Overview of Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.29. Lecture 2
Бхакти Вигьяна Госвами · Вриндаван · 2019
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Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Nārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya, naraṁ caiva narottamaṁ, devīṁ sarasvatīṁ vyāsaṁ tato jayam udīrayet.
Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgabhāvayai, bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī.
Sarva-bhūta-hṛdayāsthāya namo viṣṇupādāya, kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale, śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine. Namaste sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe, nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe.
Vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca, patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda, śrī-advaita gadādhara śivāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda.
Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare.
Ājānulaṁbita-bhujaḥ kanakāvavadātaḥ saṅkīrtanaika-pitarau kamalāyatākṣau, viśvambharau dvi-jara-yuga-dharma-pālaṁ vande jagat-priyakaron_avatāra-vīraḥ.
Yad-aha-pīśi mamavāci rasuptaṁ saṅjīvayaty akhila-śakti-dharaḥ sva-dhāmṇā, anyāṁś ca hasta-caraṇa-śravaṇa-tvag-ādīn prāṇān namo bhagavate puruṣāya tubhyam.
Purpose of Kapila's teachings
Sarbabutta hridayamana to smi Na mom višnu padia, Krishna, Prachtay, Bhutale, Srimati, Bhakti, Vidanta Swami, Dinnami, Na Ma Ste, Sara Swati V, Gurava Nracharine, nevisa Sunya, Paschatya De Satari, Manchakalpataru Beschakripa, Sindu Bevacha, Pachitanam Pavani Byovaishnavyonaha Shri Krishna Chaitanya Prabunitananda Shriadwai Tagadatara Sivasadigora Bhakta Vrinda Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Ajanulam bitu jokana kava dato sam kirtanaika bidarokamalaya taksu vishwambaro de jara, yogadharmapala karunavatar, yandahapishi mamavachi rasuptam sangivaya takila shakti daraqswadam, adyam shahustacharana sramana bhagavati pra shawyatu So we will continue reading from the twenty-ninth chapter of the third cant of Srimad Bhagavatam, entitled Explanation of Devotional Service.
And this chapter is very important for us because here Lord Kapiladev involves us in introspection, helping us to understand our motivation and basically warns us about the dangers of the ulterior motives in our devotional service.
And also in the section which we will read probably either today or tomorrow, he will start explaining the root cause of offenses and how to avoid offenses.
Usually there are two things which we should know what to do and what not to do.
To achieve the goal, we should be very clear of the means how to achieve the goal and about the obstacles which are there in our way to the goal.
And Lord Kapiladev in the section which we will read today will explain the dos, and after that, he will start explaining the prohibitions or warnings.
And yesterday we read about the mixed bhakti, Devahuti asked three questions. And again, three questions were divided into two parts. She asked about the positive part. What is bhakti? Please elaborate in more detail.
And then also explain to us certain things about the nature of this world which, will help us to develop detachment from this world. Otherwise, we will not be able to achieve bhakti.
Definition of transcendental devotional service
And Lord Kapiladev started explaining mixed bhakti, saying that bhakti maybe may take different forms and shapes depending on the nature of the executor of bhakti.
And we'll start today with the 11th and 12th verses which go together because they constitute one sentence in Sanskrit.
And perhaps you will do anvaya of these verses not as your habitual mad-guṇa-śruti-mātreṇa mad-guṇa-śruti-mātre mayi sarva-guhā-śaye manos-gatir avicchinnā yathā gaṅgāmbhaso 'mbudhau Basam Buddh, Yatabam Basam Buddha.
lakṣaṇaṁ bhakti-yogasya nirguṇaszyā hy udahṛtam āhaituky avyavahitā yā bhaktis puruṣottame Yabhaktik Purushota mehabakti purushota. So where is the karta here? We will see it. Krishna yes.
Krishna is bhakti... yā bhakti. No no lakshanam.
Yeah well yā bhakti puruṣottame, yes, this is bhakti puruṣottame, but uh the in the first sentence lakṣaṇam. Lakṣaṇam uh hy udahṛtam uh what is the the lakṣaṇam? The uh manifestation of uh uh the the sign.
Uh it's manifest uh uh manifested in udahṛtam and then mad-guṇa-śruti-mātreṇa. This is bhakti puruṣottame, but the lakṣaṇa of bhakti puruṣottama is manifested in the characteristics which are listed here in these verses.
And the first thing which Lord Kapiladev says that when the bhakti, the lakṣaṇaṁ bhakti-yogasya nirguṇasya. If bhakti yoga becomes nirgun, transcendental,
totally outside of the modes of material nature, influence of material influences. Then the lakṣaṇam of such... mad-guṇa-śruti-mātre mayi sarva-guhā-śaye manaso-gatir avicchinnā yathā gaṅgāmbhaso 'mbudhau.
So he says that as soon as you hear Madguna Shruti, as soon as you hear about my qualities and also about my pastimes, about my names and everything else.
Matrina means even little bit. You just little hear about my qualities. About me, who is situated in everyone's heart. The heart here is called Guha. Guha means cave. Guhashaye.
It basically means that I am in everyone's heart, but I am very deep inside the heart, Guhashaya.
Immediately Manogatir and Avichina, his mind, his whole consciousness starts flowing towards such a Lord triggered by this hearing about his qualities.
And it's compared Yatha, Ganga, Ambaso, in the same way, like the water of Ganga is flowing towards the Ambudho, towards the ocean. And this is the Lakshanam of Bhakti Yoga, which is devoid or free from nirguna.
So that's the first thing, and then he gives two additional definitions of bhakti yoga, haituki abyavad, which we will talk a little later.
Importance of hearing in devotional service
But first, I wanted to explain this first part of this statement.
Again, here Kapiladev he stresses the point that Bhakti is very intimately connected with hearing, especially hearing about the qualities of a person whom we love.
And hearing about the qualities of somebody is important because it deepens our relationship with this person. Why hearing is so important.
Like if somebody has initial attraction to somebody else, if somebody has some sort of relationship already, how to enhance this relationship?
There is only one way to enhance this relationship, to hear again and again and again about his qualities.
And therefore, those people who have initial attraction, they do want to hear more, to deepen the relationship, to enhance the attraction.
So that's why hearing is the first process which helps us to establish the relationship on a more firm basis.
We may have some attraction already, but to develop this attraction, we should want to hear more and more and more like people who are you know fans of some pop star or somebody else, they they want to hear about them. Why? Again, because they want to have more profound relationship with such a person.
And as I said, Sarva Bhuhasaya indicates that Krishna
is transcendental and Manugatir Avichinan Avian means without cessation, and Srila Prabhupada explains in the purport that Avichina without cessation basically, it means that the flow of consciousness of such a person who has developed the pure devotional service, whose attraction or attachment to the Lord has become completely transcendental.
This flow of consciousness is completely uninterrupted, which means that 24 hours a day he is thinking about the Lord.
As much as Ganga is flowing 24 hours a day, it's not that she is flowing only during the daytime and at night she is sleeping. So in the same way there is no there is no vacation in devotional service.
There is no holidays.
There is no weekends, no break, because if your consciousness is purified by the process of devotional service in practice and achieved this final stage which is described here, then it will always flow towards the Lord as much as Ganga is always flowing toward the Lord.
And this is the Lakshana. This is the essential characteristic of the devotional service which achieved this transcendental stage, Nirgunasya Hyudahridam.
And it's very interesting because it is said Nirgunasya, the Bhakti Yoga seir nguna se if Bhakti Yoga becomes Nirguna, how Bhakti Yoga becomes Nirguna, how it manifests, it manifests that Madguna Sruti Matrina.
Listening about guna of Krishna the your bhakti or your consciousness becomes nirguna. Why? Because Krishna's guna is nirguna.
Otherwise, if Krishna's guna, if Krishna's qualities would belong to this material world, would be also guna of this material world, then it would not be able to make our bhakti or attachment to him nirguna.
Uninterrupted flow of pure consciousness
So it's nirguna because his qualities also nirguna, not material guna. And Srila Jivagaswami, while explaining these two verses, he asks two questions or two doubts.
He says, first of all, how is that possible that our hearing capacity or hearing propensity would become attached to the Lord who is Sarva Guhashe, who is transcendental?
Because usually we are attached to things which we have experience of.
If you never had any experience of some of something, you would never be able to be attached. Like for example, perhaps some of you didn't take drugs in your life. So you don't have attachment to the drugs.
Because you don't have some scar in your mind, right? You know, I can I can glorify to you cocaine or whatever heroin as much as I like. You will not develop attachment.
We only have attachment to the things which we have experience of, which we have some scar of.
So Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has this question: how is that possible, uh, that you develop attachment to somebody without having some scar of him? And, uh, the next, uh, and he raises another doubt on the basis of this first part of these two verses.
And he says, and how is that possible that your flow of your consciousness will become completely uninterrupted towards the Lord.
Because usually you should have some you know How is that possible this uninterrupted flow of consciousness? These two doubts he raises, and therefore, Kapiladeva, to dispel these doubts or to repeat the same two points,
he repeats the same two points by saying ahaituky avyāvahitā. Why ahaitukī and avyāvahitā is repeated? Ultimately, uh, avyāvahitā is already said. Avicchinna means avyāvahitā.
Vyavahita means the impediment, avyāvahitā means no impediment, the same uninterrupted avicchinna. And ahaitukī means no hetu, and mayi sarva-guhāśaya means no hetu because he is transcendental.
So basically he he just wants to stress these two points that somehow or other by the transcendental influence of the Lord and the transcendental influence of the process of bhakti,
you develop the attachment which is totally ahaitukī, have no material cause whatsoever, no previous some scar whatsoever. You still attach to him despite the fact that, uh, you didn't have the previous uh experience of dealing with the Lord uh just by by the process of hearing.
And avyāvahitā, uh, it becomes completely, uh, uninterrupted, uh, and despite of all the impediments, so, uh, it overcomes all the impediments.
Yā bhakti puruṣottamī, this is the bhakti to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as Prabhupāda explained, and he stresses the point that bhakti should be addressed to the Lord and not to any anyone else.
And therefore, and that's the only That's only possible if your bhakti is directed towards Krishna.
If it's directed to any other object or subject in this world, any other demigod or whoever else, it's not possible to develop these qualities. It can never become ahaitukī, and it can never become a vyavahita.
Sometimes people fall in love, uh or you know, as we cynical devotees say, fall in lust with somebody else. It's fine.
It's it's certain experience, which is important experience, you become very much attached to a particular person. But nevertheless, ahaituki avyavahita, it never it's never ahaituki, that's for sure.
It's never without any selfish motivation, and it's never avyavahita. You know, very soon you will see somebody who will destruct your consciousness to another direction.
But if you develop this natural, completely svābhāvika, spontaneous attraction towards the Lord, towards Purusottama, then only it can acquire such a quality.
And that's the description of the state of consciousness which somebody develops when his consciousness becomes pure. And that's the definition of pure bhakti, which is very useful for us to understand.
And that Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī also quotes it in a purport to this verse on anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam jñāna-karma-ādy-anāvṛtam. He repeats the same verses saying that this is what it is.
And actually Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the whole Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is about this. Therefore, in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam already Sūta Gosvāmī says sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje.
Rejection of liberation by devotees
So that's again repeated here by Lord Kapiladev. And in the next verse, the certain verse, he gives a kaimutinyay,
but here I want to give a little correction to this very beautiful book, Bhagavad Subodhini, because here it is said that the kaimutika-nyāya, which is kaimutika-nyāya which is explained here, is explained here wrongly.
Because here it is said yeah, the link between this it is said that where is it? Yeah. Yeah, it's here.
Kapila explains the lack of material desire in a pure devotee by kaimutika-nyāya as illustrated by example of Ganges. Devotees do not accept even spiritual benedictions, what to speak of aspect of accepting material things.
This is not hundred percent correct. Even though the statement itself is correct, but the logic or the connection between these two verses, 11th and 12th and the 13th,
is uh is little different, the kaimutika-nyāya is different. So let's uh chant this verse. sārūpya-sārṣṭi-sāmīpya-sārūpya-ैकatvam apyuta, diamanam na grihnanti, vinamat Sevanam Janaham Vinamat Sevanam Janaham.
So it is said here that Diamantam na Grinti uh. Salokya, Sarsti, Samipia, Sarupia, and Ekatva, these five kinds of liberation is being offered to the devotee. Api diamanam.
If the Lord Himself will come to you and say, please take this sort of liberation, the devotee will say no. The devotee refuses.
So the kaimutinyay here is that if the Lord Himself comes to you and offers this and devotee refuses it, what to speak of him desiring this. So this is the kaimuty naya. What to speak of him desiring?
The devotee does not desire anything because even if the Lord comes and offers this to you, he refuses.
Because sometimes we may not we may not desire something openly, but still, little tinge of the desire is still there. And somebody comes to us and says, oh, why don't you take this?
And we think, oh, yeah, right. I don't want it, but I'll take it. Right? You know, you don't. I know it perfectly well. This is my personal example. You know, you don't want it.
You yourself will not do anything. You will not move one finger to get this. But somebody offers you said, okay, yes, it's a good idea. Not bad.
So in the same way, what Lord Kapila Def is saying here, which is very important, you You know.
know, when somebody comes to you and offers something, then the desire which may not be manifest in your heart will manifest. Yes, it's a good idea, give it to me.
So So here and this is a beautiful point. This is the Khaimutik Nai here. Therefore, the point which Lord Kapildev says, see
to such an extent he is free from any desire. Such a great extent he is free of this desire, of any ulterior desire. He only wants liberation because oh sorry he only wants bhakti not liberation.
He doesn't want even liberation even if the Lord offers the liberation.
And it basically means what he wants to say is that the experience which somebody has when he gets to this level of consciousness, when his consciousness is attracted, it is so overwhelmingly blissful that anything else becomes completely pale in comparison with it.
It's completely useless. It's just considered to be just just just trash. Garbage. You don't need it. If somebody comes to you and says, here's a nice dustbin full of garbage. Would you like to take it?
You say, no, no, no, I don't want to take it. So you don't have any hidden desire to have any garbage, right? And that's exactly what uh what uh Lord Kapildev says. For the devotee, even liberation is a garbage.
Less than garbage. Which is a very high position.
Liberation salokia you know you are on the same planet as the Lord would you like to be on the same planet as the Lord that's nice the weather is nice there and no shortage of food, no political disturbance, no elections there.
So Samipia, you know, sometimes people think I am such a big bhakta, I want to be close to somebody. Bhakti says, no, no, I don't need samipya. I don't need to be close to the Lord.
The only condition upon which I accept this is Vinamatsevanam jhanaha. Those people they will accept this only if it facilitates their service. If it doesn't facilitate their service, they will refuse it.
Even if being close to the Lord, if it doesn't facilitate their service, they will not come too close to the Lord. Sometimes people, I want to be close to my Guru Maharaj. For what?
To give service or just to enjoy and to have Mahaprasad from him? What's the motivation behind this?
So that's the beautiful Kaimutianyai which is uh connecting these two verses uh or three verses, but I was now expansive, that is, I think so, that's Svāmī says. says. Oh, say it again please.
Śrīdhara Svāmī says, I think you referred the connection of connecting this verse. Yeah. This is Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, how he explains. Well, he— but he is following Śrīdhara Svāmī, yeah. Possible, yeah.
But anyway, it's very clear here: diamanam apidiamanam You know, even if it's offered. So what to speak about other desires? Desires when it's not offered. Even if it's offered, he doesn't accept it. So verse number fourteen.
This is four types of mukti. Sālokya, sāmīpya. The worshipper of uh Vishnu, like uh irrespective of any sampradaya, generally they go to the Vaikuṇṭha planets. Yes. So what we understand from this was that even uh
also devotee doesn't want like that or what? Yeah, even Vaikuṇṭha they don't want. Najanam, nadanam najanam nasundarim, kavitamba jagadisha, kama yeh, mama janmani
janmanishware bawa tad bhaktira hai to kitvaim Actually, you're right, because in all other sampradayas the goal is not love of God, the goal is liberation, personal liberation.
But that's why we proudly say and very correctly say that only Gaudiya Sampradaya gives the correct interpretation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam because it's very clear here in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that the goal is not Sārūpya
or Sālokya or Sāmīpya or Sārṣṭi, not all these kinds of moksha. So it's it's very clearly said here and in other verses actually too. So we don't want to come to Vaikuṇṭha because you may come to Vaikuṇṭha and
what it means if you are not attached to the Lord, then you will live in Vaikuṇṭha and every now and then you will, you know, you will see the Lord and you will say Jai Jai
Haribol and you will go back to your little palace and watch Vaikuṇṭha TV or something like this. You don't know what they do there. But you know, if there is no attachment, if there is no relishing, what will you do there?
You will just live there. So therefore it is said that moksha has some tinge of selfishness. And therefore, we're not after this. And actually, this is also said in Dāmodarāṣṭakam
which we chant during Ūrja-vratas: mokṣhām na mokṣhāvadhīm... Dimva Natchanyam Brineham Varesha Dapiha. It is said there the devotee uh Satyavrathamuni says, I do not want moksha, which is usually associated with ekatva
or Sayyja Mukti, Namoksha Vadhimva. I do not want the best forms of moksha, which is personal parts of moksha. Na ca anyam and Sanātana Gosvāmī explains, anyam means bhakti.
So bhakti, practice of bhakti is higher than moksha.
And that's exactly what is said in these verses that the practice of bhakti when somebody somebody's consciousness is attached, this experience of pure bhakti is higher than moksha.
At the same time when we read Jiva Gosvami's Bhakti-sandarbha, there we read that what practice we are doing now like this vaidhi-sādhana-bhakti. So the result is Vaikuṇṭha.
By practicing vaidhi-sādhana-bhakti, can someone go to the higher level, higher point? You can get prema-bhakti, but it will be different if you follow vaidha bhakti, you will get prema. You can get prema.
There is no doubt about it, but it will be a different kind of prema, it will be aiśvarya- maya prema. And with aiśvarya-maya prema, if you worship Krishna,
you will not get to Vaikuṇṭha because you worship Krishna. And Krishna is not there in Vaikuṇṭha.
If you worship Krishna, if your iṣṭa-deva is Krishna, how you will get to Vaikuṇṭha? You will not see Krishna there in Vaikuṇṭha.
So for these devotees, Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that they get to Goloka, which is the outer portion, not to Goloka of Vrindavan, not to Gokul, but to Goloka, which is aiśvarya- maya portion of Goloka planet, where worship to Krishna is being done with great opulence.
Or you will go to Dvārakā. Whatever you like better. But if you are in Vrindavan, you probably go to Goloka. There are more cows there.
Transcendental nature of pure bhakti
Okay. So let's go to the verse number fourteen: sa vai bhaktir yoga-kathito 'tyantika udāhṛtaḥ guṇebhyaś caiva vidvān yo bhāvāya kalpate mad-bhāvāyopapadyate. Translation:
By attaining the highest platform of devotional service, as I have explained, one can overcome the influence of the three modes of material nature and be situated in the transcendental stage as the Lord.
So it is said that basically the same point which Krishna says in Bhagavad-gītā, when Arjuna asks him how we can overcome the three, uh, guṇas, three modes of material nature.
And, uh, Krishna says: māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate, when you perform bhakti which is avyabhicāri bhakti. And avyabhicāri bhakti means very intense bhakti, which means basically pure.
sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. You will get on the same level as me, as Krishna says, as Kapiladeva says, my transcendental stage, mad-bhāvāya, upapadyate one attains. But the most important point of this verse—sa eva bhakti-yogaś cātyantika udāhṛtaḥ—
it is very clearly said here in third canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that bhakti-yoga or devotional service, the state of consciousness, which is called bhakti-yoga, is ātyantika, which means the highest.
This is the highest possible goal or purpose which we can achieve, the highest possible destination, and there is nothing higher.
That's basically the conclusion of these three verses where the pure devotional service is being described. That liberation is less than bhakti-yoga.
And as I said, Satyavrata Muni says the same: that bhakti-yoga is higher than liberation. And yeah, an intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa is even higher than general bhakti-yoga, according to Satyavrata Muni.
So and Śrīla Prabhupāda explains this that this is actually higher than mokṣa in general sense.
And Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, he refutes the understanding of Māyāvādīs because one reading of this would be usually the word ātyantika means sāyujya-mukti. So they equate by using this verse saying that bhakti- yoga is ātyantika, it means sāyujya-mukti.
But he says no, no, ātyantika is not sāyujya-mukti. It's just indication that there is nothing higher. And it's not true and it's not correct that all the ways go to the same goal, as Māyāvādīs say: yato mat tataḥ path.
Oh, wherever you go, you will come ultimately somewhere. All roads lead to Rome, right? Do you agree? Delhi. Delhi. Okay. Delhi. But what if you go in the opposite direction and go to Kanyakumari instead?
So that's a ridiculous proposal.
So he says this is ātyantika. Bhakti-yoga, uh the something which is called bhakti-yoga is the highest because uh it's only bhakti-yoga which brings you to this transcendental platform. Any other process is not transcendental. Why?
They say that jñāna-yoga is transcendental. Here it is said. No, it's not.
Only bhakti-yoga brings you to this mad-bhāvāya upapadyate. You can only get this state of transcendental existence beyond this material modes only by bhakti-yoga. Because other processes are material.
Jñāna-yoga uses what? Mind. How with the mind which is full of guṇas can you transcend guṇas? You cannot transcend goodness with your mind or intelligence. Karma-yoga cannot bring you to any other transcendental platform.
There's no way. Only bhakti-yoga and then proof is actually why this verse is conclusion of the previous three verses. Because in the previous three verses it is very clearly said that the
process and the goal in case of bhakti-yoga is not different. You don't want anything else but what you are already doing now. The process and the goal, the goal is bhakti, but it's completely ahaitukī, there is no hetu.
You're doing the process. The process is ahaitukī. There is no hetu because you don't want anything else but what you're already doing. You're doing bhakti? Why you're doing bhakti? Because you want more bhakti.
Because you want more pure bhakti. Therefore premā and bhakti is the same. Therefore, it's transcendental. From the beginning it's transcendental.
There is no cause because in this material world why we are within the realm of gunas? Because we are our intelligence is ahaitukī. We always want something. And what we want is different from what we are doing now.
Therefore, we are always conditioned by this cause and effect. Therefore, we are in this shore of the causal ocean. And this shore of the causal ocean, everything is haituki.
And on the other shore of the causal ocean, everything is ahaitukī.
So to get to the realm which is ahaitukī, which is beyond the cause and effect, you have to adopt the means which is ahaitukī. And the means which is ahaitukī is only bhakti. Therefore it's only bhakti which is ātyantikī, which is the highest, which can help you to transcend the modes of material nature and bring you
to this mad-bhāvāya. It's clear? Shall we go further?
Practices for achieving pure devotion
So now there are four verses, very interesting verses, which we will read together. We will read these four verses at the same time, and there is a reason why we will do it. Yeah, we will read four verses.
15 to 18 Nishivitan Nishiviten Swadarna Mahiyasa, Swadarnena Mahiasa, Kriya Yogina Shastena, Natihim Srenanity Shaham, Nati Sri Maddišnia darsana sparsam, putža stuť, butischu madbhanaya Satvina Sangamena, Satvina Sankam, Mahatam Bhahumaninam, Mahamb, Dhinanam Anukampaya, Maitriachai Vatmatul Yesu, Yasavates, Yaminaniam Adjatmikanu Shravanam, Namasankirtanach Chame, Namasankirtanach Arjavena Sangea Arjavena Sangina Nirahankriya Tata Nirahankriat So,
in these four verses, Srila Kapiladev is explaining the means how to achieve this state.
What are the sadhanas by which we can come to the state of consciousness which has been described in the four previous verses which we just read.
So, in other words, how we can attain this condition of pure devotional service, and he mentions according to this book, certain different practices, but it's at least 14.
There is one more which is being which is missed here. And they are designed or structured in a particular way.
In Bhakti Sandharba, when Srila Jivagaswami explains different kinds of bhakti, Aropa Siddha Bhakti, Sangha Siddha Bhakti, and Swarupa Siddha Bhakti.
He gives example of these verses by saying that this is a mixture of Arupa Siddha Bhakti, Sangha Siddha Bhakti and Swarupa Siddha Bhakti.
Because in these verses you have such items of devotional service which have nothing to do with bhakti as such, like Svadharma. Svadharma it can become bhakti, but it's a ropa-siddha bhakti.
You call it bhakti. You just name it like this. You more or less project bhakti on this process because it has nothing to do with your relationship with the Lord, with the service of the Lord, or some
of the qualities which are mentioned here, like Adiatmika Nu Shravan. It's a typical example of Sangasiddha Bhakti.
Adhyatmikanu Shravanam is a you know some sort of practice which is usually more typical for the pass of jnana. If you ask somebody who is engaged in jnana, he will say, Yes, adhyatmi kanu shravanam is very good.
You have to hear it to understand adhyatma, to understand the soul, to understand spirit. But there is also Kriya Yogyana or worship of the deity, Pujas, Tuti, Abhivandana. This is Swarup Siddha Bhakti.
So Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains this set of sādhanas as a mixture of āropa-siddha bhakti, saṅga- siddha bhakti and svarūpa-siddha bhakti. And in one sense it is.
But of course, Śrīla Prabhupāda and Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, they explain this set of practices in a different way, in a very beautiful way, in connection
with svarūpa-siddha bhakti, in pure bhakti because otherwise it does not it's not so logical because before that uh Śrīla uh Kapiladeva explained the purest form of bhakti.
Why all of a sudden he will say something which has nothing to do with the purest form of bhakti? Why the sadhana to achieve the purest form of bhakti would be less.
So, therefore, it's very important to understand how all these items of sadhana ultimately bring us to the state of completely pure bhakti.
And I would like to suggest to you the way of seeing these four verses in a particular light. It's my own understanding, therefore, I don't want to impose it upon you.
But please do consider this, it may help you to understand how they are structured.
Because otherwise, it's very difficult for us to remember 14 items, you know, 14 items, it's practically for Kali Yuga brain, it's an impossible task to remember. You know, two, three, it's okay, we can we can remember.
But fourteen it's difficult.
Execution of basic devotional duties
So but if we structure it in in a way which I suggest, it may be not difficult to remember all 14 items.
In my humble opinion, the verse number 15, the first of these verses, explains the general practice of bhakti yoga which everyone should follow, especially in the beginning. In the beginning stages.
The verse number 16 specifically addresses how to curb tamastic motivation which is there. Verse number 17 addresses how to curb rajasic motivation. And the verse number 81 addresses the problem of sattvic motivation.
Because before that, Kapiladev explained that there are these three sets of ulterior motives which makes our practice of bhakti impure.
And in the four verses after that he gives the design of bhakti which specifically addresses these diseases which are there in everyone's heart.
Like yesterday, we were discussing all these motivations according to the three modes of material nature. Did anyone notice that they sound little familiar? Do you have by any chance some of these motivations? Only one.
Okay, everyone else is a pure devotee, no problem.
So what I want to say is that Kapiladeva is giving us the strategy how to deal with these tendencies in our mind or in our consciousness or subconsciousness in this particular four verses.
Okay, that's the little introduction. You're not tired, right? You're ready to go further. Okay. So the verse number 15, as I said, gives a very important general instruction for everyone, especially for the beginners.
Because what is said here is very important. Nishevitena Animitena Swadarmena Mahiasa.
You have to perform svadharmena your duties according to the system of varnasrama, as Prabhupada explains, and Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains it slightly differently.
But svadharmana, it's usually your dharma in civilized society, mahiyasa, but he said not all svadharma, mahiyasa, but only those items of svadharma which are great devotees recommend.
Because you know varnasrama duties are so vast and so completely unexecutable in Kali Yuga. You know. Even to become Vedic wife is impossible in Kali Yuga. Don't even try. No hope. What to speak of kim uta yaajaa?
What to speak of husbands? You know, if to become Vedic wives is difficult, to become Vedic husband is impossible. So no chance, no chance to execute, you know, to become a Vedic brahmacārī. I mean good luck.
You know, first of all you have to have a deer skin with you to st to start with and a kuśa mat and everything else. Anyway, what what I want to say is that very important point here: mahā-āśaya.
You should only do what the great authorities in bhakti recommend you to do, extracting from the vast body of the rules and regulations of our varṇāśrama-dharma. And in our case, who is mahā-āśaya?
In our case, mahā-āśaya is Śrīla Prabhupāda. You know, we should not invent because there is such a strong tendency among the devotees who become really traditional and you know dharmic and this and that
and they try to execute the duties of varṇāśrama-dharma to the minutest detail, just useless. Useless waste of time. Kapiladev is very clear about this.
Yes, you have to do this without, first of all, without attachment, without dambha, without trying to show off how great, you know, a dharmic person you are. You are not. Forget about it. But you should do Swadharma.
And therefore, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura is also very, uh, emphatic about this. about this. He says svadharma doesn't mean all the duties in varṇāśrama-dharma; svadharma means you should brush your teeth.
That's what Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says. Swadharma. He says svadharma means the general rules of cleanliness. That's what svadharma is: without attachment.
Of course it's difficult to get attached to this brushing your teeth or whatever. But the point is very clear. You have to do it. Why? Because the tendency, especially among the neophyte devotees, is to reject Swadharma.
You know, the neophyte devotees, enthusiastic, fanatical neophyte devotees—that's another tendency. The two tendencies are there, are being dealt here.
One tendency is just to reject tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇām-bujaṁ hare, right? Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇām-bujaṁ hare. Just just no problem. Just just give it up. So that's one tendency.
Another tendency is to become to hang up about it, too absorbed in all this Swadharma when you become a devotee. These both are very detrimental.
Therefore it is said, yes, you should do it without attachment, svadharma mahīyasā according to the recommendations of the great authorities. Only that much, not more than this.
Don't try to resurrect varṇāśrama-dharma, Which was there in the Vedic time. Not possible. Really, not possible. And at the same time, kriyā-yoga-śāstena. Do kriyā-yoga, and kriyā-yoga means, uh, Pāñcarātrika vidhi.
Do the active worship of the Lord. Why it is said, not bhakti-yoga, not anything else, but kriyā-yoga. Kriyā-yoga means do something practical.
That's why I said this is the general description of the practice of bhakti for the beginners. Because again, beginners sometimes they try to meditate on aṣṭakālīka līlā.
No, kriyā-yogena, kriyā-yogena, engage your senses in the act of services, which is sāṁśayika, which is very auspicious, which is very beneficial, kriyā-yogena.
Do devotional service according to Pāñcarātrika-vidhi, which is, you know, uh, completely executable and for everyone, and nāty-ahiṁsena nityaśaḥ, uh, do it very regularly, nityaśaḥ, and without unnecessary violence.
Unnecessary violence means don't eat meat, basically. And that's how Śrīla Prabhupāda explains this. He says you cannot avoid violence altogether completely. So don't do aty-ahiṁsā. Himsa you will never be able to avoid.
We will all do hiṁsā, but don't do unnecessary hiṁsā. If the hiṁsā is too much, don't do it.
And Prabhupāda beautifully explains this in the purport: What does it mean? He says, sometimes people say that you are vegetarians, but you're killing vegetables. And he says, yes, we are killing vegetables, no problem.
This is not aty-ahiṁsā. And you're killing animals and there is difference. People hypocritically say that there is no difference between killing a cow and killing a cabbage. There is a difference.
Cabbage does not feel so much when you kill it. So basically, that's what Atihim strength. So that's two points of general importance for everyone, do basic duties of the civilized person because it helps to execute Bhakti.
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that bhakti is not dependent on this, but if you try to execute bhakti or perform bhakti without following varnashrama, it will be very difficult for you, and you may die prematurely.
That's what Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says. That's the result. So let's consider the three next verses how it is explained here. Yes? Yes.
You rightly said that even um one one has to follow varṇāśrama also to some extent while executing bhakti. Yes. As bhakti not happen also conform to the same. Yes, yeses..
Y. But again, to what extent we should follow? Of course, varṇāśrama, it's not been a lot of Prabhupada. It should establish varṇāśrama-dharma.
And it's Kali-yuga in this material it is impossible to divide the entire varṇāśrama system. Yes. That is also correct. Yes.
Now the question comes like to what extent we should try to revive it because Śrīla Prabhupāda said that you do it as much as possible. But there should be some line like where to stop, you know. It's quite confusing.
So what is your opinion about this? Can you I think you know uh by by the method of error and trial, uh you will be stopped uh sooner than you expect in this attempts.
You know, we should sincerely try uh to establish some you know uh some um sane rules of social interactions. And but for example,
trying to you know appoint somebody as a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra, close śūdra sambhava we all śūdras, you know.
If you're born without garbhādāna-saṁskāra, and you know is, there anyone who is born by the process of garbhādāna-saṁskāra? I have my doubts about it. With all due respect to your parents.
But, you know, it already means that we are śūdras by birth, you know, no matter how much, how many brāhmaṇa threads we have.
So, so it as much as possible, you know, honestly following the, you know, the, the duties, but, you know, uh, naturally we will have some limitations, and these limitations will be, will be set by the environment we are working, we are dealing with.
So but we're trying. Sincerely we should try; there is no doubt about it. We should not be hypocritical about it. Let's go further to the next three verses. And as I one question is Yes.
So in this case of eating vegetables, Prabhupāda, But uh one thing I I'm always thinking like whenever we are doing some
activities, some services also in that course, some hiṁsā is done, like when we are cleaning the room, so some insects, ants are killed. And also I have heard that pious activities, a pious activity cannot, like, finish the reaction of the sinful activity.
And although we can say, "I'm doing devotional service, and in that course that is done", but still a living entity has been killed due to some negligence or some, so what will be the reaction of that? Should, will I have to suffer also some, like, physical misery?
Or like, God, I will tell you a beautiful story about this, but the question is very clear, not and this is explained by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura when he says that nāty-ahiṁsā śreṇīm means that when you clean you inevitably kill some little, you know, clean the temple, or do some, or cook, you inevitably kill some living entities.
So this is not aty-ahiṁsā. Aty-ahiṁsā means if you're consciously killing somebody.
And there's a beautiful story which I recently heard from Śrutirūpā. She was the personal cook of Śrīla Prabhupāda even here in Vṛndāvana. And she said that once she came to Śrīla Prabhupāda and Śrīla Prabhupada just finished eating.
And there was some other lady there and because Prabhupada ate some sweets, there were some ants crawling on his table. So this other lady, she was like just brushing these ants, even killing them, you know, very roughly.
And Prabhupāda said, looked at her and he said, "No, don't do this, you shouldn't do this. You just, you just knock, knock on the desk, and they will go away themselves.
And Śrutirūpā, she heard this, and she became very inspired by this instruction.
So, a few days later, or maybe a few months later, she was in a similar situation with Śrīla Prabhupāda. Śrīla Prabhupāda was eating and, after eating, he finished eating, and again the ants were crawling, taking the remnants of his prasāda, and she started knocking on the door.
Not on the door, on the desk. And Prabhupāda asked her, what are you doing? She said, Prabhupāda.
And she explains herself, when I was doing this, I was so proud that I'm completely Ahimsa, you know, I'm I'm not killing any living entities. And you know, it was and you know, I was doing this with a very proud uh consciousness.
And Prabhupāda says, What are you doing? She said, Prabhupāda, I am just I'm driving away and Prabhupāda says, just wipe them away, no problem.
She herself as the forty was more important which consciousness was the not this hymns or hymns. That was more important for him.
Countering tamasic motivation in practice
So anyway, let's go to the next verse.
So, as I said, as I suggested to you to look in this next verses, you know, if we look in the next verses as the specific practices to curb certain tendencies which we have in our Swabhava, in our acquired nature.
Then the verse number 16 says: Madhishnya Darshanas Parsapuja Stuta Bhivandanah, which is basically a list of different sadhanas in connection with our worship to the deities.
And then Buddhishu Madhbhavanaya, you have to really see or know or understand that I am present in every living entity, Mad Bhavanaya.
Sattvana Asangamena cha and satvina asangamena cha uh explains that uh satvina means uh dharyena this is all instrumental cases you all know, and sattvana means with determination. Asangamena, it can be connected or coupled.
This is the item which is missing in this book. You have to avoid the unnecessary or bad association with determination, or it can be two items.
Satvina, you should strive with a lot of determination and you should avoid satsanga.
So basically, when we described yesterday, with you, this Tamasic tendencies, then the Tamasi tendencies or uh Binadrishti, Binadrig Bhava. were boiled down to the lack of mercy, insensitiveness. And there is another uh the f there are different manifestations of Tamasic nature. One is uh one is completely unregulated, right?
Tamasic people they're very unregulated. They sleep, you know, sometimes in the midnight, sometimes you know, during the day, no regulation whatsoever. Then they're usually quite insensitive toward other living entities.
They're cruel, they may be basically insensitive. Even if they are not cruel consciously, they are insensitive and therefore they inflict pain.
And they're very They are not very determined because they are tamasic. How you can be determined if you are tamasic, you just want to sleep basically. And they're attached to asatsangha.
So here in this verse there are strategies which help you to become regulated by the worship of the deities. And Prabhupāda says that's the main point of the worship of the deities before you develop some bhāva.
And then it is said: you have to know that I am present in everyone's heart. And in this way, you have to be very careful in your dealing with other people, sensitive in your dealing with other people, you have to be very determined
or very determinantly avoid asatsangha or close association with anything which is contaminating. You know, like association with drugs, with all this kind of activities.
Satvata-asaṅgena. So this you you have to be detached from these things because again the the Tamasic tendency is to be strongly attached to something which is detrimental to bhakti.
So, in this way, Lord Kapiladev suggests what we should do if if we feel uh that there is some uh Tamasic tendency or Tamasic motivation. Clear? Okay.
Yeah, deity worship is of course general, but he already says kriyā-yogena and kriyā-yogena means Pāñcarātriki-vidhi. Kriyā-yogena means and of course deity worship is is you know he more specifically deals with uh with it here.
And uh but deity worship also uh uh It's a very purifying activity. And therefore, I mean again I don't want to impose upon you my kalpana because because I don't have any pramāṇa for this.
But it may help you to understand how the list of sadhanas is designed here. That's why what I say.
It would be overstatement that deity worship is only for regulation, but to make you regulated. But at the same time, Srila Prabhupada did mention that that this is especially in the beginning stages the uh the main purpose of deity worship is to make your life more regulated.
And actually this is what Sanātana Gosvāmī, no not Sanātana Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī says in Bhakti-sandarbha when he says that that the main process in this Kali Yuga is the chanting of the holy name. And then he asks the question: why do we need deity worship?
And he says, kadarya-śīlānam, and what is it? There are two, yeah, and unsteady mind and the dirty habits, kadarya-śīlānam, the bad character, unregulated character. That's why the deity worship is important together with the chanting of the holy name.
Otherwise, the chanting of the holy name is enough. It's a complete practice. It doesn't need anything else. But why do we stress deity worship?
Because it specifically deals with unsteady mind, vikṣipta manasa, or something like this, with unsteady mind and kadarya-śīlānam, bad habits.
Proper interactions with different devotees
So therefore it's legitimate to say that you know when you are worshipping the deity in an intimate way it will help you to overcome this kadarya-śīlānam or bad habits. So then the verse number seventeen explains how to deal with
different categories of people: superior, equal
and inferior or junior mahatām-bahumānena dīnānām anukampā—you have to relate to mahatām, to the great devotees or Ācāryas as Prabhupāda explains, with bahumānena, with a lot of respect.
Dīnānām anukampayā, you have to be very compassionate to Dinas to the fallen people. And maitryā cātmā-tulyeṣu—ātmā-tulyeṣu, those who are on the same level as you, maitryā, you should relate to them with friendship.
And yamenānyam eva ca you should follow the rules and regulations.
And again, you know, Rajasic people they have the tendency to exploit. Tamasic people they have the tendency to be insensitive and to be dull, but Rajasic people they exploit relationship.
They have the tendency to look or overlook or become proud towards the superior or become hateful.
Actually it is said in the Fourth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam then that if you have this material mind then when you see who is somebody who is superior to you you develop some envy towards him. Therefore it is said, Bahumanina with a lot of respect, Dinana Manu Kampaya You don't exploit those who are Dina, those who are inferior to you, those who are weaker than you, and you don't don't compete uh don't enter into this competition with those who are uh equal to you. Instead you do this uh Maitreya and Ak Anukampaya and Bahumanina these uh these things. So uh this is how it can be explained uh in this regard. I I don't think we need to go into more details unless you want to ask. So it's basically it's uh it's Rajasiq tendency which makes us Not really connected with the society. When we are humble and when we are when we develop devotional qualities, we know how to properly deal with different people. And we have to curb these Rajasic tendencies by conscious entering into meaningful relationship. The meaningful relationship, even though it may not have anything directly to do with the worship of the Lord, still very helpful because it helps us to get rid of this very strong tendencies in our consciousness. Okay? And then the eighteenth verse is very uh important and very nice. Addyatmika anushravanam you have to listen anushravanam continuously again and again, Anu Shravanam, or you have to listen somebody who is superior to you, Adhyatnik, about spiritual matters. Namasam Kirtana, you have to uh do namsankirtana arjavena you have to be very simple straightforward uh not very uh dumb b not very hypocritical, don't try to show off. Just be yourself, basically. Be very simple and straightforward. And Arias Sangena. What actually made me think in these terms, first of all as I said, because he very clearly first explains these tendencies, then shows the pure bhakti, and then starts explaining sadhana, but also certain things are being repeated here. So why they are repeated here in a slightly different way, like in the 16th verse it was said the Kriya Yogyana, in the 17th verse Yamenani Yamenacha, and then there it was said that you have to in the again in the 16th verse it was said satvena asangamena and here again arya sang sangyana. So there are some sort of repetition.
And the last item in this list of different sadhanas beneficial for pure bhakti for attaining the state of pure bhakti is nirahankriya. You have to be very devoid of false ego, you have to be very humble.
You have to be really you have to be really conscious about your ahaṅkāra. And when we look at sātvika people, they are very they are actually very proud people.
It is said, I believe in Hitopadeśa, that two things never go together.
There is a list of certain things which never go together, qualities which never go together and it is said there that humility and knowledge never go together.
Sātvika people, they want to be learned, they want to have some knowledge but it makes them proud. And therefore, nirahaṅkriyā. if we can we can look again carefully in the list of
different sādhanas which are given here in this
verse, 18th verse, then adhyātmikānuśravaṇaṁ nāmasad-saṅkīrtanam ārjavam. Again, you know, ārjavam, it's very difficult for somebody who is very intelligent to be very simple. If somebody is intelligent, he's never simple. He's usually a very complicated person.
So it's difficult for him to be very, you know, simple. But he should be. He should be consciously striving to this. And ārya-saṅgamaḥ, he should, uh, he should associate with āryas.
Prabhupāda beautifully explains who is ārya in the purport. Anyway, so I wanted to read a beautiful connection which Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura makes of these items for this particular verse One second. Yes.
Adhyātmikānuśravaṇam. He gives a beautiful explanation. ādhyātmikaḥ syāntaḥ-karaṇaṁ bhāvasya doṣasya guṇasya ca anuśravaṇāt antaḥ-karaṇasya bhaktau pravartanārtaṁ doṣa-guṇa āvaśya śrotavyau.
He says that he gives because adhyātmika taḥ adhyātmikānuśravaṇam can be translated in many different ways.
You should hear about Kṛṣṇa all the time, you should hear about ātmā all the time, you should hear scriptures all the time, or whatever. He gives a very specific meaning to this adhyātmikānuśravaṇam.
Adhyatmika in this case is mind. ādhyātmikaḥ syāntaḥ-karaṇaṁ bhāvasya doṣasya guṇasya anushravanat. You should constantly hear about doṣas and guṇas of your antaḥ-karaṇa.
So, what he says that when we in our initial stages of spiritual development, when we listen to the spiritual subject matters like scriptures, Bhagavad-gītā, or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Rāmāyaṇa, or whatever it is, then we have Gita, or Shimad Bhagavatam or Ramayana, or whatever it is, then we have
to listen it, to hear it with a specific intention, to understand that this is describing my doshas and my gunas. The doshas and gunas of my own mind.
It's not that Bhagavad Gita that Krishna told Bhagavad Gita for Arjuna because Arjuna had a big problem. Arjuna didn't have any problem.
Krishna told Bhagavad Gita for us, using Arjuna as his puppet, as basically his recipient of his mercy, but he is anyway recipient of his mercy. He is speaking about us.
And he knows our problem, but he knows that if he tells us directly, we will reject it. You know, if somebody gives us very direct instruction, you are such and such. The tendency is there, just get out of my way.
You know, but if we tell us, look at this devotee, he has this and this and this and this and this problem. And then maybe you will understand. I also have the same problem.
So that's what here uh Visvanatchekra Travartit Thakur explains, uh Adyat Mika Nushravanam means you should do this Antak Karanasya Bhakto pravartanartam Antak Karanasya Bhakto pravartanartam, to increase the tendency of the mind to be to become worshipper of the Lord, to increase the bhakti or the tendency towards or desire towards bhakti in Antakkarana in the mind, uh dosha guna vassya uh srotavyo.
You have to listen about dosha and guna. Otherwise, what will happen? The dosha and guna will eclipse your bhakti or tendency for bhakti.
Well everyone has innate tendency for bhakti to worship the Lord. But at the same time, we have doshas and gunas. So we have to very clearly understand, and while listening about them, what will happen?
We will distance ourselves from the doshas and gunas. We will not identify anymore with the mind. The problem is not the mind. The problem is the identification with the mind.
If we just look impartially, if we just observe the mind, that's not a problem. Dosha which we have is not a problem. Does anyone have some dosha? Some false? Yeah, it's no problem. No problem. Just observe.
Don't identify with the dosha. It becomes a problem when you identify with the dosha. As much as the guna becomes a problem when you identify with the guna. Oh, I have such a gunness, I'm such a proud person.
You know, that's why, again, in my humble opinion, that's the strategies how to deal with sattvik tendences in the mind.
And therefore, it is said Shrotav view, you have to listen in such a way. Like uh we need to hear the dosas also so that we can introspect our own consciousness to tactify them.
But the same Maharashtra like uh we should not hear criticism of devotees. Like when devotees are criticized and when someone's are being pointed out. So it's better to leave that place, otherwise you also share the same kind of dosas.
So now how to understand Mahras. Yeah, therefore it is said that we should listen to scriptures, and when scriptures describe some doses of some devotee we should listen.
In Bhagavad Gita, Śrīla Prabhupāda in the beginning in the first chapter says, you know, when Arjuna is trembling and his Gāṇḍīva bow is falling out, Prabhupāda says this is all clear signs of fear. Of course, next verse in purport he says Arjuna is a pure devotee no problem
so but he's fearful so it's a dosha of Arjuna right but we should listen and understand this is about me.
Their only excuse to listen about somebody is doses. If we don't want to criticize somebody, otherwise, if we want to criticize, it, will just feel or reinforce our tendency for this negative tendencies.
But if we listen with understanding that it equally refers to me, that's about me. Because usually the tendency is that when we hear something bad, it's about him and him and him and him.
And then you know when when the pure devotee is being described, that's about me of course yes right no but when tamasic
bhakti is being described it's about whom it's about you and Rajashik Bhakti is being described. It's about whom? It's about you. So in this way we we should listen in a special way.
Therefore, he said, Shrotavyo, you have to. Dosaguna Avasya. You have to do it. Zrur Sunachaya. Sunachaya. Very hard to accept the correction.
And also, what what is the the art of giving a correction and accepting the correction? Yeah. What is this Bengali saying that mother is instructing her mother when she wants to give the instruction to her daughter in law.
okay You should give it to me, I will learn it by heart. So then, gee, gee means own daughter.
By beat and beating her own daughter, teaching to the uh daughter in law, daughter in law, daughter in law, jikemare bokashitana, yeah, okay,
so you should point out to you know whatever you know or if you do it with love, it may work if you're lucky. Okay. So we go f uh yeah. Namasankirtana chame.
At the same time you have to do Namasankirtana, which is the most important and which is definitely svarūpa-siddhi bhakti. And but he says very interesting thing.
Yeah, actually I forgot to read further: dambhântaḥkaraṇa-doṣa-yas-vasmin-vartamānavat anat-vagate sati tam mahat-upāsya jayet ity-ādi-vidhāv-bhaktaḥ pravartteta ityadividho bhaktah pravata pravarte
rat-arthāñca. Very interesting thing. He said that you listen about all these doshas and gunas. And if you find that there is some dambha in your antaḥkaraṇa, dambhântaḥkaraṇa-doṣasya. Or if you find some uh doshas
which are created by dambha. Dambha or hypocrisy, desire to project some image of ourselves which is not really real, is the first demonic quality.
When Krishna describes asura- sampat, then he says dambha-darpa-abhimānaśca, darpa-dambha-dambha-darpa-abhimānaśca. So the the the demonic nature starts or stems from dambha, from hypocrisy.
So he said when you do introspection and if you find out or understand that there is some bad qualities like dhamba, then what you should do mahad-upāsya to jayet, to conquer over this bad quality.
There is a recommendation of him, mahad-upāsaya. You have to worship Mahat. You have to worship the great devotees. You have to serve the great devotees. Mahadhu Pasaya. Or you have to associate with the great devotees.
And therefore it is said here: Arjavinarya Sangina. You have to be with the devotees, with the great devotees, Arya Sangina and Arjavena, you have to deal with them in a very straightforward way.
You shouldn't hide anything. If you found out any bad tendency in you by this adhyatmikanus ravanam, then you have to go to a pu to a pure devotee, to aria, to a noble person. And ary means noble person.
It means that if you confide to him, if you disclose it to him, he will not, you know, he will not publish it on the internet, on social media. So, therefore, it is specifically said, Arya Sangina, you should go to Arya
and you should disclose this to him in a very straightforward way, Arjavena. So you should not only do Namasankirtana. Namasana Kirtana is good.
You should be devoid of pride, nirahan kriya, and you should associate with great devotees in a very straightforward way, or you should worship them. And basically, worship them means trust them.
And in this way, you will be able to get rid Yeah. Yeah, you should you should find out somebody whom you trust and uh you know become close to him. Sangina.
That's a very important part of Bhakti Sadhana on the path of Bhakti.
We talk a lot about humility, compassion, gratitude, and so many other volumes but we need to consciously cultivate yeah that is uh required but then as you uh mentioned
yesterday also we mentioned about the mom like we are trying to become something which we are not.
And uh then it seems that there is a very timeline between this Dhambaha and what we are trying to consciously cultivate, like these qualities, humility and other such spiritual qualities.
So now how to understand like what I've been doing is kind of it's okay, it's genuine.
Well it depends you know if you are different when you are alone in your little room or with your few you know or if you are different uh of course you're your brahmacharya grihasta huh yeah,
If you're different with other people and you're different with your wife, then it's dambha. If you're very humble with others and very proud with your wife, that's dambha.
If you're you know proud with your close people and very humble with every everyone else, that's dambha. If you're the same with everyone, that's Arjava, that's simplicity. That's the same thing, you know.
Or i i if you know if you're alone and nobody sees how you chant japa, then you know you you do this TV japa or whatever, internet Japa, very deep meditation on profound subject matters published in the social media.
But when you know everyone is sitting here, you know, you mean Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna. That's so.
But if you are the same, you know, do the same, you know, do this TV Japa in front of everyone else. No, of course I don't recommend this, but.
So there is nothing wrong in striving to something which we are not, but what's wrong is trying to show it, you know. Let me show it, let me. And it's it's there, the dhamba is there.
Nobody is free from dharma completely unless you're totally, your antaḥ-karaṇa is totally pure. But for the therefore it's so important for us to associate with pure people who are very simple.
And you can see that, you know, usually mahātmās, they're very, very simple people.
Prabhupāda was very simple. Sometimes he was also very demanding and you know commanding, but he was very simple. He he didn't hide anything. Okay, so we go further? Yes yes. You're not tired.
We don't need we don't need any. We are used to it. We are used to it. Okay. Okay.
Complete purification of the heart
Okay, so the verse number 19. Mad-dharmāno guṇair etaiḥ, pari-sam- śuddhāśayaḥ, puruṣasyaṅ- ghasasv-ājasābhyeti puruṣasyaṅ-ghasri-mātra-guṇa-hi-mam. Śruta-mātra-guṇa-hi-mam.
So this verse very clearly concludes the section which we just read because it refers to the very beginning of the Mad-guṇa-śruti-mātrena. You know, the section starts with the statement, mad-guṇa-śruti-mātrena.
As soon as you hear something about the qualities of the Lord, here it is as śruta- mātra-guṇa-hi-mam.
So it basically started with this description of the pure devotional service, then the means how to achieve the state of pure devotional service, and that's the conclusion.
Mad-dharmāno guṇair etaiḥ, if you do this dharma, my dharma, bhāgavata-
dharma, Krishna says, Kapila Dev says, Mad-dharmāno guṇair etaiḥ, if you do this properly with attributes, when one is fully qualified with all these transcendental attributes or when you develop this dharma or this nature, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains or translates the word dharma as nature.
When you develop this mad dharma, Bhagavad Dharma, the nature of God, Madharma no gunairetah, the quality of the nature of God which are described in the previous verses, Parisam Suda Ashayak,
then your heart, which is called here ashayah, will be parisam shuha. Parisam Shuda which means completely 100% purified. Parisam Shuda.
Samyaksudha and Parisam Sudha, not even a tinge of contamination will be in your heart. And heart is or consciousness is called Ashya here. Ashya means what does it mean Ashaya? You're all Sanskrit scholars.
The place where you sleep. And therefore it is said, Karana Da Kashya Vishnu. Ashya means heart or consciousness where there are so much sleeping things there, the desires which sleep there.
When your asha becomes parisam suda, madharmanogunairetai parisamsudha ashaya due to this process, because of this process,
when you do diligently this fourteen or little more sadness which I described there, and you you make them your own nature. Because by doing this consciously, you ultimately become like this.
That will become very natural and spontaneous, dealing with devotees properly, introspecting yourself, serving good people, avoiding bad association. Parisam Sudha Ashayah.
Purushasyan Janambhi, then very easily and again spontaneously immediately anjasa anjasa instantly abhyti.
As soon as you hear about the Lord, Shruta Matragunam, Purushasya of Purusha, of the Supreme Lord, then your mind will be attracted to this.
Why is our mind not attracted to the qualities of the Lord because there are so many ashas are there, so many other desires are there.
How you can judge the purification of your mind, the level of attraction towards the qualities of the Lord.
If your mind is attracted, if you sleep during Bhagavatam class, you still have some ashas, some hopes to enjoy in this material world independently of the Lord.
But if uh your heart is completely clear it uh clean it means there's no other asha. The only desire which you have in the heart is to be close with the Lord. And when you hear about the Lord, you become excited.
Yeah, He's so nice. And that's how this section is concluded. And there is one more verse which completely concludes this section. The whole section about the pure devotional service.
This is the description of sadhana, the pure devotional service and sadhana which we should do to achieve the state of pure devotional service.
Perceiving the omnipresence of God
The verse number 20. Yathavatarathogrina Granam Avrinkte Ganda Ashayat. Evam Yogaratam Chetam Yoga Atmanam
Avikariatam Avikaryat as the chariot of air carries an aroma from its source and immediately catches the sense of smell.
Similarly, one who constantly engages in devotional service in Krishna consciousness can catch the Supreme Soul who is equally present everywhere.
So basically, it is said that when you get to the stage then you know when you go through a sewage, you don't make any endeavors to to catch the smell. The smell itself enters into your nostril and you feel it, right? It's not that you consciously do it.
It's a it's a very natural thing. So in the same way, uh it is said when uh you when your mind uh will attain a special quality uh Which is
called here the mind is k when your mind is yoga-ratam, is engaged in devotional service, then always he will feel the presence of the Supreme Lord, ātmānam avikāri-yat, this unchanging presence of the Supreme Lord.
And it will come very natural to you. You will always feel He is present, He's watching me, He's there, he's here. So that's basically the implication.
And therefore Prabhupada says that Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. The only way to understand the Lord is to practice devotional service as described here. And in this way, you will develop the sense of His presence.
Therefore, it is always said, it's very interesting when it's said about the Bhakti,
Bhakti-yoga Adhokṣaja. Oftentimes it is said that you should perform the devotional service towards Adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja means the one who is beyond the senses, one whom you cannot really see. But you still have to practice bhakti-yoga, and then Adhokṣaja will become somebody whom you will be able to perceive by your transcendental senses because this is actually what happens.
The practice of bhakti yoga develops the transcendental senses by which we can catch or detect the presence of the Lord.
That's the invisible process which is going on in us while we are engaged in svarūpa-siddhi-bhakti. When we chant the holy name, then imperceptibly for us there is a development of transcendental senses which at one point, when they are fully developed, will be able to detect the presence of the Lord within everyone and everywhere.
And concluding this section by saying that the Supreme Soul is everywhere, he gives the four verses which shall I start these verses or shall we do it tomorrow because they are very important.
We can take if you want you can start. Unless you have. We are ready. You're right. One point I couldn't understand the what does it mean? Prabhupada saying the twentieth,
Since the individual soul is present only in a particular body, he is altered when another individual soul does not cooperate with him. I couldn't understand this.
No, you probably never had any experience of being agitated with somebody, right?
Since the individual soul is present only in a particular body, he is is altered, when another individual soul does not cooperate with him. Ah, altered means uh he becomes agitated, he becomes uh he he he becomes angry basically.
As soon as somebody uh does not follow what you you know the does not behave the way you expect him to behave. You become indignant. There is some sort of energy which arises in your consciousness.
How dare he behave this way? Because you're only present in your body and therefore you try instinctively or subconsciously you try to deprive others of their free will.
But if you understand that the Supreme Lord is behind everything, then you will not become agitated by this.
Degrees of offenses against others
Okay, so we'll start. We will not finish this section but we'll start we will read the first verse of this. Ahaṁ sarveṣu bhūteṣu, ahaṁ sarveṣu bhūteṣu bhūtātmā vasthitaḥ sadā, tam avajñāya māṁ martyaḥ. So
the four verses if we read them uh Superficially. They look the same. In the four verses starting from 21st to 24th, the Lord Kapiladev says the same thing.
If you don't see that I am present in everyone's heart and you try to worship me, you will not get anything good. On the contrary, in the last verse he says, You will make me angry.
But Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that there is a gradation in these four verses, as usually in Vedic literature gradation of neglect or offenses toward other living entities.
One point I forgot to mention actually. No, I didn't get to mention, I will mention it here.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, by commenting on these verses, he says that all the offenses stem, the mule, the root of all offenses is the offense toward the devotee. Specifically, the offense toward the great devotee.
The offensive mentality, offensive nature is being developed on the foundation of this offense.
And therefore, in the next four verses, the Lord Kapiladev is explaining how to avoid this root cause of offensive mentality because the offense is the blocking power of bhakti.
As I said yesterday, bhakti has vastu-śakti and this vastu-śakti śakti basically means by the vastu-śakti, the natural śakti of the practices of bhakti, we develop certain nature.
The heart is being purified, humility is being manifested, certain dharma is being manifested. It's natural. You just chant, you don't need to do anything else. But you still do have to do something else.
What do you have to do? You have to avoid offenses.
Because if you're not avoiding offenses, the offenses, why Because if you're not avoiding offenses, the offenses, why Because ḍambha is again ḍambha hypocrisy is the uh is the cause of offense, especially towards the great devotee.
You see somebody great and you cannot really you cannot really agree inside your heart that he is so great. Let's put him down.
Let's listen what some other people talk about him. Let's find out his real nature in the social media. Let's listen to some rumors about him. This is the tendency.
This is ḍambha. Because I'm hypocritical, I want to bring somebody else who is mahat down. And therefore I create offenses. And because of this offenses, I cannot really understand
the Lord, and this offences become the blocking power of Vastu Shakti of Bhakti. As much as Vastu Shakti of the fire is to burn, right?
But uh and this vast shakti very gloriously manifests if you put fire into the dry grass. The dry grass immediately burst, right?
But the same grass when it's green, you can spoil a lot of you know much boxes. It will not it will not burn. You know, you may try as much as you like. It will not burn. Why?
Because there is a blocking power. The Vastu Shakti is still there. The power to burn in the fire is still there. But because of this blocking power, then it doesn't act upon you, doesn't affect. And that's what we see.
We practice bhakti and it doesn't act upon us. Or doesn't act the way it is described in the scriptures. In the scriptures that said just chant once. Hare Krishna. That's it, no need to chant twice.
No sixteen rounds. Hare Krishna. Yeah. Yeah. But it doesn't work like this. We have to chant again and again and again and again because this blocking power and therefore to understand to avoid offences is so important.
And therefore, the next basically the whole section, not only these four verses, but other verses, after that they explain how you should respect different living entities according to the level of their development, the development of their consciousness.
Therefore, the next section is so important. But in these four verses, he specifically targets against offenses or offensive mentality. And he said that this offensive mentality can be of four grades.
Or you can manifest your offensiveness.
Everyone is offensive. No problem. Everyone is equal. But you may manifest this offensive nature in different degrees. So the manifestation of offensive nature according to the different degrees will have different results.
And the different degrees of offensiveness and different results which block the power of bhakti to purify ourselves are described in these four verses. It's clear.
So in the he says this four degrees of offensiveness is first avajñā. Avajñā, na means avya means, uh, haughtiness. When you look down at somebody. Avajñā. Avajñā down. Ava means down and jñā to know.
When you look somebody and you says, oh yeah, who he is? You know. And it it's it's a very it's a very common trait in every human being. We look at somebody and we always try to find some fault in him.
Like to to be able to look down at him. Avajñā. Avajñā is extremely common. He is, I am better than him. You look at somebody and immediately you try to find little something by which you are better than him.
Look at his daughter now. For twenty years he cannot put his daughter properly, you know. What is this? Or look at his tilak, you know, what. Immediately the mind starts doing this avajñā.
Avajñā means haughtiness, you know, and it's it's automatic, it's built in program, you know, like in computer, there are some programs which are booted together with computer.
And they're always working, whether you know or not, they always work. The how how are they called? The system Yeah, the system system boots these programs all the time, you know.
You don't you don't have to start these programs. They're already there. So this program for avajñā is already there. You don't need to install it, you know, to buy it first and then do the installation procedure.
No problem, you already have it. It's working, uh, twenty-four hours a day. Huh? Yeah, even when I sleep. Even when I sleep. In our dreams we do some Avagiat. So Aham Sarvashu Bhutishuta Ma Vastitak Sada.
The Lord Kapiladev says, you know what is the what is the remedy from this offensive mentality? Just understand that somebody whom you want to love, whom you want to develop love, is everywhere, is in everyone's heart.
Why Upanishad stressed this point so much? Because only if you develop this acute consciousness of omnipresence of God, then you will be able to contract offensive mentality. He's in everyone's heart.
Somebody whom you look down, the Lord is there. How dare you do this? Dog is not dog. The Lord is there in his heart.
So that's, you know, Shiva and Daksha story, how Shiva how Daksha looked at Shiva and he said, how dare he not respect me when Shiva was meditating on Paramātmā within his heart.
So the first level is avagya, and the result of avagya is very interesting. Kurute archa vidambhanam. Vidambanam means imitation.
If somebody doesn't understand that the Lord is in everyone's heart and he worships the Lord in his arcā form. That this worship is just a show. Vidambana means just a show. Just a big, you know, display.
You know, she's just he doesn't believe in this. So that's a very important thing because that's the result of a vagya.
When we don't curb consciously this tendency to look down upon other people, we will never be able to see that the Lord is present in his deity form. And yes, we will dress him. Yes.
This is like some people say, this is Hare Krishna dolls. And they dress them nicely and they play dolls. But the problem is that we ourselves will also think like this. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I'm dressing for what I'm dressing so that somebody will say, oh, such a nice dress.
You know, not because of love. So that's what he says: Kurute Archa Vidambanam. You will become more and more hypocritical in your devotional service.
That's the result of avagya. If you manifest this, if you look down at other people, then the hypocrisy, the cancerous disease of hypocrisy in your heart will grow unlimitedly.
And therefore, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī says that if you do offenses, that's what Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī says in Bhakti-sandarbha, he says, if you do offenses, the first result is kauṭilyam, you become crooked instead of being straightforward, ārjavam, and the next result is aśraddhā. You look, well, that's actually, that's the next that's the next result.
The first result is kauṭilyam. Or vidambanam means hypocrisy, the viḍambanam will increase. If you continue doing this, that's the implied meaning of this verse, 21st verse of this chapter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
And that's the slightest degree of offense. The next verses will explain the greater and greater degrees of offenses. I think we should finish now. Hare Krishna.
So it's our great privilege to hear such um eye opening, heart-opening kathā from Mahārāja. So let us thank Mahārāja by one time. Hare Krishna, Mahārāja ki jaya. Hare Krishna.
At the same time, we know that you all have many doubts and queries to get clear by Mahārāja.
So I request all of you that if you want some queries, then you can meet Mahārāja after the class for some time and you can clear the doubts, take his holy association.
Mahārāja will be here for another two days, particularly this chapter, and uh it's it's a request to Mahārāja also that uh the audience wants more of your association in this in future.
So Mahārāja, please uh give us your holy association. Jaya, is it ōṁ tat sat?