KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.4.14
- There are two sides of the transcendental manifestations of the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Personal Feature (a cowherd boy of Vrindavan) & Impersonal Feature (Brahma Jyothi)
- The mundaners are more or less captivated by the unlimited expansion of the rays of the Lord, but the devotees are concerned more with His personal form, from which everything is emanating .
- The mundaners have insufficient information of even the mundane sky, so what can they think of the spiritual sky? Therefore the mundaners are always far, far away from Him.
- So the Lord and His residential abode will always remain a myth or a mysterious problem, but for the devotees the Lord will always be available as an associate.
- The impersonalists, who want to merge in the existence of the Lord, are allowed to merge as one of the spiritual sparks of the brahmajyoti. They have no qualifications for becoming associates of the Lord either in the Vaikuṇṭha planets or in the supreme planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana,
- A demoniac person who is envious of both the scriptures and the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. he is actually envious of his own self. He denies himself the opportunity to become Krsna Conscious although it is offered to him.
- Goloka Vṛndāvana, is described in the Bhagavad-gītā as mad-dhāma or the sva-dhāma of the Lord.
- The Vaikuṇṭha planets and the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet are all self-illuminating, and the rays scattered by those sva-dhāma of the Lord constitute the existence of the brahmajyoti. As confirmed in the Vedas like the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (2.2.10), Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2.2.15) and Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.14):
- Perfect knowledge means knowing Kṛṣṇa as the root of this Brahman effulgence. This knowledge can be gained from such scriptures as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which perfectly elaborates the science of Kṛṣṇa.
- Indeed, whatever illumination appears in the material world is only a reflection of that supreme illumination. That Brahman is in front and in back, in the north, south, east and west, and also overhead and below. In other words, that supreme Brahman effulgence spreads throughout both the material and spiritual skies.”
- One who is dazzled by the effulgence of the impersonal brahmajyoti cannot know the personal transcendence; therefore in the Īśopaniṣad (15) it is prayed that the Lord shift His dazzling effulgence so that the devotee can see the real reality.
- When one realizes the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, in full potency after the removal of the hiraṇmaya-pātra, one realizes vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti: Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is known as Vāsudeva, is everything – Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. He is Bhagavān, the root, and Brahman and Paramātmā are His branches.
- There are two sides of the transcendental manifestations of the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Personal Feature (a cowherd boy of Vrindavan) & Impersonal Feature (Brahma Jyothi)
- The mundaners are more or less captivated by the unlimited expansion of the rays of the Lord, but the devotees are concerned more with His personal form, from which everything is emanating .
- The mundaners have insufficient information of even the mundane sky, so what can they think of the spiritual sky? Therefore the mundaners are always far, far away from Him.
- So the Lord and His residential abode will always remain a myth or a mysterious problem, but for the devotees the Lord will always be available as an associate.
- The impersonalists, who want to merge in the existence of the Lord, are allowed to merge as one of the spiritual sparks of the brahmajyoti. They have no qualifications for becoming associates of the Lord either in the Vaikuṇṭha planets or in the supreme planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana,
- A demoniac person who is envious of both the scriptures and the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. he is actually envious of his own self. He denies himself the opportunity to become Krsna Conscious although it is offered to him.
- Goloka Vṛndāvana, is described in the Bhagavad-gītā as mad-dhāma or the sva-dhāma of the Lord.
- The Vaikuṇṭha planets and the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet are all self-illuminating, and the rays scattered by those sva-dhāma of the Lord constitute the existence of the brahmajyoti. As confirmed in the Vedas like the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (2.2.10), Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2.2.15) and Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.14):
- Perfect knowledge means knowing Kṛṣṇa as the root of this Brahman effulgence. This knowledge can be gained from such scriptures as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which perfectly elaborates the science of Kṛṣṇa.
- Indeed, whatever illumination appears in the material world is only a reflection of that supreme illumination. That Brahman is in front and in back, in the north, south, east and west, and also overhead and below. In other words, that supreme Brahman effulgence spreads throughout both the material and spiritual skies.”
- One who is dazzled by the effulgence of the impersonal brahmajyoti cannot know the personal transcendence; therefore in the Īśopaniṣad (15) it is prayed that the Lord shift His dazzling effulgence so that the devotee can see the real reality.
- When one realizes the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, in full potency after the removal of the hiraṇmaya-pātra, one realizes vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti: Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is known as Vāsudeva, is everything – Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. He is Bhagavān, the root, and Brahman and Paramātmā are His branches.
SB 2.4.14 TRANSLATION:
Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Him who is the associate of the members of the Yadu dynasty and who is always a problem for the nondevotees. He is the supreme enjoyer of both the material and spiritual worlds, yet He enjoys His own abode in the spiritual sky. There is no one equal to Him because His transcendental opulence is immeasurable.
CLASS NOTES:
THERE ARE TWO SIDES OF THE TRANSCENDENTAL MANIFESTATIONS OF THE SUPREME LORD, ŚRĪ KṚṢṆA. FOR THE PURE DEVOTEES
- He is the constant companion, as in the case of His becoming one of the family members of the Yadu dynasty, or His becoming the friend of Arjuna, or His becoming the associate neighbor of the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, as the son of Nanda-Yaśodā, the friend of Sudāmā, Śrīdāmā and Madhumaṅgala, or the lover of the damsels of Vrajabhūmi, etc. That is part of His personal features.
- And by His impersonal feature He expands the rays of the brahmajyoti, which is limitless and all-pervasive. Part of this all-pervasive brahmajyoti, which is compared to the sun rays, is covered by the darkness of the mahat-tattva, and this insignificant part is known as the material world.
The mundaners are more or less captivated by the unlimited expansion of the rays of the Lord, but the devotees are concerned more with His personal form, from which everything is emanating
THE MUNDANERS HAVE INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION OF EVEN THE MUNDANE SKY, SO WHAT CAN THEY THINK OF THE SPIRITUAL SKY?
As the sun rays are concentrated in the sun disc, the brahmajyoti is concentrated in Goloka Vṛndāvana, the topmost spiritual planet in the spiritual sky. The immeasurable spiritual sky is full of spiritual planets, named Vaikuṇṭhas, far beyond the material sky. The mundaners have insufficient information of even the mundane sky, so what can they think of the spiritual sky? Therefore the mundaners are always far, far away from Him. So the Lord and His residential abode will always remain a myth or a mysterious problem, but for the devotees the Lord will always be available as an associate.
Everyone has a relationship with Krsna. Devotees understand this and non devotees do not understand this. Lord establishes relationship with the living entity in 2 ways – impersonal/ personal. Mundaners are envious of Krsna and as aa result they are envious of themselves by refusing being KC. This is explained in BG 16.18.
(BG 16.18) ONE BECOMES ENVIOUS OF THEMSELVES BY BECOMING ENVIOUS OF KRSNA
Bewildered by false ego, strength, pride, lust and anger, the demons become envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated in their own bodies and in the bodies of others, and blaspheme against the real religion.
A demoniac person, being always against God’s supremacy, does not like to believe in the scriptures. He is envious of both the scriptures and the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is caused by his so-called prestige and his accumulation of wealth and strength. He does not know that the present life is a preparation for the next life. Not knowing this, he is actually envious of his own self, as well as of others. He commits violence on other bodies and on his own. He does not care for the supreme control of the Personality of Godhead, because he has no knowledge.
From the original envy of Krsna, because one envies themselves, one denies the opportunity of being KC although it is offered to them.
SB 2.4.14
In the spiritual sky His opulence is immeasurable. The Lord resides in all the spiritual planets, the innumerable Vaikuṇṭha planets, by expanding His plenary portions along with His liberated devotee associates, but the impersonalists, who want to merge in the existence of the Lord, are allowed to merge as one of the spiritual sparks of the brahmajyoti. They have no qualifications for becoming associates of the Lord either in the Vaikuṇṭha planets or in the supreme planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana, described in the Bhagavad-gītā as mad-dhāma and here in this verse as the sva-dhāma of the Lord.
DESCRIPTION OF GOLOKA VṚNDĀVANA
Goloka Vṛndāvana, described in the Bhagavad-gītā as mad-dhāma or the sva-dhāma of the Lord.
The Lord’s sva-dhāma does not require any sunlight or moonlight or electricity for illumination. That dhāma, or place, is supreme, and whoever goes there never comes back to this material world.
The Vaikuṇṭha planets and the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet are all self-illuminating, and the rays scattered by those sva-dhāma of the Lord constitute the existence of the brahmajyoti. As further confirmed in the Vedas like the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (2.2.10), Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2.2.15) and Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.14):
In the sva-dhāma of the Lord there is no need of sun, moon or stars for illumination. Nor is there need of electricity, so what to speak of ignited lamps? On the other hand, it is because those planets are self-illuminating that all effulgence has become possible, and whatever there is that is dazzling is due to the reflection of that sva-dhāma.
ONE WHO IS DAZZLED BY THE EFFULGENCE OF THE IMPERSONAL BRAHMAJYOTI CANNOT KNOW THE PERSONAL TRANSCENDENCE; THEREFORE IN THE ĪŚOPANIṢAD (15) IT IS PRAYED THAT THE LORD SHIFT HIS DAZZLING EFFULGENCE SO THAT THE DEVOTEE CAN SEE THE REAL REALITY.
“O Lord, You are the maintainer of everything, both material and spiritual, and everything flourishes by Your mercy. Your devotional service, or bhakti-yoga, is the actual principle of religion, satya-dharma, and I am engaged in that service. So kindly protect me by showing Your real face. Please, therefore, remove the veil of Your brahmajyoti rays so that I can see Your form of eternal bliss and knowledge.”
Everything the Lord did in Vṛndāvana was for the pleasure of His associates there. The Lord created these pastimes to attract the dry speculators and the acrobats of the so-called haṭha-yoga system who wish to find the Absolute Truth.
Mayavadis, whatever happiness they feel it is negative happiness, it is the absence of distress. SP is showing the nectarean relationship He has with His devotees. At the same time how HE is the maintainer of everything…
“The Personality of Godhead, who is perceived as the impersonal, blissful Brahman by the jñānīs, who is worshiped as the Supreme Lord by devotees in the mood of servitorship, and who is considered an ordinary human being by mundane people, played with the cowherd boys, who had attained their position after accumulating many pious activities.”
Thus the Lord is always engaged in transcendental loving activities with His spiritual associates in the various relationships of śānta (neutrality), dāsya (servitorship), sakhya (friendship), vātsalya (parental affection) and mādhurya (conjugal love).
SINCE IT IS SAID THAT LORD KṚṢṆA NEVER LEAVES VṚNDĀVANA-DHĀMA, ONE MAY ASK HOW HE MANAGES THE AFFAIRS OF THE CREATION.
This is answered in the Bhagavad-gītā (13.14–18): The Lord pervades the entire material creation by His plenary part known as the Paramātmā, or Supersoul. Although the Lord personally has nothing to do with material creation, maintenance and destruction, He causes all these things to be done by His plenary expansion, the Paramātmā. Every living entity is known as ātmā, soul, and the principal ātmā who controls them all is Paramātmā, the Supersoul.
Krishna is touching everyone, but we become dull and we do not understand it. We just say it is a nice day and sun is bright… but we do not understand that the lord is embracing us… we attribute it to some kind of material experience..
(CC ADI 7.91) IF A SPIRITUAL MASTER CAN CONVERT EVEN ONE SOUL INTO A PERFECTLY PURE DEVOTEE, HIS MISSION IN LIFE IS FULFILLED.
‘It is very good, my dear child, that You have attained the supreme goal of life by developing love of Godhead. Thus You have pleased me very much, and I am very much obliged to You.
According to the revealed scriptures, if a spiritual master can convert even one soul into a perfectly pure devotee, his mission in life is fulfilled.Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura always used to say, “Even at the expense of all the properties, temples and maṭhas that I have, if I could convert even one person into a pure devotee, my mission would be fulfilled.” It is very difficult, however, to understand the science of Kṛṣṇa, what to speak of developing love of Godhead. Therefore if by the grace of Lord Caitanya and the spiritual master a disciple attains the standard of pure devotional service, the spiritual master is very happy. The spiritual master is not actually happy if the disciple brings him money, but when he sees that a disciple is following the regulative principles and advancing in spiritual life, he is very glad and feels obliged to such an advanced disciple.
Arrival Speech – SFO :
So sometimes people gives me very much credit that I have done wonderful throughout the whole world. But I do not know that I am wonderful man. BUT I KNOW ONE THING = THAT I AM SPEAKING WHAT KṚṢṆA HAS SPOKEN. That’s all. I am not making any addition, alteration. Therefore I am presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. This credit I can take, that I don’t making any nonsense addition or alteration. And I see practically it has become successful.
I WANT ONE STUDENT WHO FOLLOWS MY INSTRUCTION. I DON’T WANT MILLIONS.
Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tara-sahasrasaḥ. If there is one moon in the sky, that is sufficient for illumination. There is no need of millions of stars. So my position is that I want to see that at least one disciple has become pure devotee. Of course, I have got many sincere and pure devotees. That is my good luck. But I would have been satisfied if I could find out one only. There is no need of so-called millions of stars.
To become a rare devotee is a very rare thing, but it is not impossible. THis knowledge of who is Krsna and what is happening in SB canto2, Maharaj Parikshit and Sukhadev Goswami… Potencies of Krsna, how He created the world and how he is expanding and how He is maintaining them…
Everyone has a relationship with Krsna either a personal relationship or impersonal relationship, but they do not know it…