CONTENTS:
- IN BHAGAVAD GITA, KRISHNA HIMSELF IS GIVING THE KNOWLEDGE AGAIN
- SRILA PRABHUPADA’S APPRECIATION
- SRILA PRABHUPADA APPRECIATION
1. IN BHAGAVAD GITA, KRISHNA HIMSELF IS GIVING THE KNOWLEDGE AGAIN
The first giver of this knowledge was the Lord Himself to the first created being here, Lord Brahma. Then Brahma gave it so his son Narada and Narada gave it to his son Vyasadeva and Vysadeva gave it to Madhava Acharya and in this way a chain of disciplic succession this knowledge is flowing. In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna is saying BG 4.2 evam parampara-praptam. parampara means disciplic succession. This knowledge had been flowing through this chain of disciplic succession and that is the way to receive this knowledge otherwise we cannot understand the spiritual reality. By mental speculation no matter how intelligent we maybe we won’t be able to understand the spiritual reality.
In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna Himself is giving the knowledge again. At the beginning He gave the knowledge but that was in totality, that was vast in the form of the Vedas. Vedas have different branches like first branch, initial teaching of the Vedas are called Karma kanda. Karma kanda section of the Vedas are teaching us how to act in this world. How to enjoy in this world. Karma kanda is giving the proper prescription and then when one sees that this is not the right place to be in and he wants to get out of this world then the jnana kanda is giving that process, how to get out of this material nature, what is the real nature of this material world and how to get out of this material world. Karma kanda gives bhukti or how to enjoy and jnana kanda section of the Vedas are giving mukti, liberation from material bondage.
But beyond liberation like when one becomes liberated from this material nature and becomes elevated to the spiritual reality then the consideration is what should one do in the spiritual world? How to act in the spiritual world? What are the spiritual activities one must become engaged in the spiritual reality is the final section of the Vedas that is called bhakti or devotional service. Activity to express one’s love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Gradually, Vedas are bringing one to the ultimate culmination of devotional service. In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna is actually giving that process. Krishna said in Bhagavad Gita 15.15 vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo. In all the Vedas I alone am to be known. So what is the purpose of the Vedas? To understand Krishna and when Krishna Himself speaks about Himself what can be a greater or better authority than that and that is Bhagavad Gita.
If the soul is in the body the body is alive. When the soul accepts a new body that is the birth of the body not the birth of the soul. When the soul leaves the body, the body made of dead matter becomes dead again. So that is the reality. That is the first thing that Krishna is instructing in the Bhagavad Gita at the very beginning.
BG 2.13
dehino 'smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati
dehino 'smin yatha dehe, in this body the soul the owner of the body. Who is the owner of the body? The soul is the owner of the body. Who is the owner of the body? I am the owner of the body. Who am I? I am the spirit soul. We can see that the body changes kaumaram yauvanam jara childhood, youth, old age, the body changes. The childhood body, the little baby body grows becomes a young man’s body then gradually that young man’s body becomes an old body. So, the body is changing but despite the changing of the body, we, our actual identity the I am not changing. So that is how Krishna is pointing out the difference between the body and the soul. Although in this material nature we tend to think our actual identity is me the body, the real me is this body but Krishna is reminding not pointing out but reminding us that our actual identity is the soul not the body. And then what is the relationship between the body and the soul? Like a dress, just as we put on a dress and similarly, we are wearing this body. Whe
Then Krishna is establishing what s the nature of the soul?
BG 2.20
na jayate mriyate va kadacin
nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah
ajo nityah sasvato 'yam purano
na hanyate hanyamane sarire
Na jayate, the soul is never born, it is the body that is born. The soul is never born. mriyate va kadacin, nor does the soul ever die. So that is the nature of the soul, the soul is immortal, the soul is never born and is never going to die, it has always been there, how it is, we do not know. In the material nature we cannot understand that because in the material nature everything has a beginning and everything has an end. But the soul is not a product of this material nature, the soul comes from the spiritual world. Spiritual world is the world of eternity, there, there is no beginning and there is no end what is it like? We will not be able to understand unless and until we go there.
At least the informations are available and how can we receive the informations? Through hearing and that is why hearing is so important and not just only hearing but hearing from the right source. The person who has knowledge and when he imparts the knowledge then the knowledge becomes meaningful. So that is the spiritual knowledge must be received from a qualified source, a bona fide source, a bona fide spiritual master.
Krishna also gives the process:
BG 4.34
tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah
One must approach the teacher, the bona fide spiritual master. How? Pranipatena, in a submissive way, offering obeisances, pranipat means offering obeisances meaning surrendering himself to him. I am ready to receive whatever you are going to give me. Then sincere enquiry pariprasnena, one must question with all sincerity. Sevaya one must serve the spiritual master and then upadeksyanti te jnanam, the spiritual master imparts the knowledge and jnaninas tattva-darsinah, what is the qualification of a spiritual master? He is situated in knowledge jnanina and tattva-darsinah, he has seen the truth, he has seen the reality. So that is the qualification of the teacher and that is how the student must approach the teacher to receive the knowledge.
This is the process and Krishna is again pointing out that spiritual reality is our actual place, we came from the spiritual world, we are not a product of this material nature. The spirit soul that we are is coming from the spiritual world and that spirt soul is never born nor does it ever die. The spirit soul is indestructible, that point has been made by Krishna in this way explaining:
BG 2.23
nainam chindanti sastrani
nainam dahati pavakah
na cainam kledayanty apo
na sosayati marutah
nainam chindanti sastrani, the spirit soul cannot be cut by any weapon. nainam dahati pavakah the spirit soul cannot be burnt by fire, even the most intense most powerful nuclear explosion cannot burn the soul, the body may be finished in a fraction of a second but the soul will not be affected. na cainam kledayanty apo, the spirit soul cannot be moistened or drowned in water. na sosayati marutah and it cannot be dried by air, so that is the nature of the spirt soul.
BG 2.24
acchedyo 'yam adahyo 'yam
akledyo 'sosya eva ca
nityah sarva-gatah sthanur
acalo 'yam sanatanah
The soul is totally unaffected by weapons, fire, water, air. The soul is nitya, eternal. nityah sarva-gatah the soul can go anywhere. Sometimes people think that only the earth planet has living entities, no, every single space in this universe is spirit soul. Just as although we cannot see when we wave our hand, we are touching innumerable microbes that are floating in the air, even the microbes are living entities, they are also spiritual beings, living entities.
There also is another consideration, what is the sign of a living entity? What is the sign of life? Life has six symptoms: birth, growth, change, reproduction, decay, and death. Now let us consider does a microbe take birth? Yes, we know the amoebas, protozoa, and other such unicellular living entities, they born at some point and then they grow. For example, a tree, a seed falls on the ground and a seedling comes out then it grows, a small little seedling grows into a huge tree. Then the tree changes, in autumn the leaves fall off and then in spring new leaves comes then there are flowers and fruits. The flowers gradually transform into fruit and the fruit has a seed and, in the seed, there is a possibility of another tree, reproduction. So, birth, growth, change and reproduction and then decay, in course of time the tree becomes old and then death. These are the six symptoms of life, wherever there is life these six symptoms are there whether it is a microbe, plant, tree, reptile, bird, animal, or human be
From that what do we understand? That all these living entities have a soul, they all are spiritual beings, spirit souls and then they come to the human form of live. There are different species, grades of living entities. As we said microbes, plants, reptiles, birds and then gradually from animal to human beings. So, when we get the human form of life we are endowed with a very special opportunity. As human beings we have developed intelligence and with that developed intelligence we can understand the spiritual reality. When we hear this message of this spiritual reality, spiritual world when we get to understand the spiritual reality, then only our human form of life becomes successful.
The purpose of human life in that way has been described in the Vedas as brahma jigyasa, the human beings are meant to question about the spiritual reality. So that is when the human form of life starts to fulfill its purpose. So, in this way as a human being our most important business should be to receive this knowledge about the spiritual reality. A dog cannot question who am I? Whether I am a spirit soul or this body? No animal has this faculty but every human being at sometimes questions who am I? And that is the beginning. Who am I? Am I this body or am I someone beyond this body? Those informations are being provided in the Vedas and that is the purpose of this discussion.
2. SRILA PRABHUPADA’S APPRECIATION
Srila Prabhupada had made this wonderful ISKCON family, where you have your father, uncles, brothers, cousins, everyone. Thus you are never alone.
3. GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
The sign of attachment to Krishna consciousness is the taste for hearing.
(The content of this E-magazine was based a lecture given by His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami on 25 May 2018 in DeLand, Florida)
(Compiled and Edited by Hemavati Radhika Devi Dasi)