Verse: Srimad Bhagvatam 4.22.24
Date: September 15th, 2017
Place: ISKCON Ujjain, India
Transcription: Indulekha Gopi Mataji
Edited: Ambarish Maharaja Prabhu and Bh. Sampada Soni
ahiṁsayā pāramahaṁsya-caryayā
smṛtyā mukundācaritāgrya-sīdhunā
yamair akāmair niyamaiś cāpy anindayā
nirīhayā dvandva-titikṣayā ca
SYNONYMS
ahiṁsayā—by nonviolence; pāramahaṁsya-caryayā—by following in the footsteps of great ācāryas; smṛtyā—by remembering; mukunda—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ācarita-agrya—simply preaching His activities; sīdhunā—by the nectar; yamaiḥ—by following regulative principles; akāmaiḥ—without material desires; niyamaiḥ—by strictly following the rules and regulations; ca—also; api—certainly; anindayā—without blaspheming; nirīhayā—living simply, plain living; dvandva—duality; titikṣayā—by tolerance; ca—and.
TRANSLATION BY HIS DIVINE GRACE SRILA PRABHUPADA
A candidate for spiritual advancement must be nonviolent, must follow in the footsteps of great ācāryas, must always remember the nectar of the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, must follow the regulative principles without material desire and, while following the regulative principles, should not blaspheme others. A devotee should lead a very simple life and not be disturbed by the duality of opposing elements. He should learn to tolerate them.
PURPORT BY HIS DIVINE GRACE SRILA PRABHUPADA
The devotees are actually saintly persons, or sādhus. The first qualification of a sādhu, or devotee, is ahiṁsā, or nonviolence. Persons interested in the path of devotional service, or in going back home, back to Godhead, must first practice ahiṁsā, or nonviolence. A sādhu is described as titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ (Bhāg. 3.25.21). A devotee should be tolerant and should be very much compassionate toward others. For example, if he suffers personal injury, he should tolerate it, but if someone else suffers injury, the devotee need not tolerate it. The world is full of violence, and a devotee’s first business is to stop this violence, including the unnecessary slaughter of animals. A devotee is the friend not only of human society but of all living entities, for he sees all living entities as sons of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He does not claim himself to be the only son of God and allow all others to be killed, thinking that they have no soul.
This kind of philosophy is never advocated by a pure devotee of the Lord. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām: a true devotee is the friend of all living entities. Krishna claims in Bhagavad-gītā to be the father of all species of living entities; consequently, the devotee of Krishna is always a friend of all. This is called ahiṁsā. Such nonviolence can be practiced only when we follow in the footsteps of great ācāryas. Therefore, according to our Vaiṣṇava philosophy, we have to follow the great ācāryas of the four sampradāyas, or disciplic successions. Trying to advance in spiritual life outside the disciplic succession is simply ludicrous. It is said, therefore, ācāryavān puruṣo veda: one who follows the disciplic succession of ācāryas knows things as they are (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.14.2). Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet
tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet
samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham
“To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth.”
[Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12]
In order to understand the transcendental science, one must approach the bona fide spiritual master. The word smṛtyā is very important in spiritual life. Smṛtyā means remembering Krishna always. Life should be molded in such a way that one cannot remain alone without thinking of Krishna. We should live in Krishna so that while eating, sleeping, walking and working we remain only in Krishna. Our Krishna consciousness society recommends that we arrange our living so that we can remember Krishna. In our ISKCON society the devotees, while engaged in making Spiritual Sky incense, are also hearing about the glories of Krishna or His devotees. The śāstra recommends, smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇuḥ: Lord Viṣṇu should be remembered always, constantly. Vismartavyo na jātucit: Viṣṇu should never be forgotten. That is the spiritual way of life. Smṛtyā.
This remembrance of the Lord can be continued if we hear about Him constantly. It is therefore recommended in this verse: mukundācaritāgrya-sīdhunā. Sīdhu means “nectar.” To hear about Krishna from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Bhagavad-gītā or similar authentic literature is to live in Krishna consciousness. Such concentration in Krishna consciousness can be achieved by persons who are strictly following the rules and regulative principles. We have recommended in our Krishna consciousness movement that a devotee chant sixteen rounds on beads daily and follow the regulative principles. That will help the devotee be fixed in his spiritual advancement in life.
It is also stated in this verse that one can advance by controlling the senses (yamaiḥ). By controlling the senses, one can become a svāmī or gosvāmī. One who is therefore enjoying this supertitle, svāmī or gosvāmī, must be very strict in controlling his senses. Indeed, he must be master of his senses. This is possible when one does not desire any material sense gratification. If, by chance, the senses want to work independently, he must control them. If we simply practice avoiding material sense gratification, controlling the senses is automatically achieved.
Another important point mentioned in this connection is anindayā—we should not criticize others’ methods of religion. There are different types of religious systems operating under different qualities of material nature. Those operating in the modes of ignorance and passion cannot be as perfect as that system in the mode of goodness. In Bhagavad-gītā everything has been divided into three qualitative divisions; therefore, religious systems are similarly categorized. When people are mostly under the modes of passion and ignorance, their system of religion will be of the same quality. A devotee, instead of criticizing such systems, will encourage the followers to stick to their principles so that gradually they can come to the platform of religion in goodness. Simply by criticizing them, a devotee’s mind will be agitated. Thus, a devotee should tolerate and learn to stop agitation.
Another feature of the devotee is nirīhayā, simple living. Nirīhā means “gentle,” “meek” or “simple.” A devotee should not live very gorgeously and imitate a materialistic person. Plain living and high thinking are recommended for a devotee. He should accept only so much as he needs to keep the material body fit for the execution of devotional service. He should not eat or sleep more than is required. Simply eating for living, and not living for eating, and sleeping only six to seven hours a day are principles to be followed by devotees. As long as the body is there it is subjected to the influence of climatic changes, disease and natural disturbances, the threefold miseries of material existence. We cannot avoid them. Sometimes we receive letters from neophyte devotees questioning why they have fallen sick, although pursuing Krishna consciousness. They should learn from this verse that they have to become tolerant (dvandva-titikṣayā). This is the world of duality. One should not think that because he has fallen sick, he has fallen from Krishna consciousness. Krishna consciousness can continue without impediment from any material opposition. Lord Śrī Krishna therefore advises in Bhagavad-gītā (2.14), tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata: “My dear Arjuna, please try to tolerate all these disturbances. Be fixed in your Krishna conscious activities.”
LECTURE:
BEING DETACHED AND FIXED IN SPIRITUAL CONVICTION
As evident from this long purport, we can see the importance of this particular verse. Actually, all these verses that we are discussing since the last few days are very important. The four kumaras, the pure devotees of the Lord, one of the twelve mahajans, Kumara Kapila manu. So out of twelve mahajans, KUMARAS - the four kumaras have been included as one category of devotees. In a way, they were the first devotees after Brahma. They are the first four sons of Lord Brahma in this universe. And they were detached, fixed in their spiritual conviction right from their appearance, practically right from their birth. First of all, they were conscious, fully conscious when they appeared. They were born from Brahma's mind and were fully matured personalities. Brahma requested them, “Please help me in my responsibility to take care of this material nature.” But they declined. "Sorry we don't want to get entangled in these materialistic activities" and they left.
THE TWO KINDS OF IMPERSONALISTS
Of course there is one consideration. At the time of their appearance, they were attached to Brahman realization. They were impersonalists, not mayavadis. There are two types of impersonalists, Brahmavadi and Mayavadi. Brahmavadis are absorbed in bodily effulgence of the Lord as we have been discussing in our Brihad Bhagvatamritam sessions. When Gopa kumara left this universe, he came to Brahmajyoti. As he went out of the eight coverings of material nature, he came to Brahmajyoti and he described what Brahmajyoti is like. And in Brahmajyoti, the presence of the Lord was not manifest. It was effulgence from the body of the Lord. Although Gopa Kumara saw in the Brahmajyoti, the form of the Lord flashing, appearing and disappearing. But it was bewildering, he couldn't fix his mind. Also, he was about to lose his consciousness. Losing his consciousness means he was also losing his Krishna consciousness. He was about to merge in the Brahmajyoti. So that is one situation.
A WONDERFUL TRANSFORMATION
Initially the four Kumaras were in that situation. But then when they smelled the fragrance of Tulasi and flowers offered at the lotus feet of the Lord, they became attached to the Lord. They became devotees of the Lord. They fell in love with the Lord. So, we can see how great, how exalted these personalities are. And they are so absorbed in the spiritual identity, they are so detached from the material consciousness that they are not aware of their own bodies. Their bodies just remained as they were in the time of their appearance. Just like five six years old boys. They don't have any external consciousness therefore they don't wear anything. They don't wear any clothes. Although they are next to Brahma in this universe. Brahma is the first created personality and they were the next ones. They look like children. So that is another thing about spiritual development. We are also seeing that in Gopa Kumara’ s story of Brihad-Bhagavatamritam. The spiritual identity of a personality doesn't grow old. It just remains the same. Although millions and trillions and zillions of years went by, Gopa Kumara remained the same cow herd boy, little young boy.
NOT HAVING THE EXPOSURE TO RIGHT UNDERSTANDING
So, these personalities came to Prithu Maharaj and they were instructing Prithu Maharaj on how to make the human form of life successful. Actually, an intelligent person’s consideration should be how to make this life successful. Less intelligent persons do not think, they don't have the ability to think, they just move along with the rest of the society. That is called 'gaddalika prabaha' just like the sheep, the hordes of sheep follow the way the other sheep are moving in. They just keep moving in the same way the other sheep are moving as if they don't have any independent will- what they need to do or what they should do. So, people are like that. When they see all are running after money, running after comfortable material life, they all just move that way. We all know how it goes.
I remember when I was young the trend was to become an engineer. Everybody wanted to become an engineer. Then the occupation of a doctor became very lucrative. First of all, why everybody was running to become an engineer because as an engineer one could earn a lot of money. But then they saw that the doctors are making more money. So, the tendency became that everyone is running after becoming a doctor. Then the computer came. Computer programming, Computer science became very lucrative. So, everybody is running to become a computer engineer now. So, this is the gaddalika prabaha. The way everyone goes everybody follows. And in India we are seeing, among all the engineering colleges and prestigious universities, IIT is very prominent. So, if one gets a job in IIT, one will get a lot of money. So, the competition is to join IIT. And not only joining IIT, being placed by some American company because they pay more than Indian companies. So, this is how everyone is running after money. This is the unfortunate trend that can be observed when people don't think or they don't have proper exposure to the right knowledge, right understanding.
MAKING THE HUMAN FORM OF LIFE SUCCESSFUL
So now we are seeing how intelligent people are joining ISKCON in India, at least because when these people are becoming exposed to important understanding, important information about what should one do with his life. When they are recognizing that fact from the teachings of Srila Prabhupada, they are giving up their materialistic pursuit and joining ISKCON. Like many IIT graduates who are considered to be the cream of Indian society are joining ISKCON. Although they can get very good lucrative jobs even in other countries like America but they are rejecting those opportunities and joining ISKCON. And many other educated young boys although they have good jobs, are giving up their jobs and joining ISKCON. In our temple, in Ujjain, how many young educated boys are there? What's the number Abhay Charan? I think more than 50 educated young boys. Ok 30 very good. Still, it's pretty good. We have about 90 Brahmacharis.
And out of them 30 are educated young boys coming from those kinds of background- engineering background, Chartered accountancy background and so forth, business management background. They had good jobs. That boy Abhay Charan to whom I asked and who answered the question, he had a lucrative job, very good job, I mean many young boys would be coveting for that kind of job. He was begging me to allow him to give up his job and join ISKCON. So finally, I agreed. And his friend Vrajendra Krishna and Chittahari, Chittahari is a CA. These are the signs of real intelligence. What's the point of making money? Working like a donkey, make money to enjoy like a monkey. So, what’s the use of that life? And there actually materialistic enjoyment is like monkeys’ life. Jumping from one tree to another having sex. Jumping one situation to another, finding a suitable comfortable situation just to have sex. That's a monkey's or a pig's life.
GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME THE DEVOTEE OF KRISHNA
So why should a human being submit himself to that kind of lifestyle? So that’s why we can see how important Srila Prabhupada's teachings are and how important it is that we expose these teachings to people outside. If people know that, then only will they understand what they should do with their lives. If they do not have a higher option, why should they give up the lower option, lower possibility, lower degree of enjoyment? Therefore, it's very important that we preach and it's happening. Wherever we are going, in the universities and the educational institutions, young boys and girls are joining. So now that is the first step. Give them the opportunity to become a devotee of Krishna.
And now it's coming that what should one do as a devotee of Krishna? What should one do? And this is what Sanat Kumar is telling, one of the four Kumaras. That these are the practices that he must perform. This is how he should mold his life.
REAL NON-VIOLENCE
The first thing is ahiṁsayā, nonviolence. Do not unnecessarily inflict pain on others. And Prabhupada gives another consideration for nonviolence - Don't hinder other's spiritual progress. To stop somebody from spiritual progress is violence. So, if we have that understanding how people can make spiritual advancement and if we don't give them the opportunity then that will be considered a kind of violence. So, the real nonviolence would be to spread Krishna Consciousness. And the basic concept of nonviolence is to not unnecessarily inflict pain to other living entities. Not only upon human beings but not even upon animals, not even upon insects and worms. That is the mood or that is the attitude of a devotee. He doesn't want to inflict pain even to an ant or a mosquito. I have seen devotees’ mosquito is biting - this is an experience I had in Vrindavan with Tamal Krishna Maharaj. He and I was sitting in the room and Vrindavan those days used to be filled with mosquitoes.
Although we used to have nets in the rooms, still mosquitoes used to come in. One day, a mosquito was biting Tamal Krishna Maharaj on his leg, may be because of the heat his dhoti was lifted up to his knees and the mosquito became bloated with blood from his body, drinking the blood and when he noticed that he was about to slap the mosquito, his hands raised but then it stopped. He won't inflict pain even on a mosquito, he won't even kill a mosquito, which is actually biting him. So, this is a devotee. This is how nonviolent a devotee is. He won't inflict pain even to a mosquito. So, what to speak of killing animals for the sake of eating their meat.
ACCEPTING THE SPIRITUAL ASPECT AND REJECTING THE MATERIAL ASPECT
Then the next thing is pāramahaṁsya-caryayā. paramahaṁsa means swan like personalities. Swan like personalities means saintly personalities, who could discriminate between matter and spirit. The quality of a swan is that a swan can separate milk from water. If there is a mixture of milk and water, a swan will accept only the milk and leave the water. Now this material nature is a mixture of matter and spirit. So, the swan like personalities, the devotees of the Lord simply accept the spiritual aspect and reject the material. So that is a saintly personality. Also, Prabhupada is pointing out acaryayā- following the footsteps of those personalities. Spiritual life means following the previous acharyas who are swan like personalities, pāramahaṁsya-caryayā.
Smṛtyā, always remembering Krishna and never forgetting him. mukundācaritāgrya-sīdhunā - remembering the pastimes and relishing the nectar of the Lord’s pastimes, remembering it all the time. Remembering the pastimes of the Supreme personality of Godhead to a devotee is like real nectar. bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ- the narration of the Lord’s pastimes to a devotee is like nectar that he drinks with his ears. This is the kind of nectar that one doesn't taste with his mouth but tastes with his ears. And these nectarian pastimes of the Lord through the passage of the ears enter into the heart of the devotee and inundates his heart with the shower of nectar. hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ- Karna means ears and hrt means hriday (heart). His heart and ears become enchanted by hearing those pastimes and his heart, his entire being becomes inundated with the flood of nectar.
And we are seeing that when we are discussing Brihad-bhagavatamritam, how these devotees like Narada muni, Gopa kumara, Brahmana who received the benediction from Devi are experiencing Krishna consciousness hearing about Krishna's pastimes, they are behaving like a mad man. They are even fainting due to their ecstasy. This is the real effect of hearing Krishna Katha properly. And they should be free from material desires and follow the regulative principles and they should not blaspheme others, Anindayā - devotees don't see anything bad in anybody. Rather like a swan, he only sees the good qualities and rejects the bad and that is how he just remains in his spiritual situation.
TOLERATING THE DUALITIES OF THIS MATERIAL WORLD
And the dualities of this material nature - pleasure and pain, desirable and undesirable, so all these dualities he simply tolerates. When pleasure comes, he doesn't become effected by that; sukheṣu vigata-spṛhaḥ. He doesn't have any hankering for Happiness or enjoyment. And, duḥkheṣv anudvigna-manāḥ, he is not disturbed, he is not perturbed by difficulties. So, this is how a devotee is always composed, equipoised, and peaceful internally. He is not affected because this is just a passing phase. Just like when one watches something happening and he knows it is not real, he doesn't become affected. Like when one watches a drama or a movie, he may get some emotional effect out of it but he doesn't react to it because he knows it's just a movie, just some depiction of some happening on the screen which is not real. Similarly, he knows whatever is happening to him in this platform is also unreal. So, he remains unaffected by that.
IN SUMMARY
So, this is how Sanat Kumar is instructing us through Prithu Maharaj. He is instructing us by giving these instructions to Prithu Maharaj - how to become a devotee of the Lord. If we want to become devotees of the Lord then we must follow these principles, follow this process. We should be nonviolent, we should not inflict pain on other living entities unnecessarily, we should follow the path that previous acharyas especially Srila Prabhupada has given us. We should drink the nectar of the Lord's pastimes constantly. Hearing and chanting mean constantly becoming absorbed in Lord’s pastimes and Lord's instructions. And follow the regulative principles without material desires. And while following the regulative principles, we should not blaspheme others, especially the devotees, because we know the first offence to the holy name is to blaspheme the devotees of the Lord. A devotee should lead a very simple life and not be disturbed by the duality of opposing elements and he should learn to tolerate them.
Thank you very much. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Gour premanande Hari Hari bol.
Few minutes left for question answers. If there are any, we can take that.
HH BCSM: Yamuna Devi Dasi from London, OK so early morning Yamuna!
Yamuna Devi Dasi: I was just listening to one of your lectures, where you mentioned that in the grihastha ashram, it's the husband's duty to care for his wife and children. In Kali yuga many marriages break down, so the women end up maintaining themselves which can also distract them from their spiritual lives. What's the best way to counteract that?
HH BCSM: yeah, thank you Yamuna. Like it’s unfortunate that marriages are breaking up in this age. Actually, if we really want to follow Vedic culture, there shouldn't be any divorce or separation as such. And in this way, it's true, what to speak of the husband taking the responsibility of maintaining the family, he is just deserting the wife and leaving her to take care of the child as a single mother. That has become one of the big problems of this world today - the single mothers. And because there is no strict rules and regulations, therefore this is happening because by nature men want to enjoy and today's world is exposing women to be enjoyed by men without discrimination. So that a man becomes responsible, there is a social consideration of marriage. Through marriage man and woman get together. They live together.
The man takes, the responsibility to maintain the family. It's OK he is enjoying his wife but he has to pay the price by taking the responsibility of maintaining the family. But now the consideration of marriage is not there practically. Most of the people don't even get married. They just live together. Man enjoys the women. Actually, that enjoyment doesn't work when he becomes disappointed, when he becomes frustrated and when he thinks that this woman is a burden, he dumps her and runs after another woman. That's what is going on in this world. And this is not a human society. This is not even an animal society. This is a society which is even worse than the animal society. Even the animal father takes the responsibility of his children.
In today's society, in the so-called human society, they have become even worse than animals and Krishna consciousness is the only way that can rectify this misdirected civilization. But those who are in Krishna consciousness at least they should follow the process properly. They shouldn't behave like animals. They should learn to behave like civilized human beings. That is my sincere appeal to all the members specially the house holders of ISKCON. If you get married, then take the responsibility and never leave your wife. Take the responsibility of your wife and children. What to speak of a devotee that is what is expected from a civilized and cultured personality.
So, there is a question from Udayananda Prabhu.
Udayananda Prabhu: Srila Prabhupada mentioned in the purport that we should not criticize other religion.
HH BCSM: Oh, this is a good point, I missed it out. Yes, Prabhupada mentioned not to criticize other religions because they are situated in lower modes of nature and in due course of time they gradually rise to the higher principal of devotional service.
Udayananda Prabhu: But we see in the international scene extreme violence is being labelled against Innocent people under extreme religious persuasion. How do those people make advancement by such demoniac activities?
HH BCSM: Well, when Prabhupada says tolerate other religions. Prabhupada is mentioning when they are properly practicing that religion. Not when in the name of that religion they are acting in an inappropriate way. So that is not religion. What is going on in today's world, in the name of religion, in most cases, is not really religion. Like killing in the name of religion, killing innocent people in the name of religion, killing women, children in the name of religion, is not religion. Ok, it's a desert religion, for those people that religion was given, it's fine you follow it that way but don not bring that concept in a civilized world and make people behave like the way they would behave in a bunch of nomads and that is the problem in today's world but still we can tolerate them provided, they are practicing it properly. No religion speaks about unnecessary violence. Ok fine in the desert there is no food, so they have to eat some animals. But there also they have a doctrine that kill one big animal instead of killing many smaller animals.
But cow killing was never sanctioned even in those religions because there were no cows. And if there are cows, they would consider it to be the most valuable asset. But anyway, now cow killing has become the culture of that religion. So, this is an unfortunate state of affairs therefore if we do not know how to rectify the situation, at least we can pray to Krishna, you please rectify the situation because only you can do it and as a matter of fact that is why Advaita Acharya invited Krishna to come. Krishna, the supreme personality of Godhead to come because he Himself is Mahavishnu and he saw he Himself couldn't take care of the situation. Only Krishna can. That's why Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came and the process He gave was Sankirtan. Therefore, whatever is happening in the world we should just keep spreading this Sankirtan movement. This is the only means of rectifying the situation. Ok so I'm running a little late.
Aradhita Devi Dasi: There is violent communication amongst the family members, even between wife and husband. How to overcome it?
HH BCSM: I think I answered the question Aradhita. Where is Aradhita? Ok
Dharmendra Krishna: Yesterday you explained that devotional service is achieved only by mercy of devotees and in answer to our question you told one should serve the devotees in such a way that they will be forced to bestow their mercy. Mercy is causeless, how it can be forced?
HH BCSM: Forced means they will be compelled, they will become so compassionate to you that irrespective of who you are, what you are, they will bestow their mercy upon you. That's why it's a causeless mercy.
Hare Krishna. Gour Premanande Hari Hari bol.
Srila Prabhupada Ki Jai!