Overview of Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.29. Lecture 1
Бхакти Вигьяна Госвами · Вриндаван · 2019
Главы
Invocation prayers and introductory recitation
O Mahyanati Mirandasyam Dyanam Janasalakayam Chaksurun Miritam Yana Tasmai Shriguravenama, Sri Citanyamaano Bis vishtamham stapi tainbutale, swayamrupayam, dahati swapadantikam pandeham Sri Guru, Sri Uta Padakamalam, Sri Guru Vaishnavamcha, Shri Rupam Sagajatam. Sahanaragunatam vitam sivam sadam savadutam parijana sahitam krishna Chaitanya Devam Sri Radha Krishna Padam Sahana Vadita Sri Rishakavitams He Krishna Karuna Sindho Deenabandho Jagatpate Gopesha Gopikakanta Radakantana muste Taptakanschanagurangi, Rade Vrindavanishari, Vrisabanu sutevi, Pranamami Yaripri Kripa sind du bevacha, patitana vanibyw, vaisnaveby na muhat. Sri Krishna Chaitanya Brabunianda, Sri Dvaittahara, Srivassadigora Bhakta Vrinda Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hhareaream Yantah Pravieshima Mavachimamprasuptam Sanjaya Dakila Shakti Darah Swadamna Anjam Shahastacharanas Ramatu Gadim Jnanja sabbauru ya samam bhavanbim niši bhavan guna kathamritapanama. Umna mo Bhavateva Sudevaya, Omnamo Bhagavate V Sudeva Omna mo Bhagavate Vasudevaya, Omna S Narayanama Maskritya, Skrit Naramcheva narotamam devim sarasvatiasam, tato jaya mudiraya. Našta praja shwa 3, ne tem Bhagavat, Bhakti Bhavatina Stiki, Yamprajanta Manopetama Peta Kritjam Dvaipayana Virahakatara Juhava putreititam yatayotawinedus, tam sarbu tahridayam muniato Hare Krishna.
What is the format usually how you do it? The uh this lectures, we read verses, all the verses in Sanskrit. We chant together all the time. Chant the verses. No, I fear.
When you decide to follow the verses, once we change the verse and then expand them. So every verse we should chant responsibly. Okay.
Three main topics of chapter twenty-nine
Devahuti ruvacha devahuti mah lakshanam mahadadinam Prakriti chpurcha secha, Svarupa, ena tatikam, yathasankye sukatinam, katye sukatam, yatmula yammula prachaks, Bhakti Yoga Syme Margam, Bhakti Yogasya Me Margam, Bruhivistara Shakprabo, Bruhistara Shakhu No word-by-word translation. No. Okay.
Okay, so we're reading the 29th chapter of the third canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and we will continue reading it for a couple of days, for a few days.
Translation by Srila Prabhupada Devahuti inquired, My dear Lord, you have already scientifically described the symptoms of the total material nature and the characteristics of the spirit according to the Sankhya system of philosophy.
Now I shall request you to explain the path of devotional service, which is the ultimate end of all philosophical systems.
So this 29th chapter, Śrīla Prabhupāda will explain in the beginning of this purport, basically deals with three big topics.
One topic of the 29th chapter is the description of bhakti according to the modes of material nature and nirguna bhakti. These four types of bhakti will be explained in some details.
And then the second topic of this chapter, very important topic of this chapter, is the gradation of the consciousness of living entities.
The hierarchical system of how the consciousness of the living entities is expanding and what are the consequences of this expansion of the consciousness. And what is the hierarchical system?
And basically, Kapiladeva explains the evolutionary theory according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So, evolution of the consciousness of living entity will be explained in this chapter.
And then the third topic of this chapter is of course the influence of time. And these three topics are very closely connected to each other.
Because the main topic, of course, of this chapter is explanation of devotional service or explanation of the path of bhakti. But for us to be inspired and impelled to follow the path of bhakti,
we have to understand that the bhakti is the highest possible blooming of the consciousness of a living entity.
That only when the consciousness of the living entity is fully developed, the living entity is capable of practicing bhakti.
Any form of bhakti, even the beginning stages of bhakti, still is a manifestation of a very high level of development of consciousness. We can see that in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, in the teachings of Tushila Rupa Goswami, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also starts explanation of devotional path from describing this system of elevation of consciousness, how the consciousness is gradually elevated.
So this second topic is supportive to the first topic trying to give us some incentive. Srila Prabhupada used to say that the most intelligent people join Hare Krishna movement.
Sometimes we have some doubts about it, but we really have to understand that this is a fact. That only the most intelligent people can appreciate bhakti and follow the path of bhakti.
And the third topic, of course, is also connected with this because if we know the supremacy of the Supreme Lord in the form of time, it will be specifically said by Devahuti why people engaged in all the spiritual activities, only because they are afraid of this. Otherwise there would be no spirituality in this world.
All forms of spirituality, including bhakti, of course, are because of the fear of death and uncertainty which it creates.
Devahuti's query on complete spiritual knowledge
Anyway, that's the three topics, the three main topics, and we will dwell on these topics for a couple of days as I said, uh, because they're very important.
And uh, we start with these questions. Devahuti, Mother Devahuti is asking Kapiladev three important questions.
And Kapiladev will explain or answer these questions not only in this chapter, but in the next chapters of Srimad Bhagavatam. And she gives a very important logic.
She says, please explain to me basically as I know you're doing anvaya of all the verses I will not do anvaya of all the verses but um, no anyway. So she basically asks, can you please in some detail Vistarashaha
or expand, please expand on this Bhakti Yoga Syame Margam? Please explain the path of Bhakti Yoga in great detail, Vistarashaha.
And Vistarashaha may also mean in this particular connection that the way of Bhakti Yoga is very vast. That the topic of bhakti yoga is very vast. And therefore, she wants the elaboration of this path. Why?
Because she says this very clearly, because without this it's not really possible to understand the Sankhya Yoga philosophy or the relationship between Prakriti and Purusha.
She says that you already explained how this material world is composed, how the living entity is interacting with Prakriti with the material nature.
But in reality, you can only have the complete picture of the whole thing if you know Bhakti Yoga.
So that's a very important point which we have to understand, and that's her intention this in the purport that sometimes people and many times people this in the purport that sometimes people and many times people try to understand the world which is in front of us. In some detail, how this world is connected.
You know, Venegopala said that I was a scientist. And yes, I was a scientist, and I was trying to understand how this world is composed.
But she makes a point that you will never be able to have the complete picture of the world unless you know Bhakti Yoga, unless you love God, unless you love the creator of this world.
Otherwise, what will happen if you don't have this complete picture? What will happen? You will know only part of the maybe in some detail part of the creation, but your knowledge will be destructive.
This is exactly what we have in this material world. Scientists they try to study this material world, to study the science. But what is the result? The result is destruction.
Because they only take the partial manifestation of this and try to study it, they never have the complete picture. As she says here that what is this yata? Bhakti Yoga Shimargan. Yan Mulam Tat Prachakshate.
She says that you can only understand the whole picture if you understand the moo, the root of the existence.
And you can only understand the root of the existence if you understand complete picture or if you know bhakti, the path of bhakti. So that's the first question of her.
She's saying that please explain to me Bhakti Yoga to make the picture complete. Otherwise, we will be left with the incomplete picture and this incomplete picture or partial knowledge will end up in bewilderment.
Actually, partial knowledge is worse than ignorance. Because ignorance you can replace with the full knowledge.
But partial knowledge you will never be able to replace with the full knowledge because people will become proud. They have little partial knowledge, little knowledge of something, and they think they know everything.
This is what we see in the material world. People have some little knowledge, but this little knowledge becomes the impediment for them to have the complete picture. Because they become satisfied.
So she says, please give us this complete picture or complete knowledge so that we know the root cause of everything and ultimately our interaction with this world will not be destructive.
And Śrīla Prabhupāda explains in the purport that ultimately Ah uh yeah where is it? Uh that uh if we give up bhakti- yoga and simply busy ourselves in analytical study of the nature of the things as they are, then the result will be practically nil.
Actually, the result will be not nil, the result will be less than nil will be minus result. So as stated in Bhagavatam, such engagement is something like husking a paddy.
What is the verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant? Huh? Tens candle? Bhaktim Sri Team. Yes. Bhaktim Sri Team. Paktim. Yeah. Bhaktim Sri Team Sriya Satari go? Sriam Sriyam Bhakti Shah. Sriyam Bhaktim Sri Team. Okay.
From the fourteenth chapter of the 10th canto. Because Śrīla Prabhupāda will refer to this verse in the next purport. Therefore, I'm making reference to this.
There is no use of beating husk if the grain has already been removed.
By scientific study of material nature, the living entity and the super soul, one has to understand the basic principle of devotional service of the Lord.
Basically, Prabhupada makes this point that you will never be able to understand the complete picture without bhakti.
Developing detachment from material existence
So then the next verse, the third verse, virāg-yugana puruṣo bhagavān Sarvat Bhavet, Sarva Bhavet, Achaksva Ji Veloka, Vividha Mama Sam Srit Vividama Sam Sriti Devahuti continued,
my dear Lord, please also describe in detail both for me and for the people in general. Jivalokasya. Mama and Jivalokasya. The continual process of birth and death.
Vividha samsritih. The different paths and this samsara or different destinations of living entities.
Vividha samsritih means the different paths one can traverse in this material world and to achieve different destinations.
The continual process of person death, for by hearing of such calamities, we may become detached from the activities of this material world.
Vairāgya-jananaṁ bhaya-śama-nārāyaṇa-pada-sevanam. We can become vairāgī sarvato. We can become completely in all regards detached from this world. So that's another point.
Usually, before you know to follow any path, we have to have inspiration to follow the path.
We have to know that this path is good and noble, and this path will bring us to a very good cause or result, but also we have to be detached from all other paths.
To follow very consistently a spiritual path, especially the detachment is necessary.
And therefore, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī also in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, he mentions that in the beginning the vairāgya is necessary for us to follow the path of bhakti- yoga.
Therefore, she says, please explain to us the path of bhakti, but also give us some detachment from this material world. Otherwise, our attempts to follow the path of bhakti will not be successful.
Unfortunately, we have in front of our eyes many examples of people who try to follow the path of bhakti very sincerely, being inspired by the high goal of bhakti.
But because of the lacking of detachment they cannot really follow. They always fall down because the determination does not take place.
There is no uh real determination to uh traverse this path consistently uh till the glorious end, and therefore people uh leave uh this path without achieving any success.
So and Prabhupada, of course, in the in the purport he again refers to this verse Sri Yah Bhaktim Sri Tetim Sri Tassy Devibo? Udasiya de Vivo, yes, Udasya te vibo. If they give up this pass.
So he says that there is Shreyasriti, Sri means path, and Shreyasriti means auspicious path. The auspicious path or the beneficial path, the path which will bring benefits to our life.
It's very good, but there is some srithi.
Saṁsṛti means the path of this saṁsāra, the path of birth and death. And it's very variegated: vividha-saṁsṛtiḥ, many many different ways you can take in this material world, but ultimately you will not be able to achieve anything.
So then the next verse, the verse number four. Yes. What are you told that uh because of lack of determination and detachment, we are unable to continue the path of devotional service.
And that is the main cause of fall down. So how to develop this determination? Well, Lord Kapiladev will explain how to develop determination in this uh world. But uh basically the implication
or intention of this verse particular is that if you really know how the different positions in this world are all the same and does not radically change the level of happiness which you achieve, then the detachment will develop automatically.
That's the reason why in Shrimad Bhagavatam there is a lot of description of planetary system, different positions of this world.
Ultimately, the point of all this description is that no matter where you are in this material world, it's all useless. It ultimately does not bring you closer to the desired goal, which is uninterrupted happiness.
Even in the heavenly planets or the highest planet of the material world.
So basically, the implication of this world, of this verse, is that if you know very well that no matter where you are in this material world, which position you take in this material world, it will not make you happy, then the detachment will come.
Because otherwise you will be attached to the fantasies and hopes of being completely happy. So detachment is coming from this knowledge.
Therefore Narada Muni says the śiva head the prior Covid, the Covidag, the intelligent people, they're not trying to achieve anything which is available in this material world. They only strive for something which is beyond this material world.
Can we go further?
Time as representation of the Supreme Lord
Okay. The verse number four. Kala sehva, kala se shwara rupasya, parasy shwara rupasya. Parishamcharapasya te, parishamchaparaste, swarupambata kurvanti, yadheto kusalam
janaha, dehusalam janam Please also describe eternal time which is a representation of your form and by whose influence people in general engaged in performance of pious activities.
So that's another incentive for our renunciation, the understanding of the eternal time.
It's basically what also Sri Krishna explains in Bhagavad-gītā when he says, when he gives two synonyms or two definitions of this material world, duḥkhālayam and aśāśvatam. First is duḥkhālayam.
It means that no matter where you are in this material world you will experience some duḥkha, some unhappiness. And as impermanent. It's very temporary.
And in the same way, Mother Devahūti asking, she first asked about the path of bhakti-yoga, which is complete path, the only complete path.
And then in these two other questions, she gives the supportive evidence to follow this path for us because you know we have to be really detached from this world.
First of all, because it's duḥkhālayam, and second of all because it's aśāśvatam. So this is the uh third and fourth verses and uh uh in this way the three questions of uh Mother Devahūti uh are asked.
And of course Śrīla Prabhupāda explains the beauty of this material world. If a man is 30 or 50 years old, then the influence of time has already devoured 30 or 50 years of the duration of his life.
So at one point Śrīla Prabhupāda explains this somebody is little pious, he will start to worry about his next destination and he will start to perform some pious activities, some auspicious activities.
Kuśalam, kuśalam, something which will bring ultimate good and that may result in following the path of bhakti ultimately. Or trying to please the Supreme Lord.
Especially if you understand that ultimately the time kāla is īśvara-rūpasya, that the kālasya īśvara-rūpasya, that that the kāla is the time of the Lord Himself, and it's the Lord Himself who actually kills us.
And therefore Lord Himself says that I am death in Bhagavad-gītā.
Kapiladeva as the sun dispelling material darkness
Okay, the verse number five Lokasyam Mitybi mater at Srantasya Karmas Anuvidayadiyan Dasya Karmasmam Dvam Avirasih Kila yoga baskara kila yoga bhaskara translation my dear Lord
you're just like the sun, yoga-bhāskara. Śrīmatī Devahūti is calling Kapiladeva yoga-bhāskara, the son of Yoga.
And uh the intention here of this uh statement is that as much as the lotus flower is uh Blooming under the sun rays, under the rays of the sun, the yoga, the lotus of yoga is blooming because he, Avira Sheikh, he raised or appeared in this world.
Tvama avira bhūḥ kila yoga-bhāskaraḥ, you appeared in this world like Yoga Bhāskara, like the sun of yoga, to explain this auspicious path of yoga.
And my dear Lord, you are just like the sun, for your for you eliminate the darkness of the conditional life of the living entities. Because their eyes of knowledge are not open.
They are sleeping eternally in that darkness without your shelter. And therefore they are falsely engaged by the actions and reactions of their material activities, and they appear to be very fatigued.
Actually, this comparison or this metaphor of Yoga Bhāskara that Lord Kapiladeva is like the sun of yoga is elaborated in this verse and she basically explains what the sun does.
When the sun raises, what is the first effect of the sun? The darkness is removed.
So she says, lokasya mithyābhimātera. The darkness of this mithyābhimāna, the false identification with the body of the people in general, lokasya mithyā abhimāna, is being removed. That's the first point of comparison.
The second point of comparison: what else the sun does? It gives us the ability to see. By removing the darkness, it gives us the ability to see. We were blinded by this darkness.
A-cakṣuṣā means we were basically blind, without eyes. And the influence of the Lord when He comes here and explains the path of yoga is that we get the eyes back, we get the vision back.
And then ciram prasuptasya tamaso 'nāśrayaḥ. Ciram prasuptasya means for a long time people were doing what? Prasuptasya. Sleep. They were sleeping.
So the next uh result of uh sun rising is that people sleeping, people who were for a long time sleeping they wake up. And the most important thing is actually tamaso 'nāśrayaḥ śrāntasya karmasv anuvidya, śrāntasya.
When we just wake up, that what is the feeling we have? The body is very weak and tired. Even though we were laying down the whole night, still we wake up and we are very fatigued.
So, in the same way, it's very interesting, people in this world, uh, and this is the implication of this verse, people in this world they think that they are enjoying in this world.
But what is the result of the enjoyment of this world? Yeah, śrāntasya, they become very fatigued. They become very tired and exhausted. So but when the sun rises and somebody wakes up that ultimately energy comes.
So when people sleep too much and too long, they become very weak and fatigued. And what is the sleep? The comparison of this sleep is that here is that they're very much attached to this karmasu.
They're very much attached to this conception that I am the doer, I am the enjoyer, I am independent of the Lord, and by their intelligence, karmasuanu Vidhyayadhiya, by their intelligence, they are very attached
and therefore they become śrāntasya. So you come here to give the energy, to give the vision to dispel the darkness of this false identification and to wake up the living entities.
And for that reason you are opening the lotus of yoga by explaining the different spiritual paths. Okay? Can we go further? Okay.
Maitreyuvāca maitreyu vācam hiti matur vācakslakṣṇam. Hiti mātur vācas pratinandya mahāmuni Ādabha se kurusweṣṭha prītastam Karuṇādita rītasam karuṇādita śrimitre said O best among the Kurus the great sage Kapila, moved by the great compassion and pleased by the words of his glorious mother, spoke as follows.
So it is said, Itimātur vācnam. ślakṣam. Ślakṣam means very gentle och very merciful or very kind. Pratinandya mahāmuniḥ. He was very happy about this, Pratinandya, like Abhinandanam Pratinandya.
He he welcomed the words of his mother. Why? Because they were full of compassion. Karuṇārditā. And because of this Karuna, he was moved. Arditaha.
He was really, he felt that, you know, by the compassion of his mother, he was very moved.
And Śrīla Prabhupāda, of course explains the end of Bhagavad-gītā Gītā where Krishna says that the most compassionate devotees are most dear to my heart.
Those who are trying to explain or preach Bhakti Yoga to others, they are most dear, Bhagavad-gītā, the message of Bhagavad-gītā, they are most dear to my heart.
Variegated manifestations of devotional service
Okay, that was the introduction to this chapter, and then we start the real uh the real uh the first topic of this chapter. Text number seven.
Śrī-bhagavān uvāca. Śrī-bhagavān uvāca. bhakti-yogaḥ bahudhā bhakti-yogaḥ bahudhā mārgaḥ bhāminī bhāvyate svabhāva-guṇa-mārgeṇa puṁsāṁ bhāvo vidyate vidyate so, uh,
Bhakti-yogaḥ bahudhā: bhakti-yoga can be of different kinds.
Śrī Bhagavān Lord Kapiladeva starts explaining, begins to explain the paths of bhakti-yoga, and he says that the bhakti-yoga takes many different varieties, many different manifestations, mārgair, many different paths within this general path of bhakti-yoga is there.
And why? bhāminī bhāvyate svabhāva-guṇa-mārgeṇa. Because people have different nature. Honorable lady, there are multifarious paths of devotional service in terms of different qualities of the executor.
It's very important to understand that svabhāva-guṇa-mārgeṇa, according to the nature, to a quiet nature of the living entity svabhāva guṇa, the qualities which we acquire by living in this world
uh even when we come to the path of bhakti-yoga which is one. The path of bhakti-yoga is only one. But when we come in the path of bhakti-yoga, it kind of reflects through our nature.
And the in this way appears many different paths, many different paths within the paths of bhakti yoga appears. And therefore sometimes bhakti yoga seems to be very bewildering.
If we take normal yoga, so to speak, it's more or less uniform. It's very methodically described by Patañjali Muni. First you have to do this, then you have to do this, then you have to do this.
There is basically no room for manifestation of your different natures.
Of course, you know, you may have different composition of the body and for some it will take longer to sit in Padmasan. But basically, everyone has to sit in Padmasan and do some meditation and do the same thing.
But bhakti-yoga is different because it's uh it's a very broad path and it accommodates different natures of living entities. And also, it takes a different shape.
And ultimately, Lord Kapiladeva will explain, he will start explaining from the next verse, that the different shapes are not necessarily the manifestation of pure bhakti.
The variegatedness of bhakti yoga is so bewildering also because we bring with us our contamination to the path of bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga is completely pure. There is no contamination in bhakti. Bhakti is one.
Bhakti is always nirguṇa. It's not proper to say that there is a tamasic bhakti. Bhakti cannot be tamasic. It's a complete contradiction of the terms. You cannot say he's performing tamasic bhakti.
No, he's tamasic and he's performing bhakti. So there is a difference between this and this.
Bhakti is always nirguṇa, but when a tamasic person follows the path of bhakti, the bhakti may take very tamasic forms because he is tamasic and therefore therefore the bhakti may you know may be a little bewildering.
And we in reality, if we look around, especially Vṛndāvana is a very good manifestation of this particular verse, there are so many different forms of bhakti.
So many different shapes of bhakti, and sometimes it's very bewildering. You know what's going on? Is it bhakti? And therefore, it's so important for us to understand the next section of this chapter.
Because in this next section of this chapter, Lord Kapiladeva will give a very clear indication of real bhakti, which is nirguṇa bhakti, and the bhakti which is reflection of our particular nature or our contamination
which we bring with us to the path of bhakti. And it's I mean it's it's really amazing. Like yesterday I saw here in Vṛndāvana there was one very funny sādhu. He was driving a cycle and he was dressed in peacock feathers.
Very colorful. It was very beautiful picture, you know, somebody with peacock feathers driving a cycle. And uh in the very, you know, beautiful clothes.
So uh uh and therefore uh Lord Kapiladev he explains this that bhakti is one, but why it becomes so variegated? Uh because of different natures.
And of course, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, while explaining this verse, he says that this variegatedness of bhakti is not necessarily a bad thing.
The variegatedness in bhakti becomes possible due to conditioned nature of living entities.
When the living entities bring about their svabhāva guṇa, their particular qualities within the path of bhakti, but also because of the variegatedness of spiritual nature of living entities.
Both variegateness is being accommodated within the path of bhakti.
Somebody is performing vātsalya-rasa bhakti, somebody is performing sākhya rasa bhakti, somebody uh is preferring mādhurya-rasa bhakti so that's also there uh so therefore Lord Kapiladev he does
specify bhakti-yoga bahuvidho mārgair according to the bhāva.
And this bhāva can be either material bhāva due to svabhāva, the conditioned nature of a living entity, or it can be according to the spiritual bhāva or spiritual mood which we may have.
And therefore it bibhidyate vibhidyate it's it's being divided into many different forms. So that's the next verse.
And Prabhupāda explains in the purport this verse from Bhagavad-gītā, caturvidhā bhajante māṁ, about four kinds of people who start worshiping the Lord.
Because Bhakti basically is the path of worship, the path of trying to please the Lord. And Śrīla Prabhupāda says that you may worship the Lord because you need money, no problem, or because you are
in distress, you suffer, or because you're inquisitive or you want to know the absolute truth. So that's the different varieties on the path of bhakti.
And the explanation why it is so different because bhakti bhakti is actually according to bhāva. Always. What is bhakti?
Bhakti is your bhāva. And your bhāva can be pure, and when the bhāva is pure, then you perform pure bhakti and the bhāva may be contaminated, the mood may be contaminated. But bhakti is always bhāva. The external manifestation of bhakti is just external manifestation, but in reality, bhakti is the bhāva.
So because the bhāva is so different according to our different natures, then the bhakti also takes different shapes and forms and sometimes very inauspicious so to speak shapes and forms. But of course, bhakti is always auspicious and that will be explained in the next verses.
So will we have a break? After one hour a few devotees need it. Otherwise we continue. Okay. Okay. Okay. You wanted to say something?
I just wanted to you mentioned about the bhāva. This bhāva is different from with uh śraddhā to bhāva then that higher. Yes, yes.
It's it's yeah, it's different. The bhāva means just the mood. Yeah, just the the mood. Not necessarily sthāyī-bhāva.
When the bhāva rati uh in this uh from śraddhā to bhāva, uh it's rati, it's a particular attachment to the Lord or it's called in technical terms of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu as sthāyī-bhāva or existential existential mood or existential ecstasy as Prabhupada translates. When it becomes very stable, our stable attachment.
But bhāva can also be just the mood, any mood. I am in a bad mood today. This is my bhāva today. That doesn't mean that I achieved bhāva-bhakti. It's just my bad mood. So that's what it is.
So you give the example of that varieties of devotees in the city in Vṛndāvana. So they fall into this category. Well, different people fall into different categories.
And uh Lord Kapiladeva will explain, and that it will be actually very clear when we come to the verse number 11 and 12. And then it will become very clear when we really understand this very important section.
So these four types of bhakti will be explained in the next section, uh according to the three modes of material nature and nirguṇa, the four kinds of bhakti, and that we will give uh more attention. Okay? Shall we go?
Devotional service in the mode of ignorance
Yes. So okay, number text number eight. Abi Sandaya Yohim Sami Sanda Yohim Sam Dambamat Sary Mava, Dhamma Sari, Samrambi Binadrigbavam, Samrambi Bhavam, Mai Kurya Satama Saham.
So in the next three verses, uh, Śikhi Piladev will explain how the person in tamas, rajas, and sattva will perform bhakti with what motivation, and first of all, we have to very clearly understand that
the guṇas of material nature, they are all present in our mind. There is no pure tāmasik or pure rājasik or pure sāttvik person. The guṇas always mixed.
Krishna says about this in Bhagavad-gītā that there is no material guṇas always mixed. Should the sattva, the pure sattva is not material. And that's why it can become pure.
Otherwise, they always mixed, and it basically means that all these motivations are here in our heart.
Even though there will be qualified classification on different motivations, but if we study very carefully our own heart, we will be able to see and recognize all these motivations according to tamo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, and sattva-guṇa.
And we have to very clearly, uh, introspect or, uh, analyze our own consciousness and our, o, our own heart and, uh, to make a precaution: not to follow the path of bhakti according to this particular motivations.
And Śrīla Prabhupāda actually in the purport to this verse, he will very beautifully explain how to do it. Even though the motivation is there, how not to follow this motivation?
Because otherwise, what happens, we ultimately have to follow the path of bhakti and pure bhakti, and the path of pure bhakti is possible from the very beginning.
Even though the motivations are there, even though the contamination is there in our heart and our consciousness.
But nevertheless, we will be able to follow the pure path of nirguṇa bhakti if we clearly understand, first of all, how this motivations work and distinguish ourselves from this motivation and do it properly under the guidance of a pure devotee.
And one more preliminary note to this thing.
In this verses, in this three verses, Śikhi Piladev will always be saying, bina-dṛk-bhāva, bhinna-bhāva, pṛthak-bhāva, which means, Prabhupāda translates this as a separatist, separatist mentality.
Bina Drig Bhava, Bina Bhava, Prithadbhava. It means that I separate myself from the Lord.
It basically means that when our consciousness is engrossed in the modes of material nature, it means that we consider ourselves separate from the Lord, independent from the Lord.
This independent mentality is the sum and substance of our material existence in this world.
And the path of bhakti is actually the path which is meant to bring us to the realm where we are to basically to dovetail our consciousness as Prabhupada says with the consciousness of the Lord, or to purify our consciousness from the straits or from this desire to be independent, to enjoy independently.
But nevertheless, even though it's all synonyms, there are slight, uh, slight variations in this in this manifestation of the mode of independence. And therefore, different words are being used.
Binadrik bhāva in this first word, pṛthagbhāva in the second verse, and again pṛthagbhāva in the in the third verse.
So bina-dṛk and pṛthak bhāva, there is a slight uh slight difference in this thing, binadrik bhāva. Anyway, we'll explain it later. But let's first read the verse itself. We read the verse already already.
Translates this abhi-sandhe means saṅkalpa or your determination, your motivation to traverse the path, your motive. So this word Abhisande will be used in the
eighth verse and in the ninth verse, in the ninth verse. In the tenth verse, there will be different words used for this. Again, slight variation is there.
So abhi-sandā yo hiṁsā, if you are motivated by hiṁsā, by desire to inflict some pain to somebody, dambha, by hypocrisy, basically, by desire to show off how great bhakta you are and mātsarya by the competitive spirit, enviousness in a sense, mātsarya means competition. I am the better. Let me show how great I am.
So this bin-dṛk bhāvam, uh, the separate vision. mā kuryāt sa tamasaḥ. So somebody, uh, who is in the mode of tamas, who is in the mode of ignorance, he will inevitably have binadrik bhāva, separate vision, which means that he will look at other people differently than on himself.
That's the manifestation the most important and prominent manifestation of Tamas: you separate yourself from others and you don't care what others feel.
So this bhinna-dṛk bhāva in this particular case basically means cruelty. When you are not hesitant to inflict pain to other living entities. Who cares? The main thing you are happy.
So this bhinna-dṛk bhāva, when it's very gross, when the person is very gross, when the person is very tamastic, then this separatist mentality takes shape that you become insensitive to the sufferings of others.
And because you are so insensitive, and why you're so insensitive when when people are little developed, when the consciousness of the heart is little developed, then you become sensitive. You feel pain of other people.
You see he is suffering. He also suffers. Right?
But when you're engrossed in this ignorance, in tāmasika condition, then bhinna-dṛk bhāva, then you look at him and say, oh, who cares? You know, he's different. I am different, and he is different.
So that's that's very gross manifestation of this separatist
mentality, and therefore it's called tamasa, and therefore there are three motivations in this tamasa bhakti. Again, bhakti cannot be tamasa bhakti, but when the
person who is tāmasika performs bhakti, then he will have three kinds of sankalpa. This abhisandhāya or saṅkalpa, the motivation is actually very important but again
there is difference even though it's synonym saṅkalpa and uh abhisandha because abhisandha can be uh not not 100% conscious. You have the motivation, but you you're not very clear about your motivation.
Saṅkalpa, you're very clear about your motivation. This is my saṅkalpa. But abhisandha, it's maybe a little hindered even from yourself.
And the three motivations: tamo-guṇa is hiṁsā when you want to inflict pain, dambha when you want to show off and matsarya when you want to compete with others and be better than others. And these three motivations are very, very prominent.
I don't know about you, but in my heart it's definitely prominent. Sometimes you feel like you know, how dare he behaves like this, you know, let me do bhakti and curse him.
You know we know that Diti, Diti, she was performing bhakti, right? Priyavrata, what was her motivation to perform? No, Aditi, actually. Aditi. Aditi, she was. Diti also, yeah, boss, Diti, Aditi, no problem.
They were all performing bhakti to the Supreme Lord with what motivation? Himsa. They wanted actually to to inflict pain or to inflict some suffering to other living entities.
Why? Because they feel separate from other living entities. This is this is, and this is according to Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, three motivations in tamas, three motivations in rajas, and three motivations in sattva.
This is the further division.
In tamas there could be tamas, tamas, tamas rajas and tamas sattva. In Rajas can be Rajas Tamas, Rajas, Rajas and Rajas Sattva. And in sattva can be sattva tamas, sattva, rajas and sattva sattva.
So the nine gradations, uh each one higher than the other one, and the lowest one is himsa. Lowest one is the infliction, the pain.
And next one is dambha. Dambha means hypocrisy, and hypocrisy basically means that you want to show that you're better devoted than you really are.
And uh you know, and we all know the means to do it, you know, you put very big tilak, very prominent, and your chanting beats also have to be big.
You know, that's the way to show how great a devotee you are. Oh there are some other ways to do it. There are many different ways. No problem. Everyone can figure out his own way.
How, how dambha, basically, you want to show something you are not. That's dambha. Damba, if you want to project an image of yourself which is not actually reflecting the reality. And you use bhakti for this.
You want to show that you are better devoted than you really are instead of you know showing that yeah I'm I'm I'm really what I am. I'm I'm nobody else, I am what I am. No need to show.
So very often people do this. And of course, very prominent in the path of Bhakti, and you know, in Vrindavan you can see it, you know. We will build better temple than the other one.
Our temple will be 120 meters high and everyone will see how great devotees we are. You know, and uh you know in Udapi, if you go to Udapi then you know uh You can book wooden chariot for the Lord for his evening pride.
Or you can also pay for silver chariot or you can pay for golden chariot for the Lord. And in this way you show I am the better devotee than you are because I give golden chariot.
And then every sannyasi who becomes on Paryai in Udupi, he tries to give, you know, this kavacha with a lot of uh how you say this jewels and you know all this the diamonds, you know, the and and then they say you know this sannyasi gave Kavacha which cost two crores.
And the next sanyasi will give kavacha which cost three crores. And the next sanyasi will give kavacha four crores. And when his He will build 120 high uh temple for Udapik Krishna and give him Kavacha, I don't know what.
But anyway, that's matsary. Very prominent, you know. And I will distribute more books than you. And everyone will see how great devotee I am, Madsarya.
And of course, Prabhupada was encouraging this competition, transcendental competition.
So he was encouraging and actually we will uh by the end of this verses, these few verses, we will understand why Prabhupada was encouraging. Ultimately he was encouraging because he knew that people anyway will be competing with each other.
It's not really 100% transcendental. It's matsary, which is the manifestation of human nature. But by doing this, you can be purified.
The purification will take place, actually. This is what will be said in the purport for the tenth verse of this series when we will see Satvika Bhakti.
So the purification will take place but uh ultimately we have to understand that if the motivating force like sometimes people say oh he's chanting 64 ounce I'll have to chant two lakhs. This is not a correct manifest motivation.
You know, sometimes people do this. I will chant 64.
And of course it's good if he's chanting 64 rounds, but if he is insisting of changing this 64 rounds just because he wants to show how great devotee he is, this is not good. And we have to be very clear about this because bhakti means I want to please the Lord. Bhakti is nothing else. Bhakti is just the desire to please the Lord.
But if this motivation is not there, this is tamas. But Prabhupada, and this is very important. This is very important point.
Prabhupada in the beginning he says that bhakti is only one. It's causeless, unmotivated, pure devotional service. It's only one, and it's only the desire to please the Lord because this is the definition of bhakti.
There's no other definition of bhakti. I want to please the Lord. There is nothing else in bhakti. And this is the pure condition of the living entity.
But because we are impure, we just do this there is adulteration as Prabhupada says. But Prabhupada gives and that's what very important. Just one second.
To act under the direction of bona fide spiritual master, with a motive to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is pure devotional service.
But if one has a motive for personal sense gratification, his devotional service is manifested differently. Such a man may be violent, proud, envious, angry, and his interests are separate from the Lord's.
So Prabhupada in this particular sentence he actually teaches how one can become pure from the very beginning.
Even though I don't know what the Lord's interest is, but I am acting under the direction of bona fide spiritual master with the motive to satisfy the supreme personality of Godhead. And this will be the pure devotional service.
But because all other motivations are there within our heart, we have to constantly, every day to remind us why I'm doing this. Before chanting our rounds, we have to remind ourselves, why am I doing this?
Because I want to please the Lord. This is my act to please the Lord. Before sitting and chanting the kīrtana, we have to remind ourselves why am I doing this? I am doing this because I want to please the Lord.
Otherwise, you will start singing kīrtana and you will hear your voice. Such a nice voice. Oh, I'm singing so beautifully.
Or you see it and you will give lecture and you will hear your own lecture and think, oh, this is a nice lecture. I've never heard such a nice lecture before.
So because these motivations are there, very prominent is in our heart, we have to remind ourselves why I'm doing this because my spiritual master wants me to do this. I'm doing this under his order.
I am not speaking to you because I am so knowledgeable. Because I know bhakti and I know I'm enlightening you. Please listen to me.
No, I'm doing it because this is the order of my spiritual master which I received दाराнисанци. I'm doing it as a service to please my spiritual master and to please the Lord.
And if I remind this, my devotional service will be pure.
If I myself, if I do it with this motivation, if I don't remind this, then subconscious motivation will inevitably substitute the pure motivation. Will it inevitably appear in the heart and will spoil the devotional service.
And actually, it will be also explained, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains that if you perform bhakti with some motivation, but without the desire to please the Lord.
You will fulfill your motivation, but the Lord will not be pleased and you will not get more than this. Yes, if you want to be famous, you will become famous by bhakti. But the Lord will not be pleased with you.
So it's very important for us on our conditional stage of consciousness to remind constantly ourselves. Why am I doing this? Because I want to please my spiritual master.
If we hear the disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda, when they describe their motivation. They inevitably say the same thing. Those disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda who are still there, they inevitably say the same thing.
Why did they want to do something? Because they wanted to see how Prabhupāda smiles. Because they wanted to see that he's pleased with them. That makes our bhakti pure. Even though the motivations may be there.
But uh see because all these motivations are due to our svabhava, due to our conditioned nature, they will be there. To change svabhāva, we have to change it subconsciously, unconsciously, it will appear within our heart.
But to change subconscious nature, we have to apply consciousness.
So our practice has to be very conscious with conscious motivations and by bringing in conscious motivation, proper conscious motivation, we will be able to change the subconscious nature which is there. And that's the only way to change the subconscious nature.
Otherwise, we will continue going on performing bhakti with all these subconscious motivations and we will not get anything. It will not be bhakti in real sense. We will only more or less reinforce our existing svabhāva.
There will be no change in quality of our nature. So the consciousness is required, the conscious reminder to ourselves to bring the proper motivation. I want to please my spiritual master.
I'm doing this because he tells me, because this is the service. This is something which he wants me to do. Whether I want it to do or not is inconsequential. It's not very important. But he wants me to do this.
I do it and therefore I remain pure, even though the motivations may be there, they will not contaminate my practice of bhakti, and they will not and ultimately they will be driven away by these conscious endeavors.
I don't need. We can continue. Okay.
Devotional service in the mode of passion
Okay. Vishanyana Bisandhaya, Vishanya Bhisanta, Yasha Ay Shwary Mebavan, Vishwariame, Archadaf Archayat Yom, Archae Yama Prithagbhava Sara Jasaha Prithabhava Sara Jasah.
So Lord Kapiladeva explains the pṛthag-bhāva or separatist mentality of a person who performs bhakti if he is predominantly influenced by the mode of passion, rajo-guṇa.
The worship of deities in the temple by a separatist with a motive for material enjoyment, fame, and opulence is devotion in the mode of passion.
The same thing, abhisandhi, the motivation of saṅkalpa behind doing this worship in the temple, Archadaf Archayat Yomam. And the three motivations here, Vishhayan is Rajas Tamas, right? Yasha.
Vishhayan means I want to enjoy the senses. You know, I worship the deity because, and I cook very nice prasāda for the deity. Very nice. Why?
Because I know who will eat this prasāda after that. The whole maha plate will be mine. So viṣayān. You worship, but ultimately your intention or your motivation, your abhisandhi, your sankalpa, your driving force.
What is sābhisandhi? What drives you to do this? And you have very strong motivation. Yes, I want to enjoy the senses. And therefore, I will worship the Lord. Vishyan and the next motivation which is Rajas Rajas is Yasha.
I want to become famous. Oh let my fame spread all over three worlds Abhijaj Gushuk Tribhuvana so and
Aishwarya, Aishwarya, of course, uh, Śrīla Prabhupāda translates usually as opulence, but sometimes it's difficult to distinguish between Vishya and you know the sense gratification and opulence.
Aishvariya literally means something which belongs to Ishvara, so it's actually power. And power is a very strong driving force. They say that it's much more strong, stronger driving force than the desire to enjoy.
All these big demons. You know, they want to enjoy, but ultimately they, want power. The more power they have, the more they enjoy. Sometimes they may be very austere.
And foolish people, they may think that they're really, you know, sadhus or austere people, but they want to enjoy this power, Aishwarya. And very often we may see and we may notice,
of course, people they worship the Supreme Lord, because they want to become influential, because they want to influence other people.
We could see unfortunately in our own history, in ISCON history, how some successors of Śrīla Prabhupāda, even those people whom according to Śrīla Prabhupāda were very prominent among his disciples, and he more or less said that after my departure they may start initiating their own people and their own disciples.
They become enamored by this motivation or by this desire to have the followers and to basically be powerful. It's a very big sense enjoyment if you feel that you that uh you know you're so powerful.
You say something and there are so many people who are running around and who are trying to please you and this and that. And therefore it's so dangerous. It's the highest motivation, the highest motivational
force in the rajo-guṇa. Vishya is not so harmful. It's it's just it's really it's really Raj Rajas Tamas, it's quite tamassik.
Uh fame is more, but to have the power is uh even more stronger motivation in rajo-guṇa and therefore it's very detrimental for devotional service. Therefore we have to be very careful, especially when we have position,
because we know that there is a saying that the power corrupts and the absolute power corrupts absolutely. And in devotional service, when people get some power, they get absolute power.
Because we become the representatives of God. Śrīla Prabhupāda was very clear. He said, you know, the temple president is uh is my representative, and I'm representative of God.
And temple president may say, you know, okay, I'm the representative of God. It means absolute power. Which can corrupt you absolutely.
Therefore, you know we have to be very careful and we have to understand these motivations and to see these motivations very clearly. So this is Rajagun. And Prabhupāda, in in the purport to this verse, purport
to this verse, he explains this bhindṛk and pṛthak-bhāva. And basically, what is the difference between bhindṛk and pṛthak-bhāva? Prabhupāda doesn't say this, but if we analyze this very clearly, and this is actually what
uh Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains in in Bhakti-sandarbha while explaining this verses. He says as I said bhindṛk-bhāva means you see somebody as different from you and you become merciless.
You become cruel, you become insensitive towards the suffering of others. You you're not hesitant to inflict the sufferings to others.
But in rajo-guṇa, pṛthak-bhāva is that I worship the Lord as it is said here, arcayād ārcayād yo māṁ arcayād arca ād, and I worship the Lord by worshiping His arca and any other processes of devotional service.
But I worship the Lord clearly wanting to have something from the Lord, but not the Lord Himself. In other words, in my consciousness, something which the Lord possesses is more than He Himself.
I approach Him to get something less than Him. To get something from him. And therefore, this is pṛthak-bhāva. My interest is separate. Only interested that he gives me something.
And that separates me, that makes me very egoistic. So it's a separate, it's it's a different manifestation of egotism or egotism.
There it was senselessness, here it's the very prominent and overwhelming desire to get something from the Lord.
And Prabhupada, there is one more very interesting point which Prabhupada makes here in the purport to this verse. That's the first point which he makes.
You know, when the so-called devotee desires material enjoyment without reference to the interests of the Supreme Lord, or he wants to become famous or opulent by utilizing the mercy or grace of the Lord.
He's in a mode of passion. But Prabhupada makes another very interesting and important point. Mayavadis, however, interpret this word separatist, pretagbhava, in a different way.
They say that while worshiping the Lord, one should think himself one with the Supreme Lord. This is another adulterated form of devotion within the modes of material nature.
The conception that the living entity is one with the Supreme is in the mode of ignorance. Prabhupada said it's completely tamastic. If you think that you are the same with the Lord.
So the Mayavadis say pṛthag-bhāva means you consider yourself separate from the Lord, whereas you should not consider yourself. But Prabhupada explains, oneness is actually based on the oneness of interest.
The pure devotee has no interest but to act on behalf of the Supreme Lord. Basically, oneness means love. And therefore, in the 12th canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that the only purpose of this book,
Kaivalya ever prayojanam. The purpose of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is kaivalya. And when Mayavadis read that purpose of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the purpose of this book is kaivalyam means merging in the Supreme.
But kaivalyam means from the word kevala. Kevala means pure. And what is most pure? Pure is, most pure is the love.
And you are not interested in yourself and you're interested in somebody else, in the Supreme Lord, in the interest of Supreme Lord.
And therefore, it's so important to understand that oneness is there because there is so much prominence and emphasis on oneness in Upaniṣads.
But every time when we hear about the oneness in Upanishads, we have to understand what it means. It means love. There is actually a very nice story, little short anecdote from the life of Nathamuni.
I believe it was Nathamuni. Nathamuni was first Acharya in Sri Sampradaya, before Yamunacharya and Ramanuja Acharya after Al-Dvars.
And Nathamuni once was explaining a passage from Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, which was speaking about the oneness. And he started saying that oneness means love.
And he was explaining this point and one of his disciples he was hearing and uh and and he gave the example that uh as much as the young girl uh and young by boy uh love each other and they become completely one in their interest and in their desire and their love.
In the same way, the oneness which is described here means love. And one of his disciples became very I mean he was very disgusted. He said, what is this?
How you can describe the pure spiritual, you know, the oneness, the spiritual matters by giving this obscene material examples.
And he left this assembly and Nathamuni couldn't understand in the beginning and then he became very sad and he said this boy is so unfortunate. He doesn't understand the meaning of oneness.
Because in reality two separate things cannot become one. How two separate things can become one? It's not possible. They are separate. By existence they are separate, by the very by the definition they are separate.
Two separate things cannot become one. But they can become one through the oneness of interest of consciousness, which is called love. And Prabhupada gives this definition here, what it means, and therefore he's
so much against this māyāvādī. He says, this is this is tamas. How two things can become one? They cannot.
Devotional service in the mode of goodness
So that's rajas, and then the next verse is describing very also very importantly and interestingly the sāttvika motivations. But here not abhisandha, not the word abhisandha is used, but uddishya. Uddishya means goal.
And what is the difference between motivation and abhisandha and uddiśya goal. Motivation can be unconscious, right? But the goal cannot be unconscious.
So the implication here is that when we come to sattva, in tamas and rajas, there may be so many subconscious or unconscious motivations in us. We may not be fully aware of all these motivations.
But it's sattva-guṇa because once consciousness becomes more clear, then he doesn't use the motivation, he uses the word goal oddisya.
Karma-nirhāram uddiśya parasmin vā tad-arpaṇam, yajet yajñam itiṁ pṛthag-bhāvaḥ sa sāttvikaḥ smṛtaḥ.
So he explains this bhāva of somebody who is in the mode of sattva-guṇa and he says that in the mode of sattva-guṇa we again have the same scheme of three different motivations or goals.
And the first goal is karma-nirhāram, karma-nirhāram means that you want to erase or purify your karma. And this is very prominent.
People, they become, uh, you know, when they, when they become sāttvik, uh, or when their consciousness is sāttvik, they really understand that the karma is not a good thing. And they want to purify themselves from karma.
They want to repent, they want to do some prāyaścitta to somehow or rather to get rid of this karma which they accumulated. Karma-nirhāram uddiśya. This is a very prominent, but this is the lowest motivation in Sattvagun.
But for sāttvik people, it's a very prominent thing. They really become remorseful or repentant.
If people are in raja-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, they will never become repentant, or they think karma is good actually. Yeah, they may be a little afraid of karma, but ultimately it's not so prominent.
But when somebody becomes sāttvik, he is really sensitive about this karma problem. And therefore, uh, karma-nirhāram uddiśya. And parasmin vā tad-arpaṇam, tad-arpaṇam or karmārpaṇam, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains karmārpaṇam.
Karmārpaṇam, this is the second motivation when you perform your duty or you perform something and you say, let it belong to the Lord, let it be devoted, let it be given to the Lord. You give it to the Lord. I'm doing it for the Lord.
Karmārpaṇam astu, Kṛṣṇārpaṇam astu, you know, this yajña we're doing is thought. Why am I doing this? I want to give it to the Lord.
And And ultimately you can give the activity to the Lord or you can give the result to the Lord.
This is what actually Krishna says: Yat karoṣi, yad aśnāsi, yaj juhosi dadāsi yat, yat tapasyasi kaunteya, tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam. Nasi, Yadjuhosi, Dadasi, Yat Yat, Tapasi Sikauntoya, Tatkurusva Madarpanam. You do it as an offering to me.
You do whatever you do as an offering to me. And that's little higher than karma nirharam. When you want to do whatever you do, you do it for the Lord and you consciously do it for the Lord.
And one can say, how is that pretty kbala? Why is that prithagbala? You're doing it for the Lord.
You even have some kalpa uh before starting some sacrifice or doing something, you say yes, I'm doing it for the Lord and the result, let it go to the Lord. How is it separate? Why it is separate?
Because I knew what they were like. No, not necessarily. I'm doing this, yes, because I'm doing this, because I'm separate from the Lord, and because ultimately what I want from this, ultimately I want liberation. Yeah.
Ultimately I want to be free from karma. I don't want to please the Lord as such. That's not my intention. Not really the motivation. The motivation is that I want to be free from karma, yes.
I don't want to be entangled in this karma. So it's also very interesting if we analyze these motivations in Tamagun and Rajagun
the in in Tamagun the main motivation is that let others I mean let others suffer. That's the main motivation. In Rajagun, the main motivation, let me enjoy. And in Satvagun, the main motivation, let me not suffer.
In Rajagun and Tamagun, people are more you know inclined to enjoy themselves. But in Satvagun, people are more afraid of sufferings.
And therefore they they want to be free from sufferings and in this way they are you know therefore they perform bhakti driven by this motivation. Karmanirharam, karmarpanam or yashtavyam.
Yashtavyam is the third motivation. Yastaviam. I am doing this because I understood that I have to do it. I read the scriptures. I understand that I am tiny infinitesimal part of the Lord. This is my natural position.
You know, I know that I'm I have to do the service to the Lord. But really, I don't care. I really don't care about the Lord, but you know, I have to do it.
Really, I don't have any positive feelings for the Lord, the desire to please the Lord. This motivation is not there, but you know, okay, yeah, I understood, yes, what can we do? I have to do it.
That's the highest, but still it can be, you know, apparently, from the surface, uh the person who is doing this this way doesn't want anything. He's doing it uh from the sense of duty. I have to do it, right? Uh but what is the inner motivation?
I want to be free. I don't want to suffer. I want liberation. So, therefore, even this is pretagbhava. Even this is pretagbava.
But Srila Vishwana Chakravati Thakur, he explains in this particular verse the different destinations of people, what they can develop.
He says: if somebody is doing this with the highest possible motivation, that is, without any motive. Kartavya. Kartavya-buddhi. or yāṣṭavya-buddhi.
If one has this kartavya-buddhi, which usually is or oftentimes is a motivation for vaidī-sādhana-bhakti. Vaidī-sādhana-bhakti, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explains, vaidī-sādhana-bhakti motivation is kartavya-buddhi.
Yes, I have to do it. I understand, that's the reality. If I serve the Lord, I follow the truth. I am not I am not doing something which is concocted.
So but Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says if somebody does this, he may develop śānta-rati towards the Lord. And in this way transcend the modes of material nature.
So we can see that this is the highest motivation in sattva-guṇa, and from this platform of the highest motivation, you can transcend the modes of material nature. By developing śānta-rati means attachment to the Lord.
This is the first seed of attachment to the Lord.
Then which can be achieved if you perform devotional service nine forms of devotional service nine forms of svarūpa-siddha bhakti with this sättvika motivation, highest sättvika motivation.
He says if somebody is just performing the devotional service and actually
he says that when you perform devotional service in sattva-guṇa what is the result of sattva-guṇa what is the most prominent result of sattva-guṇa? You develop jñāna, right? Krishna says this. That if you are in sattva, then the result of sattva is jnan.
So uh Vishwana Chakravittakur says if you develop the or if you perform devotional service in Sattvagun, then you develop gyan. Gyan means knowledge of uh your eternity. You understand that you are the soul separate from the body. You will get the Anubhav, the experience of your spiritual existence. That's the gyan which you achieve.
But he says that the motivation which you have may be different. You perform the devotional service, but your main motivation is to develop jnana.
If your main motivation is to develop jnana, but you've performed devotional service, then the result will be what? Sayyogy Mukti. That's the only way to get Sayyudja Mukti.
If you want to get Sayyuja Mukti, just follow bhakti. But with the desire, you know, I want to understand who I am and I don't want to be.
I don't want to sit for nine months in the belly of some, you know, woman and then go to school again. not this please. So if your desire is only to realize your spiritual identity, you will get Syudja Mukti, no problem.
By bhakti. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna. If this is the desire.
If the desire to please the Lord becomes more prominent, you know I'm performing this because the Lord is so nice and but still I I want to you know realize myself uh this is a sattvic condition which we may have then we may get developed Shantarati and
and And then Viswanachakravati Thakur says, but if one he goes back to Tamasic and Rajasic motivations, he says if somebody performs bhakti only with this motivation then he will only get his desired goal it can be fame or it can be sense gratification, or it can be power, or it can be dumba, hypocrisy, mazzariaarya he can show himself better than others. Only this.
But if he performs this tamasik or rajasic activities, please listen, it's important, it's relevant to us. We may have this motivation, and we still perform the bhakti with this motivation. I want to enjoy, I want power, or I want fame, but still there is some real bhakti is there, but I also want that Krishna is pleased.
Then what is the result of this? Vishwana Chakravarti Thakur says that if you perform uh devotional service in this mixed condition, then you will get more than what you desire.
He doesn't say what, but you will get more. The result which you'll get will exceed your expectations. You wanted to become temple president and you became a president of America.
Instead, all of a sudden, somehow or other. Next. So that's the power of bhakti. Even if little mixture of bhakti is there, a little pure motivation, I want to please the Lord by this, but I also want power by all means.
Then you know no problem. You will become jagat-guru. You know, not only temple president, jagad-guru, no problem. Krishna will give you this position in this life. Next life, let's see. Not guaranteed.
But this life, no problem, jagad-guru ki jaya. So that's the result of Bhakti in the modes of tamas and rajas, but also Viśvanātha Cakravartī Thakura says that what is possible that your motive will be purified.
And that's the most important for us. Why? Because what is meant here by bhakti? By bhakti here is meant svarūpa-siddha-bhakti, not any other kind of bhakti. Svarūpa-siddha-bhakti means navavidhā bhakti.
By bhakti here is meant something which is by very nature is connected with the pleasing of the Lord, with the worship of the Lord. It may be Archana, it may be Shravanam, Kirtanam, Vandanam, whatever.
It's directly connected with the Lord. And because svarūpa-siddha-bhakti has the vastu-śakti, the vastu-śakti is invested in svarūpa-siddha-bhakti. Any substance in this world has the vastu-śakti.
So the vastu-śakti of svarūpa-siddha-bhakti, of the processes of svarūpa-siddha bhakti, is to purify the motivation.
Therefore, if somebody even though he subconsciously, consciously pursues some other goals, but he performs bhakti. He can be purified from these motives at the end of the day.
It will take longer, uh but uh ultimately the purification may take place and he will understand the futility of other goals and other motivations. He will understand I don't need this. Why should I need this?
Why why why do I want to become the temple president? What is the use of it? It's oh Guru, save God. Not this, please. I want to please the Lord.
So So uh this is what take place because this is this is how um Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, uh, explains this. He says, because uh the activities of Bhakti have this vastu shakti, therefore bhakti unmukatsukriti.
You can with other motivations perform bhakti but it will ultimately bring you to the point of pure bhakti. Inevitably will bring you to the point of pure bhakti.
Even though now you are too ignorant to perform pure bhakti despite the opportunity which you have.
We all have opportunity to perform pure bhakti in the very beginning stages. If we do it with conscious motivation to please the Lord.
But if we are still unconscious or semi-conscious and performing bhakti in this semi-conscious, semi-sleeping way, as usually after Maṅgala-ārati, you know.
It's a very common condition for the body, performing bhakti in an unconscious state of consciousness. Yeah, yeah, winter, yeah, right, yeah, yeah.
So uh so basically that's uh that's the different results which we may get from performing bhakti mixed bhakti.
And the best, of course, is that we gradually gradually accumulate the pious credits which will bring us to the point of desire to perform pure bhakti.
The desire to perform pure bhakti will become more and more prominent.
And we can see it if people are determined they perform bhakti even impurely, we will see that this desire to perform bhakti in a pure way increases, gradually, gradually increases before it becomes stronger than any other desires.
And when it becomes stronger than any other desires, then your pass is clear. You are on a safe side. So, and that's that's the most important result of performing bhakti in the modes of material nature.
Overcoming material conditioning through conscious intention
So that's the tenth verse and uh the next two three verses actually or even more uh they describe uh the pure bhakti, but the definition of pure bhakti is the next is in the next uh two verses which we will read now or later.
Shall we read now? You're still fresh enough? Yes. Yes. Maybe questions here. These are these are different stages of consciousness and our conditioning in which we are performing devotional service.
And in a new course, if we are continuing to perform devotional activities, devotional service, then gradually we will become purified and will come to the stage of Kevala Bhakti, pure devotional service, unmotivated.
But due to our conditionings at present, what in which condition I am, so I uh after hearing I can understand where I'm doing mistake and but I am conditioned so I am unable to come out of that also.
And in this situation also, due to my conditioning, I commit offenses also to other devotees unwillingly also then I repent.
So how to then what will be the reaction of those offenses for my devotional progress and how can I come out of that offensive mentality.
First of all, see when you hear about this and you recognize all these motivations within your own heart, then already you have separated yourself from these motivations and your conditioning became less.
Because conditioning is only conditioning when you are not aware of this conditioning.
If you are aware of this conditioning, it's not the conditioning anymore. Because you are aware you separate from this. You see it from the outside. And therefore, you don't have to follow this conditioning anymore.
It's still maybe there, but you already separated yourself. Therefore, it is so important to hear about this again and again and again.
As it will be said in the next verses, adhyātrmika-anuśravanam. And Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura is explaining this point of adhyātrmika-anuśravanam, the constant or regular hearing about adhyātrmika Gunas and defects, gunas and doshas of your mind.
It's a very interesting explanation by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura of this adhyātrmika-anuśravanam. Why there is so much description of this only for one purpose, for us to separate ourselves from this, to recognize it within our heart and to come out of the influence of this conditioning.
That's the first point. So when you hear this, you don't have to follow it anymore. It's like this: you know, if you have glasses and this is green glasses. And you see everything green.
But then you know for time being you took off these glasses and you see that in reality it's not so green.
But then you put the glasses again and you see again green, but you understand that it's not really green. You already know that it's not so green.
So in the same way, if you hear the conditioning, now I cannot even, you know, it's also very important.
You can't even put on glasses. It's even more difficult for you to put on conditioning again because you already separated yourself. You already know that it's not.
Of course by habit or by sort of, you know, you may still follow it, but it doesn't have such an impelling force upon you. So you don't have to offend other devotees.
Please don't tell me that you have to do it because of your condition. You don't.
And uh and the next point of course is uh is that uh you know to uh overcome uh or to conquer over our conditioned nature, we have to awake our consciousness again and again and again.
Because conditioned nature means subconscious nature. Something which you do subconsciously. So to overcome this we have to practice it with full consciousness. Therefore it's called Krishna consciousness.
It doesn't call Krishna subconsciousness. It becomes our nature, subconscious nature, on the level of bhāva. Why is it called bhāva?
Why the stage of rati is called bhāva in this śraddhā and sādhu-saṅga, and it's called bhāva because it becomes our subconscious nature, consciously and subconsciously, 24 hours a day.
When we dream, we only dream about Krishna and how Krishna... What we dream now we will not tell anyone. It doesn't, it's not so pleasant all the time.
But on the level of Bhava there is not this division between you you know, you're consciously serving and subconsciously you're also serving.
Therefore—and this is what will be explained in the next verses—you will do it 24 hours a day according to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Avyavahita, avicchinna. There will be no impediment for this.
But in the meantime, for the time being, you will have to bring again and again consciousness back to the picture. In this way, driving away the subconscious nature and subconscious motivation and anartha which are there.
There is a word in Sanskrit is commonly used in India. That's called Mahatvakamsha, like being ambitious. So now the question is that this is very popular in the outside world. One should be ambitious.
Now, in the spiritual realm, in our spiritual circle, devotee circle, suppose someone is very nicely serving the saṅkīrtana department or pujari department or say studying Sanskrit.
So, being ambitious, whether it is appropriate for a devotee or how to do it? It is appropriate because if you do it and uh you will keep uh actually devotees the
most ambitious people in the world because nobody has as high goal as devotees. You know, what is this? You want to become the President of America or Prime Minister of India. This is not very ambitious.
This is not ambitious. I want to become, you know, the eternal servant of the Lord. This is ambitious. So ambitiousness has its utility. You know, but ambitiousness is good if you have intelligence.
Ambitiousness if you're a fool and dumb dumb, it's very bad. Foolish ambitiousness is bad. If you are intelligent and ambitious, it's okay.
By your intelligence you will fix the proper goal and you will fix the proper means to achieve this goal. You will understand very clearly where you are.
So let the goal be high because sometimes people they have low self-esteem. And they say, oh, I am so humble. No, you are not humble, you have low self-esteem. There is a difference between low self-esteem and humility.
Humility means you understand clearly your own position, but at the same time you don't have low self-esteem because you know you have Ashabandha, you have hope against hope, you want to achieve very high goal.
So if ambitiousness is coupled with clear if ambitiousness is clear intelligence means you not only set the goal, but you also know the proper means to achieve the goal.
If you set the proper goal but you try to achieve it by illegal means, that's also not very intelligent. Then that also may be a thing.
Therefore, Śrīla Prabhupāda he was encouraging this. He was encouraging this in one sense because he knew that if people are really
you know doing this like uh at one point Prabhupāda gave many many sannyāsas to very young people. It was very fashionable in this ISKCON to become a sannyāsī, you know, because you will get mahā-prasāda, no problem. So that was the motivation, the main motivation.
And very young people they approached Prabhupāda and Prabhupāda at one point he was very disgusted and hesitant. But for quite some time he was giving freely sannyāsa to uh young people, which is not there anymore.
And most of these young people they lasted only for a couple of years. And then and he knew that they were ambitious. Why he was giving them? Because he knew that in the meantime they will do something which will be for their eternal credit before they fall down.
And fall down is temporary, but the eternal credit is eternal. So being ambitious, they will do so much and then they fall down.
So, in one sense that there has to be very proper balance of ambitiousness and very clear intelligence. Ambitiousness without intelligence is a very dangerous thing, very destructive thing. destructive thing.
But ambitiousness with clear intelligence may be beneficial. So we should not encourage ambitiousness without intelligence, but ambitiousness with intelligence is.
Maharaj for giving us so that we will continue it tomorrow. Please come in time. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare Ram, Hare Ram.