Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.16.5
Bhakti Vijnana Goswami · Alachua · 2022
Chapters
Recitation of introductory prayers
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Bhāgavatam, Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate Vāsudevāya Nārāyaṇāya. Nārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya naraṁ caiva narottamaṁ, devīṁ sarasvīṁ vyāsaṁ, tato jayam udīrayet.
Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā, bhagavaty uttama-śloke, bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī.
Yam pravrajantam anupetam apeta-kṛtyaṁ dvaipāyanō viraha-kātara ājuhāva, putreti tanmayatayā taravo 'bhinedus, taṁ sarva-bhūta-hṛdayaṁ munim nato 'smi. Okay.
We're reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 8, Chapter 16, the Prīti-vrata Process of Worship. Api vākuśalaṁ, kiñcid gṛheṣu gṛhamedhini, dharmasyārthasya kāmasya tasya yatra yogo yoginām api vāku-
śalaṁ kiñcid, api vākuśalaṁ kiñcid gṛheṣu gṛhamedhini, gṛheṣu gṛhamedhini, dharmasyārthasya kāma- sya, yatra yogo yoginām yoginām.
Api vākuśalaṁ kiñcid, api vākuśalaṁ kiñcid, gṛheṣu gṛhamedhini, gṛheṣu gṛhamedhini, dharmasyārthasya kāmasya, yatra yogo ca yogināṁ yoginām. Api, I'm wondering—
—either akuśalam, inauspiciousness, kiñcit, some, gṛheṣu, at home, gṛhamedhini, O my wife, who are attached to the household life. Dharmasya, of the principles of religion; arthasya, of the economic condition;
kāmasya, of the satisfaction of desires; yatra, at home; yogaḥ, the result of meditation; hi, indeed; yoginām, even of those who are not transcendentalists. Translation.
O my wife, who are very much attached to household life. If the principles of religion, economic development, and satisfaction of the senses
Commentary on principles of household life
are properly followed in household life, one's activities are as good as those of transcendentalists. I wonder whether there have been any discrepancies in following these principles for Prīti-varṣapadā.
In this verse, Aditi has been addressed by her husband Kaśyapa Muni as gṛhamedhinī, which means one who is satisfied in household life for sense gratification. life for sense gratification.
Generally, those who are in household life pursue sense gratification in the field of activities performed for material results. Such grihmadis are only one aim, have only one aim in life, sense gratification.
Therefore it is said, Yanmait Hunadi Grihamedis sukkum hitucham, the householder's life is based on sense gratification and therefore the happiness derived from it is very meager.
Nonetheless, the Vedic process is so comprehensive that even in householder life, one can adjust his activities according to the regulative principles of Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha.
One's aim should be to achieve liberation, but because one cannot give up sense gratification, in the Shastras there are injunctions prescribing how to follow the principles of religion, economic development, and sense gratification.
As explained in Shrimad Bhagavatam, Dharamasya Hyapa Varga Syan Artho Arthayo Pakal Pate all occupational engagements are certainly meant for ultimate liberation. They should never be performed for material gain.
Those who are in household life should not think that religion is meant to improve the process of the householder's sense gratification.
Household life is also meant for advancement in spiritual understanding by which one can ultimately gain liberation from the material clutches.
One should remain in household life with the aim of understanding the ultimate goal of life, Tatva Jiggya Sun. Then household life is as good as the life of a yogi.
Kashyapamuni therefore inquired from his wife whether the principles of religion, economic development, and sense gratification were being properly followed in terms of the shastric injunctions.
As soon as one deviates from the injunctions of the shastra, the purpose of household life is immediately lost in confusion. Apivaku Salam Kinchit Grihashu Griha Mahedini Dharmasyartasyakama syatra yogo yogo yoginam
or my wife who are very much attached to household life if the principles of religion economic development and satisfaction of the senses are properly followed in household life one's activities are as good as those of a transcendentalist.
The theme of sad-dharma in Manvantara
I wonder whether there have been any discrepancies in following these principles.
Namamau Vishnu Padaya Krishna pristaya Bhutales Bhaktividanta Swami Tinamias, Gauravani pracharini nirviche sunyavadi pachaitades Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare So we're reading the eighths cant of Srimad Bhagavatam, which is according to the the topic described in Mahapurana of Shrimad Bhagavatam which is called Manvantara.
In the second canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Śukadeva Gaswami explains atrasarga Visarga Shastana Poshana Mutaya Manvantaresha Nukatha Niroda Muktir Ashraya. He lists the ten topics of Shrimad Bhagavatam and many Acharyas including Viswana Chakravarti Thakur adopt the Krama interpretation
are explained in sequence, starting with the third canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, where sarga or primary creation is being described, visarga, fourth canto, so on and so forth.
So according to this understanding, eighth canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is Manvantara, but the rules of Manus is being described. But Śukadeva Gosvāmī himself explains what is Manvantara.
This topic, which is supposed to bring us to understanding āśraya because the nine topics of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the explanation is the how to say this is something which leads us to understand āśraya,
the highest, the tenth topic of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is Kṛṣṇa himself, and how to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. So Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī himself explains
So Silasukadeva Gaswami himself explains that this topic of Manvantara is not the description of different manus.
you know couple of them mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and eighth canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, of course, Satyavrata Muni is mentioned, who is Manu. Shimad Bhagavatam, of course, Satyavrata Muni is mentioned, who is Manu.
But the real meaning of this particular topic, which is important for us again to understand the highest message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is saddharma. How Manus, who are the originators of humankind, are preaching saddharma.
There is saddharma and asaddharma. Dharma is a very catchy word, it's quite you know popular even in the Western world now. And Dharma is, you know, religion, morality, whatever you can translate it.
It's a very multi-dimensional word. But there is saddharma and asaddharma. And saddharma, as opposed to asaddharma, is the eternal moral principles. Eternal rules which we should follow under any circumstances.
And there is asaddharma. Asaddharma is dharma which you should follow for a particular purpose to achieve a particular purpose which can change.
Saddharma is never changed and if we again closely study 8th canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we will understand what really Saddharma is. The Saddharma is surrender to the Lord.
You know, there are so many rules which Manu in Manu-saṁhitā, there are so many, many different rules which are there. But ultimately, the meaning of these rules is to help to perform sad dharma, eternal dharma.
The eternal dharma of a living entity is to surrender to the Lord. Because Dharma, as Prabhupāda explains in his introduction to Bhagavad-gītā, is the reflection of our eternal nature.
Dharma is an attribute, is something which cannot be taken away from you. And if you follow your nature, then you become very stable. Stable in your mind, stable in your and therefore it's called dharma.
According to the root of Rud Dri, Dharma is something which sustains you, which makes your mind stable, which makes your body stable and sustainable, and your life becomes also stable.
So the real sad dharma which actually gives stability to our life, you know, especially in this world, you know how life is totally unstable. It's very vulnerable, very vulnerable, you know.
This political change, that political change, war, uh pestilence, whatever. So many calamities are here in this material world. But if you want, and we all be because the soul by nature is very stable.
And it's really bewildered in this material world where nothing is stable, nothing is permanent. You know, this pandemic and you know so many calamities are there.
So uh to to become stable we have to understand our constitutional position which is unchangeable. And our constitutional position, being part and parcel of the Lord, is to surrender to the Lord.
The constitutional position of a part is to surrender to the whole, to be, to function uh in a whole, not to function independently, not to imagine that I am free, I am a free citizen of a free country and therefore I can do whatever I like.
You know, good luck, you can try, but it will not bring you any happiness or stability in life because there is no chance of being happy uh if you are no if you don't have stability, if you don't have
peace inside, as Kṛṣṇa himself says in Bhagavad-gītā, aśāntasya kutaḥ sukham. kam. You cannot really imagine to be happy if you don't have śānti. Peace.
And peace comes from stability, and stability comes from following your dharma. And our real dharma is to surrender to the Lord.
Examples of surrender in Eighth Canto
So the meaning of 8th Kanto is to surrender to the Lord, and it's uh in all the stories of the 8th Kanto, uh this is the main lesson, the main purport. You know, Gajendra story and the elephant Gajendra is in trouble,
he surrenders to the Lord, then demigods they surrender to the Lord, and then ultimately Bali Maharaj surrenders to the Lord.
So, this is the thread, the meaning of the eighth canto, how to do this surrender, and why surrender is necessary, and what is the result of surrender.
And the glorious message of the eighth Kanto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is that if you surrender to the Lord, the Lord Himself by His own hands will give you everything which you need.
This is what is shown by Mohinī-mūrti snatching away the nectar from the hands of demons and giving personally, serving personally the demigods of this nectar. What is the difference between demons and demigods?
Demigods are conditionally surrendered, not unconditionally, but conditionally. Still, Krishna accepts even conditional surrender. And demons they don't want to be surrendered, they are rebels against God.
So and that's the result. If you want to be a rebel, no problem. This is a free world. You are a free citizen of a free country. You can do whatever you like.
But that's the consequence which you will have to deal with, ultimately, you will not be happy because the Lord Himself, by His own hands, will snatch something which you want, the nectar, and give it to somebody who is surrendered.
And in the similar way, the similar actually story is there in the story of Bali Mahārāja, where the Lord Himself comes to Bali Maharaj and snatches away his heavenly planets and gives to the demigods.
So that's basically the teaching of
the eighth skandha of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And we can only understand the particular verse or particular chapter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam if we know the wider context in which it is being presented.
So and in Padma Purāṇa it is explained that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the form of the Lord. So in this form of the Lord, his roop, the
eighth canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is his lotus hands. So by his lotus hands, what is eighth canto? He takes away something from the demons and gives something to those who surrender to him.
So again, by this, the emphasis in on this process of surrender. And we know surrender Sharanagati has six components.
Anukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam rakṣiṣyatīti viśvāso goptṛtve varaṇam tathā. Basically, it means that you know Saranagati is a science.
Śaraṇāgati is very elaborately described in Śrī Sampradāya, in the South, in Rāmānuja Sampradāya, and of course our ācāryas also give a lot of emphasis to śaraṇāgati.
Indirect instruction as a teaching method
So, and uh, in this particular chapter, uh, Kaśyapa Muni is teaching his wife also a science of śaraṇāgati ultimately.
By asking the questions, and it's a very interesting and very important device which is there and which is often being employed in different stories of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
If you want to say something, rather than saying something bluntly directly to somebody, you just ask him questions.
It's a more polite and more indirect way of instructing somebody, you know, and it's more effective way of instructing somebody.
You can get somebody, you know, get some brahmacārī and say, you rascal brahmacārī, you're not doing the proper thing.
But you may also politely, you know, approach this brahmacārī and say, are you doing everything which you're supposed to do? And by being indirect, actually it is said
in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that even Kṛṣṇa likes this parokṣa-vāda. Parokṣa-vāda means indirect. Krishna, you know, the beauty of dealings between human beings is that, you know, it doesn't have to be blunt.
It can be, you know, if it's a little indirect, if there is some, you know that it's it gives you some beauty. So here we can see very clearly the way how to do instructions.
The best and the most effective way to give instructions is to ask questions but loaded questions the questions in which you you really you really want to say something, you're not really interested in answers.
Like in this particular instance, Kaśyapa Muni is not really interested to hear the answer. He wants to say something, but he's saying it in a particular way.
So, and here Yeah uh yeah and uh and yeah I'm supposed to give the review of the whole chapter, right? Yeah.
So basically, after asking these questions from his wife and in reality teaching her, because he comes, Kaśyapa Muni comes to his home, to his ashram, to his home, which is āśrama, because in reality our home should be an āśrama, should be a place where we are not engaged in shram.
Shram means useless activity. The word āśrama means the place where you are engaged nicely, when you are engaged something meaningful in something meaningful
because usually you know people when they you know they they waste their time at home you know they do something perhaps meaningful at you know in their jobs which is also quite questionable in nowadays.
But then when they come home they only watch TV or you know play some games or whatever. So it's uh it's not an āśrama. Āśrama is a place where there is no shram. Shram means useless labor, useless things.
So he comes to his home and he sees that the home is very how to say this there is no luster.
You know, it's very interesting because when you come somewhere at somebody's home, you immediately can feel the energy of this place. If the energy is positive. You also feel elevated in your spirits.
And you know if you come to a place which is dirty, which is not clean and not neatly, you know, taken care of, you immediately feel your your consciousness goes down.
You know, so he comes to his home and to his surprise he feels very tangibly and vividly that something is wrong in this home. Something is not correct. So it's also very important thing, you know.
Uh we have to be sensitive to this kind of stuff. When we come to a place we really have to sense what is the energy here, whether it's right or wrong what' whats's going on.
You know, sometimes even we come to a temple and we feel something is really wrong and then we feel like asking questions from the temple president. Are you doing everything properly? Or perhaps or perhaps not?
So because the idea here is that if you do everything properly, if you really understand what you're supposed to do, then the atmosphere uh becomes purified.
And when the atmosphere is pure, when uh the whole uh yeah, the whole environment is kind of your your spirit will be elevated. You will feel that. It's really you you will feel enthusiasm.
This is the sign, the sign of uh you know elevation of the spirit is that some some enthusiasm is there. You want to do something, you want to do something meaningful, meaningful, you want to do something good.
Overcoming deep-rooted material attachment
So and Kashiapa Muni sees this and he starts asking the questions, trying to figure out what is the reason, or rather trying to point out to his wife where she might have committed some mistake.
And then she assures him, Aditi, the mother of Demigods, she assures him that she is following everything properly
but still she is morose because she sees the situation of her sons who are uh deprived situation of her sons who are uh deprived of uh the rule of heavenly planets.
So and Kashiapa Muni at that moment he he starts wondering how deeply rooted this material identification is. So from indirect giving instructions to Aditi he again gives somewhat indirect instruction just by wondering.
He doesn't say you're a stupid woman, and you're attached to your sons. He says, Oh, how powerful is material energy! Even such an elevated woman is still attached to the sons. So that's a again very important lesson.
You know you you say something in a in a way which can penetrate the heart of a human being. You don't accuse him or don't blame him. But you say, how is that possible?
How powerful is material energy that even though you are the mother of the demigods, you are the original mother of the goodness personified in this material universe. And still you are so engrossed in this bodily conception of life.
Still, your ego is so strong. He's showing us very important point that our ego is very, very deeply rooted.
You know, we know from the day one and Arjuna from the second of the second chapter of Bhagavad-gītā knows we're not this body. You know, and we heard it innumerable number of times, but you know it's not enough to feel that I am not this body.
So why? Because this knot which is connecting the soul with the material body is very tight. The knot is called ahaṅkāra, and this ahaṅkāra, this knot is extremely tight.
And therefore, again and again and again we hear this seemingly simple philosophy, which actually is not so simple at all.
And Kashapamuni has to give this instruction to his wife, saying that you know you're supposed to be you're supposed to know better, my dear wife. Still, you are so attached to your sons.
Surrender as the ultimate remedy for desires
And then he gives perhaps the most important instruction, which is the essence of this particular chapter. He says, if you want to fulfill your desires, you have to surrender to the Lord. You have to worship the Lord.
You are ultimately the cause of your unhappiness is the lack of surrender. So again the same topic, the same theme, the same subject
matter, which is the general subject matter of the eighth canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And of course, of this particular chapter, when Kasyapa Muni will tell the wife, you know, the cause, if you want to be happy, surrender to the Lord.
Then you will get. He will give you whatever you need.
And of course, we know as a result of this conversation, Vāmanadeva will become will agree to become son of Aditi and Kāśyapa and ultimately he will himself snatch away the heavenly planets from Bali Mahārāja and give it back to the sons of Diti.
So uh uh that's that's actually the essence of this chapter when Kāśyapa Muni says to her, My dear wife, you have to follow a certain process. Because worship of the Lord is a particular it's a scientific method.
And Kāśyapa Muni, after being requested by the wife, wife readily accepted this proposal, and she said, please teach me what should I do? How should I worship the Lord?
Because we all know, we know that we should worship, and people instinctively, intuitively, they feel that there is some higher force.
You know, like for example, myself, I was born in a very atheistic family in a very atheistic country where you know rulers of this country at that time they wanted to eliminate faith in God completely, totally, and they even had certain plans to do it.
You know, but even though despite of my upbringing and programming, I remember very clearly I was praying to God. I didn't know who God is. I don't know you know, still I was praying when I was five years old, you know.
Even though everyone used to tell me that there is no God, and I myself was preaching that there's no God, but still I was praying to God who didn't exist. So it basically means that the intuition is there in the soul.
We feel that we are tiny little soul, that we are not really independent. And we want to worship somebody who is higher than us who can give the shelter.
So the whole Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the science of surrender and the science of worshipping the Lord.
The systematic process of worshiping God
How to worship the Lord? What is the highest form of worship the Lord?
Because what is the 10th canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam? 10th canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam explains the best process of worshiping the Lord, which is just you know, sometimes riding on his shoulders, or sometimes dancing with him, or sometimes just snatching food from his plate.
The Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam explains this very unusual way of worshipping the Lord and great intimacy and joy.
But before doing this, before trying to ride on the shoulders of the Lord, you have to surrender in a real way. And therefore, these preliminary processes are also described in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.
And the payovrata is one of the processes. It's a very scientific process which actually works. I know many very pious, uh not many, but I know a few pious women who
followed this process according to the instructions of Kaśyapa Muni, who were not supposed to have children by some reason or another, and they got beautiful children as a result of this process.
So this process still works. This recommendation given by Kaśyapa Muni in this chapter are still valid. So basically, that's the essence of this chapter.
The questions of Kaśyapa Muni, which are actually instructions, the ultimate instruction, if you want to behave, surrender to the Lord. And then the concrete process: how to surrender to the Lord.
How to surrender your little independent will to the greatest will of the Lord, how to come in harmony with the will of the Lord, and how to act in a harmonious way so that your uh uh godgiven independence w would not create disturbance in your life and in the life of the uh society.
So that's that's the science of surrender. How to live harmonious and happy life.
And for that, the process is given here in this verse, I don't have time to speak on this verse in particular, but the general formula of harmonizing your will with the will of the Lord is dharma, Artha, and kama, which ultimately will lead you to moksha.
You know, because we are a yogī, as Kaśyapa Muni says here, a-yogīnām, because we are not really you know great renunciates, great sadhus, great you know people. So what shall we do for us uh yogis uh people people who are still who still have some illusion that they can be happy and satisfied in this world. This gradual process is there, Dharma, Artha and Kama.
And then if you follow this process, you know, strictly following religious rules and regulations of the scriptures, which is dharma. And by this means achieving artha, which is wealth and well-being.
And by the means of wealth lowly obtained uh according to the law obtained uh in dharmic way obtained uh wealth uh you can uh give your sense gratification and ultimately you will be frustrated in your sense gratification because that's the way of sense gratification.
And you will want mokṣa, and the mokṣa will be readily available for you. So that's the process which is indirectly described in this. And he's asking, are you following this process?
Are you not trying to circumvent this process and in this way foolishly try to become happy? So, and that's the teaching for us. If we want to become happy in this world there is a process. And that's scientific process.
And we should know the process. We should know the minute details of this process and follow it.
In this way we'll become happily physically, happily, happily mentally and strong, physically, strong mentally, and ultimately by achieving the you know realistic understanding of life we will strive for ultimate liberation
and reach Bhagavān on a daily basis. Thank you very much.
Adjusting spiritual practices according to qualification
So we have thirty seconds for questions. Thank you, Maharaj. Um I just have a question. So it's looking like this section of the Bhagavatam is proposing the process of dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa.
But if my memory serves me correctly, there are various other parts of the text that would say that we have to completely let go of those four stages and just because you know that Vyāsadeva himself felt like he hadn't addressed what the Vedas are actually supposed to be about, which is something beyond those four stages.
The beauty of Vedic culture is that it doesn't give universal instructions to everyone but stresses the need to act according to your qualification. It gives you the complete picture of reality, gives you the highest goal, but at the same time, it urges you to find your place in this complete picture and not to try to jump over to something which you are not ready for but gradually in a very holistic way achieve the desired goal.
Yes, there is a desired goal, and there is my humble or not so humble self who want to achieve this desired goal and there is a process.
And therefore, in the 11th canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Sri Krishna himself says and that Svesvedikari Yanishta Sagunam Parit Parikirtitaha.
What is guna, what is what is virtue? Virtue he doesn't give the recipe for virtue, universal recipe for virtue, which is applicable in all cases, in all circumstances, to all people.
He says: if you follow your dicar, if you act according to your qualification, then this is the virtue.
And if you try to follow or some path which is not really which you you're not really fit for, then that's dosha. That's that's not sin, but it's it's it's something which is bad, which is not, which is opposed to virtue.
So yes, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gives us the complete picture and gives us very clear understanding that at one point we have to you know let go certain things, attachments, which are very strong in the mind.
But he also teaches us the gradual process how to do this this let go. So dharma, artha, and kama, this design or whatever, this method is the is actually the process how to let it go if you do it properly.
You know, the artha and kama becomes very entangling only if you do it, if you try to achieve your wealth or well-being and your sense gratification in the way which is contrary to dharma.
But if the dharma is the foundation of whatever you do in life, then even by doing these other things which you need to do due to your certain constitution. Uh they will not entangle you. They will give you ultimate you know lead to to something higher.
Cultivating sincere surrender during comfortable times
Okay? Thank you for the class marriage. My question is, you spoke about surrender.
So in my personal experience, I've seen that I'm truly able to feel spontaneous, heartfelt surrender And then therefore Krishna will mercifully send to you this. That's the call.
What I was trying to understand was that when I'm having a a happy life, you know, no problems it's everything's going well. Most of the times my sadhana is mechanical. There's no feeling of surrender.
So what can be done and that See we we uh in in a normal circumstances we have this somewhat illusory and false sense that we are in control.
And because of this sense, this feelings that you know everything is under my control, you know, you don't need to surrender to anyone because you know everyone everyone else has to surrender to you because everything is under your control.
But if we really understand how vulnerable we are in any circumstances. How anything can happen anytime. You know.
And that's that's a question of intelligence, you know, yes it's a nice feeling you know when we feel that everything is you know works according to the my plan and the design and whatever I want to do.
But you know that's why we have to preach to ourselves. We have to hear somebody else preaching and to preach to ourselves. Actually this is this is an illusion. This is a temporary condition which I am in.
Yes, now it's everything goes okay nicely, but ultimately it's you know, anytime anything can happen. So better to be prepared for this by being surrendered to the Lord. So the sincerity, it's very interesting.
Confucius I once read and I was struck by
this he said that sincerity what is sincerity he says sincerity means intelligence you know uh if we are intelligent enough uh we understand the reality and this understanding of reality uh will make us sincere.
So So uh insincerity is foolishness, is the sign of foolishness. If we if we are intelligent, we will understand you know what we should do, what we're supposed to do.
So the sincerity will come after deliberating on the nature of reality. Okay, thank you. Thank you. Śrīla Prabhupāda-kī-jaya! Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam-grantha-rāja-kī-jaya! Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam kī-jaya! Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma-kī-jaya!