KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.4.1 TODAY (05/28/21): ()
- Maharaj Parikshit continuously concentrated his mind upon Lord Kṛṣṇa, which made him perfectly chaste in devotional service.
- He was a chaste devotee of the Lord, and when he further heard from Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī that one should worship the Lord only and no one else, even though full of all desires or desireless, his natural affection for Kṛṣṇa was strengthened.
- To become a pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, two things are very much essential, namely
having a chance to be born in the family of a devotee and having the blessings of a bona fide spiritual master. - By the grace of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Parīkṣit Mahārāja had both opportunities.
- In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (CC 19.151) it is said that a fortunate person, by the mercy of the spiritual master and Lord Kṛṣṇa, achieves the path of devotional service.
- (CC M 19.151)Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. By the mercy of both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.
- Kṛṣṇa is prepared to bestow His mercy upon all living entities, and as soon as a living entity desires the Lord’s mercy, the Lord immediately gives him an opportunity to meet a bona fide spiritual master. Such a fortunate person is fortified by both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master. He is helped from within by Kṛṣṇa and from without by the spiritual master. Both are prepared to help the sincere living being become free from material bondage.
- One such example is Narada muni. By serving the Vaiṣṇavas and obeying their orders, the boy became the object of their sympathy, and by the Vaiṣṇavas’ unknown mercy, he gradually became a pure devotee. In the next life he was Nārada Muni, the most exalted of Vaiṣṇavas and the most important guru and ācārya of Vaiṣṇavas.
- Following in the footsteps of Nārada Muni, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is rendering service to humanity by giving everyone a chance to come in contact with Kṛṣṇa. If one is fortunate, he becomes intimately related with this movement. Then, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, one’s life becomes successful.
- Dormant devotional service to Kṛṣṇa is within everyone. Simply by associating with devotees, hearing their good instructions and chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, dormant love for Kṛṣṇa is awakened. In this way one acquires the seed of devotional service. Guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja.
- (CC M 19.152)“When a person receives the seed of devotional service, he should take care of it by becoming a gardener and sowing the seed in his heart. If he waters the seed gradually by the process of śravaṇa and kīrtana [hearing and chanting], the seed will begin to sprout.
- To live with devotees or to live in a temple means to associate with the śravaṇa-kīrtana process. Neophyte devotees cannot continue the śravaṇa-kīrtana process without worshiping the Deity.
- The methods, rules and regulations by which one is perfectly trained in devotional service constitute the bhakti-latā-bīja, or seed of devotional service. This bhakti-latā-bīja is received from the spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa.
- The bhakti-latā-bīja can be received ONLY through the mercy of the spiritual master. Therefore one has to satisfy the spiritual master to get the bhakti-latā-bīja (yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ).
- The bhakti-latā-bīja is the origin of devotional service. This bhakti-latā-bīja is received when one is initiated by the bona fide spiritual master
- After receiving the spiritual master’s mercy, one must repeat his instructions, and this is called śravaṇa-kīrtana — hearing and chanting.
- One who has not properly heard from the spiritual master or who does not follow the regulative principles is not fit for chanting (kīrtana) or for preaching the cult of devotional service.
- One has to water the bhakti-latā-bīja by receiving instructions from the spiritual master
SB 2.4.1 TRANSLATION
Sūta Gosvāmī said: Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the son of Uttarā, after hearing the speeches of Śukadeva Gosvāmī, which were all about the truth of the self, applied his concentration faithfully upon Lord Kṛṣṇa.
PURPORT:
The whole Vedic adventure is to draw one’s attention entirely unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa without any diversion, as instructed in the Bhagavad-gītā (15.15).
CLASS NOTES:
Fortunately, Mahārāja Parīkṣit had already been attracted to the Lord from the very beginning of his body, in the womb of his mother.
In the womb of his mother he was struck by the brahmāstra atomic bomb released by Aśvatthāmā, but by the grace of the Lord he was saved from being burnt by the fiery weapon, and since then the King continuously concentrated his mind upon Lord Kṛṣṇa, which made him perfectly chaste in devotional service. So by natural sequence he was a chaste devotee of the Lord, and when he further heard from Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī that one should worship the Lord only and no one else, even though full of all desires or desireless, his natural affection for Kṛṣṇa was strengthened. We have already discussed these topics.
To become a pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, two things are very much essential, namely
- having a chance to be born in the family of a devotee and
- having the blessings of a bona fide spiritual master.
BY THE GRACE OF LORD KṚṢṆA, PARĪKṢIT MAHĀRĀJA HAD BOTH OPPORTUNITIES.
He was born in a family of such devotees as the Pāṇḍavas, and just to continue the dynasty of the Pāṇḍavas and show them special favor, the Lord specifically saved Mahārāja Parīkṣit, who later on, by the arrangement of the Lord, was cursed by the boy of a brāhmaṇa and was able to get the association of such a spiritual master as Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
IN THE CAITANYA-CARITĀMṚTA IT IS SAID THAT A FORTUNATE PERSON, BY THE MERCY OF THE SPIRITUAL MASTER AND LORD KṚṢṆA, ACHIEVES THE PATH OF DEVOTIONAL SERVICE. (CC 19.151)
This was perfectly applicable in the case of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. By way of being born in a family of devotees, he automatically came in touch with Kṛṣṇa, and after being so contacted he constantly remembered Him. Consequently Lord Kṛṣṇa gave the King a further chance for development in devotional service by introducing him to Śukadeva Gosvāmī, a stalwart devotee of the Lord with perfect knowledge in self-realization. And by hearing from a bona fide spiritual master, he was perfectly able to concentrate his chaste mind further upon Lord Kṛṣṇa, as a matter of course.
The verse referred here is
(CC MADHYA 19.151) BY THE MERCY OF BOTH KṚṢṆA AND THE SPIRITUAL MASTER, ONE RECEIVES THE SEED OF THE CREEPER OF DEVOTIONAL SERVICE.
brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
“According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. By the mercy of both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.
There are millions and trillions of living entities everywhere, and they are engaged by māyā in suffering and enjoying the results of their fruitive activity, life after life. This is the position of the materially conditioned living entities. Out of many of these living entities, one who is actually fortunate (bhāgyavān) comes in contact with a bona fide spiritual master by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy.
GURU-KṚṢṆA-PRASĀDA
Kṛṣṇa is prepared to bestow His mercy upon all living entities, and as soon as a living entity desires the Lord’s mercy, the Lord immediately gives him an opportunity to meet a bona fide spiritual master. Such a fortunate person is fortified by both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master. He is helped from within by Kṛṣṇa and from without by the spiritual master. Both are prepared to help the sincere living being become free from material bondage.
NARADA MUNI IS ONE SUCH FORTUNATE LIVING BEING
How one can become this fortunate can be seen in the life of Śrīla Nārada Muni. In his previous life he was born of a maidservant. Although he was not born into a prestigious position, his mother was fortunately engaged in rendering service to some Vaiṣṇavas. When these Vaiṣṇavas were resting during the Cāturmāsya period, the boy Nārada took the opportunity to engage in their service. Taking compassion upon the boy, the Vaiṣṇavas offered him the remnants of their food. By serving these Vaiṣṇavas and obeying their orders, the boy became the object of their sympathy, and by the Vaiṣṇavas’ unknown mercy, he gradually became a pure devotee. In the next life he was Nārada Muni, the most exalted of Vaiṣṇavas and the most important guru and ācārya of Vaiṣṇavas.
FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF NĀRADA MUNI,
this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is rendering service to humanity by giving everyone a chance to come in contact with Kṛṣṇa. If one is fortunate, he becomes intimately related with this movement.
THEN, BY THE GRACE OF KṚṢṆA, ONE’S LIFE BECOMES SUCCESSFUL.
Everyone has dormant kṛṣṇa-bhakti — love for Kṛṣṇa — and in the association of good devotees, that love is revealed. As stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 22.107):
nitya-siddha-kṛṣṇa-prema ‘sādhya’ kabhu naya
śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya
Dormant devotional service to Kṛṣṇa is within everyone. Simply by associating with devotees, hearing their good instructions and chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, dormant love for Kṛṣṇa is awakened. In this way one acquires the seed of devotional service. Guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja.
Main points you need to understand –
KC is naturally existing the heart of every living entity
Simply associating with the genuine devotees and hearing the discussions of BG & SB the dormant KC in the heart is awakened.
The seed of Bhakti is planted in the ear. When there is the seed you need to take care of it very carefully. Put the seed in the wet towel and sprout… then leaves, plants, flowers, fruit, whole plants growing. This is the seed of devotional service. The tree grows beyond the material world and penetrates the spiritual world and flowers and fruits at the lotus feet of Krsna.
How important is hearing and chanting every day… Morning afternoon and evening
Without Shravan kirtan, deity worship is not complete. Without deity worship, Shravan kirtan is not complete.
The goal is to be KC 24 hrs a day.
(CC Madhya 19.152) SOWING THE SEED OF BHAKTI IN THE HEART AND WATERING IT WITH SHRAVANA & KIRTANA
“When a person receives the seed of devotional service, he should take care of it by becoming a gardener and sowing the seed in his heart. If he waters the seed gradually by the process of śravaṇa and kīrtana [hearing and chanting], the seed will begin to sprout.
SHRAVANAM AND KIRTANAM WITHOUT DEITY WORSHIP IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR NEOPHYTE DEVOTEES
To live with devotees or to live in a temple means to associate with the śravaṇa-kīrtana process. Sometimes neophyte devotees think that they can continue the śravaṇa-kīrtana process without worshiping the Deity, but the execution of such śravaṇa-kīrtana is meant for highly developed devotees like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. This is not possible for neophyte devotees.
GURU PRASADA
The word guru-prasāda indicates that the spiritual master is very merciful in bestowing the boon of devotional service upon the disciple. That is the best possible gift the spiritual master has to offer. The spiritual master trains his disciples to render devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is called guru-kṛpā. It is kṛṣṇa-prasāda, Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, that He sends a bona fide spiritual master to the deserving disciple. By the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, one meets the bona fide spiritual master, and by the mercy of the spiritual master, the disciple is fully trained in the devotional service of the Lord.
BHAKTI-LATĀ-BĪJA MEANS “THE SEED OF DEVOTIONAL SERVICE.”
Everything has an original cause, or seed. For any idea, program, plan or device, there is first of all the contemplation of the plan, and that is called the bīja, or seed.
Spring is a program with billions of functions working perfectly
The methods, rules and regulations by which one is perfectly trained in devotional service constitute the bhakti-latā-bīja, or seed of devotional service. This bhakti-latā-bīja is received from the spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. Other seeds, called anyābhilāṣa-bīja, include karma-bīja and jñāna-bīja.
If one is not fortunate enough to receive the bhakti-latā-bīja from the spiritual master, he instead cultivates such seeds as karma-bīja, jñāna-bīja, or political, social or philanthropic bījas. ….
Bill Gates – has software bija, social welfare bija, ……he does not have bhakti lata bija therefore he cannot control himself.. He will not listen to a bonafide spiritual master. He will go to scientists and others to get more bijas..
However, the bhakti-latā-bīja is different from these other bījas.
THE BHAKTI-LATĀ-BĪJA CAN BE RECEIVED ONLY THROUGH THE MERCY OF THE SPIRITUAL MASTER.
Therefore one has to satisfy the spiritual master to get the bhakti-latā-bīja (yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ). The bhakti-latā-bīja is the origin of devotional service. Unless one satisfies the spiritual master, he gets the bīja, or root cause, of karma, jñāna and yoga without the benefit of devotional service. But one who is faithful to his spiritual master gets the bhakti-latā-bīja.
ONE HAS TO WATER THE BHAKTI-LATĀ-BĪJA BY RECEIVING INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE SPIRITUAL MASTER.
This bhakti-latā-bīja is received when one is initiated by the bona fide spiritual master. After receiving the spiritual master’s mercy, one must repeat his instructions, and this is called śravaṇa-kīrtana — hearing and chanting. One who has not properly heard from the spiritual master or who does not follow the regulative principles is not fit for chanting (kīrtana). This is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā (2.41): vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana. One who has not listened carefully to the instructions of the spiritual master is unfit for chanting or for preaching the cult of devotional service. One has to water the bhakti-latā-bīja by receiving instructions from the spiritual master.