Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.15.42
Bhakti Vijnana Goswami · London · 2012
Chapters
Recitation of Srimad-Bhagavatam verse
Yamprada Jantamalate Natakin Dwaipayana Virahaka Hajihaban Ute Mayatayo Thaw Viledus and Sarvabudos me bag to Psalm chapter 15 instructions for the civilized human beings.
Adharma Dharma Chakre Artinam Dartinam Archinam Chivamamatanti Sara Saram Givam Givam Param Varam Eva Eva Laksham Laksham Aksanda sabranamadharma dharmo, asana. Aksamda Sakranam dharma dharma, samba, chakri manamatinam chhachivam Rachinam Chachivam Chaquetima Ratinam Chachivam, Chaquetima Ratinam Chachivam Yamurhidasya Pranavamphan, Vidasra, Yanahidasabranampahanti Saranto de Laksyan Saramuji Paramega Laksam Sarantoji Jeevam parametaksama aksham dasadranamadharma dharmo Asamba Sabana, Chakrevi Manambratinam Jajam, Bratinam Jajam, Dalu Hitasya Branava Aksham da pam da shampoo Shanda Shapranama Dharma Dharma Dama Dhamma Chakrebimana Ratitam Jajiva Shakev Danoitasya Pranavampatanti, Shamba, Shadamu Jevam Panameva Laksham, Maksam dasapranamataramatama, Gielam Parabeva Raksham, Sankra Gamaravaksham. Asham Dasakranavatharma. Sarvamatuji Bamharabam Ekalakshan Saram Tujam Shankasapanamadharma Dharma. Shandasapanamadharma Dharma. Vedi Machinam Jajam Daka Vedi Manamatinam Jativam Ramitasapanavti Namuritasyapanavam Badam. Sarantu Jeva Navaksham. Saramu Divam Pharaneva Laksham. Aksham Ashan the spokes of the cherry the spokes of the cherry Dasha Tan Pram Pranam The ten kinds of air flowing within the body.
Adharma Adharma is religion. Religion two sides of the wheel two sides of the wheel up and down chakra in the wheel Dimanam false identification Ratinam Ratinam the Cheratier or Master of the Body Cha also jihad the living entity Yanu
the ball Vedic mantra omkar Bakanti It is said. It is seven. Saddam Saddam and Adam. The living entity. The living entity, Param, the Supreme Lord, Eva
Reading translation and purport
Hindi, Baksyam Laksam Tatarga Translation The then kinds of air acting within the body are compared to the spots of the chariots' wheels and the top and bottom of the wheel itself upon religion and is religion.
The living entity and the bodily concept of life is the owner of this chariot. The Vedic mantra kanava is the bow, and the pure living candidate himself is the arrow, and the target is the supreme being.
Put forth by his divine graceakrina Swami Sulagophala. Ten kinds of light air always flow within the material body. They are called prana panasamanayana udana nava kurma krikala bevadata nananja.
The attack here to the spokes of the chariot's wheel.
The light pair is the energy for all of a living being activities, which are sometimes religious and sometimes irreligious. Thus, religion and irreligion are said to be the upper and lower portions of the chariot's wheel.
When the living entity decides to go back home, back to Bodhi. His target, his Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of God.
In the conditioned state of life, one does not understand that the goal of life is the Supreme Lord. Natevi Lugs Vatadakim Givishnu Durashaya Yeah Bahiratamani.
The living candidate tries to be happy present this material world, not understanding the target of his life.
When he is purified, however, he gives up his bodily concept of life and his false identity as belonging to a certain community, a certain nation, a certain society, a certain family, and so on, Sarubadi Vina Muttam, Tap Parakamia.
Then he takes the arrow of his purified life and with the help of the bowl, the transcendental chanting of pranava, all Hare Krishna Mantra, he throws himself toward the Supreme Personality of God.
Shri Shwanatha Chakravati Thapur has commented that because the world bore and arrow are used in this world. One might argue that the Supreme Personality of Bothe and the living entity have become enemies.
However, although the Supreme Personality of Godhead may become the so-called enemy of the living being, This is his chivalrous pleasure.
For example, the Lord fought with Bhishma, and when Bhishma pierced the Lord's body on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. This was a kind of humor or relationship of which there are twelve.
When the conditioned soul tries to reach the Lord by hurling an arrow at Him, the Lord takes pleasure. And the living entity gains the profit of going back home, back to God.
Another example given in this regard is that Arjuna, as a result of piercing that target, or the fish within the chakra, achieved the valuable gain of Draupadi.
Similarly, if the arrow of chanting of the holy name of the Lord, if with the arrow of chanting of the holy name of the Lord one pierces Lord Vishnu's lotus feet, by dint of performing his heroic activity of devotional service, one receives the benefit
of returning home, back to Vaikuntha. dasapranamadharma dharma chakima pratinam chajam dana nuhidasyaran Pavampatanti Sharamtu Jinam Parameva Lakshan.
The different kinds of air ethnic within the body are compared to the spokes of the chariot's wheel. The top and the bottom of the wheel itself are religion and irreligion.
The living entity in the bodily concept of life is the owner of the chariot. The Vedic mantra Pranava is the bow, and the pure living entity itself is the arrow, and the target is the Supreme Lord.
Context of Narada Muni instructions on jnana-yoga
Namau Vishnu Banara Krishna Visham school, bakti nothing, nasce, słay pećami, ne riceyat, Vanchakalupa, Vesha, Pripa Simaca, Padinan, Padre, Vaishnav Jesus Krishna, Chaitanya, Prabhupada, Sri Baikadar, Sri Basati Bura Bakamita, Krishna Vare Krishna Krishna Krishna Vama Vama Dama Dama Vari Mayama Mandika Bujabana Karma Sankiranaika Bitaram Kamala Sri Shambhara Dharma Pamde Jagatriya Karu Panavadharishima Prasupam So
we are reading the instructions of Nārada Muni, the maharishi Yudhisthira, in which he explains different techniques of spiritual life.
And this particular section of this chapter is specifically describing the process of jnana-yoga. And in one sense you can say that it has nothing to do with us because we are not practicing jñāna-yoga.
We are practicing bhakti-yoga. But of course, because it is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it has everything to do with us.
And the reason is that even teaching some other processes, we have we should understand, we should be able to understand by reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the superiority of the process of bhakti.
Ultimately, Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. di Rana.
We know that there's no other way, there's no other way, there's no other way, just chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and forget about everything else. That's our motto. But specifically here the
instruction is given for the brāhmaṇas and for more specific people in the renounced order of life. And their beauty in life is described. And the duty of a brāhmaṇa is to cultivate knowledge.
This knowledge is an essential part of the life of a brāhmaṇa because ultimately by this knowledge and discrimination which is obtained by this knowledge one achieves liberation.
And here it is in a very peculiar way explain how one following this process does achieve liberation. And the real point here is that one does not achieve liberation by knowledge.
Even though it may seem from the superficial point of view sound like this that you achieve liberation by knowledge, but the real message here
in this verse, as in the whole of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, is that one can only achieve liberation by bhakti and by nothing else.
And the dhyāna and everything else are subsidiary processes which are obtaining or deriving its strengths from bhakti itself. So I will try to explain how it is.
So in one sense, even though it is not a direct instruction for us to follow, it's still a very important verse for us to understand how other processes work and how ultimately Bhakti is the giver of liberation, is the giver of all the results of all other processes.
That's a repeated point.
Body compared to a chariot in Katha Upanisad
She said she had Sishi Golida. So it is explained in the previous verse that this famous comparison of the famous metaphor of uh uh body uh compared with uh chariot is presented here.
And we know this metaphor, this metaphor is very famous in Kaṭha Upaniṣad, it is elaborately described in Prabhupada quotes in the previous verse the verses from Kaṭha Upaniṣad.
And his point of doing this is specifically to say that ultimately the body, which is although temporary, the human body is very important because it has to bring us to God. This chariot has to bring us to God.
So that's the point of the previous verse that Śrīla Prabhupāda is quoting
this and he says he quotes the verse from Kaṭhopaniṣad and he says, so adhvanaḥ pāramāpnoti, that Viṣṇoḥ param padam, ultimately you have to drive this chariot to come to param padam, to the supreme abode of the Lord.
Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ, all the real brāhmaṇas, those who know Brahman, and they see this goal in their life.
This goal is very clear in their vision because that's the real goal, because that's the sun, because that's the real achievement of human life. So but here it's a very interestingly developed,
this metaphor is very interestingly developed, and ultimately the point of this particular verse is that you cannot achieve this goal just by driving the chariot.
Even though in the words of, uh, Kaṭhopaniṣad it is said that you should drive the chariot in such a way that it reaches the real goal, the abode of the Supreme Lord.
But here they specifically said that no matter how much you try to you know drive this chariot, this chariot is still being driven or is riding on the earth.
But then, this whereas this supreme abode of the Lord, which is the real goal of our life, is not in the oaks.
And it specifically said that the wheels of this chariot is this religion and irreligion and you know how much you try, you know, it's always sometimes religion, sometimes irreligion. And you remain basically on the same level.
The chariot, you know, you may drive very fast, but it will not fly up. It will remain on the same surface of the earth. And moreover, inevitably you will commit some sinful activities.
Some people, the point here of this comparison is very important because some people think that you may achieve something very significant in this life just by avoiding sinful activities and trying to be very, very pious and very nice and very you know gentle and this and that.
Limitations of piety and avoiding sinful acts
Uh, here they said, no, forget it. You cannot add new quality in your life just by avoiding sins. First of all, because you cannot avoid sins.
Sooner or later the wheel of your chariot will make the full rotation and you know ultimately you will commit some sinful activities. It's not possible to always since this life is sinful, this body is sinful.
Just by taking birth from our mother, we inflict pain, that's sin. Little baby creates first sinful activity. Like coming out from the body of the mother. The mother is crying.
Ah that's that's that's terrible pain. And that's sin. You know, this whole life is sin. We're living by killing other living entities and there is no way to avoid it, no matter how much you try.
You know, you may even starve to death and you may put your you know mask on your mouth. Just doesn't work. Life in this world is violent. The violence is the basics of this world, more or less.
So therefore it is said that this Dharma and Adharma, you know, sooner or later you will come in some adharmic activities if you are traveling here.
And of course it doesn't mean that uh we should not be careful avoiding adharma, but ultimately we have to be also realistic that there's no new quality uh doesn't come to all life.
This is not the driving force within the life. The driving force is different.
And therefore the combination of this metaphor from Kaṭha Upaniṣad is another metaphor of Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad is given in or provided in these words.
In Kaṭha Upaniṣad, yes, it is said that our body is the chariot and the mind is the reins of this chariot and the buddhi, this sārathi, the driver. And we're sitting there.
And actually it is it is explained in the previous verse that uh that uh
the uh the one who is sitting on this chariot of the body is using the very nice seat of cheetah. Cheetah is a very nice seat and we're sitting very comfortably.
Cheetah is pervading this body and it is called Brihad. Brihat means big. So it's more or less the very important part of the body.
Cheetah means our consciousness and this consciousness is pervading the body and the tiny little soul is comfortably sitting in this big seed of body or this big cherry.
But here it is specifically said using another metaphor from Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad. Because this metaphor of bow and arrow is used there in Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad where it is said that praṇava mantra or oṅkāra is the bow.
And what you should do, and it is said that specifically this verse, two times the word jiva is used.
And first, the jīva is used with the adjective abhimānam, the false identity, the jīva which is falsely identifying with the body is just driving in the body. Taking a nice ride uh and the chariot of this body and enjoying life and looking here and there in a nice green sunny for a change. Very beautiful.
So but then it is said two jīva. But there is another jīva.
Not that there is another jīva, but there is another usage of this chariot. You know if you just want to ride on this chariot and enjoy the life and this material world, that's fine. This is what the body is meant for.
God doesn't mind, please do it, it's up to you. You know, just try it, try it, try it, try it, drive until you are driven somewhere in a hellish place.
You know, then maybe you will think a little bit more about the purpose of this driving. And there is another way of living this. And in this case the jīva becomes the arrow.
In the first case, the jīva is just riding in this chariot and jīva is enjoying the you know scenery and nice things, and the horses are running here and there. Very nice, very good.
But then a completely different approach usage of this whole chariot is explained in this particular verse it is said that but jīva may become not just the sitter of this chariot, not just the passenger of this chariot, but the arrow.
The same jīva who wants to achieve the real target. And you achieve the target by you know taking your bow and putting the arrow, and you can just shoot the arrow and reach the real target.
The real target or the real destination is not found by the driving of this chariot. The real target of destination is found if you really place jīva on the bow of Prṇava or the Transcendental Sound.
Prṇava Omkāra basically means prāṇa means it's actually the English word pronunciation this comes from the same word, praṇavu. Praṇavu means to call.
And not to call, not only to call, praṇaw means really I mean desperately call. Praṇava means you just call and call and call and call and call until somebody whom you call comes to you.
Praṇava or Omkāra means you just repeat this word again and again and again and again because you do want to achieve the target.
Material desires and the illusion of worldly happiness
As Prabhupada very beautifully explains, Natevi Dus Partadin is Duracha Ya Bay Ratha Mahina. He says that these foolish people who have this do Russia, do Russia, it's a very nice word.
Unfortunately, you will not be able to understand how nice this world because you don't know Russian. If you know Russian, you will be able to understand it properly.
Because in Russian to D Rurussiaas,ia means you' justre a complete fool. But Russia means false hope. False desires. Including stupid desires.
And because of the stupid desires and the stupid completely completely useless hope to become hate in this world, you just drink on this Bahiratamani now for these external goals.
People, it's so sad and so strange and so I mean so illogical that people despite seeing around experiencing themselves, knowing the history, still hope that they will be happy.
Nobody was happy in this world, but they are very exceptional case. They will definitely achieve happiness. Everyone thinks like this. There's no happiness in this world. It's just crazy. There's no happiness.
The happiness in this walk is just a little, little, little, little drop of water in the desert. Very nice. It's crazy.
Or in the same cutful when you said there is another uh comparison that they said that the happiness of this world is is is like you know, y you're dying of the source, the soul wants to be happy, you know, and then there is a lot of water. But unfortunately, this water is salty.
That's the ocean water. And you just drink this water and it's like, oh, so nice. Oh, so nice. But then the self becomes even more intolerable.
People in this world are trying to bring this salty water of material enjoyment. And that's exactly what is said here. Durasha Ya Bahirapta Mahina. People don't know what is the goal.
Nate Uswaking, Prahman Maharaj, he says this very clearly. He says that you know they just don't know what it is.
That the real goal, the target, as it is said here, param he laksya, that param, Brahman, the Supreme Lord, Supreme Personality of what it is the uh lakshi, it's the target of all our endeavors.
So when one understands this, and one when one understands this that you cannot achieve this goal by using this body alone, you take the help of this prana, of this calling, of this transcendental sound.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Hare Rāma.
Prabhupada is very mercifully adjusting this the content of this verse to us and he says, you know, forget about this panel, it's just very good. But ultimately it's the same.
Uh you know the transcendental sound is compared here with the bow, and the jiva of the soul is like an arrow, and by using this bow you can shoot and reach the goal.
Difference between jnana and bhakti approaches
But the exact metaphor or comparison of this word this uh of this verse is also very interesting because and that's why I said, which is very clear from the context of this roles, that it is uh it's not specifically about us. It's about the process of the arrow
is shot from the bow? It leaves the bow, right? It really, you know, the bow is not necessary anymore.
So the process of dhyana yoga is like this, they do use prana oṁkāra, they do use so many different means, but ultimately they say that you just you have to use this and leave it aside and go to the Supreme Lord and you know merge into the Supreme Lord and you know finish all your other business.
The exact metaphor here is that you know the jñānīs when they use praṇava oṁkāra they leave everything behind, including the praṇava itself, and they go there and they say, This is the process. You develop the knowledge, and this knowledge gives you some impetus or some kind of force, and by this force of knowledge, which is obtained by chanting praṇava. That's what they say.
That's pūrva-pakṣa. That's not what we say.
What they say is that you use this knowledge by by uh uh you know by changing this mantra and these mantras are you know part of this vidya potency of maya and by this knowledge by the power of this knowledge you go there.
But the funny thing is that you know if you use this knowledge and you leave aside the knowledge, what is there?
So the real point of this verse, as I said, is that and this is what Viswanachikavati Thakur is explaining, uh he is explaining that ultimately what is happening.
Yes, Jiva leaves behind the knowledge part of the Maya vidya and Abidya, of course but it's being driven there by bhakti that the real driving force uh which actually takes jiva from here to there, to Param, to the supreme destination or to the supreme goal is bhakti, tiny little step of bhakti, which is there in their practice of jñāna-yoga.
Because they have little, little, little tiny, tiny speck of bhakti, but this bhakti they are able to achieve the supreme goal.
Understanding the arrow metaphor and chivalrous relationships
And therefore this metaphor of this arrow is being used and Śrīla Prabhupāda explains this also quoting by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, quoting Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. He's saying that this is kind of, you know, it's a little uh violent metaphor, you know.
You know, the Supreme Lord is the goal and you are just the arrow. So it just it it really sets a very very kind of militant military scene, you know.
And Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, you know, that doesn't mean that the Lord is your enemy and you're just shooting at Him yourself. And we know that jñānīs are equal to enemies of the world.
Prabhupāda is very clear about this in the lecture of Devotees.
He says, you know, that jñānīs are like it's it's it's very nice. You know, jñānīs merged in the Supreme Lord, and enemies of the Supreme Lord are merged in the Supreme Lord. So they're the same. They're like enemies.
And the point here is that, yes, this is not our process. This kind of thing, because here it is what is implied is that by your own endeavor you just reach the Supreme Lord and not only reach the Supreme Lord, you just pierce the Supreme Lord, enter into Him, and just you know, stuck into Him. You're there. Like an arrow in the target.
Very nice. This is definitely not Bhakti. It has nothing to do with Bhakti. In bhakti, it's not by all our own endeavours we are trying to reach the Supreme Lord.
Yes, we do whatever we can, but not because we want just to you know to pierce the Supreme Lord. Because we want to please the Supreme Lord.
But here it's uh it's of course, you know, Prabhupāda explains there that uh no, this is one interpretation that this is some vīra-rasa. And jñānīs is like, you know, they are this vīra-rasa is the Supreme Lord and no.
Supreme Lord says okay. Fine. No problem. But then and it is it is also said it is also said that
um uh Kṛṣṇa explains this in Bhagavad-gītā. brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṃ labhate parām. And the real meaning of this verse is that you know and this is a again
the description of this uh jñāna-miśrā-bhakti.
By jñāna uh you achieve this uh state uh of liberation, prasannātmā, you you live behind this and then uh bhakti labhate parām you achieve this little bhakti which is there already and Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says what does it mean? What you're talking about, it is said here that you achieve how you achieve it's solidly there.
The contradiction here, what he wants to say, is that you're achieving something by bhakti but
in this particular verse of Bhagavad-gītā is said you achieve it you know you you achieve bhakti. Whereas we say you achieve it by bhakti so it means the bhakti is there.
It says it's it's like you know you have a little jewel and there is a lot of husk and grades and this little jewel is hidden under the whole mountain of you know some rotten material but
then when this uh perishable material is is melted by the natural process then the jewel still remains so basically what is explained that you know by this bhakti you come to the Lord and only this bhakti remains, everything is else is left aside.
And therefore, Prabhupada says that this interpretation of this error metaphor can be different. One interpretation is that yes, there is this serious jñānī and he just wants to achieve the Lord.
And and the Lord says, yes, this is and the Lord accepts it in a very humble way. He says, yeah, if he wants to fight with me, let's fight with it. Let's have fun. And the Lord achieved the Lord interprets it as a Dirac.
Yes, this Janis, you know, he's a little feisty and he wants to achieve me this way, it's fine. Let's help him uh doing this. But then uh Prabhupada explains that you know you can also interpret
this particular metaphor in a different way and say that this is like Arjuna. And Arjuna was you know shooting this arrow into into this wheel. It's like you're not really shooting in the Lord Himself, you're just shooting it as the way of competition, as a reward of this, you get something valuable.
Chanting the holy name like a child calling
You get the Supreme Lord, you get his award, you get this as Arjuna received Draupadi. This is more um more suitable for bhaktas. But ultimately again, what is explained here and the real point of this verse is that by chanting it's
not It's not the vidyā which is important. When we chant the holy name of the Lord, when we chant praṇava-mantra, it's not the vidyā which is really important. What is is ālambana. And therefore praṇāma is called praṇava. Pranam means as Prabhupada says how you should chant the Holy Name, you should chant the Holy Name in the same manner as the little child is calling his mother.
So that's pranaw. You call him, you call him again and again and again. And ultimately, if you do it sincerely enough, then the Lord comes to you. It's not that just like this coin that transported into the spiritual board.
By this calling and by your humility, the Lord comes to you and the Lord says, yes, yes, I know, I know. You are the surrendered soul.
And ultimately, if we see the life of the devotees, we can see that in the lives of the devotees, what Krishna does with the devotees, he just makes them very sincere.
Sometimes people think that if somebody becomes a devotee whose life should become very easy and nice and the Lord should do something. I have to tell you some real secret. Your life will become completely miserable.
This is what the love does to you.
He sees little spark of sincerity and he wants to really fan the spark of sincerity by giving you so much trouble that you just really at the end of the day you just call to him, you know.
It's a very interesting description of this.
When Arjuna and Duryodhana very interesting point which somehow rather usually goes unnoticed in our description of this episode when Arjuna and Duryodhana came to Krishna and they were asking help.
You know, and all that Krishna has to do you please choose say uh choose first what you want and um because it's actually all the devotees they really can choose. It's clear what Duryodhana will prefer.
So and Arjuna of course we know he passed the test, he says I only want you, please you be with me, even though you will not fly. And Duryodhana very happily, you know, and took the army of Krishna.
What really goes unnoticed that yes, Krishna says, yes Arjuna, yes, I'll go with you. But immediately at the same time, at the same very moment, he gives all his army to the opposite party.
And he says, Yes, Arjuna, I will be with you, but my army will fight against you. You know, we come to the Lord, we surrender to the Lord, and the Lord says, Yes, yes, yes, I will be with you.
But you know, your enemies will also be little stronger at this particular point. What happens actually in the lives of the devotees who really want to surrender, the Lord helps them to surrender.
Initially when we come to this process of bhakti, we are little self-reliant because this is the programming or conditioning of the material life. Yes, yes, yes, yes, very nice, very nice, yes.
And uh we still have all these contaminations. But pure bhakti means pure bhakti means I'm not dependent on myself. I'm completely totally fully dependent on the Supreme Lord. And I'm begging Him for mercy.
And the Lord helps us to come to the state of consciousness by arranging a very inconceivable thing And we can see today the lives of the devotees. We can see how they struggled. And of course the Lord always helped.
But at the same time, He gave them test after test after test after test.
You know, to teach them how to become stronger in this world from one point of view, but at the same time to teach them how to internally surrender.
What all these tests do to us, which is very important, which Krishna mercifully gives in our lives. They make us stronger, no doubt about it.
Every time when Arjuna would pass test, it's interesting, when Bhīma initially was poisoned, Duryodhana wanted to finish Him negating poison, so Bhīma he became as strong as the ten thousand elephants by taking this poison, you know.
He went to Nāgaloka. Every time, practically every time when some impediment, some problem was there in their life, they would become more strong.
And that's exactly what happened with the devotees who are ready to fight for the Lord. He gives them tests which make them stronger.
But at the same time, exactly at the same time, the Lord also through the medium of all these tests and impediments and problems which he mercifully sends in our life, he also kind of pushes us in the direction of complete internal surrender.
You know when ordinary people become stronger, then they become more proud. The more strengths they get, they become more and more and more proud. But when devotees in real life, if they really surrender,
they pass through the test, they become stronger, but at the same time they they become more humble. This is what the test does, because internally all the devotees they know that ultimately it's it's the Lord.
The Lord gives us the power, the Lord gives us this chance and uh you know and the world wants us to fight for him being strong but at the same time he wants us to surrender to him more and more and more. So that's that's the process and therefore in one sense this metaphor is appropriate to the devotees because we are shooting but we're not shooting at the Lord.
We're shooting at the target and by reaching this target we get the reward from the Lord, like Draupadi, who was given to him as the reward for his chivalrous activities.
Anyways, that's a few things which can be said about this particular, uh, girls and, uh, the lessons of these girls.
Role of guru and disciple honesty in guidance
Are there any questions? Well, today I was really highly appreciated. Gauramani Mataji, Gauramani Mauli's book from Good Fortune Rising. So in that book, the point of the six degrees of real-life scripture. So
my question is, how does this apply today in my life? We have Śrīla Prabhupāda's books. It's definitely an instructor in this sense.
We have followers, great followers of Śrīla Prabhupāda, who, uh, give us instruction, and we can see if we follow, uh, the instructions strictly, that gives us a lot of strength.
Sometimes people do stress, you know, in the scriptures there are different stresses, again, different diagnoses, again.
Sometimes it is stressed that the speaker or the instructor has to be completely pure, and that's definitely true, and that's very nice instruction, and it's very important.
But sometimes it also says that different instructions also give. Like, for example, the whole Mahābhārata, it begins by describing the importance of the surrender to the guru.
And one of the stories, one of the three stories which is explained in the very beginning, from the outset of Mahābhārata, to set the mood, to give you, you know, the understanding how important it is to accept the guru.
One of the, uh, stories is very interesting; that's the story of Upamanyu.
And in this particular story, the point is, uh, there's no time to explain it in all details, but the point is that, uh, his guru was not completely pure. But he was giving the right instructions.
And the disciple was very strictly following the right instructions of the guru. And ultimately he achieved something higher than the guru achieved.
The Aśvinī-kumāras came to him and told him, and you know, he actually achieved the real destination. Even though the guru was kind of a little lower in his status.
And that's not without the reason this particular story is given in the beginning of Mahābhārata, because this situation, you know, may arise. And Śrīla Prabhupāda, therefore, he was also very emphatic. Who is guru?
Guru is the one who repeats without changing it.
You know, we have a tendency, we have our saṁskārs. And uh when we repeat or when we read, we read it through it's it's kind of distorted through the through the saṁskārs, so it's we kind of feed our own saṁskārs.
What we can see the uh there is a problem if somebody has very strong saṁskārs, what he will get uh by reading or by speaking or repeating, he will more or less feed his own saṁskārs.
Whatever conditioned nature he he has, he will only derive from the book something which is similar to his own nature, his own condition. But still, one can conceive
the situation when one is not 100%, 10% pure, but at the same time he's honest. And by his honest endeavor he just repeats without trying to distort.
He's just trying really to go deep in what is said and he just repeats what he has told and uh does this and Śrīla Prabhupāda says that's also fine.
That's also something which uh will work like in this particular story with Pamani. He was you know his his word was very strict and he was repeating this and he was thinking following and ultimately he achieved the goal.
So that's also that's also possibility and therefore Śrīla Prabhupāda says about this in the Upadeśāmṛta. You know, but Upadeśāmṛta he very strong he very strongly says that yes, it's the best.
If your guru is Mahābhāgavata, no that because uh guru is uh of a lesser uh caliber so to speak and can only bring you to the same level. But at the same time he also gives the definition of guru.
Guru is somebody who is who is very honest and he honestly honestly repeats to his instructions. So that one one should not uh underestimate the power of the instruction itself.
Because when and it's also it's it's one of the very strong points of our philosophy. Guru is working together with the Supersoul.
Guru is the instrument and the hands of the Supersoul, and whatever deficiencies the guru may have, the Supersoul will take care of. If there is a genuine process of surrender, if this genuine process of surrender,
of course, provided the guru is honest and the disciple is honest, then the Supersoul will cover. The Supersoul is there in this equation. You shouldn't you know underestimate or neglect this particular reality.
Therefore it is said that there is two kinds of gurus, Vyaṣṭi-guru and Samaṣṭi-guru. Vyaṣṭi-guru is uh uh is uh uh how you say it? Uh Samaṣṭi-guru is a universal guru, it's Krishna himself.
And the Vyaṣṭi-guru is a uh guru, the manifestation of this initial Samaṣṭi-guru. So you know this samastiguru is working through the Vyasti Guru. And by working through Vyasti Guru, provided there is
a sincerity on the both sides. Yes. Yes, yes, absolutely. There's no doubt about it. See uh the the Bhagavad is always present but also we have to have the eyes to recognize him and sincerity in the heart to recognize him.
That's also very important. That's more important. One somebody across Silkarupad in Delhi, some Indian gentleman said, Prabhupada, there's no gurus.
He said, no, I mean there's no pure gurus, there is no gurus, your guru. Gurus are there. No.
We can very you know we can very boldly say that Mother Living Baha'uh the Mother Prabhupada is always there, but regarding the living honest disciples that may not be That's my
important The crew has to be honest so that the CPSO working operation and the side has to be honest. At what stage is that crew considered honest?
Developing intelligence and goodness for spiritual growth
And at what stage is that See, there is a very important faculty in our consciousness of Chita. This faculty is called buddhi. And buddhi basically means the ability to self-introspection, self-analysis.
Buddhi means the ability to look uh you know from outside and judge. From the objective point of view, basically the process is simple. There is a reality described in the scriptures.
And you have to take this position and touch yourself from this neutral uh so to speak position and this self-interesting means honest you know if if you are completely totally you know engrossed in your own process, defective or deficient process of thinking, then it's not honest.
But if you're capable by reading the scriptures of judging yourself from the honest and objective kind of framework which is described in the scriptures. This is called honesty. You know you know your own deficiency.
You're not trying to uh pose as something else or somebody else.
You know your problems but at the same time, because you know and because you are objective, you're not really acting uh on these grounds. You're capable of controlling these problems and you're capable of acting.
And even you're I think still, you know, you're capable of understanding this, recognizing this and uh you know retaining for this.
Honesty basically means using and developing this ability for self-inspection or for looking objectively at what is going on in your mind and doubting. And applying honestly what is there.
When you completely identify with your mind. And then there's no hope. If if you're totally completely if every soul that comes to your mind is you, then then we just you know happy journey to hell. No problem.
If you're capable of just looking of stepping aside and looking looking objectively on what is going on and not really you know being pushed by all these glorious impetuses and impulses
which have heard in your mind. And you're honest. Honest means you are standing you are standing on the composition of all the scriptures. And therefore this Buddhi is called sārathi, the one who is guiding this chariot.
I don't know the direction of this chariot is taken by the movie. That person is the charioteer, you know, the goodness could be that up. Yeah, absolutely.
Therefore it's so important to have to develop the mode of goodness. Yes. And this is where the mode of goodness is played the role. Mode of goodness is you know. this is very it is valuable.
It gives you the ability for objective understanding, it gives you basically it gives you knowledge and by this knowledge this vidya
part of my it's my it's a part of my yes, but it's definitely a better part, the rajas and tamas is avidyā part of māyā. Sattva is the vidyā part of māyā. So this vidyā part of māyā clarifies your intelligence, gives you the ability to discriminate and ultimately you know healthy processing.
Um in this devotional interpretation of this metaphor that you hit the target, then you get the Krishna. So what what is the target? No, it's good.
The target is buddhi. But it is said it's clearly said here that Paramhi Lakṣyam, the Supreme Lord is the Lakṣyam, is the target for this.
But you know in order to kind of tone down the uh um warlike interpretation of of this metaphor they say that you know And then we may we may suit uh uh for this to out of the care.
Yeah, you may say that in this case the luxury of the ball is the the the abode of the Supreme Lord, the spiritual kingdom. And Christian will be the price which you will find in this abode of the Supreme Lord by Okay, thank you very much. Alright.