KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.9.37 – Part 2:
- Even though one is well versed in all the Vedas and scriptures, if one is not a devotee of the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, he is considered to be the lowest of mankind.
- In the Garuḍa Purāṇa, Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa and Padma Purāṇa, the same is repeated: What is the use of Vedic knowledge and penances for one who is devoid of devotional service to the Lord?
- What is the comparison of thousands of prajāpatis to one devotee of the Lord?
- Śukadeva Gosvāmī said (Bhāg. 2.4.17) that neither the ascetic, nor one who is greatly munificent, nor one who is famous, nor the great philosopher, nor the great occultist, nor anyone else can achieve the desired result without being engaged in the service of the Lord.
- Even if a place is more glorious than heaven, if there is no glorification of the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha or His pure devotee, it should at once be quitted.
- The pure devotee refuses to accept all the five different types of liberation in order to be engaged in the service of the Lord.
- The final conclusion, therefore, is that the glories of the Lord must be always and everywhere proclaimed. One should hear about His glories, one should chant about His glories, and one should always remember His glories because that is the highest perfectional stage of life.
- As far as fruitive work is concerned, it is limited to an enjoyable body; as far as yoga is concerned, it is limited to the acquirement of mystic power; as far as empiric philosophy is concerned, it is limited to the attainment of transcendental knowledge; and as far as transcendental knowledge is concerned, it is limited to attainment of salvation.
- But adoption of the transcendental devotional service of the Lord has no limit, nor is there fear of falling down. The process automatically reaches the final stage by the grace of the Lord. In the preliminary stage of devotional service there is an apparent requisite for knowledge, but in the higher stage there is no necessity of such knowledge.
- The best and guaranteed path of progress is therefore engagement in bhakti-yoga, pure devotional service.
- In the Vedic disciplic succession, the spiritual masters always base their statements on what they have heard from authoritative sources, never on personal experience.
- Trying to understand things by one’s own direct experience is the material process of gaining knowledge, technically called pratyaksa. The Vedic method is different. It is called sruti, which means “to hear from authoritative sources.” That is the secret of Vedic understanding.
- People search for God by the experimental process, but after much searchingthey fail. Then they say, “Oh, there is no God. I am God.” But the Isopanisadsays that one should try to learn about God not by the experimental process but by hearing.
- From whom should one hear? From a shopkeeper? From fanatics? No. One should hear from those who are dhira. Dhira means “one whose senses are not agitated by material influence.”
- If there is some very nice food, my tongue should not be agitated to taste it. If there is a very nice girl or boy, still I should not be agitated sexually. In this way one who is dhira is able to control the six agitating forces (the speech, the mind, anger, the tongue, the belly, and the genitals). It is not that Lord Siva was impotent: he was dhira. Similarly, Krsna danced with so many girls, but there was no sex appetite. So, you have to hear from a person who is dhira. If you hear from the adhira, from those who are not self-controlled, then whatever knowledge you learn will be useless.
- The spiritual master is not inventing something from his own experience. He is presenting exactly what he has heard. So we have nothing to research. Everything is there. We simply have to hear from a person who is dhira, who is not agitated by the six urges. That is the Vedic process of gaining knowledge. And if we try to use some other process, we will remain covered by nescience
- The culture of vidyā is summarized in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.14) in the following words: “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.”
SB 2.9.37 TRANSLATION:
O Brahmā, just follow this conclusion by fixed concentration of mind, and no pride will disturb you, neither in the partial nor in the final devastation.
In the Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad (śruti) it is said, gopa-veśo me puruṣaḥ purastād āvirbabhuva: the Lord appeared before Brahmā as a cowboy, that is, as the original Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, who is later described by Brahmājī in his Brahma-saṁhitā (5.29):
cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpavṛkṣa-
lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam
lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
Brahmājī desires to worship the original Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who resides in the topmost Vaikuṇṭha planet, known as Goloka Vṛndāvana, where He is in the habit of keeping surabhi cows as a cowboy and where He is served by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune (the gopīs) with love and respect.
SB 2.9.36
“Even though one may have gone to the other side of all the Vedas, and even though one is well versed in all the revealed scriptures, if one is not a devotee of the Supreme Lord, he must be considered the lowest of mankind.” Similarly, it is also stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.18.12) indirectly as follows:
We have no dearth to listen from Srila Prabhupada. One of the purest devotees. We are so fortunate to have his association.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said (Bhāg. 2.4.17) that neither the ascetic, nor one who is greatly munificent, nor one who is famous, nor the great philosopher, nor the great occultist, nor anyone else can achieve the desired result without being engaged in the service of the Lord.
- Even though one is well versed in all the Vedas and scriptures, if one is not a devotee of the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, he is considered to be the lowest of mankind.
- In the Garuḍa Purāṇa, Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa and Padma Purāṇa, the same is repeated: What is the use of Vedic knowledge and penances for one who is devoid of devotional service to the Lord?
- What is the comparison of thousands of prajāpatis to one devotee of the Lord?
- Śukadeva Gosvāmī said (Bhāg. 2.4.17) that neither the ascetic, nor one who is greatly munificent, nor one who is famous, nor the great philosopher, nor the great occultist, nor anyone else can achieve the desired result without being engaged in the service of the Lord.
- Even if a place is more glorious than heaven, if there is no glorification of the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha or His pure devotee, it should at once be quitted.
- The pure devotee refuses to accept all the five different types of liberation in order to be engaged in the service of the Lord.
The final conclusion, therefore, is that the glories of the Lord must be always and everywhere proclaimed. One should hear about His glories, one should chant about His glories, and one should always remember His glories because that is the highest perfectional stage of life.
- As far as fruitive work is concerned, it is limited to an enjoyable body;
- as far as yoga is concerned, it is limited to the acquirement of mystic power;
- as far as empiric philosophy is concerned, it is limited to the attainment of transcendental knowledge;
- and as far as transcendental knowledge is concerned, it is limited to attainment of salvation.
- Even if they are adopted, there is every chance of discrepancies in discharging the particular type of functions.
- But adoption of the transcendental devotional service of the Lord has no limit, nor is there fear of falling down. The process automatically reaches the final stage by the grace of the Lord. In the preliminary stage of devotional service there is an apparent requisite for knowledge, but in the higher stage there is no necessity of such knowledge. The best and guaranteed path of progress is therefore engagement in bhakti-yoga, pure devotional service.
The Goswamis even though very wealthy left everything, slept under a different tree each day.. Fully engaged in DS and built many temples..
It is a very rare thing to be in a genuine temple and hear the genuine message from the Lord Himself in disciplic succession.
Therefore Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original form of the Supreme Lord (kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam). This is also clear from this instruction. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Lord Kṛṣṇa, and not directly Nārāyaṇa or the puruṣa-avatāras, which are subsequent manifestations. Therefore Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam means consciousness of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the sound representation of the Lord as much as the Bhagavad-gītā is. Thus the conclusion is that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the science of the Lord in which the Lord and His abode are perfectly realized.
The residents of Vrndavan dont even have the knowledge that Krsna is God, but they are completely in pure love and devotion with Krsna…
The Way of Knowing God (http://files.krishna.com/en/pdf/e-books/Laws_of_Nature.pdf)
In the Vedic disciplic succession, the spiritual masters always base their
statements on what they have heard from authoritative sources, never on personal experience. Trying to understand things by one’s own direct experience is the material process of gaining knowledge, technically called pratyaksa. The Vedic method is different. It is called sruti, which means “to hear from authoritative sources.” That is the secret of Vedic understanding.
With your imperfect senses you should not try to understand things that are
beyond your experimental powers. That is not possible. Suppose you want to know
who your father is. Can you find out by experimenting? Is it possible? No. Then
how can you know who your father is? By hearing from the proper authority, your
mother. This is common sense. And if you cannot know your material father by the experimental process, how can you know the Supreme Father by the experimental process? Krsna is the original father. He is the father of the father of the father, all the way down to you. So if you cannot understand your immediate father, the previous generation, by the experimental process, how can you know God, or Krsna, in this way?
People search for God by the experimental process, but after much searching
they fail. Then they say, “Oh, there is no God. I am God.” But the Isopanisad
says that one should try to learn about God not by the experimental process but by hearing. From whom should one hear? From a shopkeeper? From fanatics? No. One should hear from those who are dhira. Dhira means “one whose senses are not agitated by material influence.”
There are different kinds of agitation–agitations of the mind, the power of
speech, and anger, and agitations of the tongue, belly, and genitals. When we
become angry, we forget everything and can do any nonsense and speak so much
nonsense. For the agitation of the tongue there are so many advertisements:
“Here is liquor, here is chicken, here is beef.” Will we die without liquor,
chicken, or beef? No. For the human beings Krsna has given so many nice things
to eat–grains, fruits, milk, and so on. The cow produces milk abundantly, not for herself but for human beings. That is proper human food. God says, “Mrs. Cow, although you are producing milk, you cannot drink it. It is for the human beings, who are more advanced than animals.” Of course, in the infant stage animals live off their mother’s milk, so the calves drink some of the cow’s milk. But the cow gives excess milk, and that excess is specifically meant for us.
Most vegans become very YIN – Not grounded, flights of speculation, Flaky, determination to follow spiritual life is very low,, they become angry easily..
YAN – grounded.. easily
We should accept whatever God has ordained as our proper food. But no,
because of the agitation of the tongue, we think, “Why should I be satisfied eating grains, milk products, vegetables, and fruits? Let me maintain a slaughterhouse and kill these cows. After drinking their milk, just as I drank my mother’s milk, let me kill them to satisfy my tongue.” You shouldn’t think such nonsense but should hear from the dhiras, or svamis, who have controlled their senses. A svami, or gosvami, is one who has control over the six agitations: the speech, the mind, anger, the tongue, the belly, and the genitals.
There is a nice poem by Kalidasa called Kumara-sambhava describing how Lord
Siva is dhira. When Lord Siva’s wife, Sati, heard Siva being blasphemed at a
sacrifice performed by her father, she committed suicide. Upon hearing about his
wife’s suicide, Lord Siva became very angry and left this planet to meditate
elsewhere. During that time there was a war between the demons and the demigods.
The demigods needed a good general. They concluded that if Lord Siva were to
beget a son, the son would be able to lead them in the fight against the demons.
Lord Siva was completely naked while meditating. So Parvati, the reincarnation
of Sati, was sent to agitate his genitals for sex. But he was not agitated. He
remained silent. At this point Kalidasa remarks, “Here is a dhira. He is naked,
and a young girl is touching his genitals, but still he is not agitated.”Dhira
means that even if there is some cause for agitation, one will not be agitated.
If there is some very nice food, my tongue should not be agitated to taste it.
If there is a very nice girl or boy, still I should not be agitated sexually. In
this way one who is dhira is able to control the six agitating forces mentioned
above. It is not that Lord Siva was impotent: he was dhira. Similarly, Krsna
danced with so many girls, but there was no sex appetite. So, you have to hear from a person who is dhira. If you hear from the adhira, from those who are not self-controlled, then whatever knowledge you learn will be useless. In the Isopanisad, a student has approached his spiritual master to inquire from him, and the spiritual master is saying, “This is what I have heard from authoritative sources.” The spiritual master is not inventing something from his own experience. He is presenting exactly what he has heard. So we have nothing to research. Everything is there. We simply have to hear from a person who is dhira, who is not agitated by the six urges. That is the Vedic process of gaining knowledge. And if we try to use some other process, we will remain covered by nescience.
ISO – Text 11
Only one who can learn the process of nescience and that of transcendental knowledge side by side can transcend the influence of repeated birth and death and enjoy the full blessings of immortality.
The path of vidyā is most perfectly presented in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which directs a human being to utilize his life to inquire into the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is realized step by step as Brahman, Paramātmā and finally Bhagavān, the Personality of Godhead. The Absolute Truth is realized by the broadminded man who has attained knowledge and detachment by following the eighteen principles of the Bhagavad-gītā described in the purport to Mantra Ten. The central purpose of these eighteen principles is the attainment of transcendental devotional service to the Personality of Godhead. Therefore all classes of men are encouraged to learn the art of devotional service to the Lord.
The guaranteed path to the aim of vidyā is described by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, which we have presented in English as The Nectar of Devotion. The culture of vidyā is summarized in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.14) in the following words:
tasmād ekena manasā
bhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ
śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca
dhyeyaḥ pūjyaś ca nityadā
“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.”
Unless religion, economic development and sense gratification aim toward the attainment of devotional service to the Lord, they are all simply different forms of nescience, as Śrī Īśopaniṣad indicates in the following mantras.
Brahma meditated millions of years to see Krsna.. The process now is very simple.. Lord Caitanya recommended 5 things –
- Regularly Hear Srimadbhagavatam
- Chant the Holy names
- Associate and serve pure devotees
- Live in holy places Mathura
- Deity worship
Purpose of temple – help transition from all day maya to Krsna..
Why are we chanting mantras before the class? Are we setting a mood?
Gajendra – Even though in animal body was able to remember the mantra that he chanted in his previous life by the mercy of the lord. In this context, SP said to chant 3 mantras – Hare Krsna Mantra, Narasimha Mantra, Brahma Samhith