710218 - Lecture SB 06.03.25-26 - Gorakhpur

Lectures by Date, 1971

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

710218SB-GORAKHPUR - February 18, 1971 - 37:54 Minutes

Prabhupāda:

. . . devyā vimohita-matir bata māyayālam

trayyāṁ jaḍī-kṛta-matir madhu-puṣpitāyāṁ

vaitānike mahati karmaṇi yujyamānaḥ

(SB 6.3.25)

So Śrīdhara Svāmī says: "As a physician without knowing the presence of mṛta-sañjīvanī . . ." In Āyur-vedic medicine system there is a medicine which is called mṛta-sañjīvanī. Mṛta-sañjīvanī. Mṛta means death, and sañjīvanī means giving life. Even a dead man can get life by drinking that medicine. It is a strong tonic. It is still used in Āyur-vedic medicine, and some of the biggest manufacturer of Āyur-vedic medicine, they prepare, and it has a good sale. So it may not be exactly the same mṛta-sañjīvanī, but it is very well known.

So Śrīdhara Svāmī says . . . just like one . . . a person is suffering from fever, so according to Āyur-vedic medicine, tri-kaṭu . . . tri means three, and kaṭu means bitter. Tri-kaṭu, just like neem, neem fruits, kālamegha and ciratā, they are prescribed, very bitter to eat. So Śrīdhara Svāmī gives this example:

"Without knowing that there is a very nice medicine, mṛta-sañjīvanī, they takes so many troublesome medicines. Similarly, the great stalwart leaders of religious principles, without knowing this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, they take to so many troublesome, multi-ritualistic ceremonies."

Viṁśati-prakāra-dharma-śāstrāḥ. There are twenty kinds of dharma-śāstra composed by Manu, Parāśara and others. They are very difficult. All of them are meant for counteracting our sinful life. This, as we have explained, material life is so arranged that even you do not like to commit some sin, in course of your life there will be sinful reaction.

Just like we sing the prayers of Viśvanātha Cakravartī, saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka. This world is so situated that there is a blazing fire always in this material world. Even if you do not want, still, that fire is there. Nobody wants blazing fire, dāvānala. Dāvānala means forest fire.

Nobody goes to set fire in the forest, but it takes place. Similarly, this material world is also like that. Nobody wants, but still, miserable condition of life come in. Just like in Calcutta, nobody wanted the Naxalite disturbance, but it has come.

There are so many troubles. And why this happens? Because their unconscious activities of sinful life. Just like we are walking on the street. Unconsciously, we are killing so many small ants and insects, unconsciously. I do not wish to kill, but we are, having situated, we are, being situated in material condition of life, we are unconsciously killing so many living entities.

Therefore, according to the Vedic rites, the injunction is that one has to perform yajñas, sacrifices. And without that sacrifice you'll be liable to be punishment for that unconscious killing of small animals. As such, those who are actually fearful of a sinful reaction of life, they perform yajñas. But here it is said that the mahājanas, the great leaders of religions, without knowing this simple method of getting out of sinful life, they take to so many yajñas prescribed in the Vedas.

Prāyeṇa veda tad idaṁ na mahājano 'yaṁ devyā vimohita-matir bata māyayālam: "Practically they were also bewildered by the influence of māyā." They do not know that there is such a medicine. The example is given, mṛta-sañjīvanī. But they take to bitter medical drugs like neem, ciratā and kālamegha.

That is explained by Śrīdhara Svāmī. Mṛta-saṁyamani viṣam ajānanta auṣadham ajānanta vaidya roga-nirharaṇāya tri-kaṭu nimva dini smaran, tatha svayambhūḥ sanmukha-pramukhat dvādaśa, dvādaśa vyatire kenayam mahājana api guhyam idam ajñāta-dvādaśādhikaṁ smaranti.

So the great compiler of religious scripture, headed by Manu and others, without knowing the simple method, they prescribe gorgeous ritualistic ceremonies. Kim ca māyayā divyalam vimohitam matir ayam jana madhu, madhunam yatha bhavati evam puspitayam puṣpa-sthaniya ratavadi mano-harayam trayyam jadi-kṛta abhinivista-matir yasya ata eva mahaty eva karmany agni-stomadau śraddhayā yujyamānaḥ. So being bewildered by the material or external energy, they take to these gorgeous ceremonies or sacrificial performances.

Actually there is no need. The whole thing is that Śrīdhara Svāmī is giving stress very strongly that you can simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without undergoing any ritualistic ceremonies. Actually it is very difficult to understand. Mādhavendra Purī, our predecessor ācārya, he also has composed a nice verse. He says: "My dear gāyatrī-mantra, I offer you my respect, but no more I can chant gāyatrī-mantra."

In this way . . . taking bath early in the morning, that's a good recommendation for spiritual advancement. But Mādhavendra Purī said: "Now I am unable to execute this order. Please excuse me." In this way he has described in many ways. At last, he concludes that, "I shall sit down somewhere underneath a tree and simply remember Govinda's name. That is sufficient. Yes." He says: "Please excuse me, please excuse me, please excuse me."

But this Mādhavendra's statement is not for the neophyte devotees. We should not imitate Mādhavendra Purī. Mādhavendra Purī was the spiritual master of Īśvara Purī, and Īśvara Purī was the spiritual master of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So the position of Mādhavendra Purī, the position of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, they are different from our position.

We should not imitate that, "Because Mādhavendra Purī gave up everything and simply concentrated his mind in chanting mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, or Haridāsa Ṭhākura, therefore I shall also do that. I shall not rise early in the morning. I shall not take bath. I shall not worship the Deity. Simply I shall . . ." That is not possible. That is not possible.

But actually, if anyone can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra offenselessly and in devotion and love . . . there the first thing is love—not force—love, what is called, automatically, spontaneous. Spontaneous. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, he said that, "How I shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra in one tongue?

If I had hundreds and thousands of tongues, then I could chant and relish what is Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra." That is a different stage. We should not imitate. But actually this is a fact, that simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra you can get relief from all kinds of performances, ritualistic ceremonies. That is the point stressed by Śrīdhara Svāmī.

evaṁ vimṛśya sudhiyo bhagavaty anante

sarvātmanā vidadhate khalu bhāva-yogam

te me na daṇḍam arhanty atha yady amīṣāṁ

syāt pātakaṁ tad api hanty urugāya-vādaḥ

(SB 6.3.26)

Now Yamarāja is saying that evaṁ vimṛśya sudhiyo bhagavaty anante. One who is so much attached unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead that he constantly associates with Him simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, or by performing the devotional service . . .

Yamarāja does not, I mean to say, give only stress on the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. He is giving stress on different process of devotional service. Bhagavaty anante sarvātmanā vidadhate khalu bhāva-yogam. Sarvātmanā. Sarvātmanā means in all respect. And bhāva-yogam means bhakti-yogam.

So if anyone seriously takes to bhakti-yoga process without any reservation—that means śuddha-bhakti, unalloyed devotional service, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11), as we have explained several times—then evaṁ vimṛśya sudhiyo bhagavaty anante sarvātmanā.

There is another verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṟṇāṁ

nāyam ṛṇī na kiṅkaro rājan

sarvātmanā yaḥ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ

gato mukundaṁ parihṛtya kartam

(SB 11.5.41)

Sarvātmanā, this word is very important. The Kṛṣṇa also asks when He said that, "Giving up all other kinds of engagement of religious process, simply surrender unto Me." That is called sarvātmanā, "with all heart, with all intention, without any reservation," sarvātmanā, the exact meaning.

Yamarāja says that "One who has taken to devotional service," sarvātmanā, "very seriously, and without any deviation," sarvātmanā vidadhate khalu bhāva-yogam, te me na daṇḍam arhanti, "they are not," I mean to say: "within the jurisdiction of my punishment." It is clearly said, yama-daṇḍa. Those who are devotees, they are out of the jurisdiction of ruling of Yamarāja. It is especially stated here, te me na daṇḍam arhanti: "They are not liable for my punishment. Even they commit some mistake or fall down, or even they commit a very sinister, sinful activity, still, they are not under my jurisdiction."

Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, api cet sudurācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). But this concession . . . there are many other concession. Kṛṣṇa says that, "Anyone who is engaged in devotional service, if unintentionally he commits some mistake and offense, I excuse."

So these are special cases, not that because Kṛṣṇa promises to excuse . . . because Kṛṣṇa says that: "Even though he has committed such sinful activities, still, he's a sādhu," and although Yamarāja says that, "Those who are engaged in devotional service, they are out of my jurisdiction of punishment," so we should not take advantage of this concession. That is a great offense, greatest offense. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ (Padma Purāṇa, Brahma-kaṇḍha 25.16). These concessions are there for the devotees, but not for intentional committing sinful activity.

If by accident, if by previous habit, one commits some mistake or falls down, that is excused. And one should be repentant, "My dear Lord, I have committed this offense. Please excuse me." And one should fast. One should be very much repentant. Then Kṛṣṇa is so kind. But he hasn't got to take to the prāyaścitta or, what is called, atonement system. A devotee hasn't got to do that. A devotee's sinful activities is excused, and if he is repentant, then he is again elevated to his original position. That is the verdict of all śāstras.

And here also the Yamarāja says that te me na daṇḍam arhanty atha yady amīṣāṁ syāt pātakaṁ tad api hanty urugāya-vādaḥ: "Even if he has committed some sinful activities, because he is chanting the glories of the Lord, his sinful activity is not taken into account—excused."

Te deva-siddha-parigīta-pavitra-gāthā ye sādhavaḥ samadṛśo bhagavat-prapannāḥ. Bhagavat-prapannāḥ. How Yamarāja is eulogizing the devotees. Devotee is bhagavat-prapannāḥ. Bhagavat means to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; prapannāḥ means fully surrendered. Bhagavat-prapannāḥ. The same thing is corroborated here.

So just like Kṛṣṇa said, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66): "I shall protect you from all sinful reaction," because there is declaration by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, therefore His servant, the executor of the criminal department, Yamarāja, he also says that te deva-siddha-parigīta-pavitra-gāthā ye sādhavaḥ samadṛśo bhagavat-prapannāḥ, that, "A devotee who has fully surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are worshiped by devaloka, siddhaloka." The demigods also, they worship. They show full respect.

Now, Kṛṣṇa says that kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20): "Those who are worshipers of the demigods, they are bewildered by their lusty desires." And here Yamarāja says that deva-siddha-parigīta-pavitra-gāthāḥ: "And a devotee is worshiped by the devāḥ, demigods." Just try to understand the opposite direction, that those who are ordinarily enthused by lust and greed, they go to worship demigods. But if one becomes a devotee of the Lord, the demigod worships him. That is the prerogative of devotee.

Siddha . . . (pause) Bhāva-yogam. There the bhāva . . . this word is bhāva-yogam. Bhāva means ecstasy, ecstatic yoga, the yoga principle by which one comes to the ecstasy. Just like sometimes while you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa you come to the ecstatic point. You forget yourself and dance, forget everything. That is called bhāva-yogam. To the devotee it appears sometimes. So bhāva-yogam.

There are aṣṭa-sāttvika-bhāva—sometimes crying, some stunned, sometimes perspiring. These things come to the devotee. That is not to be practiced artificially. When actually one advances in devotional service this bhāva-yoga, aṣṭa-sāttvika-bhāva, vikāra, comes into existence. Therefore the devotional service is known also bhāva-yogam.

Śrīdhara Svāmī says the bhāva-yogam . . . sarvātmanā vidadhate khalu bhāva-yogaṁ syāt pātakam. So bhāva-yogam, bhakti-yogam amīṣāṁ pātakaṁ na syād eva yadi syād urugāyasya vāda-kīrtanam. Actually, a devotee never commits any sinful activities. They are so careful, they are so sober, and because they are protected by Kṛṣṇa they never think of acting anything sinful. But sometimes it happens because this material world, sometimes we are prone to fall down.

A devotee . . . just like Arjuna: He was not willing to kill his kinsmen. Although he was so much insulted, he was bereft of his kingdom, his wife was insulted, still, he was thinking that, "What is the use of killing my family members? Let them enjoy the kingdom. I shall better beg and live." He was thinking in that way because a devotee, yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). A devotee, a pure devotee, is naturally qualified with all good qualities. Automatically it comes, as he becomes.

Just like as a man suffering from fever decreases the degree of fever—he becomes healthy—similarly, with the increase of our degree of devotional service, naturally all the good qualities that is constitutionally existing in the pure soul . . . pure soul, being part and parcel, it is naturally very pure. And Vedas says even when the soul is within the material existence, it is not mixed up. It remains always separate. Just like if you put a drop of oil in the water it does not mix—although it is in the water, it does not mix—similarly the spirit soul, part and parcel of God, Kṛṣṇa, although in the material world, he does not mix.

Therefore if there is a process . . . just like you can pick up the spot of oil floating in the water by some process immediately, similarly, by bhakti-yoga process, although the spirit soul is floating in this material ocean, he can be picked up immediately. He can be picked up. And asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. The Veda says that, "This puruṣa, the spirit soul, is always unmixed." Unmixed.

Therefore Māyāvādī philosophers, they say that, "This material association is simply a bewilderment. Actually it does not exist. I am Brahman; I am the same." But actually, although I am the same, because I am associating with the different qualities, I mean to say, higher qualities or lower qualities of the material nature, then that association will give me a different position, although I am not mixed up with this material existence.

So Śrīdhara Svāmī says, bhāva-yogaṁ bhakti, amīṣāṁ pātakaṁ na syād eva, yadi syād urugāyasya vāda-kīrtanam. The conclusion is that generally the devotee does not do anything which is sinful, but accidentally, unconsciously, if he does, because he's engaged in chanting or in the devotional service of the Lord, there is no sinful reaction on his life. That is the conclusion.

Thank you very much. (break)

Viṣṇujana is doing very nice. He has printed some literatures, and he's going for enrolling members. So I think this literature should be rendered into Hindi and Bengali. He has picked up from the purport of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam very nicely and presenting this booklet about the mission, missionary activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, The Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Movement Is the Genuine Vedic Way.

And he has done it nicely, so I think this should be translated in different languages. Yes. The selected portion he has picked up from the purport of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That is very nice arrangement. If you simply preach these principles, people will very much appreciate. Where is Girirāja?

Devotee: . . . (indistinct)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, he was . . . last night he had to stay up from nine o'clock 'til two in the morning preaching with someone. So I told him he should go and take rest when he came home.

Prabhupāda: That's nice. All right.

Devotee (1): Prabhupāda? You said Arjuna was lamenting, but pure devotees become . . . superior qualities that all devotees possess . . . so why is this? So why did Kṛṣṇa call him a fool?

Prabhupāda: Yes. In spite of our superior qualities, we are always fool. You should know. Don't be puffed up with your superior qualities. You should remain always fool. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He presents Himself as a fool. So even Caitanya Mahāprabhu presents Himself before His spiritual master as a fool.

So that is a good qualification, to remain a fool. Otherwise, if he becomes puffed up—"Oh, I have learned everything. My business is finished"—so there is prone to fall down again. And the spi . . . because . . . Arjuna was addressed as a fool, because Kṛṣṇa accepted, er, Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as his spiritual master. So the spiritual master has the right, just like father has the right to say like that. So there was nothing wrong.

(break) . . . kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. This is chanting and hearing of the glories of Viṣṇu, harer nāma kīrtanam (CC Adi 17.21). So that is the beginning. Devotional service begins from hearing. Unless there is chanting, what you can hear? Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte (CC Madhya 22.107). Śravaṇādi. Śravaṇa means hearing. That is the beginning of devotional . . . as you chant and hear, so you become purified more and more.

Then your heart becomes cleansed. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). The whole thing is that we have accumulated so many nasty things in our heart. That has to be moved. It is cleansing process. So chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra means beginning the cleansing process. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. Is it clear? Or you have got any question like that?

Devotee (2): What is the difference between bhakti-yoga and bhāva-yoga?

Prabhupāda: Bhāva-yoga . . . bhāva-yoga and bhakti-yoga, the same thing, as Śrīdhara Svāmī has explained. Bhāva. Bhāva means the previous state of pure love for God. Tato bhāvas tataḥ . . . after bhāva, when we are always absorbed in thought of Kṛṣṇa in ecstasy, that is the immediate previous stage of love of Godhead, love of Kṛṣṇa. And bhakti-yoga means to invoke our dormant love for God. The same thing. Therefore bhāva-yoga and bhakti-yoga—the same thing. And another name of bhakti-yoga is buddhi-yoga.

Actually yoga means bhakti, but because yoga system has been used in so many other ways, therefore buddhi-yoga, bhāva-yoga and bhakti-yoga, these terms are used. Budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ. Without bhāva-yoga, nobody can worship Kṛṣṇa. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ

budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

(BG 10.8)

Bhajante. Bhajante means engaged in devotional service. Why? Now, budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ: "Because he is situated in the bhāva." What is that bhāva? That bhāva is vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). One who is always absorbed in thought, one who sees Kṛṣṇa's energy in everything, that is called bhāva. Budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ.

How that bhāva comes? When one understands clearly that Kṛṣṇa is the origin of all creation. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8): "Everything is emanating from Me." When one understands this fact in full knowledge, that is called bhāva. He sees everything. He does not see anything except Kṛṣṇa. Sthāvara-jaṅgama dekhe nā dekhe tāra mūrti. He sees the trees and the animals, or the men, sthāvara-jaṅgama, everything he sees, but he does not see the tree, but he sees in that tree Kṛṣṇa. That is bhāva-yoga.

sthāvara-jaṅgama dekhe nā dekhe tāra mūrti

sarvatra haya nija iṣṭa-deva-sphūrti

(CC Madhya 8.274)

Do you follow this Bengali? Sthāvara. Sthāvara means living entities which does not move, just like trees, plants, creepers. And jaṅgama means those who are moving. Animals, man, they move. So a devotee who is actually in bhāva stage, he may see a tree or an animal or a man, but he does not see the man or tree or the animal; he sees a part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, a jīvātmā.

Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). That is the stage of full knowledge. He does not see the skin or the dress. Just like when we talk with a gentleman, we do not see to the dress; we see the person as he is. So that's a stage. That is called bhāva-sam . . . budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ (BG 10.8). (end)