Tag: Mayavadis

Posted on

Mayavadis & Bonafide Impersonalists Notes – 5/8/22

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON ARE MAYAVADIS WHO MERGE INTO BRAHMAN SAME AS BONAFIDE IMPERSONALISTS – 5/8/22:

  • In the Brahmajyoti the spirit souls on account of their impersonal views are devoid of a body, exactly like here in Maya there are ghosts who are devoid of any gross bodies.
  • The ghost being devoid of a body, he suffers terribly because he is unable to satisfy his senses. The spirit souls in the Brahmajyoti, although they have no desire for sense gratification, still they feel inconvenience like the ghost, and they fall down again in the Maya’s atmosphere and develop a material body.
  • In the Bhagavat therefore it is said that persons who are impersonalists and do not develop the dormant devotional attitude, their intelligence is not pure, because for want of a spiritual body, they come down again to the material world.
  • In the Bhagavad-gita it is clearly said by the Lord that the only way of not coming back to the material world is to be promoted to the spiritual planets. For the impersonalists there is no such assurance of not falling down in the whole Vedic literature.
  • The conclusion is that without developing the spiritual body and without being situated on one of the spiritual planets, the so-called liberation is also illusion, or it is not complete.
  • A spirit soul who falls down from the Brahmajyoti to the Kingdom of Maya may have a chance of associating with a pure devotee, and then he may be elevated to the spiritual planets of Vaikuntha or to Goloka Vrindaban.
  • From the Brahmajyoti there is no direct promotion to the spiritual planets, and it is clearly stated in the Bhagavatam that such souls fall down: patanty adha.
  • Existence in the impersonal brahma is also within the category of non-Krsna consciousness. Those who are in the brahman effulgence they are also in the fallen condition, so there is no question of falling down from a fallen condition. When fall takes place, it means falling down from the non-fallen condition.
  • The non-fallen condition is Krsna consciousness. So long one can maintain pure Krsna consciousness he is not fallen down. As soon as he becomes out of Krsna consciousness immediately he is fallen down. It does not matter where a living entity stays.
  • Usually anyone who has developed his relationship with Krsna does not fall down in any circumstance, but because the independence is always there, the soul may fall down from any position or any relationship by misusing his independence.
  • But his relationship with Krsna is never lost, simply it is forgotten by the influence of Maya, so it may be regained or revived by the process of hearing the Holy Name of Krsna and then the devotee engages himself in the service of the Lord which is his original or constitutional position.
  • The relationship of the living entity with Krsna is eternal as both Krsna and the living entity are eternal; the process is one of revival only, nothing new.

Letter to: Rupanuga July 24 1969 Los Angeles

Regarding your question, “what is the difference between the spirit souls comprising the Brahmajyoti and the spirit souls here in Maya?”, in the Brahmajyoti the spirit souls on account of their impersonal views are devoid of a body, exactly like here in Maya there are ghosts who are devoid of any gross bodies. The ghost being devoid of a body, he suffers terribly because he is unable to satisfy his senses. The spirit souls in the Brahmajyoti, although they have no desire for sense gratification, still they feel inconvenience like the ghost, and they fall down again in the Maya’s atmosphere and develop a material body. In the Bhagavat therefore it is said that persons who are impersonalists and do not develop the dormant devotional attitude, their intelligence is not pure, because for want of a spiritual body, they come down again to the material world. In the Bhagavad-gita it is clearly said by the Lord that the only way of not coming back to the material world is to be promoted to the spiritual planets. For the impersonalists there is no such assurance of not falling down in the whole Vedic literature. The conclusion is that without developing the spiritual body and without being situated on one of the spiritual planets, the so-called liberation is also illusion, or it is not complete. A spirit soul who falls down from the Brahmajyoti to the Kingdom of Maya may have a chance of associating with a pure devotee, and then he may be elevated to the spiritual planets of Vaikuntha or to Goloka Vrindaban. From the Brahmajyoti there is no direct promotion to the spiritual planets, and it is clearly stated in the Bhagavatam that such souls fall down: patanty adha.

BG 8.15 

After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.

BG 8.16 

From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again.

BG 15.6 

That supreme abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by fire or electricity. Those who reach it never return to this material world.

Whether one achieves BJ by following Mayavadi philosophy or impersonalism. They say everything is false then their philosophy is also false as it belongs to the material world.. 

Genuine impersonalist does not claim that there is no goloka no vaikunta.. They say that they dont know.. They dont make false statements they stick to what they know.. 

As long as they come in contact with pure devotee and if they follow instructions they become devotees.. 

Genuine impersonalists  – Sukhdev Goswami, Kumaras,.. Brahman realized.. 

Kumaras when they reached Vaikunta they smelled the aroma of tulsi leaves at the feet of the lord they got liberated. 

Mayavadis dont believe even in the spiritual body, they think they are some kind of light..

Impersonalists they go from Brahman to Material world to Vaikunta planets when in contact with guru who is a pure devotee.. There are lot of diff between both.. 

Letter to: Jagadisa Feb. 27 1970 Los Angeles

Regarding your questions concerning the spirit souls falling into Maya’s influence, it is not that those who have developed a passive relationship with Krsna are more likely to fall into nescient activities. Usually anyone who has developed his relationship with Krsna does not fall down in any circumstance, but because the independence is always there, the soul may fall down from any position or any relationship by misusing his independence. But his relationship with Krsna is never lost, simply it is forgotten by the influence of Maya, so it may be regained or revived by the process of hearing the Holy Name of Krsna and then the devotee engages himself in the service of the Lord which is his original or constitutional position. The relationship of the living entity with Krsna is eternal as both Krsna and the living entity are eternal; the process is one of revival only, nothing new.

Letter to: Rayarama Dec. 2 1968 Los Angeles

The answer to your question about the marginal energy is that the jiva soul is always called marginal energy whether he is in the spiritual world or in the material world. There are instances where marginal energy jiva souls have fallen from the spiritual world, just like Jaya and Vijaya. So the potency to fall under the influence of the lower energy is always there. And thus the individual jiva soul is called as Krishna’s marginal energy.

Letter to Harer nama Dec. 21 1968 Los Angeles

Your second question about falling down from the brahma-jyotir is answered that it is not that one must fall down, but that they generally fall down. There is a verse in Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10th canto, 2nd chapter, verse 26, which says: “My Dear Lotus Eyed Personality of Godhead, persons who are very proud of becoming one with the brahma effulgence and thereby consider that they have become liberated are factually in a contaminated consciousness on account of the absence of devotional service unto You. Such persons may rise to a high level of spiritual understanding as far as the impersonal brahma-jyotir but on account of the lack of devotional service unto You, they generally fall down again into material contamination.” 

The final question which was asked by Tosana about the validity of the story of the sparrow and the ocean, you should know that everything that is found in these scriptures is factual. There is nothing allegory. But you must not depend upon your own limited experience. What happens in different corners of the Lord’s Creation no one can say. But we can hear from the authentic Vedic sources such as the Puranas. This story of the sparrow is found in the Puranas.

Letter to: Jagadisa April 25 1970 Los Angeles

Regarding your questions about how and from where did the conditioned souls fall, your first question if someone has a relationship with Lord Krsna on Krsnaloka, does he ever fall down? The souls are endowed with minute independence as part of their nature and this minute independence may be utilized rightly or wrongly at any time, so there is always the chance of falling down by misuse of one’s independence. But those who are firmly fixed up in devotional service to Krsna are making proper use of their independence and so they do not fall down.

Regarding your second question, have the conditioned souls ever seen Krsna? Were they with the Lord before being conditioned by the desire to lord it over material nature? Yes, the conditioned souls are parts and parcels of the Lord and thus they were with Krsna before being conditioned. Just as the child must have seen his father because the father places the child in the womb of the mother, similarly each soul has seen Krsna or the Supreme Father. But at that time the conditioned souls are resting in the condition called susupti which is exactly deep sleep without dream, or anesthetized state, therefore they do not remember being with Krsna when they wake up in the material world and become engaged in material affairs. I hope this will satisfy your questions.

Letter to: Revatinandana June 13 1970 Los Angeles

The next question, about the living entities falling down in this material world are not from the impersonal brahman. Existence in the impersonal brahma is also within the category of non-Krsna consciousness. Those who are in the brahman effulgence they are also in the fallen condition, so there is no question of falling down from a fallen condition. When fall takes place, it means falling down from the non-fallen condition.

The non-fallen condition is Krsna consciousness. So long one can maintain pure Krsna consciousness he is not fallen down. As soon as he becomes out of Krsna consciousness immediately he is fallen down. It does not matter where a living entity stays. In the material world also there are different stages of living conditions, and to remain in the brahman effulgence is also another phase of that fallen condition. Just like in the Bhagavad-gita it is stated that conditioned souls by their pious activities are elevated to the higher planetary system, but as soon as the stock of pious activities is finished he again comes down on the earthly planet. Similarly those who are elevated beyond the planetary system to the brahma effulgence, they are also prone to fall down as much as a living entity from the higher planetary system.

As such those who are thinking that they are liberated by being situated in brahman effulgence are described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam as impurely intelligent. In other words, they are actually not liberated, and because they are not actually liberated they again come down to the material world as much as a living entity elevated to the higher planetary system comes down to this earthly planet. So we do not accept anyone elevated to the brahman effulgence as actually liberated.

Letter to: Jagadisa July 9 1970 Los Angeles

Regarding your several questions: Where are the spirit souls coming from that are taking microbe bodies? It is not a matter of any particular body. These spirit souls and all spirit souls are coming from Vaikuntha, but in these material worlds they are taking various grades of bodies according to their material activities. There is no “new” soul. “New” and “old” are due to this material body, but the soul is never born and never dies, so if there is no birth how there can be new soul?

Your second question: Is there any particular reason why some spirit souls become directed toward Krsna Consciousness in the first place? How does one get on the progressive path of elevation to Krsna Consciousness? The answer is that it is by the mercy of the Lord that one comes in contact with a Spiritual Master Who can revive the dormant Krsna consciousness of the conditioned soul. Krsna is always merciful and He comes Himself, He leaves behind Him instruction like the Bhagavad-gita, etc. and He sends His representative, the Spiritual Master. In this way the merciful propaganda is going on.

Every individual soul has got the discriminating power, so those who are pious they take advantage of this opportunity of the mercy of the Lord. But both pious and impious souls are being convinced by this Krsna consciousness movement. The human being is supposed to be intelligent more than the animals, so the intelligent persons or pious persons are coming in contact with Krsna consciousness.

Regarding your questions with reference to B.G. III,5, and the Vedic hymn quoted in the purport to B.g. 14.15 and the statement “. . . when the living entity is bewildered in his desires, the Lord allows him to fulfill those desires . . .” You have quoted, “The Lord engages the living entity in pious activities so he may be elevated. The Lord engages him in impious activities so he may go to hell . . .” So that is also originally the individual soul’s desire and as Supersoul the Lord is giving everyone the opportunity to go to heaven or to hell or to Vaikuntha if he so desires. For those who are hankering after material opportunities the Lord as Supersoul is giving them the opportunities to enjoy the material nature and the facility is being supplied by the material nature.

Similarly, a living entity who is desiring for spiritual upliftment, the Lord is giving him the opportunity of the Vedic literatures and the Spiritual Master. But His advice to all living entities is to give up all nonsense and everything else and surrender unto Him. The living entity by accepting one kind of opportunity is going to hell and by accepting the other kinds of opportunities he is going back to home, back to Godhead. So both opportunities are offered by the Lord. Therefore indirectly you can say that one is being sent to hell and one is being sent to the spiritual world by the Lord—but He is simply supplying the opportunities to everyone as he desires. The intelligent person therefore does not desire anything—he simply surrenders unto the Lord or he desires to serve the Lord and that is his greatest opportunity.

Desires evolve by association.. 

Sheeple 

Beckoning Krsna – pls help me serve you

BG 2.50 

A man engaged in devotional service rids himself of both good and bad reactions even in this life. Therefore strive for yoga, which is the art of all work.

“Man proposes and God disposes.” That is the sum and substance. But as a pure devotee of the Lord you should not propose—simply accept His proposal and surrender unto Him. So far the conditioned soul is concerned the same opportunities are there, but if he does not take advantage of the opportunity to elevate himself to Krsna Consciousness and chooses to misuse his independence for taking the opportunity to enjoy some material happiness, then he will remain conditioned as the Lord will allow him to fulfill those desires. The opportunity is always there, just as we are offering so many ways to become Krsna Conscious, but if you don’t take the opportunity what can I do. That is purposeful negligence of duty. The example may be given of a man who is sleeping. If he is actually sleeping, he may be wakened by various means, but there is no doubt that he must wake up. However, if a man is pretending to be asleep there is no way at all to rouse him up.

How to get those thoughts (material desires, fear, anxiety)  out of our mind – is by constantly asking questions.. To pure devotees and getting answers from SP texts. 

We all are born in ignorance.. Therefore if you look at panoramic view – real activity should be only Krsna Consciousness. Everything else is a complete waste of time..

Gradually with dovetailing slowly the material desires will reduce..

Tendency to be attracted to maya we get trapped.. Unwittingly.. 

Persona – identity.. 

If you are in BrahmaJyothi then you will not have a body you are like a spark of light. 

Revatīnandana: That’s right. So the, the, the constitutional nature of the entities that naturally form brahmajyoti is the same as the constitutional nature of the jīvātmās that are forming the living entities?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Is comparison a small spiritual spark, that’s all. We are spark.

Revatīnandana: Am I…

Prabhupāda: So long he does not develop a body…

Revatīnandana: Yes.

Prabhupāda: …that body is also the same. So it remains as spiritual spark. But because it is spirit, it cannot remain in that impersonal stage.

Śyāmasundara: Hmm.

Prabhupāda: He wants to enjoy.

Revatīnandana: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So, so long he is forgotten, he develops a body which is called matter.

Śyāmasundara: Or else he develops a spiritual body? One or the other?

Prabhupāda: Yes. No. That he is spirit, spiritual identity, already.

Śyāmasundara: Oh.

Prabhupāda: But as you are developing material body, similarly, you can develop spiritual body

Revatīnandana: You know you.., you very clearly explained to me once in a letter that if the, the spirit soul then goes into the brahmajyoti, he is considered still fallen…

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Revatīnandana: …still fallen. That means the whole brahmajyoti is composed of fallen souls. You see my question? If, if I go there, I am a jīva soul, and I go to the brahmajyoti, I am still fallen.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Revatīnandana: That means all jīva souls there are also fallen souls. That follows?

BS 5.16 

Again when in course of the progressive evolution of mundane creation each universe is manifested, then in the principle of Śambhu, born of the space between the two eyebrows of Viṣṇu, there appears the manifestation of the personality of Rudra; yet under all circumstances Śambhu fully enshrines the mundane egotistic principle. The innumerable jīvas as spiritual particles emanating from the oversoul in the form of pencils of rays of effulgence, have no relation with the mundane world when they come to know themselves to be the eternal servants of the Supreme Lord. They are then incorporated into the realm of Vaikuṇṭha. But when they desire to lord it over Māyā, forgetting their real identity. the egotistic principle Śambhu entering into their entities makes them identify themselves as separated enjoyers of mundane entities. Hence Śambhu is the primary principle of the egotistic mundane universe and of perverted egotism in jīvas that identifies itself with their limited material bodies.

BG 13.3

O scion of Bharata, you should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies, and to understand this body and its knower is called knowledge. That is My opinion.

BS 5.35

Kṛṣṇa is the highest of all entities. In Him is an entity which is termed cit (spiritual) which is distinct from the principle of limitation. By His inconceivable power, He can at will create numberless universes. All the mundane universes owe their origin to the transformation of His external potency. Again His abode is beyond human conception; since all worlds, limited and spiritual (cit) exist in Him and He resides simultaneously in His fullness and entirety in all the atoms in all the worlds. All-pervasiveness is only a localized aspect of the majesty of Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of all. Though He is all-pervasive yet in His existence everywhere in a medium shape consists His spiritual Lordship beyond human conception. This argument favors the doctrine of simultaneous inconceivable distinction and nondistinction, and knocks down the contaminating Māyāvāda and other allied doctrines.

Everything depends on Association.. 

Letter to Mr. Taber June 9 1967 New York

A spirit soul is not impersonal, and because he is a person he has the latent desire for sense gratification; but in the material condition he does not know how to enjoy; therefore one should purify the senses being free of all material designation. In conditioned stage we are designated souls like “American,” “Indian,” “dog,” “demigod,” etc., but in pure consciousness or Krishna Consciousness, we are part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman. By Brahman realization, as you may have read in Bhagavad-gita: brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54]. So in our pure stage when we understand that we are eternal servants of Krishna there is no more distress. Therefore the devotee prays: “My Lord, when shall I be freed from all material desires and be completely engaged in your transcendental loving service. At the present moment I am forlorn and nobody is my master. When shall I have You as my Supreme Master; then shall I joyfully wander over the whole universe knowing that You are my master.” Please therefore try to be in Krishna Consciousness and there will be no distress. Gradually as you realize this, you will experience it also; but the process is the same, both at the beginning and at the end.

BG 12.20

In other words, as long as one does not have the chance to associate with a pure devotee, the impersonal conception may be beneficial.

Posted on

SB 3.1.37-38 Notes – 5/3/2022

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 3.1.37:

  • Vidura knew the strength of Bhīma. Whenever Bhīma was on the battlefield, his steps on the path and the wonderful playing of his club were unbearable for the enemy.
  • Powerful Bhīma did not take steps against the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra for a long time.
  • Vidura’s inquiry was whether he had yet released his anger, which was like that of a suffering cobra. When a cobra releases its venom after long-cherished anger, its victim cannot survive.
  • When the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra tried to disrobe Draupadī in the assembly of the Kurus, Bhīṣma and Droṇa were silent, and for such negligence of duty they should be killed.
  • Kṛṣṇa showed His universal form to Arjuna just to show him that these people were already killed for their unlawful action. That scene was shown to Arjuna because devotees are always peaceful and they cannot perform such horrible actions. 
  • Monist philosophers like Śaṅkarācārya and his followers want to establish that God and the living entity are one, and instead of worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead they present themselves as God. 
  • Such persons do not accept the philosophies of the Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, which are known as śuddhādvaita (purified monism), śuddha-dvaita (purified dualism), viśiṣṭādvaita (specific monism), dvaitādvaita (monism and dualism) and acintya-bhedābheda (inconceivable oneness and difference).
  • Māyāvādīs do not discuss these philosophies, for they are firmly convinced of their own philosophy of kevalādvaita, exclusive monism. 
  • Accepting this system of philosophy as the pure understanding of the Vedānta-sūtra, they believe that Kṛṣṇa has a body made of material elements and that the activities of loving service to Kṛṣṇa are sentimentality. 
  • They are known as Māyāvādīs because according to their opinion Kṛṣṇa has a body made of māyā and the loving service of the Lord executed by devotees is also māyā. They consider such devotional service to be an aspect of fruitive activities (karma-kāṇḍa). 
  • According to their view, bhakti consists of mental speculation or sometimes meditation. This is the difference between the Māyāvādī and Vaiṣṇava philosophies.

SB 3.1.37 TRANSLATION:

[Please tell me] whether the unconquerable Bhīma, who is like a cobra, has released his long-cherished anger upon the sinners? The field of battle could not tolerate even the wonderful playing of his club when he stepped on the path.

SB 3.1.38 TRANSLATION:

[Please tell me] whether Arjuna, whose bow bears the name Gāṇḍīva and who is always famous amongst the chariot warriors for vanquishing his enemies, is doing well. He once satisfied Lord Śiva by covering him with arrows when Śiva came as an unidentified false hunter.

Vidura knew the strength of Bhīma. Whenever Bhīma was on the battlefield, his steps on the path and the wonderful playing of his club were unbearable for the enemy. Powerful Bhīma did not take steps against the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra for a long time. Vidura’s inquiry was whether he had yet released his anger, which was like that of a suffering cobra. When a cobra releases its venom after long-cherished anger, its victim cannot survive.

Revealing verse .. 

Previously when Draupadi was disrobed in the assembly of august hall.. It was the worst kind of insult for pandavas.. No boday said anything.. Pandavas hands were tied.. They lost their wife in the gambling as shakuni was cheating… Bhima was ready to kill Karna and shakuni..but Yudhistra forbade him to do that. The reason pandavas were able to prevail in all the travails.. Is because they referred to the elder brother and did not break the ranks… bunch of sticks cannot be broken.. One stick can be broken.. Respecting superior authorities is very imp.. We are living in Kali yuga.. Karmis and even in devotees they want to argue.. You cannot cooperate if someone is doing sinful 

Is yudhistra doing the right think by not protecting Draupadi.. But out of his respect for his Father like man Dhritarashtra.. (There are diff etiquettes in the vedic tradition.. The god brothers should be respected the same way as the guru.. ) We see that there is restraint of Bhima and Arjuna .. both of them were ready to kill Shakuni and Karna.. 

Bhima held back from his anger.. 

Bhishma was sinful for not acting when Draupadi was disrobed. .. if you are on the wrong side you will be tainted.. With the sin

BG 11.49

​​You have been perturbed and bewildered by seeing this horrible feature of Mine. Now let it be finished. My devotee, be free again from all disturbances. With a peaceful mind you can now see the form you desire.

In the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā Arjuna was worried about killing Bhīṣma and Droṇa, his worshipful grandfather and master. But Kṛṣṇa said that he need not be afraid of killing his grandfather. When the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra tried to disrobe Draupadī in the assembly of the Kurus, Bhīṣma and Droṇa were silent, and for such negligence of duty they should be killed. Kṛṣṇa showed His universal form to Arjuna just to show him that these people were already killed for their unlawful action. That scene was shown to Arjuna because devotees are always peaceful and they cannot perform such horrible actions. The purpose of the revelation of the universal form was shown; now Arjuna wanted to see the four-armed form, and Kṛṣṇa showed him. A devotee is not much interested in the universal form, for it does not enable one to reciprocate loving feelings. Either a devotee wants to offer his respectful worshipful feelings, or he wants to see the two-handed Kṛṣṇa form so that he can reciprocate in loving service with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Bhishma & Drona are Good guys but were duty bound and were on the wrong side.. 

Duty bound – forced to do something wrong.. 

Telling the truth oath – Sage.. who did tapasya and tells truth to dacoits and becomes the cause of death of people… he goes to hell.. 

We have to be very careful about what vows we take.. 

Telling the truth oath by Yudhisthira – Aswathama elephant is dead — Yudhistra did not lie as per krsna’s instruction .. because of that he had to go to hell for a few moments.. 

Bhishma was on the bed of arrows. .. he waited like that till the end of the battle of kurukshetra.. He did not speak the truth until he became the bones.. Until the flesh that was formed due to eating the food from Krsna.. He was duty bound.. Very difficult situation.. Dharma sankatha.. Whenever you are in doubt ask guru.. 

All questions have been answered. 

SB 3.1.38

[Please tell me] whether Arjuna, whose bow bears the name Gāṇḍīva and who is always famous amongst the chariot warriors for vanquishing his enemies, is doing well. He once satisfied Lord Śiva by covering him with arrows when Śiva came as an unidentified false hunter.

Lord Śiva tested Arjuna’s strength by picking a quarrel with him over a hunted boar. He confronted Arjuna in the false dress of a hunter, and Arjuna covered him with arrows until Lord Śiva was satisfied with Arjuna’s fighting. He offered Arjuna the Pāśupati weapon and blessed him. Here Vidura inquired about the great warrior’s well-being.

So we see that Arjuna – Unparalleled brave and expert fighter.. He only fights for legitimate reasons… 

CC ADI 7.101

“Dear Sir, there is no objection to Your being a great devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is satisfied with this. But why do You avoid discussion on the Vedānta-sūtra? What is the fault in it?”

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura comments in this connection, “Māyāvādī sannyāsīs accept that the commentary by Śrī Śaṅkarācārya known as Śārīraka-bhāṣya gives the real meaning of the Vedanta-sūtra. In other words, Māyāvādī sannyāsīs accept the meanings expressed in the explanations of the Vedānta-sūtra by Śaṅkarācārya, which are based on monism. Thus they explain the Vedānta-sūtra, the Upaniṣads and all such Vedic literatures in their own impersonal way.” The great Māyāvādī sannyāsī Sadānanda Yogīndra has written a book known as Vedānta-sāra, in which he writes, vedānto nāma upaniṣat-pramāṇam. tad-upakārīṇi śārīraka-sūtrādīni ca. According to Sadānanda Yogīndra, the Vedānta-sūtra and Upaniṣads, as presented by Śrī Śaṅkarācārya in his Śārīraka-bhāṣya commentary, are the only sources of Vedic evidence. Actually, however, Vedānta refers to the essence of Vedic knowledge, and it is not a fact that there is nothing more than Śaṅkarācārya’s Śārīraka-bhāṣya. There are other Vedānta commentaries, written by Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, none of whom follow Śrī Śaṅkarācārya or accept the imaginative commentary of his school. Their commentaries are based on the philosophy of duality. Monist philosophers like Śaṅkarācārya and his followers want to establish that God and the living entity are one, and instead of worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead they present themselves as God. They want to be worshiped as God by others. Such persons do not accept the philosophies of the Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, which are known as śuddhādvaita (purified monism), śuddha-dvaita (purified dualism), viśiṣṭādvaita (specific monism)(Ramanujacharya), dvaitādvaita (monism and dualism) (Nimbarka)  and acintya-bhedābheda (inconceivable oneness and difference) (Chaitanya MahaPrabhu). Māyāvādīs do not discuss these philosophies, for they are firmly convinced of their own philosophy of kevalādvaita, exclusive monism. Accepting this system of philosophy as the pure understanding of the Vedānta-sūtra, they believe that Kṛṣṇa has a body made of material elements and that the activities of loving service to Kṛṣṇa are sentimentality. They are known as Māyāvādīs because according to their opinion Kṛṣṇa has a body made of māyā and the loving service of the Lord executed by devotees is also māyā. They consider such devotional service to be an aspect of fruitive activities (karma-kāṇḍa). According to their view, bhakti consists of mental speculation or sometimes meditation. This is the difference between the Māyāvādī and Vaiṣṇava philosophies.

CC ADI 7.114

“Śaṅkarācārya, who is an incarnation of Lord Śiva, is faultless because he is a servant carrying out the orders of the Lord. But those who follow his Māyāvādī philosophy are doomed. They will lose all their advancement in spiritual knowledge.

Māyāvādī philosophers are very proud of exhibiting their Vedānta knowledge through grammatical jugglery, but in the Bhagavad-gītā Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa certifies that they are māyayāpahṛta-jñāna, bereft of real knowledge due to māyā. Māyā has two potencies with which to execute her two functions — the prakṣepātmikā-śakti, the power to throw the living entity into the ocean of material existence, and āvaraṇātmikā-śakti, the power to cover the knowledge of the living entity. The function of the the āvaraṇātmikā-śakti is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā by the word māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. (BG 7.15)

Why the daivī-māyā, or illusory energy of Kṛṣṇa, takes away the knowledge of the Māyāvādī philosophers is also explained in the Bhagavad-gīta by the use of the words āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ, which refer to a person who does not agree to the existence of the Lord. 

If you learn all these – Immediately you will detect this is a mayavadi.. 

Why are there diff commentaries in Vaishnava sampradayas if they all know that Krsna is supreme. They all accept Krsna as the supreme.. The founders of those sampradayas wrote those commentaries to instruct or teach their disciples..

Posted on

SB 2.9.41 & 42 Notes – 2/3/22

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.9.41 & 42TODAY (2/3/22):

  • Lord Brahmā, being the creator of all living beings in the universe, is originally the father of several well-known sons, like Dakṣa, the catuḥ-sanas, and Nārada.
  • Devarṣi Nārada inherited from his father Brahmā devotional service, whereas Dakṣa inherited from his father fruitive work, and Sanaka, Sanātana, etc., inherited from their father information about jñāna-kāṇḍa, or transcendental knowledge.
  • But out of them all, Nārada is described here as the most beloved son of Brahmā because of good behavior, obedience, meekness and readiness to render service unto the father.
  • And Nārada is famous as the greatest of all sages because of his being the greatest of all devotees.
  • Nārada is the spiritual master of many famous devotees of the Lord. He is the spiritual master of Prahlāda, Dhruva and Vyāsa, down to the forest animal hunter Kirāta. His only business is to turn everyone to the transcendental loving service of the Lord.
  • Therefore all these features of Nārada make him the dearmost son of his father, and all this is due to Nārada’s being a first-class devotee of the Lord.
  • The devotees are always anxious to know more and more about the Supreme Lord, the master of all energies.
  • It is the duty of everyone to ask about the unlimited Lord from the spiritual master in the disciplic succession of Brahmā, which descends from Nārada to Vyāsa, from Vyāsa to Śukadeva and so on.
  • Letter to Upendra (May 25,1970) – there is no other greater mantra than Hare Krsna. Srila Bhaktivinode says, “When I chant Radha Krsna or Hare Krsna all my dangers are gone immediately.” So which other mantra can be more effective than Hare Krsna.
  • So far responsibility is concerned, there is an action in Bhaktirasamrta Sindhu to be executed by the devotee which is called Krsna arthe akhila cesta which means to take all kinds of responsibilities for Krsna’s sake. Sometimes I also think that let me go back to Vrndavana, in that peaceful situation, to live without any responsibilities; still, in this old age, I take the responsibility of managing our quite a big Institution now, and I have to reply so many letters from different centers to give them instruction. As an old man I can take relief from this work immediately, but for Krsna’s sake I am pulling on even though there is sometimes personal inconveniences. So let us act in that way all together for Krsna’s sake
  • Letter to Hayagriva (22nd May, 1970) – So Krsna Consciousness Movement is meant for defying both classes of men; namely the karmis and the jnanis or yogis. That is our mission. Now among our students those who are advanced should take up this matter more seriously, and the Movement which you have started may not be stopped for want of adequate preachers—that is my request to you all.
  • “First-class devotional service is known by one’s tendency to be fully engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, serving the Lord favorably.” The purport is that one may also be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness unfavorably, but that cannot be counted as pure devotional service.
  • Pure devotional service should be free from the desire for any material benefit or for sense gratification, as these desires are cultivated through fruitive activities and philosophical speculation.
  •  This devotional service is a sort of cultivation. It is not simply inaction for people who like to be inactive or devote their time to silent meditation.
  • As soon as we say “cultivation,” we must refer to activity. Without activity, consciousness alone cannot help us.
  • All activities may be divided into two classes: one class may be for achieving a certain goal, and the other may be for avoiding some unfavorable circumstance. In Sanskrit, these activities are called pravṛtti and nivṛtti – positive and negative action
  • A Kṛṣṇa conscious person engages his words in preaching the glories of the Lord. This is called kīrtana. And by his mind a Kṛṣṇa conscious person always thinks of the activities of the Lord – as He is speaking on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra or engaging in His various pastimes in Vṛndāvana with His devotees. In this way one can always think of the activities and pastimes of the Lord. This is the mental culture of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
  • This cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not material.Any activities done in devotional service, or in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, are directly under the control of the spiritual energy. In other words, energy is a sort of strength, and this strength can be spiritualized by the mercy of both the bona fide spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa.
  • To one who is serious about spiritual life Kṛṣṇa gives the intelligence to come in contact with a bona fide spiritual master, and then by the grace of the spiritual master one becomes advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In this way the whole jurisdiction of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is directly under the spiritual energy – Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master.

SB 2.9.41 TRANSLATION:

Nārada, the most dear of the inheritor sons of Brahmā, always ready to serve his father, strictly follows the instructions of his father by his mannerly behavior, meekness and sense control.

VERY SIGNIFICATNT VERSE

Why would a guru with many disciples consider this one disciple as the most dear ? We should ask that question. Every disciple is the inheritor of the guru’s knowledge and behavior.. 

  • always ready to serve
  • strictly follows the instructions
  • mannerly behavior, meekness and sense control.

All the talent and ability to do things comes from the Krsna and the mercy of spiritual master. .. 

Example – King looked for an extremely honest person who had no self interest.. He found a poor man.. He invited him to become the number one advisor of the king. The rest of them became very upset.. As time went on all the other advisors kept on finding faults with that poor man.. This poor man refused to live in the kings place.. He was given a small room whenever he came to the palace. All the advisors decided to steal things valuable ones kept in that room. King eventually believed it.. They broke the door and ran inside the room.. There was nothing in the room – chair, old chappals,, he was sitting on the floor ..and kept looking at chappals …  every one was surprised.. He was looking at them to remind him where he came from.. King was sorry for his mistake and arrested everyone else who lied to him.. 

SB 2.9.42

Nārada very much pleased his father and desired to know all about the energies of Viṣṇu, the master of all energies, for Nārada was the greatest of all sages and greatest of all devotees, O King.

Lord Brahmā, being the creator of all living beings in the universe, is originally the father of several well-known sons, like Dakṣa, the catuḥ-sanas, and Nārada. In three departments of human knowledge disseminated by the Vedas, namely fruitive work (karma-kāṇḍa), transcendental knowledge (jñāna-kāṇḍa) and devotional service (upāsanā-kāṇḍa), Devarṣi Nārada inherited from his father Brahmā devotional service, whereas Dakṣa inherited from his father fruitive work, and Sanaka, Sanātana, etc., inherited from their father information about jñāna-kāṇḍa, or transcendental knowledge. But out of them all, Nārada is described here as the most beloved son of Brahmā because of good behavior, obedience, meekness and readiness to render service unto the father. And Nārada is famous as the greatest of all sages because of his being the greatest of all devotees. 

Three things which will make a disciple most appreciated by a guru – 

  1. Good behavior
    1. Even in the worst situation.. One will not descend to low class behavior. Because they have complete faith that Krsna will protect them. 
  2. Meekness
  3. Sense control 

Anukulyena Krsnaanusilanam… 

  • No material desires, only desire to please Krsna and guru..
  • Not attracted to mayavadi philosophy – even a bit 
  • Non interested in fruitive activities 
    • DISCIPLE_Gurudev I love you.. I can no longer live with my family. I want to be at your lotus feet and serve until last minute.. GURU _ If you want to serve me go back to your family and serve them… I am asking you to do something but you are refusing to do.. He gets an offer arranged by gurudev to get a lucrative job,… he no longer wanted to go back to godhead..
    • Navyogendra maharaj – lady – won Canadian lottery 30 m dollars, give all money to you if you marry me.. Even if you offer me 30 billion I will not accept. NO MATERIAL DESIRE.. Simply want to serve SP, Krsna and help everyone to become KC.. 

Unworthy words, unworthy thoughts undermines the purity of our mind – confuses teh intelligence of the devotee..

  • Anukulyena – Favorable  – Guru asks water disciple gives lemonade.. 
  • Krsnanusilanam  – everything we do is a cultivation of service in relationship to Krsna.. 

Nārada is the spiritual master of many famous devotees of the Lord. He is the spiritual master of Prahlāda, Dhruva and Vyāsa, down to the forest animal hunter Kirāta. His only business is to turn everyone to the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Therefore all these features of Nārada make him the dearmost son of his father, and all this is due to Nārada’s being a first-class devotee of the Lord. The devotees are always anxious to know more and more about the Supreme Lord, the master of all energies. As confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (10.9):

mac-cittā mad-gata-prāṇā

bodhayantaḥ parasparam

kathayantaś ca māṁ nityaṁ

tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca

The Supreme Lord is unlimited, and His energies are also unlimited. No one can know them completely. Brahmājī, being the greatest living entity within this universe and being directly instructed by the Lord, must know more than anyone within this universe, although such knowledge may not be complete. Thus it is the duty of everyone to ask about the unlimited Lord from the spiritual master in the disciplic succession of Brahmā, which descends from Nārada to Vyāsa, from Vyāsa to Śukadeva and so on.

Letter to: Upendra Dated: May 25, 1970

https://vedabase.io/en/library/letters/letter-to-upendra

My Dear Upendra,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 15th May, 1970.

I know you are sincere servant of Krsna, so sometimes we may do something which is not very congenial, but Krsna is so kind that one who is engaged in His transcendental loving service is corrected immediately from within as Krsna is sitting within everyone’s heart. So you have gone there with a great responsibility on behalf of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and try to convince people about the importance of Krsna Consciousness, that will make everything nice and in order.

You have asked some specific mantra; there is no other greater mantra than Hare Krsna. Srila Bhaktivinode says, “When I chant Radha Krsna or Hare Krsna all my dangers are gone immediately.” So which other mantra can be more effective than Hare Krsna.

So far responsibility is concerned, there is an action in Bhaktirasamrta Sindhu to be executed by the devotee which is called Krsna arthe akhila cesta which means to take all kinds of responsibilities for Krsna’s sake. Sometimes I also think that let me go back to Vrndavana, in that peaceful situation, to live without any responsibilities; still, in this old age, I take the responsibility of managing our quite a big Institution now, and I have to reply so many letters from different centers to give them instruction. As an old man I can take relief from this work immediately, but for Krsna’s sake I am pulling on even though there is sometimes personal inconveniences. So let us act in that way all together for Krsna’s sake.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Letter to Maharaj – When Krsna gives you more responsibility in Krsna service you must take it up and never give up. 

Letter to Hayagriva: Dated 22nd May 1970

My Dear Hayagriva,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 16th May, 1970. I am very glad you are coming here by the 6th of June next, and it will be a great opportunity to discuss at that time about New Vrndavana, and other affairs.

Your remark on the student demonstration is quite appropriate. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura said that materialistic knowledge is another expansion of the influence of Maya. The result of material education is that the living entity forgets his own identification and takes to the business of a particular type of body which is given to him by the grace of Maya. The Vedic education means one has to understand his real identity as brahman or the spirit soul. Unfortunately the modern educational system is so defective that everyone is educated to accept this body as self. At the present moment they have no clear idea of identification, so much so that even a person who is partially advanced about the importance of the soul does also improperly identify himself with the Supreme Brahma.

So Krsna Consciousness Movement is meant for defying both classes of men; namely the karmis and the jnanis or yogis. That is our mission. Now among our students those who are advanced should take up this matter more seriously, and the Movement which you have started may not be stopped for want of adequate preachers—that is my request to you all.

Inorder to be an adequate preacher – you need to 

  • hear BG and SB everyday from genuine devotees
  • Keep it in your mind
  • Learning something new , important and inspirational to take up pure devotional service with no material motive.. Only motive is to please guru and Krsna..

BHAKTI – The art of eternal love – 

https://vedabase.io/en/library/bhakti/6/

The authorized descriptions of bhakti, or devotional service, following in the footsteps of previous ācāryas, can be summarized in the following statement by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī: “First-class devotional service is known by one’s tendency to be fully engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, serving the Lord favorably.” The purport is that one may also be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness unfavorably, but that cannot be counted as pure devotional service. Pure devotional service should be free from the desire for any material benefit or for sense gratification, as these desires are cultivated through fruitive activities and philosophical speculation. Generally, people are engaged in different activities to get some material profit, while most philosophers are engaged in proposing transcendental realization through volumes of word jugglery and speculation. Pure devotional service must always be free from such fruitive activities and philosophical speculations. One has to learn Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or pure devotional service, from the authorities by spontaneous loving service.

This devotional service is a sort of cultivation. It is not simply inaction for people who like to be inactive or devote their time to silent meditation. There are many different methods for people who want this, but cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is different. The particular word used by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in this connection is anuśīlana, or cultivation by following the predecessor teachers (ācāryas). As soon as we say “cultivation,” we must refer to activity. Without activity, consciousness alone cannot help us. All activities may be divided into two classes: one class may be for achieving a certain goal, and the other may be for avoiding some unfavorable circumstance. In Sanskrit, these activities are called pravṛtti and nivṛtti – positive and negative action. There are many examples of negative action. For instance, a diseased person has to be cautious and take medicine in order to avoid making his illness worse.

Those who are cultivating spiritual life and executing devotional service are always engaged in activity. Such activity can be performed with the body or with the mind. Thinking, feeling, and willing are all activities of the mind, and when we will to do something, the activity comes to be manifest by the gross bodily senses. Thus, in our mental activities we should always try to think of Kṛṣṇa and try to plan how to please Him, following in the footsteps of the great ācāryas and the personal spiritual master. There are activities of the body, activities of the mind, and activities of speech. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person engages his words in preaching the glories of the Lord. This is called kīrtana. And by his mind a Kṛṣṇa conscious person always thinks of the activities of the Lord – as He is speaking on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra or engaging in His various pastimes in Vṛndāvana with His devotees. In this way one can always think of the activities and pastimes of the Lord. This is the mental culture of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Similarly, we can offer many services with our bodily activities. But all such activities must be in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. This relationship is established by connecting oneself with the bona fide spiritual master, who is the direct representative of Kṛṣṇa in disciplic succession. Therefore, the execution of Kṛṣṇa conscious activities with the body should be directed by the spiritual master and then performed with faith. The connection with the spiritual master is called initiation. From the date of initiation by the spiritual master, the connection between Kṛṣṇa and a person cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness is established. Without initiation by a bona fide spiritual master, the actual connection with Kṛṣṇa consciousness is never performed.

This cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not material. The Lord has three general energies – namely, the external energy, the internal energy, and the marginal energy. The living entities are called marginal energy, and the material cosmic manifestation is the action of the external, or material, energy. Then there is the spiritual world, which is a manifestation of the internal energy. The living entities, who are called marginal energy, perform material activities when acting under the inferior, external energy. And when they engage in activities under the internal, spiritual energy, their activities are called Kṛṣṇa conscious. This means that those who are great souls or great devotees do not act under the spell of the material energy, but act instead under the protection of the spiritual energy. Any activities done in devotional service, or in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, are directly under the control of the spiritual energy. In other words, energy is a sort of strength, and this strength can be spiritualized by the mercy of both the bona fide spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa.

In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, Lord Caitanya states that it is a fortunate person who comes in contact with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. To one who is serious about spiritual life Kṛṣṇa gives the intelligence to come in contact with a bona fide spiritual master, and then by the grace of the spiritual master one becomes advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In this way the whole jurisdiction of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is directly under the spiritual energy – Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master.

What is not clearly understood by us is diff between karma yoga and bhakti yoga.. 

Karma yoga – still there is material desire 

Bhakti yoga – there is no material desire.. 

Definition – of pure dev service – 

  • No material desires, only desire to please Krsna and guru..
  • Not attracted to mayavadi philosophy – even a bit. Learn about it from SP texts. They will not listen to mayavadis to understand them..explained in proper context about the deviation from Krsna C
  • Non interested in fruitive activities 
    • Karma yogi – has a desire in fruitve activity but they still want to follow KC. Theye are still contaminated by the desire.. Eventually if they have siksha and diksha gurus they will overcome that desire and stay under the umbrella of pure bhakti.. Even Brahma had the desire to dominate the whole universe.. Because he follows Krsna’s instructions and follows tapa for many many years and pleases Krsna and gets the knowledge.. 

We are aiming for pure devotional service.. 

Are most of the devotee Grihastas karma yogis? 

If you accept Dev service that is bhakti yoga. But you are not doing it 24 hours a day.. But eventually if you have a bonafide guru, he will say it is ok now but eventually it is not ok.. The real goal is pure devotional service… no attraction to liberation, fruitive activities, mayavadi philosophy.. Always meditate on Krsna’s transcendental past times.. You have to have a taset for it and that taste is developed with regular hearing.. 


Fruitive activity – business.. You will have to give us business you might not be able to give up now.. But eventually you have to if you want the real goal of PDS. That is what SP did he had a business, wife and children, his wife was not favorable, when the right time came he left them all.. If your wife is favorable you need not leave both of you can become sannyasis and serve.. 

Karma yogi – the most dev service they do is they do Satynarayana puja and take prasadam then they get what they want… they recommend to do it once a month.. But the problem is they do not make any spiritual advancement.. The priest who is doing it is for money.. They will not tell them the truth.. Therefore they are stuck.. Although engaged in something that is vedic but it is not pure..