“Teachings of Lord Kapila” -6

Posted in Labels: “Teachings of Lord Kapila” -6

“Teachings of Lord Kapila”

by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Prabhupada.

TEXT 24

ta ete sadhavah sadhvi

sarva-sanga-vivarjtah

sangas tesv atha te prarthyah

sanga-dosa-hara hi te

TRANSLATION

O My mother, O virtuous lady, these are the qualities of great

devotees who are free from all attachment. You must seek attachment to

such holy men, for this counteracts the pernicious effects of material

attachment.

PURPORT

Kapila Muni herein advises His mother, Devahuti, that if she wants

to be free from material attachment, she should increase her attachment

for the sadhus, or devotees who are completely freed from all material

attachment. In Bhagavad-gita (15.5) it is stated, nirmana-moha jitasanga-

dosah. This refers to one who is completely freed from the puffed

up condition of material possessiveness. A person may be materially very

rich or respectable, but if he at all wants to transfer himself to the

spiritual kingdom, back home, back to Godhead, he has to be freed from

material possessiveness because that is a false position.

The word moha used here means the false understanding that one is

rich or poor. In this material world, the conception that one is very

rich or very poor--or any such consciousness in connection with material

existence--is false, because this body itself is temporary. A pure soul

who is prepared to be freed from this material entanglement must first

be free from the association of the three modes of nature. Our

consciousness at the present moment is polluted because of association

with the three modes of nature; therefore in Bhagavad-gita the same

principle is stated. It is advised, jita-sanga-dosah: one should be

freed from the contaminated association of the three modes. Here also,

in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, this is confirmed: a pure devotee, who is

preparing to transfer himself to the spiritual kingdom, is also freed

from the association of the three modes. We have to seek the association

of such devotees. For this reason we have begun the International

Society for Krishna Consciousness. There are many mercantile and

scientific associations in human society established to develop a

particular type of education or consciousness, but there is no

association which helps one to get free from all material association.

If anyone wishes to become free from this material contamination, he has

to seek the association of devotees, wherein Krsna consciousness is

exclusively cultured.

Because a devotee is freed from all contaminated material

association, he is not affected by the miseries of material existence,

even though he appears to be in the material world. How is it possible?

A cat carries her kittens in her mouth, and when she kills a rat, she

also carries the booty in her mouth. Thus both are carried in the mouth

of the cat, but they are in different conditions. The kitten feels

comfort in the mouth of the mother, whereas when the rat is carried in

the mouth of the cat, the rat feels the blows of death. Similarly, those

who are sadhus, or devotees engaged in the transcendental service of the

Lord, do not feel the contamination of material miseries, whereas those

who are not devotees in Krsna consciousness actually feel the miseries

of material existence. One should therefore give up the association of

materialistic persons and seek the association of those engaged in Krsna

consciousness. By such association one will be benefited by spiritual

advancement. By their words and instructions, one will be able to cut

off his attachment to material existence.

In this Kali-yuga, the present age, the dangerous modes of rajoguna

and tamo-guna, passion and ignorance, are especially prominent.

Practically everyone in this age is contaminated by lusty desire, greed

and ignorance. It is said in the sastras that in this age of Kali,

sattva-guna, the mode of goodness, is practically nonexistent.

The Fourteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita nicely explains how one can

free oneself of contamination by the material modes. Now Kapiladeva

advises, "Mother, if you want to get rid of the contamination of

material nature, you should associate with a sadhu." Attachment to the

material modes brings about our bondage. If we want to be free from this

bondage, we have to transfer our attachment to a sadhu.

Actually everyone is attached to something. No one can say that he

is free from attachment. The Mayavada and Buddhist philosophies tell us

to become detached, but this in itself is not possible. A child is

attached to playing in so many ways, but gradually his attachments

should be transferred to reading and going to school to acquire an

education. It is a question not of stopping attachment but of

transferring it. If one simply tries to put an end to attachment, he

will become mad. Something must be given in the place of attachment. For

instance, we tell our disciples to stop eating meat, but how is this

meat-eating stopped? In the place of meat, we are supplying kacauris,

rasagulla and many other palatable things. In this way, detachment is

possible. First of all, nullify the inferior attachment, and then supply

a better attachment. There is no question of forcing a living entity.

This must be done gradually. A child may have some attachment, but by

the system of replacing attachment, his attachment is overturned.

Similarly, our consciousness has somehow or other become contaminated.

Now it has to be purified. Then Krsna consciousness will automatically

arise and awaken.

Krsna consciousness is our original consciousness, but somehow or

other it has become covered by material attachment. The question is how

to give up material attachment and become attached to Krsna. The process

is sadhu-sanga, association with a sadhu. We have many attachments in

this material world, but we cannot make these attachments void. We

simply have to purify them. Some say that if the eye is diseased, it

should be plucked out, but that is not treatment. Treatment is removing

the disease. Somehow or other there is a cataract, and if the cataract

is removed, one's eyesight will be revived. We have many desires, but we

have to divert these desires to Krsna's service. For instance, we may be

very attached to making money; therefore Krsna says, "Yes, go ahead and

conduct your business. There is no harm. Simply give Me the results." As

stated in Bhagavad-gita (9.27):

yat karosi yad asnasi

yaj juhosi dadasi yat

yat tapasyasi kaunteya

tat kurusva mad-arpanam

"O son of Kunti, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you

offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform,

should be done as an offering unto Me."

This is the beginning of bhakti-yoga. If we conduct business and

earn money, we should spend it for Krsna. This is a form of bhakti.

Another vivid example is Arjuna, who was a fighter. By fighting, he

became a devotee. He did not become a devotee by chanting Hare Krsna but

by fighting in the Battle of Kuruksetra. Krsna advised him to fight, but

because Arjuna was a Vaisnava, in the beginning he was unwilling. A

Vaisnava does not like to kill anything, but if Krsna orders him, he

must fight. He does not fight out of his own will, because a Vaisnava's

natural instinct is not to do harm to anyone. However, when a Vaisnava

knows that Krsna wants a particular thing done, he does not care for his

own considerations. In any case, everyone has some particular type of

duty, an occupation. If we perform our occupation in the worship of

Krsna, our life will be perfect. This is also the instruction given in

Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.13):

atah pumbhir dvija-srestha

varnasrama-vibhagasah

svanusthitasya dharmasya

samsiddhir hari-tosanam

"O best of the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the

highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed

for one's own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life

is to please the Personality of Godhead."

Formerly, the varnasrama-dharma was prominent, and everyone had a

particular duty according to his position in society. Now the

occupational duties have expanded, but it doesn't matter whether one is

an engineer, a doctor or whatever. Simply try to serve Krsna by the

results of work. That is bhakti. It is not the philosophy of this Krsna

consciousness movement to disengage people from their activities. One

should engage in his occupation, but one should never forget Krsna.

Krsna advises us to always become Krsna conscious, and we should always

think that we are acting for Krsna. Of course, we should work by the

order of Krsna or His representative, not whimsically. If we perform

some nonsensical action and think, "I am doing this for Krsna," that

will not be accepted. The work must be verified by Krsna's acceptance or

by the acceptance of Krsna's representative. Arjuna did not fight

without Krsna's order; therefore we must receive our orders also. We may

say, "I cannot find Krsna. How can I follow His order?" It is the role

of the sadhu to impart Krsna's orders. Since Krsna's representative is

the sadhu, Kapiladeva advises His mother to associate with sadhus.

We have described the symptoms of a sadhu, and we have stated that

a sadhu should be accepted by his characteristics. It is not that we

accept anyone who comes along and says, "I am a sadhu." The

characteristics of a sadhu have to be present. Similarly, it is not that

anyone is accepted who comes along and says, "I am an incarnation of

God." There are characteristics of God given in the sastras. Sadhusanga,

association with a sadhu, is very essential in Krsna

consciousness. People are suffering due to contamination by tamo-guna

and rajo-guna. The sadhu teaches one how to remain purely in sattva-guna

by truthfulness, cleanliness, mind control, sense control, simplicity,

tolerance, and full faith and knowledge. These are some of the

characteristics of sattva-guna.

Instead of thinking, "Unless I have a drink, I will go mad," one

should think, "Unless I associate with a sadhu, I will go mad." When we

can think in this way, we will become liberated. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has

stated that He wants every village in the entire world to be a center

for Krsna consciousness so that people can take advantage of sadhus and

in turn become sadhus. This is the mission of this Krsna consciousness

movement. We simply have to voluntarily undergo some penance in the

beginning. It may be a little painful in the beginning to refrain from

illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling, but one has to be

tolerant. To be cured of a disease, we may have to agree to undergo some

surgical operation. Although the operation may be very painful, we have

to tolerate it. This is called titiksavah. At the same time, we have to

be karunikah--that is, we have to take compassion upon fallen souls by

going from town to town to enlighten others in Krsna consciousness. This

is a sadhu's duty. Those who are preachers are superior to those who go

to the Himalayas to meditate. It is good to go to the Himalayas to

meditate for one's personal benefit, but those who undergo many

difficulties in order to preach are superior. They are actually fighting

for Krsna's sake, and they are certainly more compassionate. Those

sadhus who leave Vrndavana to go fight in the world, to spread Krsna

consciousness, are superior sadhus. This is the opinion of Krsna in

Bhagavad-gita (18.68-69):

ya idam paramam guhyam

mad-bhaktesv abhidhasyati

bhaktim mayi param krtva

mam evaisyaty asamsayah

kascin me priya-krttamah

bhavita na ca me tasmad

anyah priyataro bhuvi

"For one who explains the supreme secret to the devotees,

devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to

Me. There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will

there ever be one more dear."

If we want to be quickly recognized by Krsna, we should become

preachers. This is also the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. It is

not that one should remain in lndia; rather, one should travel all over

the world to preach Krsna consciousness. The sadhu is suhrt; he is the

wellwisher of everyone. This does not mean that he is a well-wisher for

an Indian nationalist or whatever. No, he is a well-wisher even of cats

and dogs. A devotee even wishes to benefit cats and dogs by giving them

prasada. Once, when devotees from Bengal were going to see Caitanya

Mahaprabhu, a dog began to follow them, and the leader of the party,

Sivananda Sena, was giving prasada to the dog. When they had to cross a

river, the boatman would not take the dog, but Sivananda Sena paid him

more money and said, "Please take this dog. He is a Vaisnava, for he has

joined our company. How can we leave him behind?" Caitanya Mahaprabhu

Himself actually threw some of His food to the dog, and in this way the

dog attained Vaikuntha.

Not only is a sadhu everyone's well-wisher, but he is not an enemy

of anyone. He is also santa, peaceful. These are the preliminary

characteristics of a sadhu. He is also attached to no one but Krsna.

Mayy ananyena bhavena. These are the external and internal symptoms of a

devotee. A devotee also respects the demigods because he knows their

position in relation to Krsna. In Brahma-samhita (5.44), the goddess

Durga is worshiped as the external energy, or potency, of Krsna.

srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka

chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga

icchanurupam api yasya ca cestate sa

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

"The external potency, maya, who is of the nature of the shadow of

the cit, spiritual, potency, is worshiped by all people as Durga, the

creating, preserving and destroying agency of this mundane world. I

adore the primeval Lord Govinda, in accordance with whose will Durga

conducts herself."

The goddess Durga is so powerful that she can create, maintain and

annihilate. However, she cannot act independent of Krsna. She is like a

shadow of Krsna. A sadhu knows that prakrti, nature, is working under

Krsna's direction. Similarly, a policeman knows that he is not working

independently but under government orders. This knowledge is required in

order that the policeman, who has some power, will not think that he has

become God. No, God is not so cheap. God has multienergies, and one of

these energies is Durga. It is not that she is all and all, for there

are many millions of Durgas, just as there are many millions of Sivas

and millions of universes. Although there are millions of demigods, God

is one. It is not that there are a million Gods. Of course, God can

expand in millions of forms, but that is different. A devotee offers

respects to the demigods as the assistants of the Supreme Personality of

Godhead, not as the supreme power. One who does not know God as He is

considers the demigods to be supreme. Such people are less intelligent.

A devotee offers respects to the demigods, but he knows that the Supreme

Lord is Krsna. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. Actually a sadhu, a Vaisnava,

offers respects to everyone, and he is ready to give up relatives and

everything else for Krsna's sake. A sadhu simply takes pleasure in

hearing about Krsna and talking about Him.

There are many pastimes enacted by Krsna. He fights and kills

demons, and He performs His pastimes with the gopis. He plays as a

cowherd boy in Vrndavana and as King of Dvaraka. There are many books

about Krsna, krsna-katha, and this Krsna consciousness movement has

already published many of them. Apart from Bhagavad-gita, which is

spoken by Krsna, we can read these other books. In this way, one can

learn the art of becoming a sadhu. Simply by hearing about Krsna and

speaking about Him, we will be immediately relieved from the suffering

of this material condition.

As stated in this verse:

ta ete sadhavah sadhvi

sarva-sanga-vivarjtah

These symptoms are visible when one no longer has material

attachment. A sadhu does not think himself Hindu, Muslim, Christian,

American, Indian or whatever. A sadhu simply thinks, "I am the servant

of Krsna." Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said, "I am not a brahmana,

ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, brahmacari or whatever. I am simply the servant

of the servant of the servant of Krsna." One need only learn this

process in order to render the best service to humanity.

Chapter Twelve

Association with the Supreme Lord Through Hearing

TEXT 25-26

satam prasangan mama virya-samvido

bhavanti hrt-karna-rasayanah kathah

taj josanad asv apavarga-vartmani

sraddha ratir bhaktir anukramisyati

bhaktya puman jata-viraga aindriyad

drsta-srutan mad-racananucintaya

cittasya yatto grahane yoga-yukto

yatisyate rjubhir yoga-margaih

TRANSLATION

In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and

activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and

satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one

gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he

is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and

devotional service begin.

Thus consciously engaged in devotional service in the association

of devotees, a person gains distaste for sense gratification, both in

this world and in the next, by constantly thinking about the activities

of the Lord. This process of Krsna consciousness is the easiest process

of mystic power; when one is actually situated on that path of

devotional service, he is able to control the mind.

PURPORT

The process of advancing in Krsna consciousness and devotional

service is described here. The first point is that one must seek the

association of persons who are Krsna conscious and who engage in

devotional service. Without such association one cannot advance. Simply

by theoretical knowledge or study one cannot make any appreciable

advancement. One must give up the association of materialistic persons

and seek the association of devotees because without such association

one cannot understand the activities of the Lord. Generally, people are

convinced of the impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth. Because they

do not associate with devotees, they cannot understand that the Absolute

Truth can be a person and have personal activities. This is a very

difficult subject matter, and unless one has personal understanding of

the Absolute Truth, there is no meaning to devotion. Service or devotion

cannot be offered to anything impersonal. Service must be offered to a

person. Nondevotees cannot appreciate Krsna consciousness by reading the

Srimad-Bhagavatam or any other Vedic literature wherein the activities

of the Lord are described; they think that these activities are

fictional, because spiritual life is not explained to them in the proper

mood. To understand the personal activities of the Lord, one has to seek

the association of devotees, and by such association, when one

contemplates and tries to understand the transcendental activities of

the Lord, the path to liberation is open, and he is freed. One who has

firm faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes fixed, and his

attraction for association with the Lord and the devotees increases.

Association with devotees means association with the Lord. The devotee

who makes this association develops the consciousness for rendering

service to the Lord, and then, being situated in the transcendental

position of devotional service, he gradually becomes perfect.

In all scriptures people are encouraged to act in a pious way so

that they can enjoy sense gratification not only in this life but also

in the next. For example, one is promised promotion to the heavenly

kingdom of higher planets by pious fruitive activities. But a devotee in

the association of devotees prefers to contemplate the activities of the

Lord--how He has created this universe, how He is maintaining it, how

the creation dissolves, and how in the spiritual kingdom the Lord's

pastimes are enacted. There are full literatures describing these

activities, especially Bhagavad-gita, Brahma-samhita and Srimad-

Bhagavatam. The sincere devotee who associates with devotees gets the

opportunity to hear and contemplate these subjects, and the result is

that he feels distaste for so-called happiness in this or that world, in

heaven or on other planets. The devotees are simply interested in being

transferred to the personal association of the Lord; they are no longer

attracted to temporary socalled happiness. That is the position of one

who is yoga-yukta. One who is fixed in mystic power is not disturbed by

the allurement of this world or that world; he is interested in

spiritual understanding. This is very easily attained by the easiest

process, bhakti-yoga. Rjubhir yoga-margaih. A very suitable word used

here is rjubhih, or "very easy." There are different processes of yogamarga,

attaining yoga perfection, but this process, devotional service

to the Lord, is the easiest. Not only is it the easiest process, but the

result is sublime. Everyone, therefore, should try this process of Krsna

consciousness and reach the highest perfection.

Sat means "existence," and asat means "that which does not exist,"

that which is temporary. The material world is asat; therefore the Vedas

enjoin: asato ma sad gama: "Do not remain within this material world."

Those who are interested in materialistic life are also called asat.

When asked how a Vaisnava behaves, Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, asatsanga-

tyaga--ei vaisnava-acara: "A devotee first of all avoids the

company of asat, those who are materially interested." (Cc. Madhya

22.87) We have established this Krsna consciousness movement in order to

avoid asat-sanga, association with those who are interested in material

things. Because we are associating with Krsna, we do not wish to talk

about anything but Krsna. Everyone is interested in this business or

that, and we are exclusively interested in our Krsna consciousness

business. Those who are asat are very much attached to sense

gratification, and the culmination of sense gratification is sex.

In addition, Sri Sanatana Gosvami in his Hari-bhakti-vilasa

recommends that one should not hear Bhagavad-gita, the puranas, the

Srimad-Bhagavatam or any hari-katha from anyone who is not a Vaisnava in

his actions. That means that we should not hear these Vedic literatures

from the Mayavadis, who actually do not accept Krsna as the Supreme

Personality of Godhead. How can one not accept Krsna as the Supreme Lord

and yet dare to speak on Bhagavad-gita? We will never derive any benefit

from listening to the commentaries of such people. Bhagavad-gita and

Srimad-Bhagavatam should be heard from the devotees. We can hear

Bhagavad-gita from Mayavadis for hundreds of years and yet never

understand Krsna. It is therefore forbidden for Vaisnavas to hear talks

given by Mayavadis.

Hari-katha, talks about Sri Hari, or Krsna, are amrta, nectar. If

one hears them from the right source, he attains amrta (so 'mrtatvaya

kalpate). Mrta means "birth and death," and amrta means "the cessation

of birth and death." Spiritual life means putting an end to birth, old

age, disease and death. Getting amrta, nectar, means getting relief from

birth and death, and that is the real aim of spiritual life. Lord Krsna

says in Bhagavad-gita (7.16) that spiritual life begins when one is

pious:

catur-vidha bhajante mam

janah sukrtino 'rjuna

arto jijnasur artharthi

jnani ca bharatarsabha

"O best among the Bharatas [Arjuna], four kinds of pious men render

devotional service unto Me--the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the

inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute."

If we actually want to become pious and develop our devotional

life, we have to associate unflinchingly with a sadhu. Then we can

acquire some taste for Krsna. When we discuss Krsna with a sadhu, the

discussion becomes very pleasing, and we develop some taste, which is

called rasa, or mellow. Rasa is the enjoyment we derive from drinking

something very nice when we are thirsty. Krsna has instructed us to

think of Him when drinking water. This is not very difficult. Krsna also

tells us to think of Him when we see sunlight in the morning. Why do we

say, "Can you show me God?" God is showing us Himself. Why do we close

our eyes to try to see Him? He says, "I am this, and I am that." It is

not that suddenly we can expect to see God, but we can become qualified

to see God through the association of a sadhu. Presently many people are

interested in receiving degrees from big universities, but education

without God consciousness is simply an expansion of maya's influence.

Because knowledge is taken away by illusion, the universities are simply

presenting impediments on the path of God consciousness. The living

entity is already illusioned when he comes into the material world, and

so-called advanced education simply increases his illusion. Trying to

become happy in this temporary, material life, the living entity has

forgotten that he is the eternal servant of Krsna. Even if one becomes

happy in this temporary life, his happiness is an illusion because no

one is allowed to stay and enjoy his happiness. These points have to be

understood in the association of devotees. A devotee knows everything

because he has seen the Supreme Absolute Truth, Krsna.

What is the goal of vedanta-darsana? Veda means "knowledge," and

anta means "ultimate." What is that ultimate knowledge? In Bhagavad-gita

(15.15) Sri Krsna says:

vedais ca samair aham eva vedyo

vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham

"By all the Vedas, I am to be known; indeed, I am the compiler of

Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas."

If we listen to Krsna and understand what and who He is, we can

actually understand Vedanta. If we do not understand Krsna but advertise

ourselves as Vedantists, we are just being illusioned. Without

understanding Krsna, one is actually a mudha, a fool. People do not know

it, but actually anyone in the material world is more or less a mudha.

We are all mudhas, for unless we are mudhas, we do not come into the

material world. From Brahma down to the smallest ant, we are all mudhas

of different degrees. In order to become really learned, we have to

associate with devotees. Then we can actually relish krsna-katha. When

discussed among devotees, krsna-katha is pleasing to the heart and ear.

This requires a little training, and this training is given by the

devotees. We should follow the devotees in their practical daily life,

in their routine work and behavior. Cultivation means practice, and the

great acaryas have given a routine we can cultivate. For instance, The

Nectar of Devotion by Srila Rupa Gosvami deals with the cultivation of

devotional service, and this book, which we have translated, has been

very well received in European and American universities. Bhaktirasamrta-

sindhu, The Nectar of Devotion, is the actual science of

bhakti. Bhakti is not sentiment; it is a great science, and we have to

learn it scientifically. lt is not that we have to wait for another life

to cultivate devotional service. We can read The Nectar of Devotion,

live with devotees, rise early in the morning to attend mangala-arati,

study Vedic literature, take prasada and preach Krsna consciousness.

Maya is very strong, and to begin devotional service is to declare

war against maya. Some of the devotees in this Krsna consciousness

movement may fall down, but whatever is done sincerely is to their

permanent credit. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita. If one renders a

little devotional service, he does not fall down into the lower species

but again attains a human form. There are 8,400,000 species, but the

fallen devotee is guaranteed a human life. If one becomes Krsna

conscious, he is assured of a good birth in the next life. However, if

one completes his Krsna consciousness in this life, he will not take

birth again but will go to Krsna. This is what is actually wanted. Why

take the chance of being born into a rich family or a brahmana family?

Actually, such a birth is quite risky because there is really no

guarantee. Generally, those who are rich don't care at all for Krsna

consciousness, and those who are born in brahmana families generally

become puffed-up, thinking, "I am a brahmana. I am born in a very high

family." Thinking this brings about their falldown. It is said that

pride precedes a fall. A Vaisnava is by nature very humble.

These are the chances one takes when one becomes a human being.

Krsna is personally advising us to take up the opportunities offered by

the Krsna consciousness movement. We should take them and not run the

risk of committing spiritual suicide.

This is the process for understanding the Absolute Truth, the

Supreme Person, the Supreme Being. In the Absolute, there are no

contradictions. Krsna's name, form, activities, paraphernalia and

attributes are identical with Krsna. This is the meaning of absolute.

There is no difference between Krsna's form and Krsna. Krsna's hands and

Krsna's legs are nondifferent. In the material world, there is a

difference between our left hand and our right hand, between the nose

and the ear, but these dualities do not exist in Krsna. This is the

meaning of absolute. As stated in Brahma-samhita (5.32):

angani yasya sakalendriya-vrttimanti

pasyanti panti kalayanti ciram jaganti

ananda-cinmaya-sad- ujjvala-vigrahasya

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose transcendental form is

full of bliss, truth and substantiality, and is thus full of the most

dazzling splendor. Each of the limbs of that transcendental figure

possesses, in Himself, the full-fledged functions of all the organs, and

eternally sees, maintains and manifests the infinite universes, both

spiritual and mundane." The different parts of our bodies serve

different purposes, but any limb of Krsna's body can serve any purpose.

Krsna can eat through His eyes, or Krsna can go somewhere simply by

thinking. The Absolute is advaita. There is no duality in the Absolute.

Everything is one.

Our material disease lies in wanting to satisfy our senses. We have

stated before that advancement of civilization means advancement of

sense gratification, but bhakti means just the opposite. As long as we

are interested in sense gratification, there is no question of bhakti.

We have to reduce our tendency for sense gratification and increase our

devotional activities. We have also stated that material bondage means

accepting one body and creating another. Krsna, through nature, will

give us full facility to enjoy our senses. Presently in the Western

countries it has become fashionable to run around naked. Therefore

nature will give these people an opportunity to stand naked like trees

for many years. Why are we receiving different bodies? Because we have

different tendencies for sense gratification. We actually have to come

to detest sense gratification before our spiritual life begins. This is

made possible through bhakti. Although Krsna is beyond our vision, He

has agreed to be seen by us through the arca-vigraha, the Deity. We

should not think that the Deity is made of stone. Even if it is stone,

we should think that Krsna has made Himself visible before us like a

stone because we cannot see beyond stone. That is Krsna's mercy. Because

our eyes and other senses are imperfect, we cannot see Krsna present

everywhere in His original spiritual form. Because we are imperfect, we

see the difference between things spiritual and material, but Krsna,

being absolute, knows no such distinctions. He can become spiritual or

material, however He likes, and it does not make any difference to Him.

Being almighty and omnipotent, Krsna can change matter into spirit and

spirit into matter. Therefore we should not think, as the atheists do,

that we are worshiping idols. Even if it is an idol, it is still Krsna.

That is the absolute nature of Krsna. Even if we think that the Deity is

a stone, or a piece of metal or some wood, He is still Krsna. The

understanding of this requires bhakti on our part. If we are a little

thoughtful and philosophical, and if we are at all inclined toward

bhakti, we can understand that Krsna is present in stone.

Actually, nothing is different from Krsna because everything is

Krsna's energy. The Mayavadi philosophers say that since everything is

God, the personality of Krsna is finished. But actually Krsna is Krsna,

and at the same time He is everything. We can understand this by bhakti,

but not by any other process. When a bhakta sees a tree, he sees Krsna.

As explained in Caitanya-caritamra (Madhya 8.274):

sthavara jangama dekhe, na dekhe tara murti

sarvatra haya nija ista-deva-sphurti

The advanced devotee does not see living entities as moving and not

moving. He sees Krsna. This is also stated in the Brahma-samhita (5.38):

premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena

santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti

Because his eyes are always smeared with the ointment of devotion,

the devotee always sees Krsna and nothing else. He sees Krsna and

Krsna's energy everywhere. For instance, if you love your child, when

you see your child's shoe, you immediately see your child. Or if you see

your child's toy, you immediately see your child and hear his voice.

Similarly, if we have actually developed love of Krsna, nothing exists

but Krsna. When our love for Krsna is actually developed, whatever we

see, we will see Krsna.

Unless one is advanced in krsna-prema, love of Krsna, he cannot see

or understand. By the blunt material senses, we cannot even understand

the name of Krsna. People are always asking, "Why are these people

chanting Hare Krsna?" They cannot understand, although Krsna realization

begins with the name. The name of Krsna and Krsna are nondifferent, but

we cannot realize this intellectually. We have to practice chanting Hare

Krsna to realize it. When we actually advance in devotional service and

chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra offenselessly, we will realize that

Krsna and His name are nondifferent. Thus krsna-bhakti begins with the

tongue, for we can utilize the tongue to chant, and to taste krsnaprasada.

In this way we can become a Krsna bhakta.

When we see the Deity of Krsna in the temple, we should think that

the Deity is Krsna. In this way Krsna has agreed to be seen by us and

even dressed by us. However, if we think of Krsna's virat-rupa, His

universal form, what can we do? How can we dress the virat-rupa? His

many heads cover the sky, and we cannot even conceive of Him. Krsna can

become bigger than the biggest and smaller than the smallest. Therefore

this verse states: bhaktya puman jata-viraga aindriyat. The more we

serve Krsna, give Him things to eat and dress Him nicely, the less we

become interested in our own bodies. In the material world everyone is

very busy dressing himself very nicely in order to be sexually

attractive, but if we try to dress Krsna nicely, we will forget our own

material dress. If we feed Krsna nice food, we will forget to satisfy

our own tongue by going to this or that restaurant.

Krsna was teaching Bhagavad-gita, and Arjuna was seeing Him face to

face, but seeing Krsna and reading Bhagavad-gita are the same. Some

people say that Arjuna was fortunate to have seen Krsna face to face and

take instructions from Him, but Krsna can be seen immediately, provided

one has the eyes to see. There is the example in Caitanya-caritamrta of

a brahmana in South lndia who was reading Bhagavad-gita, although he was

illiterate. The people in the neighborhood knew that he was illiterate,

and they made jokes, asking him, "Well, how is it you are reading

Bhagavad-gita?" One day Caitanya Mahaprabhu happened to be in a temple

nearby, and He could understand that this man was a devotee. He

therefore approached him and asked, "My dear brahmana, what are you

reading?" The brahmana replied, "I am reading Bhagavad-gita, or, rather,

I am trying to read Bhagavad-gita. I happen to be illiterate, but my

guru-maharaja has said that I must read the eighteen chapters of

Bhagavad-gita daily. I am simply trying to carry out his order, and

therefore I am opening and closing the pages." Caitanya Mahaprabhu then

said, "I see that you are crying sometimes. Why is this?" The brahmana

replied, "Yes, I am crying because when I take up this book, I see a

picture of Krsna driving Arjuna's chariot. Sri Krsna is so kind that He

has accepted the position of a servant to His devotee. Therefore when I

see this picture, I weep." Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu then immediately

embraced the brahmana and said, "You have actually read Bhagavad-gita."

It is not that a wealth of education is required. One does not even

have to understand the language. The only ingredient needed is bhakti,

love. If one becomes a pure bhakta, he will forget all material sense

enjoyment. Being a bhakta doesn't simply mean wearing tilaka and robes.

One is not a bhakta if he has a taste for material sense enjoyment. A

true bhakta wants to satisfy not his senses but the senses of Krsna.

That is the spiritual world. In the spiritual world, Vrndavana,

everyone--mother Yasoda, Nanda Maharaja, Srimati Radharani, the gopis,

the cowherd boys, Sridama, Sudama, the land, the water, the trees, the

birds--all are trying to satisfy Krsna. That is the real meaning of

Vrndavana. When Krsna left Vrndavana for Mathura, everyone in Vrndavana

fell dead out of separation from Him. Similarly, we can always live in

Vrndavana, in Vaikuntha, if we are mad after Krsna. This is the teaching

of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and He illustrated this by His very life. When

He was in Jagannatha Puri, He was always mad after Krsna day and night.

The last twelve years of His life were passed in madness. Sometimes He

threw Himself into the ocean, and He wandered about like a madman. Of

course, this is not possible for ordinary living entities. However, if

we become bhaktas, we will find intelligence behind everything in the

creation. If we take a flower and see its constitution, how it is made

and how its colors are displayed and how it comes into existence, we can

see Krsna. We can see how Krsna has created such a beautiful thing so

intelligently. We should not consider like rascals that such a thing has

come into being automatically. Fools cannot see, but those who are

intelligent can see that the hand of the Supreme Lord is in everything

within the creation. Isavasyam idam sarvam.

Actually, nothing comes about automatically. Everything comes about

through the intelligence of Krsna, through His fine and accurate powers.

If we paint a picture of a flower, we have to arrange many facets, and

still the picture will not be absolutely perfect. Yet the flower created

by Krsna has come out perfectly. What rascal can say that there is no

brain behind it? Krsna specifically says that we should not think that

prakrti, nature, is working automatically. He says, "Nature is working

under My direction." One simply has to develop the eyes to see how these

things are going on. This is possible if we engage the senses in the

service of Krsa. We first of all must engage the tongue in chanting Hare

Krsna and in eating bhagavat-prasada. Nothing else is required.

Therefore the Krsna consciousness movement is distributing prasada and

engaging people in chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.

TEXT 27

asevayayam prakrter gunanam

jnanena vairagya-vijrmbhitena

yogena mayy arpitaya ca bhaktya

mam pratyag-atmanam ihavarundhe

TRANSLATION

Thus by not engaging in the service of the modes of material nature

but by developing Krsna consciousness, knowledge in renunciation, and by

practicing yoga, in which the mind is always fixed in devotional service

unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one achieves My association in

this very life, for I am the Supreme Personality, the Absolute Truth.

PURPORT

When one engages in the nine different processes of bhakti-yoga

enunciated in authoritative scriptures, such as hearing (sravanam),

chanting (kirtanam), remembering, worshiping, praying and offering

personal service--either in one of them or two or three or all of them--

he naturally has no opportunity to engage in the service of the three

modes of material nature. Unless one has good engagements in spiritual

service, it is not possible to become detached from material service.

Those who are not devotees, therefore, are interested in so-called

humanitarian or philanthropic work, such as opening a hospital or

charitable institution. These are undoubtedly good works in the sense

that they are pious activities, and the performer may get some

opportunities for sense gratification, either in this life or in the

next. Devotional service, however, is beyond the boundary of sense

gratification. It is a completely spiritual activity. When one engages

in the spiritual activities of devotional service, he does not engage in

sense gratificatory activities. Krsna conscious activities are performed

not blindly but with the perfect understanding of knowledge and

renunciation. This kind of yoga practice, in which the mind is always

fixed upon the Supreme personality of Godhead in devotion, results in

liberation in this very life. The person who performs such acts gets in

touch with the Supreme personality of Godhead. Lord Caitanya, therefore,

approved the process of hearing from realized devotees about the

pastimes of the Lord. It does not matter to what mundane category the

audience belongs. If one meekly and submissively hears about the

activities of the Lord from a realized soul, he will be able to conquer

the Supreme personality of Godhead, who is unconquerable by any other

process. Hearing and associating with devotees are the most important

functions for self-realization.

In Goloka Vrndavana, the living entities are serving Krsna as

friends, cowherd boys, gopis, lovers, fathers, mothers and so on. Even

the trees, water, flowers, land, calves and cows serve Krsna in Goloka

Vrndavana. This is also our business, but somehow or other we do not

like to serve Krsna; therefore we have been put into the service of

maya, in the three modes of material nature. When a criminal does not

like to obey the laws of the state, he is placed into prison and forced

to abide by the laws. Our constitutional position is to render service

to Krsna as His part and parcel, and as soon as we refuse to render Him

service, maya is immediately there to capture us and say, "Serve me." It

is not our nature to become master. Even if we become master, we will

not be happy, because that is artificial. For instance, if the hand

thinks, "Oh, now I have some nice sweets. Now I can eat," the hand will

ultimately be frustrated. It is the duty and nature of the hand to place

the food in the mouth. In this way the hand is nourished; otherwise

everything is spoiled. Similarly, we are part and parcel of Krsna, and

our business is to satisfy Krsna. From the Vedas we understand that Cod,

who is one, has become many. We are the many parts and parcels of Krsna.

Svamsas are His personal expansions, and we are His differential

expansions, vibhinnamsas. In any case, all expansions are meant to serve

Krsna. This is explained in the Caitanya-caritamrta (Adi5.142): ekale

isvara krsna, ara saba bhrtya. "Lord Krsna alone is the supreme

controller, and all others are His servants."

It is our natural propensity to enjoy ourselves with Krsna. As

stated before, Krsna is ananda-maya, and, being part and parcel of

Krsna, we are also ananda-maya. Now we are seeking ananda (bliss) in

different atmospheres. Because we have a little independence, we have

decided to go to the prison house of material nature and try to serve

our senses instead of Krsna. Now we have to learn how to forget to serve

this material nature, and that process is bhakti-marga, the path of

devotional service. When we come to the understanding that we are

actually no one's servant but Krsna's, we attain self-realization. We

must come to this understanding not by sentiment but by real knowledge.

After many births and deaths, when one realizes that vasudevah sarvam

iti--Vasudeva is all--he surrenders unto Krsna. This is real knowledge--

jnana and vairagya, knowledge and detachment from material things.

Once one engages fully in Krsna's service, he comes to the brahmabhuta

platform. Presently we are on the maya-bhuta platform, identifying

ourselves with maya and working according to the modes of material

nature. However, when one comes to the realization that he is spirit

(aham brahmasmi), he will immediately become happy.

Under the modes of material nature, we are being carried away by

the waves of material nature, and we have no control over where we are

going. Bhaktivinoda Thakura has stated: mayara vase, yaccha bhese"

khaccha habudubu, bhai. We are like straws on the waves of the ocean,

and we are fully under the control of the waves. Atheists shudder when

they think that there is a next life, because their lives are sinful and

they fear punishment in the next. There is a Bengali proverb about a

person who thought, "I have committed so many sinful acts that Yamaraja

will come and punish me. How can I avoid him?" Thinking about this some

time, he decided, "Let me smear my body with stool. Then Yamaraja will

not touch me." However, this is simply foolishness. We are under the

control of maya, material nature, and it is not possible to avoid it. We

have become infected by the disease of material nature, and no

artificial means will save us. There is no way out other than surrender

to Krsna. Krsna says that He will save us, even though we are very

sinful.

If we turn our attention to Krsna's service, to bhakti-yoga, we can

force ourselves to give up all anarthas, unwanted things. We should get

up early in the morning and engage ourselves in the service of Krsna;

then gradually we will forget the service of maya. Bhakti-yoga is so

strong that if we engage in it, maya's service will automatically be

negated. This is called vairagya.

Krsna is the original purusa, the original spirit, the original

person. Everything has come from Krsna, and therefore He is purana, the

oldest. No one is older than Krsna, but He is always young. That is

Bhagavan. He is adi, the original source, the cause of all causes. Yet

we never see Krsna as an old man. He is always fresh and youthful.

Although Krsna was a great-grandfather at the Battle of Kuruksetra, He

did not appear any older than a young man of twenty. Krsna is always a

young boy, and those living entities in the spiritual universe also have

spiritual bodies the same as Krsna's. In the Sixth Canto of Srimad-

Bhagavatam we read that when the Vaikuntha-dutas came to take Ajamila,

they were fourhanded and very beautiful. In the spiritual world, there

are four-handed living entities, and they are all nitya-mukta, eternally

liberated.

Unfortunately, we are now prisoners in this material world, and we

presently have material bodies. These bodies are changing. Sometimes

they are young and sometimes old. However, if we become Krsna conscious,

we will not get another material body after leaving this body. We will

go home, back to Godhead, and attain our original, spiritual body, which

is the same kind of beautiful body that Krsna, Narayana, has. We should

take this opportunity to become devotees of Krsna by following the

processes of bhakti-yoga--sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam. padasevanam

arcanam. We can take one or all of the nine processes of

devotional service and make our lives successful. Caitanya Mahaprabhu

has prescribed the most important process--sravanam. We need only hear,

and that will make our lives successful.

“Teachings of Lord Kapila” by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Prabhupada.

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Chapter Thirteen

Perfect Knowledge Through Surender

TEXT 28

devahutir uvaca

kacit tvayy ucita bhaktih

kidrsi mama gocara

yaya padam te nirvanam

anjasanvasnava aham

TRANSLATION

On hearing this statement of the Lord, Devahuti inquired: What kind

of devotional service is worth developing and practicing to help me

easily and immediately attain the service of Your lotus feet?

PURPORT

It is stated in Bhagavad-gita that no one is barred from rendering

service to the Lord. Whether one is a woman or a laborer or a merchant,

if he engages himself in the devotional service of the Lord, he is

promoted to the highest perfectional state and goes back home, back to

Godhead. The devotional service most suitable for diffierent types of

devotees is determined and fixed by the mercy of the spiritual master.

Therefore in order to become free from the miseries of material nature,

one should approach a bona fide spiritual master inquisitively and

submissively. When Arjuna submitted to Krsna, he said, "My dear Krsna,

now I no longer care to talk to You as a friend because friendly talks

will not benefit me now." Generally we talk to a friend just to spend

time, but when we approach a spiritual master, we should be submissive.

Friends approach one another on an equal basis, but this is not the way

to approach a spiritual master. Unless one is submissive, one cannot

accept sublime instructions. Arjuna teaches us submission by giving up

his friendly relationship with Krsna, the Supreme Personality of

Godhead. He says, "I have now become Your disciple. Please instruct me."

We can speculate for many births, for many years, and yet not be

able to understand the ultimate goal of life. Therefore the sastras all

advise that we search out a guru. The word guru means "heavy" or

"weighty." One who has much knowledge is heavy with knowledge. One

should consider the bona fide guru in this way, and one should not

think, "I know everything. Who can teach me?" No one can say such a

thing, for everyone needs instruction.

According to the Vedic system, a child is sent to a guru-kula to

learn spiritual knowledge from the very beginning. When a child goes to

a guru-kula, he becomes a brahmacari and works like a menial servant. He

may be the son of a great brahmana or a great king; it doesn't matter.

When one goes to a guru-kula, he immediately becomes the menial servant

of the guru. If the guru orders him to perform some lowly service, he is

prepared to do it. This is the business of a brahmacari. Even Krsna went

to a guru-kula to teach us. There was no need for Krsna, the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, to go to a guru-kula, but He did this simply to

set an example. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also accepted a guru.

Prakasananda Sarasvati was a very learned scholar, and he knew that

Caitanya Mahaprabhu was also a great scholar, yet he criticized Caitanya

Mahaprabhu for chanting and dancing, for Prakasananda Sarasvati felt

that a sannyasi should devote his entire attention to the reading of

Vedanta. He therefore considered Caitanya Mahaprabhu a sentimentalist,

not a bona fide sannyasi. Prakasananda Sarasvati inquired, "Why aren't

you reading Vedanta-sutra? Why are you chanting and dancing?" Caitanya

Mahaprabhu replied:

prabhu kahe--suna, sripada, ihara karana

guru more murkha dekhi 'karila sasana

"Actually, I am not very learned, and my guru has stated that I am

fool number one. He said that because of this I cannot possibly read

Vedanta-sutra, for Vedanta-sutra is not meant for an ordinary person. My

guru therefore advised me to chant this Hare Krsna maha-mantra, and now

I am doing this and getting the results." (Cc. Adi 7.71)

At the present moment in Kali-yuga, people are not well educated.

They are simply engaged in earning money to fill the belly. Vedanta

philosophy is not meant for an ordinary person, nor even for an ordinary

learned person. It requires great knowledge of Sanskrit and philosophy.

Of course Caitanya Mahaprabhu, being the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

knew all things, but at that moment He had assumed the role of an

ordinary person in order to instruct an illiterate, ignorant society. In

this age people are not even interested in reading Vedanta-sutra. People

are so badly infected by the influence of maya that they do not even

care to understand that there is life after death or that there are

8,400,000 life forms. Sometimes if people hear that by acting in such a

way they will become a tree, a dog, a cat, an insect or even a human

being, they say that they do not even care to know this. Sometimes they

say, "Never mind if I become a dog. What's wrong with that? I will

simply forget everything." Many university students in the Western

countries speak this way. They have become so ignorant that they are

described as manda. previously, in lndia, the brahmanas were interested

in understanding Brahman. Athato brahma jijnasa. However, at the present

moment everyone is a sudra, and no one is interested in understanding

Brahman. People are simply interested in getting more money and going to

the cinemas.

Human life is meant for understanding our situation, and we should

take instructions from Bhagavad-gita. Arjuna is personally teaching us

by accepting Krsna as his guru. He asks Krsna to become his spiritual

master and teach him. The lessons given by Sri Krsna are not simply

meant for Arjuna but for everyone. Krsna tells us in Bhagavad-gita that

we should search out a guru. The first guru is Sri Krsna Himself, and

whoever represents Sri Krsna is also a guru. If I am a businessman, and

someone goes to canvass for my business and take orders for me, he is my

representative. If he simply says that he is my representative and yet

takes some orders but uses the money for something else, he is not

really my representative.

Krsna's representative does not say, "I have become Krsna." Such a

person is neither a representative nor a guru. He is simply a cheater.

Krsna's representative is one who canvasses for Krsna. Krsna says, "Give

up everything and surrender unto Me." Krsna's representative says, "Give

up everything and simply surrender unto Krsna." This is certainly not

very difficult to understand. Anyone can become Krsna's representative.

Nonetheless, for the past two hundred years, many yogis and svamis have

gone to foreign countries, but no one has spoken about Krsna. They have

simply presented a hodgepodge of Indian philosophy. No one has actually

presented Vedic culture as it is.

We should read Bhagavad-gita as it is and understand the philosophy

as Arjuna understood it. Arjuna was a friend of Krsna's. He was sitting

with Krsna and speaking to Him as a friend speaks to a friend. In the

Eleventh Chapter, after having seen the universal form, Arjuna tells

Krsna: "I have in the past addressed You as `O Krsna,' `O Yadava,' `O my

friend,' without knowing Your glories. Please forgive whatever I may

have done in madness or in love."

Arjuna understood that although Krsna was his friend, He was the

Supreme Personality of Godhead and therefore the proper person to be his

guru. He therefore told Krsna at the beginning of Bhagavad-gita (2.7),

sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam: "Now I am Your disciple and a

soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me."

These are the instructions we get from Bhagavad-gita, and whoever

reads Bhagavad-gita has to accept Krsna as the guru. We have to render

service to a guru and surrender ourselves. It is not that one should

accept just any person as a guru. The guru must be the representative of

Krsna; then one can surrender oneself. Surrender means that one will

accept whatever the guru says. It is not that one thinks, "I do not care

for my guru's order. Still I am a disciple." That is not actually

accepting a guru. Of course, it has become a fashion to accept a guru in

this way, but this will not help anyone. As soon as Krsna became

Arjuna's guru, Krsna immediately chastised him. Sri Krsna told him:

asocyan anvasocas tvam

prajna-vadams ca bhasase

gatasun agatasums ca

nanusocanti panditah

"While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not

worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor

the dead." (Bg. 2.11)

In this way Krsna essentially told Arjuna that he was fool number

one for lamenting for those things for which one should not lament.

Arjuna was lamenting for the body, thinking that it was horrible that

his relatives would be killed in war. This was not the proper subject

matter for him to be contemplating. The real subject matter for a wise

man to contemplate is the salvation of the soul. Therefore Sri Krsna

first explained the distinction between the body and the soul.

This Krsna consciousness movement is also concerned with the soul,

and therefore we have used the word "consciousness" because

consciousness belongs to the soul. Consciousness is the symptom of the

soul's presence. Because the soul is in the body, the body feels

pleasure and pain. When the soul leaves the body, the body can be hacked

to pieces, and yet it will not protest. This is because the

consciousness is gone. We feel pleasure and pain because consciousness

is present, and Krsna advises us that it is this consciousness that is

eternal, not the body. We have to purify our consciousness in order to

understand that consciousness is eternal. If we can do this, our lives

will be successful. At the time of death, our consciousness carries us

into another body. There are the mind, the intelligence and the ego,

which constitute the subtle body, and there is also the spirit soul,

which is even more subtle. We know that we possess a mind, although we

cannot see it. Nor can we see the intelligence, the ego or the soul. We

can only see the gross material body, and when this gross material body

ends, we say that everything is finished. In order to understand these

things, we have to approach a guru, just as Arjuna approached Sri Krsna.

Sri Krsna told Arjuna in very gentlemanly language that he was not

a learned man. In essence, He said, "You are not a pandita. Just try to

understand that the real life is the life of the soul." Vedic education

means taking care of the soul. Presently the soul is encaged, embodied,

entangled in material affairs. The soul is suffering, and it is to our

benefit to rescue him from these material clutches. This is real

education. To receive this education, one has to approach a proper guru.

The guru is there--Krsna. The guru is also there as Kapiladeva, the

incarnation of Krsna. Krsna informs us that He is the owner of the body,

and He has explained this in many different ways. He has stated that the

soul can never be cut to pieces, burned by fire, moistened by water nor

withered by the wind. Matter interacts with matter, but the soul does

not belong to the material world. This means that the soul is above

material action and reaction. In the material world even iron and stone

can be melted, but the laws of material nature do not apply to the

spirit soul.

To understand these subjects, we should be careful to approach

Krsna's representative. We should not approach a bogus guru, who is like

a blind man trying to lead other blind men. We must go to one who has

open eyes, to one who has seen the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is

there, just as the sun is there for everyone to see. The sun does not

hide, but a person can try to hide from the sun by closing his door. One

must open the door in order to see the sun. Similarly, Krsna is there,

God is there, and we have to come to Krsna and take the lessons of

Bhagavad-gita to learn who and what God is. Rascals will not do this,

but will simply manufacture some philosophy or other. There is actually

no difficulty because Krsna's instructions are there, and Krsna Himself

is there. Krsna is so kind that He says, "All right, if you cannot

understand Me in this way, just see Me in water. Come on, if you do not

understand Me in that way, just see Me in the sunshine." Is this very

difficult? There is nothing difficult about it, but we are very

obstinate. Maya is also very strong, and as soon as we try to accept

Krsna as the Supreme Lord, maya will whisper in our ear, "No, no. There

are many gods. Why are you accepting Krsna?" However, the sastras say,

krsnas tu bhagavan svayam... isvarah paramah krsnah. "Krsna is the

Supreme Personality of Godhead." We should take our lessons from the

acaryas and the sastras. At least in India there are many great acaryas-

-Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Visnusvami, and even Sankaracarya and Guru

Nanak. All of these have accepted Krsna as the Supreme Personality of

Godhead. Why, then, should we reject Him? Why should we accept a

competitor? We should not simply engage in mental speculation but should

accept Krsna in full consciousness and be happy. This is made possible

by the help of the guru; therefore Devahuti is further questioning her

son, Kapiladeva.

TEXT 29

yo yogo bhagavad-bano

nirvanatmams tvayoditah

kidrsah kati cangani

yatas tattvavabodhanam

TRANSLATION

The mystic yoga system, as you have explained, aims at the Supreme

Personality of Godhead and is meant for completely ending material

existence. Please let me know the nature of that yoga system. How many

ways are there by which one can understand in truth that sublime yoga?

PURPORT

There are different kinds of mystic yoga systems aiming for

different phases of the Absolute Truth. The jnana-yoga system aims at

the impersonal Brahman effulgence, and the hatha-yoga system aims at the

localized personal aspect, the Paramatma feature of the Absolute Truth,

whereas bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, which is executed in nine

different ways, headed by hearing and chanting, aims at complete

realization of the Supreme Lord. There are different methods of

selfrealization. But here Devahuti especially refers to the bhakti-yoga

system, which has aiready been primarily explained by the Lord. The

different processes of the bhakti-yoga system are hearing, chanting,

remembering, offering prayers, worshiping the Lord in the temple,

accepting service to Him, carrying out His orders, making friends with

Him and ultimately surrendering everything for His service.

The word nirvanatman is very significant in this verse. Unless one

accepts the process of devotional service, one cannot end the

continuation of material existence. As far as jnanis are concerned, they

are interested in jnana-yoga, but even if one elevates oneself, after a

great performance of austerity, to the Brahman effulgence, there is a

chance of falling down again to the material world. Therefore, jnanayoga

does not actually end material existence. Similarly, regarding the

hatha-yoga system, which aims at the localized aspect of the Lord,

Paramatma, it has been experienced that many yogis, such as Visvamitra,

fall down. But bhakti-yogis, once approaching the Supreme Personality of

Godhead, never come back to this material world, as confirmed in the

Bhagavad-gita. Yad gatva na nivartante: upon going, one never comes

back. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti: after giving up this body, he

never comes back again to accept a material body. Nirvana does not

finish the existence of the soul. The soul is everexisting. Therefore

nirvana means to end one's material existence, and to end material

existence means to go back home, back to Godhead.

Sometimes it is asked how the living entity falls down from the

spiritual world to the material world. Here is the answer. Unless one is

elevated to the Vaikuntha planets and is directly in touch with the

Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is prone to fall down, either from

the impersonal Brahman realization or from an ecstatic trance of

meditation. Another word in this verse, bhagavad-banah, is very

significant. Banah means "arrow." The bhakti-yoga system is just like an

arrow aiming up to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The bhakti-yoga

system never urges one toward the impersonal Brahman effulgence or to

the point of Paramatma realization. This banah, or arrow, is so sharp

and swift that it goes directly to the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

penetrating the regions of impersonal Brahman and localized Paramatma.

We must understand the Supreme Person, tattvatah, in truth.

Generally people are not interested in knowing about God or their

relationship with Him. However, the entire Vedic instruction is for this

purpose. First of all we have to know God, then we have to know our

relationship with God. The next step is acting on the basis of that

relationship. Krsna states that out of many millions of people, one may

be interested in knowing the purpose of life. Human life is meant for

this end, and if one does not come to this understanding, he is no

better than an animal. We not only have to understand God and our

relationship with Him but also how to act in that relationship. In this

way we can perfect our lives. When one is a siddha, one understands

himself--that is, one understands, aham brahmasmi: "I am not this body."

This is Brahman realization, the brahma-bhuta platform. When one attains

this stage, he becomes very happy. However, we must progress beyond this

and come to the platform of bhakti-yoga. On that platform, there is

variety and ananda, bliss. As stated previously, we are seeking

spiritual variety, and if we do not enter the spiritual world, we will

again fall down into the material atmosphere.

The varieties of the spiritual world are mentioned in the Brahmasamhita

(5.29-30):

cintamani prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa

laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam

laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

venum kvanantam aravinda-dalayataksam

barhavatamsam asitambuda-sundarangam

kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor, who is

tending the cows, yielding all desires, in abodes built with spiritual

gems and surrounded by millions of purpose trees. He is always served

with great reverence and affection by hundreds and thousands of

goddesses of fortune.

"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept in playing on

His flute, with blooming eyes like lotus petals, with head decked with

peacock's feather, with the figure of beauty tinged with the hue of blue

clouds, and His unique loveliness charming millions of Cupids."

We should not consider Krsna's form to be imagined by some artist.

He is described in the Vedas as venum kvanantam aravinda-dalayatak-sam.

He plays a flute, and His eyes are like the petals of a lotus flower. He

wears a peacock feather, and His complexion is very beautiful, like a

dark cloud. He is so beautiful that He attracts many hundreds of

thousands of Cupids (kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham). These are

descriptions of Govinda found in the sastras.

In the material world we are simply chewing the chewed, throwing it

away, picking it up and then chewing it again. Spiritual variety is not

like this. Spiritual variety is anandambudhi-vardhanam: it is constantly

increasing. It is even greater than the ocean, because the ocean does

not increase. The shores of the ocean are set; they have certain limits.

However, the ocean of bliss is constantly increasing. The more we enter

into that spiritual bliss, the more we become joyful.

The young people in the Hare Krsna movement chant the Hare Krsna

mantra all the time. If this mantra were material, how long would they

chant it? It is not possible to chant a material name for very long

because the chanting would become hackneyed and very tiresome. No one

could be satisfied simply by chanting Hare Krsna unless Hare Krsna

itself were spiritual. We may chant, "Mr. John, Mr. John, Mr. John," but

after an hour we will be fed up. However, the more we become spiritually

advanced, the more bliss we will derive from chanting Hare Krsna.

We can experience ananda perfectly in the association of Krsna. We

can associate with Krsna as a servant, a friend, a father, a mother or a

conjugal lover. There are five basic rasas--santa, dasya, sakhya,

vatsalya and madhurya. In this material world, we experience the same

rasas, or relationships. We are related to someone as a father, a son, a

lover, a beloved, a master, a servant or whatever. These are perverted

reflections of the relationship with Krsna found in the spiritual world.

Today in the material world I may be relishing my love for my son, but

tomorrow my son may be my greatest enemy. There is no eternity in this

kind of love. Or, if my son does not become my enemy, he may die. Today

I may love some man or woman, but tomorrow we may break up. All of this

is due to the defects of the material world. However, in the spiritual

world these relationships never break up. They simply increase and

increase, and this is called perfection.

Krsna is very fond of tending surabhi cows, but the Mayavadis

cannot understand this. They say, "What is this Krsna?" Even Lord Brahma

was bewildered. He said, "How is it that this Krsna, this boy of

Vrndavana, is being worshiped? He is called the Supreme Personality of

Godhead. How is that?" Lord Indra was also bewildered. Therefore if we

do not wish to be bewildered we have to understand Krsna in truth from

Krsna Himself or His bona fide representative.

The activities of Krsna are not ordinary but divine. If we can

understand this, we immediately become liberated. We need only

understand the pastimes of Krsna with the gopis. These pastimes are not

ordinary. In the material world, a young man wants to dance with many

young girls, but Krsna's dancing with the gopis is different. Because

people cannot understand Krsna, when they hear about Krsna's dancing

with the gopis, they take this as some kind of concession, and say, "Now

let us dance with young girls." In this way they go to hell. Therefore

we have to learn from the proper person about Krsna's activities. We

should not immediately try to understand Krsna's dealings with the

gopis, for they are very confidential. These dealings are given in the

Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, and this indicates that we have to

understand Krsna as He is by first reading the preceding nine cantos.

When we have understood these nine cantos, we can go on to the tenth. In

this way we can understand that Krsna's activities are not ordinary but

divine, and we can immediately become liberated.

We may either hear about Krsna, chant His names, worship Him or

offer prayers. In any case, we should work under the directions of our

spiritual master or Sri Krsna Himself. For instance, Hanuman simply

carried out Lord Ramacandra's orders. Hanuman apparently had no

education, and he was not capable of teaching Vedanta, but he simply

carried out the orders of Lord Ramacandra and attained perfection.

Arjuna, on the other hand, took Krsna as his most intimate friend.

Arjuna was not a Vedantist but a fighter, a warrior. He had no time to

study Vedanta because he had to deal with war and politics, but still he

was the greatest devotee. People may say, "Oh, Arjuna was not a

Vedantist, nor even a brahmana or a sannyasi. How could Krsna accept him

as a devotee?" Nonetheless, in Bhagavad-gita (4.3), Krsna says that

Arjuna is His very dear friend and devotee: bhakto 'si me sakha ceti. If

one becomes a devotee, there is no material impediment.

Actually bhakti should be automatic and spontaneous. There should

be no motive in serving Krsna, but even if there is a motive, service

rendered unto Krsna is good. Even if one approaches Krsna with some

ulterior motive, one is considered pious. For instance, Dhruva Maharaja

initially worshiped Krsna with a motive, but after attaining perfection

in devotional service, his ulterior motive vanished. When he actually

saw Krsna, he said, "I do not want anything from You. I don't want any

benediction other than Your service." After hearing about the many

transcendental qualities of Krsna, if we somehow or other become

attracted to Krsna consciousness, our lives will be successful. Tasmat

kenapy upayena manah krsne nivesayet: "Somehow or other we have to

attach our minds to Krsna consciousness." (SB. 7.1.32) Then Krsna will

help us and give us intelligence from within, as He indicates in

Bhagavad-gita ( 10.10):

tesam satata-yuktanam

bhajatam priti-purvakam

dadami buddhi-yogam tam

yena mam upayanti te

"To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I

give the understanding by which they can come to Me." This is actual

buddhi-yoga. Bhakti-yoga means buddhi-yoga, because one who is highly

intelligent decides to take to Krsna consciousness. In this way, one can

perfect his life by engaging in devotional service under the directions

of the sastras and the spiritual master. Devahuti understands this and

is thus submitting to her son just as Arjuna submitted to Sri Krsna on

the battlefield.

Om Tat Sat

(Continued...)

(My humble salutations to the lotus feet of H H Swamy Prabhupada ji for the collection)

(The Blog is reverently for all the seekers of truth, lovers of wisdom and to share the Hindu Dharma with others on the spiritual path and also this is purely a non-commercial blog)

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Thursday, December 12, 2013