself as a ''brahmacārī'' or a ''sannyāsī'' and at the same time indulge in illicit sex secretly. That is abominable. If a genuine householder practices ''karma-yoga'', giving the results of his activities to Kṛṣṇa, he will eventually attain the platform of perfect renunciation. He should not desire to enjoy the fruits of his activities but should instead work as a matter of duty, thinking "Kṛṣṇa wants this - Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied by my doing this - and therefore I must do it." This is the right attitude for a devotee. Arjuna was unwilling to fight for his personal interest, but when he understood that Kṛṣṇa wanted him to fight, he took it as his duty: "It must be done. It does not matter whether I like it or not. Kṛṣṇa wants it, and therefore I must do it." That is the attitude of a renounced devotee of the Lord.

In the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 18.66|18.66]]) Lord Kṛṣṇa instructs His disciple Arjuna, "Just surrender unto Me, and I shall protect you from all sinful reactions." And Arjuna accepts Kṛṣṇa's instruction with the words ''kariṣye vacanaṁ tava'': "I will do as You say." ([[BG 18.73|''Bhagavad-gītā'' 18.73]]) If we follow Arjuna's example, we will be in direct contact with Kṛṣṇa, and we will be able to surmount all difficulties in both our spiritual and material life. We hear the instructions of Kṛṣṇa via the unbroken chain of disciplic succession (''guru-paramparā''). Acceptance of these instructions is called ''śikṣā'', or voluntarily following the instruction of the spiritual master. The independent nature of the living entity is that he does not want to follow the instructions of another living being, however pure. But when one voluntarily agrees to obey the orders of the spiritual master, one is following the orders of Kṛṣṇa, and thus one's life becomes perfect.

In the ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 11.17.27|11.17.27]]) Kṛṣṇa says,

:''ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān
:''nāvamanyeta karhicit
:''na martya-buddhyāsūyeta
:''sarva-deva-mayo guruḥ''
"One should know the ''ācārya'' as Myself and never disrespect him in any way. One should not envy him, thinking him an ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the demigods." Thinking the spiritual master an ordinary person and envying him are causes of a devotee's falling down. Devotional service requires training under the guidance of a spiritual master, and this guidance is received when one surrenders to the spiritual master, inquires from him, and renders service to him. But these are impossible for one who envies the spiritual master.

=====Ruined by a Prostitute . . . Saved by the Holy Name=====
Ajāmila was trained as a ''brāhmaṇa'', but he lost his position as a ''brāhmaṇa'' by associating with a prostitute, so much so that he forgot all his brahminical activities. Nevertheless, at the end of his life, by chanting the four syllables of the holy name Nārāyaṇa, he was saved from the gravest danger of falling down. As Kṛṣṇa says in the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 2.40|2.40]]), ''svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt'': "Even a little devotional service can save one from the greatest danger." Devotional service, which begins with chanting the holy name of the Lord, is so powerful that even if a person falls down from the exalted position of a ''brāhmaṇa'' through sexual indulgence, he can be saved from all calamities if he somehow or other chants the holy name of the Lord. This is the extraordinary power of the Lord's holy name. Therefore in the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' it is advised that one not forget the chanting of the holy name even for a moment: ''satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ'' ([[BG 9.14|BG 9.14]]).

There are so many dangers in this material world that one may fall down from an exalted position at any time. Yet if one keeps himself always pure and steady by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa ''mahā-mantra'', he will be safe without a doubt. Ajāmila did not do this, and therefore he lost all his brahminical qualities by the association of a prostitute. Especially mentioned here is the effect of eating food prepared by a prostitute. Food prepared by an unclean, sinful woman is extremely infectious. Ajāmila ate such food, and therefore he became sinful.

Also mentioned here is Ajāmila's misuse of his inheritance. Customarily everyone is eligible to inherit his father's property, and Ajāmila also inherited the money of his father. But what did he do with the money? Instead of engaging the money in the service of Kṛṣṇa, he engaged it in the service of a prostitute. Therefore he was condemned. How did this happen? He was victimized by the prostitute's dangerous, lustful glance.

A chaste and faithful wife will give birth to good sons, who will then offer oblations to their forefathers and thus deliver them if by chance they have fallen into a hellish condition. The very word ''putra'' ("son") means "one who can deliver his forefathers from hell." Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed this by His example when He went to Gayā to offer oblations to His forefathers. Even today there is a Viṣṇu temple in Gayā where such oblations are offered at the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu. There have been cases where one's father or mother took the body of a ghost at death, and after oblations were offered at the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu at Gayā, the father or mother was delivered. However, anyone who becomes a Vaiṣṇava offers oblations to Viṣṇu at every moment, and thus his forefathers are automatically delivered. If one son in the family becomes a Vaiṣṇava, he can deliver fourteen generations of ancestors and fourteen generations of yet unborn descendants. This is confirmed in the ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''.

As sense control is the beginning of pious life, illicit sex is the beginning of sinful life. One should not engage in illicit sex, or sex for any reason except having a child with one's wife. Marriage is meant for begetting children, and in that sense it is a religious institution. Lord Kṛṣṇa confirms this in the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' (7.11): ''dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo 'smi''. "I am sex that does not contradict religious principles." Caitanya Mahāprabhu had a devotee named Śivānanda Sena, who was a family man. Śivānanda used to come with all the devotees every year to see Lord Caitanya in Purī, and he came together with his wife and children. Once he came to see the Lord, and his wife offered her respects. At that time she was pregnant, so Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised Śivānanda, "This time when you get your child, you should give him the name Paramānanda dāsa." Caitanya Mahāprabhu knew that pregnancy resulted from sex, but He did not condemn sex in this case, as it was conducted according to scriptural injunction.

On the other hand, there is the case of Junior Haridāsa. He was a ''sannyāsī'', a renunciant, who was an intimate associate of the Lord. Once he merely desired sex and did not actually partake of it, and immediately Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in His Paramātmā feature, could understand this. The Lord then asked His other associates not to allow Junior Haridāsa to come before Him anymore. Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, Rāmānanda Rāya, and other intimate associates of Caitanya Mahāprabhu requested, "Junior Haridāsa is Your eternal servant. Somehow or other he has committed this offense, but kindly excuse him." Still, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was firm in this respect and immediately replied, "If you like Junior Haridāsa so much, better you remain with him, and I will go away." From that moment, nobody ventured again to request Caitanya Mahāprabhu to excuse Junior Haridāsa. When Junior Haridāsa became hopeless in his efforts to be excused by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he went to Prayag and drowned himself in the confluence of the rivers Yamunā and Ganges. Although Lord Caitanya knew about this incident, after some time He inquired of His associates, "Where is Junior Haridāsa now?"

They replied, "Sir, You did not accept him, and so he has committed suicide."

Lord Caitanya said, "Yes, very good. This is very good."

Caitanya Mahāprabhu was sometimes harder than stone and sometimes softer than a flower. That is the behavior of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śivānanda was a bona fide ''gṛhastha'', obeying the rules and regulations of householder life, whereas Junior Haridāsa merely desired sex, but because he was in the renounced order of life he was condemned. A ''sannyāsī'' gives up his family and takes a vow to abstain from sex, but if he again takes to sex he commits a very great sin.

So, Ajāmila was victimized by illicit sex with a prostitute. There are many instances throughout the world in which even a purified person falls victim to attraction by a prostitute and spends all his money on her. Prostitute-hunting is so abominable that sex with a prostitute can ruin one's character, destroy one's exalted position, and plunder all one's money. Therefore illicit sex is strictly prohibited. One should be satisfied with his married wife, for even a slight deviation will create havoc. A Kṛṣṇa conscious ''gṛhastha'' should always remember this. He should always be satisfied with one wife and be peaceful simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Otherwise at any moment he may fall down from his good position, as exemplified by the case of Ajāmila.

Considering the abominable character of Ajāmila, the Yamadūtas were perplexed as to why the Viṣṇudūtas had forbidden them to take such a man to Yamarāja for punishment. Since Ajāmila had not undergone atonement for his sinful acts, the Yamadūtas thought he should be taken to Yamarāja to be purified. Punishment by Yamarāja is a process of purification for the most abominable sinful persons. Therefore the Yamadūtas requested the Viṣṇudūtas not to obstruct their taking Ajāmila to Yamarāja.

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SC 12 Bewildered by Desire

2022-02-13T05:27:45Z

Abhay:

[[Category:A Second Chance - The Story of a Near-Death Experience|S12]]
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The Yamadūtas continued: "In the beginning this brāhmaṇa named Ajāmila studied all the Vedic literatures. He was a reservoir of good character, good conduct, and good qualities. firmly established in executing all the Vedic injunctions, he was very mild and gentle, and he kept his mind and senses under control. Furthermore, he was always truthful, he knew how to chant the Vedic ''mantras'', and he was also very pure. Ajāmila was very respectful to his spiritual master, the fire-god, guests, and the elders of his household. Indeed, he was free from false prestige. He was upright, benevolent to all living entities, and well behaved. He would never speak nonsense or envy anyone.

"Once Ajāmila, following the order of his father, went to the forest to collect fruit, flowers, and two kinds of grass, called samit and kuśa. On the way home he came upon a lusty fourth-class man (''śūdra'') shamelessly embracing and kissing a prostitute. The śūdra was smiling, singing, and enjoying as if this were proper behavior. Both the śūdra and the prostitute were drunk. The prostitute's eyes were rolling in intoxication, and her dress had become loose. Such was the condition in which Ajāmila saw them.

"The ''śūdra'', his arm decorated with turmeric powder, was embracing the prostitute. When Ajāmila saw her, the dormant lusty desires in his heart awakened, and in illusion he fell under their control. As far as possible he patiently tried to remember the instructions of the śāstras not even to see a woman. With the help of this knowledge and his intellect, he tried to control his lusty desires, but because of the force of Cupid within his heart, he failed to control his mind." ([[SB 6.1.56|''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' 6.1.56-62]])

=====Brahminical Qualifications=====
The order-carriers of Yamarāja, the Yamadūtas, are explaining the factual position of piety and impiety and how a living entity is entangled in this material world. Describing the history of Ajāmila, the Yamadūtas relate that in the beginning he was a learned scholar of the Vedic literature. He was well behaved, neat and clean, and very kind to everyone. In fact, he had all good qualities. In other words, he was a perfect ''brāhmaṇa''. A ''brāhmaṇa'' is expected to be perfectly pious, to follow all the regulative principles, and to have all good qualities. The symptoms of piety are explained in these verses.

Apparently Ajāmila followed the rules and regulations of celibacy as a perfect ''brahmacārī'' and was very softhearted, truthful, clean, and pure. How he fell down in spite of all these qualities and thus came to be threatened with punishment by Yamarāja is described here.

Because Ajāmila was born into a ''brāhmaṇa'' family, he was naturally ''śruta-sampanna''. ''Śruta'' means that by hearing the ''Vedas'', Ajāmila was rich in Vedic knowledge. In India brāhmaṇas are called ''paṇḍitas'', "learned men." A ''brāhmaṇa'' cannot be a fool and a rascal. Therefore one who has no knowledge of the ''Vedas'' cannot be a ''brāhmaṇa''. Simply reading the Vedas from a scholastic viewpoint is useless. One must practically apply the knowledge of the ''Vedas''. Armchair Vedāntists smoke cigarettes while reading ''Vedānta'', but that kind of study is useless. We have seen many so-called ''sannyāsīs'' talking on ''Vedānta'', smoking all the while. Ajāmila was not that type. He was a scholar of Vedic literature, and he was very well behaved. A ''brāhmaṇa'' must study the ''Vedas'' under the guidance of a spiritual master, and after the purificatory process of ''upanāyana-saṁskāra'', he becomes ''dvija'', or twice-born. At that time the sacred thread is offered to such a person. This is the sign by which we can understand a person has formally accepted a spiritual master. It is a kind of badge.

One who is not twice-born is unqualified to understand the ''Vedas''. It is not that just because one happens to know a little Sanskrit he becomes expert in Vedic knowledge. Many foreign scholars have translated the ''Vedas'', but we do not accept their translations as bona fide, because a student of the ''Vedas'' must be dvija. When a person has become truthful, able to control his mind and senses, clean, simple and tolerant, full of knowledge, and able to practically apply knowledge in life, and when he has full faith in God, Kṛṣṇa, he is ''dvija''. Such a person can be said to have become a duly qualified ''brāhmaṇa'', and he is able to study and understand the ''Vedas''.

Ajāmila was not only born in a ''brāhmaṇa'' family, but he was qualified in Vedic knowledge. In his youth he studied the ''Vedas'' completely. He was ''śīlavān'', "very gentle." He also practiced ''sad-ācāra'', which means he observed the habit of keeping clean and rising early in the morning to attend Vedic temple ceremonies, such as ''maṅgala-ārati''. He was a reservoir of good qualities. We too can practice ''sad-ācāra'' if we perform devotional service regularly, including daily attendance at ''maṅgala-ārati'' and chanting sixteen rounds of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra on beads. These practices will gradually cleanse us of material contamination.

Upon accepting initiation from the spiritual master, one takes a vow to perform these spiritual activities daily. Even the Six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana, who were liberated personalities, regularly chanted the ''mahā-mantra'' many times daily, and they never failed to offer their obeisances to the Deity and the devotees. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī would offer obeisances flat on the ground (''daṇḍavats'') many times daily. These activities indicate that the Gosvāmīs were ''dhṛta-vrata'', accustomed to taking vows with great determination and carrying them out. Without practicing austerity and penance with firm determination, we cannot approach God. One who is serious about making spiritual advancement has to accept all these regulative principles.

Ajāmila possessed all brahminical qualifications, and he knew all the necessary mantras, such as the Gāyatrī ''mantra'' and the Hare Kṛṣṇa ''mahā-mantra''. Also, he was always rendering service to his guru. That is the first qualification of a ''brāhmaṇa''. In Vedic times, every high-caste family performed a fire sacrifice in the morning after taking a bath and chanting Vedic mantras. ''Agni'' (the sacrificial fire) was continually lit. They offered oblations to the fire, to the guru, and then to all the adult members of the family. Thus they daily offered respect to their father and mother and to the spiritual master. Nowadays this is not done, but in the Vedic system this was the first business of the day.

A good example of this practice of respecting elders is Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, the great saintly Pāṇḍava king. After the battle of Kurukṣetra, Yudhiṣṭhira and his four brothers would go every day to offer their respects to their paternal uncle, Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Dhṛtarāṣṭra had contrived many plots to destroy the Pāṇḍavas, finally declaring war on them, but the result was that every one of his hundred sons died. Even after he lost the war, he still refused to welcome his nephews, the sons of his brother Pāṇḍu. This was a great insult to King Yudhiṣṭhira. One day Dhṛtarāṣṭra's younger brother, Vidura, a great Vaiṣṇava, went to Dhṛtarāṣṭra and said, "My dear brother, you are so shameless that first you declare war against the Pāṇḍavas, and now that you are an old man, still you do not receive King Yudhiṣṭhira as your guest, yet you live in his house at his expense. Are you so shameless, my dear brother?" Vidura spoke in this way just to help Dhṛtarāṣṭra break his attachment to family life. Dhṛtarāṣṭra was an old man, and all his sons were dead, but still he sat in his household arrangement, eating nicely prepared food. From this we can understand that family attachment is very strong. Vidura chastised Dhṛtarāṣṭra: "You are coughing up mucus because you are very old, and your liver is weak. You will die very soon, yet you are still sitting in your comfortable chair, just like a dog. Have you no more shame than a dog, which always sits waiting for his master to feed him?"

Upon hearing Vidura's harsh words, Dhṛtarāṣṭra's hard heart softened, and he replied,"Yes! My dear brother Vidura, please let me know what I should do."

Vidura said, "Come with me immediately to the forest. For the remaining days of your life, just engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Come with me." So without telling anyone, Dhṛtarāṣṭra left with Vidura, and Gāndhārī, Dhṛtarāṣṭra's faithful wife, followed. Together they went to the forest to finish their life in meditation on the Lord.

When King Yudhiṣṭhira came to offer his obeisances in the morning and saw that his uncles were not there, he became anxious, considering that Dhṛtarāṣṭra was an old man. At that time the great sage Nārada Muni appeared and informed him, "Do not worry. Dhṛtarāṣṭra and his wife, Gāndhārī, have been brought to the forest by your uncle Vidura."

This story from the ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' illustrates the system of offering respects to the elderly members of the family. After the morning's duties are performed, next one must go and offer obeisances to the spiritual master and the elderly persons in the family. One must also offer respects to a guest. Usually we know when a certain guest is coming to our home and can make preparations beforehand, but sometimes it happens that someone comes unexpectedly, and he too must be received with respect. And when it comes to eating, the head of the family should feed the older members first, then his children and other members of the family. He will eat last, and before he eats his food he should stand in the road and call out, "If anyone is hungry, please come. I still have not taken my food, and you are welcome!" Some remnants of food should be kept at home in anticipation of unexpected guests. The Vedic principle is that when someone comes and begs, "Sir, I am hungry," a man must give the hungry guest his own food even if he himself remains hungry. That is real ''gṛhastha-āśrama''. I have seen that a young man will not smoke in the presence of an old man without permission, even if they are strangers. So a young man will show consideration even to an older stranger, what to speak of his father or elder brother. In Vedic society, any older man is offered respect. These principles are not hard and fast, but this is Vedic custom.

Thus Ajāmila was trained in his youth to offer respect to the spiritual master and his elders. This is one of the symptoms of ''sad-ācāra''. Gentleness is another symptom. In other words, he was friendly to all living beings. A real ''brāhmaṇa'' is the friend of everyone, even an ant.

In this regard there is a story about Nārada Muni and a hunter. Once Nārada Muni was passing through a forest near Prayag and saw that many animals were lying half-dead. Feeling compassion for the suffering creatures, he cried out, "Who is the culprit who is killing these animals, leaving them to die in this way?"

The barbaric hunter Mṛgāri answered, "Dear sage, please let me do my business. If you have come here to beg for a deerskin, I shall give it to you."

But Nārada said, "I haven't come to beg anything from you, but to ask why you are only half-killing these animals. It is a great sin. It is better that you kill them outright."

Mṛgāri replied, "My father taught me to kill them like this. I did not know it is sinful."

Nārada said, "Yes, it is very sinful. You will have to suffer very much for it."

The hunter became thoughtful and asked, "What should I do?"

Nārada Muni advised him, "Give up this nonsense business."

Mṛgāri protested, "Then how shall I eat?"

But Nārada Muni said, "I shall provide you with food."

The hunter agreed, "All right, if you give me food, I can give up this business."

Nārada Muni then requested Mṛgāri to sit down on the bank of the Ganges and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa before a sacred ''tulasī'' plant. Nārada Muni went to the nearby village and announced that a pure Vaiṣṇava was now chanting nearby on the bank of the Ganges. Upon seeing Mṛgāri sitting and chanting peacefully, the village people said to one another, "He has given up his hunting business and is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa." They began coming regularly to the bank of the Ganges to visit Mṛgāri. Someone brought rice, someone brought ''dāl'', and someone else brought fruit. The food began to pile up.

The hunter Mṛgāri wondered, "Why is Nārada Muni sending me so much food? I have only myself and my wife to maintain." Thus he began distributing the food. Chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and distributing ''prasādam'' daily, he became a perfect Vaiṣṇava. (This is the system introduced in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement - chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa ''mahā-mantra'' and distributing ''prasādam''. In every temple of Kṛṣṇa we do this.)

After some time, Nārada Muni called upon his friend Pārvata Muni and said, "I have a very nice disciple who was a hunter. Let us go and see how he is doing." Pārvata Muni agreed. When the two sages approached Mṛgāri's house, they saw that he was jumping this way and that. Upon seeing Nārada Muni, he prepared to offer obeisances at his feet, but before he did so he took the edge of his ''dhotī'' and gently brushed away the ants crawling on the ground so as not to crush them. He had been jumping because he was trying to avoid stepping on the ants. This was the very man who a short time before had been tormenting all kinds of animals, yet now he was not prepared to kill even an ant. That is the nature of a Vaiṣṇava.

So, Ajāmila had this quality of gentleness, which is prominent in brāhmaṇas. Also, despite all his training, Ajāmila was not proud. He was free of ''ahaṅkāra'', or false ego. The very word ''ahaṅkāra'' means "I am doing this, I am doing that, and therefore I have become so big." Ajāmila was free of this attitude. Nor was he envious. In these degraded times, everyone is envious of one or more persons. But ''brāhmaṇas'' like Ajāmila are free of this propensity. Only when one has acquired these brahminical qualities and is accustomed to brahminical habits can one expect to be liberated from material bondage.

=====Ruined by Sex Attraction=====
[[File:A Second Chance-Ajamila Being Corrupted.jpg|thumb|300px|right|alt=A Second Chance - Corruption of Ajamila|link=|<div class="center">'''Bewildered by Desire'''</div>]]
Unfortunately, as related in these verses, Ajāmila lost his brahminical status. Once, as a young man, Ajāmila went to collect flowers and other articles for Deity worship. His father ordered him, "Bring all these things from the forest." While coming back, Ajāmila came upon a fourth-class man and a prostitute, who are vividly described here. Drunkenness was sometimes manifest even in bygone ages, although not very frequently. In the present Age of Kali, however, such sin is to be seen everywhere, for people all over the world have become shameless. Long ago, when Ajāmila saw the scene of the drunken ''śūdra'' and the prostitute, he was affected, although up until then he had been a perfect ''brahmacārī''. Nowadays promiscuity is visible in so many places, and we must consider the position of a ''brahmacārī'' student who sees such behavior. For such a ''brahmacārī'' to remain steady is very difficult unless he is extremely strong in following the regulative principles. Nevertheless, one who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously can withstand the provocation of sin.

In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we prohibit illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. In Kali-yuga, a drunken, half-naked woman embracing a drunken man is a very common sight, especially in the Western countries, and restraining oneself after seeing such things is very difficult. Nevertheless, if by the grace of Kṛṣṇa a man adheres to the regulative principles and chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, Kṛṣṇa will certainly protect him. Indeed, Kṛṣṇa says that His devotee is never vanquished (''kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyat''i ([[BG 9.31|BG 9.31]])). Therefore all the disciples practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness should obediently follow the regulative principles and remain fixed in chanting the holy name of the Lord. Then there need be no fear. Otherwise one's position is very dangerous.

Ajāmila had vowed to follow the regulative principles of spiritual life. But as we see, even when one is highly qualified there is the chance of a fall. Seeing the low-class couple engaged in public sex proved to be his downfall. Everyone knows that a husband and wife have sexual intercourse, but this should be done privately. Sex in public is animalistic. Similarly, sex with many partners is illicit. Nowadays illicit sex is common throughout the world, especially in the Western countries. A young girl thinks, "I will find a suitable man, attract him, and have sex, but I won't marry him right away. I will test this man, then that man. When I have found the one who makes me happy, then I will marry." This is the mentality of a prostitute. And similarly, the young boys are hunting for many sex partners. These are commonplace activities in Western countries, where the boys and girls receive no spiritual training.

In such a cat-and-dog society, there can be no peace. All the leaders talk about peace, and they meet in peace conferences, but there can be no peace from conferring and passing resolutions. There cannot be peace unless the whole social structure is reformed, and that can be done only by Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Kṛṣṇa consciousness is cultivated by good association, just as a degraded mentality is a result of bad association. As Lord Ṛṣabhadeva says in the ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 5.5.2|5.5.2]]), ''mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam'': "If we want to open the door to liberation, we should engage ourselves in the service of the ''mahātmās'', the pure devotees, but if we want to open the door to hellish life, then we can associate with those who are very attached to women." The lusty people of today's so-called civilized society do not care for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They do not care for their elderly family members. They indulge in sex in the street, on the beach, in the cinema. Sex is advertised constantly to attract the attention of the people. In this way materialistic atheists add fuel to the fire of lust, and people are going to hell.

So, Ajāmila became degraded by seeing a low-class couple embracing. Because both the ''śūdra'' and the prostitute were drunk, their eyes were rolling, and the prostitute's clothes were loose. Nowadays it has become fashionable to wear revealing clothing, but this practice is abominable. It simply makes the body more attractive for sex indulgence. It is said that if one's body is smeared with turmeric, it increases the lusty desires of the opposite sex. The word ''kāma-liptena'' indicates that the ''śūdra'' was decorated with turmeric smeared on his body. Because the ''śūdra'' and the prostitute were rascals, they were not ashamed. They exhibited themselves freely, not caring for public criticism. They were laughing, smiling, singing, and embracing, and the young Ajāmila saw everything when he passed by on the road.

In modern times sexual affairs of this kind are regularly shown in the cinema, and thus it is not hard to guess what kind of character is forming in the young men and women of today. By seeing these activities only once, Ajāmila fell down. In this way Ajāmila's spiritual education and training were finished. He was stunned and bewildered. When Cupid attacks, all one's education, culture, and knowledge are lost. Therefore one has to avoid this free-mixing, lusty society. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita advises, "Always avoid associating with persons too attached to sense gratification. Rather, associate with those who are engaged in the devotional activities of spiritual life." For this reason boys are sent to the ''gurukula'', the house of the bona fide spiritual master, who trains them in spiritual life from the age of five.

Unless one is very strong in knowledge, patience, and proper bodily, mental, and intellectual behavior, controlling one's lusty desires is extremely difficult. Thus after seeing a man embracing a young woman and practically doing everything required for sex, even a fully qualified ''brāhmaṇa'', as described above, could not control his lusty desires and restrain himself from pursuing them. Because of the force of materialistic life, to maintain self-control is extremely difficult unless one is specifically under the protection of the Supreme Personality of Godhead through devotional service.

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SC 11 The Realm of the Senses

2022-02-12T06:37:53Z

Abhay:

[[Category:A Second Chance - The Story of a Near-Death Experience|S11]]
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The Yamadūtas continued: "Above the five senses of perception, the five working senses, and the five objects of the senses is the mind, which is the sixteenth element. Above the mind is the seventeenth element, the soul, the living being himself, who, in cooperation with the other sixteen, enjoys the material world alone. The living being experiences three kinds of situations, namely happy, distressful, and mixed.

"The subtle body is endowed with sixteen parts - the five knowledge-acquiring senses, the five working senses, the five objects of sense gratification, and the mind. This subtle body is an effect of the three modes of material nature. It is composed of insurmountably strong desires, and therefore it causes the living entity to transmigrate from one body to another in human life, animal life, and life as a demigod. When the living entity gets the body of a demigod, he is certainly very jubilant, when he gets a human body he is always in lamentation, and when he gets the body of an animal he is always afraid. In all conditions, however, he is actually miserable. His miserable condition is called saṁsṛti, or transmigration in material life.

"The foolish embodied living entity, inept at controlling his senses and mind, is forced to act according to the influence of the modes of material nature, even against his desires. He is like a silkworm that uses its own saliva to create a cocoon and then becomes trapped in it, with no possibility of getting out. The living entity traps himself in a network of his own fruitive activities and then can find no way to release himself. Thus he is always bewildered, and repeatedly he dies.

"No living entity can remain unengaged, even for a moment. One must act by his natural tendency according to the three modes of material nature because this tendency forcibly makes him work in a particular way. The fruitive acts a living being performs, whether pious or impious, are the unseen cause for the fulfillment of his desires. This unseen cause is the root of the living entity's different bodies. Because of his intense desire, the living entity takes birth in a particular family and receives a body like his mother's or father's body. Thus the gross and subtle bodies are created according to his desire.

"Since the living entity is associated with material nature, he is in an awkward position, but if in the human form of life he is taught how to associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His devotee, this position can be overcome." ([[SB 6.1.50|''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' 6.1.50-55]])

=====The Demands of the Senses=====
These verses describe how the living entity becomes entangled in the material body due to the interaction of the material modes of nature. Everyone engages in work with his hands, legs, and other senses just to achieve a certain goal according to his concocted ideas. In this way one tries to enjoy the five sense objects, namely form, sound, taste, aroma, and touch, not knowing that the actual goal of life is to satisfy the Supreme Lord. Because of disobeying the Lord, the living entity is put into material conditions, and he then tries to improve his situation according to his whims, not caring to follow the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nevertheless, the Supreme Lord is so kind that He comes Himself to instruct the bewildered living entity how to act obediently and then gradually return home, back to Godhead, where he can attain an eternal, peaceful life of bliss and knowledge.

In the material world the living entity has a body that is a very complicated combination of the material elements, and with this body he struggles alone, as indicated in verse 50 by the words ekas tu. For example, if one is struggling in the ocean, he must swim through it alone. Although many other men and aquatics are swimming in the ocean, he must take care of himself, because no one else will help him. Therefore this verse indicates that the seventeenth item, the soul, must work alone. Although he tries to create society, friendship, and love, ultimately no one can help him but Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. Therefore his only concern should be how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa - how to surrender to Him and evoke His mercy. That is also what Kṛṣṇa wants. As He says in the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 18.66|18.66]]), ''sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja'': "Just give up all kinds of concocted religion and surrender to Me."

People bewildered by material conditions try to be united, but although they strive for unity among men and nations, all their attempts are futile. Everyone must struggle alone for existence with the many elements of nature. Therefore one's only hope, as Kṛṣṇa advises, is to surrender to Him, for He can help one become free from the ocean of nescience. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore prayed:

:''ayi nanda-tanuja kiṅkaraṁ
:''patitaṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau
:''kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-
:''sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya''
:([''[CC Antya'' 20.32|''CC Antya'' 20.32, ''Śikṣāṣṭaka'' 5]])
"O Kṛṣṇa, beloved son of Nanda Mahārāja, I am Your eternal servant, but somehow or other I have fallen into this ocean of nescience, and although I am struggling very hard, there is no way I can save myself. If You kindly pick me up and fix me as one of the particles of dust at Your lotus feet, that will save me."

Similarly, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sings, ''anādi karama-phale, paḍi' bhavārṇava-jale, taribāre nā dekhi upāya'': "My dear Lord, I cannot remember when I somehow or other fell into this ocean of nescience, and now I can find no way to rescue myself." We should remember that everyone is responsible for his own life. If an individual becomes a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he is then delivered from the ocean of nescience. Thus his life becomes successful.

=====Pain and Pleasure=====
Actually, there is no pleasure in the material world; everything is painful. Everyone is trying to be happy by sensual activity, but the result is unhappiness and frustration. This is called ''māyā'', illusion.

Lord Buddha understood the nature of material pleasure. In his youth he was a prince, enjoying great opulence and sensual pleasures, but he renounced it all. Sitting down in meditation, he stopped all sensual activities, which subject one to the pains and pleasures of this material world. He gave up his kingdom just to teach that sensual activities do not help us attain salvation. Salvation means to get out of the clutches of the pleasure and pain of this world.

Buddhism is concerned largely with the predicament of the body. Due to the interactions of the three modes of material nature, which are acting on our material bodies, we experience various pains and pleasures. Buddhism teaches that one can be relieved of these pains and pleasures as soon as one dismantles the combination of the material elements in the shape of the physical body. ''Nirvāṇa'', the goal of Buddhism, is the state attained when a person has finished with the material combinations. After all, pains and pleasures are due to possessing this material body. However, Buddhist philosophy does not provide information about the soul, the possessor of the body. Thus Buddhism is imperfect.

Buddhist philosophy is incomplete, but that does not mean Lord Buddha did not know the complete truth. A teacher may have received his Masters degree, yet he still teaches the ABC's to his students. It is not that his knowledge is limited to the ABC's. Similarly, any especially empowered incarnation (''śaktyāveśa avatāra'') will preach God consciousness according to time, place, and circumstances. The teacher holds his Masters degree, but the students may not be qualified to receive the high instructions that the teacher is competent to teach.

Therefore there are different schools of religion, like Buddhism and Śaṅkarācārya's Māyāvāda philosophy. Both the Buddhists and the Māyāvādīs encourage their followers to try to get free of pain and pleasure, which are due to sensual activities. No genuine philosopher urges his followers to pursue sensual activities. Buddha finishes with matter: to achieve ''nirvāṇa'' one must first dismantle the material combination of the body. In other words, the body is a combination of five material elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether, and this combination is the cause of all pain and pleasure; so when the combination is at last dismantled, there will be no more pain and pleasure.

Śaṅkarācārya's philosophy is to get out of this combination of material elements and become situated in our original, spiritual position. Thus the Māyāvādīs' motto is ''brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā'': "Brahman, the Absolute, is true, and this material creation is false." Śaṅkarācārya rejected Buddha's philosophy, which gives no information concerning the spirit soul. Buddha's philosophy deals only with matter and the dissolution of matter; thus the goal of Buddhism is to merge into the voidness.

Both Buddhism and Māyāvāda philosophy reveal only partial truth. Śaṅkarācārya's Māyāvāda philosophy accepts Brahman, spirit, but does not describe spirit in its fullness. Māyāvāda philosophy teaches that as soon as we become cognizant of our existence as Brahman (''ahaṁ brahmāsmi''), then all our activities come to a stop. But this is not a fact. The living entity is always active. It may seem that in meditation one can stop all sensual activity, but still one is meditating, and that is also action.

While meditating on Brahman, the Māyāvādī thinks, "I have become God." In one sense, of course, it is correct to think, "I am one with God," for as spirit souls we are all one with God in quality. But no one can ever become quantitatively one with God. In the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 15.7|15.7]]) Kṛṣṇa declares that the living entities are "part and parcel of Me." Kṛṣṇa is completely spiritual (''sac-cid-ānanda''), so each particle of spirit must also be ''sac-cid-ānanda'', just as a gold earring is qualitatively one with the gold in a gold mine. Still, the gold earring is not the gold mine.

So the Māyāvādīs' mistake is to think that the part can become equal to the whole. They presume that because they are part and parcel of God, they are God. Therefore the ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 10.2.32|10.2.32]]) describes the impersonalists as ''aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ'': "Their intelligence is impure; they are still in ignorance." Māyāvādīs believe that by accumulating knowledge they become one with God, and thus they address one another as "Nārāyaṇa." That is their great mistake. We cannot become Lord Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa is ''vibhu'', which means "very big" or "infinite," whereas we are ''aṇu'', infinitesimal. Our spiritual magnitude measures one ten-thousandth of the tip of a hair. Therefore how can any sane man claim that he has become God?

Śaṅkarācārya gave a hint about Brahman, teaching everyone to think, ''ahaṁ brahmāsmi'', "I am the spirit self, not the material body." The ''Vedas'' agree. One who is situated in ''mukti'', or liberation, understands perfectly, "I am not this body; I am pure spirit soul." But that is not the end of self-realization. Next one has to ask, "If I am an eternal spirit soul, what is my eternal spiritual activity?" That eternal activity is devotional service to Kṛṣṇa.

In the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 18.54|18.54]]) Lord Kṛṣṇa describes how Brahman realization leads to devotional service:

:''brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
:''na śocati na kāṅkṣati
:''samaḥ sarveṣu bhūtesu
:''mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām''
"One who is transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me."

Often big svāmīs talk about attaining "Brahman realization" but do not remove themselves from worldly pleasures and pains. They involve themselves in humanitarian activities, thinking, "My fellow countrymen are suffering; let me open a hospital" or "They are uneducated; let me open a school." If someone is really on the platform of ''brahma-bhūtaḥ'', why would he accept any particular place as his country? Actually, as spirit souls we do not belong to any country. We get a body, and as soon as the body is finished, the connection with a particular country is also finished. The symptom of lamentation reveals that the so-called liberated person has not been cured of his attachment to worldly pleasure and pain. That means he has not become joyful, because one who is joyful does not lament. So many learned ''sannyāsīs'' have fallen down to material activities because they have not in fact realized Brahman. It is not so easy. As already explained, the influence of the modes of nature is very strong. The living entity entangled in different types of fruitive activity is like a silkworm trapped in a cocoon. Getting free is very difficult unless one is helped by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

=====Spiritual Senses=====
Real knowledge is attained by applying the senses in the service of Kṛṣṇa. At present, our mind and senses are absorbed in bodily designations, such as "I am American," "I am Indian," or "I am English." In this consciousness we think that we should apply our senses in the service of our relatives, our society, our nation, etc. But these are temporary circumstances. Our real position is that we are Brahman, pure spirit soul. As long as we think of ourselves as belonging to some temporary designation, we cannot become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa.

As we have pointed out, Brahman realization is not the end of spiritual knowledge. There are three stages of self-realization: Brahman, or the realization that one is not this body but a spirit soul; Paramātmā realization, or understanding the Lord within the heart; and Bhagavān realization, realizing the Lord in His personal form as Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Beyond Brahman is Paramātmā realization, realizing Kṛṣṇa in the heart as Supersoul. Brahman is like the sunlight, but Paramātmā realization is like seeing the sun globe itself, the source of the sun's rays. Going still further, one can enter into the spiritual planets of Vaikuṇṭha and see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face. This is the ultimate stage of self-realization and is like meeting the sun-god himself. The sunlight, the sun globe, and the sun-god are one and inseparable, yet they are simultaneously different. The sunlight is the impersonal effulgence of the sun, the sun globe is its localized aspect, and the sun-god is the personal source of both the sun globe and the sunlight. In the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 4.27|4.27]]) Kṛṣṇa confirms that He is the source of the Brahman effulgence: ''brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham''. "I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman." And in the ''Īśopaniṣad'' ([[ISO 15|15]]) a devotee prays,

:''hiraṇmayena pātreṇa
:''satyasyāpihitaṁ mukham
:''tat tvaṁ pūṣann apāvṛṇu
:''satya-dharmāya dṛṣṭaye''
"O my Lord, sustainer of all that lives, Your real face is covered by Your dazzling effulgence. Please remove that covering and exhibit Yourself to Your pure devotee."

So Brahman realization is not enough. A sick man's fever may go down, but he may not yet be cured. He is finally cured when he is not only safe from fever but fully recovered and back to his normal, active life. Otherwise there is danger of relapse. Likewise, understanding "I am a spirit soul, not the body" does not mean one is cured of illusion. Only when a person fully understands that he is the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa and he acts on that understanding is he truly self-realized.

=====A Special Concession for All People=====
In the present age, for all people the best path to achieve self-realization is to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa ''mahā-mantra'': Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. The conditioned souls in this Age of Kali are so engrossed in sinful activities that it is impossible for them to follow the Vedic injunctions in a systematic way. The chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa m''ahā-mantra'' is the special concession of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu - Kṛṣṇa Himself - who appeared five hundred years ago just to deliver the fallen souls by inaugurating the ''saṅkīrtana'' movement, the movement of the congregational chanting of the Lord's holy names. Lord Caitanya would often quote the following verse from the ''Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa'' (3.8.126):

:''harer nāma harer nāma
:''harer nāmaiva kevalam
:''kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
:''nāsty eva gatir anyathā''
:([''[CC Adi'' 17.21|''CC Adi'' 17.21]])
"In this age the only way to attain salvation is to chant the holy name, chant the holy name, chant the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way, no other way, no other way."

We can see the power of chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa by studying the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. In this movement all kinds of sinful activities are being given up by persons who have been addicted to bad habits ever since they were living in the wombs of their mothers. This is their good fortune. As Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says in the ''Caitanya-caritāmṛta'' ([[''CC Madhya'' 19.151|''Madhya-līlā'' 19.151]]),

:''brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
:''guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja''
"The living entity is rotating in different lives and in different bodies, transmigrating from one situation to another throughout the universe, but if he is fortunate and gets the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, he will get a bona fide spiritual master, from whom he will receive the seed of the creeper of ''bhakti'', devotional service." If he is truly intelligent, he will sow that seed in his heart and water it. If you sow a seed in the earth, you must water it so that it will fructify. Similarly, once the seed of ''bhakti'' has been sown in the heart, it has to be watered properly. What is that water? ''Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam'': ([[SB 7.5.23|SB 7.5.23]]) hearing and chanting the glories of Kṛṣṇa is the watering process that will make the seed of devotional service grow.

By cultivating devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, we can get out of our unfortunate position in the material world, which Kṛṣṇa has certified in the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' as ''duḥkhālayam'', a place full of miseries. In other words, by taking shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa in the shape of chanting and hearing His holy name, we will not have to undergo repeated birth and death in this miserable material world.

=====Body of Desire=====
The ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' describes in detail how a conditioned living entity takes birth. According to his karma, the living entity is put into the semen of a particular father, and the living entity's gross material body is manifested from the union of father and mother. During sexual intercourse, the mentalities of the father and mother are combined when the father's semen and mother's egg mix, and this combination is acquired by the child.

Each of us has a different type of body: no one's body is identical to anyone else's. The different types of bodies have a cause, and that cause is ''karma''. According to one's previous activities, one develops a certain kind of subtle body - made up of mind, intelligence, and false ego - and on the basis of the subtle body one gets a particular gross body. As Lord Kṛṣṇa states in the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 8.6|8.6]]):

:''yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ
:''tyajaty ante kalevaram
:''taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya
:''sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ''
"Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kuntī, that state he will attain without fail." The character of the subtle body at the time of death is determined by the sum total of one's activities during one's lifetime. If a human being is taught to change his subtle body by developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, at the time of death his subtle body will create a gross body in which he will be a devotee of Kṛṣṇa - or if he is still more advanced, he will not take another material body at all but will immediately get a spiritual body and thus return home, back to Godhead. This is the perfection of human life.

<div style="float:left">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=A Second Chance - The Story of a Near-Death Experience]] '''[[A Second Chance - The Story of a Near-Death Experience|A Second Chance]]'''</div>
<div style="float:right">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=SC 10 The Next Life: It's Up to Us]] '''[[SC 10 The Next Life: It's Up to Us|10. The Next Life: It's Up to Us]] - [[SC 12 Bewildered by Desire|12. Bewildered by Desire]]''' [[File:Go-next.png|link=SC 12 Bewildered by Desire]]</div>
__NOTOC__

SSR4c "Thou Shalt Not Kill"

2022-02-03T05:23:07Z

Abhay:

SSR4b Christ, Christians, and Krsna

2022-02-03T05:15:09Z

Abhay:

SSR4a Krsna or Christ - The Name Is the Same

2022-01-31T04:01:18Z

Abhay:

SSR3c Krsna Consciousness: Hindu Cult or Divine Culture?

2022-01-30T12:11:21Z

Abhay:

SSR3b The Scriptural Basis of Krsna Consciousness

2022-01-28T10:51:58Z

Abhay:

[[Category:The Science of Self-Realization]]
<div style="float:left">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=The Science of Self-Realization]] '''[[The Science of Self-Realization|INDEX]] - [[SSR3 Looking at the Cultural Background|3. Looking at the Cultural Background]]'''</div>
<div style="float:right">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=SSR3a The Immortal Nectar of the Bhagavad-gita]] '''[[SSR3a The Immortal Nectar of the Bhagavad-gita|3a. The Immortal Nectar of the Bhagavad-gītā]] - [[SSR3c Krsna Consciousness: Hindu Cult or Divine Culture?|3c. Kṛṣṇa Consciousness: Hindu Cult or Divine Culture?]]''' [[File:Go-next.png|link=SSR3c Krsna Consciousness: Hindu Cult or Divine Culture?]]</div>
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(published in 1970 as a separate pamphlet)

==== The Scriptural Basis of Krsna Consciousness ====

''On January 11, 1970, an article in the Los Angeles Times reported that faculty members at the University of California at Berkeley, including Dr. J. F. Staal, professor of philosophy and South Asian languages, had turned down a request to grant credit for an experimental course in Kṛṣṇa consciousness to have been taught by Hans Kary, president of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement's Berkeley center. In rejecting the proposed course, Dr. Staal suggested that the devotees "spend too much time chanting to develop a philosophy." When the article came to the attention of Śrīla Prabhupāda, the founder and spiritual master of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, he initiated an unusual correspondence with the renowned professor''.

'''Excerpt from the Los Angeles Times Article'''

"Dr. J. F. Staal, Professor of Philosophy and Near Eastern (sic) Languages at UC Berkeley and an instructor in Indian philosophy, believes that the Krishna sect is an authentic Indian religion and that its adherents are sincere. He attributes the Society's rapid increase in members to the tendency of today's younger generation to reject organized churchgoing while at the same time searching for fulfillment of a belief in mysticism.

"He points out, however, that persons who turn away from Christianity, Muhammadanism, and Judaism have usually lost faith with the personal god of those religions and are looking for a mystical religion without absolutes.

" 'These people in the Krishna movement have turned to Hinduism, but, curiously, it is a cult that is highly personalistic,' Staal said. 'They accept a personal god, Krishna, and Christianity has that. I feel that they have transferred some of their Christian background to a Hindu sect.'

"He also feels that they spend too much time chanting to develop a philosophy. On these grounds he and others on the faculty turned down the request to grant credit for an experimental course in Krishna consciousness that will be taught during the winter quarter by Hans Kary, president of the sect's Berkeley temple."

'''[[700114 - Letter to Executive Senior Editor of Los Angeles Times written from Los Angeles|Śrīla Prabhupāda's Letter to the Los Angeles Times]]'''

January 14, 1970

Editor<br />
''Los Angeles Times''

Dear Sir: With reference to your article in the ''Los Angeles'' Times dated Sunday, January 11, 1970, under the heading "Krishna Chant," I beg to point out that the Hindu religion is perfectly based on the personal conception of God, or Viṣṇu. The impersonal conception of God is a side issue, or one of the three features of God. The Absolute Truth is ultimately the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Paramātmā conception is the localized aspect of His omnipresence, and the impersonal conception is the aspect of His greatness and eternity. But all these combined together make the Complete Whole.

Dr. J. F. Staal's statement that the Kṛṣṇa cult is a combination of Christian and Hindu religion, as if something manufactured by concoction, is not correct. If Christian, Muhammadan, or Buddhist religions are personal, that is quite welcome. But the Kṛṣṇa religion has been personal from a time long, long ago when Christian, Muhammadan, and Buddhist religions had not yet come into existence. According to the Vedic conception, religion is basically made by the personal God as His laws. Religion cannot be manufactured by man or anyone except God superior to man. Religion is the law of God only.

Unfortunately, all the swamis who came before me in this country stressed the impersonal aspect of God, without sufficient knowledge of God's personal aspect. In the ''Bhagavad-gītā'', therefore, it is said that only less intelligent persons consider that God is originally impersonal but assumes a form when He incarnates. The Kṛṣṇa philosophy, however, based on the authority of the ''Vedas'', is that originally the Absolute Truth is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His plenary expansion is present in everyone's heart in His localized aspect, and the impersonal Brahman effulgence is the transcendental light and heat distributed everywhere.

In the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' it is clearly said that the aim of the Vedic way of searching out the Absolute Truth is to find the personal God. One who is satisfied only with the other aspects of the Absolute Truth, namely the Paramātmā feature or the Brahman feature, is to be considered possessed of a poor fund of knowledge. Recently we have published our ''Śrī Īśopaniṣad'', a Vedic literature, and in this small booklet we have thoroughly discussed this point.

As far as the Hindu religion is concerned, there are millions of Kṛṣṇa temples in India, and there is not a single Hindu who does not worship Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a concocted idea. We invite all scholars, philosophers, religionists, and members of the general public to understand this movement by critical study. And if one does so seriously, one will understand the sublime position of this great movement.

The chanting process is also authorized. Professor Staal's feeling of disgust in the matter of constant chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa is a definite proof of his lack of knowledge in this authorized movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Instead of turning down the request to give Kary's course credit, he and all other learned professors of the University of California at Berkeley should patiently hear about the truth of this authorized movement so much needed at present in godless society. (Credit for the course was later established.) This is the only movement which can save the confused younger generation. I shall invite all responsible guardians of this country to understand this transcendental movement and then give us all honest facilities to spread it for everyone's benefit.

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami<br />
Spiritual Master of the Hare Kṛṣṇa Movement

'''The Exchange Between Śrīla Prabhupāda and Dr. Staal'''

January 23, 1970

Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta

Dear Swamiji:

Thank you very much for sending me a copy of your letter to the ''Los Angeles Times'', now also published in the ''Daily Californian''. I think you will agree with me that apart from publicity, little is gained by discussing religious or philosophic issues through interviews and letters in the press; but allow me to make two brief observations.

First, I know that devotion to Kṛṣṇa is old (though definitely not as old as the ''Vedas'') and has never been influenced by Christianity, Islam, or Judaism (I never referred to Buddhism in this connection). The differences between the personal and impersonal are relatively vague, but adopting this distinction for simplicity, I expressed surprise at seeing people who have grown up in a Western culture which stresses the personal take to an Indian cult which does the same. I am less surprised when people who are dissatisfied with Western monotheism take to an Indian philosophy which stresses an impersonal absolute.

Second, I never expressed nor felt disgust at the chanting of the name of Kṛṣṇa. I am not only not irritated at it (like some people), but I rather like it. But it is an indisputable fact that the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' (not to mention the ''Vedas'') does not require such constant chanting. The ''Gītā'' deals with quite different subjects, which I treat at some length in my courses on the philosophies of India.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,<br />
J. F. Staal<br />
Professor of Philosophy and of South Asian Languages

'''[[700130 - Letter to Professor J. F. Staal written from Los Angeles|Reply from Śrīla Prabhupāda to Professor Staal]]'''

January 30, 1970

J. F. Staal<br />
Professor of Philosophy and of South Asian Languages<br />
University of California<br />
Berkeley, California

My dear Professor Staal:

I thank you very much for your kind letter dated January 23, 1970. In the last paragraph of your letter you have mentioned that you are not irritated at the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra (like some people), but rather like it. This has given me much satisfaction, and I am sending herewith a copy of our magazine, [[1969 ''Back to Godhead'' Number 28|''Back to Godhead'', issue number 28]], in which you will find how the students (at a program at Ohio State University) liked this chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, although all of them were neophytes to this cult of chanting. Actually this chanting is very pleasing to the heart and is the best means of infusing spiritual consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, into the hearts of people in general.

This is the easiest process of spiritual realization and is recommended in the ''Vedas''. In the ''Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa'' it is clearly stated that it is only chanting of the holy name of Hari (Kṛṣṇa) that can save people from the problems of materialistic existence, and there is no other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative in this age of Kali.

Western culture is monotheistic, but Westerners are being misled by impersonal Indian speculation. The young people of the West are frustrated because they are not diligently taught about monotheism. They are not satisfied with this process of teaching and understanding. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a boon to them, because they are being really trained to understand Western monotheism under the authoritative Vedic system. We do not simply theoretically discuss; rather, we learn by the prescribed method of Vedic regulations.

But I am surprised to see that in the last paragraph of your letter you say, "It is an indisputable fact that the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' (not to mention the ''Vedas'') does not require such constant chanting." I think that you have missed the following verse in the ''Bhagavad-gītā'', apart from many other similar verses:

:''satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ
:''yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ
:''namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā
:''nitya-yuktā upāsate''
:([[BG 9.14|BG 9.14]])
The engagement of the great souls, freed from delusion and perfect in their realization of God, is described here: satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ - they are always (''satataṁ'') chanting (''kīrtayantaḥ'') My glories and - ''nitya-yuktā upāsate'' - always worshiping Me (Kṛṣṇa).

So I do not know how you can say "indisputable." And, if you want references from the ''Vedas'', I can give you many. In the ''Vedas'', the chief transcendental vibration ''oṁkāra'' is also Kṛṣṇa. ''Praṇava oṁkāra'' is the divine substance of the ''Vedas''. Following the ''Vedas'' means chanting the Vedic mantras, and no Vedic mantra is complete without ''oṁkāra''. In the ''Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad'', ''oṁkāra'' is stated to be the most auspicious sound representation of the Supreme Lord. This is also confirmed again in the ''Atharva Veda''. ''Oṁkara'' is the sound representation of the Supreme Lord and is therefore the principal word in the ''Vedas''. In this connection, the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, says, ''praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu'': "I am the syllable oṁ in all the Vedic mantras." ([[BG 7.8|BG 7.8]])

Furthermore, in ''Bhagavad-gītā'', [[BG 15.15|Chapter Fifteen, verse 15]], Kṛṣṇa says, "I am seated in everyone's heart. By all the ''Vedas'', I am to be known; I am the compiler of ''Vedānta'', and I know ''Veda'' as it is." The Supreme Lord, seated in everyone's heart, is described in both the ''Muṇḍaka'' and ''Śvetāśvatara'' ''Upaniṣads'': ''dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyā''... The Supreme Lord and the individual soul are sitting in the body like two friendly birds in a tree. One bird is eating the fruits of the tree, or reactions of material activities, and the other bird, the Supersoul, is witnessing.

The goal of Vedantic study, therefore, is to know the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. This point is stressed in the ''Bhagavad-gītā'', [[BG 8.13|Chapter Eight, verse 13]], where it is stated that by the mystic ''yoga'' process, ultimately vibrating the sacred syllable ''oṁ'', one attains to His supreme spiritual planet. In the ''Vedānta-sūtras'', which you have certainly read, the Fourth Chapter, ''adhikaraṇa'' 4, ''sūtra'' 22, states positively, ''anāvṛttiḥ'' ''śabdāt'': "By sound vibration one becomes liberated." By devotional service, by understanding well the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one can go to His abode and never come back again to this material condition. How is it possible? The answer is, simply by chanting His name constantly.

This is accepted by the exemplary disciple, Arjuna, who has perfectly learned the conclusion of spiritual science from the ''yogeśvara'', the master of mystic knowledge, Kṛṣṇa. Recognizing Kṛṣṇa to be the Supreme Brahman, Arjuna addresses Him, ''sthāne'' ''hṛṣīkeśa''...: "The world becomes joyful hearing Your name, and thus do all become attached to You." ([[BG 11.36|BG 11.36]]) The process of chanting is herein authorized as the direct means of contacting the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead. Simply by chanting the holy name Kṛṣṇa, the soul is attracted by the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, to go home, back to Godhead.

In the ''Nārada'' ''Pañcarātra'' it is stated that all the Vedic rituals, mantras, and understanding are compressed into the eight words Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. Similarly, in the ''Kali''-''santaraṇa'' ''Upaniṣad'' it is stated that these sixteen words, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, are especially meant for counteracting the degrading and contaminating influence of this materialistic age of Kali.

All these points are elaborately presented in my book [[''Teachings of Lord Chaitanya'' (1968)|''Teachings of Lord Chaitanya'']].

The process of chanting is, therefore, not only the sublime method for practical perfection of life but the authorized Vedic principle inaugurated by the greatest Vedic scholar and devotee, Lord Caitanya (whom we consider an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa). We are simply following in His authorized footsteps.

The scope of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is universal. The process for regaining one's original spiritual status of eternal life, full with bliss and knowledge, is not abstract, dry theorizing. Spiritual life is not described in the ''Vedas'' as theoretical, dry, or impersonal. The ''Vedas'' aim at the inculcation of pure love of God only, and this harmonious conclusion is practically realized by the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, or by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

As the goal of spiritual realization is only one, love of God, so the ''Vedas'' stand as a single comprehensive whole in the matter of transcendental understanding. Only the incomplete views of various parties apart from the bona fide Vedic lines of teaching give a rupturous appearance to the ''Bhagavad-gītā''. The reconciliative factor adjusting all apparently diverse propositions of the ''Vedas'' is the essence of the ''Veda'', or Kṛṣṇa consciousness (love of God).

Thanking you once again,

Yours sincerely,<br />
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

February 8, 1970

Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta

Dear Swamiji:

Thank you very much for your kindness in sending me your long and interesting letter of January 30, together with the last issue of ''Back to Godhead''. So far I have had a few discussions with members of your society here, but they were not entirely satisfactory from my point of view. But now I have your much more authoritative letter, whereby the discussion moves to a higher level.

And yet, I am afraid, you have not convinced me that all the scriptures you quote prescribe only chanting of the name of Kṛṣṇa. Let me refer only to the most important ones.

In the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 9.14|9.14]]), ''kīrtayantaḥ'' need not mean chanting of the name of Kṛṣṇa. It may mean glorifying, chanting, reciting, talking, and refer to songs, hymns, descriptions, or conversations. The commentators take it that way. Śaṅkara in his commentary merely repeats the word, but ''Anandagiri'' in his ''vyākhyā'' classes ''kīrtana'' as ''vedānta-śravaṇaṁ praṇava-japaś ca'', "listening to the ''Vedānta'' and muttering ''oṁ''" (that the Vedic ''oṁ'' is Kṛṣṇa is said in the ''Bhagavad-gītā'', where Kṛṣṇa is also identified with many other things, and which is smṛti, but not in the ''Vedas'', which are ''śruti''). Another commentator, Hanumān, in his ''Paiśāca-bhāṣya'', says that ''kīrtayantaḥ'' merely means ''bhāṣamānaḥ'' - "talking (about)."

More important, I think, than the precise meaning of this word, is that the entire verse does not require that everyone always engage in ''kīrtana'', but merely states that some great souls do so. This is obvious from the next verse, which states that ''anye'', "others," engage in ''jñāna'': ''yajñena''... ''yajanto mām'', "worshiping me... with the worship of knowledge." The ''Bhagavad-gītā'' is broad-minded and tolerant of a variety of religious approaches, although it also stresses one aspect above all others (i.e., ''sarva-phala-tyāga'').

Finally, in the last ''sūtra'' of the ''Vedānta-sūtra'', ''anāvṛttiḥ śabdāt''..., ''śabda'' refers to the scripture or to the revelation of the ''Vedas'', as is clear from the context and from the commentators. Śaṅkara quotes a number of texts (ending with ''ity ādi-śabdebhyaḥ,'' "according to these ''śabdas''") to support this, i.e., to support the statement that "according to the scripture there is no return." He also refers to ''śabda'' in this ''sūtra'' by saying ''mantrārtha-vādādi''..., "mantras, descriptions, etc." Vācaspati Miśra in the ''Bhāmati'' supports this and clarifies it further by adding that a contrary view is ''śruti-smṛti-virodhaḥ'', "in conflict with the ''smṛti'' and the ''śruti''"

Thanking you once again for your kind attention.

Yours very sincerely,<br />
J. F. Staal

'''Reply from Śrīla Prabhupāda to Professor Staal'''

February 15, 1970

J. F. Staal<br />
Professor of Philosophy and of South Asian Languages

My dear Dr. Staal:

I am very glad to receive your letter dated Sunday, February 8, 1970. I am very much pleased also to note the contents.

Regarding convincing you that all scriptures prescribe chanting of the name of Kṛṣṇa, I can simply present the authority of Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya recommended, ''kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ'' ["Hari, Kṛṣṇa, is constantly to be praised" (''Śikṣāṣṭaka'' 3) [[CC Adi 17.31|Cc. Ādi 17.31]]. Similarly, Madhvācārya quotes, ''vede rāmāyaṇe caiva hariḥ sarvatra gīyate'' ("Hari is sung about everywhere in the ''Vedas'' and ''Rāmāyaṇa''"). Similarly, in the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 15.15|15.15]]) the Lord says, ''vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ'' ("By all the ''Vedas'', I am to be known").

In this way we find all the scriptures aiming at the Supreme Person. In the ''Ṛg Veda'' (1.22.20) the mantra is ''oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ'' ("The demigods are always looking to that supreme abode of Viṣṇu"). The whole Vedic process, therefore, is to understand Lord Viṣṇu, and any scripture is directly or indirectly chanting the glories of the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu.

Regarding the [[BG 9.14|''Bhagavad-gītā'', verse 9.14]], ''kīrtayantaḥ'' certainly means glorifying, chanting, reciting, and talking, as you have said; but glorifying, chanting, or reciting about whom? It is certainly Kṛṣṇa. The word used in this connection is ''mām'' ("Me"). Therefore, we do not disagree when a person glorifies Kṛṣṇa, as Śukadeva did in the ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''. This is also ''kīrtana''. The highest among all Vedic literatures is the proper place for such glorification of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, and this is to be well understood from the verse:

:''nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ
:''śuka-mukhād amṛta-drava-saṁyutam
:''pibata bhāgavataṁ rasam ālayaṁ
:''muhur aho rasikā bhuvi bhāvukāḥ''
:([[SB 1.1.3|SB 1.1.3]])
"O expert and thoughtful men, relish ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'', the mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures. It emanated from the lips of Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Therefore this fruit has become even more tasteful, although its nectarean juice was already relishable for all, including liberated souls." ([[SB 1.1.3|''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' 1.1.3]])

It is said that Mahārāja Parīkṣit attained salvation simply by hearing, and similarly Śukadeva Gosvāmī attained salvation simply by chanting. In our devotional service there are nine different methods for achieving the same goal, love of Godhead, and the first process is hearing. This hearing process is called ''śruti''. The next process is chanting. The chanting process is ''smṛti''. We accept both ''śruti'' and ''smṛti'' simultaneously. We consider ''śruti'' the mother and ''smṛti'' the sister, because a child hears from the mother and then again learns from the sister by description.

''Śruti'' and ''smṛti'' are two parallel lines. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī therefore says:

:''śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-
:''pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā
:''aikāntikī harer bhaktir
:''utpātāyaiva kalpate''
:(Brs. 1.2.101)
That is, without references to ''śruti'', ''smṛti'', ''Purāṇas'', and ''Pañcarātras'', unadulterated devotional service is never achieved. Therefore, anyone who shows a devotional ecstasy without reference to the ''śāstras'' (Vedic scriptures) simply creates disturbances. On the other hand, if we simply stick to the śrutīs, then we become ''veda-vāda-ratāḥ'',* who are not very much appreciated in the ''Bhagavad-gītā''.

Therefore ''Bhagavad-gītā'', although ''smṛti'', is the essence of all Vedic scripture, ''sarvopaniṣado gāvaḥ''.* It is just like a cow which is delivering the milk, or the essence of all the ''Vedas'' and ''Upaniṣads'', and all the ''ācāryas'', including Śaṅkarācārya, accept the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' as such. Therefore you cannot deny the authority of the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' because it is ''smṛti''; that view is ''śruti-smṛti-virodhaḥ'', "in conflict with the ''smṛti'' and the ''śruti''," as you have correctly said.

Regarding Ānandagiri's quotation that ''kīrtana'' means ''vedānta-śravaṇaṁ praṇava japaś ca'' ("listening to the ''Vedānta'' and muttering ''oṁ''"), the knower of ''Vedānta'' is Kṛṣṇa, and He is the compiler of Vedānta. He is ''veda-vit'' and ''vedānta-kṛt''. So where is there a greater opportunity for ''vedānta-śravaṇa'' than to hear it from Kṛṣṇa?

Regarding the next verse, in which it is mentioned that ''jñāna-yajñena''... ''yajanto mām'', the object of worship is Kṛṣṇa, as indicated by ''mām'' ("Me"). The process is described in the [[ISO 11|''Īśopaniṣad, mantra'' 11]]:

:''vidyāṁ cāvidyāṁ ca yas
:''tad vedobhayaṁ saha
:''avidyayā mṛtyuṁ tīrtvā
:''vidyayāmṛtam aśnute''
"Only one who can learn the process of nescience and that of transcendental knowledge side by side can transcend the influence of repeated birth and death and enjoy the full blessings of immortality."

The culture of ''vidyā'', or transcendental knowledge, is essential for the human being, otherwise the culture of ''avidyā'', or nescience, binds him to conditional existence on the material platform. Materialistic existence means the pursuit or culture of sense gratification, and this kind of knowledge of sense gratification (''avidyā'') means advancement of repeated birth and death. Those who are absorbed in such knowledge cannot learn any lesson from the laws of nature, and they do the same things over repeatedly, being enamored of the beauty of illusory things. ''Vidyā'', or factual knowledge, on the other hand, means to know thoroughly the process of nescient activities while at the same time culturing transcendental science and thereby undeviatingly following the path of liberation.

Liberation is the enjoyment of the full blessings of immortality. This immortality is enjoyed in the eternal kingdom of God (''sambhūty-amṛtam aśnute''), the region of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and is the result obtained by worshiping the Supreme Lord, the cause of all causes, ''sambhavāt''. So in this way real knowledge, ''vidyā'', means to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa; that is ''jñāna-yajñena'', the worship of knowledge.

This ''jñāna-yajñena''... ''yajanto mām'' is the perfection of knowledge, as stated in the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 7.19|7.19]]):

:''bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
:''jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
:''vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
:''sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ''
"After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me (Kṛṣṇa), knowing Me to be the cause of all causes, and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare."

If one has not yet come to this conclusion of knowledge and simply indulges in dry speculation without Kṛṣṇa, then his hard speculative labor is something like beating empty husks of grain. The unhulled rice and the empty husks of rice look very much the same. One who knows how to get the grain out of the unhulled rice is wise, but one who beats on the empty husk, thinking to get some result, is simply wasting his labor uselessly. Similarly, if one studies the ''Vedas'' without finding the goal of the ''Vedas'', Kṛṣṇa, he simply wastes his valuable time.

So to cultivate knowledge for worshiping Kṛṣṇa culminates after many, many births and deaths when one actually becomes wise. When one becomes wise in this way, he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa, recognizing Him at last to be the cause of all causes and all that is. That sort of great soul is very rare. So those who have surrendered to Kṛṣṇa life and soul are rare ''sudurlabha mahātmās''. They are not ordinary ''mahātmās''.

By the grace of Lord Caitanya that highest perfectional status of life is being distributed very freely. The effect is also very encouraging; otherwise, how are boys and girls without any background of Vedic culture quickly occupying the posts of rare ''mahātmās'' simply by vibrating this transcendental sound, Hare Kṛṣṇa? And simply on the basis of this chanting, the majority of them (those who are very sincere) are steady in devotional service and are not falling down to the four principles of material sinful life, namely (1) meat-eating, (2) illicit sexual connection, (3) taking of intoxicants, including coffee, tea, and tobacco, and (4) gambling. And that is the last sūtra of the ''Vedānta-sūtra'', i.e., ''anāvṛttiḥ śabdāt'' ("By sound vibration one becomes liberated").

One has to learn by the result (''phalena paricīyate''). Our students are ordered to act like this, and they are not falling down. That they are remaining on the platform of pure spiritual life without hankering to culture the above principles of ''avidyā'', or sense gratification, is the test of their proper understanding of the ''Vedas''. They do not come back to the material platform, because they are relishing the nectarean fruit of love of God.

''Sarva-phala-tyāga'' ("renunciation of all the fruits of one's work") is explained in the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' by the Lord Himself in the words ''sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja'' ([[BG 18.66|BG 18.66]]): "Give up everything and simply surrender unto Me (Kṛṣṇa)." The Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra means "O Supreme Energy of Kṛṣṇa and O Lord Kṛṣṇa, please engage me in Your eternal service." So we have given up everything and are simply engaged in the service of the Lord. What Kṛṣṇa orders us to do is our only engagement. We have given up all resultant actions of ''karma'', ''jñāna'', and ''yoga''; and that is the stage of pure devotional service, ''bhaktir uttamā''.

Yours sincerely,<br />
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

February 25, 1970

Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta<br />
Founder-''Ācārya''<br />
International Society for Krishna Consciousness

Dear Swamiji:

Thank you very much for your very interesting letter of February 15, 1970, with enclosure.

I am afraid that whenever you quote a passage purporting to show that only the chanting of the name Kṛṣṇa is required, I can quote another one which requires something else, adding, ''yadi śloko 'pi pramāṇam, ayam api ślokaḥ pramāṇaṁ bhavitum arhati'': "If mere verses are authoritative, this verse also ought to be regarded as authoritative." And there may be no end to this in the foreseeable future, as Patañjali also says, ''mahān hi śabdasya prayoga-viṣayaḥ'': "For vast is the domain for the use of words."

Yours very sincerely,<br />
J. F. Staal

'''Reply from Śrīla Prabhupāda to Dr. Staal'''

3764 Watseka Avenue<br />
Los Angeles, California 90034

April 24, 1970

Dear Dr. Staal:

I beg to thank you very much for your kind letter dated February 25, 1970. I am sorry that I could not reply to your letter earlier because I was a little busy in the matter of purchasing a new church estate at the above address. We have secured a very nice place for a separate temple, lecture room, my quarters, and the devotees' residential quarters, all together in a nice place with all the modern amenities.

I beg to request you to visit this place at your convenience, and if you kindly let me know a day before, my students will be very glad to receive you properly.

Regarding our correspondence, actually this quotation and counter-quotation cannot solve the problem. In a court both the learned lawyers quote from law books, but that is not the solution to the case. The determination of the case is the judgment of the presiding judge. So argument cannot bring us to a conclusion.

The scriptural quotations are sometimes contradictory, and every philosopher has a different opinion, because without putting forward a different thesis, no one can become a famous philosopher. It is therefore difficult to arrive at the right conclusion. The conclusion is, as above mentioned, to accept the judgment of authority. We follow the authority of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa, and His version according to Vedic scripture is that in this age this chanting is the only solution for all problems of life. And that is actually being shown by practical experience.

Recently there was a big procession of our students in Berkeley on the Advent Day of Lord Caitanya, and the public has remarked as follows: "This crowd of men is not like others, who assemble to break windows and create havoc." This is also confirmed by the police in the following words: "Members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement cooperated fully with the police, and their efforts to maintain peaceful order throughout the parade were so successful that only minimal police involvement was required."

Similarly, in Detroit there was a big peace march, and our men were appreciated as "angels" in the crowd. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is actually needed at the present moment as the panacea for all kinds of problems in human society.

Other quotations will not act very appreciably at this time. In a drugstore there may be many medicines, and all may be genuine, but what is required is that an experienced physician prescribe medicine for a particular patient. We cannot say in this case, "This is also medicine, and this is also medicine." No. The medicine which is effective for a particular person is the medicine for him - ''phalena paricīyate''.

Yours very sincerely,<br />
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

'''Final Note by Śrīla Prabhupāda'''

In a court of justice two lawyers put forward their respective relevant arguments taken from the authorized law books to decide a point, but it is up to the judge to decide the case in favor of one of the litigants. When the opposing lawyers put forward their arguments, both of them are legal and bona fide, but the judgment is given as to which argument is applicable to the particular case.

Lord Caitanya gives His judgment on the authority of ''śāstras'' that the chanting of the holy names of the Lord is the only means to elevate one to the transcendental platform, and actually we can see it is effective. Each and every one of our students who has seriously taken to this process may be examined individually, and any impartial judge will find it easy to see that they have advanced in their transcendental realization further than any philosophers, religionists, yogīs, ''karmīs'', etc.

We have to accept everything favorable to the circumstances. Rejection of other methods in a particular circumstance does not mean that the rejected ones are not bona fide. But for the time being, taking into consideration the age, time, and object, methods are sometimes rejected even though bona fide. We have to test everything by its practical result. By such a test, in this age the constant chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa ''mahā-mantra'' undoubtedly proves very effective.

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

<div style="float:left">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=The Science of Self-Realization]] '''[[The Science of Self-Realization|INDEX]] - [[SSR3 Looking at the Cultural Background|3. Looking at the Cultural Background]]'''</div>
<div style="float:right">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=SSR3a The Immortal Nectar of the Bhagavad-gita]] '''[[SSR3a The Immortal Nectar of the Bhagavad-gita|3a. The Immortal Nectar of the Bhagavad-gītā]] - [[SSR3c Krsna Consciousness: Hindu Cult or Divine Culture?|3c. Kṛṣṇa Consciousness: Hindu Cult or Divine Culture?]]''' [[File:Go-next.png|link=SSR3c Krsna Consciousness: Hindu Cult or Divine Culture?]]</div>

TQK 26 Enchantment by Krsna's Glories

2022-01-21T05:10:01Z

Abhay:

[[Category:Teachings of Queen Kunti]]
<div style="float:left">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=Teachings of Queen Kunti]] '''[[Teachings of Queen Kunti|Teachings of Queen Kuntī]]'''</div>
<div style="float:right">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=TQK 25 Unalloyed Devotion]] '''[[TQK 25 Unalloyed Devotion|25. Unalloyed Devotion]]'''</div>
{{RandomImage}}

<div class="verse">
:''śrī-kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa-sakha vṛṣṇy-ṛṣabhāvani-dhrug-
:''rājanya-vaṁśa-dahanānapavarga-vīrya
:''govinda go-dvija-surārti-harāvatāra
:''yogeśvarākhila-guro bhagavan namas te''
</div>

<div class="translation">
O Kṛṣṇa, O friend of Arjuna, O chief among the descendants of Vṛṣṇi, You are the destroyer of those political parties which are disturbing elements on this earth. Your prowess never deteriorates. You are the proprietor of the transcendental abode, and You descend to relieve the distresses of the cows, the brāhmaṇas, and the devotees, You possess all mystic powers, and You are the preceptor of the entire universe. You are the almighty God, and I offer You my respectful obeisances.
</div>
- [[SB 1.8.43|''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' 1.8.43]]

<div class="text">
A summary of the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is made herein by Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī. The almighty Lord has His eternal, transcendental abode, where He is engaged in keeping ''surabhi'' cows. He is served by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune. He descends on the material world to reclaim His devotees and to annihilate the disturbing elements in groups of political parties and kings who are supposed to be in charge of administration work. He creates, maintains, and annihilates by His unlimited energies, and still He is always full with prowess and does not deteriorate in potency. The cows, the ''brāhmaṇas'', and the devotees of the Lord are all objects of His special attention because they are very important factors for the general welfare of living beings.

Kuntī addresses Lord Kṛṣṇa as ''kṛṣṇa-sakha'' because she knows that although Arjuna, who is also known as Kṛṣṇa, is her son and therefore subordinate to her, Lord Kṛṣṇa is more intimately related with Arjuna than with her. Kṛṣṇā is also a name of Draupadī, and so the word ''kṛṣṇa-sakha'' also indicates Lord Kṛṣṇa's relationship with Draupadī, whom He saved from being insulted when Duryodhana and Karṇa attempted to strip her naked. Kuntī also addresses Lord Kṛṣṇa as ''vṛṣṇi-ṛṣabha'', the child of the dynasty of Vṛṣṇi. It was because Kṛṣṇa appeared in the Vṛṣṇi dynasty that this dynasty became famous, just as Malaysia and the Malaya Hills became famous because of the sandalwood that grows there.

Kuntīdevī also addresses Lord Kṛṣṇa as the destroyer of the political parties or royal dynasties that disturb the earth. In every monarchy, the king is honored very gorgeously. Why? Since he is a human being and the other citizens are also human beings, why is the king so honored? The answer is that the king, like the spiritual master, is meant to be the representative of God. In the Vedic literature it is said, ''ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit'' ([[SB 11.17.27|SB 11.17.27]]): the spiritual master should not be regarded as an ordinary human being. Similarly, a king or president is also not treated like an ordinary human being.

In the Sanskrit language the king is also called ''naradeva'', which means "God in human form." His duty is like that of Kṛṣṇa. As God is the supreme living being in the universe and is the maintainer of all other living beings, the king is the supreme citizen in the state and is responsible for the welfare of all others.

Just as we are all living beings, Kṛṣṇa, God, is also a living being. Kṛṣṇa is not impersonal. Because we are all individual persons but our knowledge and opulence are limited, the impersonalists cannot adjust to the idea that the Supreme, the original, unlimited cause of everything, can also be a person. Because we are limited and God is unlimited, the Māyāvādīs, or impersonalists, with their poor fund of knowledge, think that God must be impersonal. Making a material comparison, they say that just as the sky, which we think of as unlimited, is impersonal, if God is unlimited He must also be impersonal.

But that is not the Vedic instruction. The ''Vedas'' instruct that God is a person. Kṛṣṇa is a person, and we are also persons, but the difference is that He is to be worshiped whereas we are to be worshipers. The king or president is a person, and the citizens are also persons, but the difference is that the president or king is an exalted person who should be offered all respect.

Now, why should so many persons worship one person? Because that one person provides for the others. ''Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān''. God is one, and we are many, but He is worshiped because He provides for everyone. It is God who provides food and all the other necessities of life. We need water, and God has nicely arranged for oceans of water, with salt mixed in to preserve it all nicely. Then, because we need drinking water, by God's arrangement the sunshine evaporates the water from the ocean, takes it high in the sky, and then distributes clear, distilled water. Just see how God is providing everything that everyone needs.

Even in ordinary life the state has a heating department, lighting department, plumbing department, and so on. Why? Because these are amenities we require. But these arrangements are subordinate; the first arrangement is that of God. It is God who originally supplies heat, light, and water. It is God who supplies the rainwater that fills our wells and reservoirs. Therefore the original supplier is God.

God is an intelligent person who knows that we need heat, light, water, and so on. Without water we cannot produce food. Even those who eat animals cannot do so without God's arrangement, for the animal also must be provided with grass before one can take it to the slaughterhouse. Thus it is God who is supplying food, but still we are creating rebellion against Him. The word ''dhruk'' means "rebellious." Those rascals who are going against the law of God are rebellious.

The king's duty is to act as the representative of Kṛṣṇa, or God. Otherwise what right does he have to take so much honor from the citizens? Monarchy was formerly present in every country, but because the kings rebelled against God and violated His laws, because they tried to usurp the power of God and did not act as His representatives, the monarchies of the world have nearly all disappeared. The kings thought that their kingdoms were their personal property. "I have so much property, such a big kingdom," they thought. "I am God. I am the lord of all I survey." But that is not actually the fact. That fact is that everything belongs to God (''īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam'' ([[ISO 1|ISO 1]])). Therefore the representative of God must be very obedient to God, and then his position will be legitimate.

Greedy, self-interested kings are like false spiritual masters who proclaim that they themselves are God. Because such false masters are rebellious, they have no position. A spiritual master is supposed to act not as God but as the most confidential servant of God by spreading God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, ''sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ'': all the śāstras, the Vedic literatures, state that the spiritual master is to be honored as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus the idea that the spiritual master is as good as God is not bogus. It is stated in the ''śāstras'', and therefore those who are advanced in spiritual life accept this spiritual injunction (''uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ''). Then is the spiritual master as good as God? ''Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya'': the spiritual master is not God, but is the confidential representative of God. The distinction is that between ''sevya-bhagavān'' (he who is worshiped) and ''sevaka-bhagavān'' (he who is the worshiper). The spiritual master is God, and Kṛṣṇa is God, but Kṛṣṇa is the worshipable God whereas the spiritual master is the worshiper God.

The Māyāvādīs cannot understand this. They think, "Because the spiritual master has to be accepted as God and because I have become a spiritual master, I have become God." This is rebellious. Those who are given a position by God but who want to usurp His power, which they actually cannot do, are rebellious fools and rascals who require punishment. Therefore Kuntīdevī says, ''avani-dhrug-rājanya-vaṁśa-dahana'': "You descend to kill all these rascals who rebelliously claim Your position." When various kings or landholders are subordinate to an emperor, they sometimes rebel and refuse to pay taxes. Similarly, there are rebellious persons who deny the supremacy of God and declare themselves God, and Kṛṣṇa's business is to kill them.

The word ''anapavarga'' indicates that Kṛṣṇa's prowess is without deterioration. This word is the opposite of the word ''pavarga'', which refers to the path of material tribulation. According to Sanskrit linguistics, the word ''pa-varga'' also refers to the Sanskrit letters ''pa'', ''pha'', ''ba'', ''bha'', and ''ma''. Thus when the word ''pavarga'' is used to refer to the path of material tribulation, its meaning is understood through words beginning with these five letters.

The letter ''pa'' is for ''pariśrama'', which means "labor." In this material world, one must work very hard to maintain oneself. In ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 3.8|3.8]]) it is said, ''śarīra-yātrāpi ca te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ'': "one cannot even maintain one's own body without work." Kṛṣṇa never advised Arjuna, "I am your friend, and I shall do everything. You just sit down and smoke ''gañjā''." Kṛṣṇa was doing everything, but still He told Arjuna, "You must fight." Nor did Arjuna say to Kṛṣṇa, "You are my great friend. Better for You to fight and let me sit down and smoke ''gañjā''." No, that is not Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A God conscious person does not say, "God, You please do everything for me and let me smoke ''gañjā''." Rather, a God conscious person must work for God. But even if one does not work for the sake of God, one must work, for without work one cannot even maintain one's body. This material world, therefore, is meant for ''pariśrama'', hard labor.

Even a lion, although king of the beasts, must still look for its own prey in the jungle. It is said, ''na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ''. A lion cannot think, "Since I am king of the forest, let me sleep, and all the animals will come into my mouth." That is not possible. "No, sir. Although you are a lion, you must go search for your food." Thus even the lion, although so powerful, must endeavor with great difficulty to find another animal to eat, and similarly everyone in this material world must work with great difficulty to continue his life.

Thus pa indicates ''pariśrama'', labor, and ''pha'' is for ''phena'', which means "foam." While working very hard a horse foams at the mouth, and similarly human beings must also work hard in this way. Such hard labor, however, is ''vyartha'', futile, and this is what is indicated by the letter ''ba''. And ''bha'' indicates ''bhaya'', fear. Despite working so hard, one is always somewhat fearful that things will not be done as he desires. The nature of the body is that it involves eating, sleeping, mating, and fearing (''āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca''). Although one may eat very nicely, one must consider whether one is overeating, so that he will not fall sick. Thus even eating involves fear. A bird, while eating, looks this way and that way, fearful that some enemy may be coming. And for all living entities, everything finally ends in death, ''mṛtyu'', and this is what is indicated by the letter ''ma''.

Thus pavarga and its component letters ''pa'', ''pha'', ''ba'', ''bha'', and ''ma'' indicate hard labor (''pariśrama''), foam at the mouth (''phena''), frustration (''vyartha''), fear (''bhaya''), and death (''mṛtyu''). This is called ''pavarga'', the path of material tribulation. ''Apavarga'', however, indicates just the opposite - the spiritual world, where there is no labor, no foam, no frustration, no fear, and no death. Thus Kṛṣṇa is known as ''anapavarga-vīrya'', for He shows the path to the spiritual world.

Why should one suffer from these five kinds of tribulation? Because one has a material body. As soon as one accepts a material body - whether it is that of a president or a common man, a demigod or a human being, an insect or a Brahmā - one must go through these tribulations. This is called material existence. Kṛṣṇa comes, therefore, to show one the path to ''apavarga'', freedom from these tribulations, and when Kṛṣṇa shows this path, we should accept it. Kṛṣṇa says very clearly, "Surrender unto Me. I shall give you ''apavarga''." ''Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi'': ([[BG 18.66|BG 18.66]]) "I shall give you protection." And Kṛṣṇa has the power with which to fulfill this guarantee.

Kuntīdevī addresses Kṛṣṇa as Govinda because He is the giver of pleasure both to the cows and to the senses. ''Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi''. Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, is the ''ādi-puruṣa'', the original person. ''Aham ādir hi devānām'' ([[BG 10.2|BG 10.2]]): He is the origin even of demigods like Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva. People should not think that Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva are the origin of everything. No. Kṛṣṇa says, ''aham ādir hi devānām'': "I am the origin even of these demigods." Therefore we repeatedly emphasize that we worship no one but the original person (''govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi'' **).

When Kuntī prays,''go-dvija-surārti-harāvatāra'' ([[SB 1.8.43|SB 1.8.43]]), she indicates that Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, descends to this world especially to protect the cows, the ''brāhmaṇas'', and the devotees. The demoniac in this world are the greatest enemies of the cows, for they maintain hundreds and thousands of slaughterhouses. Although the innocent cows give milk, the most important food, and although even after death the cows give their skin for shoes, people are such rascals that they kill the cows, but still they want to be happy in this world. How sinful they are.

Why is cow protection so much advocated? Because the cow is the most important animal. There is no injunction that one should not eat the flesh of tigers or other such animals. In the Vedic culture those who are meat-eaters are recommended to eat the flesh of goats, dogs, hogs, or other lower animals, but never the flesh of cows, the most important animals. While living, the cows give important service by giving milk, and even after death they give service by making available their skin, hooves, and horns, which may be used in many ways. Nonetheless, the present human society is so ungrateful that they needlessly kill these innocent cows. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes to punish them.

Kṛṣṇa is worshiped with this prayer:

:''namo brahmaṇya-devāya
:''go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca
:''jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya
:''govindāya namo namaḥ''

"My Lord, You are the well-wisher of the cows and the brāhmaṇas, and You are the well-wisher of the entire human society and world." For perfect human society there must be protection of ''go-dvija'' - the cows and the ''brāhmaṇas''. The word ''dvija'' refers to the ''brāhmaṇa'', or one who knows Brahman (God). When the demoniac give too much trouble to the ''brāhmaṇas'' and the cows, Kṛṣṇa descends to reestablish religious principles. As the Lord says in ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 4.7|4.7]]):

:''yadā yadā hi dharmasya
:''glānir bhavati bhārata
:''abhyutthānam adharmasya
:''tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham''

"Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion - at that time I descend Myself."

In the present age, Kali-yuga, people are very much sinful and are consequently suffering greatly. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has incarnated in the form of His name, as found in the ''mahā-mantra'': Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Queen Kuntī prayed to the Lord just to enunciate a fragment of His glories. The Lord, upon hearing her prayers, which were composed in choice words for His glorification, responded by smiling, and His smile was as enchanting as His mystic power. The conditioned souls, who are engaged in trying to lord it over the material world, are also enchanted by the Lord's mystic powers, but His devotees are enchanted in a different way by the glories of the Lord. Thus all the devotees worship the Lord by chosen words. No amount of chosen words are sufficient to enumerate the Lord's glory, yet He is satisfied by such prayers, just as a father is satisfied even by the broken linguistic attempts of a growing child. Thus the Lord smiled and accepted the prayers of Queen Kuntī.
</div>

<div style="float:left">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=Teachings of Queen Kunti]] '''[[Teachings of Queen Kunti|Teachings of Queen Kuntī]]'''</div>
<div style="float:right">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=TQK 25 Unalloyed Devotion]] '''[[TQK 25 Unalloyed Devotion|25. Unalloyed Devotion]]'''</div>
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TLK 9 Purifying the Mind for Self-realization

2022-01-17T05:06:27Z

Abhay:

[[Category:Teachings of Lord Kapila|T09]]
<div style="float:left">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti]] '''[[Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti|Teachings of Lord Kapila]]'''</div>
<div style="float:right">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=TLK 8 Bhakti-yoga: The Supreme Yoga System]] '''[[TLK 8 Bhakti-yoga: The Supreme Yoga System|8. Bhakti-yoga: The Supreme Yoga System]] - [[TLK 10 Spiritual Attachment and Material Detachment|10. Spiritual Attachment and Material Detachment]]''' [[File:Go-next.png|link=TLK 10 Spiritual Attachment and Material Detachment]]</div>
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===== [[SB 3.25.15|TEXT 15]] =====

<div class="verse">
:''cetaḥ khalv asya bandhāya
:''muktaye cātmano matam
:''guṇeṣu saktaṁ bandhāya
:''rataṁ vā puṁsi muktaye''
</div>

===== TRANSLATION =====

<div class="translation">
The stage in which the consciousness of the living entity is attracted by the three modes of material nature is called conditional life. But when that same consciousness is attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is situated in the consciousness of liberation.
</div>

===== PURPORT =====

<div class="purport">
There is a distinction here between Kṛṣṇa consciousness and ''māyā'' consciousness. ''Guṇeṣu'', or ''māyā'' consciousness, involves attachment to the three material modes of nature, under which one works sometimes in goodness and knowledge, sometimes in passion and sometimes in ignorance. These different qualitative activities, with the central attachment for material enjoyment, are the cause of one's conditional life. When the same ''cetaḥ'', or consciousness, is transferred to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, or when one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is on the path of liberation.
</div>

===== [[SB 3.25.16|TEXT 16]] =====

<div class="verse">
:''ahaṁ-mamābhimānotthaiḥ
:''kāma-lobhādibhir malaiḥ
:''vītaṁ yadā manaḥ śuddham
:''aduḥkham asukhaṁ samam''
</div>

===== TRANSLATION =====

<div class="translation">
When one is completely cleansed of the impurities of lust and greed produced from the false identification of the body as "I" and bodily possessions as "mine," one's mind becomes purified. In that pure state he transcends the stage of material happiness and distress.
</div>

===== PURPORT =====

<div class="purport">
''Kāma'' and ''lobha'' are the symptoms of material existence. Everyone always desires to possess something. It is said here that desire and greed are the products of false identification of oneself with the body. When one becomes free from this contamination, his mind and consciousness also become freed and attain their original state. Mind, consciousness and the living entity exist. Whenever we speak of the living entity, this includes the mind and consciousness. The difference between conditional life and liberated life occurs when we purify the mind and the consciousness. When they are purified, one becomes transcendental to material happiness and distress.

In the beginning Lord Kapila has said that perfect ''yoga'' enables one to transcend the platform of material distress and happiness. How this can be done is explained here: one has to purify his mind and consciousness. This can be done by the ''bhakti-yoga'' system. As explained in the ''Nārada Pañcarātra'', one's mind and senses should be purified (''tat-paratvena nirmalam'' ([[CC Madhya 19.170|''CC Madhya'' 19.170]])). One's senses must be engaged in devotional service of the Lord. That is the process. The mind must have some engagement. One cannot make the mind vacant. Of course there are some foolish attempts to try to make the mind vacant or void, but that is not possible. The only process that will purify the mind is to engage it in Kṛṣṇa. The mind must be engaged. If we engage our mind in Kṛṣṇa, naturally the consciousness becomes fully purified, and there is no chance that material desire and greed will enter.

Our mind is our friend, and our mind is our enemy. If it is cleansed, it is a friend, and if it is dirty, we contact material diseases. If we keep ourselves clean, pure, we will not be contaminated. According to Vedic civilization, one has to cleanse himself externally three times daily - once in the morning, again at noon, and again in the evening. Those who strictly follow the brahminical rules and regulations follow this process. Cleanliness is next to godliness. Conditional life means that the mind is covered with dirty things, and this is our disease. When we are in the lower modes of ''tamo-guṇa'' and ''rajo-guṇa'', these dirty things are very prominent. One has to raise himself to the mode of ''sattva'' (goodness) by the process of ''saṅkīrtana'' and ''śravaṇa''. One has to hear ''kṛṣṇa-kathā''. Kṛṣṇa is within everyone's heart. The individual soul is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa wants the individual soul to turn to Him. Unfortunately the conditioned soul is attached to material enjoyment, and this is the cause of his bondage to birth, death, old age and disease. He is so foolish that he does not take into consideration that these miseries are repeated. He is like an ass that belongs to a washerman who loads him down with heavy clothes. For a few morsels of grass, the ass has to carry heavy loads all day, although not a single piece of clothing belongs to him. This is the way of the ''karmīs''. They may become big multimillionaires, but they are just like asses, working hard day and night. Regardless of how much money they may have, their stomachs can only hold so much. And they require only six feet of space to sleep. Nonetheless, these big ''karmīs'' are thinking themselves very important. They think, "Without me, all the members of my nation will die. Let me work day and night to the point of death." People are thinking, "I belong to this family, this nation, this community. I have this duty or that duty," and so on. People do not know that these are all false designations.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore enjoins, ''jīvera 'svarūpa' haya-kṛṣṇera 'nitya-dāsa''': ([[CC Madhya 20.108|CC Madhya 20.108]]) our actual position is that of eternal servants of Kṛṣṇa. We are mistakenly thinking that we are servants of a family or nation, but this is due to ignorance, ''tamo-guṇa''. However, we can attain the platform of ''sattva-guṇa'' by following the instructions given in ''Bhagavad-gītā''. Hearing ''kṛṣṇa-kathā'', topics about Kṛṣṇa, clears all the dirty things from the mind. Also, if we chant and dance, these dirty things will be wiped away. The mind is the cause of bondage, and the mind is the cause of liberation. When it is dirty, it brings about bondage. In conditional life, we take birth, remain for some time, and enjoy or suffer. But really there is no question of enjoyment. There is only suffering. When we die, we have to give up the body and then take on another body. We immediately enter the womb of another mother, stay for nine months or so, and then come out. Then a new chapter of life begins. This is conditioned life, and it goes on again and again and again. In this way we undergo the tribulations of birth, old age, disease and death. The dogs and cats cannot understand this process, but we can understand it in human life through the Vedic literatures. If we don't take advantage of these literatures, all our education is for nothing.

People actually waste their time talking politics, sociology, anthropology, and so on. They read many literatures that do not glorify the Supreme Lord Hari, and thus they waste their time. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving everyone a chance to become pious. ''Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ'' ([[SB 1.2.17|SB 1.2.17]]). It is not necessary to give money or bathe in the Ganges. There are many pious activities and many processes recommended in the ''śāstras'' for becoming pious. However, in Kali-yuga people have lost all their stamina. They are so sinful that there is no question of becoming pious through all these prescribed methods. The only means is hearing about Kṛṣṇa and chanting His names. Kṛṣṇa has given us ears to hear and a tongue to speak. We can hear from a realized soul and thus perfect our lives. In this way we are given a chance to purify ourselves. Unless we are purified, we cannot become devotees. Human life is meant for purification. Unfortunately in this age people are not interested in Kṛṣṇa, and they suffer through material existence one life after another after another. In one life they may be very opulent. Then they don't care about the next life. They think, "Let me eat, drink and be merry." This is going on all over the world, but the ''śāstras'' say that people are making mistakes in this way. ''Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarmaḥ'' ([[SB 5.5.4|SB 5.5.4]]): people have become mad with sense gratification, and therefore they engage in all sorts of forbidden things. ''Karma'' means regulated work, and ''vikarma'' means just the opposite - unlawful, forbidden activities. The word ''akarma'' means that one is not affected by the results of work. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā ([[BG 3.9|3.9]]):

:''yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra
:''loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ
:''tad-arthaṁ karma kaunteya
:''mukta-saṅgaḥ samācara''

"Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṇu has to be performed, otherwise work binds one to this material world. Therefore, O son of Kuntī, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain unattached and free from bondage."

When people are in the modes of passion and ignorance, they perform ''vikarma''. They do not care for their future lives, and they are habituated to eating anything and everything, just like hogs. They do not care for the śastric injunctions, and they are totally irresponsible. They are just like street boys who have no education and do not care for anything. Such urchins do whatever they like, for their fathers and mothers do not care for them. Life in ignorance, ''tamo-guṇa'', is such a careless life. People simply act unlawfully, not considering the results of their actions. They act for sense gratification, and actually they take pleasure in committing sins. In Calcutta I have seen people taking pleasure in cutting the throats of chickens and laughing when the chicken jumps and flaps about. Sometimes in Western countries students are taken to slaughterhouses just to see how the cows are butchered. In this age, people take pleasure in committing all kinds of sins. They have no brains to see that this body is temporary and full of suffering. They are completely in the mode of darkness, just like the animals they slaughter. There may be many animals in a pasture, and if one takes an animal aside and cuts its throat, the other animals will simply stand, look, and continue eating grass. They do not realize that the next time they may be slaughtered. The people in Kali-yuga are in the same situation, but the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to give these rascals a little sense. We are saying, "Don't remain animals. Become human beings." In the words of Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

:''kṛṣṇa bhuli' sei jīva anādi-bahirmukha
:''ataeva māyā tāre deya saṁsāra-duḥkha''

"Forgetting Kṛṣṇa, the living entity has been attracted by the external feature from time immemorial. Therefore the illusory energy (''māyā'') gives him all kinds of misery in his material existence. ([[CC Madhya 20.117|CC Madhya 20.117]]) When one forgets his relationship with Kṛṣṇa, he acts in a very foolish way, and ''māyā'' gives him one misery after another. It is also stated:

:''māyā-mugdha jīvera nāhi svataḥ kṛṣṇa jñāna
:''jīvere kṛpāya kailā kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa''

"The conditioned soul cannot revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness by his own effort. But out of causeless mercy, Lord Kṛṣṇa compiled the Vedic literature and its supplements, the ''Purāṇas''." ([[CC Madhya 20.122|CC Madhya 20.122]])

The Vedic literatures - the ''Vedānta'', ''Upaniṣads'', ''Rāmāyaṇa'', ''Mahābhārata'' and many others - should be utilized if we wish to become free from the contamination of ''tamo-guṇa'' and ''rajo-guṇa''. The whole world is revolving due to ''kāma'' and ''lobha''. Kāma means "lusty desire," and ''lobha'' means "greed." people cannot have enough sex or money, and because of this, their hearts are filled with contaminations, which have to be cleansed by hearing, repeating and chanting. Human life is meant to get rid of ''anarthas'', unwanted things, but where is the university or college where this science of purification is taught? The only institution is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness society. Kṛṣṇa is within the heart, and the contaminations are also there, but Kṛṣṇa will help us cleanse them. ''Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā'' ([[SB 1.2.18|SB 1.2.18]]). We must regularly hear ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa; these are the two processes recommended by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Haridāsa Ṭhākura was chanting three hundred thousand holy names a day, but we have fixed the number at sixteen rounds. Nonetheless, we are so unfortunate and fallen that we cannot even perform them. We should not waste our time reading and talking nonsense, but should engage in the study of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''. Our time is very valuable, and we should not waste it. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has said: ''āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi na labhyaḥ svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ''. We may live for a hundred years, but not one moment of these hundred years can be returned, not even if we are prepared to pay millions of dollars. We cannot add a moment, nor can we get a moment back. If time is money, we should just consider how much money we have lost. However, time is even more precious because it cannot be regained. Therefore not a single moment should be lost. Human life should be utilized only for chanting and reading Vedic literatures. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is publishing many books so that people can utilize their time properly by reading them and make their lives successful. Not only should we read ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'', but we should also serve the person ''bhāgavata'', one whose life is nothing but ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''. ''Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā'' ([[SB 1.2.18|SB 1.2.18]]). By this process we can attain the stage of ''bhagavad-bhakti'', but first we must get rid of all these ''anarthas'', unwanted things. Presently we are wasting our time thinking, "This is my country. This is my nation. This is my body and my family," and so on. ''Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā''. We can vanquish all these false conceptions when we come to the platform of ''sattva-guṇa''. Then we will not be disturbed by ''tamo-guṇa'' or ''rajo-guṇa'', nor by ''kāma'' or ''lobha'' (lust and greed). This is the ''vasudeva'' platform. ''Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya''.

Lord Kapiladeva, in the next verse, points out the results that follow the successful completion of this purificatory process.
</div>

===== [[SB 3.25.17|TEXT 17]] =====

<div class="verse">
:''tadā puruṣa ātmānaṁ
:''kevalaṁ prakṛteḥ param
:''nirantaraṁ svayaṁ-jyotir
:''aṇimānam akhaṇḍitam''
</div>

===== TRANSLATION =====

<div class="translation">
At that time the soul can see himself to be transcendental to material existence and always self-effulgent, never fragmented, although very minute in size.
</div>

===== PURPORT =====

<div class="purport">
In the state of pure consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can see himself as a minute particle nondifferent from the Supreme Lord. As stated in ''Bhagavad-gītā'', the ''jīva'', or the individual soul, is eternally part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Just as the sun's rays are minute particles of the brilliant sun, so a living entity is a minute particle of the Supreme Spirit. The individual soul and the Supreme Lord are not separated as in material differentiation. The individual soul is a particle from the very beginning. One should not think that because the individual soul is a particle, it is fragmented from the whole spirit. Māyāvāda philosophy enunciates that the whole spirit exists, but a part of it, which is called the ''jīva'', is entrapped by illusion. This philosophy, however, is unacceptable because spirit cannot be divided like a fragment of matter. That part, the ''jīva'', is eternally a part. As long as the Supreme Spirit exists, His part and parcel also exists. As long as the sun exists, the molecules of the sun's rays also exist.

The ''jīva'' particle is estimated in the Vedic literature to be one ten-thousandth the size of the upper portion of a hair. He is therefore infinitesimal. The Supreme Spirit is infinite, but the living entity, or individual soul, is infinitesimal, although he is not different in quality from the Supreme Spirit.

Two words in this verse are to be particularly noted. One is ''nirantaram'', which means "nondifferent" or "of the same quality." The individual soul is also expressed here as ''aṇimānam''. ''Aṇimānam'' means "infinitesimal." The Supreme Spirit is all-pervading, but the very small spirit is the individual soul. ''Akhaṇḍitam'' means not exactly "fragmented" but "constitutionally always infinitesimal." No one can separate the molecular parts of the sunshine from the sun, but at the same time the molecular part of the sunshine is not as expansive as the sun itself. Similarly, the living entity, by his constitutional position, is qualitatively the same as the Supreme Spirit, but he is infinitesimal.

Self-realization means seeing one's proper identity as the infinitesimal ''jīva''. At the present moment, we are seeing the body, but this is not our proper identity. We have no vision of the real person occupying the body. The first lesson we receive from ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 2.13|2.13]]) informs us that the body and the owner of the body are different. When we can understand that we are not the body, that is the beginning of self-realization, and that is called the ''brahma-bhūta'' ([[SB 4.30.20|SB 4.30.20]]) stage. ''Ahaṁ brahmāsmi''. I am not this material body, but spirit soul. And what are the characteristics of the ''jīva'', the soul? First of all, he is ''aṇimānam'', very minute, infinitesimal. We are also jyoti, effulgent, like God, but God is ''brahma-jyoti'', all-pervading and infinite. According to the Māyāvāda theory, we are the same as that ''brahma-jyotir''. Māyāvādīs give the example of a pot and the sky. Outside the pot there is sky, and within the pot there is sky. The separation is only due to the wall of the pot. When the pot is broken, the inside and outside become one. However, this example does not properly apply to the soul, as it is described in ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 2.24|2.24]]):

:''acchedyo 'yam adāhyo 'yam
:''akledyo 'śoṣya eva ca
:''nityaḥ sarva-gataḥ sthāṇur
:''acalo 'yaṁ sanātanaḥ''

"This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, all-pervading, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same." The Soul cannot be cut in pieces or segmented. This means that the soul is eternally, perpetually minute. We are the eternal parts and parcels of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. As Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself states in ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 15.7|15.7]]):

:''mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke
:''jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ''

"The living entities in the conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts." The word ''sanātana'' means "eternal," and the word ''aṁśa'' means "particles." God, Kṛṣṇa, is very great. No one is equal to Him or greater than Him. It is said that God is great, but we do not actually realize how great God is. He is so great that millions of universes are emanating from the pores of His body.

:''yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya
:''jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ
:''viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo
:''govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi''

"The Brahmās and other lords of the mundane worlds appear from the pores of the Mahā-Viṣṇu and remain alive for the duration of His one exhalation. I adore the primeval Lord, Govinda, for Mahā-Viṣṇu is a portion of His plenary portion." (Bs. 5.48)

Millions of universes emanate from the breathing of the Mahā-Viṣṇu. In the Tenth Chapter of ''Bhagavad-gītā'', Kṛṣṇa gives Arjuna some indication of His infinite glory, and He concludes His descriptions with the following statement ([[BG 10.42|BG 10.42]]):

:''athavā bahunaitena
:''kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna
:''viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam
:''ekāṁśena sthito jagat''

"But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe."

This universe (''jagat'') is situated on the strength of one part of Kṛṣṇa's yogic powers. In this way we must understand the greatness of God and our own identity as minute particles. It is stated in the ''purāṇas'' that the individual soul is one ten-thousandth part of the tip of a hair. If we could somehow divide the tip of a hair into ten thousand parts, we might begin to understand how the soul is invisible. Self-realization means knowing our identity as small particles. The small particle of spirit soul is within every one of us, but it is not possible to see with material eyes. There is no instrument existing in the material universe by which one can actually see the soul. Because of our inability to perceive the soul, we say it is ''nirākāra'', formless. We cannot even calculate its dimension (''ākāra''). Although we cannot calculate it, it is there nonetheless. The living entity has full form. There are small microbes and insects we can barely see, but they have an anatomy consisting of many working parts. Within a small insect there is also the spirit soul, and that spirit soul also exists within the elephant and other big animals.

When we actually realize our identity as Brahman, our life becomes successful. Presently we are identifying with the body, but as long as we do so, we are no better than cats and dogs, although we may have a considerable amount of scientific knowledge. Conditioned souls consider the body to be the self, and because of this the ''jīvas'' identify themselves as American, Indian, ''brāhmaṇa'', ''kṣatriya'', man, woman, elephant and so forth. Thinking in these bodily terms, people consider their wives and children to be theirs and the land of their birth to be worshipable. Thinking thus, people are willing to fight and die for their country. Presently everyone is laboring under this delusion, but in order to understand our spiritual identity, we must find the proper ''guru''.

Realizing our identity means realizing that we are Kṛṣṇa's eternal parts and parcels, that we are very minute, infinitesimal, and that we have a perpetual and eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa, just as a part has its relationship to the whole. At no time can we be as great as Kṛṣṇa, although we are the same qualitatively. No one is equal to God, and no one is greater than Him. If someone claims to be God, he has to prove that no one is equal to him and that no one is greater. If he can do this, he is God. This is a very simple definition. ''Brahma-saṁhitā'' (5.1) also verifies this statement: ''īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ'' (Bs. 5.1). The word ''īśvara'' means "controller," and the word ''parama'' means "supreme." We small living entities are controllers to a degree. We can control, at times, our family members, wives, children and so forth. Or we can control our office, factory, country or whatever. There are small controllers and larger controllers. If we go to Brahmā, we see that he is controlling the entire universe, but he is not the supreme controller. It is stated in the ''śāstras'' that Brahmā, the greatest living being within this universe, is also meditating in order to learn how to control. ''Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye'' ([[SB 1.1.1|SB 1.1.1]]).

First of all, Brahmā learned to control the universe; then he became qualified as Brahmā. Although he was born Brahmā, he still had to be educated. If he was the first living being in the universe, who educated him? Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Kṛṣṇa says in ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 10.2|10.2]]), ''aham ādir hi devānām'': "I am the source of the demigods."

The original demigods are Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva. Lord Kṛṣṇa is Viṣṇu, but He is the instructor of Brahmā and Śiva. Therefore it is said that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the source of all the demigods.

We should not foolishly claim that we are as great as the Supreme God. We should understand that we are like sparks of the original fire. The spark is also fire, but if it falls from the original flame, it will go out. One should not think that because he is qualitatively one with God, he is God. the supreme controller. It is very fashionable nowadays to claim to have become Nārāyaṇa, God. The Māyāvādīs address one another as Nārāyaṇa, and thus everyone supposedly becomes Nārāyaṇa. In this way we are overcrowded with Nārāyaṇas here and there. But how can everyone become Nārāyaṇa? Nārāyaṇa is one, and the ''śāstras'' warn:

:''yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ
:''brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ
:''samatvenaiva vīkṣeta
:''sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam''

"Whoever thinks Lord Viṣṇu and the demigods are on the same level is to be immediately considered a rogue as far as spiritual understanding is concerned." ([[CC Madhya 18.116]]). If one compares Nārāyaṇa to the demigods, he simply reveals his lack of intelligence. It is also fashionable to speak of ''daridra-nārāyaṇa'', poor Nārāyaṇa, claiming that the poor man in the street is Nārāyaṇa. But what is this nonsense? Nārāyaṇa is the exalted Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even Śaṅkarācārya says: ''nārāyaṇaḥ paro 'vyaktāt''. Nārāyaṇa is beyond this universe. ''Avyaktād aṇḍa-sambhavaḥ'': the entire universe is a product of this ''avyakta''. We should not compare Nārāyaṇa to anyone, what to speak of the poor man in the street (''daridra''). This is all foolishness. Nārāyaṇa is Lakṣmīpati, the husband and controller of the goddess of fortune. How, then, can He be ''daridra''? This is all due to misunderstanding. Therefore the ''śāstras'' warn that if one thinks that the demigods are equal to Nārāyaṇa, one is a ''pāṣaṇḍī'', an atheist. We should not think that because we have become liberated, we have attained the position of Nārāyaṇa. By severe austerity and penance one may elevate himself to the position of Brahman, but this is not the position of Para-brahman. ''Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ'' ([[SB 10.2.32|SB 10.2.32]]). Although one rises to the platform of Brahman, one again falls down to the material position if he neglects to worship the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. One may rise to the Brahma effulgence, but because there is no shelter there one will return to the material atmosphere. One may go to Brahmaloka, the highest planet in the material sky, but one's position there is temporary. However, in the ''paravyoma'', the spiritual sky, there are many spiritual planets, called Vaikuṇṭhalokas. There are millions of these gigantic planets, and unless we take shelter of one of them, we will fall down again into the material atmosphere.

It is not sufficient to rise to the platform of Brahman. Brahman is sat (being), and a partial realization of the Absolute Truth. We are actually after ''ānanda''. ''Sac-cid-ānanda'': ''cit'' means "knowledge," and that is also partial. We must add ''ānanda'' (bliss) in order to have complete realization. If we simply fly in the sky, we can't have ''ānanda''. We have to descend to an airport at some time or another. If we simply rise to the Brahman effulgence, we do not experience ānanda. ''Ānanda'' is experienced when we enter the spiritual planets, where Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, is present. ''Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ'' ([[BG 8.20|BG 8.20]]). We have to enter the eternal planets and associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in order to be happy. If we do not attain this position, we will return to the material world. And how can this position be attained? We simply have to try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Why does He come? What is His business? What is His form?

The purpose of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to teach people how to understand Kṛṣṇa. If one is fortunate in understanding Him, one's life is successful. As long as we have lusty desires and greed, we cannot come to this understanding. The ''bhakti-yoga'' process is the process of purification whereby we can become free from ''kāma'' and ''lobha'', lust and greed, and the influence of the lower ''guṇas'', ''tamo-guṇa'' and ''rajo-guṇa'', ignorance and passion. As soon as we engage in devotional service, we immediately become freed from the influence of the guṇas. Because we are not expert in approaching the Supreme Lord, we have to follow the principles of ''bhakti-yoga'' enunciated by the ''ācāryas''. When a boy goes to school, he has to follow the rules and regulations, but after a while he becomes accustomed to them and does not have to be taught. In other words, he learns automatically to come to school at a certain time, take his seat and study nicely. Similarly, in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we have certain rules and regulations. We must rise early in the morning for ''maṅgala-ārati'', chant sixteen rounds of Hare Kṛṣṇa daily, and execute all the functions of ''bhakti-yoga''. In this way, we become attached to rendering service to Kṛṣṇa, and we become practiced in this science. When we attain this stage, we immediately become self-realized.
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TQK 19 Crossing Beyond Illusion's Currents

2022-01-17T04:09:20Z

Abhay:

[[Category:Teachings of Queen Kunti]]
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<div class="verse">
:''śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanty abhīkṣṇaśaḥ
:''smaranti nandanti tavehitaṁ janāḥ
:''ta eva paśyanty acireṇa tāvakaṁ
:''bhava-pravāhoparamaṁ padāmbujam''
</div>

<div class="translation">
O Kṛṣṇa, those who continuously hear, chant, and repeat Your transcendental activities, or take pleasure in others' doing so, certainly see Your lotus feet, which alone can stop the repetition of birth and death.
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- [[SB 1.8.36|''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' 1.8.36]]

<div class="text">
The Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, cannot be seen by our present conditional vision. In order to see Him, one has to change his present vision by developing a different condition of life, full of spontaneous love of Godhead. When Śrī Kṛṣṇa was personally present on the face of the globe, not everyone could see Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Materialists like Rāvaṇa, Hiraṇyakaśipu, Kaṁsa, Jarāsandha, and Śiśupāla were highly qualified personalities by acquisition of material assets, but they were unable to appreciate the presence of the Lord. Therefore, even though the Lord may be present before our eyes, it is not possible to see Him unless we have the necessary vision. This necessary qualification is developed by the process of devotional service only, beginning with hearing about the Lord from the right sources. The ''Bhagavad-gītā'' is one of the popular literatures which are generally heard, chanted, repeated, etc., by the people in general, but in spite of such hearing, etc., sometimes it is experienced that the performer of such devotional service does not see the Lord face to face. The reason is that the first item, ''śravaṇa'', is very important. If hearing is from the right sources, it acts very quickly. Generally people hear from unauthorized persons. Such unauthorized persons may be very learned by academic qualifications, but because they do not follow the principles of devotional service, hearing from them becomes a sheer waste of time. Sometimes the texts are interpreted fashionably to suit their own purposes. Therefore, first one should select a competent and bona fide speaker and then hear from him. When the hearing process is perfect and complete, the other processes become automatically perfect in their own way.

There are different transcendental activities of the Lord, and each and every one of them is competent to bestow the desired result, provided the hearing process is perfect. In the ''Bhāgavatam'' the activities of the Lord begin from His dealings with the Pāṇḍavas. There are many other pastimes of the Lord in connection with His dealings with the ''asuras'' and others. And in the Tenth Canto the sublime dealings with His conjugal associates, the ''gopīs'', as well as with His married wives at Dvārakā are mentioned. Since the Lord is absolute, there is no difference in the transcendental nature of each and every dealing of the Lord. But sometimes people, in an unauthorized hearing process, take more interest in hearing about His dealings with the ''gopīs''. Such an inclination indicates the lusty feelings of the hearer, so a bona fide speaker of the dealings of the Lord never indulges in such hearings. One must hear about the Lord from the very beginning, as in the ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' or any other scriptures, and that will help the hearer attain perfection by progressive development. One should not, therefore, consider that His dealings with the Pāṇḍavas are less important than His dealings with the ''gopīs''. We must always remember that the Lord is always transcendental to all mundane attachment. In all the above-mentioned dealings of the Lord, He is the hero in all circumstances, and hearing about Him or about His devotees or combatants is conducive to spiritual life. It is said that the ''Vedas'' and ''Purāṇas'', etc., are all made to revive our lost relation with Him. Hearing of all these scriptures is essential.

In the previous verses, Kuntīdevī has explained that those who have come to this material world are working very hard like asses and have such a hard burden that they cannot bear it. Because their lusty desires have created heavy work that puts them always in trouble, Kṛṣṇa comes to introduce the system by which one can get relief from this continuously troublesome life.

Religion consists of the laws of God. People who do not know this think that religion means faith. But although you may have faith in something and I may have faith in something, and although I may believe you and you may or may not believe me, that is not religion. There is even a supposedly religious mission that says, "You can manufacture your own way." ''Yata mata tata patha'': "Whatever you think is right, that is right." This is their philosophy. But that is not science. Suppose I am a madman. Is whatever I think all right? How could this be? "Two plus two equals four" is science. If I believe that two plus two equals five or three, does it become true? No. So there are laws of God, and when there is ''dharmasya glāniḥ'', deviation from these laws, we suffer. Just as we might suffer by violating the laws of the state, as soon as we violate the laws of God we are subjected to so many tribulations.

Now, how are we to get free from these tribulations? Kṛṣṇa comes to free us from them by giving us ''bhakti-yoga''. Kṛṣṇa recommends, "Do this," and if we do it we shall get relief. Prahlāda Mahārāja mentions that this ''bhakti-yoga'' consists of nine items:

:''śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ
:''smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
:''arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ
:''sakhyam ātma-nivedanam''

:''iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau
:''bhaktiś cen nava-lakṣaṇā
:''kriyeta bhagavaty addhā
:''tan manye 'dhītam uttamam''

"Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia, and pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind, and words) - these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṇa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge." ([[SB 7.5.23-24]])

"Hearing" means hearing about someone's activities, form, qualities, entourage, and so on. If I want to hear about someone, he must have some activities. We hear about history, and what is history? It is but the record of the activities of different persons in different ages. As soon as there is a question of hearing, we must ask what subject matter we should hear about. ''Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ'': we should hear about the activities of Lord Viṣṇu, or Lord Kṛṣṇa, not about the news in the newspaper. ''Brahma-jijñāsā'': we should inquire and hear about Brahman, the Supreme. These are the statements of the ''Vedas''. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we also hear and chant, but what is the subject matter? The subject matter is Kṛṣṇa. We are not hearing about market reports and the price of this share or that share. No. We are hearing about Kṛṣṇa.

And when there is hearing, there must also be speaking or chanting. So we speak and chant about Kṛṣṇa (''śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ''). And as soon as one becomes expert in hearing and chanting, the next stage is ''smaraṇam,'' thinking or meditation. Whatever we speak or hear we shall later contemplate or meditate upon. First one must begin with ''śravaṇam'', hearing, otherwise how can there be meditation? If one does not know the subject matter of meditation, where is the question of meditation? Therefore there must be hearing and chanting about Lord Viṣṇu (''śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ'' ([[SB 7.5.23|SB 7.5.23]])).

Actual meditation in ''yoga'' aims at seeing the four-armed Viṣṇu ''mūrti'', which is the form of the Lord within the heart. That is real meditation. Now rascals have manufactured other methods they call meditation, but these are not actually meditation. The senses are very restless, going this way and that way with the mind, but by the ''aṣṭāṅga-yoga'' system, which regulates one's sitting posture, one's breath, and so on, one can control the senses and concentrate the mind on the form of Viṣṇu. This concentration is called ''samādhi'', and it is the real goal of ''yoga''. Thus the ''aṣṭāṅga-yoga'' system aims at coming to the point of ''smaraṇam'', or remembering the Supreme Lord.

The next process of devotional service is arcanam, worship of the Deity, the form of Kṛṣṇa in the temple.

:''śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-
:''śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau''

It is not that one should worship Kṛṣṇa once a week or once a month. Rather, one should worship Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours a day (''nitya''). The Deity should have a new dress every day or twice or four times a day - as many times as possible. This is called ''śṛṅgāra''. Kṛṣṇa is the most opulent enjoyer, and we should supply Him things by which He can enjoy. For instance, if someone gives me new clothing, I say, "Oh, this new clothing is very nice," and this is my enjoyment. Similarly, we should try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa every day with gorgeous clothing. The dress for the Deity should be first class, the food offered to Him must be first class, and the place where He is situated in the temple must be first class or even more than first class. Furthermore, the temple should always be as clean as glass. Everyone remarks that the temples of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement are very clean, and they must be very clean. The more one cleanses the temple, the more one's heart becomes cleansed. This is the process of devotional service. The more we dress Kṛṣṇa, the more satisfied we become. At the present moment we are accustomed to seeing and appreciating our own clothing. I think, "What costly clothing I have," and in this way I become satisfied. But when we dress Kṛṣṇa we shall feel spiritual satisfaction.

:''yuktasya bhaktāṁś ca niyuñjato 'pi
:''vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam''::

It is the duty of the spiritual master to engage his disciples always in worshiping the Deity in this way, and it is to such a guru, or spiritual master, that we offer our obeisances.

By the word ''śṛṇvanti'' Kuntīdevī indicates that our first concern should be to hear about Kṛṣṇa. One must be eager to hear. Why do we pay a college fee and go to college? To hear. By sitting down and hearing from the learned professor, we get knowledge. Therefore a devotee always engages in hearing about Kṛṣṇa. For those who are cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the first business is hearing.

And if one has actually heard about Kṛṣṇa, one's next engagement in ''bhakti-yoga'' will be to chant (''gāyanti''). The preachers of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement go from town to town, village to village. Why? What is their purpose? To preach, to chant, so that people may get the opportunity to hear this philosophy and take it seriously (''gṛṇanti''). The word ''abhīkṣṇaśaḥ'' indicates that these engagements should go on continuously, twenty-four hours a day without stopping. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore recommends, ''kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ'': ([[CC Adi 17.31|CC Adi 17.31]]) one should engage in chanting twenty-four hours a day. That is the business of Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees.

One may perform all the methods of devotional service or may accept only one. Simply hearing is enough. Parīkṣit Mahārāja did not do anything else but sit down before Śukadeva Gosvāmī and hear for the last seven days of his life. If one simply hears, without doing anything else, if one simply sits down in the temple and whenever there is talk of ''Bhagavad-gītā'' one goes on hearing, that will be enough. Even if you do not understand, please hear. The vibration, the ''mantra'', will help you. Grammatical or scholarly understanding is not very important. One may not know Sanskrit grammar, but ''bhakti'' is ''apratihatā'', unimpedable. Nothing can check the progress of ''bhakti''. Therefore one should simply adopt this process of hearing, as recommended by Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

After Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted the renounced order of life, he was criticized by Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, who had been a schoolfriend of Nīlāmbara Cakravartī, the father-in-law of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's father, Jagannātha Miśra. By this relationship, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was on the level of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's grandfather. Thus he said to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "You are a boy only twenty-four years old, and now You have taken ''sannyāsa''. ''Sannyāsa'' is very difficult to keep, because for a young man the world has so many attractions. So You should hear ''Vedānta-sūtra''." Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya belonged to the Māyāvāda school, and this indicates that hearing is important even among the Māyāvādīs, who stress the importance of hearing ''Vedānta-sūtra''. The Vaiṣṇavas, the devotees of Kṛṣṇa, also hear ''Vedānta-sūtra'', but not from the Māyāvādīs, who falsely interpret it and spoil the process of hearing. The Vaiṣṇavas actually hear ''Vedānta-sūtra'', because they do not interpret it. When Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the Supreme," the Vaiṣṇavas accept it, and that is the proper way of hearing. If one speculatively interprets the ''Vedānta-sūtra'' or ''Bhagavad-gītā'', saying, "The word kṛṣṇa means this, and ''kurukṣetra'' means that," one is simply wasting one's time. One should hear this literature as it is.

Thus although Caitanya Mahāprabhu agreed to hear ''Vedānta'' from Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, He simply went on hearing it for many days but did not ask any questions. Finally Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said to Him, " My dear boy, You are hearing, but You do not ask any questions. Why is this? Is it that You can't understand? What is the reason You are silent?" Caitanya Mahāprabhu answered, "Yes, I understand. But I am silent because You are explaining the ''Vedānta-sūtra'' in a speculative way. Therefore I am simply listening to the verses of ''Vedānta-sūtra'' but not actually listening to you." Thus He indirectly said, "You are explaining the meaning foolishly." Later He said, "The verses of ''Vedanta-sutra'' are just like sunshine, but your explanations are like clouds that cover them."

No one needs a lamp to see the sun. Everyone can see it. But if the sun is covered by a cloud, it is very difficult to see. Similarly, the ''Vedānta-sūtra'' is like the sun, but the Māyāvāda interpretations cover the real meaning. The Māyāvādīs never accept the direct meaning. Even big political leaders who are influenced by the Māyāvāda philosophy cover the meaning of the Vedic literature by speculating, "''Kurukṣetra'' means this, and ''dharma-kṣetra'' means that." Our policy, therefore, should be to hear the original, as it is. Then it will be effective. ''Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ'': ([[SB 7.5.23|SB 7.5.23]]) Viṣṇu should be heard as He is. Then one can meditate upon Viṣṇu and remember Him (''smaranti''). In this way one becomes jubilant (''nandanti''). The word ''nandana'' means "pleasing," and one comes in touch with the reservoir of pleasure in this way.

Therefore those who are cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness have to hear about Kṛṣṇa, speak about Kṛṣṇa, and deal only in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. "By this process," Kuntīdevī tells the Lord, "one will one day come to see You." And when one sees God, Kṛṣṇa, what is the effect? ''Bhava-pravāhoparamam''. The word ''pravāha'' means "current." When there are very forceful currents in the river and some animal is thrown in, it will be washed away. Similarly, we are being washed away by the currents of material nature, which come one after another like big waves in the Pacific Ocean. Because we are under the grip of the three modes of material nature (''prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ'' ([[BG 3.27|BG 3.27]])), we are being washed away. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, ''māyāra vaśe yaccha bhese'': "You are being washed away, carried away, by the currents of material nature." These are the currents of hunger and thirst, of birth, death, and old age, the currents of illusion. We are spirit souls, but because we have been put into the material ocean, the currents are carrying us away. However, if we engage twenty-four hours a day in hearing, chanting, and seriously serving Kṛṣṇa, the current will stop.

Where will the current stop? Kuntīdevī says to the Lord, padāmbujam: "It will stop at Your lotus feet." One has to learn how to see Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet and offer a little tulasī and sandalwood pulp at the lotus feet of the Lord, and then this current of material life will stop.

There may be currents in the ocean, but if one gets a good boat, one can cross over these currents very nicely. As mentioned in another verse of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 10.14.58|10.14.58]]), ''samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam''. A lotus petal is something like a small boat, and therefore this verse says that if one takes shelter of the petal boat of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, the great ocean of birth and death becomes as insignificant as the water contained in the hoofprint of a calf. In India during the rainy season the roads become muddy, and when the cows and calves walk they create holes in which water collects. But of course one can easily jump over a dozen of such puddles at any time. Similarly, although for others the world of birth and death is like a great ocean, for a devotee it is like such a puddle (''bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padam''), and he can jump over it very easily. In this way the devotee attains ''paraṁ padam'', the supreme abode. Then what about this material world? ''Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām'': ([[SB 10.14.58|SB 10.14.58]]) this is a place not for devotees but for people who are suffering. Therefore Kuntīdevī suggests, "This Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the medicine for your suffering. Take it and be happy."
</div>

<div style="float:left">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=Teachings of Queen Kunti]] '''[[Teachings of Queen Kunti|Teachings of Queen Kuntī]]'''</div>
<div style="float:right">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=TQK 18 Liberation from Ignorance and Suffering]] '''[[TQK 18 Liberation from Ignorance and Suffering|18. Liberation from Ignorance and Suffering]] - [[TQK 20 Full Surrender|20. Full Surrender]]''' [[File:Go-next.png|link=TQK 20 Full Surrender]]</div>
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TQK 21 What Is Our Actual Value?

2022-01-12T03:10:28Z

Abhay:

[[Category:Teachings of Queen Kunti]]
<div style="float:left">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=Teachings of Queen Kunti]] '''[[Teachings of Queen Kunti|Teachings of Queen Kuntī]]'''</div>
<div style="float:right">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=TQK 20 Full Surrender]] '''[[TQK 20 Full Surrender|20. Full Surrender]] - [[TQK 22 Beauty in Krsna's Presence|22. Beauty in Kṛṣṇa's Presence]]''' [[File:Go-next.png|link=TQK 22 Beauty in Krsna's Presence]]</div>
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<div class="verse">
:''ke vayaṁ nāma-rūpābhyāṁ
:''yadubhiḥ saha pāṇḍavāḥ
:''bhavato 'darśanaṁ yarhi
:''hṛṣīkāṇām iveśituḥ''
</div>

<div class="translation">
As the name and fame of a particular body is finished with the disappearance of the living spirit, similarly, if You do not look upon us, all our fame and activities, along with the Pāṇḍavas and Yadus, will end at once.
</div>
- [[SB 1.8.38|''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' 1.8.38]]

<div class="text">
Kuntīdevī is quite aware that the existence of the Pāṇḍavas is due to Śrī Kṛṣṇa only. The Pāṇḍavas are undoubtedly well established in name and fame and are guided by the great King Yudhiṣṭhira, who is morality personified, and the Yadus are undoubtedly great allies, but without the guidance of Lord Kṛṣṇa all of them are nonentities, as much as the senses of the body are useless without the guidance of consciousness. No one should be proud of his prestige, power, and fame without being guided by the favor of the Supreme Lord. The living beings are always dependent, and the ultimate dependable object is the Lord Himself. We may, therefore, invent by our advancement of material knowledge all sorts of counteracting material resources, but without being guided by the Lord all such inventions end in fiasco, however strong and stout the reactionary elements may be.

As soon as an important man dies, his name and form become unimportant, even though he may have been a big scientist, politician, or philosopher. As long as we are alive our name, form, and activities are glorious, but as soon as the life is gone the body is but a lump of matter. When an important man is alive he may have so many guards, and no one can go before him or touch him, but when the same man is dead and lying on the floor, one may kick him in the face, and practically no one will care. After the disappearance of the soul, the body of the important man has no value. And what is that soul? It is the energy of Kṛṣṇa, and therefore it is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. So when the energy is withdrawn - that is, when Kṛṣṇa is not there - the body becomes unimportant.

Kṛṣṇa's energy and Kṛṣṇa Himself are not different (''śakti-śaktimatayor abhedaḥ''). The sun, for example, is energetic, and the sunshine is energy. As long as the sunshine is present the sun is present, and if the sun were not present the sun's energy would also not be there. The energy and the energetic must both exist. Although the Māyāvādī philosophers do not accept the energetic but only the impersonal energy, we must accept both the energy and the energetic.

While the energy works, the energetic remains aloof, just as the sunshine spreads everywhere while the sun itself remains apart. Similarly, there is energy working throughout the cosmic manifestation. The cosmic manifestation consists of earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and false ego. These eight material elements are separated material energies (''me bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā'' ([[BG 7.4|BG 7.4]])), and we can understand that behind these energies there must be an energetic source. For example, we are using electric power, but behind this power are the powerhouse and the engineer. Rascals do not understand this. They simply see the power of this cosmic manifestation, but they do not understand that behind this power is the powermaker, the source of power. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes and says, "I am the powermaker. I am behind this power."

Kṛṣṇa Himself personally comes because we do not have the eyes to see Kṛṣṇa and cannot understand Him. When we contemplate the form of God, we think that because God created millions and millions of years ago, He must be a very old man. Therefore God personally comes before us so that we can see what He is. This is His kindness. The Lord says in ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 4.7|4.7]]):

:''yadā yadā hi dharmasya
:''glānir bhavati bhārata
:''abhyutthānam adharmasya
:''tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham''

"Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion - at that time I descend Myself."

God comes to this world in person, He leaves behind His instructions like those of ''Bhagavad-gītā'', and He leaves behind His devotees who can explain who God is, but still we are so stubborn that we do not accept God. This is foolishness. In ''Bhagavad-gītā'' those who do not accept God are called ''mūḍhāḥ'' - rascals and fools.

God exists, and God's energy also exists, so if we cannot see God we can at least see His energy. We may not see the electric powerhouse and the engineer within it generating power, but we use electricity in so many ways. Therefore we should inquire where this electricity comes from. This is intelligence, and if one inquires in this way he will eventually find the powerhouse itself. Similarly, if one studies further to find out who is running the powerhouse, one will find a human being. Although the electricity is impersonal and even the powerhouse is impersonal, the man behind everything is a person. Similarly, God is a person. This is a logical conclusion. How can He be impersonal? That which is impersonal has no intelligence. We have invented so many very wonderful machines, but the machines are not intelligent. The intelligence belongs to the operator. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, ''mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram'': ([[BG 9.10|BG 9.10]]) "You are seeing the energy displayed in the wonderful actions and reactions of this material cosmic manifestation, but don't think that they are working independently. No, I am behind them."

Kṛṣṇa further says:

:''mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ
:''jagad avyakta-mūrtinā
:''mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni
:''na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ''

"By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them." ([[BG 9.4|BG 9.4]])

That which is ''avyakta'', unmanifested, also has ''mūrti'', a form. The sky, for example, is ''avyakta'', unmanifest, but it also has a form - the round form of the universe. If we go to the ocean, there also we shall find a form, like that of a big circle. Without form there is nothing; everything has form, even that which is supposedly impersonal.

Therefore the idea that everything is zero or impersonal is foolish. Behind the impersonal feature and the so-called voidness is the supreme form - Kṛṣṇa. ''Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ'' (Bs. 5.1). The word ''īśvara'' means "controller." Nature is not controlling itself; the real controller is Kṛṣṇa. ''Icchānurūpam api yasya ca ceṣṭate sā''. The ''Brahma-saṁhitā'' (5.44) says that Prakṛti, or Durgā - the deity of material nature - is working under the direction of Govinda, Kṛṣṇa. How is she working? Just like a shadow. Below our hand is its shadow, and as our hand moves, the shadow moves. Behind all manifestations there is motion. I have sometimes given the example of the shunting of the big cars in a railway line. The engine gives the motion and pushes one car, which then pushes another and another, and so on. Similarly, who set up the motion of the cosmic manifestation? That original motion-giver is Kṛṣṇa.

Now Kuntīdevī says, "We Pāṇḍavas have become famous, and people say that we are very important. Why? Because You are our friend." Kṛṣṇa was the friend of the Pāṇḍavas and specifically the friend of Arjuna, and therefore Arjuna was a great and valorous warrior. But Kuntīdevī knew, "People say, 'Oh, the Pāṇḍavas are such great warriors and heroes,' but what is the value of my sons, the Pāṇḍavas?" Similarly, the Yadu dynasty was famous because Kṛṣṇa took His birth in that family. But Kuntīdevī says, ''ke vayam'': "What are we? What is our value?" ''Ke vayaṁ nāma-rūpābhyām'': ([[SB 1.8.38|SB 1.8.38]]) "We have our name and form, but without You it is all useless. It has no value."

People do not understand this. They are very proud of having a nice body and a nice name. They think, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am German," and so on. But what is all this? These are simply bogus names and bogus forms with no value.

If we subtract Kṛṣṇa, everything is zero. This is a fact, but people are such rascals that they do not understand this fact. But who can deny it? The American body or Indian body may have a good name, but if it has no consciousness, what is its value? No value. Therefore it is said:

:''bhagavad-bhakti-hīnasya
:''jātiḥ śāstraṁ japas tapaḥ
:''aprāṇasyaiva dehasya
:''maṇḍanaṁ loka-rañjanam''

"For a person devoid of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, his birth in a great family or nation, his knowledge of revealed scripture, his performance of austerities and penance, and his chanting of Vedic ''mantras'' are all like ornaments on a dead body. Such ornaments simply serve the concocted pleasures of the general populace." (''Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya'' 3.11)

We all have consciousness, but what is this consciousness? It is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, and therefore we simply say "consciousness," but really "consciousness" means Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because without Kṛṣṇa we cannot have consciousness. Without the sun, how can there be sunshine? Therefore we say "sunshine," and not just "shine." Similarly, "consciousness" means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This requires a little intelligence to understand, but devotees like Kuntī have this intelligence and understanding. Therefore Kuntī says, "The Pāṇḍavas and Yadus are so important, but what is actually our value?

Because Kṛṣṇa is bidding farewell, Kuntī laments, "You will go, and we shall not be able to see You. What then will be the value of our name and fame?" ''Bhavato 'darśanaṁ yarhi hṛṣīkāṇām iveśituḥ'' ([[SB 1.8.38|SB 1.8.38]]). She gives the example that without Kṛṣṇa they would be like the senses without life. In this material world we desire sense enjoyment, but without Kṛṣṇa or without Kṛṣṇa consciousness there is no possibility of sense enjoyment. We may have strong arms and legs, but when there is no consciousness - when there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness - we cannot even utilize them. An intelligent person, therefore, knows that without Kṛṣṇa his senses have no value, and therefore he becomes a devotee. He rightly concludes that because there is an intimate relationship between the senses and Kṛṣṇa, as long as the senses are active it is one's duty to use the senses in the service of Kṛṣṇa. This is ''bhakti''.

To use an example I have given many times, suppose in an assembly one finds a hundred-dollar note that has fallen from someone's pocket. If one takes that note and puts it in one's own pocket, one is a thief because that note does not belong to him. This is called ''bhoga'', false enjoyment. Then again, someone else may think, "Oh, why shall I touch it? It belongs to someone else. Let it remain there. I have nothing to do with it." This is called ''tyāga'', renunciation. So although the hundred-dollar note is the same, one person is trying to enjoy it while another is trying to give it up. But both of them - the ''bhogī'' and the ''tyāgī'' - are fools.

The ''bhogīs'' are the ''karmīs'', those who are working very hard to exploit the resources of the material nature, like the scientists, for example, who are doing research to further such exploitation. Their intention, actually, is to steal. On the other hand, the ''tyāgīs'', those who are unable to steal, have a "sour grapes" philosophy: "Oh, these things are useless. There is no need of them." Mostly, of course, people are ''bhogīs''; that is, they are trying to use everything to enjoy sense gratification. But still there are those who are baffled in sense gratification and who therefore say, "No, no, we don't need these things."

Continuing the example, however, when a hundred-dollar note is found, the person who acts most properly is the one who takes it and says, "Someone has lost this note. Let me find its owner." Upon returning that note, one renders real service. One who takes the note for himself and one who leaves the note where it is are both useless. Similarly, the ''bhogī'' and ''tyāgī'' are both useless. But the ''bhakta'', the devotee, knows that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa and should therefore be offered to Kṛṣṇa. This is real service.

Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. What is the body? It is a combination of material elements - earth, water, fire, air, and the subtle, psychological elements mind, intelligence, and false ego. Kṛṣṇa claims, "All these eight elements are My separated energy." Then how are the body and mind ours? Although I claim that the body is mine, I do not even know how it is working. A tenant in an apartment may pay rent and somehow or other occupy the apartment and enjoy its utilities, although he may not actually know how the heat and tap water are working. Similarly, although we do not know the details of how the body works, we are using this body, which actually belongs not to us but to Kṛṣṇa. This is the real fact. The body consists of the senses and the mind, and therefore the senses and mind also belong to Kṛṣṇa.

I am a spiritual soul, but I have been given the opportunity to utilize a certain type of material body. Because I wanted it, Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He has given it to me. ''Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham'' ([[BG 4.11|BG 4.11]]). If one wants the body of a king, Kṛṣṇa will give it; if one follows the prescribed method, one will get the body of a king. And if one wants the body of a hog so that one may eat stool, Kṛṣṇa will give one that kind of body also. But now, in the human form of life, one should understand, "Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, so why am I hankering to satisfy this body which is supposedly mine? Rather, now that I have this body, let me serve Kṛṣṇa." This is intelligence, and this is ''bhakti''.

''Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate'': ([[CC Madhya 19.170|CC Madhya 19.170]]) ''bhakti'' means to use ''hṛṣīka'', the senses, in the service of Hṛṣīkeśa, Kṛṣṇa, the master of the senses (''tvayā hṛṣīkeśena hṛdi sthitasya yathā karomi''). Because I wanted some sense gratification, forgetting that everything actually belongs to Kṛṣṇa, I have been given this body, which is a facility for sense gratification. But the senses have no value without Kṛṣṇa, and therefore the natural conclusion is that the senses belong to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, since I have these senses, why not use them for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction? This is ''bhakti''.
</div>

<div style="float:left">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=Teachings of Queen Kunti]] '''[[Teachings of Queen Kunti|Teachings of Queen Kuntī]]'''</div>
<div style="float:right">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=TQK 20 Full Surrender]] '''[[TQK 20 Full Surrender|20. Full Surrender]] - [[TQK 22 Beauty in Krsna's Presence|22. Beauty in Kṛṣṇa's Presence]]''' [[File:Go-next.png|link=TQK 22 Beauty in Krsna's Presence]]</div>
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TQK 20 Full Surrender

2022-01-11T03:39:54Z

Abhay:

[[Category:Teachings of Queen Kunti]]
<div style="float:left">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=Teachings of Queen Kunti]] '''[[Teachings of Queen Kunti|Teachings of Queen Kuntī]]'''</div>
<div style="float:right">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=TQK 19 Crossing Beyond Illusion's Currents]] '''[[TQK 19 Crossing Beyond Illusion's Currents|19. Crossing Beyond Illusion's Currents]] - [[TQK 21 What Is Our Actual Value?|21. What Is Our Actual Value?]]''' [[File:Go-next.png|link=TQK 21 What Is Our Actual Value?]]</div>
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<div class="verse">
:''apy adya nas tvaṁ sva-kṛtehita prabho
:''jihāsasi svit suhṛdo 'nujīvinaḥ
:''yeṣāṁ na cānyad bhavataḥ padāmbujāt
:''parāyaṇaṁ rājasu yojitāṁhasām''
</div>

<div class="translation">
O my Lord, You have executed all duties Yourself. Are You leaving us today, though we are completely dependent on Your mercy and have no one else to protect us, now when all kings are at enmity with us?
</div>
- [[SB 1.8.37|''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' 1.8.37]]

<div class="text">
The Pāṇḍavas are most fortunate because with all good luck they were entirely dependent on the mercy of the Lord. In the material world, to be dependent on the mercy of someone else is the utmost sign of misfortune, but in the case of our transcendental relation with the Lord, it is the most fortunate case when we can live completely dependent on Him. The material disease is due to thinking of becoming independent of everything. But the cruel material nature does not allow us to become independent. The false attempt to become independent of the stringent laws of nature is known as material advancement of experimental knowledge. The whole material world is moving on this false attempt at becoming independent of the laws of nature. Beginning from Rāvaṇa, who wanted to prepare a direct staircase to the planets of heaven, down to the present age, they are trying to overcome the laws of nature. They are trying now to approach distant planetary systems by electronic mechanical power. But the highest goal of human civilization is to work hard under the guidance of the Lord and become completely dependent on Him. The highest achievement of perfect civilization is to work with valor but at the same time depend completely on the Lord. The Pāṇḍavas were the ideal executors of this standard of civilization. Undoubtedly they were completely dependent on the good will of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, but they were not idle parasites of the Lord. They were all highly qualified both by personal character and by physical activities. Still they always looked for the mercy of the Lord because they knew that every living being is dependent by constitutional position. The perfection of life is, therefore, to become dependent on the will of the Lord, instead of becoming falsely independent in the material world. Those who try to become falsely independent of the Lord are called ''anātha'', or without any guardian, whereas those who are completely dependent on the will of the Lord are called ''sanātha'', or those having someone to protect them. Therefore we must try to be ''sanātha'', so that we can always be protected from the unfavorable condition of material existence. By the deluding power of the external, material nature we forget that the material condition of life is the most undesirable perplexity. The ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 7.19|7.19]]) therefore directs us that after many, many births one fortunate person becomes aware of the fact that Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is all in all and that the best way of leading one's life is to surrender unto Him completely. That is the sign of a ''mahātmā''. All the members of the Pāṇḍava family were ''mahātmās'' in household life. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was the head of these ''mahātmās'', and Queen Kuntīdevī was the mother. The lessons of the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' and all the ''Purāṇas'', specifically the ''Bhāgavata Purāṇa'', are therefore inevitably connected with the history of the Pāṇḍava ''mahātmās''. For them, separation from the Lord was just like the separation of a fish from water. Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī, therefore, felt such separation like a thunderbolt, and the whole prayer of the Queen is to try to persuade the Lord to stay with them. After the Battle of Kurukṣetra, although the inimical kings were killed, their sons and grandsons were still there to deal with the Pāṇḍavas. It is not only the Pāṇḍavas who were put into the condition of enmity; all of us are always in such a condition, and the best way of living is to become completely dependent on the will of the Lord and thereby overcome all difficulties of material existence.

After the Battle of Kurukṣetra ended and the Pāṇḍavas were established in their kingdom, Kṛṣṇa, before going back home to Dvārakā, was taking leave of His aunt and bidding her farewell. It was at that time that Kuntī offered this prayer. Now she directly asks, "Is it a fact that after finishing Your duty You are going away and leaving us alone?" This is the devotee' s position. Kuntīdevī says, ''yeṣāṁ na cānyad bha vataḥ padāmbujāt'': "We have no means of protection other than Your lotus feet." This is full surrender.

In the process of surrender (''śaraṇāgati'') there are six items. The first is that one should completely depend on Kṛṣṇa, and the next is that one should accept everything favorable for Kṛṣṇa's service (''ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ''). ''Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā'': ([[CC Madhya 19.167|CC Madhya 19.167]]) a symptom of first-class ''bhakti'', devotional service, is that one accepts everything favorable for that service. Another item of surrender is ''prātikūlyasya-vivarjanam'', rejecting everything unfavorable to the procedures of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sometimes the spiritual master says, "Don't do this," forbidding something unfavorable, and he also recommends that which is favorable: "Do this. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." Full surrender, therefore, entails giving up unfavorable things and accepting that which is favorable (''ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyayasya-vivarjanam''). Furthermore, one should believe with full faith, "Kṛṣṇa will give me protection," and one should count oneself as one of the servants of Kṛṣṇa. These are some of the items of ''śaraṇāgati'', full surrender.

Now Kuntīdevī says, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, if You think that we are well established now that we have our kingdom back, and if You therefore want to leave us, that is not a very good proposal. We are not free yet. Because we have killed so many kings, all their friends and relatives are planning to come fight with us again. So don't think that we are free from all dangers. We are not. And we have no protection other than Your lotus feet. That is our position." Thus she indirectly says to Kṛṣṇa, "Do not leave us. Don't think that we are now safe. Without Your protection, we are always unsafe."

This should be the position of a devotee. We should know that we are actually in danger in this material world. ''Māyā'', illusion, may catch us at any time, as soon as we are a little inattentive, thinking, "Now I have done my duty. Let me take a little rest." No, there is no rest. We must be always alert.

There is a verse in which Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says, ''avyartha-kālatvam'': ([[CC Madhya 23.18-19]]) a devotee should be very much careful to see whether his time is being spent unnecessarily. He should ask himself, "Am I now engaged in ''māyā's'' service or Kṛṣṇa's service?" This is a symptom of an advanced devotee. ''Nāma-gāne sadā ruciḥ'': such a devotee is never tired of chanting, singing, or dancing. The word ''sadā'' means "always," and ''ruci'' means "taste." A devotee always has a taste for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa: "Oh, very nice. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare." This is taste. Of course, this taste takes time to awaken, but when Rūpa Gosvāmī was chanting he was thinking, "I have only one tongue and two ears. What can I appreciate of chanting? If I could have millions of tongues and trillions of ears, then I could relish something by chanting and hearing." Of course, we should not imitate him, but the devotees of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement must at least be very careful to complete their sixteen rounds, their minimum amount of prescribed chanting. ''Nāma-gāne sadā ruciḥ'': we have to increase our taste for singing and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Furthermore, we should also increase our inclination to live in a place where Kṛṣṇa lives (''prītis tad-vasati-sthale''). In the vision of higher devotees, Kṛṣṇa actually lives everywhere, but because we are in a lower condition, we should know that for us Kṛṣṇa lives in the temple. Because we do not see Kṛṣṇa everywhere, we should come to the temple to see Kṛṣṇa, who kindly appears there, by His mercy, in a manner in which we can see Him.

Kṛṣṇa has a completely spiritual body (''sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha'' (Bs. 5.1)), but we do not have the eyes to see what that spiritual body is. We are accustomed to seeing material, gross things (''jaḍa''). We can see stone, metal, wood, and other elements, and because Kṛṣṇa is everything, to be visible to our imperfect eyes He appears in a form of these elements. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is stone or that we are worshiping stone. We are worshiping Kṛṣṇa, but because we cannot see anything except material elements like stone, Kṛṣṇa kindly appears in a form carved from stone. Therefore one should be very much inclined to live within the circle of a temple environment in which the form of Kṛṣṇa is worshiped.

Moreover, one should always think oneself dependent on Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One should always think, "Without Kṛṣṇa my life is useless, and I am in danger." Therefore, while offering her prayers to Kṛṣṇa, Kuntī says, "Kṛṣṇa, You are thinking that now we are safe, but I don't think we are safe. We are always in danger. If You think we are safe, who will give us protection? We have no protection other than Your lotus feet. We are encircled by so many enemies because the sons of those who have died in the fight are now preparing to fight with us."

Now, although Kṛṣṇa had come to Kuntīdevī to take the dust of the feet of His superior, His aunt, Kuntīdevī addresses Him as Prabhu, the Lord, not as her beloved nephew. She knows, "Although Kṛṣṇa is playing the part of my nephew, my brother's son, He is still the supreme master."

The symptoms of a really Kṛṣṇa conscious person are that he knows that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme master, he always thinks himself in danger without Kṛṣṇa, and by taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet he always feels safe. Kṛṣṇa says, ''kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati'': "You may declare to the world that My devotee is never vanquished." ([[BG 9.31|BG 9.31]]) If one becomes a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, there is no question of danger. Of course, Kṛṣṇa gives protection to everyone, for without His protection no one can live even for a single moment. But one should not think, "If Kṛṣṇa is giving protection to everyone, what is the use of becoming a devotee?" A king gives protection to every one of his citizens, for that is his duty, but he especially protects his own circle of men. This is not unnatural. If one directly engages in the service of the President, when one is in some difficulty he is especially protected. Although the President gives protection to all the citizens, those who personally associate with him, giving him service, receive special consideration. That is not actually partiality. That is natural. When a gentleman loves all children but has special love for his own children, no one will say, "Oh, why are you loving your own children more than others?" No, that is natural. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa says in ''Bhagavad-gītā'', ''samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu'': ([[BG 9.29|BG 9.29]]) "I am equal to everyone." Kṛṣṇa, being God, loves everyone because everyone is part of Him. Nonetheless, He takes special care of His devotees. Therefore He says, ''kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati'': ([[BG 9.31|BG 9.31]]) "My devotee will never be vanquished."

Kṛṣṇa always sees to the comforts of His devotees, and the devotees are always busy seeing that Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. The devotees dress Kṛṣṇa, supply Him food, and always engage in serving Him, and similarly Kṛṣṇa always sees to the happiness of His devotees. This is the intimate relationship between the devotee and Kṛṣṇa. Every living entity has a relationship with Kṛṣṇa, but when one becomes a devotee the relationship becomes intimate. Therefore Kuntīdevī says to Kṛṣṇa, "How can You leave us? We are Your intimate friends. We are simply living by Your care, by Your mercy. Don't think that we are safe and that You can therefore leave us. Our life is always under Your mercy, for we have no shelter other than Your lotus feet. Kindly don't leave us." This is Kuntī's prayer. Similarly, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings:

<div class="center">
:''hā hā prabhu nanda-suta,          vṛṣabhānu-sutā-yuta
:karuṇā karaha ei-bāra''
</div>

"Kṛṣṇa, Nanda-suta, You are present with Rādhārāṇī, the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu. Now I fully surrender unto You. Please show me Your mercy."

Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness one thinks, "I shall protect myself, or my society, community, or state will give me protection. I have so many protectors. Why should I care for God? Why shall I go to Kṛṣṇa? Those rascals who have no protection can go to Kṛṣṇa." But the fact is that unless Kṛṣṇa gives one protection one cannot be protected. This is stated in the ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 7.9.19|7.9.19]]): ''bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha''. When Prahlāda Mahārāja offered prayers to Kṛṣṇa as Nṛsiṁha-deva, he said, "My dear Lord, one should not think that because a child has a father and mother he has full protection." If Kṛṣṇa did not protect a child, the child could not be protected, even if he were to have thousands of fathers and mothers. Prahlāda also says, ''nārtasya cāgadam udanvati majjato nauḥ'': "It is not that a good physician or good medicine can protect one from disease." Suppose a rich man is suffering from some disease and he hires a first-class physician and takes first-class medicine. Does it mean that his life is guaranteed? No. If Kṛṣṇa does not give him protection, despite good medical treatment and a good supply of medicine he will die. "Similarly," Prahlāda continues, "one may have a good boat, but this does not guarantee that he will not drown in the ocean. If You do not protect him he may drown at any moment." Nature offers so many difficulties, and although scientists may try to invent something to check these difficulties in the struggle for existence, unless Kṛṣṇa gives one protection one's inventions will be of no use.

Kuntīdevī knows this, and therefore although she is the mother of the great warriors Arjuna and Bhīma, she still thinks, "Although my sons are great warriors, they are not sufficient to give us protection. Nothing can give us protection but Your lotus feet." This verse illustrates the position of a surrendered soul seeking the protection of Kṛṣṇa. If we remain in this position, knowing that our only protector is Kṛṣṇa and that our only duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa, then our life is successful.
</div>

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<div style="float:right">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=TQK 19 Crossing Beyond Illusion's Currents]] '''[[TQK 19 Crossing Beyond Illusion's Currents|19. Crossing Beyond Illusion's Currents]] - [[TQK 21 What Is Our Actual Value?|21. What Is Our Actual Value?]]''' [[File:Go-next.png|link=TQK 21 What Is Our Actual Value?]]</div>
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TLK 8 Bhakti-yoga: The Supreme Yoga System

2022-01-07T03:43:34Z

Abhay:

[[Category:Teachings of Lord Kapila|T08]]
<div style="float:left">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti]] '''[[Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti|Teachings of Lord Kapila]]'''</div>
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===== [[SB 3.25.14|TEXT 14]] =====

<div class="verse">
:''tam imaṁ te pravakṣyāmi
:''yam avocaṁ purānaghe
:''ṛṣīṇāṁ śrotu-kāmānāṁ
:''yogam sarvāṅga-naipuṇam''
</div>

===== TRANSLATION =====

<div class="translation">O most pious mother, I shall now explain unto you the ancient yoga system, which I explained formerly to the great sages. It is serviceable and practical in every way.
</div>

===== PURPORT =====

<div class="purport">
The Lord does not manufacture a new system of ''yoga''. Sometimes it is claimed that someone has become an incarnation of God and is expounding a new theological aspect of the Absolute Truth. But here we find that although Kapila Muni is the Lord Himself and is capable of manufacturing a new doctrine for His mother, He nevertheless says, "I shall just explain the ancient system that I once explained to the great sages because they were also anxious to hear about it." When we have a superexcellent process already present in Vedic scriptures, there is no need to concoct a new system, to mislead the innocent public. At present it has become a fashion to reject the standard system and present something bogus in the name of a newly invented process of ''yoga''.

The supreme ancient system of ''yoga'' pertains to the soul. Presently, in America especially, ''haṭha''-''yoga'' is very popular. It appeals to fat ladies who go to the classes to reduce and keep their digestive systems regular. Many people are interested in this kind of gymnastic ''yoga'', but real yoga is ''ādhyātmika''. ''Ādhyātmika'' means to awaken the soul to his proper position. The soul is puruṣa, spirit, and his business is to reconnect his lost relationship with Kṛṣṇa.

Herein Kapiladeva says that He previously delivered this ''yoga'' system to the great ''ṛṣis'', the great sages. This is the process of ''śravaṇa'', hearing. One must be very eager to hear, for spiritual life begins with hearing. ([[CC Madhya 17.136|CC Madhya 17.136]]):

:''ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi
:''na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ
:''sevonmukhe hi jihvādau
:''svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ''

It is thus stated in the ''śāstras'' that it is not possible to appreciate or understand Kṛṣṇa with our blunt material senses. Kṛṣṇa's name, form, qualities, pastimes, paraphernalia and abode are all part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. However, understanding Kṛṣṇa begins with hearing and chanting His name. Then there is His form. Generally, for the neophyte, these items are essential - to hear His name and qualities and see and worship His form. That is Kṛṣṇa's personal instruction:

:''man-manā bhava mad-bhakto
:''mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru''

"Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, offer obeisances and worship Me." ([[BG 9.34|BG 9.34]])

Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa is present in the temple Deity, and even if a child comes to offer his respects, he is counted as a devotee. A small child may not know anything, but simply by seeing the Deity, chanting and dancing, he is benefited. Temples are meant to give everyone a chance to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness one step at a time.

:''svalpam apy asya dharmasya
:''trāyate mahato bhayāt''

"A little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear." ([[''BG'' 2.40|BG 2.40]]) Even if we do a little on the path of ''bhakti'', it goes to our account. For instance, if we deposit only two dollars in a savings bank, it is kept in our account, and it will increase with interest. Similarly, if one performs even a little devotional service, it is not lost. One may come and join this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, render some service and after a while fall down. However, whatever service has been rendered is to one's permanent credit. That will never be lost. When one begins again, he begins at the point where he has left off. This is the instruction of ''Bhagavad''-''gītā'' ([[BG 6.41|6.41]]):

:''śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe
:''yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate''

The unsuccessful ''yogi'' is born into a family of righteous people or into a family of rich aristocracy." Thus if one fails to perfect his ''bhakti''-''yoga'', he is given another chance in the next life. According to a Bengali poem:

:''śuci hañā muci haya yadi kṛṣṇa tyaje
:''mucihañā śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa-bhaje''

If one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even if he is born in a family of a cobbler (''muci''), he becomes greater than a ''brāhmaṇa'' (''śuci''). However, if one is born in a ''brāhmaṇa'' family and gives up Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he becomes a ''muci'', a cobbler. Thus the door of devotion is open to everyone, whoever he may be. Kṛṣṇa Himself says that regardless of one's position, if one takes shelter of Him, one can approach the supreme destination.

:''māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
:''ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
:''striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
:''te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatiṁ''

"O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth - women, ''vaiśyas'' (merchants), as well as ''śūdras'' (workers) - can approach the supreme destination." ([[BG 9.32|BG 9.32]]) And Śukadeva Gosvāmī says:

:''kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā
:''ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ
:''ye 'nye ca pāpā yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ
:''śudhyanti tasmai prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ''

"Kirāta, Hūṇa, Āndhra, Pulinda, Pulkaśa, Ābhīra, Śumbha, Yavana and the Khasa races and even others who are addicted to sinful acts can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, due to His being the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him." ([[SB 2.4.18|SB 2.4.18]]) Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so complete that it is all-embracing. Everyone has an occupational duty as a ''brāhmaṇa'', ''kṣatriya'', ''vaiśya'' or ''śūdra'', but one does not have to give up his occupational duty to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness but does not succeed, what has he lost? Even if he falls down, there is no loss. On the other hand, if a man perfectly performs his own duties (''sva-dharma'') but is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, what does he gain? There is actually no gain. Kapiladeva explains that once one takes to the path of ''bhakti-yoga'', one never actually falls down. Once begun, ''bhakti-yoga'' continues, even if one temporarily falls down. One is given another chance by taking birth in a good family, either in a wealthy family, a learned family or a ''brāhmaṇa'' family. If one executes his duties as a ''brāhmaṇa'', Viṣṇu will be very pleased, and if one executes his duties perfectly as a ''kṣatriya'' or ''śūdra'', Viṣṇu will also be very pleased. One does not have to change one's position. In Bhagavad-gītā ([[BG 18.46|18.46]]) Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that every man can become perfect by following his qualities of work:

:''yataḥ pravṛttir bhūtānāṁ
:''yena sarvam idaṁ tatam
:''sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya
:''siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ''

"By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and who is all-pervading, man can, in the performance of his own duty, attain perfection." Thus if one executes his duties as a perfect ''kṣatriya'', ''vaiśya'', ''śūdra'' or whatever, Viṣṇu will be pleased. The purpose of work is to please Viṣṇu. Unfortunately, people have forgotten this. ''Varṇāśrama-dharma'', the Vedic system of society, is therefore very important in that it is meant to give human beings a chance to perfect their lives by pleasing Kṛṣṇa. Unfortunately, the ''varṇāśrama-dharma'' has been lost in this age. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, just to give relief to the rotting, conditioned souls of this age of Kali-yuga, has given us the ''mahā-mantra''.

:''harer nāma harer nāma
:''harer nāmaiva kevalam
:''kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
:''nāsty eva gatir anyathā''

"In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of deliverance is chanting of the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way." ([[CC Adi 17.21]], ''Bṛhan''-''nāradīya'' ''Purāṇa'') Although we may try to revive the perfect ''varṇāśrama'' system, it is not possible in this age. People are fallen, disturbed and unfortunate:

:''prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya
:''kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ
:''mandāḥ sumanda-matayo
:''manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ''

"O learned one, in this iron age of Kali men have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed." ([[SB 1.1.10|SB 1.1.10]]) In this age, there will be insufficient rainfall and food, and the government will plunder one's income by heavy taxation. All of these characteristics of Kali-yuga are described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. People will become so disgusted that they will suddenly leave their wife and children and go to the forest. How can the peaceful ''varṇāśrama-dharma'' be revived when people are so harassed in this age? It is virtually impossible. Therefore the system of ''bhakti-yoga'', the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa ''mahā-mantra'', should be adopted. The whole aim of ''bhakti-yoga'' is to satisfy Viṣṇu. ''Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyaiḥ'': Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa, came Himself as Caitanya Mahāprabhu to teach us the way of ''saṅkīrtana''. Presently it has become fashionable to manufacture a new system of religion, but Kapiladeva, like Kṛṣṇa, does not manufacture anything new. This system is not new, but very old (''purā''). Kṛṣṇa also says the same in Bhagavad-gītā ([[BG 4.2|4.2]]), e''vaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ'': "This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way." Thus Kṛṣṇa and Kapiladeva are not teaching anything new. They are simply repeating the same message because, in the course of time, the knowledge has been lost. Arjuna asks, "Why are you telling me? Why not another?" Śrī Kṛṣṇa answers, ''bhakto 'si me sakhā ceti'': "Because you are My devotee as well as My friend." ([[BG 4.3|BG 4.3]])

Thus without being a ''bhakta'', a devotee of Kṛṣṇa's, one cannot actually understand the science of ''bhakti-yoga''. Understanding ''Bhagavad-gītā'' means understanding Kṛṣṇa. All this information is explained only in the ''bhakti-sampradāya'', not in any other school. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says at the conclusion of ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 18.55|18.55]]), '''bhaktyā mām abhijānāti'': if one actually wants to understand Kṛṣṇa and one's relationship with Him, one must take to this process of ''bhakti-yoga''. ''Bhakti-yoga'' as explained by Lord Kapiladeva is ''sāṅkhya-yoga''.

Lord Kapiladeva states here:

:''tam imaṁ te pravakṣyāmi
:''yam avocaṁ purānaghe''

The word ''anaghe'' refers to one without sin. The word ''agha'' refers to past sins, and ''an'' means "without." Therefore one cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness unless he is free from sin. ''Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam'': one can stick to Kṛṣṇa consciousness only when one is completely free from all sinful reactions. One may say, "That will take some time. I cannot get free from sinful reactions overnight." However, Kṛṣṇa says, "No, no. This can be done immediately. Simply surrender unto Me, and I will absolve you from all sin." Thus by simply surrendering unto Kṛṣṇa, our spiritual life begins.

We have to understand that we receive different bodies due to our sinful actions. Now we are given a chance to execute our duty in the human form. ''Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante'' ([[BG 7.19|BG 7.19]]). We have received this body through the evolutionary processes, and this human form is a great opportunity. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings: ''hari hari viphale janama goṅāinu'': "My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I have simply wasted my time." Why?

:''manuṣya janama pāiyā,          rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā,
:''jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu''

"Because I have received the human form of life, which is meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa, yet I have simply wasted my time by not taking advantage of this opportunity. I have done everything but worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Therefore I have taken poison knowingly." When one takes poison knowingly, he commits suicide, and not taking advantage of the human form is something like that. If we do not understand Kṛṣṇa in this life, we are knowingly taking poison. This material life is just like a blazing forest fire. Eating, sleeping, enjoying sex and defending are the main material activities. When we are engaged simply in these things, our hearts are always burning as if we had taken poison. How can we be cured?

:''golokera prema-dhana,          hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana,
:''rati nā janmila kene tāya''

"My dear Lord, You have given us the medicine of hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. Unfortunately, I have no attraction for Your holy names." It is also stated:

:''vrajendra-nandana yei,          śacī-suta haila sei,
:''balarāma haila nitāi''

"Kṛṣṇa has now come as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the son of mother Śacī. And Balarāma has come as Lord Nityānanda." What is Their business? They are delivering all kinds of sinful men simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And what is the evidence of this? The evidence is that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu delivered the sinful Jagāi and Mādhāi. At the present moment everyone is like Jagāi and Mādhāi, for everyone is intoxicated and mad after sex. Now, by the grace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, thousands of Jagāis and Mādhāis are being delivered. It is this active medicine, this Hare Kṛṣṇa ''mahā-mantra'', that is doing it. It is the perfect ''yoga'' system. This process is not manufactured, and we have not concocted anything. Our business is simply to accept the words of Kṛṣṇa as they are. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself characterizes His devotee in this way:

:''satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ
:''yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ
:''namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā
:''nitya-yuktā upāsate''

"Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion." ([[BG 9.14|BG 9.14]])

We do not need to be very learned. Our only requirement is that we receive the blessings of the Lord. The Lord's blessings will enable us to become learned and follow His instructions. We only need to stick to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement on the basis of ''Bhagavad-gītā''. When we are a little further advanced, we can read ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''. Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself has opened the way with this ''saṅkīrtana'' movement. The entire world is in darkness without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and in this age people are so dull that they do not even know the difference between ''mukti'' (liberation) and ''bandha'' (bondage). If a human being does not know this difference, he is no better than an animal.

Presently we are under the sway of the three ''guṇas'', the modes of material nature - ''sattva-guṇa'', ''rajo-guṇa'' and ''tamo-guṇa''. Out of these three guṇas, ''sattva-guṇa'', the mode of goodness, is the best. A ''brāhmaṇa'', characterized by the mode of goodness, is truthful and self-controlled. He controls his mind and senses, and he is very tolerant and simple. He has full knowledge, and he knows how to apply knowledge in life. He has full faith in the authority of the ''Vedas'', a quality called ''āstikyam''. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has explained the difference between ''nāstikyam'' and ''āstikyam''. According to Vedic understanding, one who does not believe in the ''Vedas'' is called ''nāstika''. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says: ''veda nā māniyā bauddha haya ta 'nāstika'' ([[CC Madhya 6.168|CC Madhya 6.168]]). Lord Buddha defied Vedic authority, but His mission was to stop animal killing. In the ''Vedas'' there are recommendations for animal sacrifice, and therefore to prevent the killing of animals, Lord Buddha rejected the ''Vedas''. Such sacrifice is not possible in this age because there is no ''brāhmaṇa'' qualified to carry it out. Those who are intelligent know that such a sacrifice cannot be successful in this age because no one knows the proper ''mantras'' capable of giving an old animal the body of a new animal. When an animal sacrifice is properly conducted, an old animal is sacrificed, and it emerges from the fire in a new body. This is not possible in this age, but what is possible is ''saṅkīrtana-yajña'', the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa ''mahā-mantra''. This is the ''yajña'', or sacrifice, especially intended for this age. We need only chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. By performing this ''yajña'', the results will be ''ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam'' ([[CC Antya 20.12|CC Antya 20.12]]) - the mirror of the mind will be cleansed. When the mirror of the mind is cleansed, one is automatically liberated.

Consciousness is the main principle, either for conditional life or for liberated life. We are therefore proposing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which means liberation from the repetition of birth and death. Unfortunately, people are so dull in this age that they have no idea how birth and death can be stopped. They think that birth and death cannot be stopped; even famous scientists admit this. However, in ''Bhagavad-gītā'' Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that we should always keep in mind the four miserable conditions. These are birth, old age, disease and death. When we are able to put an end to these, we are liberated. This simply requires that we clear our consciousness by thinking of Kṛṣṇa. The purpose of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to keep our minds constantly on Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He is a person. When He was realized by Arjuna, He was addressed as ''puruṣam''. God is ''puruṣa'', male, not female. ''Puruṣa'' means "the enjoyer," and ''prakṛti'' means "the enjoyed." Everything is enjoyed by the supreme ''puruṣa''. It is also stated that we are actually ''prakṛti'', not ''puruṣa''. The human dress is simply ''māyā'', illusion. We are thinking that we are ''puruṣa'', the enjoyer, but actually we are the enjoyed. A man, thinking of enjoying himself, tries to imitate ''puruṣa'', but actually he is ''prakṛti''. As a consequence, he is cast into this material world. Because the living entity wants to enjoy the material world and is attached to the three ''guṇas'', he receives different types of bodies. One who is in the mode of goodness receives the body of a learned ''brāhmaṇa''. This is somewhat elevated, for he can gradually understand what is God. In the modes of passion and ignorance, no one can understand God. Also, from the material point of view, if one is situated in the mode of goodness, he can be elevated to higher planetary systems. Nonetheless, even if one goes to Brahmaloka, the highest planet in the material atmosphere, one is not actually perfectly situated. There is really no benefit because even on Brahmaloka the four miseries of material existence are found: birth, old age, disease and death. Lord Brahmā also dies and takes birth. From Vedic literatures we understand that Lord Brahmā took birth from the lotus flower generated from the navel of Viṣṇu. Thus he had his birth, and when Lord Brahmā dies, the entire material cosmic manifestation will be finished. Just as Lord Brahmā undergoes birth, old age, disease and death, so also a small ant or insect undergoes the same process. The point is that the living entity has to be free from this bondage because he is by nature eternal. According to ''Bhagavad-gītā'', the living entity never actually takes birth, and he never actually dies. ''Na jāyate mriyate vā kadācit'': "For the soul there is never birth nor death." ([[BG 2.20|BG 2.20]])

It is the body that is destined to die, whether the body be that of Lord Brahmā or of a small ant. One should not think that one is liberated because one can live millions and millions of years. The life of Lord Brahmā covers millions of earth years, yet he is also subjected to birth and death. That is the way of conditional life. We should take advantage of the perfect knowledge given by Vedic literatures, by the great ''ṛṣis'' and Bhagavān Kapiladeva, as well as by Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, in order to attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

Receiving Kṛṣṇa consciousness means receiving light. People are exhausted with the materialistic way of life, especially in the West. Now the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving new life to Western society. By nature, we living entities are liberated. There is actually no question of birth, death, old age and disease. Since we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, how can there be a question of these things? Kṛṣṇa is ''sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha'' (Bs. 5.1), and being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we are also of the same nature. We are equal in quality, although not in quantity. Why, then, should we suffer the pangs of death? Therefore in the previous verse Kapiladeva instructed: ''yoga ādhyātmikaḥ puṁsāṁ mato niḥśreyasāya''. The soul is entrapped in the body, and the process of perfect ''yoga'' is the process of saving the soul from bodily confinement and the four miseries that plague the body. How can this perfect ''yoga'' be attained? That is explained by Lord Kapila in the next verse: ''rataṁ vā puṁsi muktaye''. If our consciousness is simply attached to Kṛṣṇa, we will be liberated.

The great souls are always chanting about Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. They are also endeavoring with great determination in their devotional service. For instance, in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness temples the devotees rise early in the morning, at 4:00 A.M., and they immediately bathe. Then they go to ''maṅgala-ārati'' at 4:30, and after ''maṅgala-ārati'' they study the Vedic literatures. These are the processes by which we can awaken our dormant love for Kṛṣṇa. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa - just as a son is part and parcel of his father - there is a natural love between us. However, somehow or other the son leaves home and forgets his father. The father, of course, never forgets his son. He thinks, "Oh, my son has left. If he would only come back!" Kṛṣṇa thinks in this way. We are all sons of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is more anxious to get us back home, back to Godhead, than we are to go. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes and says, "You rascal! Give up all this nonsensical material engagement. You have manufactured so many religions and ''dharmas''. Just give them all up and simply surrender unto Me." Kṛṣṇa comes Himself and leaves behind His words. His words are also Himself because His words are absolute. Presently we do not see Kṛṣṇa, but if we actually advance, we will see Him. When we see the Deity in the temple, we think, "Oh, this is an idol. It is not Kṛṣṇa." If we think in this way, we have not seen Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is also present in His words, in ''Bhagavad-gītā''. That is ''kṛṣṇa-vāṇī'', the message of Kṛṣṇa. The stage of awareness of Kṛṣṇa can be attained when one is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then one can understand that Kṛṣṇa is present in the Deity, in ''Bhagavad-gītā'', in the taste of water, in the sunshine, in the moonshine and in all sound. Kṛṣṇa is present everywhere, but one has to acquire knowledge in order to know how to see Kṛṣṇa. That is ''mukti'', liberation. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is also the process of ''bhakti-yoga-śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam''... ([[SB 7.5.23|SB 7.5.23]]). Deity worship is ''arcanam'', chanting is ''vandanam'', and ''dāsyam'' is working for Kṛṣṇa and spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Generally we experience that people are primarily interested in seeing Kṛṣṇa, but why is the emphasis on seeing? Let us hear about Him. We must come with a little faith, and as we hear, that faith will increase. One should come to the temple, listen to talks about Kṛṣṇa, and then, after some time, officially take initiation into the service of the Lord. That is called ''bhajana-kriyā''. At that time one has to abandon illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. If one is still attached to all these habits, he should know that he is not making progress. When one is actually advanced in ''bhajana-kriyā'', all these ''anarthas'' (unwanted things) will be finished. ''Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate'' ([[BG 2.59|BG 2.59]]). When one appreciates something better, he rejects all kinds of nonsense. Once one gets a taste of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he cannot remain without it. A drunkard cannot remain without a drink, but a devotee is drunk with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The immunization against all material diseases is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. To be immuned to the infection of the ''guṇas'', we have to engage in ''bhakti-yoga''. Once we attain the perfectional stage, we attain ecstatic love of Godhead. In that state we cannot remain without Kṛṣṇa for a moment. That is called ''bhāva'', and that ''bhāva'' may increase to ''mahā-bhāva''. This is not possible for ordinary human beings, but it was possible for the ''gopīs'' and Rādhārāṇī. Indeed, they could not live without Kṛṣṇa. This is the highest stage of liberation.
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Persons who cultivate knowledge for liberation are of three kinds: those who simply desire liberation, those who are liberated already, even while in this material existence, and those who are actually self-realized. There are many persons in this world who desire liberation, and sometimes they engage in devotional service for this purpose. It is corroborated in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 1.2.26|1.2.26]]) that those who actually desire liberation give up all kinds of demigod worship and, without envy, concentrate their minds in the worship of Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When such persons come in contact with a pure devotee, they engage in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa and give up the idea of liberation. A verse in the ''Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya'' states:

:''aho mahātman bahu-doṣa-duṣṭo
:''’py ekena bhāty eṣa bhavo guṇena
:''sat-saṅgamākhyena sukhāvahena
:''kṛtādya no yena kṛśā mumukṣā''

“O great soul, although there are many flaws within this miserable life, there is yet one glory—the association of pure devotees. Cultivate such association. By it our desire for liberation diminishes.”

In ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 11.2.37|11.2.37]]) it is stated that man’s fear is due to his material conception of life and to his forgetting his eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord. Consequently he finds himself having only perverted memories. This occurs due to the spell of material energy. One who has sufficient intelligence will engage in full devotional service and regard the Supreme Lord as his spiritual master and worshipable God. The conclusion is that no one can attain a revolution in consciousness without engaging in devotional service to the Lord. When one is actually free from material contamination, he can fully engage himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

In ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 10.14.4|10.14.4]]) it is clearly said that one who engages in spiritual life to understand things as they are but who lacks all intention of engaging in Kṛṣṇa consciousness simply achieves trouble for his undertaking. There is no substance to his life. Every living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, and therefore it is the duty of every living entity to serve that supreme whole. Without such service, the living entity falls into material contamination.

Lord Caitanya concluded His teachings to Sanātana Gosvāmī by pointing out that the six kinds of ''ātmārāmas'', or transcendentalists, engage in some kind of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. In other words, at some time or another all the transcendentalists ultimately come to understand the necessity of rendering devotional service to Kṛṣṇa and become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. Even if one is very learned or extravagant, he can still engage in the devotional service of the Lord.

The six kinds of transcendentalists are the neophyte transcendentalist, the absorbed transcendentalist, one who is situated in transcendence, one who desires liberation, one who is actually liberated, and one who is engaged in activities in his constitutional position. All of these are ''ātmārāmas''. When a person becomes an ''ātmārāma'', or a great thinker in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he fully engages in devotional service. According to the grammatical rules, there are many kinds of ''ātmārāmas'', but one sense of the word is sufficient to represent the others. In the collective sense, all the ''ātmārāmas'' are inclined to worship the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa.

The mystic who worships the Supersoul within himself is also an ''ātmārāma''. The ''ātmārāma yogīs'' are of two kinds: ''sagarbha'' and ''nigarbha''. It is stated in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 2.2.8|2.2.8]]): “Some ''yogīs'' meditate within their heart on the localized Viṣṇu, who is four-handed and who holds four symbols: conch, disc, mace and lotus.” The ''yogī'' who thinks of the four-handed Viṣṇu becomes absorbed in devotional ecstasy and shows the symptoms of that state. Sometimes he cries, and sometimes he feels separation from the Lord. In this way he merges in transcendental bliss, resulting in his becoming entrapped like a fish.

The ''sagarbha'' and ''nigarbha yogīs'' can be further divided into three categories: the beginner, the advanced ''yogī'', and he who has attained perfection. These ''yogīs'' are described in the Sixth Chapter of the ''Bhagavad-gītā''. Those who are trying to ascend the path of mystic yoga are called ''ārurukṣu-yogīs'', beginners. In ''ārurukṣu yoga'', one practices various sitting postures and concentrates the mind. One ascends the path of yoga by means of meditation and detachment, and when one is no longer attached to working for sense gratification, he gradually becomes free. At that time he attains a state of ecstasy called ''yogārūḍha''. If such a mystic ''yogī'' somehow or other comes in contact with a saintly person, he becomes a devotee of Kṛṣṇa.

The word ''urukrama'' has already been explained: it indicates the Supreme Lord. All the ''ātmārāmas'' are engaged in devotional service to Urukrama. Before engaging in devotional service, such transcendentalists are called ''śāntas'', or pacified devotees.

The word ''ātmā'', or self, is sometimes translated as “mind.” Sometimes mental speculators present philosophical theories in different ways, but when they come in contact with saintly persons engaged in devotional service, they also become devotees.

''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 10.87.18|10.87.18]]) describes the two classes of ''yogīs'' (''sagarbha and nigarbha'') as follows: “The ''yogīs'' begin their practice of yoga by worshiping the abdomen, and they try to concentrate their attention on their intestines. Gradually their meditation rises to the heart and they concentrate the mind there. Then they gradually direct their attention to the top of the head. One who can raise his meditation to that position is understood to have become perfect and to be no longer subject to birth and death.” Even such ''yogīs'' render causeless devotional service to the Lord when they come in contact with pure devotees.

The word ''ātmā'' also means “an endeavor.” In every practice there is some endeavor, and the ultimate endeavor is the endeavor to reach the highest perfectional stage of devotional service. In ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 1.5.18|1.5.18]]) it is stated that one should try to attain the highest goal, which cannot be attained either in the higher or lower planetary systems. The idea is that material happiness and misery are automatically available in all planetary systems in the course of time, but the highest achievement, devotional service, cannot be attained anywhere without endeavor. Therefore in the ''Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa'' it is said that one who is serious about understanding the highest perfectional stage of devotional service can become successful simply by his endeavor. One cannot attain the highest perfectional stage of devotional service without personal endeavor. As Kṛṣṇa states in the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 10.10 (1972)|10.10]]):

:''teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ   bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
:''dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ   yena mām upayānti te''

“To those who are constantly rendering devotional service to Me with love, I, who am situated in everyone’s heart, give the intelligence by which they can make undeterred progress in devotional activities.”

The word ''ātmā'' also means ''dhṛti'', “patience and perseverance.” By patience and perseverance one can achieve the highest stage of devotional service.

As far as the word ''muni'' is concerned, there are additional meanings. The word also refers to a bird and a large black bee. Another meaning of the word ''nirgrantha'' is “a foolish person.” Thus even birds, bees and foolish people engage in the service of the Supreme Lord when they are favored by the pure devotee. Indeed, it is stated in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 10.21.14|10.21.14]]) that the birds in Vṛndāvana are devoted to the service of the Supreme Lord. It is also stated in the ''Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 10.15.6|10.15.6]]) that the black bees in Vṛndāvana always follow Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. In that verse Śrī Kṛṣṇa describes to Balarāma the devotional service the bees were rendering unto Him (Lord Balarāma):

:''ete ’linas tava yaśo ’khila-loka-tīrthaṁ
:''gāyanta ādi-puruṣānupathaṁbhajante
:''prāyo amī muni-gaṇā bhavadīya-mukhyā
:''gūḍhaṁ vane ’pi na jahaty anaghātma-daivam''

“O supremely virtuous one, O original Personality of Godhead, just see how these bees are following You, glorifying Your transcendental fame and thus worshiping You. Actually, these bees are not as they appear: they are great sages who are taking this opportunity to worship the Supreme Soul. Although You are not knowable by ordinary persons, they know You, and they are following and glorifying You.”

In the next verse in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 10.15.7|10.15.7]]) Kṛṣṇa describes the similar reception given to Balarāma by the peacocks and cuckoos of Vṛndāvana: “O worshipable one, just see how the peacocks returning to their nests are receiving You with full pleasure. These peacocks are just like the damsels of Vraja. The cuckoos on the branches of the trees are also receiving You in their own way. The residents of Vṛndāvana are so glorious that everyone is prepared to render devotional service to the Lord.” Another verse of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 10.35.8-11|10.35.11]]) describes a similar reception given to Kṛṣṇa by the birds of Vṛndāvana: “O just see how the cranes and swans on the water are singing the glories of the Lord! Indeed, they are standing in the water meditating on Him and worshiping Him.” It is stated elsewhere in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 2.4.18|2.4.18]]): “Even the aborigines and uncivilized human beings like Kirātas, Hūṇas, Āndhras, Pulindas, Pulkaśas, Ābhīras, Śumbhas, Yavanas and Khasas, as well as many other such human beings, can all be purified simply by taking shelter of the pure devotees.” Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī offered his respectful obeisances unto Lord Viṣṇu, whose devotees can work so wonderfully.

Another meaning of the word ''dhṛti'' is “to realize oneself as elevated.” In this state one feels that he is free from all miseries and is elevated to the highest platform of life. All devotees of Kṛṣṇa in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness are free from all kinds of material pleasures and miseries. They are fully absorbed in the service of the Lord, and they are always jolly by virtue of their engagement in His transcendental service. They are experienced men of happiness. Indeed, they are so happy that they do not even wish to be promoted to the spiritual planets, for they are happy in every sphere of life. Being fulfilled in the transcendental service of the Lord, they desire neither material objects nor material sense pleasures. As stated by the Six Gosvāmīs: “Persons whose senses are fixed in the service of the Supreme Lord can be called peaceful.”

Thus the word ''ātmārāma'' indicates that even birds, beasts and fools—in short, everyone—can become attracted by the transcendental qualities of Kṛṣṇa, engage in His service and become liberated.

Still another meaning of ''ātmā'' is “intelligence.” One who has special intelligence is also called ''ātmārāma''. The ''ātmārāmas'' with special intelligence are of two kinds. One is the learned sage, and the other is the fool without book knowledge. Both of these can have an opportunity to associate with a pure devotee. Even the foolish ''ātmārāmas'' can give up everything and engage in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in pure devotional service. In ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 10.8 (1972)|10.8]]) it is said that the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything—that everything emanates from Him—and that anyone who is actually intelligent understands this and engages in His service. A verse in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 2.7.46|2.7.46]]) states: “To say nothing of persons who are intelligent enough to study the Vedas, even less intelligent persons like women, laborers, Hūṇas and Śabaras, as well as the birds and beasts, can achieve the highest perfectional stage of life by engaging in the devotional service of the Lord.” As previously quoted, ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 10.10 (1972)|10.10]]) also indicates that when a person becomes highly intelligent and engages in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa reciprocates by giving him the intelligence by which he can be promoted to the abode of the Supreme Lord.

The Lord then told Sanātana Gosvāmī that the association of good devotees, engagement in the transcendental service of the Lord, the understanding of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'', the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, and residence in a holy place like Vṛndāvana or Mathurā are all very important for elevation to the transcendental plane. One need not practice all five of these items; if one is expert in just one of them, he will, without fail, be elevated to the stage of love of Godhead. One who is actually intelligent gives up all material desires and engages in the transcendental service of Kṛṣṇa. The influence of devotional service is such that a person who engages in it gives up all material desires and becomes fully attached to Kṛṣṇa, being inspired by the transcendental qualities of the Lord. Such is the beauty of the Lord in the eyes of His devotee.

Another meaning of the word ''ātmā'' is “nature.” In this case the word ''ātmārāma'' indicates that everyone is enjoying the particular nature he has acquired. But the ultimate nature, the eternal nature of the living entity, is to serve the Supreme Lord. One who attains to the perfection of understanding his real nature—as eternal servant of the Lord—gives up his designative (material, or bodily) conception of life. That is real knowledge. Those who are in pursuit of knowledge and who get the opportunity to associate with a pure devotee also engage in the devotional service of the Lord. Sages like the Four Kumāras, as well as fools and birds, can engage in the Lord’s transcendental service. By being favored with Kṛṣṇa’s causeless mercy, anyone can be elevated to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

One who becomes attracted by the transcendental qualities of Kṛṣṇa begins devotional service. In ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 10.15.8|10.15.8]]) Kṛṣṇa glorifies the land of Vṛndāvana as He addresses Balarāma in this way:

:''dhanyeyam adya dharaṇī tṛṇa-vīrudhas tvat-
:''pāda-spṛśo druma-latāḥ karajābhimṛṣṭāḥ
:''nadyo ’drayaḥ khaga-mṛgāḥ sadayāvalokair
:''gopyo ’ntareṇa bhujayor api yat-spṛhāśrīḥ''

“This land of Vrajabhūmi is made glorious by the touch of Your feet. Being touched by Your fingers, the creepers have also become glorious. When You look on the hills, rivers and lower animals, they too are all made glorious, and the ''gopīs'', being embraced by Your transcendental arms, are also made glorious.” The ''gopīs'' glorified Vṛndāvana in the following words: “Dear friends, all these inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi—everyone, including the birds, beasts and trees—are glorified when they see Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma singing on Their flutes as They go to the pasturing ground with Their friends.”

The word ''ātmā'' also means “this body.” The ''yogīs'' who practice bodily exercises, considering the body to be the self, are also elevated to the transcendental service of the Lord if they associate with pure devotees. There are many people who believe the body to be the self, and they are engaged in many fruitive activities, including bathing rituals and ordinary worldly activities. But when they come in contact with a pure devotee, they also engage in the transcendental service of the Lord.

In ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 1.18.12|1.18.12]]) it is stated: “O my dear Sūta Gosvāmī, we have become darkened by the sacrificial smoke of fruitive activities, but you have given us the nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet.” It is also stated in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 4.21.31|4.21.31]]): “The waters of the Ganges flow from the tip of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, and by bathing in that water, everyone—including fruitive actors and all sages—can wash dirty things from the mind.”

Even those who believe that the body is the self, or those who are full of material desires, are also, in a sense, ''ātmārāma''. When they associate with the pure devotees of the Lord, they give up their material desires and become perfect in the service of the Lord. The best example of this is found in the ''Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya'' (7.28), wherein Dhruva Mahārāja said:

:''sthānābhilāṣī tapasi sthito ’haṁ
:''tvāṁ prāptavān deva-munīndra-guhyam
:''kācaṁ vicinvann api divya-ratnaṁ
:''svāmin kṛtārtho ’smi varaṁ na yāce''

“My dear Lord, I came to worship You because I desired some land on this earth, but fortunately I have attained You, who are beyond even the perception of great sages and saintly persons. I came to search out some particles of colored glass, but instead I found a very valuable gem like You. I am satisfied, and I do not desire to ask anything of You.”

There is also another meaning to the word ''nirgrantha''. The word can also mean “foolish hunter,” or “wretched poor man.” There is an instance of such a hunter who attained salvation and engaged himself in the devotional service of the Lord simply by associating with the pure devotee Nārada. Indeed, Lord Caitanya told Sanātana Gosvāmī the following story of the hunter’s meeting with Nārada.

Once there was a hunter in the forest of Prayāga who was fortunate enough to meet Nārada Muni when the great sage was returning from Vaikuṇṭha after visiting Lord Nārāyaṇa. Nārada came to Prayāga to bathe in the confluence of the Ganges and Yamunā. While passing through the forest, Nārada saw a bird lying on the ground. The bird was half-killed, having been pierced by an arrow, and it was chirping piteously. Further on, Nārada saw a deer flopping about in agony. Further, he saw that a boar was also suffering, and, in another place, he saw a rabbit twitching in pain. All this made him feel very compassionate, and he began to think, “Who is the foolish man who has committed such sins?” In general, devotees of the Lord are compassionate toward the suffering living entities, and so what to speak of the great sage Nārada? He became very much aggrieved by this scene, and after proceeding a few steps he saw the hunter engaged in hunting with bow and arrows. The hunter’s complexion was very black, and his eyes were red. It appeared to be dangerous just to see him standing there with his bow and arrows, looking just like an associate of Yamarāja, death. Seeing him, Nārada Muni entered deeper into the forest to approach him. As Nārada Muni passed through the forest, all the animals who were caught in the hunter’s traps fled away. The hunter became very angry at this, and he was just about to call Nārada vile names, but, due to the influence of saintly Nārada, the hunter could not utter such blasphemies. Rather, with gentle behavior he asked Nārada: “My dear sir, why have you come here while I am hunting? Have you strayed from the general path? Because you have come here, all the animals in my traps have fled.”

“Yes, I am sorry,” Nārada replied. “I have come to you to find my own path and to inquire from you. While on the path I have seen that there are many boars, deer and rabbits lying on the forest floor half-dead and flopping about. Who has committed these sinful acts?”

“What you have seen is all right,” the hunter replied. “It was done by me.”

“If you are hunting all these poor animals, why don’t you kill them at once?” Nārada asked. “You half-kill them, and they are writhing in their death pangs. This is a great sin. If you want to kill an animal, why don’t you kill it completely? Why do you leave it half-killed and allow it to die flopping around?”

“My dear Lord,” the hunter replied, “my name is Mṛgāri, enemy of the animals. I am simply following the teachings of my father, who taught me to half-kill animals and leave them flopping about. When a half-dead animal suffers, I take great pleasure in it.”

“I beg only one thing from you,” Nārada implored. “Please accept it.”

“Oh, yes sir, I shall give you whatever you like,” the hunter said. “If you want some animal skins, come to my house. I have many skins of animals, including tigers and deer. I shall give you whatever you like.”

“I do not want such things,” Nārada replied. “But I do want something else. Since you kindly agreed to grant it to me, I shall tell you. Please, henceforth from tomorrow, whenever you kill an animal, please kill it completely. Don’t leave it half dead.”

“My dear sir, what are you asking of me? What is the difference between half-killing an animal and killing it completely?”

“If you half-kill the animals, they suffer great pain,” Nārada explained. “And if you give too much pain to other living entities, you commit great sin. There is a great offense committed when you kill an animal completely, but the offense is much greater when you half-kill it. Indeed, the pain which you give half-dead animals will have to be accepted by you in a future birth.”

Although the hunter was very sinful, his heart became softened, and he became afraid of his sins by virtue of his association with a great devotee like Nārada. Those who are grossly sinful are not at all afraid of committing sins, but here we can see that because his purification began in the association of a great devotee like Nārada, the hunter became afraid of his sinful activities. The hunter therefore replied: “My dear sir, from my very childhood I have been taught to kill animals in this way. Please tell me how I can counteract all the offenses and sinful activities I have committed. I am surrendering unto your feet. Please save me from all the reactions to the sinful activities I have committed in the past, and please direct me to the proper path so that I can be free.”

“If you actually want to follow my directions, I can tell you the real path by which you can be freed from these sinful reactions.”

“I shall follow whatever you say without hesitation,” the hunter agreed.

Nārada then told him to first break his bow; only then would Nārada disclose the path of liberation.

“You are asking me to break my bow,” the hunter protested, “but if I break it, what will be the means of my livelihood?”

“Don’t worry about your livelihood,” Nārada said. “I shall send you sufficient grains so you can live.”

The hunter then broke his bow and fell down at the feet of Nārada. Nārada got him to stand up, and he instructed him: “Just go to your home and distribute whatever money and valuables you have to the devotees and the ''brāhmaṇas''. Then come out and follow me wearing only one cloth. Construct a small thatched house on the riverbank and sow a ''tulasī'' plant by that house. Just circumambulate the ''tulasī'' tree, and every day taste one fallen leaf. Above all, always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. As far as your livelihood is concerned, I shall send you the grains you need, but you must accept only as much grain as you require for yourself and your wife.”

Nārada then revived the half-dead animals, and, getting freed from their dreadful condition, they fled away. Upon seeing Nārada execute this miracle, the black hunter was struck with wonder. After taking Nārada to his home, he bowed down again at his feet.

Nārada returned to his place, and the hunter, after returning home, began to execute the instructions Nārada had given him. In the meantime, news spread among all the villages that the hunter had become a devotee. Consequently the residents of the villages came to see the new Vaiṣṇava. It is the Vedic custom to bring grains or fruits whenever one goes to see a saintly person, and since all the villagers saw that the hunter had turned into a great devotee, they brought eatables with them. Thus every day he was offered grains and fruit, so much so that no less than ten to twenty people could have eaten there. But following Nārada’s instructions, he did not accept more than what he and his wife required to live on..

After some days had passed, Nārada told his friend Parvata Muni: “I have a disciple. Let us go visit him and see if he is doing well.”

When the two great sages, Nārada and Parvata, went to the hunter’s home, the hunter saw his spiritual master coming from a distance and began to approach him with great respect. On his way to greet the great sages, the hunter saw that there were ants on the ground before him, and they were hindering his passage. When he reached the sages, he wanted to bow down before them, but before he did so he carefully cleared away the ants with his cloth. When Nārada saw that the hunter was trying to save the lives of the ants in this way, he was reminded of a verse from the ''Skanda Purāṇa'': “Is it not wonderful that a devotee of the Lord is not inclined to give any sort of pain to anyone, not even an ant?” Although formerly the hunter had taken great pleasure in half-killing animals, since he had become a great devotee of the Lord he was not prepared to give pain even to an ant.

The hunter received the two great sages at his home and offered them a sitting place, brought water, and washed their feet. Then the hunter and his wife took some of the water and drank it, and finally they both sprinkled the water on their heads. After this they felt ecstasy and began to dance while singing Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. They raised their hands and danced with their clothes flying. When the two great sages saw this ecstasy of love of Godhead manifest in the body of the hunter, Parvata Muni told Nārada: “You are a touchstone, for by your association even a great hunter has turned into a great devotee.”

There is a verse in the ''Skanda Purāṇa'' which states: “My dear Devarṣi [Nārada], you are glorious, and by your mercy even the lowest creature, a hunter of animals, also became elevated to the path of devotion and attained transcendental attachment for Kṛṣṇa.”

At length, Nārada inquired of the hunter-devotee: “Are you getting your foodstuffs regularly?”

“You send so many people,” the hunter replied, “and they bring so much food that we cannot eat it all.”

“That’s all right,” Nārada replied. “Whatever you are getting is all right. Now just continue your devotional service in that way.”

After Nārada had spoken this, both he and Parvata Muni disappeared from the hunter’s home. Lord Caitanya recited this story to show that even a hunter can be engaged in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa by the influence of pure devotees.

Continuing to explain the ''ātmārāma'' verse, Lord Caitanya pointed out that the word ''ātmā'' also indicates all varieties of the Personality of Godhead. Generally the Personality of Godhead Himself, Kṛṣṇa, and His different expansions are all known as the Personality of Godhead.

Anyone who is engaged in the devotional service of any form or expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is also called ''ātmārāma''. All such devotees engage either in the regulative principles of devotional service or in devotional service in transcendental love. These two groups of devotees are each divided into three categories: eternal associates, those perfected in devotional service, and those newly engaged in devotional service. Newly engaged devotees can be divided into two groups: those who have already attained attachment for the Lord and those who have not attained such attachment. When considered according to the two divisions of devotional service (namely due to attachment in transcendental love, and under regulation) these classes of devotees become eight in number. By following the regulative principles of devotion, the perfect associates of the Lord are further divided into four classes: the servants, the friends, the parental superiors and the fiancees.

Just as some devotees are perfected by the execution of devotional service, so some are eternally perfect. Of those following the regulative principles of devotional service, there are the advanced and the beginners, totaling sixteen categories; and in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, there are also sixteen types of devotees. Thus the ''ātmārāmas'' can be considered to exist in thirty-two divisions. If the words ''muni'', ''nirgrantha'', ''ca'' and ''api'' are applied to the thirty-two classes, then there are fifty-eight different types of devotees. All these devotees can be described by one word: ''ātmārāma''. There may be many different kinds of trees standing in the forest, but the word “tree” describes them all.

Thus the Lord gave sixty different meanings to the ''ātmārāma'' verse. In addition, He said that ''ātmā'' means “any embodied living entity, from the first living creature, Brahmā, down to the ant.” He cited a verse from the Sixth Chapter of the ''Viṣṇu Purāṇa'' in which it is stated that all the energies of the Lord are spiritual. Although this is the case, the energy which is known as the source of the living entity is called spiritual, but the other energy, which is full of ignorance and is manifested in material activities, is called material nature. Even in the material creation, the living entities are innumerable. If by chance a living entity in the material world can associate with a pure devotee, he can engage in the pure devotional service of Kṛṣṇa. “Formerly I thought of sixty different meanings for the ''ātmārāma'' verse,” the Lord told Sanātana Gosvāmī, “but here another meaning has come to My mind by your association.”

After hearing the different explanations of the ''ātmārāma'' verse, Sanātana Gosvāmī was struck with wonder, and he fell down in devotion at the feet of Lord Caitanya. “I understand that You are personally the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa,” Sanātana said, “and by Your breathing have come many manifestations of Vedic literature. You are the teacher of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'', and You best know the meanings of the verses of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''. It is not possible for others to understand the confidential meanings of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' without Your mercy.”

“Do not try to eulogize Me in that way,” the Lord told Sanātana. “Just try to understand the real nature of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''. ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' is the sound representation of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa; therefore ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' is not different from Kṛṣṇa. As Kṛṣṇa is unlimited, so each word and each syllable of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' has unlimited meanings. One can understand these meanings through the association of devotees. Don’t, then, say that ''Bhāgavatam'' is simply a collection of answers to questions.”

There were six questions put by the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya to Sūta Gosvāmī, and Sūta Gosvāmī answered the six questions in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''. There is a verse in the Vedic literature in which Lord Śiva says, “As far as the ''Bhāgavatam'' is concerned, I may know it, or Śukadeva or Vyāsadeva may know it, or we may not know it—but actually ''Bhāgavatam'' is to be understood by devotional service and from a devotee, and not by one’s own intelligence or by academic commentaries.” At the beginning of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 1.1.23|1.1.23]]) the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya asked Sūta Gosvāmī:

:''brūhi yogeśvare kṛṣṇe   brahmaṇye dharma-varmaṇi
:''svāṁ kāṣṭhām adhunopete   dharmaḥ kaṁśaraṇaṁ gataḥ''

“My dear sir, now that the Lord has departed for His own abode, kindly tell us whether the principles of religion have gone with Him. How can we find such principles after His departure?”

The reply was given in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 1.3.43|1.3.43]]):

:''kṛṣṇe sva-dhāmopagate   dharma-jñānādibhiḥ saha
:''kalau naṣṭa-dṛśām eṣa   purāṇārko ’dhunoditaḥ''

“After Kṛṣṇa departed to His abode with all religious principles, His representation, ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'', the ''Mahā-Purāṇa'', remains as the blazing, illuminating sun.”

Lord Caitanya then told Sanātana Gosvāmī: “I was just like a madman in describing this ''ātmārāma'' verse in so many ways. Do not mind if I have said something mad. But if someone becomes a madman like Me, he can understand the real meaning of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' as I have explained it.”

Then Sanātana Gosvāmī, with folded hands, fell at the feet of Lord Caitanya and prayed as follows: “My dear Lord, You have asked me to prepare a book on the regulative principles of devotional service, but I belong to the lowest caste. I have no knowledge. I do not know how such an important task can be finished by me. If You will kindly give me some hints about the preparation of such a book on devotional service, it may be that I shall be qualified to write it.”

The Lord then blessed him, saying, “By the grace of Kṛṣṇa, whatever you write will come out of your heart and be accepted. As you have requested, I will now give you some notes that you can take down. The first and foremost point is that one should accept a bona fide spiritual master. That is the beginning of spiritual life.” Lord Caitanya then requested Sanātana Gosvāmī to write down the symptoms of a true guru and the symptoms of a true disciple. The symptoms of a guru are described in the ''Padma Purāṇa'': “A person who is a qualified ''brāhmaṇa'' and at the same time has all the symptoms of a devotee can become a spiritual master for all classes of men. Such a devotee and spiritual master must be respected as God Himself. Even though a person may be born in a very respectable ''brāhmaṇa'' family, he cannot become a bona fide spiritual master if he is not a devotee of the Lord.” One should not mistakenly think that a bona fide spiritual master has to be born in a so-called ''brāhmaṇa'' family. The idea is that a spiritual master must be a qualified ''brāhmaṇa''; that is, he must be qualified by his activities.

This is confirmed in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'', when Nārada speaks of the different symptoms characterizing the four divisions of social life. Nārada therein states that ''brāhmaṇas'', ''kṣatriyas'', ''vaiśyas'' and ''śūdras'' should be selected by their individual qualifications. In his commentary, Śrīdhara Svāmī has noted that birth in a family of ''brāhmaṇas'' does not necessarily mean that one is a ''brāhmaṇa''. One must be qualified with a ''brāhmaṇa’s'' symptoms, which are described in the ''śāstras''. In the disciplic succession of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava ''sampradāya'', there are two great ''ācāryas'' (Ṭhākura Narottama and Śyāmānanda Gosvāmī) who were not born in ''brāhmaṇa'' families but were accepted as spiritual masters by many famous ''brāhmaṇas'', including Gaṅgānārāyaṇa and Rāmakṛṣṇa.

In this way there are symptoms which both the prospective spiritual master and the prospective disciple must have, and both the disciple and the spiritual master must see whether the other is eligible to become either a bona fide spiritual master or a bona fide student. One should then know that the only worshipable object is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and one should learn the various mantras and sacred songs.

The Lord then instructed Sanātana to describe the symptoms of those persons who are eligible to accept the mantras and to describe how the mantras should be understood and perfected by ritualistic performances. Then the Lord instructed Sanātana to describe initiation, morning duties and duties of cleanliness—washing the face, brushing the teeth, and so on—the process of work and the prayers to be recited both in the morning and the evening. The Lord also told him to describe how one should worship the spiritual master, how to mark one’s body with ''gopī-candana'', how to collect ''tulasī'' leaves, how to wash the room and temple of the Lord, and how to awaken Kṛṣṇa from sleep. Then Lord Caitanya instructed Sanātana to describe different methods for worshiping the Lord, with fivefold, sixteenfold or fiftyfold paraphernalia, how to worship the Lord by offering Him ''ārati'' five times a day, and how to offer food to Kṛṣṇa and lay Him down on His bed. Next Lord Caitanya instructed Sanātana to write about the characteristics of both the form of the Lord in the temple and the ''śālagrāma-śilā'', and also to write about the effect of going to holy places where there are different temples of the Lord and seeing the form of God in the temple. Sanātana was also instructed to glorify the transcendental name of the Lord and to describe the different offenses one can commit while chanting the Lord’s name or worshiping the Deity. In the worship of the Lord certain paraphernalia are used, such as a conchshell, water, incense and fragrant flowers. The Lord instructed Sanātana to describe these, along with the chanting of prayers and hymns, circumambulation, and the offering of obeisances. Other topics for Sanātana to explain included following the regulative principles of ''puraścaraṇa'', accepting ''kṛṣṇa-prasādam'', rejecting foodstuff not offered to Kṛṣṇa, and not indulging in defaming a devotee who has the actual symptoms of a devotee.

Lord Caitanya also instructed Sanātana to describe the symptoms of a holy man, the process of satisfying the sages, and the value of rejecting the society of undesirable persons and hearing ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' constantly. Also to be described were how to follow the daily, fortnightly and monthly duties, how to observe fasting on the Ekādaśī day, how to observe ceremonies like the birthday of the Lord, and how to observe fasting not only on Ekādaśī but also on Janmāṣṭamī, Vāmana-dvādaśī, Rāma-navamī and Nṛsiṁha-caturdaśī. Lord Caitanya also instructed Sanātana to explain that it is helpful in the advancement of devotional service to avoid fast days that overlap with other days (''viddhā''). Also to be explained were how to establish temples of the Lord, along with the general behavior, symptoms, duties and occupation of a Vaiṣṇava. And at every step, Lord Caitanya said, Sanātana Gosvāmī should give documentary evidence from the ''purāṇas''. Thus the Lord gave a summary of all the topics Sanātana should include in his book on Vaiṣṇava regulative principles.

Sanātana Gosvāmī was a great devotee of the Lord, and he was directly instructed to spread the cult of ''bhakti'' by writing many books. There is a description of Sanātana in the ''Caitanya-candrodaya'', where it is said that Sanātana Gosvāmī was one of the most important personalities in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah. Sanātana’s brother, Rūpa Gosvāmī, was also a minister in the government, but both of them gave up their lucrative government posts to become mendicants and serve the Supreme Lord. Externally the brothers became just like ordinary mendicants, but their hearts were filled with transcendental loving service and a great love for the cowherd boy of Vṛndāvana. Indeed, Sanātana Gosvāmī was dear to all pure devotees of his time.

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[[Category:Teachings of Lord Chaitanya (1968)]]
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<div class="center">
=====CHAPTER ELEVEN=====
<br />
[[File:TLC-Chapter.jpg|108px|center|alt=Lord Chaitanya|link=]]

===Service to the Lord===
</div>

Any recommended path for self-realization can be successful only when it is mixed with devotional service. This was explained by Narada Muni, the Spiritual Master of Vyasadeva, when Vyasadeva was not satisfied even after compiling heaps of books of Vedic knowledge. Vyasadeva was sitting in a state of depression by the banks of the River Saraswati when Narada Muni arrived. Upon seeing Vyasa so dejected, he explained the deficiency in the compilation of his various books. He said as follows:

"Even pure knowledge without being completed by transcendental devotional service does not look well. What to speak of fruitive activities when they are not in devotional service? How can they be of any benefit to the performer?"

There are many sages who are expert in performing austerities; there are many men who give much in charity; there are many famous men, scholars and thinkers; and those who are very expert in the Vedic hymns. All such achievements are certainly very auspicious, but unless they are utilized for attaining devotional service to the Lord, they are unable to award the desired results. Therefore, in Srimad Bhagwatam, Sukadeva Goswami offered his respectful obeisances to the Supreme Lord, Who is the only One Who can award such success.

It is accepted by all classes of philosophers and transcendentalists that no one who lacks knowledge can be liberated from the material entanglement. Still, knowledge without being mixed with devotional service holds no possibility of awarding liberation. In other words, when Jnana, or the cultivation of knowledge, opens the path of devotional service, then alone can it give one liberation, and not otherwise.

In the Srimad Bhagwatam this is also stated by Brahma: "My dear Lord, devotional service unto You is the best path for self-realization. If somebody gives up that path and becomes engaged in the cultivation of knowledge, or in speculation, he will undergo a troublesome process, without achieving any desired results. Just as a person who beats the empty husk of the wheat cannot get the grain, so those who are engaged simply in speculative knowledge cannot achieve the desired result of self-realization. Their only gain is trouble."

The Bhagavad Gita says, in the Seventh Chapter, 14th verse, that this material Nature is very strong, and not surmountable by an ordinary living entity. Only those who surrender unto the Lotus Feet of Krishna can cross over the ocean of material existence. The self-forgetfulness of the living entity—forgetting that he is eternally the servitor of Krishna—is the cause of his bondage in conditional life, and the cause of his being attracted by the material energy. That attraction is the shackle of material energy. It is very difficult for a person to become free as long as he desires to lord it over the material Nature. It is recommended, therefore; that one should approach a Spiritual Master who can train him in devotional service, and thus he can get out of the clutches of material Nature, and achieve the Lotus Feet of Krishna.

There are divisions of human society, like the Brahmins, or intellectuals; the Kshatriyas, administrators; the Vaishyas, businessmen; and the Sudras, or laborers; and there is the Brahmachary, or student, the Grihastha or householder, the Vanaprasthas, retired; and the Sannyasis, renounced life. And, in every case, if the individuals lack engagement in devotional service, Krishna Consciousness, even though engaged in their prescribed duty, they cannot get release because of their material consciousness. On the contrary, even by discharging their prescribed duties, they glide down to hell. Therefore, all persons engaged in their prescribed occupational duties must cultivate Krishna Consciousness in devotional service, if they want liberation from the material clutches.

In this connection, Lord Chaitanya cited a verse from the Srimad Bhagwatam which was delivered by Narada as the path of Bhagavat cultivation. He said that the four divisions of human social life, as well as the four different orders of life, are born out of the gigantic Form of the Lord: the Brahmins are born out of the mouth of the Universal Form of the Lord, the Kshatriyas are born out of the arms of His Personality, the Vaishyas are born out of His waist, and the Sudras are born from the legs of that Personality. As such, they are qualified in different modes of material Nature, within the Form of Virata Purusha. Out of these four orders of life, or social divisions, if anyone is not engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, then in spite of his being in his prescribed occupational, functional duty, he falls from his position.

Lord Chaitanya says that those of the Mayavadi, or impersonalist, school may artificially think themselves as one with God, or liberated, but according to Him and to Srimad Bhagwatam, they are not actually liberated. In this connection, He quoted a verse from the Srimad Bhagwatam, Tenth Canto, Second Chapter, in which it is said: "Those who think that they are liberated in the Mayavadi philosophical way, but who do not take to the devotional service of the Lord, even after undergoing the severest type of penance or austerity, and even after sometimes approaching the Supreme post, still, for want of devotional service, fall."

The Lord explained that Krishna is just like the Sun, and Maya, or the illusory material energy, is just like darkness. Therefore, one who is constantly in the sunshine of Krishna does not have any chance of being deluded by the darkness of material energy. This is very nicely explained in the four prime verses of Srimad Bhagwatam, and is also confirmed in the Second Canto of Srimad Bhagwatam, Fifth Chapter, which states: "The illusory energy, or Maya, is ashamed to stand before the Lord."

But the living entities are constantly being bewildered by the same illusory energy. The living entity in his conditioned state discovers many kinds of word-jugglery for getting apparent liberation from the clutches of Maya; but actually a person who sincerely surrenders unto Krishna even by saying only once, "My dear Lord Krishna, from this day, I am yours," at once gets out of the clutches of the material energy.

This is confirmed in the Ramayan, Lankakanda. There the Lord says, "It is My duty and vow that if somebody surrenders unto Me without any reservation, then I give him all protection." Somebody may develop the idea of enjoying fruitive activities, or liberation, or Jnana, or perfection in the Yoga system, but if such a person by chance becomes very intelligent, then he will give up all those paths and engage himself in sincere devotional service to the Lord. The Bhagwatam also confirms, in the Second Canto, Third Chapter, that a person—whatever he may be, either full with all desires for material enjoyment or desirous of liberation—if he is actually intelligent, should engage himself in perfect devotional service.

Persons who are ambitious for deriving material benefit from devotional service are not pure devotees, but because they are engaged in devotional service they are considered fortunate. They do not know that the result of devotional service is not material benediction; but, because they engage themselves in devotional service of the Supreme Lord, ultimately they will come to the understanding that material enjoyment is not the result of engagement in His devotional service. Krishna says that such persons, engaged in His devotional service, are certainly foolish for wanting some material benefit in exchange. Such persons are foolish because, instead of achieving the stage of love of Godhead, they try to accept something which is poisonous for them. Although such persons want material benefit from Krishna, Krishna being All-powerful considers the person's position and gradually liberates him from such an ambitious life, and engages him in devotional service. And when he is actually in devotional service he forgets his past ambitions and desires for material benefits.

In the Srimad Bhagwatam, Fifth Canto, Nineteenth Chapter, this is confirmed as follows: "Lord Krishna certainly fulfills the desire of His devotees who come to Him in devotional service. But He does not fulfill such desires as would again cause miseries. In spite of being materially ambitious, because they are engaged in the transcendental service of the Lord, such devotees are gradually purified of desire for material enjoyment, and come to desire the pleasure of devotional service."

Generally people come to the association of devotees for mitigating some material wants. But the influence of a pure devotee frees a man from all material desires, and he relishes the taste of devotional service. Devotional service is so nice and pure that it purifies the devotee, and he forgets all material ambitions as he engages fully in the transcendental loving service of Krishna. A practical example is Druva Maharaj, who wanted something from Krishna, and for that reason engaged in devotional service. But when the Lord appeared as four-handed Vishnu before Druva, he said, "My dear Lord, I engaged myself in Your devotional service with great austerity and penances, and thus I am now seeing You. It is always very difficult to see You, even for the great demigods and great sages, and I am now pleased and all my desires are satisfied. I do not want anything further. While I was searching for some broken glass, I have found a great and valuable gem." Druva Maharaj stated his full satisfaction, and he refused to ask anything from the Lord.

The living entity who is transmigrating through the 8,400,000 species of life is sometimes likened to a log which is gliding downstream on the waves of the river. Sometimes, by chance, the log comes to the shore and it is saved from being forced to drift further downstream. There is a nice verse in the Srimad Bhagwatam in which every conditioned soul is encouraged: "Nobody should be depressed, thinking that he will never be out of the clutches of matter; because there is the possibility of being rescued exactly like the log which floats on the river for some time, and then comes to rest on the bank." This fortunate opportunity is also discussed here by the Lord.

Such fortunate incidents are considered the beginning of the decline of one's conditional life. They occur if there is the association of pure devotees of the Lord. By association of pure devotees of the Lord, one actually develops his attraction for Krishna. There are different types of rituals and activities: some of them develop into material enjoyment, and some of them develop into material liberation. If a living entity takes to ritualistic activities which develop into his pure devotional service to the Lord, in the association of pure devotees, then he naturally develops devotional service in his mind.

There is a nice verse in the Srimad Bhagwatam, Tenth Canto, Fifty-first Chapter, where it is stated by Muchakunda: "My dear Lord, a living entity, while travelling in this material world through different species of life, may develop towards liberation. By chance he may come in contact with pure devotees. Only at that time is he liberated from the clutches of the material energy, and he becomes a devotee of Yourself, the Personality of Godhead."

When a conditioned soul becomes a devotee of Krishna, Krishna by His causeless Mercy trains him in two ways: He trains him by the Spiritual Master from the outside, and He trains him from the inside by the Supersoul. In this connection there is a very nice verse in the Srimad Bhagwatam, Eleventh Canto, Twenty-ninth Chapter, in which it is said: "O my dear Lord, if somebody should get a duration of life like Brahma's, still he would be unable to express his gratitude to You for the benefits derived from remembering You; because, out of Your causeless mercy, You drive away all inauspicious conditions for a devotee, expressing Yourself from outside as the Spiritual Master, and from inside as the Supersoul."

Somehow or other, if somebody gets in touch with a pure devotee and thus develops a desire for devotional service to Krishna, he gradually rises up to the platform of love of Godhead, and thus he is freed from the clutches of the material energy. This is explained in the Srimad Bhagwatam, Eleventh Canto, Twentieth Chapter, where the Lord says: "For one who becomes attracted by the topics of My Activities out of his own accord—being neither lured nor repelled by material activities—the path of devotional service, leading to the perfection of love of God, becomes possible."

It is not possible, however, to achieve such a stage of perfection without being favored by a pure devotee, or a ''Mahatma'', a great soul. Without the mercy of a great soul no one can even be liberated from the material clutches, what to speak of rising to the platform of love of Godhead? This is confirmed in the Srimad Bhagwatam, Fifth Canto, Eleventh Chapter, spoken in connection with the meeting of the King Rohugana of the Sind province in Siberia with King Bharata. The King expressed surprise at seeing Bharata's great stage of spiritual perfection in life.

Bharata replied: "My dear Rohugana, no one can attain the perfected stage of devotional service without being favored by a great soul, or pure devotee. No one can attain such perfectional stages simply by following the regulative principles of Scriptures, nor by acceptance of the renounced order of life, nor by prosecuting the prescribed duties of householder life, nor by becoming a great student of spiritual science, nor by accepting severe austerity and penances performed for realization."

Similarly, in the same Bhagwatam, Seventh Canto, Fifth Chapter, in connection with the conversation of Prahlad Maharaj with his father, Hiranyakasipu, the following statement appears: "When the atheist father Hiranyakasipu inquired from his son where he got such an attitude of devotional service, the boy replied: 'So long as one is not favored by the dust of the feet of pure devotees, then he cannot even touch the path of devotional service, which is the solution of all the varieties of problems of material life.'"

Lord Chaitanya said to Sanatan Goswami that all the Scriptures stress association with pure devotees of Godhead. The opportunity to associate with a pure devotee of the Supreme Lord is the beginning of one's complete perfection. This statement is also confirmed in the Srimad Bhagwatam, First Canto, Eighteenth Chapter. It is said there that the facility and benediction achieved by the association of a pure devotee cannot be compared with anything: neither elevation to the heavenly kingdom, nor liberation from this material energy.

Lord Krishna, also, while giving instruction to Arjuna, in the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, confirmed this as the most confidential instruction, in the Eighteenth Chapter, 65th verse. The Lord said there: "My dear Arjuna, you are My affectionate friend and relative, and therefore, for your benefit, I am giving you the most confidential knowledge: Just become always mindful of Me, become always a devotee of Mine, become a constant worshipper of Me, and just become a soul surrendered to Me. That is the only way by which you can achieve My Abode. Because you are My very dear friend, My most confidential knowledge is disclosed herewith to you."

Such a direct instruction of Krishna to Arjuna is more important than any Vedic injunctions or regulative service. There are certainly many Vedic injunctions, such as ritualistic performances, sacrificial performances, regulative duties, meditation, and the speculative process of knowledge; but Krishna's direct order—"You just give up everything and become My devotee, My worshipper"; —should be taken as the final order of the Lord, and one should follow that principle.

If one is convinced by this direct order of the Lord in the Bhagavad Gita, and becomes attached to His devotional service and gives up all other engagements, then he undoubtedly becomes successful. Srimad Bhagwatam also says, to confirm this statement, that one should be engaged in other paths of self-realization only so long as one is not convinced by the direct order of the Lord, Sri Krishna. As stated in Srimad Bhagwatam and Bhagavad Gita, the direct order of the Lord is to give up everything and be engaged in devotional service.

This firm conviction is known as faith. Faith means that one is firmly convinced that, simply by devotional service to Lord Krishna, everything else is performed—including the regulative principles of ritualistic duties, sacrifices, performance of Yoga, and the speculative pursuit of knowledge. Everything else is performed if one is convinced that devotional service to the Lord includes everything. This is also found in the Srimad Bhagwatam, Fourth Canto, Thirty-first Chapter. It is said there: "As by watering the root of the tree the branches, the twigs, the leaves, and the fruits become nourished; and as in supplying foodstuffs to the stomach all the senses become satisfied—similarly, simply by devotional service to Krishna, all other worship and all other processes are completed." Such a faithful and firmly convinced person is eligible to be elevated as a pure devotee.

Now, amongst the devotees there are three classes, according to the degree of conviction: The first class devotee is one who is conversant with all kinds of Vedic literature, and at the same time has the firm conviction mentioned above. He is a first class devotee, and he can deliver all others from the pangs of material miseries. The second class devotee is firmly convinced and of strong faith, but has no power to cite evidence from revealed Scriptures. The third class devotee is one whose faith is not very strong but is eligible to be promoted to the position of second class devotee or first class devotee by the gradual cultivation of devotional service.

It is said in Srimad Bhagwatam, Eleventh Canto, Second Chapter, that the first class devotee always sees the Supreme Lord as the Soul of all living entities. Therefore, in seeing all living entities, he sees Krishna and nothing but Krishna. A devotee who places his full faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who makes friendship with the pure devotees, who shows favor to the innocent person, and who avoids those who are atheistic or are against devotional service—such a devotee is called a second class pure devotee. And a person who is engaged in the devotional service of the Lord according to the direction of the Spiritual Master, or by family tradition, and worships the diety of the Lord, but has not much cultivation of knowledge in devotional service, and does not know who is a devotee and who is a non-devotee—such a person is called a third class pure devotee. The last-mentioned are not actually pure devotees. They are almost in the devotional line, but their position is not very secure.

The purport is that, when a person shows his love for God and his friendship for the devotees and his mercy for the innocent and his reluctance to the non-devotees, he becomes in the category of a pure devotee. Such a person, by developing devotional service, can perceive that every living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme. In each and every living entity he can see the Supreme Person, and therefore he becomes highly developed in Krishna Consciousness. At this stage he does not make any distinction as to who is a devotee and who is a non-devotee. He sees everyone in the service of the Lord. A pure devotee, however, continues to develop all great qualities in his body, while engaged in Krishna Consciousness and devotional service. It is stated in Srimad Bhagwatam, Fifth Canto, Chapter Eighteen, that anyone who has attained pure unalloyed devotional service to the Supreme Lord develops all the good qualities of the demigods; whereas a person who hasn't developed pure devotional service to the Lord, in spite of his being materially qualified, is sure to go astray as he hovers on the mental plane. Therefore, his material qualification is valueless.

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Since no one can trace the history of the living entity’s entanglement in material energy, Lord Caitanya said that it is beginningless. By “beginningless” He meant that conditioned life exists prior to the creation; it simply becomes manifest during and after the creation. Due to forgetfulness of his real nature, the living entity, although spirit, suffers all kinds of miseries in material existence. It should be understood that there are also living entities who are not entangled in this material energy but are situated in the spiritual world. They are called liberated souls and are always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service.

The activities of those who are conditioned by material nature are taken into account, and in their next life, according to these activities, they are offered different grades of material bodies. Thus in the material world the conditioned spirit soul is subjected to various rewards and punishments. When he is rewarded for his righteous activities, he is elevated to the higher planets, where he becomes one of the many demigods, and when he is punished for his abominable activities, he is thrown into various hellish planets, where he suffers the miseries of material existence more acutely. Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives a very nice example of this punishment. Formerly a king used to punish a criminal by having him dunked in a river, raised up again for breath, and then again dunked in the water. Material nature punishes and rewards the individual living entity in just the same way. When he is punished, he is dunked in the water of material miseries, and when he is rewarded, he is taken out of it for some time. Elevation to the higher planets or to a higher status of life on this planet is never permanent. One must again come down to be submerged in the water. All this is constantly going on in this material existence: sometimes one is elevated to higher planetary systems, and sometimes one is thrown into the hellish condition of material life.

In this regard Caitanya Mahāprabhu recited a nice verse from ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 11.2.37|11.2.37]]) that is part of the instructions of Nārada Muni to Vasudeva, the father of Kṛṣṇa:

:''bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād
:''īśād apetasya viparyayo ’smṛtiḥ
:''tan-māyayāto budha ābhajet taṁ
:''bhaktyaikayeśaṁ guru-devatātmā''

In this verse, which Nārada Muni quotes from the instructions that the Nine Yogendras imparted to Mahārāja Nimi, ''māyā'' is defined as “forgetfulness of one’s relationship with Kṛṣṇa.” Actually, ''māyā'' means “that which is not.” Thus it is false to think that the living entity has no connection with the Supreme Lord. He may not believe in the existence of God, or he may think he has no relationship with God, but these ideas are all illusions, or ''māyā''. Due to absorption in this false conception of life, a man is always fearful and full of anxieties. In other words, māyā is the godless concept of life. One who is actually learned in the Vedic literature surrenders unto the Supreme Lord with great devotion and accepts Him as the supreme goal. When a living entity forgets the constitutional nature of his relationship with God, he is at once overwhelmed by the external energy. This is the cause of his false ego, his false identification of the body with the self. Indeed, his whole conception of the material universe arises from this false identification with the body, for he becomes attached to the body and its by-products. To escape this entanglement, he has only to perform his duty, namely, to surrender unto the Supreme Lord with intelligence, with devotion, and with sincere Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

A conditioned soul falsely thinks himself happy in the material world, but if he is favored by an unalloyed devotee—if he hears the unalloyed devotee’s instructions—he gives up his desire for material enjoyment and becomes enlightened in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As soon as one enters into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his desire for material enjoyment is at once vanquished, and he gradually becomes free from material entanglement. There is no question of darkness where there is light, and Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the light that dispels the darkness of material sense enjoyment.

A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is never under the false conception that he is one with God. Knowing that he would not be happy working for himself, he engages all his energies in the service of the Supreme Lord and thereby gains release from the clutches of the illusory material energy. In this connection, Caitanya Mahāprabhu quoted a verse from the'' Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 7.14 (1972)|7.14]]), where Krsna states:

:''daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī   mama māyā duratyayā
:''mām eva ye prapadyante   māyām etāṁ taranti te''

“My material energy, composed of the three modes of material nature, is very strong. It is very difficult to escape the clutches of the material energy, but one who surrenders unto Me is easily freed from the clutches of ''māyā''.”

Caitanya Mahāprabhu went on to teach that each and every moment the conditioned soul is engaged in some fruitive activity, he forgets his real identity. Sometimes, when he is tired of material activities, he wants liberation and hankers to become one with the Supreme. But at other times he thinks that by working hard to gratify his senses he will be happy. In both cases he is covered by the material energy. For the enlightenment of such bewildered conditioned souls, who are working under a false identification, the Supreme Lord has presented us with voluminous Vedic literature, including the ''Vedas'', the ''Purāṇas'' and the ''Vedānta-sūtra''. These are all intended to guide the human being back to Godhead. Caitanya Mahāprabhu further explained that when a conditioned soul is accepted by a spiritual master out of his mercy and is guided by the Supersoul, the soul can take advantage of the various Vedic scriptures, become enlightened and make progress in spiritual realization. It is because Lord Kṛṣṇa is always merciful to His devotees that He has presented all this Vedic literature, by which one can understand his relationship with Him and can act on the basis of that relationship. In this way one is gifted with the ultimate goal of life.

Actually, every living entity is destined to understand his relationship with the Supreme Lord and ultimately to reach Him. The execution of duties to attain this perfection is known as devotional service, and in maturity such devotional service becomes love of God, the true goal of life for every living being. The living entity should not desire success in religious rituals, economic development or sense enjoyment, or even liberation. One should desire only to achieve the stage of transcendental loving service to the Lord—pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The all-attractive features of Lord Kṛṣṇa help one attain this stage of pure devotional service, and one who engages in the preliminary practices of Kṛṣṇa consciousness can ultimately realize the relationship between himself and Kṛṣṇa.

In this connection Caitanya Mahāprabhu related a story from Śrīla Madhvācārya’s commentary on the Fifth Canto of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 5.5.10-13|5.5.10–13]]). This story involves the instructions of an astrologer (''sarvajña'') to a poor man who came to him to have his future told. When the astrologer saw the man’s horoscope, he was astonished that the man was so poor, and he said to him, “Why are you so unhappy? From your horoscope I can see that you have a hidden treasure left to you by your father. However, the horoscope indicates that your father could not disclose this to you because he died in a foreign place. But now you can search out this treasure and be happy.” This story is cited because the living entity is suffering due to his ignorance of the hidden treasure of his supreme father, Kṛṣṇa. That treasure is love of Godhead, and in every Vedic scripture the conditioned soul is advised to find it. As stated in the ''Bhagavad-gītā'', although the conditioned soul is the son of the wealthiest personality—the Personality of Godhead—he does not realize it. Therefore the Vedic literature is given to him to help him search out his father and his paternal property.

The astrologer further advised the poor man: “Don’t dig on the southern side of your house to find the treasure, for if you do so you will be attacked by a poisonous wasp and will be baffled in your efforts to find the treasure. Search on the eastern side, where there is actual light, which is devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. On the southern side there are Vedic rituals, on the western side there is mental speculation, and on the northern side there is meditational yoga.”

The astrologer’s advice should be carefully noted by everyone. If one searches for the ultimate goal by the Vedic ritualistic process, he will surely be baffled. Such a process involves the performance of rituals under the guidance of a priest who takes money in exchange for service. A man may think he will be happy by performing such rituals, but this is not true. Even if he does gain some result from them, it is only temporary. His material distresses will continue. So he will never become truly happy by following the ritualistic process. Instead, his material pangs will increase more and more. The same may be said for digging on the northern side, or searching for the treasure of love of Godhead by means of the meditational yoga process. The perfection of this process is to think oneself one with the Supreme Lord. But this merging into the Supreme is like being swallowed by a large serpent. Sometimes a small serpent is swallowed by a large serpent, and merging into the spiritual existence of the Supreme is analogous. While the small serpent is searching after perfection, he is swallowed. This is spiritual suicide. On the western side there is also an impediment in the form of a ''yakṣa'', an evil spirit who protects the treasure. This ''yakṣa'' is ''jñāna-yoga'', the speculative process of self-realization. The idea is that a hidden treasure can never be found by one who asks the favor of a ''yakṣa'' to attain it. The result is that one will simply be killed. So while the ''yogī’s'' practicing meditation is like a small serpent’s being swallowed by a large serpent, practicing the speculative process to attain the treasure of love of Godhead is also suicidal.

The only possibility, then, is to search for the hidden treasure on the eastern side, which represents the process of devotional service in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Indeed, the process of devotional service is itself the perpetual hidden treasure, and one who attains to it becomes perpetually rich. One who is poor in devotional service to Kṛṣṇa is always in need of material gain. Sometimes he suffers the bites of poisonous creatures and is baffled, and sometimes he follows the philosophy of monism and thereby loses his identity and is swallowed by a large serpent. It is only by abandoning all this and becoming fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service to the Lord, that one can actually achieve the perfection of life.

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From the instructions of Lord Caitanya to Sanātana Gosvāmī we can understand the science of God as it relates to God’s transcendental form, His opulences, and His devotional service. Indeed, everything will be explained to Sanātana Gosvāmī by the Lord Himself.

First Sanātana fell at the feet of the Lord and with great humility asked about his own real identity. “I was born in a lower family,” Sanātana said, “my associations are all abominable, and I am fallen, the most wretched of mankind. I was suffering in the dark well of material enjoyment, and I never learned the actual goal of my life. Indeed, I do not even know what is beneficial for me. Although in the mundane sphere I am what is known as a greatly learned man, I am in fact such a fool that I also think I am learned. You have accepted me as Your servant, and You have delivered me from the entanglement of material life. Now please tell me what my duty is in this liberated state.”

From this plea we can understand that liberation is not the final word in perfection. There must be activities in liberation. Sanātana clearly says, “You have saved me from the entanglement of material existence. Now, after liberation, what is my duty? Kindly explain it to me.” Sanātana further inquired, “Who am I? Why are the threefold miseries always giving me trouble? And finally, please tell me how I can be relieved from this material entanglement? I do not know how to question You about advancement in spiritual life, but I beg that You kindly, mercifully, let me know everything I should know.”

This is the process of accepting a spiritual master. One should approach a spiritual master, humbly submit to him and then inquire from him about one’s spiritual progress.

The Lord was pleased by Sanātana’s submissive behavior, and He replied, “You have already been blessed by Lord Kṛṣṇa, and therefore you know everything and are free from all the miseries of material existence. Yet even though due to your Kṛṣṇa consciousness you have naturally achieved the grace of Kṛṣṇa and are thus already conversant with everything, because you are a humble devotee you are asking Me to confirm what you have already realized. This is very nice.” These are the characteristics of a true devotee. In the ''Nāradīya Purāṇa'' it is said that by the grace of the Lord one who is very serious about developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness has his desire to understand Kṛṣṇa fulfilled very soon.

“You are a suitable person to protect the devotional service of the Lord,” Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued. “Therefore it is My duty to instruct you in the science of God, and I will explain everything to you, step by step.”

It is the duty of a disciple to inquire about his constitutional position when approaching a spiritual master. In conformity to that spiritual process, Sanātana has already asked, “What am I, and why am I suffering from the threefold miseries?” The threefold miseries are called ''ādhyātmika'', ''ādhibhautika'' and ''ādhidaivika''. The word ''ādhyātmika'' refers to those miseries caused by the body and mind. Sometimes the living entity suffers physically, and sometimes he is distressed mentally. Both are ''ādhyātmika'' miseries. We experience these miseries even in the womb of our mother. In general, there are many types of miseries that take advantage of the delicate human body and give us pain. Miseries inflicted by other living entities are called ''ādhibhautika''. For example, bedbugs can make us miserable while we are sleeping. Cockroaches can also sometimes give us pain, and there are other living entities born on different planets who can cause us misery. As far as the ''ādhidaivika'' miseries are concerned, these originate with the demigods of the higher planets. For instance, we sometimes suffer from severe cold weather, from thunderbolts, or from earthquakes, tornadoes, droughts or other natural disasters. In any case, we are always suffering from one or more of these three kinds of miseries.

Sanātana’s inquiry was therefore an intelligent one. “What is the position of the living entities?” he asked. “Why are they always undergoing these three kinds of miseries?” Sanātana had admitted his weakness: Although he was known by the masses of people as a greatly learned man (and he actually was a highly learned Sanskrit scholar), and although he accepted this designation, he did not know what his constitutional position was or why he was subjected to the threefold miseries.

Approaching a spiritual master is not just a fashion but is a necessity for one who is seriously conscious of the material miseries and who wants to be free of them. It is the duty of such a person to approach a spiritual master. In this regard, we should note Arjuna’s similar circumstances in the ''Bhagavad-gītā''. When he was perplexed by so many problems involving whether to fight or not, he accepted Lord Kṛṣṇa as his spiritual master. As with Lord Caitanya’s instructing Sanātana Gosvāmī, the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' is also a case of the supreme spiritual master instructing His disciple about the constitutional position of the living entity.

In the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' we are informed that the constitutional nature of the individual entity is spirit soul. He is not matter. As spirit soul, he is part and parcel of the Supreme Soul, the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead. We also learn that it is the duty of the spirit soul to surrender to the Supreme Soul, for only then can he be happy. The last instruction of the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' is that the spirit soul should surrender completely unto the Supreme Soul, Kṛṣṇa, and in that way realize happiness.

Here also, Lord Caitanya, answering the questions of Sanātana, repeats the same truth. There is a difference, however. Here Lord Caitanya does not give the information about the spirit soul that is already described in the ''Bhagavad-gītā''. Rather, He begins from the point where Kṛṣṇa ended His instruction. It is accepted by great devotees that Lord Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa Himself, and, as such, He begins His instruction to Sanātana from the point where He ended His instructions to Arjuna in the Gītā.

“Your constitutional position is that you are pure living soul,” the Lord told Sanātana. “Your material body is not your real self, nor is your mind your real identity, nor your intelligence, nor your false ego. Your identity is that of an eternal servitor of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Your position is that you are transcendental. The superior energy of Kṛṣṇa is spiritual in constitution, and the inferior, external energy is material. Since you are between the material energy and the spiritual energy, your position is marginal. Belonging to the marginal potency of Kṛṣṇa, you are simultaneously one with and different from Him. Because you are spirit, you are not different from Kṛṣṇa, but because you are only a minute particle of Kṛṣṇa, you are different from Him.”

This simultaneous oneness and difference always exists in the relationship between the living entities and the Supreme Lord. From the fact that the living entities are always in the marginal position, this conception of “simultaneously one and different” can be understood. The living entity is just like a molecular particle of sunshine, whereas Kṛṣṇa is like the blazing sun itself. Lord Caitanya also compared the living entities to sparks in a fire and the Supreme Lord to the blazing fire itself. In this connection the Lord cited a verse from the ''Viṣṇu Purāṇa'' (1.22.53):

:''eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner   jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā
:''parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis   tathedam akhilaṁ jagat''

“Everything manifested within this cosmic world is but the energy of the Supreme Lord. As fire situated in one place spreads its illumination and heat all around, so the Lord, although situated in one place in the spiritual world, manifests His different energies everywhere. Indeed, the whole cosmic creation is but various manifestations of His energy.”

Lord Caitanya continued citing the ''Viṣṇu Purāṇa'' (6.7.61): “The Supreme Lord’s original energy is transcendental and spiritual, and the living entities are part and parcel of that energy. There is a third energy, however, called the material energy, which is covered by the cloud of ignorance.” This energy, which is material nature, is divided into three modes, or ''guṇas'' (goodness, passion and ignorance). Lord Caitanya then quoted another verse from the ''Viṣṇu Purāṇa'' (1.3.2) to the effect that all inconceivable energies reside in the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that the whole cosmic manifestation acts due to those energies.

The Lord also said that the living entity is known as the ''kṣetra-jña'', or “the knower of the field of activities.” This is confirmed in the Thirteenth Chapter of the ''Bhagavad-gītā'', where Kṛṣṇa describes the body as the field of activities and the living entity as the ''kṣetra-jña'', the knower of that field. Although the living entity is constitutionally conversant with the spiritual energy, or has the potency to understand it, he is covered by the material energy and consequently believes himself to be the body. This false identification is called “false ego.” Deluded by the false ego, the bewildered living entity in material existence passes through different bodies and suffers various kinds of miseries. Knowledge of the living entity’s true position is possessed to different extents by different types of living entities.

In other words, it is to be understood that the living entity is part and parcel of the spiritual energy of the Supreme Lord. Because the material energy is inferior, man has the ability to get free from the covering of this material energy and utilize the spiritual energy. It is stated in the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' that in the conditioned state the superior energy (the living entity) is covered by the inferior energy. Due to this covering, the living entity is subjected to the material miseries, which he suffers in proportion to how much he is covered. Those who are a little enlightened suffer less, but on the whole everyone is subjected to material miseries due to being covered by the material energy.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu also quoted from the Seventh Chapter of the ''Bhagavad-gītā'', in which it is stated that earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego all combine to form the inferior energy of the Supreme Lord. But the superior energy is the real identity of the living being, and it is because of that energy that the whole material world functions. The cosmic manifestation, which is made of the material elements, has no power to act unless it is moved by the superior energy, the living entity. The conditioned life of the living entity is due to forgetfulness of his relationship with the Supreme Lord in the superior energy. When that relationship is forgotten, conditioned life is the result. Only when a man revives his real identity as the eternal servitor of the Lord does he become liberated.

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Knowledge is information gathered from the scriptures, and science is practical realization of that knowledge. Knowledge is scientific when it is gathered from the scriptures through the bona fide spiritual master, but when it is interpreted by speculation, it is mental concoction. By scientifically understanding the scriptural information through the bona fide spiritual master, one learns, by one's own realization, the actual situation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The transcendental form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is different from material manifestations, and it is above the reactions of matter. Unless one scientifically understands the spiritual form of the Personality of Godhead, one becomes an impersonalist. The sunshine in itself is illumination, but that illumination is different from the sun. Yet the sun and the sunshine are not differently situated, for without the sun there can be no sunshine, and without sunshine there is no meaning to the word sun.

Unless one is freed from the influence of material energy, he cannot understand the Supreme Lord and His different energies. Nor can one who is captivated by the spell of material energy understand the spiritual form of the Supreme Lord. Unless there is realization of the transcendental form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no question of love of God. Unless one can realize the transcendental form of the Supreme Lord, he cannot actually attain love of God, and without love of God there is no perfection in human life. Just as the five gross elements of nature—namely earth, water, fire, air and ether—are both within and without all living beings in this world, the Supreme Lord is both inside and outside this existence, and those who are His devotees can realize this.

Pure devotees know that they are meant to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that all things that exist can be means by which one can serve the Supreme. Because a devotee has been blessed by the Supreme from within his heart, he can see the Supreme Lord wherever he looks. Indeed, he can see nothing else. In ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 11.2.55]]) the relationship between the devotee and the Supreme Lord is confirmed as follows:

:''viṣṛjati hṛdayaṁ na yasya sākṣād
:''dharir avaśābhihito 'py aghaugha-nāśaḥ
:''praṇaya-raśanayā dhṛtāṅghri-padmaḥ
:''sa bhavati bhāgavata-pradhāna uktaḥ''

"If a person's heart is always tied to the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord with the rope of love, the Lord does not leave him. Indeed, even if his remembrance is not perfect, he is to be considered a first class devotee." There is an example of this described in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Daśa-skandha'' ([[SB 10.30.4]]). When the ''gopīs'' assembled to join the ''rāsa'' dance with Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa left them. Consequently the ''gopīs'' began to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and, being overwhelmed with madness, began to inquire about Kṛṣṇa from the flowers and the creepers in the forest. Kṛṣṇa is like the sky; He is situated everywhere.

By studying ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'', we can obtain information about our eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord, understand the procedure by which the Lord can be attained and receive the ultimate realization, which is love of Godhead. In explaining to Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī how one can achieve the Supreme Personality of Godhead by devotional service, Lord Caitanya quoted a verse from ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 11.14.21]]) in which the Lord says that He can be realized only through devotional service executed with faith and love. Indeed, it is devotional service alone which purifies the heart of the devotee and elevates him to the ultimate realization by which he, established in faith, renders service unto the Supreme Lord. Even if one is born in a low family, like a family of ''caṇḍālas'' (dog-eaters), one can become filled with transcendental symptoms through realization of the supreme stage of love of Godhead. These transcendental symptoms are described in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 11.3.31]]):

:''smarantaḥ smārayantaś ca
:''mitho 'ghaugha-haraṁ harim
:''bhaktyā samjātayā bhaktyā
:''bibhraty utpulakāṁ tanum''

"When devotees discuss subjects dealing with the Supreme Lord, who can cleanse the heart of His devotee from all kinds of sinful reactions, they become overwhelmed with ecstasy and display different symptoms due to their devotional service." The ''Bhāgavatam'' further states: "Due to their spontaneous attachment for the Lord, when they chant His holy names they sometimes cry, sometimes laugh, dance, sing and so on, not caring for any social convention." ([[SB 11.2.40]])

We should understand that ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' is the real explanation of the ''Brahma-sūtra'', and it is compiled by Vyāsadeva himself. In the ''Garuḍa Purāṇa'' it is said:

:''artho 'yaṁ brahma-sūtrāṇāṁ
:''bhāratārtha-vinirṇayaḥ
:''gāyatrī-bhāṣya-rūpo 'sau
:''vedārtha-paribṛṁhitaḥ
:''grantho 'ṣṭādaśa-sāhasraḥ
:''śrīmad-bhāgavatābhidhaḥ''

"The ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' is the authorized explanation of ''Brahma-sūtra'', and it is a further explanation of ''Mahābhārata''. It is the expansion of the ''gāyatrī mantra'' and the essence of all Vedic knowledge. This ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'', containing eighteen thousand verses, is known as the explanation of all Vedic literature." In the very First Canto of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya asked Sūta Gosvāmī how one can know the essence of Vedic literature. In answer, Sūta Gosvāmī presented ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' as the essence of all the Vedas, histories and other Vedic literatures. Elsewhere in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 12.13.15]]) it is clearly stated that ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' is the essence of all Vedānta knowledge and that one who relishes the knowledge of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' has no taste for studying any other literature. In the very beginning of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'', the meaning and purpose of the ''gāyatrī'' mantra are also described: "I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Truth." This is the first introductory verse dealing with the Supreme Truth, which is described in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' as the source of creation, maintenance and destruction for the cosmic manifestation. Obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva (''oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya''), directly indicate Lord Sri Kṛṣṇa, who is the divine son of Vasudeva and Devakī. This fact is more explicitly presented later in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''. Vyāsadeva asserts that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead and that all others are either His direct or indirect plenary portions or portions of those portions. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has later still more explicitly developed this subject in his ''Kṛṣṇa-sandarbha'', and Brahmā, the original living being, has explained Śrī Kṛṣṇa substantially in his treatise ''Brahma-saṁhitā''. The Sāma Veda also verifies the fact that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the divine son of Devakī.

In his prayer, the author of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' first proposes that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the primeval Lord and that if any transcendental nomenclature for the Absolute Personality of Godhead is to be accepted, it should be the name Kṛṣṇa, the all-attractive. In ''Bhagavad-gītā'' the Lord has affirmed in many passages that He is the original Personality of Godhead, and this was also confirmed by Arjuna, who cited great sages like Nārada, Vyāsa and many others. In ''Padma Purāṇa'' it is also stated that of the innumerable names of the Lord, the name of Kṛṣṇa is the principal one. Although the name Vāsudeva indicates the plenary portion of the Personality of Godhead, and although all the different forms of the Lord are identical with Vāsudeva, in this text Vāsudeva principally indicates the divine son of Vasudeva and Devakī. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is always meditated upon by the ''paramahaṁsas'', those who are most perfect in the renounced order of life. Vāsudeva, or Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is the cause of all causes, and everything that exists is an emanation from Him. How this is so is explained in later chapters of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu describes ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' as the spotless ''Purāṇa'' because it contains transcendental narrations of the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The history of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' is also very glorious. It was compiled by Vyāsadeva, who drew from his mature experience of transcendental knowledge under the instruction of Śrī Nārada Muni, his spiritual master. Vyāsadeva compiled all the Vedic literatures—the four Vedas, the ''Vedānta-sūtra'' or ''Brahma-sūtras'', the ''purāṇas'' and the ''Mahābhārata''. Yet he was not satisfied until he wrote ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''. His dissatisfaction was observed by his spiritual master, and consequently Nārada advised him to write on the transcendental activities of the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Kṛṣṇa's transcendental activities are specifically described in the Tenth Canto of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'', the canto which is considered to contain the substance of the whole work. One should not approach the Tenth Canto immediately but should approach it gradually by developing knowledge of the subject matters first presented.

Generally a philosophical mind is inquisitive to learn of the origin of all creations. When one who is philosophical sees the night sky, he naturally raises questions about the stars, how they are situated, who lives there, etc. All these inquiries are quite natural for a human being, for the human being has a greater developed consciousness than the animals. In answer to such an inquiry, the author of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' says that the Lord is the origin of all creations. He is not only the creator but the maintainer and annihilator as well. The manifested cosmic creation is created at a certain period by the will of the Lord, is maintained for some time and is finally annihilated by His will. Thus He is the supreme will behind all activities.

Of course there are atheists of various categories who do not believe in the creator, but that is due simply to their poor fund of knowledge. The modern scientist creates rockets, and by some arrangement or other they are thrown into outer space to fly for some time under the control of a scientist far away. All the universes and the innumerable planets within them are similar to such rockets, and they are all controlled by the Personality of Godhead.

In the Vedic literatures it is said that the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, is the foremost amongst all living personalities. All living beings, from the first created being, Brahmā, down to the smallest ant, are individual living entities. Even above Brahmā there are many other living beings with individual capacities. The Personality of Godhead Himself is also a living being and is as much an individual as the other living beings. However, the Supreme Lord is the supreme living being, and He has the greatest mind and possesses the supermost inconceivable energies in great variety. If a man's mind can produce rockets and spaceships, it is conceivable that a mind higher than man's can produce superior things. A reasonable person will accept this argument but stubborn obstinate people will not.

Śrīla Vyāsadeva at once accepts the supreme mind as the ''parameśvara'', the supreme controller. As stated in ''Bhagavad-gītā'' and all other scriptures written by Śrīla Vyāsadeva, that ''parameśvara'' is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself. This is specifically validated in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''. In ''Bhagavad-gītā'' also the Lord Himself says that there is no ''paratattva'' (''summum bonum'') superior to Himself. Therefore the author at once worships the ''paratattva'', Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose transcendental activities are described in the Tenth Canto.

Unscrupulous people go at once to the Tenth Canto, especially to the five chapters which describe the Lord's ''rāsa'' dance. However, this portion of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' is the most confidential part of that great literature. Unless one is thoroughly accomplished in the transcendental knowledge of the Lord, he is sure to misunderstand the Lord's worshipable transcendental pastimes in the ''rāsa'' dance and the Lord's love affairs with the ''gopīs''. This subject matter is highly spiritual and technical, and only liberated personalities who have gradually attained the stage of ''paramahaṁsa'' can transcendentally relish the worshipable ''rāsa'' dance.

Therefore Śrīla Vyāsadeva gives the reader a chance to gradually develop in spiritual realization before actually relishing the essence of the pastimes of the Lord. Thus Vyāsadeva purposefully invokes the ''gāyatrī mantra'': ''dhīmahi''. This ''gāyatrī mantra'' is especially meant for spiritually advanced people. When one attains success in chanting ''gāyatrī mantra'', he can enter into the transcendental position of the Lord. First, however, one must acquire the brahminical qualities and become perfectly situated in the mode of goodness in order to chant the ''gāyatrī mantra'' successfully. From that point one can begin to transcendentally realize the Lord, His name, His fame, His qualities, etc. ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' is a narration dealing with the ''svarūpa'' (form) of the Lord, which is manifested by His internal potency. This potency is distinguished from the external potency, which has manifested the cosmic world within our experience. Śrīla Vyāsadeva makes a clear distinction between the internal and external potencies in the very first verse of the First Chapter of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''. In that verse he says that the internal potency is factual reality, whereas the external manifested energy in the form of material existence is temporary and illusory, no more real than a mirage in the desert. Water may appear present in a mirage, but real water is somewhere else. Similarly, the manifested cosmic creation appears to be reality, but it is simply a reflection of the true reality which exists in the spiritual world. In the spiritual world there are no mirages. Absolute Truth is there; it is not here in the material world. Here, everything is relative truth; one truth seems to depend upon another. This cosmic creation results from an interaction of the three modes of material nature. The temporary manifestations are so created as to present an illusion of reality to the bewildered mind of the conditioned soul. Thus there appear to be so many species of life, including the higher demigods like Brahmā, Indra, Candra, etc. In fact there is no reality in the manifested world, but there appears to be reality because the true reality exists in the spiritual world, where the Personality of Godhead eternally abides with His transcendental paraphernalia.

The chief engineer of a complicated construction does not personally take part in the construction itself, but it is he only who knows all the nooks and corners of the construction because everything is carried out under his instructions only. In other words, he knows everything about the construction directly and indirectly. Similarly, the Personality of Godhead, who is the supreme engineer of this cosmic creation, knows very well what is happening in every nook and corner of the cosmic creation, although activities appear to be performed by someone else. In actuality no one is independent in the material creation; the hand of the Supreme Lord is everywhere. All material elements, as well as all spiritual sparks, are but emanations from Him only. Whatever is created in this material world is created by the interaction of the two energies, material and spiritual. These energies belong to the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

A chemist can manufacture water in the laboratory by mixing hydrogen and oxygen, but in reality the living entity can only work under the direction of the Supreme Lord. Indeed, all materials used by a chemist are supplied by the Lord. The Lord knows everything directly and indirectly, and He is cognizant of all the minute details of everything. He is fully independent as well. He can be compared to a gold mine, and the cosmic creations can be compared to ornaments made from that gold, such as gold rings, necklaces, etc. The gold ring and necklace are qualitatively one with the gold in the mine, but quantitatively the gold in the mine and the gold in the earring or necklace are different. Lord Caitanya's philosophy of the Absolute Truth centers about the fact that the Supreme Lord is simultaneously one with and different from His creation. Nothing is absolutely equal to the Absolute Truth, but at the same time nothing is independent of it.

Conditioned souls, beginning from Brahmā, the engineer of this particular universe, down to an insignificant ant, are all creating something, but none of them are independent of the Supreme Lord. The materialist wrongly thinks that there is no creator outside his own good self, and this is called ''māyā'', or illusion. Due to his poor fund of knowledge, the materialist cannot see beyond the purview of his imperfect senses; thus he thinks that matter automatically takes its own shape independent of a conscious background. This is refuted by Śrīla Vyāsadeva in the first verse of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''. As stated before, Vyāsadeva is a liberated soul, and he compiled this book of authority after attaining spiritual perfection. Since the complete whole, or the Absolute Truth, is the source of everything, nothing is independent of Him. Everything exists within the body of the Absolute Truth. Any action or reaction of a part of a body becomes a cognizable fact to the embodied whole. Similarly, if the creation abides in the body of the Absolute Truth, then nothing is unknown to the Absolute, directly or indirectly.

In the ''śruti-mantra'' it is stated that the absolute whole, or Brahman, is the ultimate source of everything. Everything emanates from Him, everything is maintained by Him, and at the end everything enters into Him again. That is the law of nature. This is also confirmed in the ''smṛti-mantra''. There it is said that at the beginning of Brahma s millennium, the source from which everything emanates is the Absolute Truth, or Brahman, and at the end of that millennium the reservoir into which everything enters is that same Absolute Truth. Material scientists haphazardly take it for granted that the ultimate source of this planetary system is the sun, but they are unable to explain the source of the sun. In Vedic literatures the ultimate source is explained; Brahmā is the creator of this universe, but because he had to meditate in order to receive the inspiration for such a creation, he is not the ultimate creator. As stated in the first verse of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'', Brahmā was taught Vedic knowledge by the Personality of Godhead. In the first verse of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' it is said that the Supreme Lord inspired a secondary creator, Brahmā, and enabled him to carry out his creative functions. In this way the Supreme Lord is the supervising engineer; the real mind behind all creative agents is the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. In ''Bhagavad-gītā'' Śrī Kṛṣṇa personally admits that it is He only who superintends the creative energy (''prakṛti''), the sum total of matter. Thus Śrī Vyāsadeva neither worships Brahmā nor the sun but the Supreme Lord, who guides both Brahmā and the sun in their creative activities.

The Sanskrit words ''abhijña'' and ''svarāṭ'', appearing in the first verse of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'', are significant. These two words distinguish the Lord from all other living entities. No living entity other than the supreme being, the Absolute Personality of Godhead is either ''abhijña'' or ''svarāṭ''—that is, none of them are either fully cognizant or fully independent. Everyone has to learn from his superior about knowledge; even Brahmā, who is the first living being within this material world, has to meditate upon the Supreme Lord and take help from Him in order to create. If Brahmā or the sun cannot create anything without acquiring knowledge from a superior, then what is the situation with the material scientists who are fully dependent on so many things? Modern scientists like Jagadisha Chandra Bose, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, etc., may be very boastful of their respective creative energies, but all were dependent on the Supreme Lord for so many things. After all, the highly intelligent brains of these gentlemen were certainly not products of any human being. The brain is created by another agent. If brains like those of Einstein or Newton could have been manufactured by a human being, then mankind would produce many such brains instead of eulogizing their passing. If such scientists cannot even manufacture such brains, what to speak of foolish atheists who defy the authority of the Lord?

Even the Māyāvādī impersonalists who flatter themselves and believe that they have become the Lord themselves are not ''abhijñaḥ'' or ''svarāṭ'', fully cognizant or fully independent. The Māyāvādī monists undergo a severe process of austerity and penance to acquire knowledge of becoming one with the Lord, but ultimately they become dependent on some rich follower who supplies them with requisite paraphernalia to construct great monasteries and temples. Atheists like Rāvaṇa and Hiraṇyakaśipu had to undergo severe penances before they could flout the authority of the Lord, but ultimately they were so helpless that they could not save themselves when the Lord appeared before them as cruel death. This is also applicable to the modern atheists who dare flout the authority of the Lord. Such atheists will be dealt the same awards as were given in the past to great atheists like Rāvaṇa and Hiraṇyakaśipu. History repeats itself, and what was occurring in the past will recur again and again when there is necessity. Whenever the authority of the Lord is neglected, the penalties dealt by the laws of nature are always there.

That the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, is all—perfect is confirmed in all ''śruti-mantras''. It is said in the ''śruti-mantras'' that the all-perfect Lord glanced over matter and thus created all living beings. The living beings are parts and parcels of the Lord, and He impregnates the vast material nature with the seeds of the spiritual sparks. Thus the creative energies are set in motion for so many wonderful creations. When one atheist argued that God is no more expert than the manufacturer of a subtle watch which has so many delicate parts, we had to reply that God is a greater mechanic than the watchmaker because He simply creates one machine in male and female forms, and the male and female forms go on producing innumerable similar machines without the further attention of God. If a man could manufacture a set of machines capable of producing other machines without the man giving the matter any further attention, then a man could be said to equal the intelligence of God. Of course this is not possible. Each and every one of man's imperfect machines has to be handled individually by a mechanic. Because no one can be equal in intelligence to God, another name for God is ''asamordhva'', which indicates that no one is equal to or greater than Him. Everyone has his intellectual equal and superior, and no one can claim that he has neither. However, this is not the case with the Lord. The ''śruti-mantras'' indicate that before the creation of the material universe, the Lord was existing, and He was master of everyone. It was the Lord who instructed Brahmā in Vedic knowledge. That Personality of Godhead has to be obeyed in all respects. Anyone who wants to become freed from material entanglement must surrender unto Him, and this is confirmed in ''Bhagavad-gītā''.

Unless one surrenders unto the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, it is certain that one will be bewildered, even if he happens to be a great mind. Only when great minds surrender unto the lotus feet of Vāsudeva and know fully that Vāsudeva is the cause of all causes, as confirmed in ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 7.19 (1972)|BG 7.19]]), can they become ''mahātmās'', or truly broad-minded. However, such broad-minded ''mahātmās'' are rarely seen. Only they, however, can understand the Supreme Lord as the Absolute Personality of Godhead, the primeval cause of all creations. He is ''parama'', ultimate truth, because all other truths are dependent on Him. Because He is the source of all knowledge, He is omniscient; there is no illusion for Him as there is for the relative knower.

Some Māyāvādī scholars argue that ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' was not compiled by Śrīla Vyāsadeva, and some suggest that the book is a modern creation written by someone named Vopadeva. In order to refute this meaningless argument, Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī points out that there are many of the oldest ''purāṇas'' which make reference to the ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''. The first ''śloka'', or verse, of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' begins with the Gāyatrī mantra, and there is reference to this in the ''Matsya Purāṇa'' (the oldest ''Purāṇa''). With reference to the context of Gāyatrī mantra in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in this ''Purāṇa'' it is said, "That which contains many narrations of spiritual instruction, begins with the Gāyatrī mantra and also contains the history of Vṛtrāsura, is known as the ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''. Whoever makes a gift of this great work on a full moon day attains to the highest perfection of life and goes back to Godhead. There is also reference to ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' in other ''Purāṇas'' which even indicate that the work consists of Twelve Cantos and eighteen thousand ''ślokas''. In ''Padma Purāṇa'' also there is reference about the ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' during a conversation between Gautama and Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. Mahārāja Ambarīṣa was advised to read ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' regularly if he at all desired liberation from material bondage. Under these circumstances, there is no doubt regarding the authority of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''. For the past five hundred years many scholars have made elaborate commentaries upon ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' and have displayed unique scholarship. The serious student will do well to attempt to go through them in order to more happily relish the transcendental messages of the ''Bhāgavatam''.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura specifically deals with original and pure sex psychology (ādi-rasa) devoid of all mundane inebriety. The entire material world turns due to the basic principle of sex life. In modern human civilization, sex is the central point of all activities; indeed, wherever we turn our face we see sex life prominent. Consequently sex life is not unreal; its true reality is experienced in the spiritual world. Material sex is but a perverted reflection of the original; the original is found in the Absolute Truth. This validates the fact that the Absolute Truth is personal, for the Absolute Truth cannot be impersonal and have a sense of pure sex life. The impersonal monist philosophy gives an indirect impetus to abominable mundane sex because it overly stresses the impersonality of the ultimate truth. The result is that men who lack knowledge have accepted the perverted material sex life as all in all because they have no information of the actual spiritual form of sex. There is a distinction between sex in the diseased condition of material life and sex in the spiritual existence. ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' gradually elevates the unbiased reader to the highest perfectional stage of transcendence above the three modes of material activities, fruitive actions, speculative philosophy and above worship of functional deities indicated in the Vedas. ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' is the embodiment of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa and is therefore situated in a position superior to other Vedic literatures.

Religion includes four primary subjects: (1) pious activities, (2) economic development, (3) satisfaction of the senses, and (4) liberation from material bondage. Religious life is distinguished from the irreligious life of barbarism. Indeed, it may be said that human life actually begins with religion. The four principles of animal life-eating, sleeping, defending and mating—are common both to the animals and human beings, but religion is the special concern of human beings. Since human life is no better than animal life without religion, in real human society there is some form of religion aiming at self-realization and referring to one's eternal relationship with God.

In the lower stage of human civilization there is always competition between men in their attempt to dominate material nature. In other words, there is continuous rivalry in an attempt to satisfy the senses. Thus driven by sense gratificatory consciousness, men enact religious rituals. Thus pious activities and religious functions are performed with an aim to acquire some material gain, and if such material gain is obtainable in another way, this so-called religion is neglected. This can be seen in modern human civilization. Since the economic desires of the people appear to be fulfilled in another way, no one is interested in religion now. The churches, mosques and temples are practically vacant, for people are more interested in factories, shops and cinemas. Thus they have deserted the religious places erected by their forefathers. This is evidence that religion is generally performed for the sake of economic development, and economic development is required for sense gratification. When one is baffled in his attempt to attain sense gratification, he takes to the cause of salvation in order to become one with the supreme whole. All these activities arise with the same aim in view—sense gratification.

In the Vedas, the four primary subjects mentioned above are prescribed in a regulative way so that there will not be undue competition for sense gratification. However, ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' is transcendental to all the sense gratifying activities of the material world. It is a pure transcendental literature, understandable by the devotees of the Lord who are above competition in sense gratification. In the material world there is keen competition between animals, men, communities and even nations in an attempt to gratify the senses, but the devotees of the Lord are above all this. Devotees have no need to compete with materialists because they are on the path back to Godhead, back home where everything is eternal, full and blissful. Such transcendentalists are a hundred percent nonenvious and are therefore pure in heart. Because everyone in the material world is envious, there is competition. The devotees of the Lord are not only free from all material envy, but they are also kind to everyone in an attempt to establish a competitionless society with God in the center.

The socialist's idea of a society devoid of competition is artificial because even in the socialist states there is competition for power. It is a fact that the principle of sense gratification is the basic principle of materialistic life, and this can be realized either from reading the Vedas or simply from observing common human activities. The Vedas recommend fruitive activities by which people can advance to higher planets, and they also recommend worship of the various demigods for the purpose of attaining their planets. Ultimately the Vedas recommend activities by which one can reach the Absolute Truth and realize His impersonal feature in order to become one with Him. However, the impersonal aspect of the Absolute Truth is not the last word. Above the impersonal feature is the Paramātmā, or the Supersoul, and above that is the Supreme Personality. ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' gives information about the personal qualities of the Absolute Truth, qualities which are beyond the impersonal aspect. Topics concerning these qualities are greater than topics of impersonal philosophical speculation; consequently ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' is given higher status than the ''jñāna-kāṇḍa'' portions of the Vedas. ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' is also greater than the ''karma-kāṇḍa'' and ''upāsanā-kāṇḍa'' portions as well because it recommends the worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the divine son of Vasudeva. The ''karma-kāṇḍa'' portion of the Vedas is fraught with competition to reach heavenly planets for better sense gratification, and this competition is also seen in the ''jñāna-kāṇḍa'' and ''upāsanā-kāṇḍa'' portions. ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' is above all of these because it aims only at the Supreme Truth, the substance or root of all categories.

In other words, from ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' we can know the substance as well as the relativities in their true sense and perspective. The substance is the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the relativities are the different forms of energy which emanate from Him. Since the living entities are also related to His energies, there is nothing really different from the substance. At the same time, the energies are different from the substance. In the material sense, this conception is self-contradictory, but ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' explicitly deals with this aspect of simultaneous oneness and difference. This philosophy is also found in the Vedānta-sūtra beginning with the ''janmādy asya sūtra''. Knowledge of the simultaneous oneness and difference found in the Absolute Truth is imparted for the well-being of everyone. Mental speculators mislead people by establishing the energy of the Lord as absolute, but when the truth of simultaneous oneness and difference is understood, the imperfect concepts of monism and dualism cease to satisfy. By understanding the Lord's simultaneous oneness with and difference from His creation, one can immediately attain freedom from the threefold miseries—miseries inflicted by the body and mind, by other living entities and by acts of nature.

''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' begins with the surrender of the living entity unto the Absolute Person. This surrender is made with clear consciousness and awareness of the devotee's oneness with the Absolute, and, at the same time, of his eternal position of servitorship. In the material conception, one thinks himself to be the Lord of all he surveys; consequently he is always troubled by the threefold miseries of life. As soon as one comes to know his real position in transcendental service, he at once becomes freed from all these miseries. The position of servitor is wasted in the material conception of life. In an attempt to dominate material nature, the living entity is forced to offer his service to relative material energy. When this service is transferred to the Lord in pure consciousness of spiritual identity, the living entity at once becomes free from the encumbrances of material affection.

Over and above this, ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' is the personal commentary on Vedānta-sūtra made by Vyāsadeva when he had attained maturity in spiritual realization. He was able to write it by the help of Nārada's mercy. Vyāsadeva is also an incarnation of Nārāyaṇa, the Personality of Godhead; therefore there is no question about his authority. Although he is the author of all Vedic literature, he specifically recommends the study of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''. In other ''purāṇas'' various methods for worshiping demigods are mentioned, but in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' only the Supreme Personality of Godhead is mentioned. The Supreme Lord is the total body, and the demigods are different parts of that body. Thus if one worships the Supreme Lord, he need not worship the demigods, for the Supreme Lord is in the hearts of all demigods. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu distinguished ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' from all other ''purāṇas'' by recommending it as the spotless ''Purāṇa''.

The method by which the transcendental message is received is the method of submissive hearing. A challenging attitude cannot help one receive or realize the transcendental message; therefore in the second verse of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' the word ''śuśrūṣu'' is used. This word indicates that one should be anxious to hear the transcendental message. The desire to hear with interest is the primary qualification for assimilating transcendental knowledge. Unfortunately many people are not interested in patiently hearing the message of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''. The process is simple but the application difficult. Those who are unfortunate will find time to hear ordinary social and political topics, but when they are invited to attend an assembly to hear ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'', they are reluctant to attend. Sometimes people indulge in hearing portions of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' which they are not prepared to hear. Professional readers of the ''Bhāgavatam'' indulge in reading the confidential portions dealing with the pastimes of the Supreme Lord. These portions appear to read like sex literature. However, ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' is meant to be heard from the beginning, and those who are fit to assimilate the messages of ''Bhāgavatam'' are mentioned in the very beginning ([[SB 1.1.2|SB 1.1.2]]): A bona fide audience fit to hear ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' is generated after many pious deeds. An intellectual person can believe in the assurances of the great sage Vyāsadeva and patiently hear the messages of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' in order to realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly. One need not struggle through the different Vedic stages of realization, for one can be lifted to the position of ''paramahaṁsa'' simply by agreeing to hear the message of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' with patience. The sages of Naimiṣāraṇya told Sūta Gosvāmī that they were intensely desirous of understanding ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''. They were hearing from Sūta Gosvāmī about Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they were never satiated by these discussions. People who are really attached to Kṛṣṇa never want to stop hearing about Him.

Lord Caitanya therefore advised Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī: "Always read ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' and try to understand each and every verse. Then you will actually understand ''Brahma-sūtra''. You say that you are very anxious to study ''Vedānta-sūtra'', but you cannot understand ''Vedānta-sūtra'' without understanding ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''." He also advised Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī to always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. "And, by doing so, you will very easily be liberated. After liberation you will be eligible to achieve the highest goal of life, love of Godhead."

The Lord then recited many verses from authoritative scriptures like ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'', ''Bhagavad-gītā'' and ''Nṛsiṁha-tāpanī''. In particular, he quoted the following verse from ''Bhagavad-gītā''.

:''brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
:''na śocati na kāṅkṣati
:''samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
:''mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām''

"One who is transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me." ([[BG 18.54 (1972)|BG 18.54]])

When a person reaches this ''brahma-bhūta'' ([[SB 4.30.20|SB 4.30.20]]) platform, he sees all living entities equally and becomes a pure devotee of the Supreme Lord. In the ''Nṛsiṁha-tāpanī'' (2.5.16) it is said that when a person is actually liberated he can understand the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Lord and thus engage in His devotional service. Lord Caitanya also quoted a verse from the Second Canto of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 2.1.9]]) in which Śukadeva Gosvāmī admits that although he was elevated to the liberated stage and free from the clutches of ''māyā'', he was still attracted by the transcendental pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. Consequently he studied ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' from his great father, Vyāsadeva.

Lord Caitanya also quoted another ''śloka'' from ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 3.15.43]]) dealing with the Kumāras. When the Kumāras entered the temple of the Lord, they were attracted by the aroma of flowers and ''tulasī'' leaves offered to the lotus feet of the Lord with pulp of sandalwood. Simply by smelling the aroma of these offerings, the minds of the Kumāras turned to the service of the Supreme Lord, despite the fact that the Kumāras were already liberated souls. It is stated elsewhere in [[SB 1.7.10|''Bhāgavatam'' 1.7.10]] that even if one is a liberated soul and is actually free from material contamination, he can still, without cause, become attracted to the devotional service of the Supreme Lord. Thus God is so attractive, and because He is so attractive, He is called Kṛṣṇa.

In this way Lord Caitanya discussed the ''Ātmārāma'' verse from ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' with Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. Lord Caitanya's admirer, the Mahārāṣṭrīya ''brāhmaṇa'', related that the Lord explained this verse in sixty-one different ways. Everyone assembled was very eager to hear the different versions of the ''Ātmārāma śloka'' again, and since they were so eager, Lord Caitanya again explained the ''śloka'' in the same way that He had explained it to Sanātana Gosvāmī. Everyone who heard the explanations of the ''Ātmārāma śloka'' was amazed. Indeed, everyone considered Lord Caitanya to be none other than Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself.

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:''vande ’nantādbhutaiśvaryaṁ   śrī-caitanya-mahāprabhum
:''nīco ’pi yat-prasādāt syād   bhakti-śāstra-pravartakaḥ''
:([[CC Madhya 20.1|Cc. Madhya 20.1]])

''I offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, by whose mercy even a person in the lowest status of life can find direction in transcendental devotional service to the Lord''.

After Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted the renounced order of life (''sannyāsa''), He traveled all over India. During this period He went to Maldah, a district in Bengal. In that area there was a village named Rāmakeli, where two government ministers of the Nawab Hussain Shah’s regime lived. These two ministers, who were brothers, were named Dabira Khāsa and Sākara Mallika; later they were renamed Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī, respectively. They had a chance to meet Lord Caitanya, and afterward they decided to retire from government service and join His ''saṅkīrtana'' movement.

Upon making this decision, the two brothers at once took steps to leave their material engagements, and they appointed two learned ''brāhmaṇas'' to perform certain Vedic religious rituals that would enable them to achieve complete freedom for the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa. These preliminary ritualistic functions are known as ''puraścaryā''. They require that three times a day one worship and offer respects to one’s forefathers, offer oblations to a fire, and respectfully offer food to a learned ''brāhmaṇa''. Five items—the time, the worship, the offering of respect, the offering of oblations into the fire, and the offering of food to a ''brāhmaṇa''—constitute ''puraścaryā''. These and other rituals are mentioned in the ''Hari-bhakti-vilāsa'', an authoritative book of directions for Vaiṣṇavas.

After arranging for the performance of these religious rituals, the younger brother, Dabira Khāsa (Rūpa Gosvāmī), returned home with an immense amount of money, which he had acquired during his government service. The silver and gold coins he brought back filled a large boat. After arriving home, he first divided the accumulated wealth in half and distributed one part to the ''brāhmaṇas'' and Vaiṣṇavas. Thus for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he distributed fifty percent of his accumulated wealth to persons engaged in the Supreme Lord’s transcendental loving service. ''Brāhmaṇas'' are meant to understand the Absolute Truth, and once they understand the Absolute Truth and actually engage in the loving service of the Lord, they are known as Vaiṣṇavas. Both ''brāhmaṇas'' and Vaiṣṇavas are supposed to fully engage in transcendental service, and Rūpa Gosvāmī, considering their important transcendental position, gave them fifty percent of his wealth. The balance he again divided in half: one part he distributed to his relatives and dependent family members, and the other he kept for personal emergencies.

Such distribution of personal wealth is very instructive for all who desire to be elevated in spiritual knowledge. Generally a person bequeaths all his accumulated wealth to his family members and then retires from family activities to make progress in spiritual knowledge. But here we find the behavior of Rūpa Gosvāmī to be exemplary: he gave fifty percent of his wealth for spiritual purposes. This should serve as an example for everyone. The twenty-five percent of his accumulated wealth he kept for personal emergencies was deposited with a Bengali grocer, since in those days there were no banks. Ten thousand coins were deposited for expenditures to be incurred by his elder brother, Sanātana Gosvāmī.

At this time Rūpa Gosvāmī received information that Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was preparing to go to Vṛndāvana from Jagannātha Purī. Rūpa Gosvāmī sent two messengers to get actual information of the Lord’s itinerary, and he made his own plans to go to Mathurā to meet the Lord. It appears that Rūpa Gosvāmī got permission to join Lord Caitanya, but Sanātana Gosvāmī did not. Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī entrusted the responsibilities of his government service to his immediate assistants, and he remained home to study ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''. He engaged ten or twenty learned ''brāhmaṇas'' and began an intensive study of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' in their company. While he was thus engaged, he submitted sick-leave reports to his employer, the Nawab. But the ruler was so anxious for Sanātana Gosvāmī’s advice in government matters that one day he suddenly appeared at his house. When the Nawab entered the room where Sanātana Gosvāmī and the ''brāhmaṇas'' were assembled, out of respect they all stood up to receive him, and they offered him a place to sit.

“You have submitted sick reports,” the Nawab told Sanātana Gosvāmī, “but I sent my physician to see you, and he reported that you have no illness at all. Since I did not know why you were submitting sick reports and not attending to your service, I have personally come to see you. I am much perturbed by your behavior. As you know, I completely depend on you and your responsible work in government. I was free to act in other matters because I was depending on you, but if you do not join me, your past devotion will be spoiled. Now, what is your intention? Please tell me.”

On hearing this, Sanātana Gosvāmī replied that he was unable to work anymore and that it would be very kind of the Nawab to appoint someone else to execute the work that had been entrusted to him. At this the Nawab became very angry and said, “Your elder brother lives like a hunter, and if you retire from the administration, everything will be finished.” It was said that the Nawab used to treat Sanātana Gosvāmī like a younger brother. Since the Nawab was principally engaged in conquering different parts of the country and also in hunting, he depended largely on Sanātana Gosvāmī for government administration. Thus he pleaded with him: “If you retire from government service, how will the administration be run?”

“You are the governor of Gauḍa,” Sanātana Gosvāmī replied very gravely, “and you punish different kinds of criminals in different ways. So you are at liberty to punish anyone according to his activity.” By this reply Sanātana Gosvāmī indicated that since the governor was engaged in hunting animals and in killing men to expand his kingdom, let both of them suffer according to the acts they were performing. The Nawab, being intelligent, understood Sanātana Gosvāmī’s purport. He left the house in an angry mood, and shortly afterward he went off to conquer Orissa. He ordered the arrest of Sanātana Gosvāmī and commanded that he be held until the Nawab returned.

When Rūpa Gosvāmī learned that the Nawab had arrested his elder brother Sanātana, Rūpa sent Sanātana a message that he could use the ten thousand coins in the care of the Bengali grocer to secure his release from the Nawab’s detention. Having sent this message, Rūpa departed for Vṛndāvana with his younger brother Vallabha to meet Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

After receiving Rūpa Gosvāmī’s message, Sanātana offered five thousand of the coins to the keeper of the jail in which he was being held in custody. He advised the jailkeeper to gladly accept the five thousand coins from him and let him go because by accepting the money he would not only be materially benefited but would also be acting very righteously by freeing Sanātana for spiritual purposes.

“Of course I would like to let you go,” the jailkeeper replied, “for you have done many services for me and you are in government service. But I’m afraid of the Nawab. When he hears that you are free, I’ll have to explain everything to him. How can I accept such a proposal?” Sanātana then invented a story the jailkeeper might submit to the Nawab to explain how he had escaped, and he raised his offer to ten thousand coins. Anxious to get the money, the jailkeeper agreed to the proposition and let him go.

Sanātana then departed to see the Lord. He did not travel on the open road but went through the jungles until he arrived at a place in Bihar called Pātaḍā. There he rested in a hotel, but the hotelkeeper was informed by an astrologer employed there that Sanātana Gosvāmī had some gold coins with him. The hotelkeeper, wanting to steal the money, spoke to Sanātana with superficial respect: “Just take your rest tonight, and in the morning I shall arrange for you to get out of this jungle trap.”

However, Sanātana was suspicious of his behavior, and he inquired from his servant Īśāna whether he had some money. Īśāna told him that he had seven gold coins. Sanātana did not like the idea of the servant carrying such money. He became angry with him and said, “Why do you carry this death knell on the road?”

Sanātana at once took the gold coins and offered them to the hotelkeeper. He then requested the hotel keeper to help him through the jungle. Sanātana informed him that he was on a special journey for the government and that since he could not travel on the open road, it would be very kind of the hotelkeeper to help him through the jungle and over the hills.

The hotelkeeper replied, “I learned that you had eight coins with you, and I was thinking of killing you to take them. But I can understand that you are a very good man, and so you don’t have to offer me the money. I will get you over this hilly tract of land.”

“If you don’t accept these coins, then someone else will take them from me,” Sanātana replied. “Someone will kill me for them, so it is better that you take them. I offer them to you.” The hotelkeeper then gave him full assistance, and that very night he helped him get past the hills.

When Sanātana emerged from the hills, he requested his servant to go home with the one coin he still had with him, for Sanātana decided he would go on alone. After the departure of his servant, Sanātana felt completely free. With torn clothing and with a waterpot in his hand, he proceeded toward Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. On the way he met his rich brother-in-law, who was also in the government service and who offered him an excellent blanket, which Sanātana accepted at his special request. Then he departed from him and went on alone to see Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Benares.

When he reached Benares, Sanātana learned that the Lord was there, and he became overjoyed. He was informed by the people that the Lord was staying at the house of Candraśekhara, and Sanātana went there. Although Caitanya Mahāprabhu was inside the house, He could understand that Sanātana had arrived at the door, and He asked Candraśekhara to call in the man who was sitting there. “He is a Vaiṣṇava, a great devotee of the Lord,” Caitanya Mahāprabhu said. Candraśekhara came out to see the man, but he saw no Vaiṣṇava at the door. He saw only a man who appeared to be a Muslim mendicant. The Lord then asked to see the mendicant, and when Sanātana entered the courtyard, Lord Caitanya hurriedly came out to receive him and embrace him. When the Lord embraced him, Sanātana became overwhelmed with spiritual ecstasy, and he said, “My dear Lord, please do not touch me.” But they embraced each other and began to cry. Seeing Sanātana and Lord Caitanya acting thus, Candraśekhara was struck with wonder. Caitanya Mahāprabhu then asked Sanātana to sit down with Him on a bench. The Lord was touching the body of Sanātana with His hand, and again Sanātana asked Him, “My dear Lord, please do not touch me.”

“I am touching you just for My purification,” the Lord replied, “for you are a great devotee. By your devotional service you can deliver the whole universe and enable everyone to go back to Godhead.”

The Lord then quoted a nice verse from the Vedic literature stating that a person who is a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa and is one hundred percent engaged in devotional service is far better than a ''brāhmaṇa'' who is versed in all the Vedic literatures but who does not engage in the devotional service of the Lord. Because the devotee carries the Supreme Lord within his heart, he can purify every place and everything.

The Vedic literature also states that the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not recognize a nondevotee who is very learned in all the divisions of the ''Vedas'' but He likes a devotee even if he was born in a low family. If one offers charity to a ''brāhmaṇa'' who is not a devotee, the Lord does not accept it; but if something is offered to a devotee, the Lord accepts. In other words, whatever a person wishes to offer the Lord may be given to His devotees. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also quoted ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' to the effect that even if a ''brāhmaṇa'' was born in a high family and is qualified with the twelve brahminical qualities, he is lower than the lowest of the low if he is not a devotee of the Supreme Lord. Although a devotee may have been born in a ''caṇḍāla'' (dog-eater) family, by devotional service he can purify his whole family for one hundred generations, past and future, whereas a proud ''brāhmaṇa'' cannot purify even himself. Lord Caitanya then said to Sanātana, quoting the ''Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya'' (13.2):

:''akṣnoḥ phalaṁ tvādṛśa-darśanaṁ hi
:''tanoḥ phalaṁ tvādṛśa-gātra-saṅgaḥ
:''jihvā-phalaṁ tvādṛśa-kīrtanaṁ hi
:''su-durlabhā bhāgavatā hi loke''

“O devotee of the Lord, to see you is the perfection of the eyes, to touch your body is the perfection of bodily activities, and to glorify your qualities is the perfection of the tongue, for it is very rare to find a pure devotee like you.”

Next the Lord told Sanātana, “Kṛṣṇa is very merciful and is the deliverer of fallen souls. He has saved you from Mahāraurava.” ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' describes Mahāraurava as a hell meant for persons engaged in killing animals, for it is stated there that butchers and animal eaters go to that hell.

“I do not know the mercy of Kṛṣṇa,” Sanātana replied, “but I can understand that Your mercy upon me is causeless. You have delivered me from the entanglement of material life.”

Then the Lord asked, “How did you get free from custody? I understand that you were arrested.” Sanātana then narrated the whole story of his release. The Lord then informed him: “I saw your two brothers and advised them to proceed toward Vṛndāvana.”

Lord Caitanya then introduced Candraśekhara and Tapana Miśra to Sanātana, and Tapana Miśra pleasantly invited Sanātana to dine with him. The Lord requested Candraśekhara to take Sanātana to a barber and make him “gentle,” for Sanātana had grown a long beard, which Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not like. He asked Candraśekhara to provide Sanātana not only with a bath and clean shave but with a change of clothes as well.

After Sanātana had bathed, Candraśekhara offered him some good cloth. When Lord Caitanya was informed that Sanātana had not accepted the new garments but later accepted only some used garments from Tapana Miśra, He was very glad. The Lord went to Tapana Miśra’s house for lunch and asked him to keep food for Sanātana. Tapana Miśra did not offer Sanātana food immediately, however, but after the Lord had finished eating there were some remnants of His food, and those remnants were offered to Sanātana while the Lord took His rest.

After resting, Lord Caitanya introduced a Maharashtrian ''brāhmaṇa'', a devotee of His, to Sanātana, and that ''brāhmaṇa'' invited Sanātana to accept lunch daily at his place as long as he remained in Benares.

“As long as I remain in Benares, I will beg from door to door,” Sanātana said. “But the Lord will be so good as to accept this invitation for daily lunch at your house.”

Lord Caitanya was very much pleased by this behavior of Sanātana’s, but He noticed the valuable blanket that had been given to him by his brother-in-law while Sanātana was en route to Benares. Although Lord Caitanya did not say anything about the blanket, Sanātana understood that He did not approve of such a valuable garment on his body, and therefore Sanātana decided to get rid of it. He immediately went to the bank of the Ganges, and there he saw a mendicant washing an old quilt. When Sanātana asked him to trade the old quilt for the valuable blanket, the poor mendicant thought that Sanātana was joking with him. “How is this?” the mendicant replied. “You appear to be a very nice gentleman, but you are mocking me in this unmannerly way.”

“I am not joking with you,” Sanātana informed him. “I am very serious. Will you kindly exchange your torn quilt for this blanket?” Finally the mendicant exchanged his torn quilt for the blanket, and Sanātana returned to the Lord.

“Where is your valuable blanket?” the Lord immediately inquired. Sanātana informed Him about the exchange, and the Lord loved him for this and thanked him. “You are intelligent enough, and you have now exhausted all your attraction for material wealth.” In other words, the Lord accepts a person for devotional service only when he is completely free from all material possessions. The Lord then told Sanātana: “It would not look good for you to be a mendicant and beg from door to door with such a valuable blanket on your body. It is contradictory, and people would look on it with abhorrence.”

“Whatever I am doing to become free from material attachment is all Your mercy,” Sanātana replied. The Lord was very much pleased with him, and they discussed spiritual advancement.

Previous to this meeting between Lord Caitanya and Sanātana Gosvāmī, the Lord had met a householder devotee named Rāmānanda Rāya. At that meeting, which is discussed in a later chapter, Lord Caitanya asked Rāmānanda Rāya questions, and Rāmānanda replied as if he were the Lord’s teacher. However, in this case Sanātana put questions to the Lord, and the Lord answered them.

The instructions of Lord Caitanya to Sanātana Gosvāmī are very important for people in general. The Lord taught him the process of devotional service, which is the constitutional occupation of every living entity. Because this is so, it is every man’s duty to advance in spiritual science. Many subjects were thoroughly discussed in the talks between Lord Caitanya and Sanātana Gosvāmī. Due to the mercy of Lord Caitanya, Sanātana was able to put important questions before Him, and these questions were replied to properly.

The meeting of Sanātana Gosvāmī and Lord Caitanya teaches us that to understand spiritual subject matters one must approach a spiritual master like Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and make submissive inquiries. This is confirmed in the instructions of the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 4.34 (1972)|4.34]]), where Lord Kṛṣṇa says that one should approach a man of authority and learn the spiritual science from him.

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Abhay:

[[Category:Teachings of Lord Caitanya (2011)|T01]]
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<div style="float:right">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=TLC Introduction|Introduction]] '''[[TLC Introduction|Introduction]] - [[TLC 2]]''' [[File:Go-next.png|link=TLC 2]]</div>
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[[File:TLC-Teachings to Rupa Gosvami.jpg|358px|thumb|left|alt=Teachings to Rūpa Gosvāmī|link=TLC Preface|<div class="center">'''Teachings to Rūpa Gosvāmī'''</div>]]
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Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, the younger brother of Sanātana Gosvāmī, went to Prayāga, the modern city of Allahabad, with his younger brother Vallabha. When the two brothers heard that Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was staying there, they both became very much pleased and went to see the Lord. At that time the Lord was on His way to visit the temple of Bindu Mādhava. On the way to the temple the Lord was chanting and dancing, and thousands of people were following Him. Some were crying and some were laughing, some were dancing and some were singing, and some were falling on the ground, offering obeisances to the Lord. And all of them were roaring the holy name: “Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa!” It is said that in spite of being at the confluence of the rivers Ganges and Yamunā, Prayāga was never flooded until the appearance of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, at which time the city was overflooded by love of Kṛṣṇa.

The two brothers, Rūpa Gosvāmī and Vallabha, stayed aloof in an uncrowded place and witnessed the great crowd and wonderful scene. When the Lord danced, He raised His arms and shouted, “Haribol! Haribol!” The people all about Him were astonished to see His activities. Indeed, the wonderful scene is difficult to describe.

After visiting the temple, the Lord accepted ''prasādam'' (food offered to the Deity) at the house of a Deccanist (southern) ''brāhmaṇa'' with whom He was acquainted. While sitting alone at the brāhmaṇa’s home, the Lord was visited by Rūpa Gosvāmī and Vallabha. From a distance the two brothers fell down on the ground to offer obeisances, and they chanted many Sanskrit verses from the scriptures. When the Lord saw Rūpa Gosvāmī offering obeisances before Him, He became very much pleased and said, “My dear Rūpa, please get up.” The Lord then informed Rūpa Gosvāmī of the causeless mercy of Kṛṣṇa upon him, for Kṛṣṇa had just delivered him from the materialistic way of life, which is based simply on pounds-shillings-pence.

The Lord accepted the two brothers as His devotees, and He cited a verse from the scriptures stating that the Lord will not accept a ''brāhmaṇa'' who has studied the four Vedas if he is not a devotee but He will accept someone from a very low family if he is a pure devotee. Then the Lord embraced the two brothers, and out of His causeless mercy He touched their heads with His lotus feet. Blessed in this way, the brothers offered prayers to the Lord in their own words. The prayers indicated that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu was Kṛṣṇa Himself, that He had assumed a fair-complexioned form (''gaurāṅga''), and that He was the most munificent incarnation of Kṛṣṇa because He was distributing love of Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī also recited a verse later found in the book ''Govinda-līlāmṛta'' (1.2):

:''yo ’jñāna-mattaṁ bhuvanaṁ dayālur
:''ullāghayann apy akarot pramattam
:''sva-prema-sampat-sudhayādbhutehaṁ
:''śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanyam amuṁ prapadye''

“Let me surrender unto the lotus feet of Sri Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is the greatest, most merciful Personality of Godhead. He delivers those who are merged in ignorance and offers them the highest gift, love of Kṛṣṇa, and thus makes them mad after Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”

After this incident, Vallabha Bhaṭṭa invited the Lord to go to the other side of the Ganges, and the Lord went. On this trip Rūpa Gosvāmī accompanied the Lord, and, indeed, wherever the Lord went Rūpa Gosvāmī would follow Him and stay with Him. Because the Lord felt inconvenienced in crowded places, He asked Rūpa Gosvāmī to accompany Him to a place on the banks of the Ganges known as Daśāśvamedha-ghāṭa. For ten days He instructed Rūpa Gosvāmī about the truth of Kṛṣṇa, the principles of devotional service, and the transcendental mellows (relationships with Kṛṣṇa). All of this was described in full detail so that in the future Rūpa Gosvāmī could distribute the science of Kṛṣṇa in his book ''Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu''. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī described this incident in the first verse of the ''Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu'', in which he speaks of the causeless mercy of the Lord upon him.

The Supreme Lord is cognizant and all-powerful, and by His causeless mercy He empowers a living entity to receive His mercy. People in general, being under the spell of conditioned life, are averse to rendering devotional service and practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are unaware of the teachings of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which reveal one's eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the process by which one can return to the spiritual world, and the ultimate goal of life, which is to return home, back to Godhead. Because these things are unknown to the conditioned soul, Lord Caitanya, out of His causeless mercy, instructed Rūpa Gosvāmī in the principles of devotional service. Later, Rūpa Gosvāmī distributed this science to the people in general.

In the prologue to the ''Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu'' (1.1.2), Rūpa Gosvāmī describes Lord Caitanya as follows:

:''hṛdi yasya preraṇayā pravartito ’haṁ varāka-rūpo ’pi
:''tasya hareḥ pada-kamalaṁ vande caitanya-devasya''

“I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Caitanyadeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because He has inspired me with the desire in my heart to write something about devotional service. For this reason I am writing this book on the science of devotion, known as the ''Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu''.”

Beginning His ten days of continual instruction to Rūpa Gosvāmī, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “My dear Rūpa, the science of devotional service is just like a great ocean, and so it is not possible to show you its entire length and breadth. But I shall try to explain the nature of that ocean by taking just one drop out of it. In this way you can taste it and understand what that ocean of devotional service actually is.”

The Lord then explained that within this ''brahmāṇḍa'', or universe, there are innumerable living entities who, according to their own fruitive activities, are transmigrating from one species of life to another and from one planet to another. In this way their encagement in material existence has continued since time immemorial. In actuality, these living entities are atomic parts and parcels of the Supreme Spirit. It is said in the ''Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad'' that the length and breadth of the individual soul is 1/10,000th part of the tip of a hair. The atomic magnitude of the living entity is confirmed in the Eleventh Canto of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 11.16.11|11.16.11]]). And in the Tenth Canto ([[SB 10.87.30|10.87.30]]) Sanandana-kumāra, while performing a great sacrifice, quotes the following statement by the personified ''Vedas'': “O Supreme Truth! If the living entities were not infinitesimal sparks of the Supreme Spirit, each minute spark would be all-pervading and could not be controlled by a superior power. But if the living entity is accepted as a minute part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, one can automatically understand how he is controlled by the supreme power. The latter is his actual constitutional position, and if he remains in this position he can attain full freedom. If one mistakenly considers his constitutional position equal to that of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he becomes contaminated by the doctrine of nonduality and his efforts in transcendental life are rendered ineffective.”

Lord Caitanya continued His teachings by pointing out that there are two kinds of living entities, the eternally liberated and the eternally conditioned. The eternally conditioned living entities can be divided into two types, the moving and the nonmoving. Those that remain in one place—trees, for example—are classified as ''sthāvara'', or nonmoving entities, and those that move—such as birds and beasts—are called ''jaṅgama'', or moving entities. The moving entities are further divided into three categories: those that fly in the sky, those that swim in the water, and those that walk on land. Out of the many millions and trillions of living entities on land, human beings are very few. Out of that small number of human beings, most are totally ignorant of the spiritual science, are unclean in their habits, and have no faith in the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In short, most human beings live like animals. Therefore these can be deducted from the number of human beings that constitute civilized human society.

We can hardly find any human beings who believe in the Vedic scriptures and the existence of God, or even in proper behavior. Those who do believe in these things, and in advancing in spiritual life, are known as Āryans. Out of those who believe in the scriptures and the advancement of human civilization, there are two classes—the righteous and the unrighteous. Those who are righteous generally execute fruitive activities to derive some good result for sense gratification. Out of many such persons who engage in righteous activities for sense gratification, only a few come to know about the Absolute Truth. These are called ''jñānīs'', empiric philosophers in search of the Absolute Truth. Out of many hundreds and thousands of such empiric philosophers, only a handful actually attain liberation. When one is liberated, he theoretically understands that the living entity is not composed of material elements but is spirit soul, distinct from matter. Simply by understanding this doctrine, even theoretically, one qualifies as a ''mukta'', or liberated soul. But the actual ''mukta'' is he who understands his constitutional position as part and parcel of the Lord and as His eternal servant. Such liberated souls engage with faith and devotion in the service of the Lord, and they are called ''kṛṣṇa-bhaktas'', or Kṛṣṇa conscious persons.

''Kṛṣṇa-bhaktas'' are free from all material desires. Although those who are theoretically liberated by knowing that the living entity is not material may be classified among liberated souls, they still have desires. Their main desire is to become one with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such persons are very much attached to performing Vedic rituals and righteous activities in order to enjoy material prosperity. Even when some of them transcend material enjoyment, they still try to enjoy in the spiritual world by merging into the existence of the Supreme Lord. Some of them also desire to attain mystic powers through the execution of yoga. As long as any of these desires are within a person’s heart, he cannot understand the nature of pure devotional service, and on account of constantly being agitated by such desires, he is not peaceful. Indeed, as long as there is any desire for material perfection at all, one cannot be at peace. Since the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa do not desire anything material, they are the only peaceful persons within this material world. This is confirmed in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 6.14.5|6.14.5]]):

:''muktānām api siddhānāṁ   nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇaḥ
:''su-durlabhaḥ praśāntātmā   koṭiṣv api mahāmune''

“O great sage, out of many millions of liberated persons and persons who have achieved success in mystic yoga, it is very rare to find one who is completely devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is therefore filled with peace.”

Lord Caitanya next explained that of the many thousands and millions of living entities wandering in the material world, one who by the grace of Lord Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master gets the seed of devotional service is very rare and fortunate. A pious or religious man is generally inclined to worship deities in various temples, but if by chance, even without his knowledge, he offers his obeisances and worshipful respects to Lord Viṣṇu and receives the favor of a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee of the Lord, at that time he acquires the asset necessary to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is plainly understood from the history of the great sage Nārada, which is related in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam''. By serving Vaiṣṇavas in his previous life, Nārada was favored by those devotees of the Lord and became the great sage Nārada Muni.

Vaiṣṇavas are generally very compassionate toward the conditioned souls. Without even being invited, a devotee will go from door to door to enlighten people, to bring them out of the darkness of nescience by imparting knowledge of the living entity’s constitutional position as a servant of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Such devotees are empowered by the Lord to distribute devotional consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to the people in general. They are known as authorized spiritual masters, and it is by the mercy of such a spiritual master that a conditioned soul gets the seed of devotional service. The causeless mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is first appreciated when one comes in touch with a bona fide spiritual master, who can enlighten the conditioned soul and bring him to the highest position of devotional life. Therefore Lord Caitanya said that by the mercy of the spiritual master one can achieve the causeless mercy of the Lord and by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead one can attain the mercy of the bona fide spiritual master.

Thus by the mercy of the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa one receives the seed of devotional service. Then one has to sow the seed in the field of his heart, just as a gardener sows the seed of a valuable tree. After sowing this seed, one has to water it by chanting and hearing the holy name of the Supreme Lord and by taking part in discussions about the science of devotional service in a society of pure devotees. When the plant of devotional service sprouts up from the seed of devotion, it begins to grow freely. When it is fully grown, it surpasses the length and breadth of this universe and enters the transcendental atmosphere of the spiritual world, where everything is bathed in the effulgence of the ''brahma-jyoti''. The plant penetrates even the ''brahma-jyoti'' and gradually enters the planet known as Goloka Vṛndāvana. There the plant takes shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. That is the ultimate goal of devotional service. After attaining this position, the plant produces the fruit of love of Godhead. To taste this fruit, however, it is necessary for the devotee, or transcendental gardener, to water the plant daily by chanting and hearing. Unless one waters the plant by chanting and hearing, there is every chance that it will dry up.

Lord Caitanya pointed out to Rūpa Gosvāmī that there was another danger to be encountered while watering the root of the devotional plant. After a plant has grown somewhat, an animal may come and either eat it or destroy it. When the green leaves of a plant are eaten by some animal, the plant generally dies. Thus one has to take precautions so that the plant of devotional service is not disturbed by animals, which represent offenses. The most dangerous animal is a mad elephant, for if a mad elephant enters a garden, it causes tremendous damage to plants and trees. An offense to a pure devotee of the Lord is called ''vaiṣṇava-aparādha'', the mad elephant offense. In the discharge of devotional service, an offense to the feet of a pure devotee creates havoc and stops one’s advancement. Thus one has to defend the plant of bhakti by fencing it off properly and taking care not to offend pure devotees. Then the plant of devotional service will be properly protected.

An offense to a pure devotee is one of the ten offenses against the holy name. The first offense is to blaspheme the great devotees who have tried to spread the glories of the holy name all over the world. The greatest offender at the feet of the holy name is the rascal who is envious of such devotees. The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa, and Lord Kṛṣṇa cannot tolerate offenses against a pure devotee who, following the order of his spiritual master, is spreading the holy name all over the world. The second offense is to deny that Lord Viṣṇu is the Absolute Truth. Since there is no difference between the Lord and His name, qualities, form and pastimes, or activities, one who sees a difference is considered an offender. The Lord being supreme, no one is equal to or greater than Him. Consequently, one who thinks that the name of some demigod is equal to the Lord’s name is an offender. The Supreme Lord and the demigods should never be considered on the same level.

The third offense is to consider the bona fide spiritual master to be a common man. The fourth offense is to blaspheme the Vedic literature—the ''Vedas'' and such corollaries as the ''Purāṇas''. The fifth offense is to consider the glories of the holy name to be exaggerations. The sixth offense is to imagine a perverted meaning of the holy name. The seventh offense is to commit sinful activities on the strength of chanting the holy name. It is understood that by chanting the holy name one is freed from sinful reactions, but this does not mean that one should perversely act sinfully on the strength of chanting. That is the greatest offense. The eighth offense is to equate chanting the holy name with religious rituals, austerity, renunciation or sacrificial performances. Chanting the holy name is as good as associating with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whereas these pious activities are only means of approaching the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they can also be performed for some material reason. It is an offense to equate them with chanting the holy name. The ninth offense is to preach the glories of the holy name of God to a faithless person. The tenth and last offense is to maintain material attachments even after hearing and chanting the holy name of God. The idea is that by chanting the holy name without offense one is elevated to the liberated platform, where one is freed from all material attachments. Thus if one chants the holy names and still has material attachments, he is committing an offense.

There are still other factors which can disturb the plant of devotional service. As this plant grows, the weeds of material desires may also grow. When a person advances in devotional service, it is natural that many persons will come to him requesting to become disciples and will offer him some material gains. If one is attracted by a large number of disciples offering material conveniences and forgets his duty as a bona fide spiritual master, the growth of the plant will be impeded. Simply by taking advantage of material conveniences one may become addicted to enjoying material comforts.

Other impediments are to desire liberation or material name and fame by discharging devotional service, or to neglect the prohibitions. These prohibitions are mentioned in the authorized scriptures: One should not indulge in illicit sex, intoxication, gambling or eating meat—indeed, one should not eat anything other than ''kṛṣṇa-prasādam'', food offered to Kṛṣṇa. These are the restrictions for one who is attempting to advance in devotional service. If one does not follow these principles strictly, there will be a severe disturbance in the discharge of devotional service.

If one is not particularly careful, by watering the plant of devotional service one will instead nourish the weeds described above, which will then grow very luxuriantly and hamper one’s progress. The idea is that when one waters a garden, not only does the desired plant grow rapidly but the unwanted plants grow also. If the gardener does not see these weeds and cut them down, they will overcome and choke the plant of devotion. It is thus the duty of the neophyte devotee to cut down all the weeds that may grow by the watering process of devotional service. If one is careful to guard against the growth of these weeds, the plant of devotion will grow luxuriantly and reach the ultimate goal, Goloka Vṛndāvana. When the living entity engaged in devotional service relishes the fruit of love of Godhead, he forgets all religious rituals aimed at improving his economic condition. He no longer desires to satisfy his senses, and he no longer desires to become one with the Supreme Lord by merging into His effulgence.

There are many practices leading to spiritual knowledge and transcendental bliss, including the ritualistic sacrifices recommended in the ''Vedas'', the execution of austerities and pious duties, and the practice of mystic yoga. These all award different results to their performers. But all these rewards appear to glitter only as long as one is not elevated to the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Love of God is dormant in everyone, and it can be awakened from its dormant position by the execution of pure devotional service, just as a person bitten by a serpent and fallen unconscious can be revived by smelling ammonia.

After speaking in this way about pure devotional service, Lord Caitanya began to describe that service and its symptoms to Rūpa Gosvāmī. He explained that in pure devotional service there can be no desire other than the desire to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In Kṛṣṇa consciousness there is no scope for worshiping any demigod or even any other form of Kṛṣṇa, nor is there room for indulgence in speculative empiric philosophy or fruitive activities. One should be free from all these contaminations. A devotee should accept only those things that are favorable for keeping his body and soul together and should reject those things that increase the demands of the body. Only the bare necessities for bodily maintenance should be accepted. By making one’s bodily necessities secondary, one can primarily devote his time to the cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness through the chanting of the holy names of God. Pure devotional service means engaging all one’s senses in the service of the Lord. At the present moment our senses are all designated because the body is designated. So we think that our body belongs to a particular society or a particular country or a particular family. In this way the body is bound by so many designations. Similarly, the senses belong to the body, and when the body is subject to such designations, the senses are also. Thus one engages the senses on behalf of family, society, nation and so on. When the senses are so engaged, one cannot cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The senses must be purified, and this is possible when one purely understands that he belongs to Kṛṣṇa and that his life belongs to Kṛṣṇa—in other words, that his identity is to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. In this way one can engage his senses in the service of the Lord, and such engagement is called pure devotional service.

A pure devotee accepts the transcendental loving service of the Lord but rejects all kinds of liberation for his personal sense gratification. This is stated by Lord Kapila in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 3.29.11-12|3.29.11-14]]), in His explanation of the nature of pure devotional service. As soon as a pure devotee hears the glories and transcendental qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is seated in everyone’s heart, his mind at once flows toward the Lord, just as the waters of the Ganges flow down toward the sea. Such spontaneous attraction of the devotee’s mind to the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead signifies pure devotional service.

Devotional service is pure when one engages in the service of the Supreme Lord without any selfish motive and without being hampered by any material impediment. The pure devotee does not desire to live on the same planet as the Supreme Lord, nor does he desire the same opulence as the Lord, nor does he desire to have the same form as the Lord, nor to live with Him side by side, nor to merge into His existence. Even if the Lord offers the pure devotee such rewards, he rejects them. The point is that a pure devotee is so much absorbed in the transcendental loving service of the Lord that he has no time to think of any benefit beyond his immediate engagement. Just as an ordinary materialistic businessman thinks of nothing else when he is absorbed in his business, a pure devotee, when engaged in the service of the Lord, does not think of anything beyond that engagement.

One who possesses the symptoms described above has been elevated to the topmost position of devotional service. And it is by such transcendental loving service alone that one can surpass the influence of ''māyā'' and relish pure love of Godhead. As long as one desires material benefit or liberation, which are called the two witches of allurement, one cannot relish the taste of transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord.

There are three stages of devotional service: The first is the beginning stage of cultivation, the second is the realization of service, and the third, the supreme stage, is the attainment of love of Godhead. There are nine different methods of cultivating devotional service—hearing, chanting, remembering, etc.—and all these processes are employed by the neophyte in the first stage. If one is engaged in chanting and hearing with devotion and faith, his material misgivings gradually become vanquished. As his faith in devotional service increases more and more, he becomes assured of a higher perfectional position. In this way one becomes firmly fixed in devotional service, increases his taste for it, becomes attached to it, and feels ecstasy, the preliminary stage of love of Godhead. Attainment of ecstasy is produced by executing this process of cultivating devotional service. When one continues the process of hearing and chanting, attachment to Kṛṣṇa gradually thickens and at last is called love of Godhead.

In the stage of transcendental love of God there are further developments, known as transcendental affection, emotion, ecstasy, and extreme and intense attachment. These are technically known by the terms ''rāga'', ''anurāga'', ''bhāva'' and ''mahābhāva''. The progress from one stage to another is like the thickening of sugarcane juice. In the first stage sugarcane juice is a thin liquid. When, by evaporation, it becomes thicker and thicker, it turns into molasses. Then it turns into granules of sugar, then rock candy, and so on. Just as sugarcane juice progresses from one stage to another, similarly transcendental love for the Supreme Lord develops by stages.

When one actually becomes situated on the transcendental platform, he becomes steady. Unless one is so situated, his position is not steady and he may fall down. When one is actually situated transcendentally, there is no fear of falling down. This stage is technically called ''sthāyi-bhāva''. There are further developments within this stage, known as ''vibhāva'', ''anubhāva'', ''sāttvika'' and ''vyabhicārī''. When these four ingredients are added to the steadfast position of pure transcendental life, there is actually an exchange of ''rasa'', or transcendental mellow, with the Supreme Lord. This exchange in loving reciprocation between the lover and the beloved is generally called ''kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa'', the transcendental taste of exchanging loving sentiments between the devotee and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It should be noted, however, that the transcendental loving exchanges stand on the steadfast position of ''sthāyi-bhāva'', as explained above. The basic principle of ''vibhāva'' is ''sthāyi-bhāva'', and all other activities are auxiliary for the development of transcendental love.

The ecstasy of transcendental love has two components—the context and the cause of the excitement. The context is also divided into two parts—the subject and the object. The exchange of devotional service is the subject, and Kṛṣṇa is the object. His transcendental qualities are the causes of excitement. This means that a devotee who becomes enamored by the transcendental qualities of Kṛṣṇa becomes excited to serve Him. The impersonal (Māyāvādī) philosophers say that the Absolute Truth is ''nirguṇa'', “without qualities,” but the Vaiṣṇava philosophers say that the Absolute Truth is described as ''nirguṇa'' because He has no material qualities. This is not to say that He has no spiritual qualities. Indeed, the Lord’s spiritual qualities are so great and so enchanting that even liberated persons become attracted to Him. This is explained in the ''ātmārāma'' verse of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 1.7.10|1.7.10]]), where it is said that those who are already situated on the platform of self-realization are attracted by the transcendental qualities of Kṛṣṇa. This means that Kṛṣṇa’s qualities are not material but are pure and transcendental.

The highest stage of ecstasy is characterized by the following thirteen transcendental activities: (1) dancing, (2) rolling on the floor, (3) singing, (4) clapping, (5) stretching the body, (6) thundering, (7) yawning, (8) breathing heavily, (9) forgetting social conventions, (10) drooling, (11) laughing, (12) shaking the head, and (13) hiccoughing. All these symptoms are not awakened simultaneously; they appear according to the exchange of transcendental mellows. Sometimes one symptom is prominent, and at another time another is prominent.

There are five transcendental ''rasas'', or mellows. The initial stage is called ''śānta-rati'', wherein one who is liberated from material contamination appreciates the greatness of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who attains this stage does not exactly engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, for this is the neutral stage.

In the second stage, which is called ''dāsya-rati'', a person appreciates his position as being everlastingly subordinate to the Supreme Lord, and he understands that he is eternally dependent on the causeless mercy of the Supreme Person. At that time there is an awakening of natural affection, such as is felt by a son who grows up and begins to appreciate his father’s benedictions. At this stage the living entity wants to serve the Supreme Lord instead of serving ''māyā'', illusion.

The third stage in the development of transcendental love is called ''sakhya-rati''. In this stage one associates with the Supreme as a friend on an equal level, with love and respect. As this stage is further developed, there is joking and such relaxed exchanges as laughing. On this level there are fraternal exchanges with the Personality of Godhead, and one is free from all bondage. One forgets his inferior position as a living entity, but at the same time he has the greatest respect for the Supreme Person.

In the fourth stage, called ''vātsalya-rati'', the fraternal affection of the preceding stage develops into parental affection. At this time the living entity acts as the parent of God. Instead of worshiping the Lord, the living entity, as a parent of the Supreme Person, becomes an object of worship for Him. At this stage the Lord depends on the mercy of His pure devotee and puts Himself under the control of the devotee to be raised nicely. Such a devotee can embrace the Supreme Lord and even kiss His head.

In the fifth stage, called ''madhura-rat''i, there is a transcendental exchange of conjugal love between the lover and the beloved. It is at this stage that Kṛṣṇa and the damsels of Vraja glanced lovingly at one another, for on this platform there is an exchange of glances, movements of the eyebrows, pleasant words, attractive smiles, etc.

Besides these five primary ''rasas'' there are seven secondary ''rasas'', which consist of laughing, wonder, chivalry, pity, anger, ghastliness and devastation. For example, Bhīṣma related to Kṛṣṇa as a warrior in the chivalrous ''rasa''. Hiraṇyakaśipu, however, experienced an exchange of the ghastly and devastating rasas. The five primary ''rasas'' constantly remain within the heart of the pure devotee, and the seven secondary rasas sometimes appear and disappear to enrich the flavors and tastes of the primary ones. After enriching the primary ''rasas'', they disappear.

Examples of ''śānta-bhaktas'', or devotees in the neutral stage, are the sages known as the nine Yogendras, namely Kavi, Havi, Antarīkṣa, Prabuddha, Pippalāyana, Avirhotra, Draviḍa (Drumila), Camasa and Karabhājana. The four Kumāras (Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanat-kumāra and Sanātana) are also examples of this stage. Examples of devotees in the second stage, servitorship, are Raktaka, Citraka and Patraka. These are all servants of Kṛṣṇa in Gokula. In Dvārakā there is Dāruka, and in the Vaikuṇṭha planets there are Hanumān and others. Devotees in the third stage, friendship, include Śrīdāmā in Vṛndāvana and Bhīma and Arjuna in Dvārakā or on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. As for those relating to Kṛṣṇa in parental love, they include His mother, father, uncle and similar relatives. In conjugal love there are the damsels of Vraja (Vṛndāvana), the queens in Dvārakā, and the goddesses of fortune in Vaikuṇṭha. No one can count the vast number of devotees in this ''rasa''.

In general, attachment to Kṛṣṇa is of two kinds. The first kind is attachment with awe and veneration. Characterized by a lack of freedom, such attachment is exhibited in Mathurā and on the Vaikuṇṭha planets. In these abodes of the Lord, the flavor of transcendental loving service is restricted. But in Gokula (Vṛndāvana) love is freely exchanged, and although the cowherd boys and damsels of Vṛndāvana know that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they do not show awe and veneration, because of the great intimacy of their relationship with Him through thick and thin. In the five principal transcendental relationships, awe and veneration are sometimes impediments to one’s service to the Lord. When there is friendship, parental affection or conjugal love, such awe and veneration are impediments. For example, when Kṛṣṇa appeared as the son of Vasudeva and Devakī, they prayed to the Lord with awe and veneration because they understood that the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu had appeared before them as their little child. This is confirmed in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 10.44.51|10.44.51]]): “Devakī and Vasudeva, knowing their son to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead, began to pray to Him although He was present before them as their child.” Similarly, when Arjuna saw the universal form of the Lord, he was so afraid that he begged pardon for his dealings with Kṛṣṇa as an intimate friend. As a friend, Arjuna often behaved unceremoniously with the Lord, and upon seeing the awesome universal form, Arjuna said:

:''sakheti matvā prasabhaṁ yad uktaṁ
:''he kṛṣṇa he yādava he sakheti
:''ajānatā mahimānaṁ tavedaṁ
:''mayā pramādāt praṇayena vāpi''

“My dear Kṛṣṇa, sometimes I insulted You by calling You ‘my dear friend Kṛṣṇa’ without knowing the greatness of your inconceivable power. Please forgive me. I was mad to address You like a common friend or a common man.” ([[BG 11.41-42 (1972)|''Bhagavad-gītā'' 11.41]])

Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa was playing jokes on Rukmiṇī, she feared that He might leave her and became so perturbed that she dropped the fan with which she was fanning Him and fainted, falling unconscious to the floor as her hair scattered. She resembled a plantain tree blown down by a blast of wind.

But as far as Yaśodā, Kṛṣṇa’s mother in Vṛndāvana, is concerned, ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' [[SB 10.8.45|10.8.45]] states:

:''trayyā copaniṣadbhiś ca   sāṅkhya-yogaiś ca sātvataiḥ
:''upagīyamāna-māhātmyaṁ   hariṁ sāmanyatātmajam''

“Mother Yaśodā thought that the Personality of Godhead, who is worshiped by all the ''Vedas'' and ''Upaniṣads'', as well as by the ''sāṅkhya'' system of philosophy and all authorized scriptures, had been born from her womb.” It is also stated in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 10.9.13-14|10.9.14]]) that Mother Yaśodā bound the child Kṛṣṇa with a rope as if He were an ordinary son born of her body. Another description of Kṛṣṇa’s being treated as an ordinary person appears in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' [[SB 10.18.24|10.18.24]]. There it is stated that when Kṛṣṇa was defeated in games with His friends, the cowherd boys, He had to carry Śrīdāmā on His shoulders.

Regarding the ''gopīs''’ dealings with Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' [[SB 10.30.35-36|10.30.36–38]] describes how when Śrī Kṛṣṇa took Śrīmatī Rādhikā alone from the rāsa dance, She proudly thought, “My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa has left the other ''gopīs'', although they are as beautiful as I am, and He is satisfied with Me alone.” In the forest She told Kṛṣṇa, “My dear Kṛṣṇa, I am unable to move anymore. Now if You like You can take Me wherever You desire.” Kṛṣṇa replied, “You can climb on My shoulder,” but as soon as He said this He disappeared, whereupon Śrīmatī Rādhikā repented very much.

When Kṛṣṇa disappeared from the scene of the ''rāsa'' dance, all the gopīs began to repent, saying, “Dear Kṛṣṇa! We have come here and left aside our husbands, sons, relatives, brothers and friends! Neglecting their advice, we have come to You, and You know very well the reason for our coming here. You know that we have come because we are captivated by the sweet sound of Your flute. But You are so cunning that in the dead of night You have left girls and women like us! This is not very good of You.”

The word ''śama'' means controlling the mind and keeping it from being diverted in various ways while fixing it on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, one whose mind is fixed on the Supreme Lord is situated on the ''śama'' platform. On that platform the devotee understands that Kṛṣṇa is the basic principle of everything within our experience. This is explained in the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 7.19 (1972)|7.19]]): “After many, many births of cultivating knowledge, one who has attained real knowledge surrenders unto Vāsudeva [Kṛṣṇa] because he can understand that Kṛṣṇa is present in everything, that He is distributed all over the cosmic manifestation.” Although everything is under the control of the Supreme Lord and is situated in His energy, everything is nonetheless different from Kṛṣṇa in His personal form. It is stated in the ''Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu'' that the platform of ''śama'', on which one understands that Kṛṣṇa is the basic principle of everything, is the same as ''śānta-rati''. Unless one is elevated to the platform of ''śānta-rati'', one cannot be fixed in knowledge of the greatness of Kṛṣṇa or of the diffusion of His different energies, which are the cause of all manifestations. This same point is explained in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 11.19.36-39|11.19.36]]):

:''śamo man-niṣṭhatā buddher   dama indriya-saṁyamaḥ
:''titikṣā duḥkha-sammarṣo   jihvopastha-jayo dhṛtiḥ''

“''Śama'', equilibrium of mind, is achieved by one who has concluded that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the original source of everything. And when one can control his senses, that is called ''sama''. When one is ready to tolerate all kinds of sufferings to control the senses and keep the mind steady, that is called ''titikṣā'', or tolerance. And when one can control the urges of the tongue and genitals, that is called ''dhṛti''.” One who has attained ''dhṛti'' is a ''dhīra'', a pacified person. A pacified person is never disturbed by the urges of the tongue and genitals.

One who can fix his mind on Kṛṣṇa without deviation attains ''śānta-rasa'', the steadfast position in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One in ''śānta-rasa'' exhibits two main qualities: unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa, and the cessation of all material desires. These specific characteristics of ''śānta-rasa''—unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa and cessation of all desires not connected with Kṛṣṇa—are common to all other ''rasas'' as well, just as sound is present not only in sky, where it is produced, but also in all the other elements—air, fire, water and earth. So these two characteristics of ''śānta-rasa'' are also present in ''dāsya-rasa'' (servitorship), ''sakhya-rasa'' (fraternity), ''vātsalya-rasa'' (parental affection) and ''madhura-rasa'' (conjugal love).

When we speak of desires not connected with Kṛṣṇa, or “non-Kṛṣṇa,” this does not mean that anything exists without Kṛṣṇa. Actually there cannot be anything non-Kṛṣṇa because everything is a product of the energy of Kṛṣṇa. Since Kṛṣṇa and His energies are identical, everything is Kṛṣṇa indirectly. For example, consciousness is common to every living entity, but when consciousness is centered solely on Kṛṣṇa (Kṛṣṇa consciousness) it is pure, and when consciousness is centered on something other than Kṛṣṇa, or when it is directed to sense gratification, it may be called non-Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Thus it is in the polluted state that the conception of non-Kṛṣṇa comes. In the pure state, however, there is nothing but Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Active interest in Kṛṣṇa—the understanding that Kṛṣṇa is mine and that I am Kṛṣṇa’s and that my business is therefore to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa—is typical of a higher stage than the neutrality of ''śānta-rasa''. Simply by understanding the greatness of Kṛṣṇa, one achieves the status of ''śānta-rasa'', in which the worshipable object may be the impersonal Brahman or Paramātmā. Worship of the impersonal Brahman and the Paramātmā is conducted by those engaged in empiric philosophical speculation and mystic yoga. But when one develops even further in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or spiritual understanding, he can appreciate that the Paramātmā, the Supersoul, is his eternal worshipable object and master, and he surrenders unto Him. ''Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate'' ([[BG 7.19 (1972)|Bg. 7.19]]): “After many, many births of worshiping Brahman and Paramātmā, when one surrenders unto Vāsudeva as the supreme master and accepts himself as the eternal servant of Vāsudeva, he becomes a great transcendentally realized soul.” At that time, due to his intimate relationship with the Supreme Absolute Truth, the devotee begins to render some sort of transcendental loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus the neutral relationship known as ''śānta-rasa'' is transformed into ''dāsya-rasa'', servitorship.

On the platform of ''dāsya-rasa'' one exhibits the greatest quantity of awe and veneration for the Supreme Lord. That is, in ''dāsya-rasa'' one appreciates the greatness of the Supreme Lord. It should be noted here that on the platform of ''śānta-rasa'' there is no spiritual activity but on the platform of ''dāsya-rasa'' service begins. Thus in ''dāsya-rasa'' the quality of ''śānta-rasa'' is exhibited, and, in addition, there is consciousness of the transcendental taste of service.

In ''sakhya-rasa'', fraternity, the transcendental qualities of ''śānta-rasa'' and ''dāsya-rasa'' are certainly present, but beyond these there is another quality, confidential attachment, which is pure transcendental love. This confidential attachment for the Supreme Personality is technically known as ''viśrambha''. On the platform of ''viśrambha'' there is no sense of awe or veneration toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus in the transcendental fraternal relationship, ''sakhya-rasa'', there are three transcendental characteristics: the sense of greatness, the sense of service, and the sense of intimacy without awe or veneration. Thus sakhya-rasa adds one transcendental quality to the qualities of ''śānta-'' and ''dāsya-rasa''.

Similarly, on the platform of parental affection (''vātsalya-rasa'') there are four qualities. In addition to the three qualities already mentioned, there is the sense that the Supreme Lord is dependent on the mercy of the devotee. As a parent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the devotee sometimes chastises the Lord and considers himself the Lord’s maintainer. This transcendental sense of being the maintainer of the supreme maintainer is very pleasing to both the devotee and the Supreme Lord.

The Lord instructed Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī to write the transcendental literature named ''Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu'', the science of devotional service, and indicate therein the substance of the five transcendental relationships with the Lord—''śānta-, dāsya''-, ''sakhya''-, ''vātsalya''- and ''madhura-rasa''. It is explained in that great literature how the transcendental relationship of ''śānta-rasa'', taking the shape of unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa, is further developed into ''dāsya-rasa'' with the spirit of service, and then to ''sakhya-rasa'', or undeterred fraternity, and further to the transcendental platform of parental love, wherein one feels himself to be maintaining the Lord. All these transcendental relationships culminate on the highest platform, conjugal love (''madhura-rasa''), wherein they all exist simultaneously.

<div style="float:right">[[File:Go-previous.png|link=TLC Introduction|Introduction]] '''[[TLC Introduction|Introduction]] - [[TLC 2]]''' [[File:Go-next.png|link=TLC 2]]</div>
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