KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.2.32
- The two different ways of reaching the spiritual sky and getting emancipation from all material bondage, namely either the direct process of reaching the kingdom of God or the gradual process through the other higher planets of the universe, are set forth exactly according to the version of the Vedas.
- (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 6.2.15): Those who are free from all material desires, which are diseases of the heart, are able to conquer death and enter the kingdom of God through the Arci planets.
- Śukadeva Gosvāmī, affirms that the truth was disclosed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, to Brahmā, the first authority on the Vedas.
- The disciplic succession holds that the Vedas were uttered by Lord Kṛṣṇa to Brahmā, by Brahmā to Nārada, and by Nārada to Vyāsadeva, and then by Vyāsadeva to Śukadeva Gosvāmī and so on. So there is no difference between the versions of all the authorities.
- The truth is eternal, and as such there cannot be any new opinion about the truth. That is the way of knowing the knowledge contained in the Vedas.
- It is not a thing to be understood by one’s erudite scholarship or by the fashionable interpretations of mundane scholars. There is nothing to be added and nothing to be subtracted, because the truth is the truth. One has to accept, after all, some authority.
- The modern scientists are also authorities for the common man for some scientific truths. The common man follows the version of the scientist. This means that the common man follows the authority.
- The common man cannot argue about what is beyond the sky or beyond the universe; he must accept the versions of the Vedas as they are understood by the authorized disciplic succession.
- If one does not follow the authoritative version of the ācāryas, he will vainly search after the truth mentioned in the Vedas.
- The problems of material existence are due to these weaknesses of the heart. The first falldown is caused by the desire to lord it over material nature. Thus one gives up the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord.The second weakness of the heart is that as one increases the propensity to lord it over material nature, he becomes attached to matter and the possession of matter.
- Desire for overlording and for sense gratification is the greatest enemy of the conditioned soul; but by the strength of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can control the material senses, the mind and the intelligence.
- One may not give up work and prescribed duties all of a sudden; but by gradually developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can be situated in a transcendental position without being influenced by the material senses and the mind – by steady intelligence directed toward one’s pure identity.
- As indicated by the word ananya-cetāḥ, in pure bhakti-yoga the devotee desires nothing but Kṛṣṇa. A pure devotee does not desire promotion to heavenly planets, nor does he seek oneness with the brahma-jyotir or salvation or liberation from material entanglement. A pure devotee does not desire anything. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta the pure devotee is called niṣkāma, which means he has no desire for self-interest. Perfect peace belongs to him alone, not to them who strive for personal gain.
- A pure devotee cannot forget the Supreme Lord for a moment, and similarly the Supreme Lord cannot forget His pure devotee for a moment. This is the great blessing of the Kṛṣṇa conscious process of chanting the mahā-mantra – Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
SB 2.2.32 TRANSLATION:
Your Majesty Mahārāja Parīkṣit, know that all that I have described in reply to your proper inquiry is just according to the version of the Vedas, and it is eternal truth. This was described personally by Lord Kṛṣṇa unto Brahmā, with whom the Lord was satisfied upon being properly worshiped.
BOTH THE PROCESSES OF ATTAINING EMANCIPATION WAS SET FORTH ACCORDING TO VEDAS
The two different ways of reaching the spiritual sky and thereby getting emancipation from all material bondage, namely either the direct process of reaching the kingdom of God or the gradual process through the other higher planets of the universe, are set forth exactly according to the version of the Vedas.
Those who are free from all material desires, which are diseases of the heart, are able to conquer death and enter the kingdom of God through the Arci planets. ( (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 6.2.15))
THESE VEDIC VERSIONS CORROBORATE THE VERSION OF THE ŚRĪMAD-BHĀGAVATAM,
and the latter is further confirmed by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who affirms that the truth was disclosed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, to Brahmā, the first authority on the Vedas.
THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE VERSIONS OF ALL THE AUTHORITIES.
The disciplic succession holds that the Vedas were uttered by Lord Kṛṣṇa to Brahmā, by Brahmā to Nārada, and by Nārada to Vyāsadeva, and then by Vyāsadeva to Śukadeva Gosvāmī and so on. So there is no difference between the versions of all the authorities. The truth is eternal, and as such there cannot be any new opinion about the truth. That is the way of knowing the knowledge contained in the Vedas. It is not a thing to be understood by one’s erudite scholarship or by the fashionable interpretations of mundane scholars. There is nothing to be added and nothing to be subtracted, because the truth is the truth. One has to accept, after all, some authority.
THE MODERN SCIENTISTS ARE ALSO AUTHORITIES FOR THE COMMON MAN FOR SOME SCIENTIFIC TRUTHS. THE COMMON MAN FOLLOWS THE VERSION OF THE SCIENTIST. THIS MEANS THAT THE COMMON MAN FOLLOWS THE AUTHORITY.
The Vedic knowledge is also received in that way. The common man cannot argue about what is beyond the sky or beyond the universe; he must accept the versions of the Vedas as they are understood by the authorized disciplic succession. In the Bhagavad-gītā also the same process of understanding the Gītā is stated in the Fourth Chapter. If one does not follow the authoritative version of the ācāryas, he will vainly search after the truth mentioned in the Vedas.
This is called appreori knowledge. It is before the fact. Posteriori – After something happens you understand and get knowledge. The 24 incarnations are explained before they actually happened. If we have our theory, and not accepting the vedic apreori and posteriori knowledge,
………
We learn not by studying. We learn by accepting the authority. For modern people the authority is scientists and philosophers. They accept what they say. But they are speculators.
SP says – Our authority is Krsna. We understand everything from what Krsna says.
One of the persons follows Marx, your authority becomes old, sick and dies.
SP is giving the vedic proof of the authority. In India they are teaching vedas as mythology.
(BG 15.20) WEAKNESS OF THE HEART
While one is performing devotional service in the association of pure devotees in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there are certain things which require to be vanquished altogether.
The most important thing one has to surmount is weakness of the heart.
- The first falldown is caused by the desire to lord it over material nature. Thus one gives up the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord.
- The second weakness of the heart is that as one increases the propensity to lord it over material nature, he becomes attached to matter and the possession of matter.
In this chapter the first five verses describe the process of freeing oneself from these weaknesses of heart, and the rest of the chapter, from the sixth verse through the end, discusses puruṣottama-yoga.
(BG 3.43) DESIRE FOR OVERLORDING AND FOR SENSE GRATIFICATIONGREATEST ENEMY OF CONDITIONED SOUL
Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to the material senses, mind and intelligence, O mighty-armed Arjuna, one should steady the mind by deliberate spiritual intelligence [Kṛṣṇa consciousness] and thus – by spiritual strength – conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust.
This Third Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā is conclusively directive to Kṛṣṇa consciousness by knowing oneself as the eternal servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without considering impersonal voidness the ultimate end. In the material existence of life, one is certainly influenced by propensities for lust and desire for dominating the resources of material nature.
Desire for overlording and for sense gratification is the greatest enemy of the conditioned soul;
but by the strength of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can control the material senses, the mind and the intelligence. One may not give up work and prescribed duties all of a sudden; but by gradually developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can be situated in a transcendental position without being influenced by the material senses and the mind – by steady intelligence directed toward one’s pure identity. This is the sum total of this chapter. In the immature stage of material existence, philosophical speculations and artificial attempts to control the senses by the so-called practice of yogic postures can never help a man toward spiritual life. He must be trained in Kṛṣṇa consciousness by higher intelligence.
Children are forced to accept the authority of teachers. Parents do not vet the authority of the Teachers. The whole thing is a hoax. What they are teaching is sensegratification is the goal… To get that earn money, for money to study and work hard in jobs…
BG 4.34
Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.
BG 4.35
Having obtained real knowledge from a self-realized soul, you will never fall again into such illusion, for by this knowledge you will see that all living beings are but part of the Supreme, or, in other words, that they are Mine.
We are all parts and parcels of Krsna, This is deeply explained in SB 1.2.11 and SB 1.1.2. When we understand that we are the parts of the supreme person and we are eternal and our position is to serve Krsna, by that understanding we become liberated even in this world and we engage in pure devotional service. This is explained in BG 8.14.
- Karma kanda
- Jnana kanda – try to merge into impersonal brahman by doing neti neti
- Upasana kanda – worshipping demigods
- Super natural powers by mastering Yoga
- Krsna Consciousness – worshipping Krsna as the supreme.
The first 3 are dead ends. They are impediments to come to Bhakti Yoga. If no bhakti it is a waste of time.
(BG 8.14) DESTINATION OF UNALLOYED DEVOTEES WHO SERVE THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD IN BHAKTI-YOGA.
For one who always remembers Me without deviation, I am easy to obtain, O son of Pṛthā, because of his constant engagement in devotional service.
This verse especially describes the final destination attained by the unalloyed devotees who serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead in bhakti-yoga. Previous verses have mentioned four different kinds of devotees – the distressed, the inquisitive, those who seek material gain, and the speculative philosophers. Different processes of liberation have also been described: karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga and haṭha-yoga. The principles of these yoga systems have some bhakti added, but this verse particularly mentions pure bhakti-yoga, without any mixture of jñāna, karma or haṭha.
As indicated by the word ananya-cetāḥ, in pure bhakti-yoga the devotee desires nothing but Kṛṣṇa. A pure devotee
- does not desire promotion to heavenly planets, nor does he seek oneness with the brahma-jyotir or salvation or liberation from material entanglement.
- A pure devotee does not desire anything.
- In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta the pure devotee is called niṣkāma, which means he has no desire for self-interest.
- Perfect peace belongs to him alone, not to them who strive for personal gain.
- Whereas a jñāna-yogī, karma-yogī or haṭha-yogī has his own selfish interests, a perfect devotee has no desire other than to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- A pure devotee always engages in devotional service to Kṛṣṇa in one of His various personal features.
- a devotee can choose to fix his mind in loving service to any of these transcendental forms of the Supreme Lord.
- Such a devotee meets with none of the problems that plague the practitioners of other yogas
- he is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa without deviation and without considering the time or place.
- As indicated by the words satatam and nityaśaḥ, which mean “always,” “regularly,” or “every day,” a pure devotee constantly remembers Kṛṣṇa and meditates upon Him
Therefore the Lord says that for anyone who is unflinchingly devoted to Him, He is easy to attain.
The pure devotee is always constantly engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord and cannot forget the Supreme Lord, and so for him the Lord is easily attained. A pure devotee cannot forget the Supreme Lord for a moment, and similarly the Supreme Lord cannot forget His pure devotee for a moment. This is the great blessing of the Kṛṣṇa conscious process of chanting the mahā-mantra – Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.