A Structural Review of the Main Topics of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Lecture 12
Бхакти Вигьяна Госвами · 2021
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Invocation prayers and opening remarks
Omnamo Bhagavatya, omna Bhagavathe Sudevaya. Sudevaya so Narayanam namaskritiana raamčeva, ratamam devim sarasvatiasam tato ja yamu di rayat, nashta praja shwabadri, Sunityam Bhagavat Sevaya, Bhagavaty
Tamasloki Bhakti, Bhavati, Nastiki, Yam Prav Jantamapetam Peta Krityam, Dwaipaya Navirahakatara Juhavapu Tretitan Mayatayo Taravinedus tam Sarva Bhu Tridayam Munianatos me Vishnu
Paday Krishna Prashtag Tales Srimati Bhaktivanta Goravani pracharini nirvi say Sushnavadi Paschatades Chakripa Sindhubi Chaitanya Pabunitananda Syadvaita Gadatara Sivasadiguru Bhakta Vrinda
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Rama Rama Ramahare Hari. Yamtak Pradesh Mamma Vachimu Mamprasupta m sande ki was Swasya
stuvishwasha prasidha tam dyayantu buttani Svami todiya manascha budramba jatata dokaja, avessi tam nama dia hai tu kichna, dear
devotees and those who are all of us who are trying to become devotees, we are making a very glorious attempt to understand the flow of the narration of Srimad Bhagavatam, which is supposed to ultimately bring us to the Lotus feet of Krishna.
And it's a very amazing result of hearing Srimad Bhagavatam. Srimad Bhagavatam indeed gives us Krishna, not just the conception of Krishna, not just the theory how Krishna who he is.
But as it is said in Simat Bhvatam itself that it kridja varudja teetra kriti visus rusu bi stak sanat That Krishna becomes the prisoner of our heart. If we do it properly, if we hear Simad Bhagavatam properly.
And the first condition, of course, is Susrushubhi. We should be eager to hear. And therefore, Shilav Yasadev in his Mangalacharan to this book, he incites this eagerness within us.
He wants to say the implication of this second verse of Srimad Bhagavatam: that you know we have to be really eager to hear about Krishna because the result of hearing this book is very amazing.
There is no need for any other book. He says very clearly there. And Vedyam Vastava Matra Vastushivadam tapotrayon mulanam. You can understand by reading this book or by hearing this book, the Vastavam
Vastu, the essence of all essences, the absolute truth, which is tapotrayon mulanam, which is completely, totally, absolutely destroying the root of all the threefold miseries.
Kimvapara, Irish Varaha, what What is the use of any other book? Because this book is created by Vyāsadeva or Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī in his maturity. It's a mature fruit of his endeavor.
It's the last the crown creation of Vyāsadeva.
And if you hear it with proper mood and if you if if you're kriti, kriti bich means uh inoffensive, if you have the proper uh some purity of the heart, if you're simple, if you're not crooked inside, then you will be able to get Krishna immediately.
So that's the whole thing: is that we're trying to understand how the flow of Śrīmad Bhagavatam goes so that we can swim along with this flow and hope that sooner or later, this flow of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, of narration of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, will bring us to the Lotus Feet of Lord Krishna.
And actually, this is the only thing which we should do, because bhakti can you mute your microphones please uh bhakti is the path of mercy and uh uh it's just like the swimming along with the flow.
So we are trying to swim along with this flow of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and understand how this flow of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam gradually brings us closer to Krishna.
Overview and structure of the Seventh Canto
What are the stages and destinations which we pass by flowing with Srimad Bhagavatam before we arrive to this amazing destination being together with Krishna in the spiritual world not with the not not theoretically but practically.
So we arrived already with you together by your mercy and by your blessings. Ultimately, we are here on the 7th Canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, so we more or less past the half of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, and
technically speaking, we already achieved Bhakti Vaibhava degree according to the scheme which Śrīla Prabhupāda gave. So we all bhakti-vaibhavas, we have this vaibhava or special power of bhakti.
This is what reading or studying of the six cantas, first six cantas of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is supposed to give us bhakti-vaibhava, a very special uh power which bhakti gives the very special opulence which uh is only specific to bhakti.
And now we're on the seventh canto, the beginning of the second part of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. And the seventh canto structurally is very simple.
You know, after all this complicated cantos like fourth canto with so many intricate stories connected, or sometimes seemingly disconnected with each other, after fifth canto is also
quite a difficult structure, Third Canto. Of course, Third Canto is relatively simple because it's more or less repetition of the same topic.
We arrived at the 7th Canto, and the 7th Canto is surprisingly simple, at least from the first look at the seventh canto. It only has one story. And it has two very clear and very distinct parts.
Which again, if we superficially look are seemingly disconnected.
You know the first story is of course the very famous story of uh Prahlāda and Hiraṇyakaśipu and their clash and ultimate victory of Prahlāda's pure bhakti over the demonic mentality of Hiraṇyakaśipu.
And I mentioned last time that we have to see where is the conflict in the canto to understand the essential message of the canto?
And again, superficially looking at the seventh canto, we can see or we can deduce or come to a conclusion that it's about the clash between the pure devotion and demonic mentality. But not really so.
It's not about the clash of demonic mentality and pure devotion. Because uh we all know that uh these two mentalities are incompatible with each other. So it would not be such a glorious achievement to describe
it and on the top of it in the second part of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. So the essential message of the seventh canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is much more subtle and much more important for us to understand.
And how this, and then, all of a sudden, after glorification of Prahlāda and his pure devotion and everything else.
Introduction of varnasrama-dharma in later chapters
All of a sudden the narration of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam switches the gears in a very abrupt way.
And we have the second part, which is starting from the eleventh chapter of the Seventh Kanto till the end of the Seventh Kanto for five chapters. Nārada Muni is describing dharma-śāstra.
Nārada Muni, in his conversation with Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, describes basically the principles of Dharma, which seems to be kind of downgrading the topic. We already reached a very highly elevated topic.
Prahlāda Mahārāja his ecstatic symptoms and his complete total surrender and devotion to the Lord. And all of a sudden, we're talking about the duties of the social orders of
varṇas and āśramas and the duties of wife and duties of vānaprasthas and sannyāsīs and brahmacārīs. More or less the structure of the second part of the seventh skandha reflects the normal structure of any dharma-śāstra, whether it's laws of Manu, laws of Yājñavalkya or Viṣṇu Smṛti, you know it more or less repeats the same sort of structure which seems to be something out of place.
Or I don't know, or maybe i i it's it's the foundation of spiritual life. Why all of a sudden uh this is being told in the seventh canto.
So these are certain questions, few questions which somebody may ask by trying to understand what is the message of the seventh canto. And I will try to answer these questions in the course of my narration.
I also want to say from the very beginning that I will have to end exactly at at uh uh twelve thirty Indian time. So let's see what we will be able to do within this uh time which I have today.
So as I told you many, many times these verses Sarga, Visarga, Sthana, Poshana, Uti, Manvantara, Ishanukatha, Nirodha, Mukti, Ashraya. The sixth canto primarily describes Porshanam, which is Tada Nugraha, how the mercy or the nourishment of the Supreme Lord manifest in our life and not only in our lives in the lives of all the devotees.
And we came to know how Lord Krishna maintains mixed devotees and gives them some sort of protection. And how he relates or how he deals with the pure devotees like Vritrasura.
And the amazing example of a pure devotee of the previous canto, the sixth canto is of course Ajamila. So we came to know and we studied a little bit what poshanam means.
And poshanam basically means the Lord's grace, so the implication, very important foundational principle which is there is that the progress in bhakti does not really depend on your own endeavor.
Ultimately, it only depends on the mercy of the Lord. And because it depends on the mercy of the Lord as opposed to your own endeavor, one is wondering: what am I supposed to do? How shall I get it?
How shall I obtain this mercy? On the other path it's very clear.
You know, on the path of karma, everything depends on your piety, on your pious deeds, you do as much pious deeds as possible, and you get the result accordingly.
On a path of jnana you try to meditate upon the Brahman or the Supreme Lord or whatever, not really Supreme Lord, but you try to meditate, and this is also your own endeavor. You try to purify your heart.
Of course, to meditate, you already have to have pure heart, but depending on the extent of the purity of the heart, your meditation goes deeper and deeper and deeper, and you sit. Initially, you sit for five minutes, then you sit for ten minutes, then you sit for one hour, then you sit for two hours, then you sit for two weeks, non-stop and you meditate and concentrate your mind depending on its purity, your ability grows, and accordingly to your endeavors you get the results.
That's a very important principle and very understandable principle for us who are causal. The principle of cause and effect. You do something, this is the cause. You want to obtain something, this is the effect.
And the more properly you do something which is causal, the quicker you get the result. And the result will be more impressive.
Distinguishing causeless devotion from cause and effect
So that's a very understandable cause-effect relationship on other paths. Para-bhakti is bewildering.
But being completely causeless, this para-bhakti is totally spiritual because anything which is causal, anything which has cause, which implies cause and effect relationship, is material.
Therefore, the ocean which separates the spiritual world from the material world is called causal ocean. Everything which is on this side of the causal ocean has this causal nature.
And we are so programmed to be causal that we always, even under the path of bhakti, we try to find some cause or to do something which will give us the results as quickly as possible.
And then, you know, if somebody says to us that bhakti is causeless, we say it's impractical. What do I do?
But Skanda answers this question: what you are supposed to do, uh, the causeless nature of bhakti, which is the most important.
The seventh skanda tells you what is your duty and which, if you perform, increases greatly your chances to get causeless mercy of Krishna.
Of course, there is no cause and effect relationship, but nevertheless there is something which actually is the cause of causeless bhakti. And this is what the seventh canto is all about.
What is the cause of causeless bhakti? And not only the cause of causeless bhakti, but the cause of the nature which we have. So, you know, why it is described? it's a very fundamental question in
the path of bhakti, why was it not described before? Simply because the previous canto really, if we
study it properly, the Sixth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam really is supposed to awaken within our heart strong, strong, strong desire to get pure bhakti.
Because the description of the pure bhakti, which is given in the sixth canto, is unparalleled. As I said, the story of Vṛtrāsura's lakṣaṇa of the whole Śrīmad Bhāgavatam because it describes the amazing power of pure
bhakti, which turned the complete demon which lives in the heart of a complete outright demon who is killing everyone and everything, but still he is a pure devotee, he is glorified, and he is
what is the most amazing uh quality uh which is coming to us uh because of bhakti is that he is totally fearless. Vṛtrāsura I'm talking about Vṛtrāsura. He's totally, absolutely fearless, and he's completely free.
You know, when you read the descriptions of the sixth canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you will be totally flabbergasted, amazed how Vṛtrāsura is free and how Indra is bound.
How even mixed devotion doesn't make you free because you're still bound, you're bound by negative emotions, by the fear, by envy, by anger. This is all depicted in the sixth canto.
Indra, he is going through all these dramas, internal dramas, all these negative emotions are in his heart. And in front of him is Vritrasura, who is a demon, and this demon he's just smiling.
And this demon is about to be killed, and uh he's not afraid, and uh he's welcoming his death, and he's saying, Oh, so nice, uh dear Indra, you will kill me, and I will go back to Godhead and you will stay here in this material world.
So this amazing image of the power of pure devotion supposed to be very contagious.
We actually are supposed to develop very strong urge and desire to become pure devotees because it will solve all our problems, no negative emotions whatsoever. Only elevated emotions of devotion towards the Supreme Lord.
That's a very important part of the message of this sixth canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, poṣaṇa, what is the mercy?
So while reading this sixth canto, the very strong desire how to get this devotion, how to obtain, why Indra couldn't obtain it? Why it is Vritrasura who obtained it? And uh why not Indra?
So this question is uh supposed to arise in our heart and the seventh canto answers this very important question, how to obtain how to get pure devotion what is the only way the only way to get pure devotion.
Well, not only way, two ways. Actually, Seventh Canto describes two ways how to get the pure devotion. One, very direct and straight way to obtain pure devotion. And another one is roundabout way which is Varnashama.
Lessons from Madhvacarya's philosophy of dependence
So I'm more or less going a little ahead and telling what how these two parts of the seventh canto are connected. They're connected because they're describing the ways of obtaining pure devotion, two different ways of obtaining pure devotion.
So I'm now in Bangalore, which is the seat of Madhvācārya, his followers. And I'm associating closely with some of the representatives Madhva Sampradaya.
And it's perhaps it's appropriate to mention Madhvācārya and his philosophy now. Why?
Because Madhvācārya being the incarnation of Hanumān and Bhima, he very much stresses in his philosophy the point of complete total dependence of jīva upon the Supreme Lord.
That everything which we get, we get from the Supreme Lord. We cannot do anything ourselves. The only thing which we can do is try to serve with all our meager endeavors.
Like for example, Madhvācārya in commenting on Brahma Sutra, which is one of his major achievements, if not the major achievement, in his Brahma Sutra Bhashya, he says that Janmadya Sayata.
While commenting on the second sutra of Brahma Sutra, he says, What is Janmadi? Asyataha. It's the definition of Brahman. Who is Brahman? Brahman is the one from whom Janma Adi is coming from.
Janma means the creation of this material universe. And usually we know what Janma Adi means. Janma Adi means the creation, sustenance, and destruction of the material world. Madhvācārya says no. He says not only this.
He says Janma Adi means creation, sustenance, and destruction of the material world. It also means niyamita, which is complete power or control of this world. It also means besidesyam Nyita, it means jñāna and a jñāna.
Jñāna is coming from the Supreme Lord, and Ajana is coming from the Supreme Lord. Your ignorance is coming from the Supreme Lord and your knowledge is coming of the Supreme Lord. We're all dependent on Him.
This is the definition of Brahman according to Madhvācārya. And he says: two more things are coming from the Supreme Lord: the moksha and bandha, the bondage and liberation is also coming from the Supreme Lord.
So he stresses according to the tenets of his philosophy, total complete dependence on the Supreme Lord, that everything is coming from him. But then the question arises: is everything coming from him?
You know, isn't he partial? Why some people get bhakti, other people they cannot become bhaktas? Why some people are enlightened and other people are ignorant.
Why some people get liberation and other people are not getting liberation?
Like Madhvacharya very much stresses the point at the end of the 16th chapter of Bhagavad-gītā where Krishna says that for those demoniac people I'm putting them in the demonic species of life for eons for eternity.
I am just pushing them down because they are demonic and they will belong to this.
And you get the image of the Supreme Lord who is the absolute autocrat and very whimsically He kind of rewards some souls and completely, you know, unjustly, or maybe not completely unjustly, but nevertheless, very partially pushing them down.
You know, because he's the Supreme Lord, ultimately everything belongs on him. So that's that's his point. And of course Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gives uh different emphasis on this, which is for us very important to understand
that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam explains very beautifully and very clearly what is our part in this whole drama, in the drama of our life.
Understanding the inner impetus behind human actions
And this is appropriate to describe in the seventh canto because the seventh topic of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is ūtih. ūtih means the impetus. What pushes us to act the way we act.
What is this force inside our heart, which basically defines our life, defines our destiny. And how to make sure that this nature which we developed, acquired nature, will be improved or rectified.
And is it all a completely whimsical decision of God that we have certain nature and this certain nature as Krishna himself says to Arjuna, Arjuna you're fortunate because you have this Daivi sampat, you have this divine nature. So you will be liberated.
Okay, so you know we are fortunate, we got this divine nature. How about others? And if it's so, then what is the use of preaching? Does the preaching really have some tangible effect?
Or by preaching, we are just more or less separating those fortunate souls who already have inclination towards bhakti from all these unfortunate demoniac souls who will never be able to get Krishna's mercy.
So there are so many related questions to this, and it's very important for us to understand the proper answer to this and properly emphasize certain things.
So this is what seventh canto is all about how to develop certain nature which is compatible with bhakti, which is not even compatible with bhakti, only compatible with bhakti, but which is favorable to bhakti.
Bhakti will be given to us, no doubt about it.
But the Seventh Canto is how this bhakti will be given, through which channel the bhakti will be given, and how to behave or obtain the nature which will be favorable for us to receive bhakti.
Ultimately to be the recipients of Bhakti. So that's the much more subtle message of the Seventh Canto rather than description of the clash between the pure devotion and demonic mentality of Hiranya Kashipu. So and
of course, the seventh canto starts with this first chapter where this question is being asked. or rather first Maharaja Parikshit asked this question and
about the partiality of the Lord, whether the Lord is partial, why Vritrasura was a pure devotee, whether the Lord was partial or not.
So Maharaja Parikshit asked this question and Śukadeva Gosvāmī starts describing the conversation on the same topic between Nārada Muni and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira.
And Nārada Muni answers the question of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira who was completely amazed by the display upon Śiśupāla. When Śiśupāla merged into the body of Krishna, even though he was an envious demon.
He was blaspheming Lord Krishna. And in spite of all of this, when the soul left his body, Krishna made it visible.
Usually it's not a visible event, but in case of Śiśupāla, Krishna made sure that everyone sees that his soul is just entering Krishna's body, the body of his enemy.
So that's that's what is supposed to what is being described in the first chapter. And therefore, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is asking this question: how was that possible?
Can you explain the mystery behind the whole thing? And basically he asked directly whether the Lord is partial or impartial. If he is partial, if we say that he is partial, it's a dosha.
It's fault on the side of the Lord. If he's impartial, that's his beauty. But how he is impartial, even though he apparently sympathizes with the demigods and you know, opposes the demons.
So and, uh, of course, Nārada Muni starts describing the story behind Hiranyakashipu and Śiśupāla and Āvakra and Kumbhakarṇa, Śiśupāla and Dantavakra, and Hiraṇyākṣa and Hiranyakashipu.
Describing this Jaya-Vijaya story in the first chapter of Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam. But what I want to say, if you want to understand the whole seventh canto, this first chapter is enough.
If you really understand what this first chapter is trying to tell you, this is enough.
How interactions with devotees shape one's nature
So, basically, okay, before we go into some details of the other chapters, let me immediately state that what actually defines our nature.
By looking inside our heart, by going to an astrologer and listening to an astrologer who is describing different traits of our personality. We sometimes wonder: you know, how did it happen? Why did it happen?
And the seventh canto, not going into details of the law of karma, formulates the most important basic principle of karma or our reverse or our nature, acquired nature.
And the most important principle formulated in the seventh canto is that if we acquire the curses of devotees, and not only pure devotees, but devotees of all sorts, if we are not careful in dealing with devotees, no matter who they are, they may not be completely pure. Still, if we behave in such a way that we acquire the curses from them, we will develop demoniac mentality.
And vice versa, if we somehow or other by hook or by crook obtain the mercy of devotees, especially pure devotees, then this is the most direct and most immediate way to obtain bhakti in our life.
Answering the question which I asked in the very beginning of this presentation, where the bhakti is coming from, the bhakti is not coming from the Supreme Lord.
Or in very rare occasions, the bhakti is coming directly from the Supreme Lord.
In most of the cases, the bhakti is coming from the heart of a pure devotee, and for that you somehow rather have to please the pure devotee, have to enter into some personal relationship with the pure devotee.
And how the bhakti comes from the heart of pure devotee to the heart of other living entities by the service of living entities, by the service attitude, submissive attitude, by the submissive hearing.
Actually, the pure devotees they speak and you listen. And this is how you can get bhakti. That's the only way, uh the most direct way to get bhakti by
and not only hearing, but hearing submissively, like Prabhupada puts in the first canto, the art of submissive hearing. How to hear about the Lord with a proper attitude.
And vice versa, if you somehow rather acquire the how to say this, yeah, get upon your head the curses of devotees like Kumaras, then you will develop inevitably develop the demonic mentality.
It's actually a very important point with a lot of practical implications. Sometimes we are not very careful in the society of devotees.
We see so many faults in other devotees and sometimes we misbehave with other devotees, so sometimes we start openly criticizing, going to the internet and trying to expose the faults of other devotees.
And in this way we we get so many curses of devotees and uh uh it's not without a reason that uh Jaya and Vijaya were cursed by Kumaras who were not pure devotees at that time.
And even though they were not pure devotees, nevertheless the curse was very, very effective. So, and that's what we can see.
We can see how by indiscriminately offending devotees we acquire or we develop certain demonic qualities, certain demonic traits, certain forces within our mind are being awakened by this activity.
You know what is what we are? We are is uh is a collection of certain energies within our mind at this moment of time.
And you know, if we perform actions, appropriate actions, some of these energies will become even stronger, and some of these energies will subside.
So if we're offensive or neglectful towards other devotees, then for sure what will happen gradually, gradually, the demoniac forces within our mind which are there already will be stronger and stronger and stronger.
The demonic tendencies of our mind will be stronger and stronger and stronger.
And vice versa if we try to acquire mercy of devotees by serving them, by feeding them prasāda, by opening one's heart to them, by becoming simple with them, without trying to cheat them or manipulate them or exploit them.
We actually feed this very important nature of ours, which is also the devotional nature, the devotional forces within our mind.
Concentrating the mind on Krishna through sadhana
And that's all described in the first chapter of 7th canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, with also extremely important principle. You know, we obtain certain nature already. We have nature.
And somebody is more devotionally inclined, somebody is less devotionally inclined, somebody is not at all devotionally inclined.
So, but nevertheless, whoever we are, if we got a little speckled of devotion in the form of little śraddhā in the narrations of Bhagavad-gītā, not even Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
If this speck is there, we can gradually blow this little spark of devotion and it will become huge fire which will eliminate to the ashes all our sinful reactions, sinful activities. How?
By again and again hearing about the Lord. That's a very important point. Nārada Muni describes the principle of a sadhana of sadhana, the principle behind any practice. What is the principle behind any practice?
You absorb your mind. Yanatana Prakarena Manah Krishna Niveshayat.
By hook and by crook, as Prabhupada translates this verse from Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, which is the paraphrase of the verse from the first chapter of the 7th canto by Nārada Muni.
By who can by Kruk, Manach Krishna Niveshayed, mind has to enter into Krishna.
If by all means, by all emotional tricks, by all methods which we adopt, our mind enters within Krishna, concentrates on Krishna, then you will be successful in your sadhana.
And you basically become what you meditate upon. If you meditate upon some abominable qualities of other people, by being concentrated on their faults, you will obtain the same nature. You are not better than them.
If you always angry that these people they don't behave properly, they misbehave, they're wrong, and you always talk about them, you become like them. No difference whatsoever.
Prabhupāda pointed it out to Bhakti Tīrtha Mahārāja. When Bhakti Tīrtha Mahārāja said that once to Prabhupāda, he can play to Prabhupāda. You know, I joined this spiritual movement
and I thought that there is no prejudice in the spiritual movement because he was you know experiencing in his life being in a black body and that he's mistreated.
And he said, here I see the same thing, the same mistreatment. And Prabhupada said, yes, you're right, because humans are humans here or there. But if you concentrate on this, you become like them.
If you notice it even, you become exactly like all those people because you are just obsessed with their faults, with their qualities and you're only thinking about them.
So again, this is the first chapter of seventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and we only have not so many minutes, Bhagavatam, and we only have not so many minutes, 35 minutes till the end of the lecture. So let's see how far I will go.
But the mm most important thing I already stated here.
You know, you acquire your general nature from the previous experiences of your interaction with devotees magnified by the present experience of your interaction with the devotees.
If devotees curse you or don't like you or if somehow or other you uh you know always fight with the devotees or offend devotees
then inevitably the demoniac traits of your personality will be strengthened and ultimately will fructify in the next life when you become a demon. Forgetting all your emotional experiences, or not at
least forgetting, we will never forget genuine devotional experiences, but they will be covered over. But if you obtain the mercy of devotees, your devotional nature will be magnified.
And then by obtaining this ūrtti, the impetus to act in a certain way, you have this divine nature, pious nature, then your duty is to magnify
it by concentrating your mind on Krishna and doing some devotional service, and that will gradually bring about the complete success.
And anyone is doing this because Hiraṇyakaśipu, when he obtained his initial nature, he perfected this nature by again performing certain sadhana which ultimately
Flaws in Hiranyakasipu's philosophical preaching
brought about ruination of Hiraṇyākaśipu. Anyway, having said this, we'll go to the second chapter of the
seventh canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Hiraṇyakaśipu, the king of the demons, and a very important thing is happening in this chapter because in this chapter
Hiraṇyakaśipu, or how it is said in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam itself, Śrī Hiraṇyakaśipu preaches the spiritual philosophy. He tells a very interesting story about King Suyagya, who was killed, and the lamentation of his wife, and Yamarāja appearing on the scene as a little child, and Yamarāja telling the story about the hunter.
I mean, it's a it's a classical example of a good preaching, which was apparently quite successful. Why it is in the seventh canto?
Why in the world the seventh canto, which is supposed to depict the demonic mentality of Hiranyakashipu starting from him describing very beautifully and very correctly the spiritual philosophy.
He lists the qualities of the soul. And he is so convinced about these qualities of the soul, and people listen to him and they say, yes, you're right.
So why it is there to drive home a very important point is that there is preaching and there is preaching. There is demoniac preaching. Demons also preach. The very fact that we preach doesn't mean that we are devotees.
So that's a that's a sad news. We can remain demons while preaching spiritual philosophy, while preaching very correct philosophy, but there
will be certain consequences, the first consequence is that nobody will become a devotee as a result of our preaching.
As we see, Hiranyakashipu, he did pacify his relatives, his mother and his sister-in-law and his nephews by telling all these stories. But first of all, they didn't become devotees themselves.
And moreover, Hiranyakashipu himself was not changed. Sometimes we are very enthusiastic and we say, you know, by hook or by crook, just preach, it will be good. Yeah, not really.
One of the messages of the seventh canto is that you have to have a very proper mood to be a preacher. You basically have to have bhakti. If you want to be a preacher, you have to have bhakti.
Some maybe some little bhakti, but still, nevertheless, you have to have some little bhakti. Because what is preaching, as I said, preaching is the way to communicate between the heart and the heart.
Preaching is not about knowing slokas, preaching is not about knowing philosophy. Hiranyakashipu knows philosophy. His change, his life doesn't change because he knows the philosophy. He's still a demon.
And in the next chapter, he will perform severe austerities and he'll start misusing the acquired powers and everything else. Even though he has the knowledge of the soul, he has the knowledge of everything. So nothing changes.
Comparing Hiranyakasipu's preaching with Prahlada's mood
And Prahlāda Mahārāja preaches to his schoolmates in the same cant of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. These two preachings are opposed to each other. And Prahlāda Mahārāja is successful in his preaching. Why?
Because he preaches from the heart. He doesn't preach from here. Sometimes we preach from here. I'm speaking on my own experience, unfortunately.
You know, you preach from here, you're very convinced, you feel good because you are uh you know somehow or other show your intellectual superiority to other people. But what is the result? Zero.
It doesn't change your own heart, it doesn't change the heart of your followers or your listeners.
And therefore, in the ninth chapter of this seventh canto, Prahlāda Mahārāja as a preacher, as the real preacher of bhakti cult, he will describe the proper mood of a preacher.
What is the mentality of the preacher which will give him, which will actually equip him with the proper ability to influence other people.
You know, because uh it it's a very relevant point because we are being can you know being inspired by Śrīla Prabhupāda's his own example and his preaching. We all try to preach, and that's good in one sense.
But we also have to be very conscientious. What is within our heart? What is the impetus within my heart? I recently spoke.
With Caitanya Candra Caraṇa Prabhu, it's a very wonderful devotee from Russia, preacher, disciple of Jayapatākā Mahārāja, and he's a spiritual master, he has many, many followers. And he's a wonderful preacher. And he told me a story which is very appropriate in this connection.
He told me that, you know, once in the very beginning, in the nine in the beginning of 90s when Russia was in complete chaos and uh period very rich people and majority of people became all of a sudden very poor.
Devotees were invited to a rich person's house to conduct a program. And devotees came, devotees were completely totally paupers. They didn't have anything. They didn't even have socks.
And they came to this mansion, you know, three-story mansion where the you know the uh owners you know his kitchen and everything you know and he tried uh to serve the devotees this uh particular rich person.
And there was a group of devotees, Chaitanya Chandra Chiran Prabhu was conducting this program, so he was speaking. And he said, while I was speaking, this person uh he fell asleep. He just couldn't relate.
But nevertheless, despite the fact that he probably didn't understand much. He after the program he became so pleased and so impressed.
He started serving the devotees, he was saying, you know, everything here is yours, you know, please go to the sauna, please do this and that. So he he kind of gave a very royal reception to the devotees.
Somehow or rather he was touched, his heart was touched.
And not only his heart was touched, but the heart of one devotee who was present there was also touched because he saw the reaction of this person, amazing transformation which happened with this person after preaching.
And after this program, he approached Chandrachan Prabhu and he said, can you teach me how to preach this way?
And of course the implication behind this question was: can you teach me how I can influence rich people in the same way you influenced them.
Can you teach me the trick by which I can also obtain such a power over these people? And that's not a proper mood of a preacher. So that's what I wanted to say.
One very important message of this seventh canto is that yes, we have to preach, no doubt about it. It's the best way to concentrate our mind upon Krishna.
There's no better way than preaching, but at the same time we have to be very conscientious. What is our motivation? What are we doing? Why are we are preaching?
Are we preaching like Prahladmaraj or are we preaching like Hiranyaka Shippu? And you know, let's not open a preaching school named on behalf of Hiranyaka Shipu, Hiranya Kashipu's preaching school.
He gives a very important example how not to preach. So and this story in the second uh chapter of the seventh canto uh shows the futility. And the next chapter of course uh explains that nothing changed in his own heart.
He used preaching as a tool, as a manipulation, as an instrument to manipulate other people, but not really to give them bhakti or to give them even purification of the heart. He just used it for his own purposes. And sometimes, unfortunately, we also may fall into this trap by using preaching for our own purposes. And that's a great offense.
That's actually what will develop our demonic mentality.
Characteristics and manifestations of the demonic mindset
So then we know as the flow of the narration goes, Hiranya Kashipu by performing his household duty, pacifying his relatives, he himself wants to show that he is more important than God Himself.
And it's very interesting and also important to say to mention that in the second chapter, the beginning of second chapter, Hiranya Kashipu starts accusing the Supreme Lord in being impartial.
Again, you know that's a very important illustration of very important point how the demonic mentality works.
You know, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is very instructive in this in this regard, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is teaching us or is very vividly depicting us to us what demonic mentality means.
And one of the traits, one of the important characteristics of demonic mentality is that demons sometimes think, demons do think that God is impartial, that God is partial.
Hirani Kashipu says the Supreme Personality of God has given up his natural tendency of equality towards the demons and demigods.
Although He is the Supreme Person, now influenced by māyā, He has assumed the form of a boar to please his devotees, the demigods, just as a restless child leans towards someone.
I shall therefore sever Lord Viṣṇu's head from his trunk by my trident and with the profuse blood from his body I shall please my brother Hiranyaksha, who was so fond of sucking blood. Thus shall I too be peaceful.
When the root of the tree is cut, the tree falls down with the branches and twigs automatically dry up.
Similarly, when I kill this diplomatic Vishnu, the demigods from whom Lord Vishnu is life in the soul, will lose the source of their life and wither away.
So, again, you know, sometimes when we experience something uh uh anishta, something undesirable, undesirable in our life, we start saying God is not fair, God is not just. Why is He doing this to me?
So as soon as this sort of thought comes to our mind, we have to understand this is how demonic nature speaks. When we start kind of accusing the Lord and this.
we don't understand that the Lord is totally impartial and not only impartial, He's merciful. Whatever He gives to us is needed to us. He doesn't make mistakes in this regard. So that's that's an important point.
You know how this demonic mentality manifests. Demonic mentality acquired by our previous offenses. Previous and present offenses. How does it manifest?
We can also notice it, you know, we offend somebody or somebody is displeased with us, a devotee is displeased with us, and uh this sort of s thoughts will come to our head, automatically will come to our head.
Hiranyakasipu's severe penances and boons from Brahma
uh there is some sound in the mic. Please mute them.
Anyway, so we are on the third chapter, in the third chapter, Hiraṇyakaśipu's brilliant plan to become immortal, and Hiraṇyakaśipu performs austerities and he meets with Lord Brahmā ultimately.
And while meeting with Lord Brahmā, he starts flattering Lord Brahma. He actually wants to occupy the position of Lord Brahma. But when he sees Lord Brahmā, he flatters him.
And moreover, Lord Brahmā also flatters Hiraṇyakaśipu. Lord Brahmā starts glorifying Hiraṇyakaśipu to pacify him. And Hiraṇyakaśipu is trying to get something from Lord Brahmā by the way of flattering him.
This is how this demoniac relationships are being developed. When you're manipulating other people, trying to exploit other people, you flatter them to get something from them.
And of course, Hiraṇyakaśipu is he is trying to very sincerely trying to become immortal by his trying to become immortal by neti-neti process.
So when Hiraṇyakaśipu asked the boon from Lord Brahmā, please, you know, I should not be killed by
some of your creations. I should not be killed during the day, I should not be killed during the night, I should not be killed inside, I should not be killed outside, I should not be killed this way or that way.
It's, as Vaiṣṇava ācāryas point out, it's the equivalent of neti-neti process. When people are trying to understand who is God by saying he's not this, he's not that, he's not this.
So Hiraṇyakaśipu in the similar way saying, you know, let God who is God? The God is not this and not that and not this and not that. But the God is not, not this and not that. God is there.
And He will prove to Hiranya Kashipu that no matter how much you try, I am there. And I will kill you. Even though you try to avoid it. And then the fourth chapter of course says
uh or describes how Hiranya Kashipu by after obtaining the boons from Lord Brahma starts misusing his powers, starts exploiting everyone in the universe.
And demigods complaining to Lord Vishnu, please help us, and Lord Vishnu says, don't worry. When Hiranyakashipu will offend his son, who is a pure devotee, he will be finished. Not before that.
So that's also an interesting point. That you may go on offending, offending, offending, but sooner or later you, you know, will offend a pure devotee. Because your pride will be increasing and increasing and increasing.
You start with some small devotees, this and that, finding some faults in them and you end up by offending Srila Prabhupada or somebody else.
So we have to really control this demonic tendency which is there within our heart. And otherwise we will be finished.
Core teachings of Prahlada on acquiring pure devotion
We will definitely be finished. So uh and um the fifth chapter is very important. Fifth chapter is actually the key chapter. If we uh try to uh get or to extract the essence of the seventh canto.
Of course, the first chapter is fundamental, it's the foundation. The fifth chapter exactly describes the process which I already mentioned how to acquire the bhakti from the heart of devotees.
How to connect with the devotees? What is the process by which we can connect with the devotees?
And we know this fifth chapter describes how Hiranya Kashipu once being in a very pleasant mood called his son Prahlāda and he sat Prahlāda down on his lap and he was smearing his head and he's so affectionate to his little son who just started going to gurukula and he said, please let me know what is the best thing which you or uh please yeah tell me what is the best thing which you uh uh
learned in gurukula.
And of course, Prahlāda Mahārāja says that, O best of the demons, just give up your attachments, because sat-sad-vyudāsa-dhiyō ’sada-grahāt, when you attach to asat, to the impermanent things of this world, you will be always sadā to the impermanent things of this world, you will be always Sadasa Mudvigna, you will be always disturbed and you will never feel peace.
So hit Vatma Patam Grihadanda Kupam, just get out from this dark well of all your attachments of your material life and Vanam Gatayat Harima Shraita go to the forest, go to Vrindavanas Prabhupada translates this Vanam and obtain the shelter of Krishna.
But this is not the most important: instructions of this fifth canto. The most important instructions go after that. Very important instructions.
It's basically three verses by Prahlāda Mahārāja, where he explains how one can get bhakti. Matirna Krishna Paratax Vatova mit Hobby Padyat Grihavratana Madanda Gobir, Vishatamta Mishram Punahpunas Charvita, Charvananam.
Why some people even meeting with the devotees, they don't become devotees themselves. Or they become very slow, nothing changes within their heart.
Because Prahlāda Mahārāja says Matirna Krishna Parata Svatavak, you will never be able to develop Krishna consciousness or this special Mati, special intelligence, uh which is attached to Krishna, Matirna Krishna Parathasvata.
You will never be able to do it on your own endeavor, Svataha, on your own by reading books or whatever will not happen. Parataha, if somebody else will tell you, it will not happen.
You know, Sunday Namarka will not be able to give you Krishna consciousness. Those who are not devotees themselves, those who don't have bhakti, they they can cannot do this. Why?
Adanda Gopir Vishatamta Mishram Adanda Gopir Vishatamta Mishram Punakpunascharvitacharvananam. Because you will always be attached to this tedious experience of sense gratification.
Adantago birvishatamta mishram You will only enter into this dark region by punascharvitacharvananam by chewing what has already been chewed.
In other words, you will never be able to get rid of this attachment to sense pleasures on your own. So, what you are supposed to do, Nate Vidus Vartagatim Hivishnum Durashaya Bahiratamanina and So the
next verse says that you know these people who are uh who have uncontrolled senses uh they don't know svartha gatim. They don't know their own self-interest, they don't know what they need and therefore
Durashaya Bahir Arteman they are extroverts. Bahirartha. They always try to find valus of pleasers of something good in the external things. Bahirartha. As if there is something which is valuable outside.
You know, they always run after cars and money and this and that, but this is all Bahirartha. They take shelter of these external things. Bahirarthamaninas, they always think about this.
They don't know their svarthagatim and durashaya. they always take this wrong shelter, something which doesn't give you shelter. Durashaya. Oh no, sorry, not Durasha. I was confused by some preacher.
Wrong preacher which I heard, whom I heard in the beginning of my Krishna consciousness. He would always say Durashraya. Whereas here, Durashaya, they have futile hopes
to become happy by this, by hierarchy, by pursuing this external happiness. And then the most important verse of this chap of this chapter, and probably of the whole seventh canto.
Naiṣām matīs tāvad urukramāṅghri-spṛśāṁ anarthāpagamo 'rtha-mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekaṁ niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat. padāra-jo-'bhiṣekaṁ, niṣkiñcanānāṁ, na vṛṇīta yāvat.
Until you do abhiṣeka from the lotus feet of a pure devotee who is niṣkiñcana. You take sincerely the lotus, the dust of the lotus feet, pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekaṁ, and do abhiṣeka, you purify your consciousness.
You will never be able to get rid of anarthas. Sometimes people say, oh, I have this anartha, I have that anartha. And then the preachers say, okay, let's do this training or that training. It just doesn't work.
Naaiṣām matīs tāvad urukramāṅghrim. So it it it will not happen. Anartha-upagama, the purification from anarthas will not take place within your heart.
The only way is to open your heart to a pure devotee and to listen to the pure devotee and try to serve the pure devotee. That's the only way how you can get bhakti and
so therefore why I say that these verses are key verses for the understanding of the seventh canto because they explain both how to acquire the wrong nature, the demoniac nature by
punas punascharvitacharvananam, just by repeating sense gratification, by being engaged in the sadhana of sense gratification, and by taking the guidance for those who are blind and
of those who are basically materialistic themselves who are attached by trying to learn from them rather than finding somebody who is niṣkiñcana and sincerely trying to serve his lotus feet and by this way obtaining Bhakti.
So that's what I wanted to point: that these verses are very essential verses besides many important verses in this seventh canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam like Śravaṇam Kirtanam Viṣṇu, Smaraṇam Pāda Sevanam or Kumāra Ācāryed Prajño.
Instructions of Prahlada to his schoolmates
And actually, the next chapter, sixth chapter, is Prahlada's
preaching to his schoolmates, and he starts from this verse which Prabhupāda put into the introduction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or preface to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Kumāra Ācāret Prajño, Dharmān Bhāgavatān iha, Durlabham Mānuṣam Janma, Tad Apy Adhruvam Arthadam.
Even though this uh human form of life is so adhruvam adhruvam, it's temporary. Nevertheless, it can give you eternal benefit. It can give you a lot of artha dam. It can give you real artha.
But for that you have to start now. You have to start practicing this Bhagavad Dharma now, today, this very second, Bhagavad Dharma.
Bhagavad Dharma means thinking about the Lord, hearing about the Lord, serving the devotees of the Lord, obtaining, trying to obtain the mercy.
So this is how Prahlāda Mahārāja preaches to his schoolmates explaining to them the futility or triviality of sense gratification that you can get sense enjoyments in any species of life.
But in human form of life, you will get something special. Yeah, of course, you may not get such a variety of food in dogs body. Of course, on a garbage pile there is a lot of variety of food you can choose.
But the point is that the experience which the dog has or the human being has, the dog has by eating stool or by eating some garbage, and the human being by eating the most exquisite dishes from the you know special cuisine Chinese cuisine or whatever, the experience is the same.
The happiness which you get is the same. There is no difference. Absolutely no difference. But in a human form of life, you can get something else. And that's the point of Prahlāda Mahārāja's preaching.
And then Prahlāda Mahārāja, of course in, this next chapter, he explains his own example, saying how he obtained this knowledge in the womb of his mother. Even though he was not doing much in terms of service.
His only service was to listen to Nārada Muni. But because he listened in a proper attitude, being completely open to the words of Nārada Muni, then it transformed his nature.
So again, we have to go really quickly on this, and you know the chapter 8 is a very spectacular scene of killing Hiranyakasipu. The last encounter between Prahlāda Mahārāja and Hiranyakasipu.
When Hiranyakasipu asked, Show me your God. As the bona fide atheists do, they always say, Show me your God. Where is your God? Where is your God? Where is your God? Is he here? Yes, he is here.
It is said, uh Srila Prabhupada once he explained that when Hiranyakaśipu asked Prahlāda, Is he in this column, if he is in this pillar, and Prahlāda Mahārāja looked at this pillar to which Hiranya-kaśipu pointed out.
And at that moment, Narasiṁhadeva manifested himself in the pillar and he kind of twinkled to Prahlāda Mahārāja, yes, I'm here. He just said, yes, he gave him a sign, I'm here, I'm present, don't worry.
And of course Prahlāda Mahārāja knew it and you know this the eighth chapter and the ninth chapter is of course very important chapter of the whole seventh canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, where as I already said Prahlāda Mahārāja is beautifully describing the mood of a preacher.
He is the pure devotee and he wants to spread this notion of pure devotion because he knows how important it is.
And also very important point is that Hiranya-kaśipu wanted to become immortal by crooked means, by making an exception, by trying to exclude Krishna from the picture. How to make the world where there is no Krishna?
This is the atheistic endeavor, the very important aheistic endeavor. The atheist they want to live happily in this world without Krishna.
So, exactly this was the boons or the request of Hiranya kaśipu towards to Lord Brahmā. How to exclude Krishna from the world where he is not, but he is everywhere. So it's a futile attempt.
He wanted to become immortal and he failed. Prahlāda Mahārāja didn't want to become immortal. He wanted to become the servant of the Lord, knowing this philosophy, and he became immortal.
And Hiranya Kashipu wanted to exclude Krishna from the picture of the world, from his world, and Prahlāda Mahārāja, he wanted to include Krishna. He knew that Krishna is already included into this world.
So, and then the tenth chapter, last chapter of this chapter of this part, of the first part of the seventh canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is of course very important dialogue between Narasiṁhadeva and Prahlāda where Narasiṁhadeva is asking him to ask for a boon, and Prahlāda Mahārāja is chastising Nṛsiṁhadeva and saying, you know, you're bad master, because you're thinking that I was serving to you for this reward.
And only bad master is trying to kind of pet or flatter his servant. And the bad servant is doing this. I'm not a bad servant, so stop it.
And uh, you know, there is some competition between Nṛsiṁhadeva and uh Prahlāda Mahārāja, and of course.
Uh, you know, uh, somebody will say that Nṛsiṁhadeva was victorious, somebody will say that Prahlāda Mahārāja was victorious. But we are followers of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
So when a devotee, pure devotee competes with the Supreme Lord, we always say that the pure devotee wins. So this wonderful part of Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam describing the power, immense power of pure devotion.
It's finished in our short, very short description. And I'll probably say a few words about the second part, how they connected in my next class. This five last chapters of the seventh canto today are important.
Role of varnasrama-dharma as a supportive process
And as I already said to you, the first 11 chapters explain the direct way how to obtain bhakti by pleasing the devotee, by serving the devotee, by taking the dust of his lotus feet upon one's head and by listening to him. That's what it means to take the dust of his lotus feet upon your head by carefully listening to him and opening your heart.
And the second part is describing the indirect way. What if you didn't have a chance to meet with a pure devotee?
Nevertheless, the Lord provided a very beautiful arrangement for you to gradually prepare your heart to meet with the pure devotee and uh to listen to the pure devotee in a proper mood.
And this arrangement is called varṇāśrama-dharma. Varṇāśrama-dharma is an indirect way to obtain the mercy of the Lord through his devotees by preparing yourself to meet with the pure devotee. That's what varṇāśrama-dharma is all about.
It's not about covering your head, uh that all the women should be in the kitchen with covered heads and nothing else should happen. And they sh should, you know, anyway.
Varṇāśrama-dharma is how to purify preliminary one's heart from this incessant desires of sense gratification and to prepare to meet the pure devotee in the proper mood and surrender to Guru. That's it. I have to finish.
I'm already overdue my time, I have to run somewhere else. So thank you very much. Thank you. Maharaj uh thank you so very much.
Though I must say that uh the end of it was a little rushed up, so our humble request to you would be that if you could touch upon the last few chapters of the seventh canto before we begin the overview of the eighth, it will be wonderful.
I would second uh... wanted to check with you, is there anything as a reading I was thinking to ask you after every session before we come to the next for next two weeks.
Would you give us some kind of a reading assignment? Yeah, please read. Please read these two chapters which I mentioned as the most important. The first chapter of the seventh canto.
If you cannot read all the eleventh chapters, at least read the first chapter and fifth chapter, and then try to also read the ninth chapter and try to understand what it means to be a preacher.
What is the mentality, proper mentality of a preacher, what it should be. Because we're all preachers, we are preaching movement, so we're supposed to be preachers.
But I'll speak with you about the schedule because I may not be able to do it in two weeks, but I may be able to do it uh next Saturday. But if it fits, otherwise we will postpone it one more week.
But we'll speak uh we'll speak.