KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.2.35 TODAY (05/02/21):
People often ask – Lord is not visible to our eyes, how can one either surrender unto Him or render transcendental loving service unto Him?.
Actually, the Lord is not perceivable by our present materialized senses, but when one is convinced of the presence of the Lord by a practical service attitude, there is a revelation by the Lord’s mercy, and such a pure devotee of the Lord can perceive the Lord’s presence always and everywhere.
He can perceive that intelligence is the form-direction of the Paramātmā plenary portion of the Personality of Godhead.
The presence of Paramātmā in everyone’s company is not very difficult to realize, even for the common man. It can be realized through reason and perception.
You are a person – One can perceive one’s self-identification and feel positively that he exists.
There is a seer and a seen- He may not feel it very abruptly, but by using a little intelligence, he can feel that he is not the body. Just by using intelligence he can distinguish and separate his self from other things that he sees. So the natural conclusion is that the living being, either man or beast, is the seer, and he sees besides himself all other things. So there is a difference between the seer and the seen.
The seer has no power to see or to move independently –Now, by a little use of intelligence we can also readily agree that the living being who sees the things beyond himself by ordinary vision has no power to see or to move independently. All our ordinary actions and perceptions depend on various forms of energy supplied to us by nature in various combinations. This conclusively proves that the ordinary living being has no independent power of perception or of motion, and as we undoubtedly feel our existence being conditioned by nature’s energy, we conclude that he who sees is spirit, and that the senses as well as the objects of perception are material.
The seer is the spirit and the seen is the matter – The spiritual quality of the seer is manifest in our dissatisfaction with the limited state of materially conditioned existence. That is the difference between spirit and matter. No matter has ever developed the power of seeing or moving in any part of the world. Therefore it is definite that matter and spirit are two different identities, and this conclusion is arrived at by the use of intelligence.
The seer is dependant on the intelligence of the superior being (Supreme Self Paramatma)- The things which are seen by a little use of intelligence cannot be animate unless we accept someone as the user of or director of the intelligence. So a living being is dependent on intelligence or the direction of a superior being. Such intelligence is all-pervading. Every living being has his intelligence, and this intelligence, being the direction of some higher authority, is just like a father giving direction to his son. The higher authority, who is present and residing within every individual living being, is the Superself or Paramatma.
SB 2.2.35 TRANSLATION: The Personality of Godhead Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is in every living being along with the individual soul. And this fact is perceived and hypothesized in our acts of seeing and taking help from intelligence.
CLASS NOTES:
It is a very important purport explains how you can convince, atheist, demon, pseudo scientist that Paramatma exists. Pay attention to this purport if you want to become an expert preacher.
The general argument of the common man is that since the Lord is not visible to our eyes, how can one either surrender unto Him or render transcendental loving service unto Him? here is a practical suggestion given by Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī as to how one can perceive the Supreme Lord by reason and perception.Actually the Lord is not perceivable by our present materialized senses, but when one is convinced of the presence of the Lord by a practical service attitude, there is a revelation by the Lord’s mercy, and such a pure devotee of the Lord can perceive the Lord’s presence always and everywhere. He can perceive that intelligence is the form-direction of the Paramātmā plenary portion of the Personality of Godhead.
Practical service attitude – regular service to the lord
Revelation by the mercy of the lord.
We have intelligence, we also see that there is superior intelligence, as in the universe, everything is organized, …By Reason and perception we will know the presence of Supreme intelligence in this purport. The way our acharyas and Srila Prabhupada have constructed this simple logical chronological step-by-step process of reason and perception that is easy for even a common man to understand is mind-blowing.
The presence of Paramātmā in everyone’s company is not very difficult to realize, even for the common man. The procedure is as follows.
You are a person – One can perceive one’s self-identification and feel positively that he exists.
There is a seer and a seen – He may not feel it very abruptly, but by using a little intelligence, he can feel that he is not the body. He can feel that the hand, the leg, the head, the hair and the limbs are all his bodily parts and parcels, but as such the hand, the leg, the head, etc., cannot be identified with his self. Therefore just by using intelligence he can distinguish and separate his self from other things that he sees. So the natural conclusion is that the living being, either man or beast, is the seer, and he sees besides himself all other things.So there is a difference between the seer and the seen
The seer has no power to see or to move independently – Now, by a little use of intelligence we can also readily agree that the living being who sees the things beyond himself by ordinary vision has no power to see or to move independently. All our ordinary actions and perceptions depend on various forms of energy supplied to us by nature in various combinations. Our senses of perception and of action, that is to say, our five perceptive senses of (1) hearing, (2) touch, (3) sight, (4) taste and (5) smell, as well as our five senses of action, namely (1) hands, (2) legs, (3) speech, (4) evacuation organs and (5) reproductive organs, and also our three subtle senses, namely (1) mind, (2) intelligence and (3) ego (thirteen senses in all), are supplied to us by various arrangements of gross or subtle forms of natural energy. And it is equally evident that our objects of perception are nothing but the products of the inexhaustible permutations and combinations of the forms taken by natural energy. As this conclusively proves that the ordinary living being has no independent power of perception or of motion, and as we undoubtedly feel our existence being conditioned by nature’s energy, we conclude that he who sees is spirit, and that the senses as well as the objects of perception are material.
Natural energy – earth, water, air, fire, ether, mind, intelligence, false ego – fundamental elements that expand into 24 elements. Our seeing is limite, unless there is light we cannot see. Our seeing is dependant on light. By seeing Sun can we understand that the sun is 93 thousand million miles? No we cannot perceive that. Can we see with our hands, legs no… Can we see with our intelligence, yes if our intelligence is sharp we can see with it. When someone is dead, why is that we are unable to bring him back to life? Every sense that was working, stops working.
The seer is the spirit and the seen is the matter, Matter and Spirit are two different identities – The spiritual quality of the seer is manifest in our dissatisfaction with the limited state of materially conditioned existence. That is the difference between spirit and matter. There are some less intelligent arguments that matter develops the power of seeing and moving as a certain organic development, but such an argument cannot be accepted because there is no experimental evidence that matter has anywhere produced a living entity. Trust no future, however pleasant. Idle talks regarding future development of matter into spirit are actually foolish because no matter has ever developed the power of seeing or moving in any part of the world. Therefore it is definite that matter and spirit are two different identities, and this conclusion is arrived at by the use of intelligence.
Matter is not revolting and saying we want freedom. Only the living entity wants freedom and expresses dissatisfaction.
The seer is dependent on the intelligence of the superior being (Supreme Self Paramatma)- Now we come to the point that the things which are seen by a little use of intelligence cannot be animate unless we accept someone as the user of or director of the intelligence. Intelligence gives one direction like some higher authority, and the living being cannot see or move or eat or do anything without the use of intelligence. When one fails to take advantage of intelligence he becomes a deranged man, and so a living being is dependent on intelligence or the direction of a superior being. Such intelligence is all-pervading. Every living being has his intelligence, and this intelligence, being the direction of some higher authority, is just like a father giving direction to his son. The higher authority, who is present and residing within every individual living being, is the Superself.
Alan Turing said that computers will equal or surpass human beings and it will evolve to become a human. People trick others with their language. Korean scientist claimed that he cloned the dog, later on they came to know that he was a hoax. Knowledge only begins when you accept the authority and has nothing to do with facts. Then the authority gives us the facts. Krishna is our authority. If you accept a scientist as authority you will end up arong facts. There is a doctor Rosenberg, who is studying how to improve the immune system of a person. The truth is if you have a good immune system, even if you get sick you can cure it naturally. Electronic accelerator – was built with millions, billions of dollars – God particle… Superior intelligence – manufacturer of train set Dependent intelligence – kid who is operating the remote of the train set. Highest intelligence is Paramatma, below that, demigods, humans, animals, birds… Bird makes nest… with the intelligence – a complicated construction Bee is making a beehive – They have limited intelligence to do these and the higher intelligence paramatma gives them direction.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.2.34
Lord Brahmā, is the qualitative incarnation of Godhead. The Vedas were taught to Brahmājī in the beginning of the material creation. Although Brahmājī was to hear Vedic instructions directly from the Personality of Godhead, in order to satisfy the inquisitiveness of all prospective students of the Vedas, Brahmājī, just like a scholar, studied the Vedas three times, as generally done by all scholars.
He studied with great attention, concentrating on the purpose of the Vedas, and after scrutinizingly examining the whole process, he ascertained that becoming a pure, unalloyed devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the topmost perfection of all religious principles.
The Lord has described in so many ways different types of religion in Bhagavad Gita, but in summarizing Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord says that Arjuna should give up all the processes that have been explained to him; he should simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That surrender will save him from all kinds of sinful reactions, for the Lord personally promises to protect him.
The Vedic conclusion is thus accepted by all ācāryas, and those who are against this conclusion are only veda-vāda-ratas, as explained in the Bhagavad-gītā (2.42).
Men of small knowledge are very much attached to the flowery words of the Vedas, which recommend various fruitive activities for elevation to heavenly planets, resultant good birth, power, and so forth. Being desirous of sense gratification and opulent life, they say that there is nothing more than this.
They think that this is the whole purpose of Vedic wisdom. It is very difficult for such inexperienced persons to be situated in the determined action of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Such persons have no faith in liberation from material bondage, and they are very much attached to the pompous ceremonies of Vedic sacrifices.They are purely attached to such material, temporary happiness, as lords of the material world.
Even if one is not free from all sinful reactions, simply by the process of surrendering to Śrī Kṛṣṇa he is automatically freed. There is no need of strenuous effort to free oneself from sinful reactions. One should unhesitatingly accept Kṛṣṇa as the supreme savior of all living entities. With faith and love, one should surrender unto Him.
One should be confident that in all circumstances Kṛṣṇa will protect him from all difficulties. There is no need of thinking how one should keep the body and soul together. Kṛṣṇa will see to that.
One should always think himself helpless and should consider Kṛṣṇa the only basis for his progress in life. As soon as one seriously engages himself in devotional service to the Lord in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, at once he becomes freed from all contamination of material nature.
One should be attracted by the beautiful vision of Kṛṣṇa. His name is Kṛṣṇa because He is all-attractive. One who becomes attracted by the beautiful, all-powerful, omnipotent vision of Kṛṣṇa is fortunate.
devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, in full consciousness, is the most confidential part of knowledge, and this is the essence of the whole Bhagavad-gītā.
The particular words used here, mā śucaḥ, “Don’t fear, don’t hesitate, don’t worry,” are very significant. One may be perplexed as to how one can give up all kinds of religious forms and simply surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, but such worry is useless.
SB 2.2.34 TRANSLATION: The great personality Brahmā, with great attention and concentration of the mind, studied the Vedas three times, and after scrutinizingly examining them, he ascertained that attraction for the Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the highest perfection of religion.
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī is referring to the highest Vedic authority, Lord Brahmā, who is the qualitative incarnation of Godhead. The Vedas were taught to Brahmājī in the beginning of the material creation. Although Brahmājī was to hear Vedic instructions directly from the Personality of Godhead, in order to satisfy the inquisitiveness of all prospective students of the Vedas, Brahmājī, just like a scholar, studied the Vedas three times, as generally done by all scholars. He studied with great attention, concentrating on the purpose of the Vedas, and after scrutinizingly examining the whole process, he ascertained that becoming a pure, unalloyed devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the topmost perfection of all religious principles. And this is the last instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā directly presented by the Personality of Godhead. (BG 18.66) The Vedic conclusion is thus accepted by all ācāryas, and those who are against this conclusion are only veda-vāda-ratas, as explained in the Bhagavad-gītā (2.42).
This is what you call the Vedanta – finality of all vedas. Bhakti is the finality of all vedic knowledge.
Pure devotee – is always thinking about Krsna, Talking about Krsna, Serving Krsna… Sarva dharman parityaja… BG 18.66
(BG 18.66) ULTIMATE INTRUCTION AND SUMMARY OF BG – SURRENDER UNTO THE LORD Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.
The Lord has described various kinds of knowledge and processes of religion – knowledge of the Supreme Brahman, knowledge of the Supersoul, knowledge of the different types of orders and statuses of social life, knowledge of the renounced order of life, knowledge of nonattachment, sense and mind control, meditation, etc. He has described in so many ways different types of religion. Now, in summarizing Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord says that Arjuna should give up all the processes that have been explained to him; he should simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That surrender will save him from all kinds of sinful reactions, for the Lord personally promises to protect him.
Extremely important point, ved vada vrata is someone who has different conclusion than this. They try many other processes – Jnana yoga(seeking to merge into brahman), karma yoga (seeking to go to heavenly planets), Upasana kanda (seeking to reach demi God planets), Dhyana yoga (seeking to attain sidhis). These processes have personal desire. In Bhakti yoga the devotees have no other desire for themselves they just only want to please the lord.
(BG 2.42- 43) VEDA VADA RATHA yām imāṁ puṣpitāṁ vācaṁ pravadanty avipaścitaḥ veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ
kāmātmānaḥ svarga-parā janma-karma-phala-pradām kriyā-viśeṣa-bahulāṁ bhogaiśvarya-gatiṁ prati
Men of small knowledge are very much attached to the flowery words of the Vedas, which recommend various fruitive activities for elevation to heavenly planets, resultant good birth, power, and so forth. Being desirous of sense gratification and opulent life, they say that there is nothing more than this.
People in general are not very intelligent, and due to their ignorance they are most attached to the fruitive activities recommended in the karma-kāṇḍa portions of the Vedas. They do not want anything more than sense gratificatory proposals for enjoying life in heaven, where wine and women are available and material opulence is very common
In fact, it is stated that anyone desiring elevation to heavenly planets must perform these sacrifices, and men with a poor fund of knowledge think that this is the whole purpose of Vedic wisdom. It is very difficult for such inexperienced persons to be situated in the determined action of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As fools are attached to the flowers of poisonous trees without knowing the results of such attractions, unenlightened men are similarly attracted by such heavenly opulence and the sense enjoyment thereof.
Such persons have no faith in liberation from material bondage, and they are very much attached to the pompous ceremonies of Vedic sacrifices. They are generally sensual, and they do not want anything other than the heavenly pleasures of life. They are purely attached to such material, temporary happiness, as lords of the material world.
(BG 18.66) EVEN IF ONE IS NOT FREE FROM ALL SINFUL REACTIONS, SIMPLY BY THE PROCESS OF SURRENDERING TO ŚRĪ KṚṢṆA HE IS AUTOMATICALLY FREED
In the Seventh Chapter BG 7.28 it was said that only one who has become free from all sinful reactions can take to the worship of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Thus one may think that unless he is free from all sinful reactions he cannot take to the surrendering process. To such doubts it is here said that even if one is not free from all sinful reactions, simply by the process of surrendering to Śrī Kṛṣṇa he is automatically freed. There is no need of strenuous effort to free oneself from sinful reactions. One should unhesitatingly accept Kṛṣṇa as the supreme savior of all living entities. With faith and love, one should surrender unto Him.
(BG 18.66) THE PROCESS OF SURRENDER TO KṚṢṆA ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam rakṣiṣyatīti viśvāso goptṛtve varaṇaṁ tathā ātma-nikṣepa-kārpaṇye ṣaḍ-vidhā śaraṇāgatiḥ
According to the devotional process, one should simply accept such religious principles that will lead ultimately to the devotional service of the Lord. One may perform a particular occupational duty according to his position in the social order, but if by executing his duty one does not come to the point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all his activities are in vain. Anything that does not lead to the perfectional stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be avoided.
One should be confident that in all circumstances Kṛṣṇa will protect him from all difficulties. There is no need of thinking how one should keep the body and soul together. Kṛṣṇa will see to that. One should always think himself helpless and should consider Kṛṣṇa the only basis for his progress in life. As soon as one seriously engages himself in devotional service to the Lord in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, at once he becomes freed from all contamination of material nature
Surrender means one is agreeable to always engage in serving Krsna…
ONE SHOULD BE ATTRACTED BY THE BEAUTIFUL VISION OF KṚṢṆA. His name is Kṛṣṇa because He is all-attractive. One who becomes attracted by the beautiful, all-powerful, omnipotent vision of Kṛṣṇa is fortunate.
DEVOTIONAL SERVICE TO KṚṢṆA, IN FULL CONSCIOUSNESS, IS THE MOST CONFIDENTIAL PART OF KNOWLEDGE, AND THIS IS THE ESSENCE OF THE WHOLE BHAGAVAD-GĪTĀ.
Karma-yogīs, empiric philosophers, mystics and devotees are all called transcendentalists, but one who is a pure devotee is the best of all. The particular words used here, mā śucaḥ, “Don’t fear, don’t hesitate, don’t worry,” are very significant. One may be perplexed as to how one can give up all kinds of religious forms and simply surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, but such worry is useless.
We should make special note of this.. Sri Vaishanavas say this verse BG 18.66 everyday. They also say the verse BG 9.22
But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form – to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have.
Vedavada Vrata –modern example – Ray Kurzweil – He is a big proponent of technological singularity. At one point machine becomes the human being. Humans become immortal through the machines. They want to attain immortality without surrendering to KRsna and without serving Krsna. They are saying that high vast accelerating of the machines will happen by 2040. He takes 40 – 100 supplements a day, he thinks he will live till 2050 so he can attain the singularity. He also works for calico. He is claiming that he wants to extend immortality and `
Most people in this world, even if they are religious, become vedavadarathas as they do not want to surrender to Krsna.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.2.33
Direct bhakti-yoga, is the only absolute and auspicious means of deliverance from the grip of material existence.
The means of jñāna and yoga are not independent in delivering a performer. Such activities help one to reach the stage of bhakti-yoga after many, many years.
The purport of all Vedic literatures is to induce one to accept the transcendental loving service of the Lord by all means.
It is explained in the texts of SB 1st Canto, either direct bhakti-yoga or the means which ultimately culminate in bhakti-yoga, without any tinge of fruitive activity, constitute the highest form of religion. Everything else is simply a waste of time for the performer.
All our Acharyas agree that bhakti-yoga is not only easy, simple, natural and free from trouble but is the only source of happiness for the human being.
BG 2.47 – You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.
Routine work performed as an obligation in terms of the scriptural injunctions, without desire for results, is action in the mode of goodness.
Work with results becomes the cause of bondage; such work is not auspicious.
Arjuna was therefore advised by the Lord to fight as a matter of duty without attachment to the result. His nonparticipation in the battle is another side of attachment. Such attachment never leads one to the path of salvation.
Any attachment, positive or negative, is cause for bondage. Inaction is sinful. Therefore, fighting as a matter of duty was the only auspicious path of salvation for Arjuna.
The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead. (SB 1.2.8)
The less intelligent people have no information of the needs of the spirit soul and how it is beyond the purview of the body and mind, they are not satisfied in the performance of their occupational duties and cannot be happy simply with emolument of the body and mind.
Simply by cleansing the cage of the bird, one does not satisfy the bird. One must actually know the needs of the bird himself.
The need of the spirit soul is that he wants to get out of the limited sphere of material bondage and fulfill his desire for complete freedom. That complete freedom is achieved when he meets the complete spirit, the Personality of Godhead.
There is a dormant affection for God within everyone; we have to engage ourselves in occupational engagements that will evoke our divine consciousness.
This is possible only by hearing and chanting the divine activities of the Supreme Lord.
Even if he goes up to the Svargaloka, he will find no permanent abode for his hankering soul. The hankering soul must be satisfied by the perfect scientific process of perfect devotional service.
Therefore, with one-pointed attention, one should constantly hear about, glorify, remember and worship the Personality of Godhead, who is the protector of the devotees.
Especially in modern society, all activities are more or less dependent on hearing and glorifying. The tendency to glorify others or hear others must be turned to the real object of glorification — the Supreme Being. And that will bring happiness.
By serving the servants of the Lord, one gradually gets the quality of such servants, and thus one becomes qualified to hear the glories of God. The eagerness to hear about God is the first qualification of a devotee eligible for entering the kingdom of God.
SB 2.2.33 TRANSLATION: For those who are wandering in the material universe, there is no more auspicious means of deliverance than what is aimed at in the direct devotional service of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
BHAKTI-YOGA IS THE ONLY ABSOLUTE AND AUSPICIOUS MEANS OF DELIVERANCE FROM THE GRIP OF MATERIAL EXISTENCE.
The means of jñāna and yoga and other allied disciplines are not independent in delivering a performer. Such activities help one to reach the stage of bhakti-yoga after many, many years.
EVERYTHING ELSE IS SIMPLY A WASTE OF TIME FOR THE PERFORMER.
As already explained in the texts of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (First Canto), either direct bhakti-yoga or the means which ultimately culminate in bhakti-yoga, without any tinge of fruitive activity, constitute the highest form of religion. Everything else is simply a waste of time for the performer.
PURE DEVOTIONAL SERVICE IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF RELIGION
It is explained in the texts of SB 1st Canto, either direct bhakti-yoga or the means which ultimately culminate in bhakti-yoga, without any tinge of fruitive activity, constitute the highest form of religion. Everything else is simply a waste of time for the performer.
BHAKTI YOGA IS EASY, SIMPLE & ONLY SOURCE OF HAPPINESS
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī and all other ācāryas, like Jīva Gosvāmī, agree that bhakti-yoga is not only easy, simple, natural and free from trouble but is the only source of happiness for the human being.
This paragraph explains the absolute importance of Bhakti yoga In the Bhagavad-gītā (12.5) it is said that those who are attached to the impersonal feature of the Absolute are liable to many troubles in the pursuit of their desired goal, and the empiricist philosophers, searching after the Absolute Truth, realize the importance of Vāsudeva realization as all in all after many, many births (Bg. 7.19). As far as yoga systems are concerned, it is also said in the Bhagavad-gītā (6.47) that amongst the mystics who pursue the Absolute Truth, the one who is always engaged in the service of the Lord is the greatest of all. And the last instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā (18.66)c advises fully surrendering unto the Lord, leaving aside all other engagements or different processes for self-realization and liberation from material bondage. And the purport of all Vedic literatures is to induce one to accept the transcendental loving service of the Lord by all means.
This is a very nice purport. It gives us the essence of all Vedic knowledge. If you want to be happy and attain success in life, if you want to attain the supreme goal of life going back to godhead, take up Krsna consciousness seriously.
(BG 12.5) ADVANCEMENT IS VERY TROUBLESOME FOR JNANA YOGIS, KARMA YOGIS For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.
(BG 7.19) AFTER MANY MANY BIRTHS REALIZE KRSNA IS EVERYTHING After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.
(BG 6.47) BEST OF ALL THE YOGIS (ONE WHO FOLLOW THE MECHANICAL YOGA PROCESS) 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.
(BG 18.66) ABANDON EVERYTHING AND SURRENDER ONLY TO KRSNA Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.
(BG 2.47) You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.
This verse has no wiggle room allowed. This verse refutes the karma Mimamsa philosophy – if you work hard you will get the results… Karmanye vadi karasya… is quoted by all in India. They say my duty is to riding a rickshaw,.. that is not your real duty… your duty is to become Krsna Conscious. You can drive a rickshaw and earn money honestly, but that is not your real duty…
There are three considerations here:
prescribed duties,
capricious work, and
inaction.
Prescribed duties are activities enjoined in terms of one’s acquired modes of material nature. Capricious work means actions without the sanction of authority, and inaction means not performing one’s prescribed duties. The Lord advised that Arjuna not be inactive, but that he perform his prescribed duty without being attached to the result. One who is attached to the result of his work is also the cause of the action. Thus he is the enjoyer or sufferer of the result of such actions.
At the end of every puja that Sri Vaishnavas do, they say the mantra “Sarvam Krsnarpanam”.. Even though say Vishnu is the supreme… ultimately they say Sarvam Krsnarpanam…
As far as prescribed duties are concerned, they can be fitted into three subdivisions, namely
routine work,
emergency work
desired activities
DOING PRESCRIBED DUTIES WITHOUT DESIRE FOR RESULTS Routine work performed as an obligation in terms of the scriptural injunctions, without desire for results, is action in the mode of goodness.
DOING PRESCRIBED DUTIES BUT ATTACHED TO RESULT IS INAUSPICIOUS Work with results becomes the cause of bondage; therefore such work is not auspicious. Everyone has his proprietary right in regard to prescribed duties, but should act without attachment to the result; such disinterested obligatory duties doubtlessly lead one to the path of liberation. Arjuna was therefore advised by the Lord to fight as a matter of duty without attachment to the result. His nonparticipation in the battle is another side of attachment. Such attachment never leads one to the path of salvation. Any attachment, positive or negative, is cause for bondage. Inaction is sinful. Therefore, fighting as a matter of duty was the only auspicious path of salvation for Arjuna.
(SB 7.7.49) It is possible to engage in Yoga siddhis, gnana, karma without any bhakti. These processes will not be successful if Bhakti is not involved. The modern Brahmanas are encouraging to do these processes
(SB 1.2.8) The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.
This is a very important verse… Later we will see a very important statement made by Srila Prabhupada. “Attainment of spiritual knowledge is not sufficient for liberation”… book worms who do not service cannot attain liberation. KC is not an academic pursuit. Gopis are not studying for any diploma.. One has to engage in occupational duty but if you are not making any advancement towards pure devotional service, then it is a waste of time…
GROSS MATERIALISTS
occupational activities are limited to concentrated and extended selfishness.
Concentrated selfishness centers around the personal body — this is generally seen amongst the lower animals.
Extended selfishness is manifested in human society and centers around the family, society, community, nation, and the world with a view to gross bodily comfort.
MENTAL SPECULATORS
Above these gross materialists are the mental speculators who hover aloft in the mental spheres, and their occupational duties involve making poetry and philosophy or propagating some ism with the same aim of selfishness limited to the body and the mind.
LESS INTELLIGENT PEOPLE HAVE NO INFORMATION OF THE NEEDS OF THE SPIRIT SOUL
But above the body and mind is the dormant spirit soul whose absence from the body makes the whole range of bodily and mental selfishness completely null and void. But less intelligent people have no information of the needs of the spirit soul.
THEY ARE NOT SATISFIED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR OCCUPATIONAL DUTIES. Because foolish people have no information of the soul and how it is beyond the purview of the body and mind, they are not satisfied in the performance of their occupational duties. The question of the satisfaction of the self is raised herein.
WITHOUT KNOWING THE NEED OF THE DORMANT SOUL, ONE CANNOT BE HAPPY SIMPLY WITH EMOLUMENT OF THE BODY AND MIND.
The self is beyond the gross body and subtle mind. He is the potent active principle of the body and mind. Without knowing the need of the dormant soul, one cannot be happy simply with emolument of the body and mind. The body and the mind are but superfluous outer coverings of the spirit soul. The spirit soul’s needs must be fulfilled. Simply by cleansing the cage of the bird, one does not satisfy the bird. One must actually know the needs of the bird himself.
WHAT IS THE NEED OF SPIRIT SOUL? The need of the spirit soul is that he wants to get out of the limited sphere of material bondage and fulfill his desire for complete freedom. He wants to get out of the covered walls of the greater universe. He wants to see the free light and the spirit. That complete freedom is achieved when he meets the complete spirit, the Personality of Godhead.There is a dormant affection for God within everyone;
spiritual existence is manifested through the gross body and mind in the form of perverted affection for gross and subtle matter. Therefore we have to engage ourselves in occupational engagements that will evoke our divine consciousness. This is possible only by hearing and chanting the divine activities of the Supreme Lord, and any occupational activity which does not help one to achieve attachment for hearing and chanting the transcendental message of Godhead is said herein to be simply a waste of time.
THIS IS BECAUSE OTHER OCCUPATIONAL DUTIES (WHATEVER ISM THEY MAY BELONG TO) CANNOT GIVE LIBERATION TO THE SOUL.
Even the activities of the salvationists are considered to be useless because of their failure to pick up the fountainhead of all liberties. The gross materialist can practically see that his material gain is limited only to time and space, either in this world or in the other. Even if he goes up to the Svargaloka, he will find no permanent abode for his hankering soul. The hankering soul must be satisfied by the perfect scientific process of perfect devotional service.
Emolument – illegal perk from someone, in politics…from a foreign country… SB 1.2.8 – 14 are very important verses.
(SB 1.2.14 ) THE ULTIMATE DUTY OF OUR LIFE – CONSTANT HEARING AND CHANTING
Therefore, with one-pointed attention, one should constantly hear about, glorify, remember and worship the Personality of Godhead, who is the protector of the devotees.
Especially in modern society, all activities are more or less dependent on hearing and glorifying.
The actual object of glorification is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has created everything manifested before us. We have broadly discussed this fact from the beginning of the “janmādy asya” śloka of this Bhāgavatam. The tendency to glorify others or hear others must be turned to the real object of glorification — the Supreme Being. And that will bring happiness.
Nazis glorify Hitler, Indians glorify Gandhi, Like that everyone is glorifying every other. “Especially in modern society, all activities are more or less dependent on hearing and glorifying. “In one statement Srila Prabhupada is defining a panoramic view of life.
(SB 1.2.16) AFFINITY FOR HEARING THE MESSAGES OF THE LORD IS ATTAINED BY SERVING PURE DEVOTEES śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt
O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Vāsudeva.
ASURAS ARE PUT INTO LOWER AND LOWER STATES OF IGNORANCE LIFE AFTER LIFE
In the Bhagavad-gītā (Sixteenth Chapter) a vivid description of the asuras is given in which it is said that the asuras are put into lower and lower states of ignorance life after life and so sink to the lower animal forms and have no information of the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead. These asuras are gradually rectified to God consciousness by the mercy of the Lord’s liberated servitors in different countries according to the supreme will.
NO ONE SHOULD BE ACCEPTED AS GOD OR AN INCARNATION OF GOD UNLESS HE IS CONFIRMED BY THE REVEALED SCRIPTURES.
Such devotees of God are very confidential associates of the Lord, and when they come to save human society from the dangers of godlessness, they are known as the powerful incarnations of the Lord, as sons of the Lord, as servants of the Lord or as associates of the Lord. But none of them falsely claim to be God themselves. This is a blasphemy declared by the asuras, and the demoniac followers of such asuras also accept pretenders as God or His incarnation. In the revealed scriptures there is definite information of the incarnation of God. No one should be accepted as God or an incarnation of God unless he is confirmed by the revealed scriptures.
SERVANTS OF GOD NEVER TOLERATE BEING CALLED GOD
The servants of God are to be respected as God by the devotees who actually want to go back to Godhead. Such servants of God are called mahātmās, or tīrthas, and they preach according to particular time and place. The servants of God urge people to become devotees of the Lord. They never tolerate being called God. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was God Himself according to the indication of the revealed scriptures, but He played the part of a devotee. People who knew Him to be God addressed Him as God, but He used to block His ears with His hands and chant the name of Lord Viṣṇu. He strongly protested against being called God, although undoubtedly He was God Himself. The Lord behaves so to warn us against unscrupulous men who take pleasure in being addressed as God.
BY SERVING THE SERVANT OF GOD, ONE CAN PLEASE GOD MORE THAN BY DIRECTLY SERVING THE LORD.
The servants of God come to propagate God consciousness, and intelligent people should cooperate with them in every respect. By serving the servant of God, one can please God more than by directly serving the Lord. The Lord is more pleased when He sees that His servants are properly respected because such servants risk everything for the service of the Lord and so are very dear to the Lord. The Lord declares in the Bhagavad-gītā (18.69) that no one is dearer to Him than one who risks everything to preach His glory. By serving the servants of the Lord, one gradually gets the quality of such servants, and thus one becomes qualified to hear the gloriesof God. The eagerness to hear about God is the first qualification of a devotee eligible for entering the kingdom of God.
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.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.2.31
The destination of the devotee (the bhāgavata) is to enter into one of the Vaikuṇṭha planets, in each of which the Personality of Godhead, in His unlimited personal expansions, enjoys Himself in the association of unlimited numbers of pure devotee associates.
The conditioned souls in the material world, after gaining emancipation by devotional service, are promoted to these planets.
The number of ever-liberated souls is far, far greater than the number of conditioned souls in the material world, and the ever-liberated souls in the Vaikuṇṭha planets never care to visit this miserable material world.
The impersonalists, who aspire to merge in the impersonal brahmajyoti effulgence of the Supreme Lord, may be compared to certain species of fish, who, being born in the rivers and rivulets, migrate to the great ocean. They cannot stay in the ocean indefinitely, for their urge for sense gratification brings them back to the rivers and streams to spawn
The highest perfection of life is to attain Lord’s association, and nothing else. A pure devotee is a one-hundred-percent devotee of the Lord and nothing more.
Devotional service of the Lord can really bestow upon the devotee two important benedictions, namely peace and satisfaction.
The mystic yogīs become encumbered by various mystic powers and so have neither peace nor satisfaction. So neither the impersonalists nor the yogī can have real peace and satisfaction. But the devotee can become fully peaceful and satisfied because of his association with the complete whole.
Attainment of love of Godhead means complete freedom from all other attractions. The impure devotee aspires after all of the material things by the perfection of devotion. But a pure devotee has none of the tinges of the contaminations, which are the influence of material desires, impersonal speculations and attainment of mystic powers.
All the rules and regulations of the Vedas are meant for knowing Kṛṣṇa. If one understands Kṛṣṇa from the Bhagavad-gītā and becomes situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, engaging himself in devotional service, he has reached the highest perfection of knowledge offered by the Vedic literature.
For the ordinary persons who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or who are not engaged in devotional service, what is to be done and what is not to be done must be decided by the injunctions of the Vedas. One should act accordingly, without argument.
Śāstra is without the four principal defects that are visible in the conditioned soul. These four defects in conditioned life disqualify one from putting forth rules and regulations. Therefore, the rules and regulations as described in the śāstra – being above these defects – are accepted without alteration by all great saints, ācāryas and great souls.
Without following the principles of the scriptures, one cannot elevate himself to the perfectional stage. One who actually, therefore, understands the purport of the śāstras is considered fortunate.
To live with devotees or to live in a temple means to associate with the śravaṇa-kīrtana process.
One should not falsely imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura and abandon Deity worship just to try to engage in śravaṇa-kīrtana. This is not possible for neophyte devotees.
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.
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.
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 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.
SB 2.2.31 TRANSLATION Only the purified soul can attain the perfection of associating with the Personality of Godhead in complete bliss and satisfaction in his constitutional state. Whoever is able to renovate such devotional perfection is never again attracted by this material world, and he never returns.
To become merged in the rays of the Parabrahman, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as desired by the brahmavādī impersonalist, is not bhāgavatīm perfection. The bhāgavatas never accept merging in the impersonal rays of the Lord, but always aspire after personal association with the Supreme Lord in one of the Vaikuṇṭha spiritual planets in the spiritual sky.
The destination of the devotee (the bhāgavata) is to enter into one of the Vaikuṇṭha planets, in each of which the Personality of Godhead, in His unlimited personal expansions, enjoys Himself in the association of unlimited numbers of pure devotee associates.
The number of ever-liberated souls is far, far greater than the number of conditioned souls in the material world, and the ever-liberated souls in the Vaikuṇṭha planets never care to visit this miserable material world.
IMPERSONALISTS COMPARED TO CERTAIN SPECIES OF FISH
The impersonalists, who aspire to merge in the impersonal brahmajyoti effulgence of the Supreme Lord but have no conception of loving devotional service to Him in His personal form in the spiritual manifestation, may be compared to certain species of fish, who, being born in the rivers and rivulets, migrate to the great ocean. They cannot stay in the ocean indefinitely, for their urge for sense gratification brings them back to the rivers and streams to spawn.
Similarly, when the materialist becomes frustrated in his attempts to enjoy himself in the limited material world, he may seek impersonal liberation by merging either with the Causal Ocean or with the impersonal brahmajyoti effulgence. However, as neither the Causal Ocean nor the impersonal brahmajyoti effulgence affords any superior substitute for association and engagement of the senses, the impersonalist will fall again into the limited material world to become entangled once more in the wheel of births and deaths, drawn on by the inextinguishable desire for sensual engagement.
But any devotee who enters the kingdom of God by transcendental engagement of his senses in devotional service, and who associates with the liberated souls and the Personality of Godhead there, will never be attracted to the limited surroundings of the material world.
PEACE AND SATISFACTION the two words śāntam and ānandam, which denote that devotional service of the Lord can really bestow upon the devotee two important benedictions, namely peace and satisfaction. The impersonalist is desirous of becoming one with the Supreme, or in other words, he wants to become the Supreme. This is a myth only. The mystic yogīs become encumbered by various mystic powers and so have neither peace nor satisfaction. So neither the impersonalists nor the yogī can have real peace and satisfaction, but the devotee can become fully peaceful and satisfied because of his association with the complete whole. Therefore, merging in the Absolute or attaining some mystic powers has no attraction for the devotee.
ATTAINMENT OF LOVE OF GODHEAD MEANS COMPLETE FREEDOM FROM ALL OTHER ATTRACTIONS.
The conditioned soul has many aspirations, such as becoming a religious man, a rich man or a first-class enjoyer, or becoming God himself, or becoming powerful like the mystics and acting wonderfully by getting anything or doing anything, but all these aspirations should be rejected by the prospective devotee who actually wants to revive his dormant love of God. The impure devotee aspires after all of the above-mentioned material things by perfection of devotion.
To be more clear, if one wants to attain the stage of love of Godhead,
he must give up all desires for material enjoyment,
he should refrain from worshiping any of the demigods, and
he should devote himself only to the worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
He must give up the foolish idea of becoming one with the Lord and the desire to have some wonderful powers just to get the ephemeral adoration of the world.
The pure devotee is only favorably engaged in the service of the Lord, without any hope of emolument.
This will bring about the love of Godhead, or the stage of śāntam and ānandam, as stated in this verse.’
There are many pitfalls in the path of pure devotional service. They are summarized as Karma – Karmi engages in the Karma Kanda section of Vedas. Attached to higher sense gratification in higher planets Jnana – Jnanis engage in acquiring knowledge and at the end ??? Yoga – Yogi engages in yoga to acquire material powers which are desirable and not pure devotion. Others – worship demigods. Devotee – No envy of anything and anyone and constantly engaged in devotional service. Such a devotee is pure. Only wishes to go to Goloka, Vaikuntha planet to serve the lord. Mayavadis – do not take shelter of devotional service. They only attain Sat Chit and not ananda. Eventually, they get bored and fall down.
Vidyam avidyamsa ca – we should leran what is avidya to know what not to do. We have been in this material world for an inestimable time.. For billions and billions of years. Therefore it is important to assimilate this knowledge by hearing and chanting.
(BG 16.24)LORD CHAITANYA MADE THE PROCESS EASY One should therefore understand what is duty and what is not duty by the regulations of the scriptures. Knowing such rules and regulations, one should act so that he may gradually be elevated.
As stated in the Fifteenth Chapter, all the rules and regulations of the Vedas are meant for knowing Kṛṣṇa. If one understands Kṛṣṇa from the Bhagavad-gītā and becomes situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, engaging himself in devotional service, he has reached the highest perfection of knowledge offered by the Vedic literature.
Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu made this process very easy:
He asked people simply to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare and to
engage in the devotional service of the Lord and
eat the remnants of foodstuff offered to the Deity
One who is directly engaged in all these devotional activities is to be understood as having studied all Vedic literature. He has come to the conclusion perfectly.
ORDINARY PERSONS WHO ARE NOT IN KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS
Of course, for the ordinary persons who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or who are not engaged in devotional service, what is to be done and what is not to be done must be decided by the injunctions of the Vedas. One should act accordingly, without argument. That is called following the principles of śāstra, or scripture.
ŚĀSTRA IS WITHOUT THE FOUR PRINCIPAL DEFECTS
that are visible in the conditioned soul: imperfect senses, the propensity for cheating, certainty of committing mistakes, and certainty of being illusioned. These four principal defects in conditioned life disqualify one from putting forth rules and regulations. Therefore, the rules and regulations as described in the śāstra – being above these defects – are accepted without alteration by all great saints, ācāryas and great souls.
SP was talking with Dr.Patel in Juhu Beach. SP said there is some part of Vedas which accept meat-eating. Dr.Patel said he rejects that part of the Vedas. SP said Vedas also include meat-eaters who are very conditioned to gradually wean them off the sinful activity and allow them to progress. We cannot reject what Vedas say… Should we eat meat because Vedas are meat-eating… no. Patel cannot reject the Vedas.
In India there are many parties of spiritual understanding, generally classified as two: the impersonalist and the personalist. Both of them, however, lead their lives according to the principles of the Vedas. Without following the principles of the scriptures, one cannot elevate himself to the perfectional stage. One who actually, therefore, understands the purport of the śāstras is considered fortunate.
RamaKrishna Paramahamsa did not follow the vedas. Many so-called Avatars today do not follow the Vedas.
(BG 3.12) THERE IS A PLACE FOR MEAT EATERS AS WELL IN VEDAS
For one who cannot understand what the Personality of Godhead is, sacrifice to the demigods is recommended. According to the different material qualities of the persons concerned, different types of yajñas are recommended in the Vedas. Worship of different demigods is also on the same basis – namely, according to different qualities. For example, the meat-eaters are recommended to worship the goddess Kālī, the ghastly form of material nature, and before the goddess the sacrifice of animals is recommended. But for those who are in the mode of goodness, the transcendental worship of Viṣṇu is recommended. But ultimately all yajñas are meant for gradual promotion to the transcendental position. For ordinary men, at least five yajñas, known as pañca-mahā-yajña, are necessary.
(BG 12.20) IMPERSONALISTS
In other words, as long as one does not have the chance to associate with a pure devotee, the impersonal conception may be beneficial.
Vedas is a big tent, it accommodates meat-eaters, impersonalists… Puja for pay – they make living by doing all pujas. They don’t teach the goal of life and they only do puja for material success. Everyone is going to fail anyway – birth-death old age and disease. The real purpose is to understand the real goal of life. All the suffering in India is horrible. For example, Turkey declared a total lockdown. This corona is destroying whole countries. However the reason is people are not functioning correctly in their spiritual activities, they are using them for material benefit and committing sins.
IN HUMAN SOCIETY, AVERSION TO THE PRINCIPLES OF UNDERSTANDING THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD IS THE CAUSE OF ALL FALL DOWNS. THAT IS THE GREATEST OFFENSE OF HUMAN LIFE.
Therefore, māyā, the material energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always giving us trouble in the shape of the threefold miseries. This material energy is constituted of the three modes of material nature. One has to raise himself at least to the mode of goodness before the path to understanding the Supreme Lord can be opened. Without raising oneself to the standard of the mode of goodness, one remains in ignorance and passion, which are the cause of demoniac life. Those in the modes of passion and ignorance deride the scriptures, deride the holy man, and deride the proper understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They disobey the instructions of the spiritual master, and they do not care for the regulations of the scriptures. In spite of hearing the glories of devotional service, they are not attracted. Thus they manufacture their own way of elevation. These are some of the defects of human society which lead to the demoniac status of life. If, however, one is able to be guided by a proper and bona fide spiritual master, who can lead one to the path of elevation, to the higher stage, then one’s life becomes successful.
(CC M 19.152) SEED OF BHAKTI “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. 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, who engaged in the śravaṇa-kīrtana process without worshiping the Deity. However, one should not falsely imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura and abandon Deity worship just to try to engage in śravaṇa-kīrtana. This is not possible for neophyte devotees.
GURU KRIPA 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. Those with a background of pious life are eligible to receive life’s supreme benefit, and to bestow this benefit, the Supreme Personality of Godhead sends His representative to impart His mercy. endowed with the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the spiritual master distributes the mercy to those who are elevated and pious. Thus the spiritual master trains his disciples to render devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is called guru-kṛpā.
KRSNA’s MERCY
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. 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.
THE BHAKTI-LATĀ-BĪJA CAN BE RECEIVED ONLY THROUGH THE MERCY OF THE SPIRITUAL MASTER. 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. 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. 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. Sravanam and Kirtanam are very important. SP said it has to be done 3 times a day. It is extremely important for us to progress in devotional service.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.2.30
Pure self-realization is the pure consciousness of admitting oneself to be the eternal servitor of the Lord.
This stage of rendering transcendental loving service to the Lord without any hopes of emolument from the Lord, or any other way, can be attained when the material senses are purified and the original pure state of the senses is revived.
Perfect purification of the mind is made possible when one is fixed in the conviction of being the eternal servitor of the Lord.
Simple attainment of goodness is also a material mode; one has to surpass this stage of material goodness and reach the point of purified goodness, or vasudeva-sattva. This vasudeva-sattva helps one to enter into the kingdom of God.
Mechanical yoga process to overcome the gross and subtle coverings as mentioned in SB 2.2.30 is not viable in the present age because of people’s being primarily unaware of yoga practice.
The so-called yoga practice by the professional protagonists may be physiologically beneficial, but such small successes cannot help one in the attainment of spiritual emancipation.
Lord Śrī Caitanya made it easier for the prospective devotee of the present age. He recommends that the devotee sow the seed of bhakti-yoga in his heart and nurture it by the watering of hearing and chanting the holy name, fame, etc., of the Lord. Ultimately there is no difference in the result.
A sincere soul is helped by the Lord through meeting a bona fide spiritual master, the representative of the Lord. By the instruction of such a spiritual master, one gets the seed of bhakti-yoga.
The simple process of offenselessly chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord will gradually promote one very soon to the stage of emancipation (liberation).
There are three stages in chanting the holy name of the Lord. The first stage is the offensive chanting of the holy name, and the second is the reflective stage of chanting the holy name. The third stage is the offenseless chanting of the holy name of the Lord.
In the second stage only, one automatically attains the stage of emancipation. And in the offenseless stage, one actually enters into the kingdom of God, although physically he may apparently be within the material world.
When we speak of hearing and chanting, it means that not only should one chant and hear of the holy name of the Lord as Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, but one should also read and hear the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the association of devotees.
When one reaches the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa at Goloka Vṛndāvana, the watering process of hearing and reading, as also chanting of the holy name in the pure devotional stage, fructifies, and the fruits grown there in the form of love of God are tangibly tasted by the devotee, even though he is here in this material world
But the working devotee must always be mindful so that the Bhakti creeper which has so grown will not be cut off by following the 7 considerations. (Avoid Offense by one at the feet of a pure devotee… etc.,)
By doing so, the devotee is able to relish the fruit of love of God and thus live practically with Lord Kṛṣṇa, even in this life, and be able to see the Lord in every step.
The highest perfection of life is to enjoy life constantly in the association of the Lord, and one who can relish this does not aspire after any temporary enjoyment of the material world via other media.
A pure devotee is constantly engaged. Sometimes he chants, sometimes he hears or reads books about Kṛṣṇa, or sometimes he cooks prasādam or goes to the marketplace to purchase something for Kṛṣṇa, or sometimes he washes the temple or the dishes – whatever he does, he does not let a single moment pass without devoting his activities to Kṛṣṇa. Such action is in full samādhi.
SB 2.2.30 TRANSLATION The devotee, thus surpassing the gross and the subtle forms of coverings, enters the plane of egoism. And in that status he merges the material modes of nature [ignorance and passion] in this point of neutralization and thus reaches egoism in goodness. After this, all egoism is merged in the mahat-tattva, and he comes to the point of pure self-realization.
CLASS NOTES:
Pure self-realization, as we have several times discussed, is the pure consciousness of admitting oneself to be the eternal servitor of the Lord. Thus one is reinstated in his original position of transcendental loving service to the Lord,
This stage of rendering transcendental loving service to the Lord without any hopes of emolument from the Lord, or any other way, can be attained when the material senses are purified and the original pure state of the senses is revived.
YOGIC WAY OF PURIFYING THE SENSES
It is suggested herein that the process of purifying the senses is by the yogic way — namely, the gross senses are merged in the mode of ignorance, and the subtle senses are merged in the mode of passion. The mind belongs to the mode of goodness and therefore is called devamaya, or godly
ATTAINMENT OF MODE OF GOODNESS IS NOT SUFFICIENT
Therefore simple attainment of goodness is also a material mode; one has to surpass this stage of material goodness and reach the point of purified goodness, or vasudeva-sattva. This vasudeva-sattva helps one to enter into the kingdom of God.
Emolument – receiving benefits from, a salary, fee, or profit from employment or office.Especially receiving it from a foreign country like a bribe… Original pure state of senses – belong to Krsna and used in His service. Hrisikesa… Mind should not be used to get sense gratification. It should be fixed to be the eternal servant of the lord. Vasudeva sattva – purified goodness.
MECHANICAL YOGA PROCESS IS NOT VIABLE IN THIS AGE
is not viable in the present age because of people’s being primarily unaware of yoga practice. The so-called yoga practice by the professional protagonists may be physiologically beneficial, but such small successes cannot help one in the attainment of spiritual emancipation as mentioned herein.
LORD ŚRĪ CAITANYA MADE IT EASIER FOR THE PROSPECTIVE DEVOTEE OF THE PRESENT AGE
in the following specific manner. Ultimately there is no difference in the result.
A sincere soul is helped by the Lord through meeting a bona fide spiritual master, the representative of the Lord. By the instruction of such a spiritual master, one gets the seed of bhakti-yoga. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that the devotee sow the seed of bhakti-yoga in his heart and nurture it by the watering of hearing and chanting the holy name, fame, etc., of the Lord.
Durvasa muni is a perfect yogi but he was envious of Ambarish maharaj. There is no envy in bhakti yoga.
The simple process of offenselessly chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord will gradually promote one very soon to the stage of emancipation (liberation).
Liberation is not flying with some wings and going to other planets. It is getting liberated here while you are in material body.
STAGES OF CHANTING
There are three stages in chanting the holy name of the Lord.
The first stage is the offensive chanting of the holy name, and
the second is the reflective stage of chanting the holy name.
The third stage is the offenseless chanting of the holy name of the Lord.
In the second stage only, the stage of reflection, between the offensive and offenseless stages, one automatically attains the stage of emancipation. And in the offenseless stage, one actually enters into the kingdom of God, although physically he may apparently be within the material world.
This is said by Haridas Thakur in an assembly and it was rejected by a Brahmana. He later got leprosy. Lord Caitanya came near him and he begged to help him and lord refused. Blaspheming a pure devotee is the most serious offense. To get released from the offense one has to go to the one whom he offended. Krishna will not intervene.
TO ATTAIN THE OFFENSELESS STAGE, ONE MUST BE ON GUARD IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER.
When we speak of hearing and chanting, it means that not only should one chant and hear of the holy name of the Lord as Rāma, Kṛṣṇa (or systematically the sixteen names Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare), but one should also read and hear the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the association of devotees.
GROWTH OF BHAKTI SEED BY WATERING CHANTING AND HEARING
The primary practice of bhakti-yoga will cause the seed already sown in the heart to sprout, and by a regular watering process, as mentioned above, the bhakti-yoga creeper will begin to grow. By systematic nurturing, the creeper will grow to such an extent that it will penetrate the coverings of the universe, as we have heard in the previous verses, reach the effulgent sky, the brahmajyoti, and go farther and farther and reach the spiritual sky, where there are innumerable spiritual planets called Vaikuṇṭhalokas. Above all of them is Kṛṣṇaloka, or Goloka Vṛndāvana, wherein the growing creeper enters and takes repose at the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the original Personality of Godhead.
FRUCTIFICATION OF CHANTING AND HEARING When one reaches the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa at Goloka Vṛndāvana, the watering process of hearing and reading, as also chanting of the holy name in the pure devotional stage, fructifies, and the fruits grown there in the form of love of God are tangibly tasted by the devotee, even though he is here in this material world. The ripe fruits of love of God are relished only by the devotees constantly engaged in the watering process as described above.
The same description is given in CC.
But the working devotee must always be mindful so that the creeper which has so grown will not be cut off. Therefore he should be mindful of the following considerations:
Mad elephant – Offense by one at the feet of a pure devotee may be likened to the mad elephant who devastates a very good garden if it enters.
Fencing – One must be very careful to guard himself against such offenses at the feet of pure devotees, just as one protects a creeper by all-around fencing.
Weeding – It so happens that by the watering process some weeds are also grown, and unless such weeds are uprooted, the nurturing of the main creeper, or the creeper of bhakti-yoga, may be hampered.
Types of Weeds – Actually these weeds are material enjoyment, merging of the self in the Absolute without separate individuality, and many other desires in the field of religion, economic development, sense enjoyment and emancipation.
Types of Weeds –There are many other weeds, like disobedience to the tenets of the revered scriptures, unnecessary engagements, killing animals, and hankering after material gain, prestige and adoration.
Why Weeding – If sufficient care is not taken, then the watering process may only help to breed the weeds, stunting the healthy growth of the main creeper and resulting in no fructification of the ultimate requirement: love of God.
When to weed – The devotee must therefore be very careful to uproot the different weeds in the very beginning. Only then will the healthy growth of the main creeper not be stunted.
Results of following these steps – And by so doing, the devotee is able to relish the fruit of love of God and thus live practically with Lord Kṛṣṇa, even in this life, and be able to see the Lord in every step.
How to follow the rules and regulations – Chant Hare krishna Attend classes Engage actively in devotional service Get rid of all unnecessary things not related to dev service
The highest perfection of life is to enjoy life constantly in the association of the Lord, and one who can relish this does not aspire after any temporary enjoyment of the material world via other media.
Devotee can enjoy life constantly in the association of the lord. Mayavadis say it is maya and reject everything. They are renouncing everything including Krsna. Devotees once they give us sense gratification, they enjoy life in service to Krsna. In union of Krsna.
Here we have a real explanation of Krsna Consciousness. SP is explaining every part of Bhagavatam, not leaving anything , he is explaining how the principle can be achieved by following Bhakti Yoga as prescribed Chaitanya Mahaprabhu which is practical for thr modern man.
Kids in older days were trained to go through these difficult process. These days they are trained to have sense gratification and work for it. If we teach them this Not only they have blissful life, They are stable in KC.
(BG 12.12) A PURE DEVOTEE IS CONSTANTLY ENGAGED IN LORD’S SERVICE
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Those who fix their minds on My personal form and are always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith are considered by Me to be most perfect.
A pure devotee is constantly engaged. Sometimes he chants, sometimes he hears or reads books about Kṛṣṇa, or sometimes he cooks prasādam or goes to the marketplace to purchase something for Kṛṣṇa, or sometimes he washes the temple or the dishes – whatever he does, he does not let a single moment pass without devoting his activities to Kṛṣṇa. Such action is in full samādhi.
(BG 12.6-7) KRSNA IS THE SWIFT DELIVERER OF WHO ARE COMPLETELY DEVOTED TO HIM But those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me, O son of Pṛthā – for them I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death. Everything is focused on Hearing and Chanting.
Sense of relativity that we discussed yesterday is explained in SB 1.1.1
(SB 1.1.1) PARAGRAPH 5, DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL POTENCY, ABSOLUTE AND REALITY
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the narration of the svarūpa of the Lord manifested by His internal potency, and this potency is distinguished from the external potency which has manifested the cosmic world, which is within our experience.
Śrīla Vyāsadeva makes a clear distinction between the two in this śloka. Śrī Vyāsadeva says herein that the manifested internal potency is real, whereas the external manifested energy in the form of material existence is only temporary and illusory like the mirage in the desert. In the desert mirage there is no actual water. There is only the appearance of water. Real water is somewhere else. The manifested cosmic creation appears as reality. But reality, of which this is but a shadow, is in the spiritual world. Absolute Truth is in the spiritual sky, not the material sky. In the material sky everything is relative truth.
Kids are learning the relative truth in the school. Aristotle says Man is the measure… How can people like putin, trump be the measure…?
That is to say, one truth depends on something else. This cosmic creation results from interaction of the three modes of nature, and the temporary manifestations are so created as to present an illusion of reality to the bewildered mind of the conditioned soul, who appears in so many species of life, including the higher demigods, like Brahmā, Indra, Candra, and so on. In actuality, there is no reality in the manifested world. There appears to be reality, however, because of the true reality which exists in the spiritual world, where the Personality of Godhead eternally exists with His transcendental paraphernalia.
(SB 1.2.11) BRAHMAN, PARAMĀTMĀ AND BHAGAVĀN ARE QUALITATIVELY ONE AND THE SAME. Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān.
The Absolute Truth is both subject and object, and there is no qualitative difference there. Therefore, Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān are qualitatively one and the same. The same substance is realized as impersonal Brahman by the students of the Upaniṣads, as localized Paramātmā by the Hiraṇyagarbhas or the yogīs, and as Bhagavān by the devotees. In other words, Bhagavān, or the Personality of Godhead, is the last word of the Absolute Truth.Paramātmā is the partial representation of the Personality of Godhead, and impersonal Brahman is the glowing effulgence of the Personality of Godhead, as the sun rays are to the sun-god. Less intelligent students of either of the above schools sometimes argue in favor of their own respective realization, but those who are perfect seers of the Absolute Truth know well that the above three features of the one Absolute Truth are different perspective views seen from different angles of vision.
Four blind men touch the elephant. One hold the tail thinks it is snake, one holds the truck and thinks it is a tree…
If we only worship Bhagavan and do not know that the Brahman is the effulgence of the Lord and that Bhagavan can expand into paramatma in a every atom. Then our understanding is not correct.
As it is explained in the first śloka of the First Chapter of the Bhāgavatam, the Supreme Truth is self-sufficient, cognizant and free from the illusion of relativity.
Self sufficient – independent virat, Cognizant – knows everything Free from illusion of relativity – we are taught that everything is relative but we do not know.
In the relative world the knower is different from the known, but in the Absolute Truth both the knower and the known are one and the same thing. In the relative world the knower is the living spirit or superior energy, whereas the known is inert matter or inferior energy. Therefore, there is a duality of inferior and superior energy, whereas in the absolute realm both the knower and the known are of the same superior energy. There are three kinds of energies of the supreme energetic. There is no difference between the energy and energetic, but there is a difference of quality of energies. The absolute realm and the living entities are of the same superior energy, but the material world is inferior energy.
We are living in a world that is relative, everything is relative, because it all depends on Krsna which is the absolute. We think everything is dependant on us. We build airways, subways, …. That is not true. Everything depends on Krsna. We are relative truths. The absolute truth is Krsna… Nithya nithyanam…. Everyone of us is dependent on the absolute truth Krsna.
The living being in contact with the inferior energy is illusioned, thinking he belongs to the inferior energy. Therefore there is the sense of relativity in the material world. In the Absolute there is no such sense of difference between the knower and the known, and therefore everything there is absolute.
The seed depends on water and heat. Water depends on heat of the sun. Sun depends on Brahma Jyothir… everything is relative. When person comes in contact with material energy, he things he is dependent on material energy. Sexual activity is not the real the cause of life. Krishna places the seed in the ovum.
THESE VERSES EMPHASIZE THE ETERNALITY OF THE SOUL BG 2.12 Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be. BG 2.20 Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be. BG 15.7 The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.2.29
We are learning how from SB 2.2, how hard it is for one to overcome the gross and subtle body coverings through the mechanical process. A yogi and a devotee, both are transcendentalists, one is endeavoring in a very difficult way and another is practicing devotion which is happily performed and never ending.
“For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.”
“But those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me, O son of Pṛthā – for them, I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.”
One may say – since fear is caused by ignorance, it can be dispelled by knowledge and there is no need to worship the Supreme Lord. The living entity falsely identifies with his material body, family, society and so on, and he simply has to give up this false identification. Then what will māyā be able to do?
The living entity, called jīva-tattva, is one of the potencies of the Supreme Lord, but the constitutional position of the living entity is taṭa-stha, or marginal. Being minute, every living entity is eternally dependent upon the supreme living entity, Kṛṣṇa.
“Among all the eternally conscious beings there is one supreme eternal living being who is supplying the needs of all the innumerable others.” “Kṛṣṇa is the only independent controller; all other living entities depend upon Him.” Just as the finger is part and parcel of the body and therefore must always be engaged in bodily service, we as parts and parcels of Kṛṣṇa have the eternal duty of engaging in the unalloyed service of the Lord.
The potency of the Lord that enlightens us in the Lord’s service is called cit-śakti.
When the living entity develops a spirit of independence he is forced to come to the material world, where he enters into various types of petty and undesirable behavior that create a fearful situation for him.
The bahiraṅgā-śakti, the illusory potency of the Supreme Lord, covers all trace of the cit-śakti and imposes one material body after another upon the living entity for his gross sinful enjoyment.
As further punishment, the living entity who has given up his loving relationship with Kṛṣṇa loses all power to perceive the eternal, blissful form of the Supreme Lord, who is his actual shelter.
Instead the living entity becomes attached to many temporary, phantasmagorical forms, such as his personal body, the bodies of his family members and friends, his nation, his city, with its buildings and cars, and innumerable types of ephemeral material scenery. In such a state of gross ignorance the idea of returning to one’s original identity no longer even crosses the mind.
The illusory potency of the Supreme Lord is duratyayā; (BG 7.14) it is impossible to escape without the direct mercy of Kṛṣṇa.
The example given is that when the sun is covered by clouds, no man-made apparatus can remove them from the sky, but the sun itself, which created the clouds, can immediately burn away the cloudy covering and reveal itself. (Brilliant example SP is giving). Similarly, when we become covered by the illusory potency of the Lord we identify with our temporary material body, and thus we are always in fear and anxiety.
Devotees have no need to fear the bondage of material existence. That fear goes away of its own accord for one who engages in devotional service.”
Srila Prabhupada explained that the results of all devotional activities performed in the holy dhama are magnified a thousand times. Therefore, one can make rapid advancement if one lives offenselessly in the holy dhama.
But if we commit offenses, the results of those offenses are also magnified one thousand times. Therefore, one is advised to carefully avoid committing any offenses in the holy dhama.
India is full of holy dhams. India is a land of dharma. On this land there is so much sinful activity happening cow killing, intoxication, abortion… They are performing wholesale sins. The sinful reactions are 1000 times more than anywhere else. We are now seeing the reactions. There will be more coming due to the wholesale sins being committed there. People are unnecessarily suffering due to ignorant sinful lives. If we always focus on the outward problems, we will never have a real solution. Getting to the real cause will give us the real solution. The real solution is, people in India have to take up Krsna Consciousness seriously. The government has to educate people about Krsna Comsciousness and people in India have to follow the principles of Bhagavad-gita, and the state religion should be declared Krishna Consciousness as propesed by Srila Prabhupada in his letter to Gopal Krishna March 1969.
SB 2.2.29 TRANSLATION The devotee thus surpasses the subtle objects of different senses like aroma by smelling, the palate by tasting, vision by seeing forms, touch by contacting, the vibrations of the ear by ethereal identification, and the sense organs by material activities.
CLASS NOTES:
Beyond the sky there are subtle coverings, resembling the elementary coverings of the universes. The gross coverings are a development of partial ingredients of the subtle causes. So the yogī or devotee, along with liquidation of the gross elements, relinquishes the subtle causes like aroma by smelling. The pure spiritual spark, the living entity, thus becomes completely cleansed of all material contamination to become eligible for entrance into the kingdom of God.
What we learned so far in the Second chapter of Canto 2 is how difficult it is for one to overcome the gross and subtle body coverings through the mechanical process. Yogi and devotee, both are transcendentalists, one is endeavoring in a very difficult way and another is practicing devotion, without having to go through the technical difficulty of the processes. The same result can be achieved by chanting, eating, dancing, organizing festivals, celebrating holy festivals, accepting bonafide spiritual master, and always depending on the advice given by siksha and diksha gurus. The ultimate guru is Krsna. Yogi has a difficult process, devotee has a easy and happy transcendental process. Raja Vidya guhyam…. Raja vidya… happily performed and unending. On the other hand, one who is trying to achieve the impersonal brahman, advancement is very difficult.
(BG 12.5) ADVANCEMENT IS VERY TROUBLESOME FOR THOSE WHO ARE ATTACHED TO THE IMPERSONAL FEATURE
For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.
(BG 12.6-7) KRSNA IS THE SWIFT DELIVERER OF THE DEVOTEES FROM MATERIAL ENTANGLEMENT ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi mayi sannyasya mat-parāḥ ananyenaiva yogena māṁ dhyāyanta upāsate teṣām ahaṁ samuddhartā mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt bhavāmi na cirāt pārtha mayy āveśita-cetasām
But those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me, O son of Pṛthā – for them, I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.
Why should we undertake something which is not possible to do in kali yuga? We should follow something our acharyas have said. This is the special benediction of lord Caitanya knowing very well how difficult it is to be Krsna Consciousness in Kali-yuga, He prescribed chanting and dancing as the means to achieve the On the other hand, All of us have gone through a horrible experience of becoming attached to the material world. This is explained in the following verse.
(SB 11.2.37) FEAR ARISES WHEN A LIVING ENTITY MISIDENTIFIES HIMSELF AS THE MATERIAL BODY Fear arises when a living entity misidentifies himself as the material body because of absorption in the external, illusory energy of the Lord. When the living entity thus turns away from the Supreme Lord, he also forgets his own constitutional position as a servant of the Lord. This bewildering, fearful condition is affected by the potency for illusion, called māyā. Therefore, an intelligent person should engage unflinchingly in the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord, under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, whom he should accept as his worshipable deity and as his very life and soul.
This is a very significant verse. It explains how we become entangled in the material world is explained in this verse. Sridhara swami is from Rudra sampradaya.
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī the objection may be raised that since fear is caused by ignorance, it can be dispelled by knowledge and there is no need to worship the Supreme Lord.The living entity falsely identifies with his material body, family, society and so on, and he simply has to give up this false identification. Then what will māyā be able to do?
BG 7.14
“This divine energy of Mine consisting of the three modes of material nature is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.”
The living entity, called jīva-tattva, is one of the potencies of the Supreme Lord, but the constitutional position of the living entity is taṭa-stha, or marginal. Being minute, every living entity is eternally dependent upon the supreme living entity, Kṛṣṇa. This is confirmed in the Vedic literature as follows: nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānāṁ/ eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān
“Among all the eternally conscious beings there is one supreme eternal living being who is supplying the needs of all the innumerable others.” (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.1.12) Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja has stated, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya: “Kṛṣṇa is the only independent controller; all other living entities depend upon Him.” (Cc. Ādi 5.142) Just as the finger is part and parcel of the body and therefore must always be engaged in bodily service, we as parts and parcels of Kṛṣṇa (mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ) have the eternal duty (sanātana-dharma) of engaging in the unalloyed service of the Lord.
Jivas’ position is marginal. Because we are less than atomic particles which are part and parcel of Krsna. We are eternally dependent on the Lord. We are eternal and Krsna is eternal. Difference is, He is the maintainer. He is the supreme absolute truth… independent controller… We are sanatana, we are eternal…
The potency of the Lord that enlightens us in the Lord’s service is called cit-śakti. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura comments that when the living entity develops a spirit of independence he is forced to come to the material world, where he enters into various types of petty and undesirable behavior that create a fearful situation for him.
The bahiraṅgā-śakti, the illusory potency of the Supreme Lord, covers all trace of the cit-śakti and imposes one material body after another upon the living entity for his gross sinful enjoyment. As further punishment, the living entity who has given up his loving relationship with Kṛṣṇa loses all power to perceive the eternal, blissful form of the Supreme Lord, who is his actual shelter. Instead the living entity becomes attached to many temporary, phantasmagorical forms, such as his personal body, the bodies of his family members and friends, his nation, his city, with its buildings and cars, and innumerable types of ephemeral material scenery. In such a state of gross ignorance the idea of returning to one’s original identity no longer even crosses the mind.
LIVING ENTITY COMES TO THE CONCLUSION OF RELATIVITY AND ASSUMES THAT GOD AND WORSHIP OF GOD ARE SIMPLY BY-PRODUCTS OF THE RELATIVE, CONTRADICTORY INTERACTIONS OF NATURE’S MODES.
By the laws of God the three modes of material nature are constantly in conflict, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. When the living entity is bewildered by the interactions of the modes of material nature, he comes to the conclusion of relativity and assumes that God and worship of God are simply by-products of the relative, contradictory interactions of nature’s modes.
In the name of anthropological, sociological or psychological perspective, the living entity falls deeper and deeper into the darkness of materialistic ignorance, dedicating himself to mundane piety, economic development, sense gratification, or speculation in which he regards the Absolute as lacking variety and personality, which he assumes to be products of the interactions of nature’s modes.
If you read philosophy you see that atheists say that everything is relative. It is also stated in BG 16.8. If you come to these kinds of conclusions, then your only hope is sense gratification in this life. One will waste life running after sense gratification and they die. They are cursed by the misinformation. Modes are in conflict and bewilder people and they think everything is relative. When you say everything is relative and there is no absolute, you will end up doing all wrong things as everything is relative. Devotees believe in supreme absolute truth. We infact daily repeat “asamsayam samargram…” that is understanding the supreme absolute truth personality of Godhead.
BG 16.8 – They say that this world is unreal, with no foundation, no God in control. They say it is produced of sex desire and has no cause other than lust.
There is no cause and effect, no controller, no purpose: everything is unreal.
Factually, although the demons say that life is a dream, they are very expert in enjoying this dream.
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ESCAPE WITHOUT THE DIRECT MERCY OF KṚṢṆA
The illusory potency of the Supreme Lord is duratyayā; (BG 7.14) it is impossible to escape without the direct mercy of Kṛṣṇa (mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te). The example may be given that when the sun is covered by clouds, no man-made apparatus can remove them from the sky, but the sun itself, which created the clouds, can immediately burn away the cloudy covering and reveal itself. (Brilliant example SP is giving). Similarly, when we become covered by the illusory potency of the Lord we identify with our temporary material body, and thus we are always in fear and anxiety.
But when we surrender to the Lord Himself, He can immediately free us from this illusion. The material world is padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām; it is dangerous at every step. When a living entity understands that he is not the material body but an eternal servant of God, his fear is vanquished. As stated by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, atra bhaktaiḥ saṁsāra-bandhān na bhetavyaṁ sa hi bhaktau pravartamānasya svata evāpayāti: “In this bhāgavata-dharma devotees have no need to fear the bondage of material existence. That fear goes away of its own accord for one who engages in devotional service.”
It is impossible to overcome maya without the mercy of Krsna…What is Krsna Consciousness, we seek the mercy of the lord through guru parampara. What do we identify with? Mayavadis say nothing, But We have to identify with Krsna, He is the source of everything. He is the real focus of our attention. This is something that we should inform people of India – “In this bhāgavata-dharma devotees have no need to fear the bondage of material existence. That fear goes away of its own accord for one who engages in devotional service.”
Letter to Gopala Krsna March 1969 https://vedabase.io/en/library/letters/letter-to-gopala-krsna-3
To tell you frankly, one of the objects of my missionary activities is to bring to notice of the educated Indian public that devotional service originated from the Indian side in its pure form, propounded by educated public and the leaders of Indian people specifically are deliberately violating all the principles of India’s original spiritual culture, in the name of secular state. When India was divided into Hindustan and Pakistan, there was good opportunity for the Hindu Indians to follow strictly the principles of Bhagavad-gita, and the state religion should have been declared Krishna Consciousness. Mahatma Gandhi was a great advocate of Bhagavad-gita, and when he was alive I requested him to preach but I did not receive any favorable reply from him, because he was too much politically contaminated.
WHY SO MUCH SUFFERING IS GOING ON IN INDIA?
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has listed ten offenses against the holy dhama that we must carefully avoid in orderto be fully benefitted from our visit to or residence in the holy dhama.
To disrespect one’s spiritual master who reveals the dhama to the disciple
To think that the holy dhama is temporary.
To commit violence towards any of the residents of the holy dhama or to any of the pilgrims who come there, or to think that they are ordinary people. Srila Prabhupada writes: “All the inhabitants of Vrindavana are Vaisnavas. They are all auspicious because somehow or other they always chant the holy name of Krishna” (C.C.Adi 5.232, purport).
To perform mundane activities while living in the holy dhama.
To utilize the dhama for personal economic development by commercializing deity worship and sankirtana in the holy dhama.
To think that the holy dhama belongs to a mundane country or province, such as Bengal; to think that the Lord’s dhama is equal to a place connected with some demigod, or to attempt to measure the area of the holy dhama.
To commit sinful acts while residing in the holy dhama
To consider Vrindavana-dhama as different from Navadvipa-dhama.
To blaspheme the sastras that assert the glorious position of the holy dhama.
To be faithless and think that the glories of the dhama are imaginary.
Srila Prabhupada explained that the results of all devotional activities performed in the holy dhama are magnified a thousand times. Therefore, one can make rapid advancement if one lives offenselessly in the holy dhama. But if we commit offenses, the results of those offenses are also magnified one thousand times. Therefore, one is advised to carefully avoid committing any offenses in the holy dhama.
There are many holy dhamas in India, Lord Rama and Krsna were present there. All of India is a holy dhama… with british, gandhi, Nehru, cities are developed, people are moving from country to cities.. They are performing wholesale sins. The sinful reactions are 1000 times more than anywhere else. There are going to be more waves coming in India due to the wholesale sins being committed. Vaccines, oxygen, hospitals are not the real solution. As long as we focus on outward problems there will not be real solution. Real cause – real remedy. The Real solution is taking to chanting the holy name of the lord. Knowledge is there, but more than knowledge, we have to have the mercy of Krsna which we can get through chanting. People are unnecessarily suffering due to sinful lives.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.2.28 TODAY (04/25/21):
One who attains Brahmaloka or Satyaloka by dint of devotional service is specifically mentioned here, in relation to how he can penetrate into the different coverings of the universe and thus ultimately disclose his spiritual identity in the absolute atmosphere of supreme existence.
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī confirms that a part of the material nature, after being initiated by the Lord, is known as the mahat-tattva. A fractional portion of the mahat-tattva is called the false ego.
A portion of the ego is the vibration of sound, and a portion of the sound is atmospheric air. A portion of the airy atmosphere is turned into forms, and the forms constitute the power of electricity or heat.
Heat produces the smell of the aroma of the earth, and the gross earth is produced by such aroma. And all these combined together constitute the cosmic phenomenon.
The extent of the cosmic phenomenon is calculated to be diametrically (both ways) four billion miles.
Then the coverings of the universe begin. The first stratum of the covering is calculated to extend eighty million miles, and the subsequent coverings of the universe are respectively of fire, effulgence, air and ether, one after another, each extending ten times further than the previous.
The fearless devotee of the Lord penetrates each of the covering of the universe and ultimately reaches the absolute atmosphere where everything is of one and the same spiritual identity.
Then the devotee enters one of the Vaikuṇṭha planets, where he assumes exactly the same form as the Lord and engages in the loving transcendental service of the Lord. That is the highest perfection of devotional life. Beyond this there is nothing to be desired or achieved by the perfect yogī.
It is very hard to comprehend what we just read and is seems very impossible for us to get liberated from the material world and attain Goloka. Only a pure devotee can understand it and be able to write it.
By the mercy of Chaitanya, the very complicated process of getting liberated from the material world is simplified. Hare Krishna maha-mantra was brought down from Goloka by lord Caitanya & Nityananda for the salvation of living beings.
If we chant the mantra very sincerely, we can mitigate the extremely difficult process to get out of the material creation.
Both the living entities and material nature existed before this cosmos was manifested. Material nature was absorbed in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mahā-viṣṇu, and when it was required, it was manifested by the agency of the mahat-tattva. Similarly, the living entities are also in Him, and because they are conditioned, they are averse to serving the Supreme Lord. Thus they are not allowed to enter into the spiritual sky.
But with the coming forth of material nature these living entities are again given a chance to act in the material world and prepare themselves to enter into the spiritual world. That is the mystery of this material creation.
Forgetting Kṛṣṇa, the living entity has been attracted by the external feature from time immemorial. Therefore the illusory energy [māyā] gives him all kinds of misery in his material existence.
The living entity’s forgetfulness is described as anādi, which indicates that it has existed since time immemorial. One should understand that due to his desire to enjoy himself in competition with Kṛṣṇa, the living entity comes into material existence.
All transformations and variety in respect to living entities are due to the body. As far as spirit is concerned, living entities are all the same.
Nature is said to be the cause of all material causes and effects, whereas the living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in this world.
His material happiness and distress are due to his body, and not to himself as he is. In his original state, there is no doubt of enjoyment; therefore that is his real state.
SB 2.2.28 TRANSLATION After reaching Satyaloka, the devotee is specifically able to be incorporated fearlessly by the subtle body in an identity similar to that of the gross body, and one after another he gradually attains stages of existence from earthly to watery, fiery, glowing, and airy, until he reaches the ethereal stage.
CLASS NOTES:
One who attains Brahmaloka or Satyaloka by dint of devotional service is specifically mentioned here, in relation to how he can penetrate into the different coverings of the universe and thus ultimately disclose his spiritual identity in the absolute atmosphere of supreme existence.
COSMIC PHENOMENON
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī confirms that a part of the material nature, after being initiated by the Lord, is known as the mahat-tattva. A fractional portion of the mahat-tattva is called the false ego. A portion of the ego is the vibration of sound, and a portion of sound is atmospheric air. A portion of the airy atmosphere is turned into forms, and the forms constitute the power of electricity or heat. Heat produces the smell of the aroma of the earth, and the gross earth is produced by such aroma. And all these combined together constitute the cosmic phenomenon. The extent of the cosmic phenomenon is calculated to be diametrically (both ways) four billion miles. Then the coverings of the universe begin. The first stratum of the covering is calculated to extend eighty million miles, and the subsequent coverings of the universe are respectively of fire, effulgence, air and ether, one after another, each extending ten times further than the previous.
The fearless devotee of the Lord penetrates each one of them and ultimately reaches the absolute atmosphere where everything is of one and the same spiritual identity. Then the devotee enters one of the Vaikuṇṭha planets, where he assumes exactly the same form as the Lord and engages in the loving transcendental service of the Lord. That is the highest perfection of devotional life. Beyond this there is nothing to be desired or achieved by the perfect yogī.
This is an extremely profound purport, Prabhupada is explaining the cosmology of the universe. The devotee purifies himself from gross to subtle. Very detailed information. Only a pure devotee can write this. We can only understand a little bit of it. By the mercy of Chaitanya, the very complicated process of getting liberated from the material world is simplified.
Mahatattva – Total material energy. Cosmic phenomenon ——Mahatattava ->false ego -> vibration of sound -> atmospheric air ->forms ->heat ->smell of the aroma of the earth ->gross earth. Mahatattava – false ego +vibration of sound Hare Krishna maha-mantra was brought down from Goloka by lord Caitanya & Nityananda for the salvation of living beings. If we chant the mantra very sincerely, we can mitigate the extremely difficult process to get out of the material creation. We need to understand the diff bet material sound and spiritual sound. The cosmic phenomenon is illusory because it is temporary. Is hearing the news gives us transcendental knowledge? No, it is entangling. BG & SB – is transcendental knowledge. Going to focus on hearing. Let’s take a walk of the dense jungle of material creation led by SP and Acharyas in CC.
(CC M 20.117) BY FORGETTING KṚṢṆA, ONE IS ENTRAPPED BY ILLUSORY ENERGY THAT GIVES HIM ALL KINDS OF MISERY “Forgetting Kṛṣṇa, the living entity has been attracted by the external feature from time immemorial. Therefore the illusory energy [māyā] gives him all kinds of misery in his material existence.
Unless we understand this, we become victims of false airways. The material explanation of why there is chaos in India – Kumbh Mela, not following social distancing, masks… But there is a deeper real cause. The real cause is the people are committing so many sins in the land of Dharma. They are acting knowingly. They say they don’t know. Because you purposely avoided it. Every year Janmashtami is celebrated every year. People cant say they don’t know. They don’t want to know. SP, acharyas have been living on this land for thousands and thousands of years.
When the living entity forgets his constitutional position as an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, he is immediately entrapped by the illusory, external energy. The living entity is originally part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa and is, therefore, the superior energy of Kṛṣṇa. He is endowed with inconceivable minute energy that works inconceivably within the body.
Constructing a Boeing airplane is a simple ABC compared to the Human body.
However, the living entity, forgetting his position, is situated in the material energy. In order to sin one has to forget Krsna. In the land of dharma, there is so much sin every day.
The living entity is called the marginal energy because by nature he is spiritual but by forgetfulness, he is situated in the material energy. Thus he has the power to live either in the material energy or in the spiritual energy, and for this reason, he is called marginal energy. Being in the marginal position, he is sometimes attracted by the external, illusory energy, and this is the beginning of his material life.
We are coming to the temple, to remain in spiritual energy. There has to be a breaking point – That is it, I am not going to not longer be in material energy…. The goal of life is explained in BG 13th chapter which describes who we got here, how to get off here. Before you enter, think about how you get out of here. Think about the exit policy. Looks how complicated it is to get out of this material nature.
(BG 13.20) MYSTERY OF MATERIAL CREATION – WHY LIVING ENTITY COMES INTO THE MATERIAL WORLD
Both material nature and the living entity are eternal. That is to say that they existed before the creation. The material manifestation is from the energy of the Supreme Lord, and so also are the living entities, but the living entities are of the superior energy. Both the living entities and material nature existed before this cosmos was manifested. Material nature was absorbed in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mahā-viṣṇu, and when it was required, it was manifested by the agency of the mahat-tattva. Similarly, the living entities are also in Him, and because they are conditioned, they are averse to serving the Supreme Lord. Thus they are not allowed to enter into the spiritual sky. But with the coming forth of material nature these living entities are again given a chance to act in the material world and prepare themselves to enter into the spiritual world. That is the mystery of this material creation. Actually the living entity is originally the spiritual part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, but due to his rebellious nature, he is conditioned within material nature. It really does not matter how these living entities or superior entities of the Supreme Lord have come in contact with material nature. The Supreme Personality of Godhead knows, however, how and why this actually took place. In the scriptures, the Lord says that those attracted by this material nature are undergoing a hard struggle for existence. But we should know it with certainty from the descriptions of these few verses that all transformations and influences of material nature by the three modes are also productions of material nature. All transformations and variety in respect to living entities are due to the body. As far as spirit is concerned, living entities are all the same.
All of us are struggling in this material world. We are all trying to be happy in the place of misery. Everything is going to come to an end in this material world. Am I this body, no, but do you believe you are this body, yes I am made to believe so by modern education.
(BG 13.21)THE LIVING ENTITY IS THE CAUSE OF THE VARIOUS SUFFERINGS AND ENJOYMENTS IN THIS WORLD.
Nature is said to be the cause of all material causes and effects, whereas the living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in this world.
Why does it say Nature and not say Krsna? Because He is transcendental to the material nature. He is controlling the material nature. But He is not doing anything. It is like Bezos is on vacation the factory workers are working in the Amazon factory. When you go there you hear about him, but you do not see Him. He is playing the flute. He is taking care of cows. He is not dealing with Machines… Even devas are also in anxiety, they are working hard managing this whole universe… They are all going to die. Krsna is not working, He is having fun…
The different manifestations of body and senses among the living entities are due to material nature. There are 8,400,000 different species of life, and these varieties are creations of the material nature. They arise from the different sensual pleasures of the living entity, who thus desires to live in this body or that. When he is put into different bodies, he enjoys different kinds of happiness and distress. His material happiness and distress are due to his body, and not to himself as he is. In his original state, there is no doubt of enjoyment; therefore that is his real state.
When he enters the material energy, he is subjected to the threefold time measurement — past, present, and future. Past, present, and future belong only to the material world; they do not exist in the spiritual world. The living entity is eternal, and he existed before the creation of this material world. Unfortunately, he has forgotten his relationship with Kṛṣṇa. The living entity’s forgetfulness is described herein as anādi, which indicates that it has existed since time immemorial. One should understand that due to his desire to enjoy himself in competition with Kṛṣṇa, the living entity comes into material existence.
Our disease is forgetfulness. What we heard in the class we forget. We were all originally with Krsna. If you reject that we were not with Krsna then we go off track.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.2.27
The Vedic wisdom guides us to understand our relationship with the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and to acting accordingly in order to achieve the desired result of returning home, back to Godhead. But materialistic men do not understand this
For false happiness, they try to reach other planets, either by Vedic rituals or by spacecraft, but they should know for certain that any amount of materialistic adjustment for becoming happy in a place which is meant for distress cannot benefit the misguided man because, after all, the whole universe with all its paraphernalia will come to an end after a certain period. Then all plans of materialistic happiness will automatically come to an end.
The intelligent person makes a plan to return home, back to Godhead. He surpasses all the pangs of material existence, like birth, death, disease, and old age. He is actually happy because he has no anxieties of material existence, but as a compassionate sympathizer he feels unhappiness for the suffering materialistic men, and thus he occasionally comes before the materialistic men to teach them the necessity of going back to Godhead.
All the bonafide ācāryas preach this truth of returning home, back to Godhead, and warn men not to make a false plan for happiness in a place where happiness is only a myth.
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa puts to the test many of His pure devotees just to magnify the sense of duty. The gopīs were put to such tests as well. Prahlāda Mahārāja also was put to such a test. All pure devotees come out successful in the respective tests by the Lord.
We have been discussing about the Sense of Duty
Occupational activities are useless if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.
The primary duty of a person is not serving the needs of a body but serving the needs of the soul. 99 percent of the people do not know what is the primary duty of their life and they are merrily wasting their time running after making attempts for better bodily comforts/ sense gratification.
One should not engage himself in any sort of occupational service for material gain only. Nor should material gain be utilized for sense gratification.
Human life is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one’s works.
In every sphere of life, therefore, the ultimate end must be seeking after the Absolute Truth, and that sort of engagement will make one happy because he will be less engaged in varieties of sense gratification.
Our primary duty is to hear about the transcendental activities of the Lord, as they are stated in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
The more we hear about the transcendental activities of the Lord, the more we can know about His transcendental nature and thus make definite progress on the path back to Godhead.
Our duty is to act fully under the direction of the Supreme Lord as a servant acts only on the order of the master. Now, one may argue that Arjuna was acting under the personal direction of Kṛṣṇa but when Kṛṣṇa is not present how should one act?
If one acts according to the direction of Kṛṣṇa in this book, as well as under the guidance of the representative of Kṛṣṇa, then the result will be the same.
One has no goal in life save and except acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness just to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. And while working in that way, one should think of Kṛṣṇa only: “I have been appointed to discharge this particular duty by Kṛṣṇa.” This is perfect Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
One should, however, note that after doing something whimsically he should not offer the result to the Supreme Lord. That sort of duty is not in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
One should act according to the order of Kṛṣṇa. That order of Kṛṣṇa comes through disciplic succession from the bonafide spiritual master.
Therefore, the spiritual master’s order should be taken as the prime duty of life. If one gets a bona fide spiritual master and acts according to his direction, then one’s perfection of life in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is guaranteed.
There is no time limitation for a pure devotee. He is always, twenty-four hours a day, one hundred percent engaged in activities under the direction of the Supreme Lord or the representative of the Lord, the bonafide spiritual master.
To a devotee who is thus engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the Lord is very, very kind. In spite of all difficulties, he is eventually placed in the transcendental abode or Kṛṣṇaloka. He is guaranteed entrance there; there is no doubt about it. In that supreme abode, there is no change; everything is eternal, imperishable, and full of knowledge.
SB 2.2.27 TRANSLATION In that planet of Satyaloka, there is neither bereavement nor old age nor death. There is no pain of any kind, and therefore there are no anxieties, save that sometimes, due to consciousness, there is a feeling of compassion for those unaware of the process of devotional service, who are subjected to unsurpassable miseries in the material world.
CLASS NOTES:
Simply by becoming an academic scholar one cannot understand the Vedic statements; one has to approach the real authority who has received the Vedic knowledge by disciplic succession, as clearly explained in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.2). A qualified brāhmaṇa, who has undergone strict training under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master can interpret the Vedic knowledge.The Vedic wisdom guides us to understand our relationship with the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and to acting accordingly in order to achieve the desired result of returning home, back to Godhead. But materialistic men do not understand this.
MATERIALISTIC MAN’S PLAN
For false happiness, they try to reach other planets, either by Vedic rituals or by spacecraft, but they should know for certain that any amount of materialistic adjustment for becoming happy in a place which is meant for distress cannot benefit the misguided man because, after all, the whole universe with all its paraphernalia will come to an end after a certain period. Then all plans of materialistic happiness will automatically come to an end.
INTELLIGENT MAN’S PLAN
The intelligent person makes a plan to return home, back to Godhead. He surpasses all the pangs of material existence, like birth, death, disease, and old age. He is actually happy because he has no anxieties of material existence, but as a compassionate sympathizer he feels unhappiness for the suffering materialistic men, and thus he occasionally comes before the materialistic men to teach them the necessity of going back to Godhead. All the bonafide ācāryas preach this truth of returning home, back to Godhead, and warn men not to make a false plan for happiness in a place where happiness is only a myth.
(SB 1.19.24) DUTY OF EVERYONE
O trustworthy brāhmaṇas, I now ask you about my immediate duty. Please, after proper deliberation, tell me of the unalloyed duty of everyone in all circumstances, and specifically of those who are just about to die.
(SB 1.7.40) TEST FOR THE SENSE OF DUTY Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa encouraged Arjuna outwardly just to test Arjuna’s sense of duty. It is not that Arjuna was incomplete in the sense of his duty, nor was Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa unaware of Arjuna’s sense of duty. But Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa puts to the test many of His pure devotees just to magnify the sense of duty. The gopīs were put to such tests as well. Prahlāda Mahārāja also was put to such a test. All pure devotees come out successful in the respective tests by the Lord.
Lord Krishna will test his devotees to see what his sense of duty is.
The purpose is to magnify the sense of duty of the devotees. This is further explained in SB.
(SB 1.2.8) OCCUPATIONAL ACTIVITIES ARE USELESS IF THEY DO NOT PROVOKE ATTRACTION FOR THE MESSAGE OF THE PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD
The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.
People who don’t like to hear classes, come to classes, more concerned about maintenance, family duties and all ignore duties of hearing and chanting. They will not know Krsna Consciousness. Quality hearing and chanting is absolutely necessary every day.
Gross materialists – occupational activities are limited to concentrated and extended selfishness.
Mental Speculators – hover aloft in the mental spheres, and their occupational duties involve making poetry and philosophy or propagating some ism with the same aim of selfishness limited to the body and the mind.
Less intelligent – But above the body and mind is the dormant spirit soul whose absence from the body makes the whole range of bodily and mental selfishness completely null and void. But less intelligent people have no information of the needs of the spirit soul.
The primary duty of a person is not serving the needs of a body but serving the needs of the soul. The soul is the eternal servant of the supreme by constitutional position. 99 percent of the people do not know what is the primary duty of their life. They are wasting their time running after sense gratification, earning money, surrounded with gadgets, instruments meant for sense gratification and … and they never come to the primary duty of life.
(SB 1.2.9) ONE WHO IS ENGAGED IN THE ULTIMATE OCCUPATIONAL SERVICE SHOULD NEVER USE MATERIAL GAIN TO CULTIVATE SENSE GRATIFICATION
All occupational engagements are certainly meant for ultimate liberation. They should never be performed for material gain. Furthermore, according to sages, one who is engaged in the ultimate occupational service should never use material gain to cultivate sense gratification.
The cycle of occupational engagements
This cycle includes so-called religiosity followed by material gain and material gain followed by the fulfillment of desires. Sense gratification is the general way for all sorts of fully occupied men.
One should not engage himself in any sort of occupational service for material gain only. Nor should material gain be utilized for sense gratification. How material gain should be utilized is described as follows.
(SB 1.2.10) Primary duty is to inquiry about absolute truth
Life’s desires should never be directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one’s works.
Without any anxiety of safety or our protection, we should engage in the service of Krsna. This is our primary duty. An example is – Presently Covid is killing people at an amazing rate in India. The situation in India is very dire. Why is it more severe in India than in the west? India is the land of Dharma. Rama, Krishna, was there, Vyasadev is there even now writing Vedas for the next age. In such a land of dharma, when people are engaged in horrendous sinful activities, the reaction is much more severe. Do they realize it? They do not see the correlation between meat-eating, intoxication, gambling, illicit activities… and many more crimes..
If a sinful activity is performed in Vrindavan the reaction is 1000 times more severe than in other places. India is full of holy places. Vrndavan, Benaras, Mayapur, Srirangam… Because people are committing so many sinful actions, the effect is much more. In India tremendous amount of cow killing, abortion, what can be expected.When things happen, we should ask why this is happening?
No one is serious about the problems of life. Even those who are on the path of salvation desire to become one with the Absolute Truth and desire to commit spiritual suicide for sense gratification.
Bhāgavatam says that one should not live for sense gratification. One should satisfy the senses only insomuch as required for self-preservation, and not for sense gratification
Seekers of the Absolute Truth are never allured by unnecessary engagements in sense gratification because the serious students seeking the Absolute Truth are always overwhelmed with the work of researching the Truth.
In every sphere of life, therefore, the ultimate end must be seeking after the Absolute Truth, and that sort of engagement will make one happy because he will be less engaged in varieties of sense gratification.
“Overwhelmed with the work of researching the truth” – Therefore you do not want to waste one second of your time focussing on things that are not connected to Krsna. However, you can make everything in your life connected to Krsna, work, spare time.. if you do not know how to do it you can seek the guidance of the siksha and diksha guru. This is called the art of work.
Sense of duty is further explained in SB 1.18.11.
(SB 1.18.11) Duty is to hear about the transcendental activities of the Lord, as they are stated in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
The good sages said: O grave Sūta Gosvāmī! May you live many years and have eternal fame, for you are speaking very nicely about the activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead. This is just like nectar for mortal beings like us.
When we hear about the transcendental qualities and activities of the Personality of Godhead, we may always remember what has been spoken by the Lord Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.9). janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna
One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.
We must give premium to hearing about Krsna. That is the only thing that can save us.
The more we hear about the transcendental activities of the Lord, as they are stated in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the more we can know about His transcendental nature and thus make definite progress on the path back to Godhead.
Hearing and chanting is the primary duty of our life, so we are always thinking of Krsna and putting that into actuality by offering the result of all our activities to Krsna. The concept of amplifying the sense of duty is clearly understood, when we are put into difficulties. Just like so many people are put into difficulty in India. Everyone is put into difficulty in this material world. It is not a safe haven. Birth, death, the disease is present for everyone.. The time I am … Time is always pressuring us. We are experiencing time – past, present, future and it always puts us in deep anxiety.
Force of Time
3 modes of material nature
Miseries – adhyatmika, adi bhautika, adi daivika
Lust anger greed envy illusion
Sleeping eating mating & defending
Birth death old age and disease
All these things are limiting us and conditioning us. These are the sources of problems. In all that, there is a test –
This is the test by which one can tell whether he is advancing in devotional service. One must be detached from material enjoyment. Such detachment means that māyā has actually given the conditioned soul liberation from illusory enjoyment. When one is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he does not consider himself as good as Kṛṣṇa. Whenever he thinks that he is the enjoyer of material advantages, he is imprisoned in the bodily conception. However, when he is freed from the bodily conception, he can engage in devotional service, which is his actual position of freedom from the clutches of māyā. This is all explained in the following verse from the Bhagavad-gītā (7.14).
Everyone is under the spell of illusory enjoyment. Sense gratification is illusory enjoyment. Law of nature – Sense gratification is followed by suffering. People do not agree, but that is the law of nature, it is the truth. Just like the law of gravity cannot be ignored, this law also cannot be ignored.
(CC Madhya 20.122) Māyā’s business is to keep the conditioned soul forgetful of his real relationship with Kṛṣṇa.
“The conditioned soul cannot revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness by his own effort. But out of causeless mercy, Lord Kṛṣṇa compiled the Vedic literature and its supplements, the Purāṇas.
A conditioned soul is bewildered by the Lord’s illusory energy (māyā). Māyā’s business is to keep the conditioned soul forgetful of his real relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Thus the living entity forgets his real identity as spirit soul, Brahman, and instead of realizing his factual position thinks himself the product of the material energy. According to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.7.5):
“Due to this external energy, the living entity, although transcendental to the three modes of material nature, thinks of himself as a material product and thus undergoes the reactions of material miseries.”
This whole thing is unnecessary, but due to bewilderment, we subject ourselves merrily to sense gratification and suffering, more sense gratification and more suffering..
You cannot be engaged in Sense gratification in India without being zapped, as India is the land of dharma.
All these things are explained in Vedic literature which is given by the literary incarnation of the Lord – Vyas Dev. The purpose of vedic literature is to instruct us who is krishna and how to get out of this cycle of suffering and become determined by magnifying our sense of duty. The Sense of duty is explained in last part of BG 18.56
BG 18.56) Ultimate duty is to always act under the direction of the Supreme Lord or His representative, the spiritual master.
Though engaged in all kinds of activities, My pure devotee, under My protection, reaches the eternal and imperishable abode by My grace.
The word mad-vyapāśrayaḥ means under the protection of the Supreme Lord. To be free from material contamination, a pure devotee acts under the direction of the Supreme Lord or His representative, the spiritual master. There is no time limitation for a pure devotee. He is always, twenty-four hours a day, one hundred percent engaged in activities under the direction of the Supreme Lord. To a devotee who is thus engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the Lord is very, very kind. In spite of all difficulties, he is eventually placed in the transcendental abode, or Kṛṣṇaloka. He is guaranteed entrance there; there is no doubt about it. In that supreme abode, there is no change; everything is eternal, imperishable and full of knowledge.
We should not be afraid of difficulties when we are devotee. It is a test that we must pass. Krishna is testing the sense of duty. By that test, He wants to magnify our sense of duty. If everything is going alright, you slippery slope into the death valley of Sense gratification, your sense of duty is demagnified. When there are trouble devotees naturally become more sincere in their service to Krsna, chanting, attending classes.. They understand cause and effect. They can see the correlation between the reactions of the actions. The reactions will come very quickly for devotees. For others the reactions will come sometimes after lifetimes..The devotees’ sense of duty is magnified if they are willing to be serious in their service… We should never be afraid of difficulties..
(BG 18.57) Our duty is to act fully under the direction of the Supreme Lord as a servant acts only on the order of the master
In all activities just depend upon Me and work always under My protection. In such devotional service, be fully conscious of Me
When one acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he does not act as the master of the world. Just like a servant, one should act fully under the direction of the Supreme Lord. A servant has no individual independence. He acts only on the order of the master. A servant acting on behalf of the supreme master is unaffected by profit and loss. He simply discharges his duty faithfully in terms of the order of the Lord. Now, one may argue that Arjuna was acting under the personal direction of Kṛṣṇa but when Kṛṣṇa is not present how should one act? If one acts according to the direction of Kṛṣṇa in this book, as well as under the guidance of the representative of Kṛṣṇa, then the result will be the same.
Sikha and Diksha Guru – Prabhupada’s reply to the letter of Jaya Pataka Maharaj 1972 Dec 19th – Is this an inappropriate attachment to my service? SP replies with 14 points for success in Krsna Consciousness.
The Sanskrit word mat-paraḥ is very important in this verse. It indicates that one has no goal in life save and except acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness just to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. And while working in that way, one should think of Kṛṣṇa only: “I have been appointed to discharge this particular duty by Kṛṣṇa.” While acting in such a way, one naturally has to think of Kṛṣṇa. This is perfect Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
One should, however, note that after doing something whimsically he should not offer the result to the Supreme Lord. That sort of duty is not in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
This is what destroys one’s dev service – acting whimsically. One has to have a very high sense of duty and not act independently.
One should act according to the order of Kṛṣṇa. This is a very important point. That order of Kṛṣṇa comes through disciplic succession from the bona fide spiritual master. Therefore the spiritual master’s order should be taken as the prime duty of life. If one gets a bona fide spiritual master and acts according to his direction, then one’s perfection of life in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is guaranteed.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.2.25 & 26
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gives us many clues about other planets far, far away from us which modern planes and spacecraft cannot reach, even by imaginary speeds.
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu specifically accepts Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as the spotless Vedic authority, and as such no sane man can ignore the statements of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam when it is spoken by the self-realized soul Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who follows in the footsteps of his great father, Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the compiler of all Vedic literatures.
We should not depend on the fragmentary authority of materialistic science for knowing things beyond the range of scientific purview.
For a common man, both modern science and Vedic wisdom are simply to be accepted because none of the statements either of modern science or of Vedic literature can be verified by him.
The Vedic way of understanding is more authentic because it has been accepted by the ācāryas, who are not only faithful and learned men but also liberated souls without any of the flaws of conditioned souls. Modern scientists, however, are conditioned souls liable to so many errors and mistakes.
Therefore the safe side is to accept the authentic version of Vedic literatures, like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is accepted unanimously by the great ācāryas.
The knower of the Absolute Truth is convinced of his awkward position in material association. He knows that he is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna and that his position should not be in the material creation.
He, therefore, engages himself in the activities of Krsna’s consciousness and becomes naturally unattached to the activities of the material senses, which are all circumstantial and temporary.
He knows that his material condition of life is under the supreme control of the Lord; consequently, he is not disturbed by all kinds of material reactions, which he considers to be the mercy of the Lord.
According to SB, one who knows the Absolute Truth in three different features—namely Brahman, Paramatma, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead—is called tattvavit, for he knows also his own factual position in relationship with the Supreme.
Persons who are unknowledgeable falsely identify with gross material consciousness (False ego) and are full of material designations.
Men who are ignorant cannot appreciate activities in Krsna’s consciousness, and therefore Lord Krsna advises us not to disturb them and simply waste valuable time.
Those who are, however, enlightened in spiritual life, should not try to agitate such materially engrossed persons. Better to prosecute one’s own spiritual activities silently.
But the devotees of the Lord are more kind than the Lord because they understand the purpose of the Lord. Consequently, they undertake all kinds of risks, even to the point of approaching ignorant men to try to engage them in the acts of Krsna consciousness, which are absolutely necessary for the human being.
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa encouraged Arjuna outwardly just to test Arjuna’s sense of duty.
It is not that Arjuna was incomplete in the sense of his duty, nor was Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa unaware of Arjuna’s sense of duty. But Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa puts to the test many of His pure devotees just to magnify the sense of duty.
The gopīs were put to such tests as well. Prahlāda Mahārāja also was put to such a test. All pure devotees come out successful in the respective tests by the Lord.
SB 2.2.25 TRANSLATION
This Śiśumāra is the pivot for the turning of the complete universe, and it is called the navel of Viṣṇu [Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu]. The yogī alone goes beyond this circle of Śiśumāra and attains the planet [Maharloka] where purified saints like Bhṛgu enjoy a duration of life of 4,300,000,000 solar years. This planet is worshipable even for saints who are transcendentally situated.
SB 2.2.26 TRANSLATION At the time of the final devastation of the complete universe [the end of the duration of Brahmā’s life], a flame of fire emanates from the mouth of Ananta [from the bottom of the universe]. The yogī sees all the planets of the universe burning to ashes, and thus he leaves for Satyaloka by airplanes used by the great purified souls. The duration of life in Satyaloka is calculated to be 15,480,000,000,000 years..
CLASS NOTES:
ŚRĪMAD-BHĀGAVATAM GIVES US MANY CLUES ABOUT OTHER PLANETS FAR, FAR AWAY FROM US
which modern planes and spacecraft cannot reach, even by imaginary speeds. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu specifically accepts Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as the spotless Vedic authority, and as such no sane man can ignore the statements of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam when it is spoken by the self-realized soul Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who follows in the footsteps of his great father, Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the compiler of all Vedic literatures.
In the creation of the Lord there are many wonderful things we can see with our own eyes every day and night, but we are unable to reach them equipped by modern materialistic science
We should not, therefore, depend on the fragmentary authority of materialistic science for knowing things beyond the range of scientific purview. For a common man, both modern science and Vedic wisdom are simply to be accepted because none of the statements either of modern science or of Vedic literature can be verified by him. The alternative for a common man is to believe either of them or both of them. The Vedic way of understanding, however, is more authentic because it has been accepted by the ācāryas, who are not only faithful and learned men but also liberated souls without any of the flaws of conditioned souls.
The modern scientists, however, are conditioned souls liable to so many errors and mistakes. Therefore the safe side is to accept the authentic version of Vedic literatures, like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is accepted unanimously by the great ācāryas.
Are you going to believe Sukhdev Goswami, Vyasdev who are liberated souls or modern scientists, who drink has illicit connections etc., Our acharyas do not have the same 4 defects as modern scientists. How do we know Vyasdeva has no defects. He is the incarnation of Lord Krsna. He produced the greatest literature in the entire history. No one can even produce something like that. SB is amala Purana. It is spotless. If you see a mistake or inconsistency in one part of SB, that is due to our defects or misunderstanding. This is not an ordinary book. There are many books, most of them are speculations. These NUNDITS write these books – they become outdated as soon as they are published. “ We should not, therefore, depend on the fragmentary authority of materialistic science for knowing things beyond the range of scientific purview. For a common man, both modern science and Vedic wisdom are simply to be accepted because none of the statements either of modern science or of Vedic literature can be verified by him. “
Black holes – can they be verified. Can you verify that Sun is 93 million miles away..? Someone told Prabhupada that an element is discovered which exists only 1/30000 of a second. Prabhupada said how do you know it exists. You just need to believe what they say. Riots, Cancel Culture, White and Black racists, Blacks are also racists within themselves. All Chinese look alike. They don’t look alike and there are many languages within themselves. Big Brushstroke – they are all the same… as long as people are forgetful of Krsna there will be problems, conflict, within the race, all these problems of life.
As long as there is no war and no common enemy – People fight each other because they are all karmis, they all have material desires, they all want sense gratification, they all are breaking religious principles. What can we do about it. We read yesterday BG 3.27 that a person due to his engaging in senses in sense gratification for a long time, gets covered by false ego and forget Krsna which is the root cause of all issues. If one engages senses in serving Krsna, one revives his relationship with Krsna.
BG 3.27 The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.
For due to his long misuse of the senses in sense gratification, he is factually bewildered by the false ego, which makes him forget his eternal relationship with Krsna. That is a very important statement
(BG 3.28) DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WORKING FOR SENSE GRATIFICATION AND WORKING FOR KRSNA One who is in the knowledge of the Absolute Truth, O mighty-armed, does not engage himself in the senses and sense gratification, knowing well the differences between work in devotion and work for fruitive results.
This talks about the difference between sense gratification and working for Krsna. We should teach our children and we ourselves should learn it.
The knower of the Absolute Truth is convinced of his awkward position in the material association.
He knows that he is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna and that his position should not be in the material creation. He knows his real identity as part and parcel of the Supreme, who is eternal bliss and knowledge, and he realizes that somehow or other he is entrapped in the material conception of life. In his pure state of existence, he is meant to dovetail his activities in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. He, therefore, engages himself in the activities of Krsna’s consciousness and becomes naturally unattached to the activities of the material senses, which are all circumstantial and temporary. He knows that his material condition of life is under the supreme control of the Lord; consequently, he is not disturbed by all kinds of material reactions, which he considers to be the mercy of the Lord. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam, one who knows the Absolute Truth in three different features—namely Brahman, Paramatma, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead—is called tattvavit, for he knows also his own factual position in relationship with the Supreme.
This verse helps us in Realistically assessing our position in this material world in this temporary body that is always changing.
What is the material conception of life – many years ago I was made president of the temple after 1 month of getting initiated. At one point young kids joined the movement. 14, 15, 16 years old. Jewish girl 16 yrs old which is thin showed up. Her mom came and was ranting, you brainwashed her, and put something in the food. She fell in love with a brahmachari and wanted to get married. The mother came and said my daughter cannot marry him. Your rules are bad. No sex…
Everything is changing in the material world. How can you hold onto something and make it permanent? all the senses are pushing us for sense gratification.
When your spouse insults you – Feel angry and feel insulted and take revenge (or) Every time I am insulted, I will chant more rounds and control my mind.
Seeing everything positive – “He knows that his material condition of life is under the supreme control of the Lord; consequently, he is not disturbed by all kinds of material reactions, which he considers to be the mercy of the Lord.” What is our position in this material world? is explained in BG 3.29
(BG 3.29) PERSONS WHO ARE UNKNOWLEDGEABLE FALSELY IDENTIFY WITH GROSS MATERIAL CONSCIOUSNESS
(FALSE EGO) AND ARE FULL OF MATERIAL DESIGNATIONS.
Bewildered by the modes of material nature, the ignorant fully engage themselves in material activities and become attached. But the wise should not unsettle them, although these duties are inferior due to the performers’ lack of knowledge.
Persons who are unknowledgeable falsely identify with gross material consciousness
(False ego) and are full of material designations.
Maintaining things is the hardest part. Our food truck engine went back to godhead. We are unable to maintain one food truck, imagine how hard it is to maintain millions and millions of universes. You can bend wood without breaking. Loathe… Our original position is – Love of Krishna it is bent to be lust, you can gradually get back to the original position.
Gross material consciousness is false ego. The sitting places of lust are – mind, intelligence, false ego..
This body is a gift of the material nature, and one who is too much attached to the bodily consciousness is called mandan, or a lazy person without an understanding of spirit soul. Ignorant men
think of the body as the self; bodily connections with others are accepted as kinsmanship;
the land in which the body is obtained is the object of worship, and the formalities of religious rituals are considered ends in themselves.
Social work, nationalism, and altruism are some of the activities for such materially designated persons. Under the spell of such designations,
they are always busy in the material field;
for them spiritual realization is a myth, and so they are not interested.
Such bewildered persons may even be engaged in such primary moral principles of life as nonviolence and similar materially benevolent work.
Men who are ignorant cannot appreciate activities in Krsna’s consciousness, and therefore Lord Krsna advises us not to disturb them and simply waste valuable time.
Those who are, however, enlightened in spiritual life, should not try to agitate such materially engrossed persons. Better to prosecute one’s own spiritual activities silently.
POSITION OF PREACHER But the devotees of the Lord are more kind than the Lord because they understand the purpose of the Lord. Consequently, they undertake all kinds of risks, even to the point of approaching ignorant men to try to engage them in the acts of Krsna consciousness, which are absolutely necessary for the human being.
(SB 1.7.40) LORD ŚRĪ KṚṢṆA PUTS TO THE TEST MANY OF HIS PURE DEVOTEES JUST TO MAGNIFY THE SENSE OF DUTY.
Sūta Gosvāmī said: Although Kṛṣṇa, who was examining Arjuna in religion, encouraged Arjuna to kill the son of Droṇācārya, Arjuna, a great soul, did not like the idea of killing him, although Aśvatthāmā was a heinous murderer of Arjuna’s family members.
Arjuna was a great soul undoubtedly, which is proved here also. He is encouraged herein personally by the Lord to kill the son of Droṇa, but Arjuna considers that the son of his great teacher should be spared, for he happens to be the son of Droṇācārya, even though he is an unworthy son, having done all sorts of heinous acts whimsically for no one’s benefit.
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa encouraged Arjuna outwardly just to test Arjuna’s sense of duty. It is not that Arjuna was incomplete in the sense of his duty, nor was Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa unaware of Arjuna’s sense of duty. But Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa puts to the test many of His pure devotees just to magnify the sense of duty. The gopīs were put to such tests as well. Prahlāda Mahārāja also was put to such a test. All pure devotees come out successful in the respective tests by the Lord.
All of us are beginning to experience this whether we like it or not. Duty is what you have to do whether you like it or not like it. Krishna wants to magnify the sense of duty. It is going to get harder and harder. When the test happens, we should not be devastated. The tests are going to be harder and harder…
How do we know it is a test. You are not going to like it at all. Everything is not going to be rosy…A little bit bothersome, immensely bothersome… you are not going to like it.. Krsna
