Ocean of Nectar: Uddhava Gita (Part - 34) | His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami Archives

1. UDDHAVA GITA (PART - 34)

Hare Krishna, so today we are starting the thirteenth chapter of Uddhava Gita.

SB 11.13.1

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The three modes of material nature, namely goodness, passion and ignorance, pertain to material intelligence and not to the spirit soul. By development of material goodness one can conquer the modes of passion and ignorance, and by cultivation of transcendental goodness one may free oneself even from material goodness.

Goodness, passion and ignorance. It’s the passion and ignorance that entangles one in the material nature. The goodness is beyond that and goodness brings one out of the clutches of passion and ignorance. Eventually, due to his involvement in spiritual activity the soul even transcends the mode of goodness and becomes situated in pure goodness, spiritual goodness, transcendental goodness, suddha sattva. Srimad Bhagavatam is actually clarifying that point.

SB 1.2.19

tada rajas-tamo-bhavah

kama-lobhadayas ca ye

ceta etair anaviddham

sthitam sattve prasidati

SB 1.2.20

evam prasanna-manaso

bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah

bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam

mukta-sangasya jayate

By accepting the science of Krishna Consciousness, he becomes free from the bondage of material nature. Krishna is saying the same thing here:

SB.11.13.1

Transcendental goodness is devotional service and material goodness is also material. The other day we gave an example of material goodness in a prison house. One may be in a first-class prison and to the prisoners the first class maybe desirable because when he is in first class prison, he has a tv, cell phone and gets breakfast, lunch and dinner. So, to a third-class prisoner who is breaking rocks in the hot sun to him it may be a very desirable situation. But after all it’s in the prison whether one is in first class or third class, they are all prisoners. One naturally wants to get out of the prison. If one is intelligent then he should not think of promotion to first class in the prison he should actually want to get out of the prison altogether.

SB 11.13.2

When the living entity becomes strongly situated in the mode of goodness, then religious principles, characterized by devotional service to Me, become prominent. One can strengthen the mode of goodness by cultivation of those things that are already situated in goodness, and thus religious principles arise.

So, what is the characteristics of those who are in the mode of goodness? What happens? They naturally become pious, they become religiously inclined and they worship the demi-gods and follow other principles and eventually if one is fortunate enough and comes across a bona fide devotee, a pure devotee of Krishna then he gets to know the secret of devotional service and then he becomes free from the bondage of material nature. Therefore, we should consider ourselves very fortunate that somehow or the other we came to this path of devotional service so we should take this opportunity very very sincerely. We should not squander this wonderful opportunity. The process is so simple.

It’s very difficult to become a millionaire especially for a beggar. Can a beggar even dream of becoming a millionaire? Now if a billionaire decides to give a few millions to the beggar can he give that? Yes. Then only a beggar can become a millionaire otherwise for a beggar to become a millionaire is not at all possible. It’s a very easy way u don’t have to work hard, invest a lot of money, take a lot of risk to make a million, just like that he got it.

Now our situation is somewhat like that spiritually. We all are, at least I can say for myself I was a beggar and never thought of becoming a millionaire but then I came across a King, not only a King but the King of Kings! He invited all the beggars to come and take as much wealth as they want from his treasury. He just opened the treasury house and said, “Okay, all beggars can come now and collect whatever they want from Me.” That is our situation. Who is that King of Kings? Krishna. Generally, a King doesn’t do a thing like that. No King in the entire history, has there ever been an instant where the King has opened up the treasury and told all the beggars to come and collect all the wealth they wanted. It can happen and in this case it actually happened.

Now the King of Kings became mad and when somebody becomes mad like this then he can do some crazy thing like this. Nobody can actually stop the King from doing such a thing not even his ministers, they can advise but cannot stop the King. So, the King of Kings, Krishna became mad in Krishna prema, Radharani’s love for Krishna. He became mad, transcendental madness. In this transcendental madness he just opened up his transcendental treasure house and said, “Come take!” All we have to do is recognize the value of these gems and jewels and wealth that He has in His treasury and collect them.

There is an English expression, “To cast pearls in front of a swine.” Swine means pig. If you throw some pearls in front of a swine or pig what will the pig do? The pig will sniff it and say, “It’s no good and it doesn’t smell like stool.” So, let’s not become the swine. Let’s recognize the value of this wealth that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is giving.

Let’s enrich ourselves spiritually with this transcendental wealth. All we have to do is just accept it in order to accept we have to have faith. Faith in Srila Prabhupada’s instructions. We may not recognize the value that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is distributing or inviting us to collect from His treasury but a personality like Srila Prabhupada knows the value and we have to have faith in their words, the words of our previous Acharyas and Srila Prabhupada. Recognize the value. We may not recognize the value when it comes to it. We may think somebody is giving me a nice job offering me 5 Lakhs rupees a year, 5 lakhs are not so much okay, 50 lakhs rupees a year and you become tempted, Oh let me take this job, after all what will happen doing this Hare Krishna Hare Krishna.” Let’s not become a pig like that who doesn’t recognize the value of the pearls. That is why the faith in the instructions of our previous Acharyas are so important especially the way Prabhupada gave.

What did Prabhupada do? What is so special about Prabhupada’s gift? Prabhupada actually churned the wisdom of all the previous Acharyas for our understanding, it has become so simple. What the previous Acharyas have said Srila Prabhupada is saying the same things but we don’t understand the previous Acharyas language and their presentation and that is what Prabhupada is doing. Prabhupada is giving it to us in such a simple and simplified way. So let us take full advantage of this wonderful gift that Srila Prabhupada has given us. You simply have to accept it with full faith. Full faith, let us just accept it. If we do that then we will recognize its effect. What actually happens when you take devotional service? Klesagni subada, all sufferings are gone and all auspiciousness comes. So at least that one we experiencing all the suffering is gone, the anxiety is gone. The anxiety is there but that’s another kind of anxiety especially those in management. They suffer some kind of anxiety otherwise chant Hare Krishna and dance in ecstasy, no worries. So that is the wonderful benefit that we can get. Again, Krishna is repeating that point:

SB 11.13.3

Religious principles, strengthened by the mode of goodness, destroy the influence of passion and ignorance. When passion and ignorance are overcome, their original cause, irreligion, is quickly vanquished.

Passion and ignorance lead to adharma, irreligion but proper practice of dharma in the mode of goodness destroys passion and ignorance.

2. SRILA PRABHUPADA'S APPRECIATION

That is why the faith in the instructions of our previous Acharyas are so important especially the way Prabhupada gave. What did Prabhupada do? What is so special about Prabhupada’s gift? Prabhupada actually churned the wisdom of all the previous Acharyas for our understanding, it has become so simple. What the previous Acharyas have said Srila Prabhupada is saying the same things but we don’t understand the previous Acharyas language and their presentation and that is what Prabhupada is doing. Prabhupada is giving it to us in such a simple and simplified way. So let us take full advantage of this wonderful gift that Srila Prabhupada has given us.

3. GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS

Therefore, we should consider ourselves very fortunate that somehow or the other we came to this path of devotional service so we should take this opportunity very very sincerely. We should not squander this wonderful opportunity. The process is so simple;
All we have to do is recognize the value of these gems and jewels and wealth that He has in His treasury and collect them;
There is an English expression, “To cast pearls in front of a swine.” Swine means pig. If you throw some pearls in front of a swine or pig what will the pig do? The pig will sniff it and say, “It’s no good and it doesn’t smell like stool.” So, let’s not become the swine;
Let’s recognize the value of this wealth that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is giving. Let’s enrich ourselves spiritually with this transcendental wealth. All we have to do is just accept it in order to accept we have to have faith; and
So let us take full advantage of this wonderful gift that Srila Prabhupada has given us. You simply have to accept it with full faith. Full faith, let us just accept it.

(The content of this E-magazine is based a lecture given by His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami on 17 May 2020 at ISKCON Ujjain via live feed to Facebook and YouTube on Uddhava Gita Part 34)

(Compiled and Edited by Hemavati Radhika Devi Dasi)

CONTENTS:

1. UDDHAVA GITA (PART - 34)

2. SRILA PRABHUPADA'S APPRECIATION

3. GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS