Chaitanya-charitamrita Madhya-lila.24.190
Bhakti Vijnana Goswami · London · 2017
Chapters
Reciting Caitanya Caritamrta verse text
Jai Jai Si Chaitann, Jay Natananda, Jaydvaita Chandra Jai, Guru Bhakta Brinda. Jayaya srichaitana, Jainitananda, Jaya Shri Shitan Jananda, Jaydhvaita Chandra Jai Gorbhakta Vrinda Jaya srichaitana, Jainitananda, Jachaitanya, Jaya dwaitachandra Jai Gurbhakta Brinda, Chandrajaya, Guru Bhakta Vrindam Adeekh. Chant now together.
Verse number 190 from the 24th chapter of Madhili Explanations of the Atmarama verse.
Te vai Vadanti Pattaranti Chā Deva Mayam Devaam Stri Sudra Puna Sabaram Api, Papa Jiwa, Papa Jiva, Yadi, Addhrama, para sila, siksha, siksana Api Kim
O Sruta Dharana Teva danta titaranti chadeva mayam Teva Mayam Teva Danta Titaranti Cadeva Mayam Teva Titaram Srishu Drahuna Shabara pipāpa javaha. Stri Drahuna Shabara pipajha. Sriso drahuna sabara apipajiva, Srisudrahuna
Shabarapajba, Yatbhakramparayana Sila siks Yaddbuttakraya na se la siks ja, putarma paraya na si Tiriab dhana apikimusru dadanay, tiri dhana, piadhanay, tiri dhana apikimu sruta dara, tiriadjana apikimu sruta, teva vidanta titaranti chadeva myam teva vi Srisudrahuna sabara apipāpajva.
Srisudrahuna sabara pipāpaja Yatadbhakrama paraya na si la siksha, butrama paraya se la sha, piriadna pi ki mu shruta d So I'll uh I'll read the translation of the previous verses before we come to this.
Universal scope of devotional service
Started from 178. The context of this series of verses is that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is explaining the meaning of the famous Admarama verse to Sanatna Goswami from the first canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
And he gives different meanings because basically anyway we we'll talk a little bit about the meaning of this verse in uh in the lecture but here in this particular section of uh his explanation he gives sixty four different explanations of this verse he says that the word muni uh means bird and bringa, bringa means bumblebee.
And Nirgranti means foolish people. And what he wants to say basically is that the scope of devotional service is very wide and universal.
That bhakti is not only for Atmaramas, those who are self-satisfied not only for Moonis in the standard meaning of the word, those self-satisfied and completely introspective sages and not only to Nirgantas, meaning those people who don't have any grantha, who don't have any bondage to this world.
Not only they can feel the attraction of Krishna, but basically anyone. So that's what Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu wants to say to us or to convey.
That is, while widening the scope of different meanings of this words from this verse. That muni means even even birds can render the devotional service.
Even the birds can feel the attraction of Krishna and his qualities. Everyone, basically, besides us.
But everyone else can so uh that's the implied meaning uh uh behind all these uh quotations which uh Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu gives to illustrate this point that uh practically anyone can feel attraction to Krishna.
So he quotes in in the first verse he quotes the verse from the tenth canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which says, all the cranes and swans in the water are being enchanted by the melodious song of Krishna's flute.
They have approached and are worshipping the Supreme Personality of Godhead with full attention. Alas, they are closing their eyes and becoming completely silent. Muni.
Even the cranes and swans they are worshipping the Supreme Personality of Godhead by hearing the sound of his flute. This is the quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.35.11.
In the day, Krishna went to the forest of Vrindavana and at that time the gopis being morose due to separation with him were lamenting in this way.
And then another quotation: Kiratas, Hunas, Andras, Pulindas, Pukashas, Abhiras, Shumbhas, Yavanas, and members of Khasa races means Chinese people. And even others who are addicted to sinful acts can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord due to his being the supreme power.
I beg to offer my respectful obeisances. This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
This verse was spoken by Śukadeva Gosvāmī when Parīkṣit Mahārāja asked him for a description of a creation, while offering obeisances to the Supreme Personality of God, His Śukadeva Gosvāmī described the unlimited potencies of Lord Vishnu, who can purify the low-born creatures mentioned herein.
Definition of dhriti and spiritual endurance
And then another meaning is coming, all the connected. Kimvad Dhriti Shabdinija Purnatari Jnana kaya, dukkhabhi, uttama praptia, mahapurnahoi.
The word dhriti and dhriti although it's not there in the verse Atmarama, but before Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained that the word Atma in the word Atmarama may mean Dhriti. Dhriti means endurance.
So the word dhriti here or Atma, giving another shade to the meaning of the word Atmaram, is also used here when one is fully perfect in knowledge.
When due to having obtained the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one has no material miseries, he attains Mahapurna, the highest level of perfection.
And then to illustrate this, Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives this next verse. Dhriti is the fullness felt due to the absence of misery and the attainment of knowledge of Supreme Lord and pure love for Him.
The lamentation that arises from not obtaining the goal or from losing something already attained before does not affect this completeness. This is the verse found in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu.
And then the next verse, it's quite a quite a few significant verses, but anyway. A devotee of Krishna is never in a miserable condition, nor does he have any desire other than to serve Krishna.
He is experienced and advanced. He feels the transcendental bliss of love of Krishna and always engages in his service in full perfection. Next verse.
My devotees having fulfilled their desires by serving me, do not accept the four kinds of salvation that are easily earned by such service, why then should they accept any pleasures that are lost in the course of time?
Quote from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In next verse, in this material world, all living entities are disturbed due to their flickering position.
A devotee however is fixed in the service of the lotus feet of the Lord, the master of the senses, such a person is to be considered situated in endurance and patience. Again, endurance means dhṛti here.
And then Caitanya Mahāprabhu speaks next couple of verses himself. The word cha is for emphasis, and the word IP is used to indicate and aggregate.
Thus, it is to be understood that even dull creatures, births, births and illiterates, can be situated in endurance and engaged in Krishna's devotional service.
The word Atma is also used for a particular type of intelligence.
Since all living entities generally have some intelligence, it's a very generous statement, since all living entities generally have some intelligence, more or less, they are all included.
Intelligence and attraction to Krishna
Everyone has some kind of intelligence, and one who utilizes his intelligence is called Ātmārāma. There are two types of ātmārāmas.
One is a learned scholar and philosopher, and the other one is an uneducated, illiterate, foolish person.
By the mercy of Krishna or by the association of devotees, one increases his attraction to and intelligence for pure devotional service.
Therefore one gives up everything, engages himself at the lotus feet of Krishna and his pure devotees.
And then the verse which we read and the verse before from Bhagavad-gītā, famous verse, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate, iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ. Bhāva-samanvitāḥ.
I, Krishna, am the original source of everything, everything emanates from me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in my service with love and devotion.
And then translation of the verse which we read together: women, fourth-class men, uncivilized hill tribes, hunters, and many others born of low families, as well as birds and beasts, can engage in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who acts very wonderfully and follow the path of devotees and take lessons from them.
Although the ocean of nescience is wise, is vast. They can still cross over it. What then is the difficulty for those who are advanced in Vedic knowledge?
This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.7.46, Lord Brahmā said that when speaking this, when speaking to his disciple Nārada about the wonderful characteristics of Lord Vishnu, simply by chanting the glories of Lord Vishnu, one can cross the ocean of nescience, even though one may be low born.
Namaḥ oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine. Namaste sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe. Vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaḥ ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. Chaitanya Prabhunitananda Sriadvaita Gadadhara Srivasa de Gaura Bhakta Vrinda Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare
Hare Hare, mahā-mantra.
Spiritual experience versus material desires
Okay, so I will try to say a few words uh in regard to the verses which are uh mentioned here. As we said, this is 64 different explanations of Atmarama
thos. Ātmārāmāśh ca munayo nirgranthā apy urukrame kurvanty ahaitukīṁ bhaktim ittham-bhūta-guṇo hariḥ. Ittham-bhūta-guṇo hariḥ. And the general meaning of this verse, the general and basic
meaning of this source is that it's spoken in connection with Shukadeva Gaswami that Shukadeva Gaswamy was attracted towards the Supreme Lord, even though
he was totally self-satisfied, he was a muni from his birth, he was completely absorbed in the Brahman realization. He was on a very high spiritual platform, and they implied meaning of this verse is that the
highest path is the path of devotion. When we feel the personal attraction towards God, There are so many different ways to experience something spiritual or semi-spiritual or quasi-spiritual or whatever.
You know, people take drugs, LSD, and you know, some and they think this is some spiritual experience. And they do yoga and they sit in meditation sometimes for hours and they also have some sort of experience.
Because in this world we're all after experience. There is nothing else. We want to be happy, and the happiness is coming through some sort of experiences.
And different people are trying to find different experiences in this world, which they think are bringing them happiness. So and you know spiritual life is but just a completely different type of experience.
When one is disgusted with the material experiences and who is not, you know, when is an understatement. Everyone is more or less bored or disgusted, you know.
It's just boring, the same stuff, you know, you have to eat every day. It's so boring. You know, it's not only you have to eat, you have to be excited about it, which is the most amazing things, you know.
Every time you have to try to squeeze out some new thing, you know, after you know, forty-fifty years it becomes really boring sort of fun. So sooner or later everyone becomes somewhat frustrated and
disgusted, and on the top Krishna very generously sends us some miseries in life and it's it's becoming a you know very strange experience.
So that's why people come to temples and to churches and take LSD and try to find some alternative to the normal experience of material life. They do yoga and meditation and this and that.
Sukadeva Gosvami's attraction to Krishna
But basically, this verse implies a very important truth, contains a very important truth, conveys a very important truth, is that even those who are highly advanced, the most advanced, in whatever path they are taking, even they cannot resist but be attracted when they hear about the glories of the Lord.
And that's the experience of Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Śukadeva Gosvāmī is being described in the first canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as
so renounced that in yam pravrajantam anupetam apeta-kṛtyam dvaipāyanō viraha-kātara ājuhāva putreti tan-mayatayā taravo ’bhinedus. He was anupeta-apeta-kṛtyam.
He just came out from the womb of his mother, completely fully grown man. But anupeta-apeta-kṛtyam, he didn't undergo any ceremonies, he was so realized
that he didn't need upanayana saṁskāra, he didn't need any saṁskāras, he just went away because he didn't want to have anything to do with this material life.
Just not even a trace of attraction he had to the material life. And his father was running behind him and was crying, putreti tan-mayatayā, but he didn't even respond to his cries. So renounce he was.
Only the trees were responding.
And therefore, Sūta Gosvāmī, he's paying obeisances, taṁ sarva-bhūta-hṛdayaṁ munim natōsmi, he's like an heir, so renounced Bhuta Hridayamuni Manatosmi, he's like an heir, so renounced he is, not touching anything and entering everyone's heart.
So but this person who is completely renounced, who has nothing to do with this material world, when he heard the vibrations of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, when he heard this particular verse, what's the verse goes? How it goes?
barhāpiḍam nata-vara-vapuḥ karṇayor karṇikāram bibhrad vāsaḥ kanaka-kapiśaṁ vaijayantīṁ ca mālām Kapisham Vajayan Tim Chamalam Randram Vino Radarasudyan vṛndāraṇyaṁ sva-pada-ramaṁ prāviśad gīta-kīrtiḥ and he just heard this Pravishad Gita Kirti and he just heard this verse describing the beauty of Krishna, he became mad.
We are not becoming mad, luckily, otherwise it would be quite a sin.
But he became mad out of ecstasy just by you know when this picture of the beauty of Krishna uh appeared in his mind and due to this verse, he just started running behind the disciples
of Śrīla Vyāsadeva, who were used as a means or device to attract him back home. And he stayed for many months with Vyāsadeva, listening and studying Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhagavatam.
And again, this is all to show that there is the highest possible path that is to feel attraction or love for Krishna.
And that's again the general meaning of the verse, which says that even ātmarāmāś those who are completely self-satisfied, munis, the introspective sages, nirgranthaḥ, liberated person, totally, absolutely liberated person.
At-kāmo 'py udara-dhiḥ kurvanti ahaitukīṁ bhaktiṁ. They do ahaitukī bhakti, completely pure devotional service. Kurvanti. Kurvanti is parasmaipada. There are two ways to subjugate Sanskrit verbs.
It's either parasmaipada or atmanepada. In other words, you can do any activity in two ways. You can do activity for yourself and in this way you have to subjugate a particular verb according to the Atmanepada mode.
You're doing something for yourself. Or you can do the same activity, not for yourself, for somebody else. And that's called Parasmaipada. So it's a different subjugation. It's a very special and very wise feature
of Sanskrit that you can say about the same activity. Either it is directed to yourself to your own pleasure or it's directed to somebody else so here it is kurvanti kurvanti means you're doing it not for yourself you're
doing it for Krishna, ahaitukī bhakti. So they say that all of a sudden they become so attracted, and that's a description of love. When you love somebody, you don't want anything for yourself.
You want to do something not for yourself, for s for one who whom you love. So here it's very specifically said, kurvanti ahaitukīṁ bhaktiṁ.
they start doing bhakti not because they want anything for themselves but because they want to please Krishna. Ittham-bhūta-guṇa hariḥ. Such wonderful qualities Hari has.
Such amazing, overwhelming qualities He has, so that spontaneously you start doing something.
So that's again the general meaning of this verse which Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains, but then he starts doing something very special with this verse. And he says that actually this verse is not
only describing Ātmarāmas and munis.
Accessibility of devotional service to all
Oh, He describes Ātmarāmas and munis, but He says basically that bhakti is for everyone.
Bhakti is for Chinese people and Jewish people and believe it or not, Russian people, and you know this is a living proof sitting in front of you. So even they can experience the attraction of Krishna.
Anyone, in other words, and it is said in the verses which we read, when api is standing in the end of these three things, ātmarāmāś ca munayo nirgrantā apy. Api means even, and basically, Caitanya Mahāprabhu wants to say that by saying Atmarama Muni and Nirgantha and by giving different meanings to these words, practically anyone can feel the attraction of Krishna.
Anyone can become, can fall in love with Krishna. Anyone, without any exceptions. Including, as we read in this verse, Tiryakjan. Tiryakjan means animals. Animals or Westerners. This sort of creatures.
You know, who are not really not really highly intelligence. And Mahaprabhu says that there are two types of intelligence, and one intelligence is developed intelligence.
Another kind of intelligence is undeveloped intelligence. And normally you feel the attraction towards a spiritual subject matters only if your intelligence is developed, is highly developed.
You know, it's a certain stage of evolution of the consciousness. You can't really feel, you know, on the lower stages of the evolution of consciousness, you can only feel attraction towards something really gross.
If our consciousness is gross itself, we can only feel attraction to something gross. And God is is not gross.
God is the most subtle thing which is the not really thing, but God is the most subtle entity which is there in the whole creation.
So we can see, we can very clearly see that you know, according to the grossness of one's intelligence, of one's consciousness, we are attracted to different things. You know, some people they like classical music.
And they go, and the subtleties of this classical music goes inside and they enjoy.
You know, for other people it should be, you know, uh hundred decibel, uh some boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, and this is only what attracts them. Why? Because this is the structure of their consciousness, the heart.
You know, if it's it's if it's very loud, then they can be attracted. Not something more subtle.
So that we can see that different according to the level of intelligence, the attraction is different towards different things.
But the amazing thing about God is that even if we are deaf, completely dull, completely unintelligence, with completely undeveloped intelligence, still we can be attracted towards him. I mean it will be more difficult.
There is no doubt about it.
Because the natural attraction is for different things, but it's possible, and that's the point which Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu wants to make and makes by giving all these different explanations to this verse.
But he explains the condition when the in this series of the verses when the scope or the application of devotional service becomes really universal.
In normal cases, so to speak, it's only highly developed people who can feel the attraction of the Lord.
Even though the Lord, His name is Krishna, Krishna means the magnet, the central magnet, which attracts everything and everyone.
Still, somehow or other, you know, so many people resist to this attraction. It's just not attractive to me. It's like this, you know, the magnet is attracting the iron.
But if iron is very rusty, if iron is covered by rust, then the attraction will not be there.
Even though by nature the iron is attracted to the magnet, but because of this covering, external covering, the attraction is not felt. In the same way, the soul by nature is attracted by God.
God is something which we all want. There is nothing else we want. There is really nothing else. We only want God. But because we are covered by this thick layer of ignorance,
Breaking samsara through devotee association
we don't really understand that we need him. We really mistake, we think I need this and I need that and, you know, maybe this will make me happy, or that will make me happy.
And this is the tragedy of our existence in this world. We are trying to find happiness where it is not. But we are so busy in doing it.
And life after life, we waste our time by trying to find happiness where it doesn't exist.
And actually it's a vicious circle because we are not finding happiness where it exists because we don't feel attraction, because there is no connection, so to speak. So, how to break this vicious circle?
In other words, how to get out from this vicious circle of saṁsāra. Samsara is a very difficult thing. It's, you know, Yadgatva, Mamnivartante, you know, if you once enter into it, you practically never come out of it.
Because no matter which species you are in, you feel great. Everyone feels great. Cockroach feels great. He thinks it's a great life. There's nothing funny about it. It's very sad.
Every single living entity which lives in this world feels that it's it's it's almost perfect. Almost. You know only human beings who are little more developed they, sometimes feel that something is wrong here.
Everyone else is just fine. Fine. So many species of life. The sparks of consciousness in a pig's body, you know, it's such a miserable condition. But try to explain this to the pig.
It will be very difficult for a pig to understand that he's miserable. You know, come to him and tell, you know, dear sir, why you're in this condition. He says, yeah, what's wrong with it? I like it. It's fine.
Well, get out of here, you know. Leave me alone. I'm happy. And everyone is in this condition, more or less. And even human beings, even sometimes we think that something is wrong, but it's not for a long time.
Usually we think everything is fine. It could be little better. But it's fine. So it's a vicious circle. We don't and it's a very actually denigrating and very uh how you say humiliating position we have.
While entering into this material world, we are humiliated every day. We're always humiliated, you know. Just going to the toilet is a big humiliation for the spiritual spark.
And all other needs which we have to fulfill or try to satisfy, they are not really very elevated. And we're busy doing this as if it's all okay, as if it's normal. Not even feeling embarrassed by this.
So again, as I said, it's a vicious circle. How to break the vicious circle? How to get out from this self-perpetuating condition which we are in.
We are more or less karma is self-perpetuating. It goes and goes and goes and you're repeating the same thing and you feel great about it and then you repeat it again and then you die and then you start from the same point which you left before without any change.
Karma is a very, I mean it's a it's a very it's a very difficult thing to break. And the specific point which Śrīla Caitanya Mahāprabhu makes. Mahaprabhu makes.
While explaining these verses, he says, there is a way to break it, and there is only way to break it. There is only way to break it, that is the association with devotees.
Because Krishna himself, you will not feel attraction, you don't have experience. You know, even if you listen about him, it may not really penetrate your heart.
But when you associate with the devotees of the Lord, then some qualitative uh leap can happen in your life. It's really a huge difference which can come into the quality of your life.
Otherwise you're just chewing the chewed. You're just more or less uh I don't know, there is Russian saying that you how you say uh tall tall taloch wode of stooping. Uh how you say it in English to to try to try
to grind the Yeah, grind grind the water. Grind the water and uh you know. It's not a very productive engagement. You take water and you try to grind it, you know.
Doing the same sort of thing, grinding and grinding, nothing happens. No change in the quality.
So the same thing we're doing in this material world, grinding and grinding and grinding the woo the same old water of our karma.
So the difference comes when we directly encounter with the person who is coming from a different perspective.
When we have this direct encounter with a completely different state of consciousness, the state of consciousness which is which fills the attraction towards Krishna, then we may feel a shadow of attraction towards Krishna.
No matter on which condition, which stage of spiritual development we are at present. We may be in a very low platform at this moment.
But when we encounter, when we come in contact with somebody who has attraction of Krishna, we may feel, yeah, right, there is something to it. There is something really, really special in this person, or whatever.
Mercy extended to fallen souls
We may feel you know some some sort of attraction, uh strange attraction, which may not be which may not be there in our normal life. You know, there was this.
There is a famous story which is recorded in Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta. When Prabhupada in the very beginning days of Krishna consciousness movement on the Second Avenue, he was giving a lecture.
And you know, this or maybe it n it was even not Second Avenue, it was maybe this what was the before? Very degraded place.
Anyways, you know there's so many quite degraded people would come and they they couldn't understand anything.
You know, s sometimes people they were just, you know, they were so drunk or so under the some drugs, you know, they they they just couldn't couldn't figure out what's going on.
And here it is, you know, Śrīla Prabhupāda quoting Sanskrit verses to them. Isn't it funny? It's a it's a funny scene. Quoting Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and trying to convince them.
And you know sometimes when there was not so many visitors for Śrīla Prabhupāda's lecture and you know s somebody would would lay down so s somewhere completely drunk outside and uh sidewalk. You know, Prabhupada would say, bring him in.
You know, and the audience would ask, why? You know, he's drunk. He will get some benefit. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter.
He may be on in this state of consciousness, but still some benefit will be there. So uh you know this this sort of uh audience, this this sort of visitors are coming to listen to his lecture.
And you know, at one point Prabhupada was giving lecture,
sitting on his whatever, probably not the āsana podium, which was there, and saying something, and few of his first followers were there, and all of a sudden a completely the degraded person went in.
You know rocking uh slightly went uh to a restroom to the yeah to the toilet and he had a roll of uh of toilet paper with him and he just you know that's that's
the offering which he brought to to Prabhupada being grateful to him. And he put this roll of toilet paper into this.
So Prabhupada looked at him and said, this is the beginning of his devotional so that's the starting point. That's not even the starting point, that's the breaking point, the turning point in his career.
Because why did he do this? Because he felt attraction.
You know, somebody who is really, you know, not really somehow or other he sees a devotee of the Lord and he sees and he feels the sincerity and the purity, and uh and then you know uh he feels like doing something for this particular person.
And basically when we meet with the devotee of the Lord, it's a direct, we should understand, it's it's a direct encounter with the Lord Himself.
Because as it is said in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Yasyāsti Bhaktir Bhagavati, Sarvair Guṇais Tatrasamāsate Surāḥ. All the good qualities of the spiritual realm of
Of all the surahs, of all the gods, are coming in the heart of somebody who is yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā, who is rendering a completely pure ahaitukī bhakti, completely unmotivated devotional service.
Then he manifests all the qualities which are there, and these qualities may attract even very dull people.
And by seeing him, by trying to understand the motivations of his actions, we may feel ultimately attraction towards the Lord Himself. That's how it works. And that's the specific point. Uh when shall I stop my class? Nine.
Oh I'll I'll finish before.
Crossing over the illusory energy
And that's the specific point of this verse which we read together with you, which Te vai vidantīty ati-śūdra-hūṇāḥ śabarā api pāpā-jīvā api. Even very sinful people, strī, śūdra, hūṇa, śabara, you know or even much more sinful.
te vai vidantas taranti ca daiva-māyāṁ. They can vidanti, they can understand how the daiva-māyā, God's Maya, God's illusory energy influences us, vidanti. And atitaranti, not on not only vidanti.
Sometimes we feel that this is Maya. We understand this is Maya, this is illusion. Rarely. Usually when person is an illusion He doesn't understand that he is an illusion. He thinks everyone else is an illusion.
That's the nature of illusion. Otherwise, it's not illusion. If we are illusioned, we think I am right.
There was this story, nice story that once a sorcerer came to a city and he put some powder into the well from which everyone from the city was taking water for drinking. And all of a sudden people who drank would drink this water, they would become completely mad and they would just you know do some strange things.
And this has become known to the king. And the king uh he very carefully avoided this. He had his separate well in his palace.
So he made sure that him and his relatives would only drink water from his well, not from the poisoned well where everyone else was taking water.
But you know, one after another, uh all the mm citizens of of the uh this particular city they became completely mad.
And uh uh ultimately uh you know, by being mad, they came uh you know, by crying and you know so they they started revolting against the king.
They came to the uh to the palace and they started smashing it and this and that because they're mad. And the king is right. So he is sane still because he was not drinking this water.
And there is this wild riot, and he asked his minister what shall I do and the minister said go quickly and take water from this well then everything will be okay because that's the only that's the only solution to this problem.
You know, you cannot be sane among the mad people. It will be very dangerous for you to be sane in this in this situation, you have to be equally mad. So again, this is the nature of illusion.
If you are illusioned, you don't think that you're illusioned. You think everyone else is illusion, everyone else is mad.
So, but here it is said, "Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī" — you can know daivī māyā, you can understand Deva Maya, you can become a little sober and understand how Maya or illusion influences you, or at not even this.
Sometimes you may know I'm mad.
Sometimes we feel really by looking at ourselves and the desires which are there by in some bright moments of our consciousness we feel like, you know, what am I doing? What's going on within my heart?
But not even this, Atitaranti. Atitaranti means they can cross over the influence of Maya. They be completely can be completely free from this Deva Maya, Lord's Maya.
No matter where they are situated again — strī, śūdra, hūṇa, sābhara, ā-pāpa-jīvāḥ, yadi yadi mata-la-b — if, if, yadi means if. If they adbhuta-krama-parāyaṇa-śīla-śikṣāḥ.
And it's a very beautiful compound in Sanskrit, which Bhaktivinoda Thakur explains in one of his articles in Sajana Toshani. Very beautiful explanation, very deep explanation he gives.
He uses Adbutta Krama, Adbutta means wonderful, amazing, Krama means activities. He uses this particular very carefully Lord Brahma uses this words here very carefully which convey a very important meaning.
What is the condition that we feel attraction towards the Lord. What is the condition that we can be free from Maya? What is the condition that we can cross over the Maya?
The condition is in this particular phrase: Ad Buddha Krama Paraina Shila Shikshas. The condition is simple. If we are Ad Buta Krama Paraana no, not we Ad Buta Krama, Ad Buddha Krama means the Lord.
The one who can Urukrama. Basically, the same word which is used in Atmarama verse. Urukrama. Urukrame. So Ad Buddha Krama is the the same meaning, the somebody who uh who can do something really amazing.
And you know we encounter with this Adbuta Krama every day he created this amazing world. Isn't it? This world is amazing. Every day we see the sun. And we see, yeah, right, sun, yeah. Yeah, nice, nice. We're not amazed.
We are not really we are not really strick stricken. We are not really shocked that there is somebody put this sun and they say, yeah, yeah, right, right. Of course, of course.
Appreciating the character of pure devotees
We are not really impressed. You know, this is the level of our consciousness. It's very difficult to impress us. You know, the Lord made this amazing arrangement in this world.
Every single minutest particle of this world is completely, totally shocking and amazing. What to speak about us, you know, but we all take it for granted. Yes, yes, right, right. Yeah. The old man did something good.
It's amazing how dull we are.
So, but um what is said here in this particular phrase in Sanskrit, Ad Bhuta Krama Paraina, the one who feels attraction to this Ad Bhuta Krama, the one who is constantly in the state of of amazement of the beauty and uh and power and kindness of the Lord who really appreciates his qualities.
Parayana, Paray meanaans inclined, who has uh who really can appreciate. So Ad Bhuta Krama Paraina, when we meet with this devotee, and Shila, the next uh word in this is Shila. Shila means character.
So uh the implic and shikshas. The implication is that we can only feel we can also feel the attraction towards the Lord if we study,
not under the pure devotee who feels the attraction, but if we appreciate his character, his... if we study from his behavior, if we see him and we are impressed by him. That's what this verse basically means.
The implication of this verse, and again this is the explanation of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, and the implication of this verse, we can feel attraction towards the Lord only if we appreciate the qualities or the character of a pure devotee of the Lord.
And by appreciating the qualities of a pure devotee of the Lord, if we do this, then a very significant changes can take place in our heart. We see him in a different light.
If we will be able to see how the spiritual energy is working through him and how amazing things are happening, then we can feel the attraction towards the Lord Ittham Bhūta Guṇa Ḥara,
and uh his holy name becomes a source of enjoyment for us, the source of bliss, the source of ananda for us. So that's basically the meaning, how we how we can go about it.
And Prabhupāda's life is a glorious illustration to this verse. Because he does, he did make such a strong impact. How he made a strong impact?
Because people were you, know, looking at him, appreciating his qualities, learning from his example, you know, seeing, really appreciating his qualities. And that completely changed their heart.
And that's the only way to change our heart, to appreciate the qualities of the devotee. There is no other way. We can't, we too dull to appreciate the qualities of Krishna. We look at him and yeah, he's playing flute.
Yeah, right. Fine. Very nice. No appreciation. Too dull. Don't hear the song of the flute or whatever. We are not even the like the birds cranes in Vrindavan. They are much more advanced than us.
But we can appreciate the qualities of a devotee. And by doing this, we are doing something really significant.
And something really amazing is happening within our heart, if this sort of sentiment appears within our heart: Oh, he is so pure, he is so so nice, and he's so sincere in his endeavours to please the Lord.
So that's that's what we can work on. If we really try to consciously endeavor to appreciate śīla, the character, the qualities of a devotee. And if we take the Shiksha, the lessons from these qualities.
Not only how to say passively appreciate, but actively taking Shiksha from his qualities. In other words, trying to follow his footsteps, trying to be at least somewhat like him, trying to serve his qualities actively,
then only we can Teva Vidanta Titaranti Chadeva Maya. We can cross over this maya, this unsurmountable, totally, completely, very difficult to surmount illusory energy of the Lord. And only we can do this.
And luckily enough, and that's perhaps the last thing which I will try to make, uh, in this regard. Luckily enough, I was mentioning it actually in, uh, I believe, no, I didn't mention it.
Cognitive benefits of saintly association
Luckily for us, and basically what this series of verses is talking about, it's talking about the power of association.
And one of the previous verses where it is said Kiratas Hunas Abhiras and Pulindus and Pukashas and Hunot, they can feel attraction towards the Lord, if they are under the lotus feet that takes shelter, the lotus feet of Prabhavishnu, Prabhavishnavenamaha, of somebody who is Knowing the supreme power of the Lord.
But luckily for us, how it works, it's a very essential part of Adi culture, the Sadhu Sangha. Sadhu Sangha is a very uh I mean it's it's a fundamental fundamental feature of the Vedic culture.
The stress, the need of Sadhu Sangha, Sadhu Sangha, Sadhu Sangha, you know, Satsanga, Darshan. You have to. The very word darshan means you have, if the saintly person is there, you have to come and see him.
Even if you don't understand anything, even if you don't understand what he's talking about, even if you don't understand why he's so excited about something you you are totally not excited about, but you just see him.
And by seeing him, something imperceptibly is changing within your heart. Why? Because we are made this way. There is a very interesting discovery which was made quite recently in, the field of neurophysiology,
those people who studied the structure of the brain discovered that there are certain brain cells which they call monkey brain cells. Which start you know usually when we do something it's corresponds to the activity of the brain cells.
And there are some certain synapses. The brain cells are they have this synapsis the the how whatever yeah they they connect with other brain whatever yeah the the they they connect with other brain cells.
And through the connection with different brain cells, we are able to do very difficult activities, very complicated and complex activities.
Because and the more connections of uh are there within the brain, the more capable we are.
And usually when we do something like when we speak or when we do some complex activity, it corresponds to certain connections between the different brain cells, which enter into this connection and the electric current is going through, and in this way we are capable of doing this, basically.
And when the brain becomes degraded or deteriorates, it basically means that it loses its ability to enter into the new connections.
When the brain is young and healthy, it has this very great ability to connect and to learn basically.
But with the age, when uh this this ability to learn becomes less, it basically means that uh there is less connections and the less ability to enter into new connections between the different brain cells.
And usually again, these different connections is taking place in us only when we do something. In other words, to learn something, we have to do something new.
You know, like for example, we all know if you want to play piano or whatever, you have to learn again and again and again, and that creates certain structure within your mind which facilitates this activity and ultimately you become very good in it.
But listen, it's very important. The recent discovery was that there are certain brain cells in our brain, which is called monkey cells, which enter into connection with different brain cells in our brain.
Not when you're doing something, but when you're just thinking about doing something or when you're just seeing that somebody is doing this. In other words, it's a very important implication behind this statement.
In other words, we can learn just by seeing somebody. Not necessarily doing it, you know, ourselves. And that's exact what is implied.
I think Lord Brahmā knows the new physiology very well. And he exactly pointing out this feature of a human brain. Oh, not even human brain, monkey brain too. Tiriak, it is said. Tiriyak means animals.
Animals can also do this. We have this ability to learn just by seeing. To learn means to change ourselves. Because learning means changing.
So if we learn, if we want to change our life, uh to in other words, to learn something new, that the starting point is that you just come and see.
Come and see somebody who has different qualities, who relates to life and to other people in a different way.
And that's a very good starting point to change your inner how to say inner structure or inner outlook, your the nature of your consciousness, to change your heart. You will change your heart.
How you can change your heart. Now my heart is attracted towards matter. Irresistibly attracted towards matter. How to change the situation? Simple things. Just come and see. Gradually it will change.
And if you make a conscious endeavor to learn from somebody who has different state of consciousness, who is attracted towards Krishna. If you make conscious endeavors, then it will become much faster.
And this is the again the meaning of this verse because it is said, tiriak janapi, even animals can do this. Kim u shruta dharanaye. What to speak about those people who can come, sit and listen,
sruta dharana, who can concentrate on what this particular person is teaching you. Even if you cannot concentrate, you can do this. This is certain Alanka, or whatever, this is the
logic of this verse is called in Sanskrit, kaimutyanyaya, kimuta, what to speak of. Even the animals, even the monkeys can can look, you know, if if the monkey will absorb a saint, it will become a saintly monkey.
After some time, not immediately, but some saintliness imperceptibly will come into his heart. Why? Because there will be different structure in the m in the mind, in the brain.
But what to speak of but this is not uh all this thing is being said not for us to become like monkeys and to become really uh happy by just by seeing. The implication here is very important.
But if you can hear, and Sruta Dharana, concentrate on what you're hearing. Try to understand the message which is being conveyed. Then your progress will be much faster.
And then you will very quickly, Atitaranti, crossover, overcome this illusory energy, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī, then you will be able to really you will be immune to the influence of this uh energy.
So that's basically more or less there are so many other points which could be said, but I'm already uh over over my time. So thank you very much. That's what I wanted to explain to you. Thank you. Sila Prabhupada ki.
How pure devotees view others
Qu Questiestionsons.. Any any questions. Yes. Yes. Yes, please. Um I wanted to understand well in this verse we see that
it describes like many found conditions, but I would like to understand why pure devotees sees everybody as pure. Why pure devotees sees everyone as pure?
It is explained in the Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, where it is said that when the pure devotee when we see the world world uh
we see it through bhāva, and because the pure devotee has such a strong love towards Krishna. When he sees the world, he only sees love everywhere and in everyone's heart. bhāgava-bhāva.
Because he has this strong bhāva, bhāgava-bhāva, very strong love for God.
He kind of reflects this bhava into everyone else. And when he sees, he sees, you know, everyone else is serving the Lord. I'm the only one who is just not serving, he's observing. Only because that's the way.
Everyone else also seeing the world. If you're very envious, you will see only what? The envy in other people, right? You will always see that they're plotting and they're so envious and they're so selfish. Why?
Because you're selfish. All these people who are going into the internet and trying to, you know, condemn everyone else. They're just revealing the condition of their heart. They're only speaking about their own heart.
And they see it and we are foolish enough to believe them. He's bad and she's bad and so many bad people are. It's only one who speaks this way. He is bad. He's really bad.
So the same sort of dynamic is there in the heart of a devotee. He sees the world and he sees the world through the eyeglasses of his love. And he he sees everyone is in love of God. I'm the only one who is not.
Therefore, when Gopi sees Mriga, the deer, and they say, oh yeah, but this deer, it's just, you know, he's a pure devotee. He loves Krishna so much. The deer may not know about this. But it's a reflection of their power.
Not really, we shouldn't really take it so literally. We may take it literally too, but ultimately it's an indirect description of their love of God. Yes. Maharaj yeah. Thank you.
Thank you very much Maharaj for uh your thoughts. Um just one question, um in, um Bhagavad-gītā, it's especially in chapter two, it talks about buddhi-yoga. It refers to devotional service.
It's, it's buddhi-yoga many times. Yes. And, and I, I was, I was thinking buddhi means intelligence, even though there's another religion, Buddhism, which has nothing to do with with us.
Meaning of buddhi-yoga in scriptures
So could you maybe clarify this, or why is devotional service referred to in Bhagavad-gītā? In Bhagavad-gītā there are two understandings of buddhi-yoga. When Krishna speaks in a second chapter about buddhi-yoga,
he basically means a special kind of karma yoga which is connected with him. Because the pure karma yoga, which is described in different scriptures like Mahābhārata as well, is not really mentioned in Bhagavad-gītā.
In Bhagavad-gītā, when Krishna describes karma-yoga, he says you do everything in connection with me as an offering to me, in consciousness of me. So it's a sort of either beginning stages of bhakti-yoga or
I mean karma-miśrā-bhakti, or you know, he basically speaks about this karma-miśrā-bhakti. Buddhi, why he uses the word buddhi in the second chapter, because
karma-yoga or karma-miśrā bhakti implies an act of service, act active engagement. And therefore he calls it buddhi or buddhi-yoga because by your intelligence you connect whatever you do with Krishna.
You may be doing something ordinary. You may be fulfilling your duties, ordinary duties. You may take care of your wife and your children. But in your intelligence, you're connecting it with the service of the Lord.
And therefore, this is called buddhi. But then in the tenth chapter, Krishna gives much more profound definition of buddhi-yoga where he says, bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ yena mām upayānti te.
I'll give them special intelligence or connected intelligence, buddhi-yuktāḥ. I connect their intelligence and I help them to come to me.
So it starts in a certain point when you do whatever you do in connection with Krishna, when you offer your fruits of your ordinary work to Krishna to a certain extent, but it comes to a very elevated level then.
You constantly engage. Because your taste increases. You want to do more and more for Krishna. You start in one point, but then you want to do more and more more and and more. And you feel this.
And therefore you become satata-yuktānām. You're constantly engaged in this.
Bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam and you start worshipping to the Lord with love, buddhi-bhāva-samanvitāḥ as it is said here. Bhava Samanvita as it is said here.
Your appreciation towards the Lord through the act of devotional service, which may not be so pure in the beginning, increases and becomes pure.
And then dadāmi buddhi-yogam. Then I give him real buddhi-yoga, which is bhakti-yoga, which is real bhakti. Yana Mamupayantite and through this process of bhakti uh he comes to me.
Teṣāṁ samyuktānāṁ bhajati prīti-pūrvakam, dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ yena mām upayānti te. Thank you very much, Mamma. Thank you. Okay. I guess that's that's enough. Thank you very much. Hare Krishna.