KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.1.14
- Everyone can best prepare himself for the next life simply by hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, as it was recited by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāja Parīkṣit.
- One who actually wants to be liberated from the entanglement of this material world and go back home, back to Godhead, is actually a mystic yogī.
- Those yogīs, or mystics, who engage in devotional service are the first-class yogīs, who are constantly thinking of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa
- To become a bhakti-yogī means to automatically attain knowledge and renunciation. That is the consequent result of bhakti-yoga.
- One who engages in the devotional service of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, has complete transcendental knowledge and renunciation, and there is no explanation for these attainments. Ahaitukī — without reason, they come.
- Even if a person is completely illiterate, the transcendental knowledge of the scriptures is revealed to him simply because of his engagement in devotional service.
- To anyone who has full faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the spiritual master, all the import of the Vedic literatures is revealed.
- One cannot be sure of entrance into the spiritual realm — in either the impersonal brahmajyoti effulgence of the Lord or the Vaikuṇṭha planets within that Brahman effulgence — unless he is surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord.
- The surrendered souls are called akuto-bhaya. They are doubtless and fearless, and their entrance into the spiritual kingdom is guaranteed.
- In the material world, there is danger in every step. Trying to find security in this material world is foolishness.
- We are all Krsna’s children and we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa or rejected Kṛṣṇa, we are situated in ASAT. Hence we are always in fear. To have no more fear, one has to take the shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna.
- Krsna says – He is the seed-giving father and the friend of all living entities without any exception and He is asking all living entities to surrender unto Him. He is not for only Hindus or Indians. He is Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām.
- Kṛṣṇa, being father, Kṛṣṇa, being the friend of everyone, He comes, and He canvasses, and at last, He says, “You rascal,” sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyaḥ [Bg. 18.66]. “You are rotting here by repeatedly committing sinful life. Therefore you are changing from one body to another, and this is your material condition.”
- A Vaiṣṇava who is in connection with Kṛṣṇa, his business is to go door to door and canvass everyone, “My dear sir, you are not this body. You are wasting your time only under the concept of body. You are Kṛṣṇa’s. You become Kṛṣṇa’s servant.” This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
- “My dear sir, you are not this body. You are not American. You are not Indian. You are not brāhmaṇa. You are not śūdra. You are not cat. You are not dog. You are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and you serve Kṛṣṇa.” This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That’s all.
SB 2.1.14
Mahārāja Parīkṣit, now your duration of life is limited to seven more days, so during this time you can perform all those rituals which are needed for the best purpose of your next life.
CLASS NOTES:
(SB 2.1.14) EVERYONE CAN BEST PREPARE HIMSELF FOR THE NEXT LIFE SIMPLY BY HEARING ŚRĪMAD-BHĀGAVATAM
Śukadeva Gosvāmī told Mahārāja Parīkṣit that he should take shelter of the sound representation of the Lord for the seven days still remaining in the duration of his life and thus get himself liberated. In other words, everyone can best prepare himself for the next life simply by hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, as it was recited by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāja Parīkṣit.
Real spiritual life is based on fundamental principles to be followed. So one can increase the strictness of following, quality of following, regularity, all these are part of Sadhana bhakti. Maharaj Parikshit is fortunate that he knows he has 7 days in the body, we do not know if it is 7 minutes or 7 days. Materialist lives every minute as if he is going to live for 100 years. Devotee lives every minute as if he is going to die the very next moment.
Take shelter of sound representation of the Lord. Simply by hearing SB everyone can best prepare himself for the next life
(SB 3.25.43) DEFINITION OF YOGI
jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena
bhakti-yogena yoginaḥ
kṣemāya pāda-mūlaṁ me
praviśanty akuto-bhayam
The yogīs, equipped with transcendental knowledge and renunciation and engaged in devotional service for their eternal benefit, take shelter of My lotus feet, and since I am the Lord, they are thus eligible to enter into the kingdom of Godhead without fear.
One who actually wants to be liberated from the entanglement of this material world and go back home, back to Godhead, is actually a mystic yogī.
(SB 3.25.43) BHAKTI YOGIS
Those yogīs, or mystics, who engage in devotional service are the first-class yogīs. The first-class yogīs, as described in Bhagavad-gītā, are those who are constantly thinking of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa
(SB 3.25.43) TO BECOME A BHAKTI-YOGĪ MEANS TO AUTOMATICALLY ATTAIN KNOWLEDGE AND RENUNCIATION. THAT IS THE CONSEQUENT RESULT OF BHAKTI-YOGA.
In the Bhāgavatam, First Canto, Second Chapter, it is also confirmed that one who engages in the devotional service of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, has complete transcendental knowledge and renunciation, and there is no explanation for these attainments. Ahaitukī — without reason, they come.
Even if a person is completely illiterate, the transcendental knowledge of the scriptures is revealed unto him simply because of his engagement in devotional service. That is also stated in the Vedic literature. To anyone who has full faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the spiritual master, all the import of the Vedic literature is revealed. He does not have to seek separately; the yogī who engages in devotional service is full in knowledge and renunciation. If there is a lack of knowledge and renunciation, it is to be understood that one is not in full devotional service.
The conclusion is that one cannot be sure of entrance into the spiritual realm — in either the impersonal brahmajyoti effulgence of the Lord or the Vaikuṇṭha planets within that Brahman effulgence — unless he is surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord.
(SB 3.25.43) THE SURRENDERED SOULS ARE CALLED AKUTO-BHAYA. THEY ARE DOUBTLESS AND FEARLESS, AND THEIR ENTRANCE INTO THE SPIRITUAL KINGDOM IS GUARANTEED.
https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/741211sbbom/
IN MATERIAL WORLD THERE IS DANGER IN EVERY STEP
Here in this material world—simply bhayam, only fearfulness. Nobody is safe here. At any moment the life may be finished. Nobody can guarantee. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām [SB 10.14.58]. In the śāstra it is said that here in this material world there is danger in every step.
TRYING TO FIND SECURITY IN THIS WORLD IS MUDHA, FOOLISHNESS
If this place is meant for that purpose, padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām, then how you can get security? This is foolishness, mūḍha. There is no possibility of security; still, they are making security in this way, that way, this way, that way, that way.
KRSNA SAYS – HE IS THE FRIEND OF ALL LIVING ENTITIES AND HE IS ASKING ALL LIVING ENTITIES TO SURRENDER UNTO HIM. HE IS NOT FOR ONLY HINDUS OR INDIANS. HE IS SUHṚDAṀ SARVA-BHŪTĀNĀM
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ [Bg. 15.7] = “All these living entities…” Kṛṣṇa does not say that “I am for the Hindu living entities or the Indian living entities.” Where it is in Bhagavad-gītā? Why the foolish men take it that Kṛṣṇa Hindu, Kṛṣṇa Indian? Kṛṣṇa says that suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām: “I am friend of all living entities,” sarva-bhūtānām. Not only human society but animal society, the plant society, the aquatic society. There are so many living entities. Ananta-koṭi. Sa anantyāya kalpate. The living entities, there is no limit; there are so many quantities. And Kṛṣṇa says that suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati: “When one understands that I, Kṛṣṇa, is the friend of everyone…” Kṛṣṇa, when says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66], He does not say to Arjuna; He says to all living entities, without any exception. Sarva-bhūtānām. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. This is the position of Kṛṣṇa.
“I am Kṛṣṇa’s eternal servant. I am Kṛṣṇa’s eternal part and parcel, son of, most intimate relationship.” Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā, Kṛṣṇa says. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya [Bg. 14.4], Kṛṣṇa says. There are so many forms of life, 8,400,000. But Kṛṣṇa claims, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā, “I am the seed-giving father of everyone.” So where is Kṛṣṇa Hindu or Indian? Where it is stated? Why people take like that? That is not fact.
WE HAVE FORGOTTEN KṚṢṆA OR REJECTED KṚṢṆA, WE ARE SITUATED IN ASAT. HENCE WE ARE ALWAYS IN FEAR.
So by giving up Kṛṣṇa… We have now given up Kṛṣṇa. We are canvassing. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are canvassing everyone, every door, “Please come to Kṛṣṇa.” This is our business. But they will not come. They have forgotten Kṛṣṇa or they have rejected Kṛṣṇa. This is the position. Therefore they are always in fearfulness position, always fearful. Bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt [SB 11.2.37]. This is certain. When there is fear? When one understands there is something else than Kṛṣṇa, then he is fearful. Dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ. Dvitīya means forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore they are in the fearful condition of life, always afraid, “What will happen next?” Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt [SB 7.5.5]. Asad-grahāt. People have taken something which is asat. The Vedic instruction is asato mā sad gama: “Don’t remain in the asat, in the untruth. Come to the Truth.” So at the material world we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, and we are situated in the asat, which is not truth. Therefore there is bhaya, fearfulness. Just like a child, if he is forlorn by the father and mother, then he is always in fearful condition, crying on the street, “Where is my father? Where is my mother?” This is our position.
Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]. “You are thinking… When you are a human being or American, you are thinking, ‘Now I am in very good position.’ But next moment you can become a dog, you can become an insect.” Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ [Bg. 2.13]. But the rascals, they do not know. They…, he’s thinking, “I am secure.” And although he is fearful, he is thinking secure. This is called māyā. He is always fearful. Still, he is thinking that he is secure. This is called māyā.
TO HAVE NO MORE FEAR, ONE HAS TO TAKE THE SHELTER OF THE LOTUS FEET OF KRSNA.
So if you want to be not fearfulness, no more fear, abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ [Bg. 16.1], if you become out of fearfulness, then you have to take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is begging. Because we are Kṛṣṇa’s sons or we have got very intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa and we have given Him up and we have forgotten Him, therefore we are suffering. So Kṛṣṇa, being father, Kṛṣṇa, being friend of everyone, He comes, and He canvasses, and at last He says, “You rascal,” sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyaḥ [Bg. 18.66]. “You are rotting here by repeatedly committing sinful life. Therefore you are changing from one body to another, and this is your material condition.”
ONE CANNOT BE BHAKTI-YOGĪ WITHOUT JÑĀNA AND VAIRĀGYA.
Jnana – I am not this body, I am part and parcel of Krsna, The purpose of the part is to serve the whole. Krsna is the supreme personality of Godhead. I have an eternal relationship with Krsna.
It is not a sentimental thing; it is based on pure knowledge. What is that pure knowledge? Pure knowledge means “I do not belong to this material world. I am spirit soul. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Therefore my business is to serve the Supreme Brahman, or Para-brahman.” Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]. Arjuna agreed to serve Kṛṣṇa. Why? Because he understood Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, śāśvataṁ puruṣam = puruṣam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not impersonal. Impersonal feature is one of the features of Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa factually is the Supreme Person, vekti[?]. That is called jñāna. And without this knowledge, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ [Bg. 15.15], by studying all the Vedas and Vedāntas, if one cannot understand what is the nature of Kṛṣṇa, what is actually Kṛṣṇa, then he is not in perfect knowledge. Ajñāna.
A Vaiṣṇava who is in connection with Kṛṣṇa, his business is to go door to door and canvass everyone, “My dear sir, you are not this body. You are wasting your time only under the concept of body. You are Kṛṣṇa’s. You become Kṛṣṇa’s servant.” This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. “My dear sir, you are not this body. You are not American. You are not Indian. You are not brāhmaṇa. You are not śūdra. You are not cat. You are not dog. You are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and you serve Kṛṣṇa.” This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That’s all.
LORD CAITANYA ASKS EVERYONE TO BECOME A GURU
This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s advice. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa. It is not very difficult. You haven’t got to become very learned scholar to become guru. Guru’s business is to give the right information. That is guru. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā: “Every one of you become guru.” “Oh, I am not a learned man,” or “I am this, I am that. How can I become guru?” Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “No, it is very easy thing.” Yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa.
āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra’ ei deśa
yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa
[Cc. Madhya 7.128]
“You become guru simply by advising everyone the instruction which Kṛṣṇa has given.” That’s all. You become guru. It is not at all difficult thing. But if you want to cheat others that you are Bhagavān, you are this and that, you are yogī, you are very powerful, and “I am God,” then you will cheat, because you are neither God; you are less than a dog. You are falsely claiming that you are God. That is not your position. You are servant of God, that is your position. That is real jñāna. Therefore Kṛṣṇa…, er, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that don’t talk all nonsense thing. Simply say the real thing.