670103 - Lecture CC Madhya 21.01-10 - New York

Lectures by Date, 1967

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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670103CC-NEW YORK - January 03, 1967 - 26:18 Minutes

Prabhupāda:

agaty-eka-gatiṁ natvā

hīnārthādhika-sādhakam

śrī-caitanyaṁ likhāmy asya

mādhuryaiśvarya-śīkaram

(CC Madhya 21.1)

Agaty-eka-gatiṁ natvā. The author of this Caitanya-caritāmṛta is offering his respectful obeisances unto Lord Caitanya. So he says: "agaty-eka-gatiṁ natvā. Agati," persons who have fallen, who have no hope for reaching the supreme destination, for them Lord Caitanya is the only hope. This age, it is stated in authoritative scriptures, in this age the people are unfortunate. Of course, they are very much proud of advancing. From spiritual point of view, the people of this age, Kali-yuga, they are unfortunate.

Their description is given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Second Chapter, First Canto, that people are short-living—their duration of life is very short—and they are very slow in the matter of spiritual realization. The human form of life is specially meant for spiritual realization, but they have forgotten that aim of life. They are very much serious about maintaining about the necessities of this body, which he is not. And if somebody's interested to have some taste of spiritual realization, they are misdirected.

prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ (sabhya)

kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ

mandāḥ sumanda-matayo

sumanda-matayo

manda-bhāgyā

(SB 1.1.10)

And they are unfortunate; upadrutāḥ, and always disturbed by so many things. So this is the position of the present-day population, and the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, he says that Lord Caitanya is the only hope for these people. Why? Because spiritual realization is not an ordinary subject matter. But He has given us this shortcut.

He's so kind to the people of the world that simply He has introduced this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. By simple chanting of this transcendental vibration the people of this age will make exact progress in the matter of spiritual realization.

Therefore this reference is there, agaty-eka-gatim. Those who are hopeless about their spiritual realization, Lord Caitanya is the only one hope. So hīnārthādhika-sādhakam śrī-caitanyaṁ likhāmy asya. So I am just offering my respect to Lord Śrī Caitanya. I am trying to describe about His transcendental activities and instructions and philosophy. Now:

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda

jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

(CC Madhya 21.2)

This is the process of offering respect to Lord Caitanya. What is that? Lord Caitanya is always presented with five transcendental entourage. He is Himself present, and His next, I mean to say, expansion, Nityānanda, and His incarnation, Advaita, and His internal potency, Gadādhara, and His external . . . er, marginal potency, Śrī Śrīvāsa. So pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇam. He is Kṛṣṇa, but He is present in this age with His five associates. Pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam (Maṇgalācaraṇa).

But although He is Kṛṣṇa, He presents Himself as a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam. Bhaktāvatāram bhaktākhyam: and incarnation of devotee, Advaita, and bhaktākhyam. These five associates are always with Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. So to offer Kṛṣṇa Caitanya means to offer with His associates. Sa-ghoṣṭi. This is the process.

Now Kṛṣṇa's . . . about the position of Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa, he has already described. The first proposition is sambandha. Sambandha means we have to understand our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Just like if we want to make some relationship with a friend, then we must know about him, what he is. So we are going to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, so we must know what is Kṛṣṇa.

So Kṛṣṇa, about Kṛṣṇa he has described shortly, that He is personally like this, His incarnations are like this, and there are so many incarnation, and He is existing in this way, He manifests Himself in this material world in this way. As far as possible he has given description about Kṛṣṇa.

Now, about Kṛṣṇa's abode . . . Kṛṣṇa means not only Kṛṣṇa. Nāma dhāma guṇa līlā parikara vaisiṣṭha. Kṛṣṇa means Kṛṣṇa Himself, His name, His place, nāma dhāma, His quality, then His entourage, then His pastime. All these things Kṛṣṇa means. Because we are not impersonalists, simply understanding Brahma we are satisfied. The impersonalists are satisfied simply understanding that He is Brahma. But the Vaiṣṇava, they are not satisfied simply by knowing Brahma. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, brahma-bhūtaḥ (BG 18.54). Brahma-bhūtaḥ means he's already Brahma, but he forgot himself. He thought himself that "I am matter." That is illusion. So every living entity, by constitutional position, he is Brahma, but his forgetfulness—he thinks that "I am something of this matter."

So brahma-bhūtaḥ, when one becomes spiritually realized that he is not anything of this material world, he is spirit soul, brahma-bhūtaḥ, this is called brahma-bhūtaḥ . . . so long he does not understand that he is spiritual entity, he is jīva-bhūtaḥ. That is called jīva-bhūtaḥ. And when he understands that he is nothing of this material world—he belongs to the spiritual world and his position is spiritual identity—that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ stage.

That is described in Bhagavad-gītā. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Prasannātmā means he becomes immediately enlivened: "I don't belong to this. Why I am identifying myself with these all miseries of material world? I belong to the part and parcel of the Supreme, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), eternal, blissful knowledge."

So he becomes prasannātmā. Prasannātmā means joyful, spiritually enlivened. So this is the first stage of Brahma realization. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that this Brahma realization, people take so much, I mean to say, undertaking of austerity, penance and . . . but by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, He says, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). At once one becomes cleansed of the dust accumulated on the mind. Because everything is misconception. I am thinking matter. Actually I am not. This is misconception. So by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, the first instalment of benefit is that one becomes brahma-bhūtaḥ. He at once becomes brahma-bhūtaḥ.

And prasannātmā. Prasannātmā. Brahma-bhūtaḥ, next stage is prasannātmā. Ātmā. He becomes engladdened: "Oh, I am not this matter." Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the same thing He says: ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). This bhava-mahā-dāvāgni . . .

This world is compared with forest fire. It is going on. The fire is going on. So for a realized soul, the fire is at once extinguished. One is realized soul, that he's not this matter, the fire of this material existence at once extinguished. So Lord Caitanya gave us this opportunity, and the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, he's saying that agaty-eka-gatim. Those who have fallen, for them Lord Caitanya is the only hope.

sarva svarūpera dhāma—paravyoma-dhāme

pṛthak pṛthak vaikuṇṭha nāhika gaṇane

(CC Madhya 21.3)

Now Lord Caitanya describes about the kingdom of God, or the spiritual sky. He says . . . He has already explained to you about different kinds of expansions: prābhava, vaibhava, vilāsa, prakāśa. You may remember it. So there are innumerable expansions. Eko bahu śyāma: "The one Supreme Lord has become so many. The same example: the original candle, and from that candle you can expand millions and millions candles. Similarly, the original Personality of Godhead is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and He has expanded in so many ways.

Now, Lord Caitanya says all the expanded plenary manifestation of Kṛṣṇa has got a separate abode. Each and every one of them has got a separate abode. Sarva rūpera dhāma-paravyoma-dhāme. And where they are? That is in the paravyoma. Paravyoma means . . . vyoma means sky, and para means transcendental, beyond this sky. This sky is called material sky, and beyond this there is paravyoma, spiritual sky.

They have no information. The material scientists, they have no information. What information they have got? They cannot reach even the moon planet, what to speak of others. It is far, far away. Whatever . . . we can see the sky just like a pot, and that is the covering of this universe. And if you can penetrate that covering—that space is also many, many times longer than this outer space—then you'll find the spiritual sky. That is not possible for any material scientist to find out where the spiritual sky is. But you can understand from authoritative scriptures and from authorities like Lord Caitanya.

He says that for each of the expansions of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, there is a separate, I mean to say, planet into the . . . in the . . . I mean to say, spiritual sky. Pṛthak pṛthak vaikuṇṭha nāhika gaṇane. Pṛthak pṛthak: each of them has got a separate Vaikuṇṭha planet, but how many planets are there, nobody can count. Nāhika tara gaṇane. Now, some estimate? The Lord says:

śata, sahasra, ayuta, lakṣa, koṭī-yojana

eka vaikuṇṭhera vistāra varṇana

(CC Madhya 21.4)

There is no question of voidness or impersonalist. He says that all those Vaikuṇṭha planets are so big that some of them, hundreds, some, millions and millions of miles, I mean to say, area—what is called— round. Eka vaikuṇṭhera vistāra varṇana. Vistāra means very much expanded.

saba vaikuṇṭha-vyāpaka, ānanda-cinmaya

pāriṣada-ṣaḍaiśvarya-pūrṇa saba haya

(CC Madhya 21.5)

And each and every Vaikuṇṭha planet, there are living entities, not that they are vacant. But all of them are ānanda. They are all made of sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), eternity and bliss and full of knowledge. The land is also eternal, blissful and full of knowledge; the inhabitants are also eternal, blissful and full of knowledge; and the presiding Deity expansion of Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa, He is also eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. This is called absolute.

Here in the material world we have got difference. I am spirit soul, but there is difference between me and my body; there is difference between me and this material world. But there, everything is spiritual—therefore there is no difference. The impersonalists, they cannot understand.

Because everything is spiritual, they think that there is no variegatedness. But from this description of Caitanya-caritāmṛta and other scriptures like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, we can understand that the spiritual sky is exactly like this, but that is spiritual and this is material.

ananta vaikuṇṭha eka eka deśe yāra

sei paravyoma-dhāmera ke karu vistāra

(CC Madhya 21.6)

Now, so far the spiritual sky is concerned, there are innumerable Vaikuṇṭha planets, and nobody can measure how great those Vaikuṇṭha planets are. Therefore how great that space of spiritual sky is, nobody can calculate.

ananta vaikuṇṭha-paravyoma yāra dala-śreṇī

sarvopari kṛṣṇaloka 'karṇikāra' gaṇi

(CC Madhya 21.7)

Now, all these planets . . . just like in a stem there are so many branches and flowers, take it for granted it is something like that. And the topmost flower . . . just like if you take a rose flower, there are so many leaves, and on the topmost there is the nice flower. So the topmost planet in the spiritual sky, that is called Kṛṣṇaloka. Karṇikāra. That is just like . . . the shape of the Kṛṣṇaloka is just like a lotus flower.

ei-mata ṣaḍ-aiśvarya, sthāna, avatāra

brahmā, śiva anta nā pāya-jīva kon chāra

(CC Madhya 21.8)

The Lord says, what these ordinary living entities with teeny brain, they can calculate about Lord's opulence?" These are opulences of the Supreme Lord. He says, brahmā śiva. Brahmā. Brahmā is considered to be the highest of the living entities, and Śiva, Lord Śiva, he is also considered very high-grade demigod.

So Lord Caitanya says that even Brahmā and Śiva cannot calculate, and what to speak of this ordinary human beings. They cannot understand, it is not possible. Ei-mata ṣaḍ-aiśvarya: nobody can calculate the six opulences of Kṛṣṇa. We have discussed the six opulences, I mean to say: wealth, riches and strength and fame and knowledge and beauty and renunciation. Nobody can calculate. So he's giving a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

ko vetti bhūman bhagavan parātman

yogeśvarotīr bhavatas trilokyām

kva vā kathaṁ vā kati vā kadeti

vistārayan krīḍasi yoga-māyām

(CC Madhya 21.9)

He bhūman: "O the great, O the Supreme Personality of Godhead, O the Supersoul, O the master of the mystic . . . mysticism, how You are acting, tri-bhuvane, tri-bhuvane, within this three worlds?" Three world means that in the materially there is lower planet and middle planets and upper planets, this three worlds. So "How You are acting within this three worlds, and how You are utilizing Your internal potency, yogamāyā, extending Yourself in so many expansions, plenary expansions? Who can understand You? Nobody can understand You."

You may say if nobody can understand, what is the use of discussing such things? That is the qualification of the devotee. In spite of their inability to understand His supremacy, the expansion, the extension of the Supreme Lord, still, by discussing about the Supreme Lord, hearing and chanting, they take transcendental pleasure. It is not that anybody can understand Kṛṣṇa, but still, it is a transcendental pleasure to try to understand. Not that we shall be able to understand Kṛṣṇa fully; it is not in our power. But still, bodhayantaḥ parasparam, tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca (BG 10.9).

Mahātmā, those who are great souls, in their society, in their spiritual society of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by discussing about Kṛṣṇa as in terms of the Vedic literature and authoritative literature, they enjoy transcendentally. This is transcendental pleasure.

Not that for understanding Kṛṣṇa we are discussing all these scriptures. It is not possible. It is not possible. Nobody can understand. But as far as possible, whatever we can understand or imagine, that is transcendental pleasure. This is the process of devotional service. And by such discussion, one becomes pure. Yesterday we were discussing that Bhagavad sloka . . . yo mām vetti anadiṁ. Eh? Sarva-pāpaiḥ vimuktase (BG 10.3): he becomes freed from all reactions of sinful acts. So not that we are going to understand Kṛṣṇa. It is not poss . . . not possible for our teeny brain. But by discussing about Him we become purified of all sinful reactions, and we enjoy transcendental pleasure. That is the . . .

ei-mata kṛṣṇera divya sad-guṇa ananta

brahmā-śiva-sanakadi nā pāya yāṅra anta

(CC Madhya 21.10)

And what to speak of ourself; the Lord says even personalities like Brahmā, Lord Śiva and the Kumāras, they are considered the ācāryas, authorities; sanakadi, they also cannot understand. So what to speak of ourselves? Ei-mata kṛṣṇera divya: transcendental opulences and qualities, nobody can reach to the end; it is not possible.

So we shall discuss again tomorrow.

Any question? (end)