A Structural Review of the Main Topics of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Lecture 2
Бхакти Вигьяна Госвами · 2020
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Mangalacharana and introductory prayers
Om namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, oṁ namo bhagavate, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, vāsudevāya. oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Nārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya, naraṁ caiva narottamaṁ devīṁ sarasvatīṁ,
tato jayam udīrayet. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī.
yaṁ pravrajantam anapeta-kṛtyaṁ dvaipāyana virahāt kātaraṁ juhūva, putreti tanayātaro taravo 'bhinedus taṁ sarva bhūta-hṛdayaṁ munimānato 'smi. yāc cānu bhāvam akilaṁ, śruti-sāram ekam ādhyātma-dīpam, nitīr-tiro-tam, saṁsāriṇaṁ karuṇayā purāṇa-guhyaṁ vyāsa-sūnum upayāmi gurur munīnām.
gurur munīnām, okay.
So we will start with this verse which I chanted, which is the praṇāma mantra to Śukadeva Gosvāmī, chanted by Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī in the beginning of the first canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, verse number three from the second chapter of the first canto.
yāc cānu bhāvam akilaṁ śruti-sāram ekam ādhyātma-dīpam nitīr-tiro-tam saṁsāriṇaṁ karuṇayā purāṇa-guhyaṁ vyāsa-sūnum upayāmi gurur munīnām.
Translation and Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto him, Śuka, the spiritual master of all sages, the son of Vyāsadeva, who is out of his great compassion for those gross materialists who struggle to cross over the darkest regions of material existence, spoke this most confidential supplement to the cream of Vedic knowledge after having personally assimilated it by experience.
In this prayer, Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī practically summarizes the complete introduction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the natural supplementary commentary on the Vedānta Sūtras.
The Vedānta Sūtras or Brahma Sūtras were compiled by Vyāsadeva with a view to presenting just the cream of Vedic knowledge. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the natural commentary on this cream. Śruti-sāram ekam.
Śruti-sāram, Śrīla Prabhupāda refers to this phrase of this verse.
Śruti-sāram means the essence or cream quintessence of all the śrutis. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī was thoroughly realized was a thoroughly realized master on the Vedānta-sūtra, and consequently, he also personally realized the commentary, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
It's a very important point. And actually the reason why I have chosen this particular verse to
Understanding scripture through direct experience
speak on because it is specifically said, Svānubhāvaṁ akhila-śruti-sāra-mekam, that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the result of anubhāva or realization or direct experience of Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
It indicates the method of understanding Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. To understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam theoretically is not possible.
You have to experience Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam exactly in the same manner as Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī has done. And therefore, he is capable of transmitting this knowledge further.
So this svānubhāva, his own experience or own realization of this subject matter or topic is uh important point of this verse.
And therefore, uh Prabhupāda says Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī has thoroughly realized, was a thoroughly realized master on the Vedānta-sūtras, and consequently, he also personally realized the commentary Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
And just to show his boundless mercy upon bewildered materialistic men who want to cross completely over nations, he recited for the first time this confidential knowledge.
There is no point in arguing that a materialistic man can be happy. No materialistic creature, be he the great Brahmā or an insignificant ant, can be happy.
Everyone tries to make a permanent plan for happiness, but everyone is baffled by the laws of material nature. Therefore, the materialistic world is called the darkest region of God's creation.
Yet the unhappy materialists can get out of it simply by desiring to get out. Śrīla Prabhupāda is amazing. Unfortunately, they are so foolish they do not want to escape.
Therefore, they are compared to the camel who relishes thorny twigs because he likes the taste of the twigs mixed with his own blood.
He does not realize that it is his own blood and, that his tongue is being cut by the thorns. Similarly, to the materialist, his own blood is as sweet as honey.
And although, although he is always harassed by his own material creations, he does not wish to escape. Such materialists are called karmīs.
Out of hundreds of thousands of karmis, only a few may feel tired of material engagement and desire to get out of the labyrinth.
Limitations of jnanis and Shankaracharya
Such intelligent persons are called jnanis.
The Vedānta-sūtra is directed to such jñānīs, but Śrīla Vyāsadeva being the incarnation of the Supreme Lord could foresee the misuse of the Vedānta-sūtra by unscrupulous men and therefore
he personally supplemented the Vedānta-sūtra with the Bhāgavata Purāṇa. It is clearly said that this Bhagavatam is the original commentary on the Brahma-sūtras.
Śrīla Vyāsadeva also instructed the Bhāgavatam to his own son, Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who was already at the liberated stage of transcendence. Srila Shukadeva realized it personally and then he explained it.
By the mercy of Śrīla Śukadeva, the Bhāgavata Vedānta-sūtra is available for all those sincere souls who want to get out of material existence. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is one unrivaled commentary on Vedānta-sūtra.
Sri Pada Shankaracharya intentionally did not touch it because he knew that the natural commentary would be difficult for him to surpass.
He wrote his Shariraka Bhashya, and his so-called followers deprecated the Bhagavatam as some new presentation. One should not be misled by such propaganda directed against the Bhagavatam by the Mayavada school.
From this introductory śloka, the beginning student should know that Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is the only transcendental literature meant for those
who are paramahamsas and completely freed from the material disease called Malice. The Mayavadis are envious of the personality of Godhead.
Despite Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya's admission that Nārāyaṇa, the personality of Godhead, is above the material creation. This is the favorite quote of Śaṅkarācārya.
By Śrīla Prabhupāda, Nārāyaṇa paro 'vyaktāt. He always quotes this particular line from Śaṅkarācārya's commentary to Bhagavad-gītā. Narayana Para. He is transcendental.
The envious Mayavadi cannot have access to the Bhagavatam,
but those who are really anxious to get out of this material existence may take shelter of this Bhāgavatam because it is uttered by the liberated Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī. It is the transcendental torchlight by which one can see perfectly
the transcendental absolute truths realized as Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān. Nigama-kalpataror galitam phalaṁ śuka-mukhād amṛta-drava-saṁyutam | pibata bhāgavatam rasam ālayam muhur aho rasikā bhuvi bhāvukāḥ ||
nigūḍha-vārāṅgha-nidheḥ prabhāvatas tad-īśa-tattvārtha-vidhāna-nipuṇaḥ | tam ananta-guṇa-śyāma-sundaraṁ śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-mahā-prabhuṁ vande || Tam vyāsasūnuṁ upayāmi gurum munīnām. Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto him, Shuka, the spiritual master of all sages, the son of Yasadeva, who out of his great compassion for those gross materialists who struggled to cross over the darkest region of material existence, spoke this most confidential supplement to the cream of Vedic knowledge after having personally assimilated it by experience.
Namah Om Vishnu-padaya Krishna-prishthaya bhutale Srimati Bhaktivedanta Swami-iti namaste Saraswati deve gaura-vani-pracharine Nirvishesha-sunyavadi-pashchatya-desha-tararine Kalpa-tarubhyash cha kripa-sindhubhya eva cha Patitanam pavanebhyo vaishnavebhyo namo namah Jaya Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu Nityananda Sri Advaita Gadadhara Sivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrinda
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare Ajanulambita-bhuja Kanakavadata-sankha-virobhita-yuga-dharma Pala vanday jagat-priyakarunavatarayandah pradishu mama Vachimaprasupubtaamtam S Sanji Vayata Kila Shakti Darah Swadana Anyamshahasta Charana Shravanat Vagadim Pranana Mau Bhagavati Purushayatubiam
Structure of the ten Bhagavatam topics
Swastyastu Vishwasya Kalah Prasida tam dyantu but So we continue our general description of the topics of Srimad Bhagavatam, structural description of the topics of Srimad Bhagavatam.
With the intention of understanding the methodology of Srimad-Bhagavatam, how Srimad-Bhagavatam is, by which means Srimad Bhagavatam is conveying to us its most important message.
And today, in this connection, I will touch upon the ten topics of Srimad Bhagavatam and how these ten topics are instrumental to convey the main meaning or the main topic of Srimad Bhagavatam.
How the nine subsidiary topics of Srimad-Bhagavatam are instrumental to convey the main topic, the main theme, the main message of Srimad Bhagavatam, which is the nature of Ashraya or the Supreme Lord.
So I really hope that I did not bewilder you last time when I was trying to say that Srimad-Bhagavatam is a very complex literature.
We have to be very clear about the complexity of this literature to properly appreciate it.
And it doesn't mean that we are deprived of understanding of this literature. We will be able to understand that everyone on a different level.
It's a merciful creation of Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, it is said clearly in this verse, Samsarinam Karunayaha Purana Guchyam. He revealed this most confidential Purana, Puranaguhim, to Samsarinam, to us, people who are suffering in this material world,
the world of repetition of birth and death, samsarinam Karuna Yah. He wants us to get out. And Śrīla Prabhupāda says it's actually very easy to get out of this world. One has just to desire it.
And all the means are already available. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is one of those means, his most glorious means to get out of this world. And therefore, it's available. The meaning of it is available.
The message of it could be understood. But at the same time, we should not. The main essence of my previous class was that we should not be satisfied with a simplistic understanding of this great literature.
Because we may cheat ourselves, we may deprive ourselves of the real cream, the real essence, the real The real nectar which is contained in this literature.
And therefore, it's important to understand this preliminary topics which I'm talking about, how to understand in general Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and how what Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is explaining and how, by which means Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is explaining all these topics.
And as I mentioned last time when we met with you in this virtual space of internet, I said that the understanding of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam implies revelation.
Approaching scripture as a literary incarnation
Why? Because Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the very svarūpa of the Lord. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is not an ordinary literature. It's not just a book. It's grantha-avatāra.
As much as there is fish avatāra and tortoise avatāra and you know Narasiṁha avatāra, there are so many avatāras of the Lord. There is one more avatāra which is grantha-avatāra.
Śrīla Prabhupāda calls Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam literary incarnation of the Lord. And it's a direct interpretation or direct understanding
of what is said in different Purāṇas, including, uh, Padma Purāṇa, which explain different cantos of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or corresponds different cantos of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to different parts of Lord svarūpa.
Så śrīmad Bhāgavatam is bhāgavata-svarūpa. It's the Lord Himself.
First two cantos are His two lotus feet, and then third and fourth canto his thighs, and fifth canto his belly, and sixth canto his beautiful shoulders and his chest with heart inside, and seventh and eighth canto his powerful hands, and ninth canto his neck, or kaṇṭha.
And then tenth canto his beautiful face. And then 11th can to or smiling, actually smiling, smiling mouth of the Lord. That's his tenth canto. It's a pretty big mouse. The tenth canto is the biggest one.
And then the 11th Kanto is his forehead. His wisdom and knowledge is there in the 11th Kanto, and then the 12th Kanto is his crown. So that's his Swarub, Bhagavad Swaroop, and it is very interestingly said
in these verses of Padma Purana which describe Śrīmad Bhagavatam as Krishna himself. Karunani dhanam, Tamalavarna, Suhita Avataram. This is Suhita Avataram, the most beneficial avataram,
which has tamala varnam which has the color of tamal tree. I'm bowing down to this devam which is full of which is the treasury of Karuna, of the mercy. A para samsara samudra setum.
And this Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, this incarnation, this specific incarnation of the Lord is Apara Samsara Samudra Setum. It's the Setu, the bridge over the samsara samudra, the ocean of samsara.
So basically, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is this bridge by traversing which we can reach the opposite shore of this ocean of samsara. Bhajamahe Bhagavat Swarupam.
I'm boiling down, I'm worshiping this Bhagavad Swarupam, this literary incarnation of the Lord. So we have to understand that there's something very serious and important in our attempts to understand
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam or in our attempts to get revelation of Śrīmad Bhagavatam.
It's basically our attempts we are not attempting to study Śrīmad Bhāgavatam because studying means or implies that we are looking down at Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is the object of my study.
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam cannot be the object of my study. Bhagavat Swarub cannot be the object of my study. I am the object of mercy of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. I am the object of mercy of the Supreme Lord. He has to look at me.
He has to mercifully give his merciful look upon me, by which some knowledge can be revealed to me. So that's the process.
The process is to obtain the knowledge, uh the not the knowledge, to obtain the revelation, uh to obtain the mercy of the Supreme Lord. We are studying Śrīmad Bhāgavatam to obtain the mercy of the Supreme Lord, and by the means of obtaining this mercy, we will be able to cross over this samsara samudra, the ocean of material sufferings.
Because it's a specific setu, the bridge which is built by the Lord Himself for us to cross it over.
So it's very important again that we're applying our propensity to hear something to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to receive the mercy of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.
And I also said very important thing that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the main language of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is Samādhi-bhāṣā. There are some other languages employed here and there, and we have
to distinguish when the main voice of Śukadeva Gosvāmī is being transmitting to us the main message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and some subsidiary topics which are spoken even by different voice.
In in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śukadeva Gosvāmī employs different uh poetical meters uh to convey this message. You know, when when he speaks some ordinary things, he doesn't use very elaborate or very fancy meters.
But when it comes to conveying something very important, he uses very fancy and beautiful poetic metres and so on so forth.
So, but we have to understand that this is samādhi-bhāṣā because initially Śrīmad Bhāgavatam was received in Samadhi, in trance, and it was conveyed in trance by Vyāsadeva to Śukadeva Gosvāmī. And then Śukadeva Gosvāmī in trance explained it to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, who was put into trance by this explanation.
And that's exactly what is supposed to happen with us. And sometimes we feel it like we're being put into trance by explanation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. But that's not real trance.
The real trance is uh when uh Mahārāja Parīkṣit says, I don't want to eat, I don't want to sleep, I don't want to drink, I just want to hear more and more these topics of the Supreme Lord, which conveying directly the Supreme Lord.
Progressive conceptions of the absolute truth
And the last point which I made in my previous class
was the point made by Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda, where he explained that there are eight different progressively higher and higher and higher conceptions of the absolute truths.
And all these conceptions are being directly or indirectly described in Śrīmad Bhagavatam and ultimately refuted to give us the highest conception of the absolute truths. Why it is necessary?
Why it is necessary to explain different conceptions of the absolute truths, different conceptions of Brahman, of the supreme upāsya, the supreme object of worship of the supreme personality of Godhead, because the seeds of these misconceptions are all there within our heart.
As I said, that the first misconception about absolute truth when somebody is completely bewildered is samshya, the doubt. He doesn't know whether there is a cause of all causes or not.
And then Nastik, no, there is no cause of all causes. It's all matter. It's just coming from matter. Nastika and then Nirguna, no, the cause of all causes, the original cause of everything is impersonal.
So if we look deep down very honestly within our heart, officially, yes, we recognize or we admit or we profess that our conception of absolute truth is that it is a cowherd boy from a little village in Uttar Pradesh.
And he's herding his cows and doing some mischief with the village girls.
So, but to really come to understanding, to anubhava, to really understand this very high conception of the absolute truth, we have to first negate the lower misconceptions of the absolute truth which are there.
And you know, sometimes people think, oh, yeah, yeah, this is a very difficult, very beautiful, symbolic description of the absolute truth.
Ultimately absolute truth is Brahman, but symbolically it's described as a boy with the peacock feather in his head. It's just symbols.
And Māyāvādīs usually they try to, you know, deconstruct Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam by explaining that this is all just symbolic descriptions.
So, what I want to say is that it's extremely important to recognize the existence of these misconceptions within our heart.
The ultimate parakiya conception of Godhead
All the progressive misconceptions starting with saṁśaya, and then nāstika and then nirguṇa and after nirguṇa klība and after klība, puruṣa without his energy and then puruṣa with his energy, mithuna and then parakīyā and svakīyā. Yeah.
So to understand all these eight conceptions, then only we will be able to get the complete full understanding of this Parakia conception of the absolute truth, which is totally unrestricted conception.
I tried to explain it last time that all other conceptions of the absolute truth overtly or openly or in some coward way, they are trying to limit the absolute truth.
And the only completely unlimited, completely unrestricted conception of the absolute truth is this parakīyā, parakīyā bhāva, parakīyā conception of the Absolute Truth: that the relationship between the Absolute Truth and His own energy take form or shape of illicit relationship between the male and female as in Vrindavan.
So and please, please, please don't be in a hurry to say that I already know this. We don't know this.
I remember once I was speaking with some lady philosopher, she was a very intellectual lady, and I asked her, what is you know, is there a god? She said, yeah, maybe, maybe, some share. Maybe.
And then you know she said, yeah, if it's there, it's, you know, some energy which is there, so nirguna. And I said no, no, absolute truth is herding cows. And she really, you know, she exploded. She couldn't take it.
But you know, all these seeds of misconceptions are there within us.
And we, you know, by studying Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam very thoroughly, we will be able to really beautifully appreciate this conception, this highest conception of the absolute truth.
And therefore, Caitanya Mahāprabhu actually loved very much one poet. What's his name? Upadhyaya? I forget his name now. Ragupati Upadhyaya.
Rāmānanda Upādhyāya. This Rāmānanda Upādhyāya, this verse is quoted in Caitanya-caritāmṛta Kamprati Kathaitam Shai, Samprati, Kovapratiam Aya tu, Gopatitanaya Kunjay, Gopavadhuti Vitam Brahma.
He says, to whom can I speak this? And even if I speak this to somebody who will and who will believe me when I say that Īśa, the Supreme Lord, who is Brahman, the absolute truth, what is he doing?
Gopī-jana-stana-kuṅkume, gopī-vadhū-jīvitaṁ brahma. He he is playing with the uh hunting the gopis in the bushes on the banks of river Yemuna.
So he says, to whom can I speak and who will believe me that the supreme truth is doing this. So it's not an ordinary thing. By the mercy of Śrīla Prabhupāda, we accept it. But to realize it is something different.
Relation between ashraya and secondary topics
It's easy to accept it in one says it's not easy to accept it, but it's easier to accept it, but it's much more difficult to come in touch with it in reality.
So now I come to a very fascinating and important subject matter, the direct subject matter of this class, while explaining the 10 topics of Srimad Bhagavatam, because as
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī himself says, please listen very carefully, he himself says that actually the topic of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is one. There is only one topic.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam wants to convey to us this truth: that the supreme personality of Godhead is a young boy, his eternal svarūpa is a svarūpa of a young boy who is eternally engaged in loving pastimes with his devotees.
And these pastimes take shape of some conjugal relationship to deepen the bliss of these exchanges. But as we know, and that will be, as I said, the main topic of this class.
There are ten topics of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam described in the end of the second canto. atra sarga visargas ca sthānam poṣaṇam ūtayaḥ manvantareṣu ca kathā nirodo muktir āśrayaḥ Starting with the sarga and coming to āśraya.
Āśraya is the last point, and āśraya is the tenth topic, Ashraya is the last point, and Ashraya is the tenth topic, the main most important topic. And in fact, you may safely said that this is the only topic.
This is the topic of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam wants to explain to us, āśraya, why the nine other topics are there.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explaining this first and second verses of the tenth chapter of the second canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam goes as far as to say that if there are 10 topics, then there should be 10 books.
You know, because usually when we speak about the book, there is one main topic. If you are to say that a book has 10 topics, it basically means you're talking not about one book, you are talking about ten books.
So what is the point of talking about Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as one book if there are ten topics?
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says no, no, no, no. There is only one topic and nine other topics are there to explain the tenth topic. And it's very important to understand what it means.
daśamasya viśuddhy-arthaṁ navaṇām iha lakṣaṇam These nine other lakṣaṇas, nine other topics of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, daśamasya viśuddhy-arthaṁ, they are there only to clarify or to isolate, as Prabhupāda explains.
He, I think, translates this "isolate", yes. To isolate—viśuddha means, yes, rectify. Or isolate or clarify. Daśamaś ca viśuddhyarthaṁ navānām iha lakṣaṇaṁ, to clarify or to isolate.
And I will explain what it means to isolate a little later. Very important verse to understand the methodology of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
What Śukadeva Gosvāmī is saying here is that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to make us understand this tense topic, which is difficult to understand. It's very difficult to understand.
But to make us understand this tense topic, Āśraya, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam explains nine other topics which are easier to understand because they are accessible to our direct experience.
The tenth topic of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Āśraya, is not accessible to us. There is no way for us in our present state of mind to access āśraya because by definition, āśraya is something which is Yato vā imāni bhūtāni.
What is this verse from Taittiriya Upaniṣad that Lord Caitanya often quoted, this verse which describes Āśraya. That's the definition of Āśraya.
Definition and features of ashraya
Very important definition of Āśraya, which we should understand. What is Āśraya? Āśraya means shelter. The shelter of everything, the supreme truth, the supreme absolute truth, as we say. So, what is this āśraya?
What are the three characteristics, three main characteristics of āśraya? This we have to know very clearly. So, yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante, yena jātāni jīvanti, yat prayanty abhisaṁviśanti.
So the āśraya or the supreme shelter has three main functions. Yata, ablative function. Yata first is uh shelter is something from which everything comes out.
Whatever we see, whatever is there, is coming from the shelter, from āśraya. It's the source of everything. Therefore, the first function of the shelter or the first feature of the
shelter of the absolute truth is that its ablative feature. It is coming therefore, yataḥ. It is used in this verse of Taittiriya Upaniṣad.
And then yena, by which everything is maintained, by which everything is pervaded. That's the second function.
The absolute truth is the source of everything, but it's also the means of maintaining everything, and therefore the absolute truth enters into everything. Absolute truth is all pervading, it pervades all its creation.
So the everything is coming from the absolute truth, everything is being pervaded by the absolute truth, jena.
And then yat, yat Pradeshanti Locative case Yasmin in this verse from Taittiriya Upanishad Yat stands for Yasmin in which locative upon which everything is based, in which everything enters after annihilation.
So this is three functions, and this is the definition of āśraya. And therefore, āśraya is not accessible to us.
We cannot know our source, we cannot know the all-pervading truth which is everywhere there, and you know, we cannot know where we will enter. This is this is too big of a truth. This is too big, too big topic.
And it's inaccessible.
It's possible to understand it, but the very there is a very specific technique to understand this but Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is conveying to us what this source of everything, what this instrumental cause of maintenance of everything?
And what is this locative or the adhiṣṭhāna, the foundation of everything? What is this? By the means of these nine topics. Because nine other topics are somewhat accessible to our direct experience.
And the meaning here, and therefore it is said, viśuddhyarthaṁ, daśamasya viśuddhyarthaṁ. In order to clarify or to explain the tenth topic, the nine other topics are being explained.
It's basically very easy to understand what it means. If you want to understand the tree, you ultimately have to understand the root of the tree. Isn't it? But the root is very deeply covered. It's not visible.
So to understand the tree, you you study the you know the trunk, you study the bark, you study the twigs, you study the leaves, you study the photosynthesis, everything else. But all this is to understand the root.
If you understand the leaves and the bark and the trunk and everything else, but you don't understand the root, you didn't understand anything.
But you may use your understanding of the of the of the genetic composition of the cells of this to understand the root. To give more even more relevant example, like
you know, suppose somebody has cancer, and uh you know it's a it's a deadly disease, it's a very terrible disease.
And you don't know the root of this cancer. But you understand that to deal with this problem, you have to know the root of the cancer. But how you can understand the root, how do you understand the root cause of this cancer?
You study the visible part of it.
You take this cancer, you try to understand what are the processes which uh which bring about this cancerous uh creation. And ultimately in this way you will be able, maybe, you will be able to understand the root.
The exact same methodology is employed by Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In fact, it's very interesting.
In the eighth chapter of the second canto, Mahārāja Parīkṣit asked Śukadeva Gosvāmī many, many, many questions. It's a series of many, many, many, many questions. It's uh not in not even ten, more than 10.
He asked one question after another, and he said, and then in the end, he said, I asked you all these questions, but I may miss something. So my inquisitiveness may not be complete.
So in case I miss something, disregard all my questions and just explain to me the truth in a systematic manner. So he's very inquisitive, he wants to know the truth, he asks all the questions,
but he provides this possibility. He says, maybe that I didn't ask you something important. So don't worry about this. You explain to me the truth in a systematic manner.
And that's why Śukadeva Gosvāmī starts explaining the truth in a systematic manner from the 10th chapter of the second canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and in the 9th chapter, also in catuḥ-ślokī of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam explaining these topics and saying that all these topics: what is the meaning of these topics. The meanings of these topics for us to understand the truths.
And to understand what else does it mean, viśuddhy-arthaṁ, viśuddhy-arthaṁ. Viśuddhy-arthaṁ. We should make this topic specifically clear. Viśuddhy-arthaṁ.
Viśuddhy-arthaṁ means that by understanding all these nine topics, we will get some idea of what the tenth topic is, and then we will be able to understand that actually the tenth topic has much more characteristics than the sum total of these nine topics.
That's another very, very important point. We have to understand that all these things which are explained in other canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
All these topics of sarga, visarga, which I will explain now, and now I'm dealing with this most important topic. All these things which are available to us, which can be somewhat experienced by us, which are visible to us, they all indicate the absolute truth because they are coming from the absolute truth. But they are not describing the absolute truth as such. The absolute truth is bigger than this.
The sum total is bigger than the whole is bigger than some total of the parts. That's a very important point. Please try to understand this. The whole is bigger than sum total of the parts.
And therefore, while uh explaining all these nine topics, Śukadeva Gosvāmī will be able to ultimately explain to us the specific features of the absolute truth which are not included in these nine topics, which are not really the part of these nine topics. And we will be able to understand what is this absolute truth.
Because otherwise, if we didn't go through this exercise,
when we'll talk about absolute truths, we will say, oh, yeah, I know, I know, I know. And we will reflect our own experience on the absolute truth, as usually people do. God is like this.
God is, you know, some old man who is really tired and he's just really depressed and he's just you know scratching his head. So no.
No, we have to understand those these uh nine topics and then uh and then when Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that no no absolute truth is much bigger here. What it is, we will be able to uh to to realize what absolute truth is in reality without this projection of our experience onto the absolute truth.
That's another meaning of this second verse which explains the methodology of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Very important verse to understand.
Methods of prayers and historical narratives
And one more thing is very importantly explained here. Varnayanti mahātmano, different great people, great sages, they described all these 10 topics, or nine topics to ultimately explain the tenth topic. How they do it?
They're doing it directly, ca añjasā. Or they want to convey to us what the absolute truth is. Very important again point.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that all these great sages their desire, their main desire is to give us the direct understanding of āśraye of the shelter of everything, of the Supreme Lord, Supreme Absolute Truth, whoever however you call it, but they cannot do it directly or it's difficult to do it directly.
Therefore they use srutana and artana. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there are two means how they describe the absolute truth. Also, again, very important point to understand the methodology of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Srutana means sometimes the absolute truth, oftentimes the absolute truth is described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by śruta by direct prayers.
You know, every now and then you know somebody bursts into prayers to the Supreme Absolute Truth who is standing in front of him and directly says, You're like this, you're this, you're that. His understanding.
Shruten means the prayers, they contain the direct philosophy about absolute truths. And Arthena, Arthenna means by the meaning of the stories.
The different stories are there and but ultimately the meaning of these different stories, why different stories, so many different stories are there in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, ultimately again to convey this to for of us to understand the nature of āśraya.
So this is how this is an important part of our discussion. Again, there are 10 topics. Out of these 10 topics, there is only one topic which is important. Every other topic is subsidiary.
There is one primary topic, and all the secondary topics which are more accessible to our understanding are there for us to understand partially the tense topic and then to be able to appreciate the tense topic completely when it's being described in the tense canto fully.
Not only in Tenth Canto, it's it's described in every Canto. Absolutely in every canto the āśraya is described, but Tenth Canto is specifically for this description.
And there are two means of conveying, directly conveying this knowledge to us, oi Hare Krishna. By śruta and by arthana, by the stories and by the prayers.
Therefore there are so many prayers in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and sometimes we think that you know it's too many prayers. We need more action because we're more used to more dynamic description. But it's it's important.
this This is too uh means uh to give us uh aṅjasā and the understanding of this this is how all this mahātmās are conveying this to us.
So now having said this, this is a little introduction to the whole lecture, but important introduction.
I will now briefly describe all these nine topics, how they are related to each other, and how they are ultimately conveying this message of the absolute truth. Again, very important point, please try to remember what is shelter. If somebody asks you what is shelter, what is absolute truth? What is this supreme personality of God, if you say these three
functions are there: ablative function, uh, instrumental function, and uh locative function. These three uh vibhaktis, three cases of Sanskrit language are being used to describe the functions of the absolute truth.
And that's why it's so difficult to understand, but it's possible to understand through these nine topics and through these two means, Shru Tena and Arthenas, through the stories and through the direct prayers.
Primary creation known as sarga
So now let's start with the first topic: Atra Sarga Visarga Shastanam Poshanam Utaya. Sarga, the first topic. All the Mahapuranas they contain usually it is said that Puranas contain five topics.
All the Puranas contain the topic about Sarga creation. All the Puranas contain the topic about Visarga, Secondary creation. All the Puranas contain the topic about Manvantara. All the Puranas contain the topic about mukti.
But sometimes it is described that Mahapurana contains 10 topics, but ultimately, 10 topics is the elaboration of these five topics of the Puranas. And why all these topics are there, starting with Sarga.
First of all, because we're here in this world and we're looking around, we're seeing all this world, and everyone inevitably asked where it's coming from. How did it come about?
You know, it's a big topic in everyone's mind. The scientists are trying hard to understand this. You know it's a creation. It has an end. It's being destroyed all the time. It means that there was a beginning of this.
How was the beginning? So the scientists they came out with the this conception of big bang, you know once upon a time there was nothing. And then this nothing uh thought of becoming something. And big bang took place
and you know here we are the result of this big bang. And what can you expect from the result of the big bang? Nothing good can come out from the big bang. So all the calamities started from this big bang.
And in one sense, we even agree with this theory
because we say that yes, the Big Bang was there when the Lord glanced over the material nature which was very peaceful and was completely unmanifest in its unmanifest state.
So this first topic is the elementary creation, the creation of the elements, creation of the things. Is why it is important to understand because we really have to understand our situation.
Basically, another simile or another metaphor which we can employ to understand the methodology of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam wants to convey to us the truth that you belong to God.
And God is like this, and to belong to God, or to function in relationship with God, you have to serve God, you have to be engaged in devotional service. So, but first you have to understand where you are standing.
It's like you know, if you are in a big park and
you are for the first time in this big park and, this big park is very complicated and there are many pathways and ultimately you want to come somewhere to the biggest attraction of this park.
That first thing which you have to know is where you are now, right? This is when you are in front of the big map of the big park, it always indicates you're here. And then you can decide where you want to go.
So Śukadeva Gosvāmī is employing exactly the same methodology to systematically explain the absolute truth by saying you are here. This is where you are. This is what you are. This is what you see around you.
Let's start with the elements, let's start with the basic blocks of creation. And this is Sarga.
Sarga, how the elements, the basic blocks of creation, came about after the glance of the Lord throughout the completely balanced state of three guṇas of matter out of balance.
You know, Lord's glance and the glance of the Lord, this is time. And the name of the time, very important name of the time, which is used
in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is kṣobhaka. Kṣobhaka means something which destroys the balance. Like you know, sometimes we preach that you should be balanced, you know. But the balance is not possible in the material world.
The whole dynamic of the material creation is only because it's everything is imbalanced. And this imbalance is actually good in one sense. So the Lord looks in the material nature,
and at this moment the big bang takes place and the processes of creation start and the first you know of course we know the first mahat-tattva was created from this uh completely balanced state, the Mahatattva, the first element, which is very sattvic, very pure.
And then from Mahatattva, Sutra Tattva was created. Sutra Tattva is a dynamic state. Sutra Tattva is actually prana, the uh living force uh in this creation.
So Mahatva and then Sutra Tattva, and then after that uh by the Tamagun, Tamasi creation of it was ahaṅkāra. Ahaṅkāra of false ego, false identity it's a very, very basic and very elementary state of matter.
So we all have everyone has the ahaṅkāra. Every creature in this world has this ahaṅkāra, the sense of identity or separateness.
And then from ahaṅkāra, everything else, all the tanmatras and everything else, all the senses and demigods and everything else.
But first there was Mahatattva and then Sutra Tattva and then ahaṅkāra and uh fr uh everything else is uh is actually result of ahaṅkāra. So everything has the falsity in it uh in this creation.
And uh and there are so many other implications of this truth and uh and ultimately everything else everything is tamassic by nature because it has this element of ahaṅkāra.
Only going beyond ahaṅkāra we can uh reach more elevated states of our consciousness. So this is the first topic, Sarga. Sarga, which we have to understand very clearly. And Sarga, beyond Sarga is shelter.
Yatao, Yataha, the first function of the shelter of Ashraya is Yataha, from which everything else comes. So he glances, and his glance is extremely powerful.
It has immense energy to to create everything and to create this big bang so to speak.
So Yataha, by understanding how all the elementary creation is coming from the Lord, we are getting the first understanding of who the Lord is.
Secondary creation known as visarga
The first conception or the first understanding of shelter of Ashraya. And then Visarga. Visarga is the secondary creation. Secondary creation is the creation of Lord Brahma, as Shukadev Gaswami explaining.
Lord Brahma, the creator of this universe, he creates this according to karma. And basically, this is a very important, again, very important point: how the bodies of the living entities are created.
How these blocks of creation ultimately come together and create our bodies.
We have to understand that within our bodies there is Mahatva, it's our intelligence. There is sutra tattva, the dynamic force in the creation. This is prana, the ten pranas, actually, one prana with ten functions.
And then within our body, there is ahaṅkāra, the false ego, very, very primordial level of our existence.
I actually studied, it was very interesting how the brain is composed, and you can very clearly see by the studying the composition of the brain where ahaṅkāra is there.
Ahaṅkāra is in the very deep layers of the brain, in the in the stem of the brain. This is where ahaṅkāric functions, all this survival instincts are there. Because ahaṅkāra is I want to live, I want to exist.
This this survival instinct is very deeply engrossed or inscripted within our body. And then so the secondary creation is the creation of the bodies of living entities, different bodies?
How Lord Brahmā, by the help of his sons, Prajāpati, created different bodies, how from Kardama Muni all the snakes came out and all the scorpions came out and all the birds came out and Ṛṣis and Daityas and Dānavas and all these demonic species of life and Devas through Dānu Dānavas came out from Diti Daityas came out, from Aditi, Devas came out, from Kadru, all the snakes came out, from Vinata, all the birds came out, all these different creations are there.
So, but the point: why do we have to know this?
Again, it's very beautifully explained by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura and by Śrīla Prabhupāda that we have to understand for what these bodies are being created from the second from the primary elements, from the building blocks.
There are three purposes why this body is given to me? Three purposes. What are these three purposes? The first purpose is to enjoy. This is an obvious purpose. Why is this body given to me as the soul? To enjoy.
The secondary purpose, very important, the second, not secondary, second, is to get liberation.
This body, specifically, human body is designed in such a way, including mind and everything, that one gets the desire of liberation, desire of mukti, desire to get rid of all the sufferings, to put full stop to all the sufferings.
And the third function is why this body is created: to perform devotional service and to obtain love of God.
This is the three purposes of this body, specifically human body. And we have to really clearly understand and you know understand how to employ this body. Ultimately, this body is given to us by God, by the Creator, by secondary creator Brahman, and ultimately by the primary creator to perform the devotional service.
That's why the hands are there. Why the hands are there to do puja? Why the legs are there to do Govardhana Parikrama? Why the mouths are there to speak about the Lord and to eat his remnants, of course.
Why the nose is there? The nose is only for this purpose to smell the incense and the oils and the flowers which we offer to the Lord.
So this is the secondary, the importance of the secondary creation, visarga, to understand the purpose of our body. How our body is created from the secondary elements. And what is the purpose? Why?
Why do I have these legs with or hands with beautiful fingers? You know that this is the most important instrument which we have, the fingers. The most part of our brain is actually to operate with these fingers.
You can do so many things with the fingers. But ultimately, it's all uh to serve the Lord, to develop certain uh innate capacities in us to serve the Lord.
Cosmic maintenance known as sthana
Atrasarga visargas chastanam. Stanam, very important point, next point. And Śukadeva Gosvāmī glosses this stānam, he says sthitir Vaikuṇṭha-vijaya. The third topic is stānam, atra sarga visarga. The third topic is stānam.
Stānam means the place. You're created. There is elementary creation, then your body is created, then you have to be given the place. What is this place?
And Śukadeva Gosvāmī, in a very beautiful way, very enigmatic way, explains this. Sthitir Vaikuṇṭha-vijaya. What is Vaikuṇṭha-vijaya? Different commentators differently gloss this statement.
They say Jīva Gosvāmī says, what does it mean, Sthitir Vaikuṇṭha-vijaya? He says that the places in this world are created in a very particular way, that the borders are maintained, that everything is actually in its own place, so to speak. It's not merged, it's not mixed.
Like we know the ocean. The ocean doesn't come out from its borders. It stays in the same place and the uh you know the islands are of this they they have the fixed borders are there.
So he says, by Kuntī-vijaya, we can surmise the existence of the Lord by seeing how nicely and beautifully everything is created and how it is different, how different places are there for different people, for different kinds of people, there are different places. According to the purposes of these people, according to their understanding of the meaning of life and everything else, you know, like India is a special place.
And I'm not talking now about the geographical borders. I'm talking about the metaphysical borders of this place. This is the place where people with deep spiritual inclination are being born,
and therefore, you know, this is the most spiritual place in the world. America is a very special place, very special place. If you are in America, you know. If you're not in America, you're lucky.
So uh and uh it maintains it contains its identity. Russia is a very special place. It uh maintains its identity. So many revolutionaries came and say we will change everything. Nothing changes.
And therefore, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, sthitir vaikunṭha-vijayaḥ. This is the place for particular kind of people.
And in a similar way there are different planetary systems, and these different different planetary systems are for different kinds of living entities.
The Lord is specifically designed this universe in such a way that people can fulfill their desires, enjoy in a particular way with the particular intensity, but at the same time get frustrated and ultimately try to get liberation or try to perform devotional service.
And that's sthāna, the third topic. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura gives a different explanation of this.
Why Śukadeva Gosvāmī says sthitir vaikunṭha-vijayaḥ? He says, stitir vaikunṭha-vijayaḥ means that sthiti, vijaya means the victory. Vaikunṭha-vijaya, Vaikunṭha means of course the Lord. He says stiti means maintenance.
And he says when Śukadeva Gosvāmī uh says this sthitir vaikunṭha-vijayaḥ, he says that uh explaining stiti or our situation in this world Śukadeva Gosvāmī wants to convey the message that the one who maintains this world is more important than the one who creates it or the one who destroys it.
Vaikuṇṭha-vijaya, according to Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, means that Vishnu, who is the maintainer of this world, is higher than Shiva and Brahma. And in this way, it's uh they're conveying to us the sense of what shelter is. The shelter is somebody who is maintaining the second function of the absolute truth or Ashraya.
So because sometimes people say you know Shiva is more powerful, even sages are bewildered, Brahma is very powerful.
We know this story is there in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He didn't know who is the Supreme Lord. Therefore, just in case it works, he worshipped all the three.
Uh you know, and sometimes people include somebody else there, you know, mm Rajiv Gandhi or somebody else, you know, just just in case he's God.
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī says, uh, sorry, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that the message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam uh which, uh, by which, uh, Śukadeva Gosvāmī is explaining to us āśraya is that Ashraya is something which gives you, which maintains
you, which pervades you, as the word Vishnu means, all pervading, and this is higher than the one who creates and the one who destroys.
That's what Vaikuṇṭha-vijaya means. And Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, oh, Vaikuṇṭha-vijaya means there is the third meaning of this. Stiti means the destruction of the suffering of the living entities.
Who can destroy or release us from sufferings only the Supreme Lord. And therefore He's called Vaikuṇṭha here. Vaikuṇṭha means the one who is free from all the kuṇṭhas, all the difficulties, all the sufferings.
And Vaikuṇṭha-vijaya, he is victorious. He can give us the release from all the sufferings.
Therefore, stiti maintenance means if if we want to maintain, if we want to stay in certain place, we have to be free from sufferings. Who can give us the freedom from sufferings? Only the Supreme Lord.
And in this way, stiti or Stanam, the third topic is explaining the nature of the Supreme Lord. So the Supreme Lord is the one who creates everything, this is Sarga and Visarga.
Divine mercy known as poshana
The Supreme Lord is the one who maintains everything. This is Stanam and Poshanam. This is the fourth topic of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
And the fourth topic of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Śukadeva Gosvāmī glosses tad-anugraham. Tad-anugraham means His mercy. Poshanam means nourishment. So we have to understand by which means we live here.
Sometimes people say that you know we need our daily bread to live. That we live by bread, or we live by rice, or we live by something else. No, we live by mercy. Tadanugraha. Posanam tadanugraha. Why do we live?
How we are able to live, how we are able to maintain our lives. What is behind the maintenance? Behind the maintenance is the mercy of the Lord.
The very cause, the very cause of the maintenance of our existence is the Lord. So the Lord, He created us, and it is the Lord who by His mercy maintains us for ordinary people.
He maintains ordinary people by giving them daily bread and food and everything else and money and you know some ice cream sometimes. But for his devotees, when somebody becomes his devotee
he really understands that I'm only living because of his mercy. and that's the highest way of existing in this world.
To be directly in contact with Lord's mercy by understanding that it's only Lord's mercy by which I am being maintained. So that's again the description of Ashraya.
All these things are being described by different prayers and by different stories, only to convey this message: that who is Ashraya? Āśraya is somebody who is maintaining us by his mercy.
Sthāna poṣaṇa ūtaya ūti, the next topic, beautiful topic of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, very important topic for our understanding and for understanding of what we're doing here is what is the impetus for our activity?
Why sometimes we have bad desires, sinful desires, sometimes we have good desires?
Sometimes why sometimes we have such a powerful emotional energy within us that we cannot do, you know, all of a sudden we are overwhelmed by uh anger or by lust, and we cannot do anything. So this is Uti.
Uti, which is the internal impetus for us to act.
Sometimes we act in a pious way, sometimes we act in a foolish way, in a completely tamasic way, in a sinful way. Again, driven by all these emotions which are there, and uh by different desires which are there.
And why sometimes desires are stronger, some desires are weaker. Why different people have different desires.
Somebody else with us apparently is free from lust or has very little lust and I'm near to him and I'm totally overwhelmed by lust.
I'm suffering, I'm twirling around, don't know what to do because I'm obsessed by this energy which is inside. So, this we have to understand where it's coming from. It's coming from the samskaras from the past actions.
And therefore, it is said that uti, uh, Śukadeva Gosvāmī uh glosses uti as it doesn't gloss uti here. Ah, karma-vāsanā. Oh yeah, Manvantara I lost, but I will explain that. Karma-vāsanā.
This is the subliminal impressions within our mind, the karma-vāsanā. The impressions which are coming from our past activities and most importantly from our association.
Because every association with every living entity, with every mental creation in this world, leaves an impression upon us.
When we go into the internet, we have to understand that we are creating the impetus for future actions. And we have to be very careful of what we are doing, how we are doing, and how to control our mind.
And in reality, we can only control our mind to a very limited extent, only if we act in a very pious sattvic way, and so on and so forth. But basically, this uti is that we have to be very careful,
and ultimately, the point is that if we want to have good impetus, we have to have association with good people.
If we really want to come to the Lord, if we really want to change this vicious that to break through this vicious circle of karma, which keeps us inside this material world, which keeps us bound to these conditions in the material world.
There is only one way, there is only one way, there is only one way. Yes, we have to act piously, but this is very weak. We have to associate with saintly persons. That's very powerful.
The association with saintly persons will change our karma completely and will change the impetus.
So many people just by very cursory association with Śrīla Prabhupāda developed a very strong impetus to do devotional service. That was the power of his association.
And so many examples are there in the history of the world. How people change completely the course of their lives. And if we understand the nature of this uti, because otherwise we will be bewildered.
We are victims of all these raging emotions which are there in our heart. We don't know what to do with these emotions, how to deal with them, how to relate to them, how to change them.
And therefore, we have to understand uti-au karma-vāsanā. This is the result of our karma.
Moral governance known as manvantara
What is the main karma which we are doing in this world is the association with people. And by associating with different people we are creating our future destination, our future life.
And Manvantara Manvantara Manvantarani Saddharma Manvantarani Saddharma n Sila Sukadev Goswami also explains and that's again you shall how we will how we will get ashre how we will
kom klarer to ashre if we arewhelmed by all this emotions if we are in this vicious circle of our karma only by the means of sadhu Sangha, Satsangha. And Manvantaraya Shanukatha, Manvantara is the next topic is
uh Manvantarani uh Sadharma preachha Saddharma Saddharma means the pious activities or the you know all the manus, all the rulers. What is the main function of the ruler?
You know this world is created, and in this world there are rulers. And the position of the ruler is sacred.
Why everywhere in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that the Raja king is the representative of God, because his main function is to establish sad dharma, to establish the moral principles, the principles of dharma in this world, to rule in such a way that his Prajas his subordinates, his people, subjects, his subjects follow the principles of Dharma.
And therefore, Manus are coming here. The Manus establish this dharma, and every rule ruler has to understand that he is the representative of this universal universal m structure, universal power structure.
Manvantara is basically, what is Manvantara? Manu is coming for 71 yugas, Manvant
Manu is ruling, and with the manus there are Sapterisus and there are all the demigods who are in charge of different functions of this world. So basically it's explaining how this world is functioning,
what is the basis of functioning of this world, what is the rule, how upon which laws this uh world is functioning. And this law is called Sat Dharma, the eternal dharma.
Everyone has to understand his nature and act according to his nature. And the ruler is supposed to make sure that everyone follows his nature.
That you know there are no false Brahmacharis who only eat and you know drink and like somebody told me the story that he was walking here in Vrindavan and you know he met two local people and this local people looked at him and started laughing and said, Is
con Brahmachari, no marriage only love affair so manvantara means sadharma manara means that that no sajmacharis, not allowed.
The manus or the rulers, whatever the position of authority, whatever the position authority we should have, we should see that there is no violation of this sad dharma of the sacred rules or the sacred laws of this nature.
And therefore, manvantar is there. Therefore, this topic is there. How this creation is being guided, or how this creation is. What is the guiding principle of this creation? Saddharma. Manvantara-anukathā.
Narratives of divine incarnations and devotees
So that's uh that's the topic mainly uh it's asked by Maharaja Parīkṣit in the beginning of Eighth Canto. Next topic is Īśānukathā. And then the Lord comes every Manvantara.
And He performs His līlās. And again, He's performing His līlās, coming here, He's giving His mercy. From him everything is coming. He is maintaining everything. By his mercy everything is being maintained.
He is establishing this rule of all different rulers. No, this is this rule of all different rulers who maintain dharma. For what? What is the ultimate purpose that He can come and He can deliver all the living entities.
Because when the living entities follow Dharma, then they will be receptive. Then they will take seriously his message, then they will hear about His Īśānukathā, different stories about different incarnations of the Lord.
And the stories of different incarnations of the Lord will ignite the desire to come closer to the Lord.
The piety itself has no meaning, but the piety becomes meaningful because it creates certain disposition in the mind of the living entity towards Īśānukathā.
And therefore, this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is explaining different stories about different incarnations to again to strengthen this desire within the heart of living entity.
So I will probably stop here because I'm already talking for too long, already one and a half hours. So we can leave the remaining few topics of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I wanted to go further, but it's probably enough.
We can leave the remaining topics of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for the next class. I realize that our seminar will be longer than even probably five or six lectures. Let's see how it works. So, we are not in a hurry in this sense.
What I have described so far is that the most important and the most mysterious subject matter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is āśraya. Āśraya is impossible to understand by normal means.
But we can have some idea about the āśraya if we study very carefully with the help of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam our situation in this world, we will understand a lot about āśraya if we
study all these nine subject matters of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by two main means, by śravaṇa and arthaṇa, by śruti, by hearing the direct praises of the Supreme Lord, by different sags and by artha by implication or by deriving different meanings or different lessons from the stories which are there in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.
And while understanding this, we have to understand that everything is directed for us to understand that we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. We are His dharma.
And this is a very important message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
And what is our dharma or function in relation with the Supreme Lord, that we will of course explain later, and this is a very important point of the whole Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
So, in this way, I tried to explain or to go a little further in this very important subject matter that how we have to approach or
Organization of topics across cantos
how we can get this darśana of bhagavat-svarūpa in the form of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by understanding different topics. And of course, perhaps I will say a few words about this.
There are two theories about how the subject matters are or these topics of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are related with different cantos of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
So Jīva Gosvāmī is very categorically stating that all the ten subjects are there in all the ten cantos, in all the stories, the ten subjects are there. And there are some people who say that primarily they are canto-wise.
The first two cantos are introductory to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
And starting from the third canto, third canto is sarga, fourth canto is visarga, fifth skandha is sthāna, sixth canto is poṣaṇa, seventh canto is ūtaya, eighth skandha is manvantara, and ninth skandha is īśānukathā. And there is definitely something to this krama theory.
theory, like as I mentioned in the beginning of eighth skandha, Śuka explains to me Manvantara. And that's exactly the place of the topic of Manvantara, and Śukadeva Gosvāmī starts explaining Manvantara in the 8th Canto.
In the beginning of the 9th Canto again, Mahārāja Parīkṣit asked the question: can you explain to me different stories of different incarnations of the Lord, different dynasties.
Because the stories of different incarnations, actually, I forget to tell this very important point: that it's not only the stories about the Lord, but it's also the stories about the great devotees of the Lord who are coming in different dynasties, specifically in these two dynasties, Chandrabaṁśa and Sūryabaṁśa.
All the different great devotees of the Lord who come with the Lord, who help him in his pastimes in this material world. They're included in this, it is anukathā.
So, and uh, you know, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura also in some Cantos says that he says that the 7th Canto is primarily describing ūtī, the impetus. So there is something to it. Both statements are correct.
We have to understand that, like for example, the 7th Canto, it would not be correct to say that the 7th Canto is only explaining ūtī.
In the story of Hiraṇyakaśipu and Ṛṣabhadeva, we see that you know the Ṛṣabha deva he appeared, so in one sense, uh, you know, it was uh sarga, he appeared in this world, sthānaṁ, he gave his mercy to Prahlāda.
Poṣaṇaṁ he definitely maintained him and gave his mercy.
And then nirodha he destroyed Hiraṇyakaśipu, the destruction, the logical consequence of the impious deeds of Hiraṇyakaśipu came, nirodha came, and mukti, some sort of liberation came to Hiraṇyakaśipu. So all the topics are there.
And definitely īśānukathā, Nṛsiṁhadeva came in this particular Manvantara, and this is described, it's attributed to a particular Manvantara. So all the topics are there in the 7th Canto.
But at the same time we can clearly see that there is, so to speak, the vṛtti, the axle of the canto, around which the different topics of the canto are being more or less composed or designed.
Like the 3rd Canto is about sarga, the 4th Canto is about visarga, the secondary creation. And this understanding helps us to understand the general message of the Canto.
When we will give a very short review of the 12th Canto of Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam, We will perhaps elaborate on this point.
How this topic, this primary topic, the main topic is being described, but all the other topics are described. But the most important point, which we have to understand, is that in all the cantus, no matter what is being described, the main topic is one. What is it?
It's Ashra. So in all the cantus, in the first canth, Krishna is there, in the very beginning,
with Arjuna, and Arjuna is praying to Him, and Arjuna is asking for His protection, for His āśraya, for His shelter, asking for His śaraṇam to Him, and Queen Kuntī and Bhīṣmadeva, and everything else is there, and then Krishna and to him, and Queen Kunti and Bhishmadev, and everything else is there, and then Krishna
So first canto, second canto, of course, in Catur-ślokī Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, aham evāsam evāgre. So this, this main topic, there is only one topic of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, is to So this this main topic, there is only one topic of Srimad Bhagavatam, is to convey to us the highest conception of the absolute truth.
What is this highest conception of the Absolute Truth? Ultimately, we have to realize this fact that the highest conception of the Absolute Truth is Rādhākānta, Rādhākānta, Navajalada Kantis, Chid Udaya as Sila
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explains in his Daśa-mūla-tattva. So vai, this Hari, who is Hari, who is the highest worshipable truth, highest object of worship.
He is Rādhā. He is the one who is served by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. And from this conception, only if we have this conception, we will be able to clearly understand what we are doing, what we are supposed to do.
In which mood we have to chant the Mahā-mantra? Unless we understand this, unless we have realization of this, we will not be able to really properly chant the Mahā-mantra with feelings towards the Lord.
So all the topics of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam ultimately conveying this message: who is the Supreme Truth and how this Supreme Truth has created this material world, maintaining this material world, and how all the material world is adhiṣṭhāna, how He is the adhiṣṭhāna or the foundation, the substratum upon which everything is being created now, even now, even today.
So that's, that's my second installment to our seminar.
Clarifications on ashraya and spiritual inclination
Thank you very much. Hare Krishna Mahārāja, we have one or two questions. Is it okay? Yeah, one or two is okay. Okay.
So one is not really a question, but, uh, the Śūri Mātājī from Dubai has requested one, uh, you know, the three characteristics of āśraya. Uh, Śūri Mātājī, is this what you wanted to understand? The Yataha, Yena and Yat.
Yeah. Yeah, it's three vibhaktis. Three three cases in Sanskrit, yes. Yataha, ablative case, yena, instrumental case, and yasmin.
No, but in this verse it's yat, but yasmin locative case that's why this verse is is very often quoted that's the description of Brahman it is said in this verse, what
should be your inquisitiveness about? What you should try to understand, what should be the subject matter of your endeavors to understand. And it is very clearly said the definition is given.
We should try to understand by all means this Ashray, shelter, which has these three main very important functions: yataha, yena and yasmin or yat. Hare Krishna.
So the next question is from Anupamar Radharani Pandaji from Dubai. Maharaj, can you explain further about metaphysical borders and the people residing within them.
Prabhupada said that those who take birth in India are already 50% Krishna conscious. In India, we see so many people not inclined to take up Krishna consciousness.
After the beginning of the new Satya Yuga, will all places over the world be equally conducive to Krishna consciousness? Not necessarily. Still, there will be some flavors in different places.
Yes, India has a very lamentable state of affairs at the moment, which is why still we should not undermine the greatness of being born in India and being you know being able to you know to be
in contact with this, uh, inheritance. Still there's some some connection is there. It's imperceptibly there. Like we have our conscious mind.
And yes, our conscious mind and conscious mind of Indian people, modern Indian people, is very much polluted, no doubt about it, by all the modern ways of pollution, all the internet and culture and everything.
But we should not forget that there is a subconscious mind. And in the subconscious mind, and it's more important. The composition of our subconscious mind is more important.
And the problem with this, we may not know, we don't know what is there in the subconscious mind. When Prabhupada says that people in India who are born in India, 50% Krishna conscious, he means this subconscious mind.
They have inherent inclinations towards God. And when something drastic happens in their life, they will know where to go. They have this uh subconscious uh or subliminal uh sort of tendencies or trends which are there.
Whereas people who are born in different countries have different subconscious tendencies which may not be known to them and which can be very counterproductive to their practice of Krishna consciousness.
It's actually interesting. I recently read something about mantras that there are different mantras. It's not in connection with mantras which we chant, but in general, the science
of mantra, there is a great science of chanting mantras and it is said there are five kinds of mantras or five kinds of people who can chant the mantras.
Siddha, sādhya, susiddha, sādhana, or siddha and four kinds, four kinds. And Ari. Anyway, what I want to say is that this is about ari. It is said in this science of mantra that if some people chant
certain mantras, that these mantras will destroy them. Why? Because they are—
because their subconsciousness, their consciousness is composed in such a way that even though this is a good beneficial mantra, the chanting of this mantra, the result of the chanting of this mantra will not be favorable or will not be ultimately beneficial for them because of their nature.
Again, it doesn't have anything to do with Hare Krishna mantra or with Gopāla mantras. Can somebody turn off their microphones because I can hear very loud voices in the background? Please mute your microphones.
So what I want what I want to say is that to illustrate that some people, and I I unfortunately I have seen it, even though we glorify Krishna consciousness or the practice of bhakti as a very universal process which is universally applicable, which is not, you know, it's not discriminating against the sex or age or whatever. Everyone can be engaged in it.
No doubt about it. Still, certain people while they are trying to engage in their process of Krishna consciousness, they encounter severe obstacles and they sometimes become more offensive because of their general nature.
So, what I want to say is that there is this subconscious constitution, and people of certain natures are born in certain places not without a reason. There is a reason.
And this reason is mostly not known on a conscious level. It's on a subconscious level.
And therefore, so this is the collective karma of the place, and therefore they imbibe the collective culture of this place very easily, very naturally from childhood. They're more or less being programmed by all these customs of the place, the cultures of the place, the interaction of the people, the language.
Language has uh a lot to do with our uh actually understanding of the values of life and everything else, uh the subconscious nature of our subconsciousness.
So and and therefore, you know, of course now Kali-yuga, Kali-yuga, everything is mixed, and sometimes people are born in Russia but they have very strong bonds with India and are very much kind of connected with it.
Mixture is there, but still you know there will be some metaphysical borders of different places which are essential to maintain the order, the universal order.
And at the same time the opportunities to practice Krishna consciousness will be there as much as they are there.
And the innermost inclination of every soul uh could be nourished uh through the medium of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and associating with devotees. Okay. Thank you very much. I'm really late.
Thank you for your kind attention and I hope it's helpful for you. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam grantha-rāja ki jaya! Gaura-premanande!