KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.8.28 -29:
- Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the science of the Personality of Godhead
- To learn this science one should take shelter of the representative of Śrī Śukadeva and follow in the footsteps of Mahārāja Parīkṣit without foolishly attempting to interpret, thereby committing a great offense at the feet of the Lord.
- The dangerous ways of interpretations by the nondevotee class of men have played havoc in understanding the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and the careful student should be always alert in this matter if he at all wants to learn the science of Godhead.
- BG 11.54 – My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am, standing before you, and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My understanding.
- BG 8.22 – The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is greater than all, is attainable by unalloyed devotion. Although He is present in His abode, He is all-pervading, and everything is situated within Him.
- BG 18.55 – One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.
- Mahārāja Parīkṣit was the best in the dynasty of the Pāṇḍus, and thus he was able to ask the right questions from the right person.
- Mahārāja Parīkṣit asked many questions, some of them very curiously, to know things as they are, but it is not necessary for the master to answer them in the order of the disciple’s inquiries, one after the other.
- But Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the experienced teacher that he was, answered all the questions in a systematic way as they were received from the chain of disciplic succession. And he answered all of them without exception.
- We can see that there is a sequence to the questions and answers in Bhagavad Gita too. It starts with the confusion of Arjuna and a bunch of questions, and the first instruction from Krsna starts with “you are not the body but the spirit soul”
- Vedic system is all questions and answers. When one is with the spiritual master one should ask questions.
- Maharaj explains the question asked by Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj to Srila Prabhupada about Sad-Darshanas in this class. (Purva Mimamsa, Nyaya mimamsa, Vysesika mimamsa, Sankhya mimamsa, Yoga mimamsa, Uttara mimamsa)
- Srila Prabhupada tells Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj that we are not here to defeat anyone, but we are here to help one to get the level of absolute truth even through their false interpretations of the Sad darshanas..
SB 2.8.28 – 11/30/21
He began to reply to the inquiries of Mahārāja Parīkṣit by saying that the science of the Personality of Godhead was spoken first by the Lord Himself to Brahmā when he was first born. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the supplementary Vedic literature, and it is just in pursuance of the Vedas.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the science of the Personality of Godhead. The impersonalist always tries to misrepresent the personal feature of the Lord, not knowing the science of this great knowledge, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is in pursuance of the Vedas and scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead. To learn this science one should take shelter of the representative of Śrī Śukadeva and follow in the footsteps of Mahārāja Parīkṣit without foolishly attempting to interpret, thereby committing a great offense at the feet of the Lord. The dangerous ways of interpretations by the nondevotee class of men have played havoc in understanding the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and the careful student should be always alert in this matter if he at all wants to learn the science of Godhead.
SB & BG are the two most important and best literatures.. If we focus on these 2 we will understand the real purpose of vedas.
Speculation is an offense in vedic tradition
Everything has been researched and found one does not have to speculate.
BG 15.15
I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.
Goal is to understand Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
If you know what the goal is you will learn from BG and SB.
If you do not know what the goal is you will waste your life times with speculation.
In the beginning of SB – On namo bhagavate vasudevaya..
In BG 10.8 – Aham Sarvasya prabhavo..
The whole thing leads to – I should render service to Sri Krsna who is the supreme personality of Godhead..
Therefore Krsna says –
BG 11.54
My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am, standing before you, and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My understanding.
BG 8.22 – Krishna is greater than all
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is greater than all, is attainable by unalloyed devotion. Although He is present in His abode, He is all-pervading, and everything is situated within Him.
BG 18.55
One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.
Krishna is repeating the same thing 3 times.. When something is repeated then it is of utmost importance..
SB 2.8.29
He also prepared himself to reply to all that King Parīkṣit had inquired from him. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was the best in the dynasty of the Pāṇḍus, and thus he was able to ask the right questions from the right person.
Mahārāja Parīkṣit asked many questions, some of them very curiously, to know things as they are, but it is not necessary for the master to answer them in the order of the disciple’s inquiries, one after the other. But Śukadeva Gosvāmī, experienced teacher that he was, answered all the questions in a systematic way as they were received from the chain of disciplic succession. And he answered all of them without exception.
Vedic technique – Questions and answers, When you ask questions and study things from all different angles, then you will learn the science of Krsna..
BG has a sequence…of questions and a sequence of answers.
The instruction begins with understanding the difference between body and soul. If you want to know how to preach to the people who are atheists or not KC you start with the teaching of you are not the body you are spirit soul.. In the process of explaining, Parasadam, tulsi leaf, ganges water, opportunity for service.. In most cases that breaks down their animosity to be KC. Little by little the false ego is chipped away they will realize there is whole bunch of knowledge I have been rejecting.. And they become receptive to listen..
Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj –
Sad darshana
Devotional service
Ask questions when you are with the guru
Maharaj was with Srila Prabhupada in a car.. And he asked a question on BG 2.69
SP only heard time of awakening and he said – 4 am is when we need to wake up
SP said after clarifying about the questions – When we go out and chant and dance they are laughing, when we see non devotees running in distress to the office we laugh… our laugh is better..
In Satya Yuga nobody built big buildings.. They did not want to waste time in building them. They wanted to chant and hear scriptures.. They lived in mud huts.. Ideal place to live..
BG 2.69
What is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings is night for the introspective sage
There are two classes of intelligent men. One is intelligent in material activities for sense gratification, and the other is introspective and awake to the cultivation of self-realization. Activities of the introspective sage, or thoughtful man, are night for persons materially absorbed. Materialistic persons remain asleep in such a night due to their ignorance of self-realization. The introspective sage remains alert in the “night” of the materialistic men. The sage feels transcendental pleasure in the gradual advancement of spiritual culture, whereas the man in materialistic activities, being asleep to self-realization, dreams of varieties of sense pleasure, feeling sometimes happy and sometimes distressed in his sleeping condition. The introspective man is always indifferent to materialistic happiness and distress. He goes on with his self-realization activities undisturbed by material reactions.
He who laughs last laughs best..
Why should we study Sad Darshanas if 5 of 6 are atheistic. Even the last one of tainted and not perfect..
Our business is not to defeat others but to establish that Krsna is the supreme personality of Godhead and He is the supreme object of worship and render service to Him..
Even the false interpretation is progressive. The six branches are the six steps towards DS.
Purva Mimamsa – karma
Nyaya mimamsa
Vysesika mimamsa
Sankhya mimamsa
Yoga mimamsa
Uttara mimamsa..
If you study them without understanding their relationship to Krsna they are atheistic..
They are rungs in the ladder..
Don’t study them individually, they are part of a sequence leading to the devotion to Krsna… even if they are misinterpreted…
Goal has to be understood from the beginning..
Vedas –
Karma – how to enjoy , right action – enjoyment, wrong action – suffering, law of Karma
When one starts suffering even after acting piously, one starts questioning .. one comes to Jnana.. The four branches (nyaya, vysesika, sankya, yoga) answer the question even though they are falsely interpreted..
Material body is a wonderful instrument to receive pain.
What appears to our senses as real is not real.. When you come to the atomic level things are moving, but does not move… temporary existence.. Eventually everything breaks down into atoms.
Tanmantras – functions of the senses..
Jnana –
Nyaya – Logic
Vysesika – Atomic
Sankhya – (analytical study of the 24 elements of material nature) Entire material nature has been analysed and the soul cannot be analyzed and one can understand that the soul comes from another reality, the spiritual reality, the supreme soul.. Even the false sankhya philosophy brings you to that understanding you are not the body and the spirit soul..
Yoga – One will realize the soul
Uttara mimasa/ Vedanta – soul’s relationship with paramatma..
Even the false explanation is progressive path of bhakti.. Bahunam janma namanthe…
This is how you preach to highly intellectual people. Completely rational and scientific. You are not ready to defeat anyone.. You are ready to help them progress even with the false interpretations to the absolute truth.. It is brilliant what SP explained..
YHS, JayaSri Devi Dasi