Verse: Srimad Bhagvatam 4.22.22
Date: September 13th, 2017
Place: ISKCON Ujjain, India
Transcription: HG Indulekha Gopi Dasi
Edited: HG Jahnava Devi Dasi and HG Devarsi Radhika Dasi
sā śraddhayā bhagavad-dharma-caryayā
jijñāsayādhyātmika-yoga-niṣṭhayā
yogeśvaropāsanayā ca nityaṁ
puṇya-śravaḥ-kathayā puṇyayā ca
SYNONYMS
sā—that devotional service; śraddhayā—with faith and conviction; bhagavat-dharma—devotional service; caryayā—by discussion; jijñāsayā—by inquiry; adhyātmika—spiritual; yoga-niṣṭhayā—by conviction in spiritual understanding; yoga-īśvara—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; upāsanayā—by worship of Him; ca—and; nityam—regularly; puṇya-śravaḥ—by hearing which; kathayā—by discussion; puṇyayā—by pious; ca—also.
TRANSLATION
Attachment for the Supreme can be increased by practicing devotional service, inquiring about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, applying bhakti-yoga in life, worshiping the Yogeśvara, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and by hearing and chanting about the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These actions are pious in themselves.
PURPORT
The word yogeśvara is applicable to both the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, and His devotees also. In Bhagavad-gītā this word occurs in two places. In the Eighteenth Chapter (18.78), Kṛṣṇa is described as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, who is the master of all mystic power (yatra yogeśvaraḥ kṛṣṇaḥ). Yogeśvara is also described at the end of the Sixth Chapter (6.47): sa me yuktatamo mataḥ. This yuktatama indicates the topmost of all yogīs—the devotees, who can also be called yogeśvara. In this verse, yogeśvara-upāsanā means to render service to a pure devotee. Thus, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistāra pāyeche kebā: without serving a pure devotee, one cannot advance in spiritual life. Prahlāda Mahārāja also has said:
[Bhāg. 7.5.32]
naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṁ
spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ
mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-’bhiṣekaṁ
niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat
One should take shelter of a pure devotee, who has nothing to do with this material world but is simply engaged in devotional service. By serving him only, one can transcend the qualitative material condition. In this verse it is recommended (yogeśvara-upāsanayā) that one serve the lotus feet of the topmost yogī, or the devotee. To serve the topmost devotee means to hear from him about the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To hear the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead from the mouth of a pure devotee is to acquire a pious life. In Bhagavad-gītā (7.28) it is also said that without being pious one cannot engage in devotional service.
yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
bhajanti māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ
To become fixed in devotional service one has to become completely cleansed from the contamination of the material modes of nature. For work in devotional service the first item is ādau gurv-āśrayam: one should accept a bona fide spiritual master, and from the bona fide spiritual master inquire about one’s transcendental occupational duties (sad-dharma-pṛcchā) and follow in the footsteps of great saintly persons, devotees (sādhu-mārga-anugamanam). These are the instructions given in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu by Rūpa Gosvāmī.
The conclusion is that to increase attachment for the Supreme Personality of Godhead one has to accept a bona fide spiritual master and learn from him the methods of devotional service and hear from him about the transcendental message and glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this way one has to increase his conviction about devotional service. Then it will be very easy to increase attachment for the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
LECTURE
THE ULTIMATE GOAL FOR THE WELFARE OF HUMAN SOCIETY
Sanat Kumar, the eldest of the four Kumaras - the first sons of Brahma, is instructing Prithu Maharaja.
Yesterday, we discussed his instruction: the ultimate goal for the welfare of human society is detachment from the bodily concept of life and increased and steadfast attachment for the Supreme Lord, who is transcendental and beyond the modes of nature. And this has been conclusively decided in all scriptures, after due consideration.
Therefore, in this way, the goal of human life is two-fold: to become detached from the bodily concept of life and to become attached to Krishna. Actually, it is a one-fold consideration: as we become attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we become detached from the materialistic way of life or the bodily concept of life. On the other hand, also, we can see that as we become attached to the bodily concept of life, we become detached from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Today, most of us have become detached from Krishna.
We have forgotten Krishna because we have become obsessed with our bodily concept of life. We are considering that the body is the self and we are identifying ourselves with the body. The result is that we are thinking, the material nature is the place of enjoyment and the goal of life is to enjoy in this material nature. This enjoyment becomes ultimately attachment to three things—dhanam, janamand sundarim. Material attachment leads to attachment to wealth, attachment to name and fame, and attachment to beautiful woman - these are the pitfalls to our spiritual progress.
HOW TO DEVELOP ATTACHMENT TO KRISHNA
In this verse, Sanat Kumar is instructing how to develop attachment to the Supreme Personality of Godhead - how to develop our attachment to Krishna. He is giving us the process or the formula of becoming attached to Krishna. The first thing he says, is that it is possible through devotional service or to practice devotional service. Practicing devotional service, that is vaidhi-bhakti. In the scriptures, instructions have been given on how to render devotional service to Krishna. Therefore, at the initial stage we should practice the process. This process ultimately boils down to nine activities and hence, it is called navadha-bhakti (nine-fold devotional service) which begin with sravanam kirtanam vishnu. These two are the most important factors: hearing and chanting.
And then he says - inquiring about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yes, we are going to render devotional service to Him, but who is He? We have to know Him. Such knowledge develops by hearing about Him and such hearing becomes motivated by questions. As when we have questions, then the hearing becomes more effective; because then hearing becomes focused. Therefore, having questions is very important.
Then comes worshipping yogesvara. Srila Prabhupada says, here worshipping yogesvara means worshipping the pure devotees of the Lord. The pure devotees of the Lord are the givers of bhakti. Devotional service can be achieved only by the mercy of the pure devotees.
This is also elaborately explained by Srila Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura in his book ‘Madhurya Kadambini.’ At the beginning of that book, Srila Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura is considering how one can get bhakti. He raises various considerations: Can one achieve devotional service through pious activities? The answer is no. Because pious activities are materialistic activities and these materialistic activities can give only materialistic benefits or benefit in this world.
In other words, through piety one can get only material benefit; but Krishna consciousness is not of this world. Krishna consciousness is from another reality, another world.
After various other considerations, he eventually comEd to the point - does Krishna gives bhakti? And the answer is no. Even Krishna does not give bhakti. The reason being that Krishna is impartial: Krishna is equally disposed to everyone. Therefore, if Krishna gives bhakti to some and not to others then that will make Krishna partial.
WHO GIVES BHAKTI? KRISHNA’S DEVOTEES GIVE BHAKTI!
Hence, Krishna also does not give bhakti. So, who gives bhakti? Krishna’s devotees give bhakti. Krishna may be impartial but Krishna’s devotees are not impartial. Krishna’s devotees are partial. When they see that somebody is spiritually inclined, somebody is interested in understanding and knowing Krishna, they go out of their way to bestow their mercy.
In this way, we can see Krishna gave Bhagavad-gita to everybody. Anybody can read Bhagavad-gita, but to understand Bhagavad-gita, we need a devotee. To understand the teachings of Krishna, we need a devotee. And when we come across a devotee, what does the devotee say? Become active in karma-kanda? Become active in jnana-kanda? No, a devotee goes straight to bhakti: bhakti which is devoid of karma-kanda and jnana-kanda. anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam: bhakti free from the influence of jnana and karma, that is pure devotion. Bhakti can also be classified as jnana-misra-bhakti and karma-misra-bhakti. In jnana-misra-bhakti, the purpose is to achieve liberation and in karma-misra-bhakti, the purpose of bhakti is materialistic enjoyment. But pure devotion, jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam, means there is no other desire - anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ.
Therefore, in Chaitanya Caritamrita, pure devotion has also been described as free from jnana and karma. And there, Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami used a very strong expression. He says, karma-kanda jnana-kanda, kebala visera bhanda: The karma-kanda section of the Vedas and jnana-kanda section of the Vedas are two pots of poison. Although, karma-kanda is a part of the Vedas, it is poisonous. That is why we see while churning the milk ocean, what came first? Poison. Similarly, when we churn the Vedic scriptures what comes? Karma-kanda and jnana-kanda, like poison.
Then he is saying, amrita boliya jeba khaya. One who drinks that, thinking it is nectar, what happens to him? Nana joni sada phire: he travels from one womb to another womb. Kadarya bhakhana kore: he eats all kinds of abominable things. Tara janma adhahpate jaya: his life is doomed. So that is the result of following thekarma-kanda and jnana-kanda section of the Vedas.
That is why, we see there are so many Vedic followers. But what are they doing? Most of them are impersonalists. Most of them are followers of the karma-kandaand jnana-kanda. Their goal is to enjoy in this material nature. Nowadays, it has become very popular where sadhus are promoting yoga, hatha-yoga. What is the goal? Healthy life and other material goals. The purpose of yoga is healthy life and peace of mind.
But when one comes to ISKCON, what is ISKCON propagating: reject all that, it is nonsense and a waste of time. The goal of life is not material prosperity or having a healthy body, a nice family and so forth. The goal of life is to develop our unalloyed, unconditional and uninterrupted devotional service: ahaitukyapratihata. Ahaituky—there is no reason why we render devotional service and no condition. We are not rendering devotional service because we will have a healthy body or a nice family life. Rather, when we take to devotional service, we are prepared to leave everything behind.
Therefore, this is the goal of human life. Civilized society should pursue this goal: practicing devotional service, enquiring about Krishna, serving the devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and hearing and chanting about the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Hearing and chanting - we hear about the wonderful pastimes of Krishna, the wonderful activities of Krishna, the wonderful qualities of Krishna and then we tell others about it.
I noticed that one good way of learning, is by teaching. All these last few months, I hardly had time to read. I would have my secretary read Chaitanya Caritamrita to me. That was the only hearing that I had, or giving the Bhagavatam classes here. But regular hearing and regular reading was not happening. But now that I have to give the seminar on Brihad Bhagavatamrita, I have to study. Every day, I think I am spending about four hours, studying to prepare for the classes. And when I am giving the classes, then I am recollecting and my understanding is becoming clearer. Therefore, do not hesitate to speak about Krishna. Whenever there is an opportunity, speak because by speaking, you will increase your understanding. By teaching, you will be learning. Teaching is one of the best ways to learn.
Like I noticed, Gita Kirti Devi Dasi - she took it upon herself to teach her sons to memorize different chapters of the Bhagavad-gita and in course of teaching them she is also memorizing. So, I asked her, “Did you memorize it, earlier? Did you already know them before?” She said, “No, while teaching them, I am also learning.” Therefore, teaching is one of the best ways to learn. This is also, that one thing I will tell the mothers: please teach your children! The fathers and mothers, teach your children nicely.
On one of these days, we will demonstrate how these two boys (sons of Gita Kirti Devi Dasi) know so many chapters of the Bhagavad-gita, by memory. How old are they? One is eight years old and the other is six years old. They are reciting Bhagavad-gita, by heart. I wish I had such training in my childhood. I can tell you that if you train your children like that, they will feel thankful to you. When they grow up, they will say that my mother and my father were so nice. They made me memorize the Bhagavad-gita and therefore, I can recite Bhagavad-gita by heart. I feel embarrassed actually, when I see them reciting and I realize that I do not remember all the verses of Bhagavad-gita, in this way. When one is young, one’s memory is sharp. One learns very quickly, when they are young. Instead of learning Bhagavad-gita, when I was a child; I learned the poetries of Rabindranath Tagore, and I still remember them. I do not have any problems reciting Tagore’s poems, but I never learnt the Bhagavad-gita.
Now we are entering into a culture that is the Vedic culture and this Vedic culture will generate the children for the future, the preachers for the future. They will grow up to become the preachers. Our society, at least in the past, everywhere it was a mundane society. They all were materialistic. As children, we were fond of so many things, but they are all mundane things. As children we are reciting poetry, but all mundane poetry. We are fond of music. I am sure all of us used to be fond of music and we learnt so many songs. But now, the culture is changing. It is up to us to change the culture: no mundane music, but bhajans. Let our children learn to sing bhajans. Let our children learn Bhagavad-gita instead of mundane poetries. “Jack and Jill went up the hill” - what is the use of all that? On the other hand, let them learn ‘dharma-kshetre kuru-kshetre, samaveta yuyutsavah.’
Whatever we missed, let us give that to our children. Whatever we did not find and did not get - we naturally have a craving for that. We naturally wish that we had that. For example, I know a very rich man and he has many cars. Each car costs crores of Rupees and he has six to seven of such cars in his garage. Generally, when I go there, I stay with him. One day I asked him, “Why do you have so many cars? Because one or two cars are enough.” His answer was, “When I was a child, I did not have toys to play with.” He did not have toys to play with and now he is actually fulfilling that lack; he is compensating for that loss by having toys. He considers them to be like toys. So let us also develop that attitude: what we did not get in our childhood, let us give that to our children.
How many of you wished that you learnt the Bhagavad-gita in your childhood? How many of you wish that our children should learn Bhagavad-gita in their childhood? Right. And how many of you are parents of children here? So, are you going to give your children what you did not get? (Devotees loudly chant “Haribol!”) Therefore, give your children the most precious assets that a human being can have; and that is what Sanat Kumar is saying here. The goal of life should be to develop Krishna consciousness. Become a devotee. How to become a devotee? By practicing how to render devotional service. By understanding who the Supreme personality of Godhead is. By hearing and chanting His glory and by serving those who are engaged in serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is a simple process.
SERVING MEANS HEARING AND CHANTING
Srila Prabhupada is saying, serving means hearing and chanting. Serving means hearing. Now that you are all here and are hearing the class, it is service. Yes, you are rendering devotional service. Srila Prabhupada also said, that now that you are sitting in the Bhagavatam class, undergoing so many difficulties, you are performing austerity. This is real austerity. Like I saw yesterday, it was so hot here but all of you sat through this heat without even moving from here. To hear, you are undergoing these difficulties. That is the performance of real austerity, because you are undertaking these difficulties for the sake of rendering devotional service.
In this way, we must cultivate our spiritual life and the result will automatically be there. You can be rest assured that the result will be there. You will make spiritual advancement. So please cultivate these processes. Never deviate from these activities. Never deviate from serving the devotees of the Lord. Never deviate from hearing the glory of the Lord. Never deviate from rendering devotional service, as it has been prescribed by Srila Prabhupada.
Srila Prabhupada’s prescription is very simple. What is the ultimate culmination of our devotional service, the way Prabhupada gave it? It is very simple: chant 16 rounds, and follow the four regulative principles. That is about all. Prabhupada said that if you follow this, then he will be responsible to take you back to Godhead. Prabhupada said, “If you do that, I will be responsible to take you back to Godhead.”
Similarly, Nityananda Prabhu also said, “You chant the holy name and I will be responsible to take you back to Godhead.”
jathista nibhrato kuru hari hari dhyana manesam
tata va samsaramuditam tarana daya mayi laget
My dear brothers, just chant the holy name of the Lord and then, tata va samsara ambudhi tarana daya - then I will be responsible to take you across the ocean of material nature.
Samsara means material nature and ambudhi means an ocean. This material nature is an ocean and it is so vast, that even the salt water oceans that surround the planet appear just like a little dot. I was about to refer to it as ‘drop’ but then I thought that it is not even a drop, when compared - it is just a dot. That is how big this ocean of material nature is, compared to the universe. So, you can well imagine how difficult it is to get out of this material nature.
But Nityananda Prabhu is saying: I will be responsible. Now when Nityananda Prabhu takes the responsibility will He succeed? Naturally, He will succeed. You just chant the Hare Krishna Mahamantra and He will take the responsibility. He is giving the assurance. He is going out His way and saying that: I will be responsible to take you across this material nature. In Srimad Bhagavatam too, we get the same instructions: that you just become a devotee of the Lord and the rest will automatically happen!
Thank you very much.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada! Gaura-premanande - Hari Haribol!
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
HHBCS: Does anybody have any questions?
Devotee: You said that the children are memorizing the Gita. Are they also memorizing the translation of those verses?
HHBCS: Yes, sure. Whatever you teach them. Like you will notice when they are children, they learn the language, so quickly. If you try to learn a new language when you are old, it is just a waste of time. But when you are young...
Devotee: But I have seen in some gurukulas, they are memorizing the Gita in Sanskrit but they don’t know what that means.
HHBCS: Yes, perhaps the teachers are not training them in that way. You teach them, they will learn.
Vibhu Chaitanya Das: Chanting more rounds to distribute more books, is it fruitive chanting?
HHBCS: Chanting more rounds to distribute more books? No, because fruitive is when the result is mundane - then, it is considered to be fruitive or when the result is for our material benefit. But here, chanting is spiritual - distributing Prabhupada’s books is spiritual. If you want to chant more for distributing books, it is one spiritual activity for enhancing another spiritual activity. Therefore, it is not material. But if you are chanting to distribute more books to get some sort of a prize at the end of the marathon, then it is fruitive activity.
Kishori Devi Dasi: When I go to the devotees and request them to bestow their mercy upon me, they laugh at me. They take this appeal very lightly. So, is it that my mood is not, right? Can you please tell me with what kind of mood I should approach the devotees with?
HHBCS: My answer is: don’t ask them for their mercy but serve them so nicely that they will be forced to give you, their mercy. She makes very nice cakes and she cooks very nice prasadam. She loves to feed the devotees. So, she is already practicing the process in the perfect way! Thank you, Kishori.
Ramapriya Das: What is the meaning of one’s transcendental occupational duty?
HHBCS: Transcendental occupational duty means devotional service. Transcendental means that it belongs to the spiritual world. Occupational duty refers to duty. What is transcendental duty? Transcendental occupation means devotional service, bhakti.
Narsimha Das: You have explained that pious activities do not help in developing bhakti. Then how do we understand this verse –
Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 7.28: yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 7.28: yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
HHBCS: That verse from the Bhagavad-gita refers to the fact that one becomes free from sinful activities: tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ. All sinful activities are finished. Now, how can one’s sinful activities be finished? Only by rendering devotional service. Thereafter, what ones does, is the real pious activity or transcendentally pious activity. These activities of devotional service are not material or done with any material gain.
Thank you all very much. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Gaura-premanande Hari-Haribol.