View source for NOI 10

[[Category:Nectar of Instruction (1975)|N10]]
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==== TEXT TEN ====

<div class="verse">
:karmibhyaḥ parito hareḥ priyatayā vyaktiṁ yayur jñāninas
:tebhyo jñāna-vimukta-bhakti-paramāḥ premaika-niṣṭhās tataḥ
:tebhyas tāḥ paśu-pāla-paṅkaja-dṛśas tābhyo 'pi sā rādhikā
:preṣṭhā tadvad iyaṁ tadīya-sarasī tāṁ nāśrayet kaḥ kṛtī: 
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==== SYNONYMS ====

<div class="synonyms">
''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=karmibhyaḥ&tab=syno_o&ds=1 karmibhyaḥ]'' — than all fruitive workers; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=paritaḥ&tab=syno_o&ds=1 paritaḥ]'' — in all respects; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=hareḥ&tab=syno_o&ds=1 hareḥ]'' — by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=priyatayā&tab=syno_o&ds=1 priyatayā]'' — because of being favored; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=vyaktim&tab=syno_o&ds=1 vyaktim] [//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=yayuḥ&tab=syno_o&ds=1 yayuḥ]'' — it is said in the śāstra; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=jñāninaḥ&tab=syno_o&ds=1 jñāninaḥ]'' — those advanced in knowledge; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=tebhyaḥ&tab=syno_o&ds=1 tebhyaḥ]'' — superior to them; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=jñāna&tab=syno_o&ds=1 jñāna]-[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=vimukta&tab=syno_o&ds=1 vimukta]'' — liberated by knowledge; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=bhakti&tab=syno_o&ds=1 bhakti]-[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=paramāḥ&tab=syno_o&ds=1 paramāḥ]'' — those engaged in devotional service; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=prema&tab=syno_o&ds=1 prema]-[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=eka&tab=syno_o&ds=1 eka]-[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=niṣṭhāḥ&tab=syno_o&ds=1 niṣṭhāḥ]'' — those who have attained pure love of God; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=tataḥ&tab=syno_o&ds=1 tataḥ]'' — superior to them; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=tebhyaḥ&tab=syno_o&ds=1 tebhyaḥ]'' — better than them; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=tāḥ&tab=syno_o&ds=1 tāḥ]'' — they; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=paśu&tab=syno_o&ds=1 paśu]-[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=pāla&tab=syno_o&ds=1 pāla]-[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=paṅkaja&tab=syno_o&ds=1 paṅkaja]-[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=dṛśaḥ&tab=syno_o&ds=1 dṛśaḥ]'' — the gopīs who are always dependent on Kṛṣṇa, the cowherd boy; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=tābhyaḥ&tab=syno_o&ds=1 tābhyaḥ]'' — above all of them; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=api&tab=syno_o&ds=1 api]'' — certainly; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=sā&tab=syno_o&ds=1 sā]'' — She; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=rādhikā&tab=syno_o&ds=1 rādhikā]'' — Śrīmatī Rādhikā; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=preṣṭhā&tab=syno_o&ds=1 preṣṭhā]'' — very dear; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=tadvat&tab=syno_o&ds=1 tadvat]'' — similarly; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=iyam&tab=syno_o&ds=1 iyam]'' — this; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=tadīya&tab=syno_o&ds=1 tadīya]-[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=sarasī&tab=syno_o&ds=1 sarasī]'' — Her lake, Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=tām&tab=syno_o&ds=1 tām]'' — Rādhā-kuṇḍa; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=na&tab=syno_o&ds=1 na]'' — not; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=āśrayet&tab=syno_o&ds=1 āśrayet]'' — would take shelter of; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=kaḥ&tab=syno_o&ds=1 kaḥ]'' — who; ''[//vanipedia.org/wiki/Special:VaniSearch?s=kṛtī&tab=syno_o&ds=1 kṛtī]'' — most fortunate.
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==== TRANSLATION ====

<div class="translation">
In the ''śāstra'' it is said that of all types of fruitive workers, he who is advanced in knowledge of the higher values of life is favored by the Supreme Lord Hari. Out of many such people who are advanced in knowledge [''jñānīs''], one who is practically liberated by virtue of his knowledge may take to devotional service. He is superior to the others. However, one who has actually attained ''prema'', pure love of Kṛṣṇa, is superior to him. The ''gopīs'' are exalted above all the advanced devotees because they are always totally dependent upon Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the transcendental cowherd boy. Among the ''gopīs'', Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the most dear to Kṛṣṇa. Her ''kuṇḍa'' [lake] is as profoundly dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa as this most beloved of the ''gopīs''. Who, then, will not reside at Rādhā-kuṇḍa and, in a spiritual body surcharged with ecstatic devotional feelings [''aprākṛtabhāva''], render loving service to the divine couple Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, who perform Their ''aṣṭakālīya-līlā'', Their eternal eightfold daily pastimes. Indeed, those who execute devotional service on the banks of Rādhā-kuṇḍa are the most fortunate people in the universe.
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==== PURPORT ====

<div class="purport">
At the present moment almost everyone is engaged in some kind of fruitive activity. Those who are desirous of gaining material profits by working are called ''karmīs'', or fruitive workers. All living entities within this material world have come under the spell of ''māyā''. This is described in the ''Viṣṇu Purāṇa'' (6.7.61, [[CC Madhya 6.154]]):
<div class="verse">
:viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā
:kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā
:avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā
:tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate
</div>
Sages have divided the energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead into three categories—namely, the spiritual energy, marginal energy and material energy. The material energy is considered to be the third-class energy (''tṛtīyā śaktiḥ''). Those living beings within the jurisdiction of the material energy sometimes engage themselves like dogs and hogs in working very hard simply for sense gratification. However, in this life, or, after executing pious activities, in the next life, some ''karmīs'' become strongly attracted to performing various kinds of sacrifices mentioned in the ''Vedas''. Thus on the strength of their pious merit, they are elevated to heavenly planets. Actually those who perform sacrifices strictly according to Vedic injunctions are elevated to the moon and planets above the moon. As mentioned in ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 9.21 (1972)|BG 9.21]]), ''kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti'': after exhausting the results of their so-called pious activities, they again return to the earth, which is called ''martya-loka'', the place of death. Although such persons may be elevated to the heavenly planets by their pious activities and although they may enjoy life there for many thousands of years, they nonetheless must return to this planet when the results of their pious activities are exhausted.

This is the position of all ''karmīs'', including those who act piously and those who act impiously. On this planet we find many businessmen, politicians and others who are simply interested in material happiness. They attempt to earn money by all means, not considering whether such means are pious or impious. Such people are called ''karmīs'', or gross materialists. Among the ''karmīs'' are some ''vikarmīs'', people who act without the guidance of Vedic knowledge. Those who act on the basis of Vedic knowledge perform sacrifices for the satisfaction of Lord Viṣṇu and to receive benedictions from Him. In this way they are elevated to higher planetary systems. Such ''karmīs'' are superior to the ''vikarmīs'', for they are faithful to the directions of the ''Vedas'' and are certainly dear to Kṛṣṇa. In ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 4.11 (1972)|BG 4.11]]), Kṛṣṇa says: ''ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham''. "In whatever way one surrenders unto Me, I reward him accordingly." Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He fulfilled the desires of the ''karmīs'' and ''jñānīs'', not to speak of the ''bhaktas''. Although the ''karmīs'' are sometimes elevated to higher planetary systems, as long as they remain attached to fruitive activities they must accept new material bodies after death. If one acts piously, he can attain a new body among the demigods in the higher planetary systems, or he may attain some other position in which he can enjoy a higher standard of material happiness. On the other hand, those who are engaged in impious activities are degraded and take birth as animals, trees and plants. Thus those fruitive actors who do not care for the Vedic directions (''vikarmīs'') are not appreciated by learned saintly persons. As stated in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 5.5.4]]):
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:nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma
:yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti
:na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam
:asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ
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"Materialists who work hard like dogs and hogs simply for sense gratification are actually mad. They simply perform all kinds of abominable activities simply for sense gratification. Materialistic activities are not at all worthy of an intelligent man, for as a result of such activities, one gets a material body, which is full of misery." The purpose of human life is to get out of the threefold miserable conditions, which are concomitant with material existence. Unfortunately, fruitive workers are mad to earn money and acquire temporary material comforts by all means; therefore they risk being degraded to lower species of life. Materialists foolishly make many plans to become happy in this material world. They do not stop to consider that they will live only for a certain number of years, out of which they must spend the major portion acquiring money for sense gratification. Ultimately such activities end in death. Materialists do not consider that after giving up the body they may become embodied as lower animals, plants or trees. Thus all their activities simply defeat the purpose of life. Not only are they born ignorant, but they act on the platform of ignorance, thinking that they are getting material benefits in the shape of skyscraper buildings, big cars, honorable positions and so on. The materialists do not know that in the next life they will be degraded and that all their activities simply serve as ''parābhava'', their defeat. This is the verdict of ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' ([[SB 5.5.5]]): ''parābhavas tāvad abodha jātaḥ''.

One should therefore be eager to understand the science of the soul (''ātma-tattva''). Unless one comes to the platform of ''ātma-tattva'', by which one understands that the soul and not the body is oneself, one remains on the platform of ignorance. Out of thousands and even millions of ignorant people who are wasting their time simply gratifying their senses, one may come to the platform of knowledge and understand higher values of life. Such a person is called a ''jñānī''. The ''jñānī'' knows that fruitive activities will bind him to material existence and cause him to transmigrate from one kind of body to another. As indicated in ''Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam'' by the term ''śarīra-bandha'' (bound to bodily existence), as long as one maintains any conception of sense enjoyment, his mind will be absorbed in ''karma'', fruitive activity, and this will oblige him to transmigrate from one body to another.

Thus a ''jñānī'' is considered superior to a karmī because he at least refrains from the blind activities of sense enjoyment. This is the verdict of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However, although a ''jñānī'' may be liberated from the ignorance of the ''karmīs'', unless he comes to the platform of devotional service he is still considered to be in ignorance (''avidyā''). Although one may be accepted as a ''jñānī'', or one advanced in knowledge, his knowledge is considered impure because he has no information of devotional service and thus neglects the direct worship of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

When a ''jñānī'' takes to devotional service, he rapidly becomes superior to an ordinary ''jñānī''. Such an advanced person is described as ''jñāna-vimukta-bhakti-parama''. How a ''jñānī'' takes to devotional service is mentioned in ''Bhagavad-gītā'' ([[BG 7.19 (1972)|BG 7.19]]), wherein Kṛṣṇa says:
<div class="verse">
:bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
:jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
:vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
:sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ
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"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." Actually a person is wise when he surrenders unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, but such a ''mahātmā'', great soul, is very rare.

After taking to devotional service under the regulative principles, a person may come to the platform of spontaneous love of Godhead, following in the footsteps of great devotees like Nārada and Sanaka and Sanātana. The Supreme Personality of Godhead then recognizes him to be superior. The devotees who have developed love of Godhead are certainly in an exalted position.

Of all these devotees, the ''gopīs'' are recognized as superior because they do not know anything other than satisfying Kṛṣṇa. Nor do the ''gopīs'' expect any return from Kṛṣṇa. Indeed, sometimes Kṛṣṇa puts them into extreme suffering by separating Himself from them. Nonetheless, they cannot forget Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa left Vṛndāvana for Mathurā, the ''gopīs'' became most dejected and spent the rest of their lives simply crying in separation from Kṛṣṇa. This means that in one sense they were never actually separated from Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference between thinking of Kṛṣṇa and associating with Him. Rather, ''vipralambha-sevā'', thinking of Kṛṣṇa in separation, as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did, is far better than serving Kṛṣṇa directly. Thus of all the devotees who have developed unalloyed devotional love for Kṛṣṇa, the ''gopīs'' are most exalted, and out of all these exalted ''gopīs'', Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the highest. No one can excel the devotional service of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Indeed, even Kṛṣṇa cannot understand the attitude of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī; therefore He took Her position and appeared as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, just to understand Her transcendental feelings.

In this way Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī gradually concludes that Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the most exalted devotee of Kṛṣṇa and that Her ''kuṇḍa'' (lake), Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa, is the most exalted place. This is verified in a quotation from ''Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta'' (''Uttara-khaṇḍa'' 45), as quoted in ''Caitanya-caritāmṛta'' ([[CC Adi 4.215]], [[CC Madhya 8.99]] & [[CC Madhya 18.8]]):
<div class="verse">
:yathā rādhā priyā viṣṇos
:tasyāḥ kuṇḍaṁ priyaṁ tathā
:sarva-gopīṣu saivaikā
:viṣṇor atyanta-vallabhā
</div>
"Just as Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is dear to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa [Viṣṇu], so Her bathing place [Rādhā-kuṇḍa] is equally dear to Kṛṣṇa. Among all the ''gopīs'', She alone stands supreme as the Lord's most beloved."

Therefore everyone interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should ultimately take shelter of Rādhā-kuṇḍa and execute devotional service there throughout one's life. This is the conclusion of Rūpa Gosvāmī in the tenth verse of ''Upadeśāmṛta''.
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