KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.1.34-36
- The aesthetic sense of the Lord is manifested in the artistic, colorful creation of varieties of birds like the peacock, parrot and cuckoo
- The musical rhythm of the celestial species of human beings, like the Gandharvas and Vidyādhara, represents the musical sense of the Lord.
- Lord’s musical taste, artistic sense, and standard intelligence, which is never fallible, are different signs of His supreme personality. How then can He be impersonal?
- Human society is the residential quarters for the Lord. This means that the human being is meant for God-realization and association with God.
- This life is a chance for the conditioned soul to regain his eternal God-consciousness and thus fulfill the mission of life.
- Disruption in the matter of discharging the specific duty assigned to each and every living being is the cause of disharmony between one living being and another.
- But when the relation is reestablished in relation with the Supreme Lord, there is complete unity between all living beings, even up to the limit of the wild animals and human society.
- Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu displayed this living unity in the jungle of Madhya Pradesh, where even the tigers, elephants and many other ferocious animals perfectly cooperated in glorifying the Supreme Lord. That is the way to peace and amity all over the world.
- BG 2.66 – One who is not connected with the Supreme [in Kṛṣṇa consciousness] can have neither transcendental intelligence nor a steady mind, without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be any happiness without peace?
- This verse tells us how – transcendental intelligence, steady mind => Peace => Happiness are connected in a progressive way.
- One cannot be a successful preacher if one is not happy.
- The gopīs were aware of the reason for Kṛṣṇa’s sudden disappearance. They could understand that when they had been enjoying Kṛṣṇa they thought themselves to be the most fortunate women within the universe, and since they were feeling proud, Kṛṣṇa had disappeared immediately just to curb their pride.
- Kṛṣṇa does not like His devotees to be proud of their service to Him. He accepts everyone’s service, but He does not like one devotee to proudly consider himself better than others. If sometimes there are such feelings, Kṛṣṇa ends them by changing His attitude toward the devotee.
- Worship means to adore or to show respect and honor to the worthy one. But service with love and faith is especially meant for the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- One can avoid worshiping a respectable man or a demigod and may be called discourteous, but one cannot avoid serving the Supreme Lord without being thoroughly condemned.
- Every living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thus every living entity is intended to serve the Supreme Lord by his own constitution. Failing to do this, he falls down.
- SB 11.5.3 – “Anyone who does not render service and neglects his duty unto the primeval Lord, who is the source of all living entities, will certainly fall down from his constitutional position.”
- When Goips saw that it was getting gradually darker, they stopped. Their mind and intelligence became absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa; they all imitated the activities of Kṛṣṇa and His speeches. Due to their heart and soul being completely given to Kṛṣṇa, they began to chant His glories, completely forgetting their family interests. In this way, all the gopīs returned to the bank of the Yamunā and assembled there, and expecting that Kṛṣṇa must return to them, they simply engaged in chanting the glories of Śrī Kṛṣṇa – Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
SB 2.1.34 TRANSLATION:
O best amongst the Kurus, the clouds which carry water are the hairs on His head, the terminations of days or nights are His dress, and the supreme cause of material creation is His intelligence. His mind is the moon, the reservoir of all changes.
SB 2.1.35 TRANSLATION:
The principle of matter [mahat-tattva] is the consciousness of the omnipresent Lord, as asserted by the experts, and Rudradeva is His ego. The horse, mule, camel and elephant are His nails, and wild animals and all quadrupeds are situated in the belt zone of the Lord.
SB 2.1.36 TRANSLATION:
Varieties of birds are indications of His masterful artistic sense. Manu, the father of mankind, is the emblem of His standard intelligence, and humanity is His residence. The celestial species of human beings, like the Gandharvas, Vidyādharas, Cāraṇas and angels, all represent His musical rhythm, and the demoniac soldiers are representations of His wonderful prowess.
CLASS NOTES:
(SB 2.1.36) HIS MUSICAL TASTE, ARTISTIC SENSE AND STANDARD INTELLIGENCE, WHICH IS NEVER FALLIBLE, ARE DIFFERENT SIGNS OF HIS SUPREME PERSONALITY.
The aesthetic sense of the Lord is manifested in the artistic, colorful creation of varieties of birds like the peacock, parrot and cuckoo.The celestial species of human beings, like the Gandharvas and Vidyādharas, can sing wonderfully and can entice even the minds of the heavenly demigods. Their musical rhythm represents the musical sense of the Lord. How then can He be impersonal? His musical taste, artistic sense and standard intelligence, which is never fallible, are different signs of His supreme personality.
Human society is the residential quarters for the Lord.
This means that the human being is meant for God-realization and association with God. This life is a chance for the conditioned soul to regain his eternal God-consciousness and thus fulfill the mission of life.
None of the living beings is away from the Lord’s gigantic body. Each and everyone has a particular duty in relation to the supreme body. Disruption in the matter of discharging the specific duty assigned to each and every living being is the cause of disharmony between one living being and another, but when the relation is reestablished in relation with the Supreme Lord, there is complete unity between all living beings, even up to the limit of the wild animals and human society. That is the way to peace and amity all over the world.
People need peace to be happy. Inorder to attain love they need happiness. Peace, love, happiness is connected in a progressive way.
BG 2.66
nāsti buddhir ayuktasya
na cāyuktasya bhāvanā
na cābhāvayataḥ śāntir
aśāntasya kutaḥ sukham
One who is not connected with the Supreme [in Kṛṣṇa consciousness] can have neither transcendental intelligence nor a steady mind, without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be any happiness without peace?
Happiness > Peace > transcendental intelligence, steady mind
A person who is not happy cannot be a successful preacher.
If you are constantly thinking of Krsna then you are a liberated person whether you are in Goloka or on this planet.
Kaamsa was constantly thinking of Krsna, how to kill him. This is not a favorable way of thinking. Cowherd boys, Gopis, Nanda Maharaj & Yasodamayi are thinking in a favorable way.
Just like the sun can clean dirty things without becoming contaminated. Anyone who thinks even in an unfavorable way gets liberated. Prophylactic and antiseptic.
When you see a peacock, hummingbird you will be amazed by the creation. The hummingbird stays at one place in the sky for a long time. There are many wonderful things in the world. You will look at them when you read about them.
False pride – incapable to perform austerity
Too much attraction to the opposite – cleanliness is destroyed
Meat eating – agitates mind and causes contamination
Meat-eating, gambling, intoxication, illicit sex – Department of argumentation.
If you read SB carefully, you begin to understand how material life is destroyed by these four things.
People who are Krsna Conscious are Tolerant, forgiving, peaceful, they diminish the material needs to the bare minimum. Krishna Consciousness is a science and not sentimentalism based on the solid foundation of Spiritual Absolute truths.
The other day we were discussing how the wives of Krsna were meditating on HIm. Now we will learn about the Gopis.
KRISHNA BOOK CHAPTER 30
The gopīs were aware of the reason for Kṛṣṇa’s sudden disappearance.
He has disappeared because of our pride.” The gopīs were aware of the reason for Kṛṣṇa’s sudden disappearance. They could understand that when they had been enjoying Kṛṣṇa they thought themselves to be the most fortunate women within the universe, and since they were feeling proud, Kṛṣṇa had disappeared immediately just to curb their pride. Kṛṣṇa does not like His devotees to be proud of their service to Him. He accepts everyone’s service, but He does not like one devotee to proudly consider himself better than others. If sometimes there are such feelings, Kṛṣṇa ends them by changing His attitude toward the devotee.
When someone is in transcendental love of Krsna they cannot divert their mind on anything else except Krsna. When we develop the love for the transcendental past times of the lord…
BG 6.47
yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā
śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
sa me yukta-tamo mataḥ
And of all yogīs, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself and renders transcendental loving service to Me – he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion.
4 requisite qualities to become a pure devotee.
- One has great faith in the Lord
- Always is completely dependant on the Lord
- Always thinks of the Lord
- Always engages in the devotional service of the Lord
What is a pure devotee – intimately united with the Lord in consciousness without any deviation.
A DEVOTEE IS ALWAYS ACTIVE AND PERFORMING DEVOTIONAL SERVICE.
The word bhajate is significant here. Bhajate has its root in the verb bhaj, which is used when there is need of service. The English word “worship” cannot be used in the same sense as bhaj. Worship means to adore, or to show respect and honor to the worthy one. But service with love and faith is especially meant for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One can avoid worshiping a respectable man or a demigod and may be called discourteous, but one cannot avoid serving the Supreme Lord without being thoroughly condemned. Every living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thus every living entity is intended to serve the Supreme Lord by his own constitution. Failing to do this, he falls down. The Bhāgavatam (11.5.3) confirms this as follows:
If you go to a church you are a spectator, if you do a puja you are a spectator. You are not involved. But in devotional service there is constant activity. Cooking, cleaning, bathing, … Full engagement in Krsna’s service.
ya eṣāṁ puruṣaṁ sākṣād
ātma-prabhavam īśvaram
na bhajanty avajānanti
sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ
“Anyone who does not render service and neglects his duty unto the primeval Lord, who is the source of all living entities, will certainly fall down from his constitutional position.”
Direct Krsna Consciousness is constant direct activity all the time. What inhibits that activity- meat-eating, gambling, illicit connections, intoxication.
Incorporate culture, they play these games to help people to cooperate and conduct seminars to bond people. How can people cooperate they eat meat, drink wine and have sex… This does not work.
The Gopis much further in this type of craziness which is transcendental.
GOPIS ARE EXTREMELY SENSITIVE TO THE STIMULI OF KRSNA
It appears,” they addressed the deer, “that Kṛṣṇa, who is the Supreme Nārāyaṇa Himself, must have passed through this way along with His companion, Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune. Otherwise, how is it possible that the aroma of His garland, which is smeared with the red kuṅkuma from the breasts of the goddess of fortune, can be perceived in the breeze blowing here? It appears that they must have passed through here and touched your bodies, and thus you are feeling so pleasant and are looking toward us with sympathy. Will you kindly, therefore, inform us which way Kṛṣṇa has gone?
It appears that the flowers of the creepers must have been touched by the nails of Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, how could they feel so jubilant?”
They were very much intense in the love of Krsna….Different levels of Intensity of love for Krsna.
When they saw that it was getting gradually darker, they stopped. Their mind and intelligence became absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa; they all imitated the activities of Kṛṣṇa and His speeches. Due to their heart and soul being completely given to Kṛṣṇa, they began to chant His glories, completely forgetting their family interests. In this way, all the gopīs returned to the bank of the Yamunā and assembled there, and expecting that Kṛṣṇa must return to them, they simply engaged in chanting the glories of Śrī Kṛṣṇa – Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
HOW DO WE DEVELOP THAT KIND OF LOVE FOR KRSNA-
Krsna Consciousness is an active service with love and affection. We are the Humble servant of the lord. We should not become proud. Active service is always serving to please the Lord.
A devotee never goes away from the service, they never give up their service. Rather, They add more services. Chanting, preaching, cooking, dancing…
To actively engage in service –
Not eat too much, sleep too much, not eat too little not sleep too little. Lead a balanced life, so we are always active and can serve Krsna. Srila Prabhupada till the last moment was active dictating the translations of Srimad Bhagavatam.