KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 1:19:24
- Maharaj Parikshit asked Sukhdev Goswami the following questions-
- what is the duty of everyone in all circumstances?
- what is the specific duty of one who is to die very shortly?
- Everyone is a dying man, the duty of a dying man is very important
- The whole of SB from 2nd Canto till 12th canto deal with these 2 questions
- The conclusion is that devotional service of the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is everyone’s permanent duty in life.
- Nothing can exist without Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is the Lord of everything – this is the basic principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
- Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the development of love of Kṛṣṇa – a position transcendental even to material liberation.
- The most advanced devotee sees within everything the soul of all souls, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa
- He sees everything in relation to the Supreme Lord and understands that everything that exists is eternally situated within the Lord.
- There are three kinds of devotees – kanishtadhikari, madhyamadhikari, uttamadhikari
- Advancing from Kanishta to madhyama, and then to uttama stages of bhakti becomes easy by simply chanting the holy name of the Lord sincerely.
SB 1.19.24 TRANSLATION
O trustworthy brāhmaṇas, I now ask you about my immediate duty. Please, after proper deliberation, tell me of the unalloyed duty of everyone in all circumstances, and specifically of those who are just about to die.
CLASS NOTES:
(SB 1.19.24) EVERYONE IS A DYING MAN, THE DUTY OF A DYING MAN IS VERY IMPORTANT.
Maharaj Parikshit is asking Sukhadev Goswami and all the sage who arrived about –
- what is the duty of everyone in all circumstances?
- what is the specific duty of one who is to die very shortly?
The question relating to the dying man is most important because everyone is a dying man, either very shortly or after one hundred years. The duration of life is immaterial, but the duty of a dying man is very important.
(SB 1.19.24) THE WHOLE OF SB FROM 2ND CANTO TILL 12TH CANTO DEAL WITH THESE 2 QUESTIONS
The whole of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, beginning from the Second Canto up to the last, the Twelfth Canto, deals with these two questions. The conclusion arrived at thereof is that devotional service of the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, as it is confirmed by the Lord Himself in the last phases of the Bhagavad-gītā, is the last word in relation to everyone’s permanent duty in life. One should give up all other methods and surrender unto the lotus feet of the Lord and thus be saved from all sins and their reactions.
The last words in BG for everyone’s permanent duty in life is described in the following verses
(BG 18.65) ALWAYS THINK OF THE LORD AND WORSHIP HIM
Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.
(BG 18.66) SURRENDER UNTO LORD KRSNA
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.
(BG. 18.64) SUPREME INSTRUCTION OF THE LORD – SURRENDER UNTO HIM
Because you are My very dear friend, I am speaking to you My supreme instruction, the most confidential knowledge of all. Hear this from Me, for it is for your benefit.
This essence is not understood by a common man, but by one who is actually very dear to Kṛṣṇa, a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. This is the most important instruction in all Vedic literature. What Kṛṣṇa is saying in this connection is the most essential part of knowledge, and it should be carried out not only by Arjuna but by all living entities.
(SB 11.2.45) VISION OF DEVOTEE
Śrī Havir said: The most advanced devotee sees within everything the soul of all souls, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Consequently, he sees everything in relation to the Supreme
(SB 11.2.45) UTTAMADHIKARI
A pure devotee –
- Is completely free from the tendency to enjoy things separately from the Lord’s service.
- He does not see anything in the universe as unfavorable, because he sees everything as the expanded potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- His purpose in existing is to give pleasure somehow or other to the Supreme Lord.
- Thus everything that a pure devotee experiences, moment by moment, increases his ecstatic loving desire to satisfy the transcendental senses of the Lord.
(SB 11.2.45) KANISHTADHIKARI
A kaniṣṭha-adhikārī engages in the worship of the Supreme Lord, especially in the temple, but is indifferent to the Lord’s devotees.
(SB 11.2.45) MADHYAMADHIKARI
In the madhyama stage the Vaiṣṇava sees
- the Lord as the cause of all causes and the chief goal of everyone’s loving propensity.
- he sees the Vaiṣṇavas as his only friends and is eager to bring innocent people within the shelter of Vaiṣṇava society.
- strictly avoids associating with the self-proclaimed enemies of God
- when such an intermediate qualification becomes mature, the concept of supreme qualification begins to present itself; that is, one comes to the stage of uttama-adhikārī.
(BG 6.30) NOTHING CAN EXIST WITHOUT KṚṢṆA, AND KṚṢṆA IS THE LORD OF EVERYTHING – THIS IS THE BASIC PRINCIPLE OF KṚṢṆA CONSCIOUSNESS.
For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me.
A person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness certainly sees Lord Kṛṣṇa everywhere, and he sees everything in Kṛṣṇa. Such a person may appear to see all separate manifestations of the material nature, but in each and every instance he is conscious of Kṛṣṇa, knowing that everything is a manifestation of Kṛṣṇa’s energy. Nothing can exist without Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is the Lord of everything – this is the basic principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
(BG 6.30) KṚṢṆA CONSCIOUSNESS IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LOVE OF KṚṢṆA – A POSITION TRANSCENDENTAL EVEN TO MATERIAL LIBERATION.
At this stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, beyond self-realization, the devotee becomes one with Kṛṣṇa in the sense that Kṛṣṇa becomes everything for the devotee and the devotee becomes full in loving Kṛṣṇa. An intimate relationship between the Lord and the devotee then exists. In that stage, the living entity can never be annihilated, nor is the Personality of Godhead ever out of the sight of the devotee. To merge in Kṛṣṇa is spiritual annihilation.
SB 6.3.24 (ADVANCING FROM KANISHTA TO MADHYAMA, AND THEN TO UTTAMA STAGE OF BHAKTI BECOMES EASY BY SIMPLY CHANTING THE HOLY NAME)
“If one always chants the holy name of the Lord with great devotion in the evening and in the morning, one can become free from all material miseries.”
“One should always chant and hear about the extraordinarily wonderful activities of the Lord, one should meditate upon these activities, and one should endeavor to please the Lord.” (Bhāg. 11.3.27)
“One can become free from all sinful reactions simply by remembering the lotus feet of the Lord day and night [ahar-niśam].”
It should be understood that one is easily relieved from all sinful reactions by chanting the holy name of the Lord and chanting of His qualities and activities. This is the only process recommended for relief from sinful reactions. Even if one chants the holy name of the Lord with improper pronunciation, he will achieve relief from material bondage if he chants without offenses. Ajāmila, for example, was extremely sinful, but while dying he merely chanted the holy name, and although calling his son, he achieved complete liberation because he remembered the name of Nārāyaṇa.
EXPLAINATIONS, Q&A:
What is our occupational duty?
Two svadharmas –
Lower duties – perform for the maintenance of the body and the extensions of the body, plants, animals, planet (Dharma, artha, kama, moksha)
Moksha is relative moksha. There is still birth death old age disease in higher planets. There is relative eternity and real eternity. Everything is relative in material world and they are relative to Krsna. Krishna is absolute truth. Nothing is independent of Him.
Higher duties – for the soul and its relationship with the Lord.
When a person is dying he should be remembering Lord Krsna
When you hold your knowledge you will die – just like when you hold your breath you will die. As soon as you get spiritual knowledge you need to share it.
The last word in BG for everyone’s permanent duty in life is
BG 18.65 “Man mana bhava mad bhakto… “
BG 18.66 – “Sarva Dharman parityaja… “
Becoming dear to Krsna
How to attain complete liberation
The way we become misfortune is when we believe thing that are not true, one becomes overwhelmed by ignorance, they become entangled and they do not know how to get out of it. It is like a trapped mouse. They hold on to that false knowledge and they become more and more entangled.
Ignorances –Andha tamisra, tamas, moha, maha moha
Surrender – Following regulative principles sincerely and chanting the hari naam sincerely. Ahar nisam day and night chanting. We will go back to Godhead. We can purely attain Krsna Consciousness.
Other methods – Meditation, doing good, good karma equals to good result. They say the law is giving. It is Krsna who gives. The law maker is the one giving. Karma Mimamsa.
Both good and bad are not good. Karma, Akarma and vikarma. You might be promoted from third class sufferer to first class sufferer. If I go to svarga, i will be liberated. Even in brahma loka there is birth, death, old age and disease.
If we are mechanically doing the service to the lord then there is no reciprocation from Krsna. Only when we do the service with love and devotion, the lord reciprocates.
Atma nivedhanam – Bali Maharaj, He had to give everything including himself.
A businessman who earns lots of money and gives it to Krsna’s activities is not enough.
it is on the right progressive path but not full.
A poor man giving everything he had and the rich man gave Lil money and feeling proud
Giving everything we have in the service to the lord.
What is a secret if it is not kept a secret? Confidential – Open secret. You can only understand it if you are free of sinful reactions. Only a few can understand, therefore it is confidential. But everyone has a chance. If you follow the regulative principles, chant Hare Krishna… you will be freed from Sinful. It all depends on how willing you are to get trained in DS.