741118 - Lecture SB 03.25.18 - Bombay

Lectures by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

741118SB-BOMBAY - November 18, 1974 - 37:32 Minutes

Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat) (leads chanting of verse, etc.)

jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena

bhakti-yuktena cātmanā

paripaśyaty udāsīnaṁ

prakṛtiṁ ca hataujasam

(SB 3.25.18)

(break)

"In that position of self-realization, by practice of knowledge and renunciation in devotional service, one sees everything in the right perspective; he becomes indifferent to material existence, and the material influence acts less powerfully upon him."

Prabhupāda:

jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena

bhakti-yuktena cātmanā

paripaśyaty udāsīnaṁ

prakṛtiṁ ca hataujasam

(SB 3.25.18)

The conditioned state of life means influence of material nature. When we are very much influenced by the material nature . . . we have already discussed: guṇa. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22). Material nature means the three guṇas, three material qualities: ignorance, passion and goodness. Goodness is better than the other two qualities, ignorance and passion. But mostly, especially in this age, they are conducted or influenced by the modes of ignorance and passion. People do not know what is the aim of life. Just like they are called śūdras. Śūdras means they do not know what is the aim of life. Just like animal, animal does not know what is the aim of life. That is ignorance. And passion is power, creative power, or working for sense gratification. That is called passion. And goodness means knowledge. One can see what is what. So we have discussed in the last verse how one becomes liberated.

tadā puruṣa ātmānaṁ

kevalaṁ prakṛteḥ param

nirantaraṁ svayaṁ-jyotir

aṇimānam akhaṇḍitam

(SB 3.25.17)

Aṇimānam, aṇu. We are minute particle of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). We are not Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa's part, minute part. That minute part also we have discussed—one ten-thousandth part of the upper portion of the hair. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 5.9). So when we realize this, that "I am not God, but I am godly. I have got the quality of God . . ." I have given the example also: just like the sea and the drop of water of the sea. So chemically, the drop of water of the sea is the same quality. There is no change of taste or other chemical composition. Similarly, we should understand fully that we are simply qualitatively one with God, but quantitatively, God is great and we are very minute particle. This is self-realization. Therefore part and parcel. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ. The all living entities, Kṛṣṇa says: "They are My part and parcel."

Part and parcel, we have several times explained. Just like in my body there are different parts, but the business of the part is to satisfy the central point, stomach. The leg is working, the hand is working, the eyes, the ears, everyone is working. Why working? To satisfy the stomach. The Hindi, there is a pet kaste, sat. So similarly, we should work for Kṛṣṇa. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, therefore we should work for Kṛṣṇa. I can repeat the same story again, udarendriyāṇām. The indriyas, the different parts of the body, because they were working hard, and the stomach within the abdomen, he's simply eating, so they went on strike, "We shall no more work. This part is only simply . . . this man is simply eating, and we are working. We shall not work." They stopped work. The indriyas, they stopped work. So gradually they became weak. So when next meeting they saw that, "We have become weak," therefore again decided that "Let us supply food to the stomach." This is sense.

So this godless societies, the rascal society, who is . . . which has forgotten that we have to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is called dharmasya glāniḥ. When the society forgets Kṛṣṇa and stops Kṛṣṇa's service, that is called dharmasya glāniḥ. Real dharma means the characteristic. Dharma does not mean some rules and regulation. So just like sugar. Sugar, the characteristic of sugar is to become sweet. The characteristic of chili means to become hot. If sugar becomes hot and chili becomes sweet, then nobody cares for it. Similarly, our characteristic is to serve Kṛṣṇa. And when we serve anything other than Kṛṣṇa, that is our diseased condition of life. Just like this hand is meant for picking up something eatable and put it into the mouth. If it is unable to do it, then it is diseased. If the fingers and hand cannot pick up nice foodstuff and put into the mouth, then it is diseased condition. Similarly, when we are unable to serve Kṛṣṇa, or we do not serve Kṛṣṇa, we serve . . . serving we are. That is a fact. We cannot become master. Nobody . . . can anyone say that he is master? He's not serving anyone? Everyone is serving. That's a fact. Either you are serving your family or society or country or office or so many service. If anyone hasn't got to serve anything, then he picks up a master a cat and dog and serves him. Because service is my nature. But we are missing where to put the service. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is, that is Kṛṣṇa.

So when we understand that we are missing . . . we are serving, but we are having no pleasure. Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ (CC Madhya 22.16). We are serving . . . instead of serving Kṛṣṇa, I am serving my lusty desires. Kāma-lobhādi. If I go to serve any office, I am not going to serve that particular person, proprietor of the office, but I require some money—therefore I am serving. So I am serving the money, not the person. Therefore it is said, kāma-lobha. Lobha. We serve the . . . service must be. Kṛṣṇa is the master. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Only master is Kṛṣṇa, and anyone—all demigods or man or animal or trees or anything—they are all servants. This is the position. And when one realizes this position that, "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, particle, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. My duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa," then it is called self-realization. Not that ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I become Bhagavān." How you can become Bhagavān? If you are Bhagavān, if you are actually the supreme powerful, then why you are in miserable condition under māyā? Does Bhagavān comes under māyā? No. Kṛṣṇa says, mama māyā. Māyā is the maidservant of Kṛṣṇa, and we are servant of māyā. So how we can become māyā, uh, Bhagavān? This is common sense. Had I been Bhagavān, then why I have become servant of māyā?

Therefore we are engaged in the service of māyā in so many phases and different names. Somebody's serving country, somebody's serving society, somebody's serving family, office, this, that, so many. This is māyā's service. Now, when we come to our senses that, "I am . . . so long I was engaged in māyā's service. Now I have to engage myself in Kṛṣṇa's service," that is self-realization. That is described here that jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena. Jñāna-vairāgya. This is knowledge, that "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa. I am nobody's servant." This is jñāna. Because I am in illusion, I am, for nothing, without any benefit, I am serving so many . . . kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ. Kāma-lobha. I am serving this kāma, lobha, moha, mātsarya, but without any benefit, without any pleasure. So when we come to this stage, to know, that is called jñānam. And as soon as you become jñānī, actually in knowledge, then what is the next step? Vairāgya. "No more I am serving anyone. I shall serve only Kṛṣṇa. That's all." This is called vairāgya. Jñāna-vairāgya. Therefore in the Bhāgavatam it is said:

vāsudeve bhagavati

bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ

janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ

jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam

(SB 1.2.7)

If one is engaged in the service of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, this knowledge also comes. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). After many, many births, if one is actually jñānī, seeking after knowledge, then he comes to this conclusion. What is this? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). This is mahātmā, not anyone who is defying Kṛṣṇa and he's trying to become Kṛṣṇa. He's not mahātmā; he's durātmā. Mahātmā means vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti. And knowing this, māṁ prapadyate. That is mahātmā. Don't mistake mahātmā, who is mahātmā.

What is the symptom of mahātmā?

mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha

daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ

bhajanty ananya-manaso

jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam

(BG 9.13)

He's mahātmā. You cannot manufacture mahātmā. This is the qualification of mahātmā: vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), who knows that Kṛṣṇa is everything. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). He is mahātmā. And his business is mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīm . . . He is under the daivī-prakṛti. There are two kinds of prakṛtis: parā-prakṛti and aparā-prakṛti. Aparā-prakṛti means this material world, and daivī-prakṛti is the spiritual world. So immediately, as soon as he understands this philosophy of life that, "I am uselessly serving this material world or the society, friendship, country and so on, so on, without serving Kṛṣṇa," that is called jñāna, knowledge. And as soon as one comes to this knowledge, that knowledge is . . . that position is called brahma-bhūta stage. Brahman realization.

That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). As soon as one comes to this platform of knowledge, then he becomes prasannātmā. "Oh, why I am serving these nonsense? I forgot that I am a spirit soul, minute particle of Kṛṣṇa. My business is to serve Kṛṣṇa." Just like . . . I have already explained: part and parcel means serving the whole. That is called part and parcel. Any example you can take. In office there are so many worker, but they are working for satisfaction of the whole. Similarly, the whole is Kṛṣṇa. Anything, we individually or anything, they are meant for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Upaniṣads. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam. Anyone who has understood that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, Īśa . . . īśa means Kṛṣṇa. Īśa or īśvara. There are so many īśvaras or īśa, but īśvara, real īśvara, is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). And Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). There are many īśvaras, or īśas. That is all right. But "Nobody is greater than Me." That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). So this is jñāna. So as soon as one comes to this conclusion, that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I am Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel. I have got the same quality as Kṛṣṇa has got, but He is Prabhu, I am servant. He is master, and I am servant," this is perfect knowledge. Then jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena bhakti-yuktena.

So bhakti means when one has attained real jñānam. Without real jñānam, nobody can become bhakta. The foolish person says that bhakti's meant for ajñānī, or less intelligent. No. Bhakti is meant for the most intelligent person. Because bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). You become experienced, very, very experienced, after many, many years. So it is not many, many years, but many, many births one actually becomes jñānī. And what is that jñāna? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). That is jñānam. So long you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, or Vāsudeva, you should understand yourself that you are still fool. You may advertise yourself as very jñānī, but you are fool. That is the śāstric conclusion. Because if you are actually jñānī, then you should have surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. That is also stated in another place in the Bhagavad . . . māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ.

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ

prapadyante narādhamāḥ

māyayāpahṛta-jñānā

āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ

(BG 7.15)

Who does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa? These classes of men. What is that? Duṣkṛtinaḥ, always acting sinful activities. Because those who are sinful, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. Or yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam (BG 7.28). One who is completely free from pāpa, he can surrender to Kṛṣṇa. He can be engaged in devotional service.

So to become free from pāpa, sinful life, one may say that, "It will take many years . . ." Because yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. Unless we act piously, it is not possible to become free from impious, or sinful, life. But there is very simple process. What is that process? Kṛṣṇa says that process:

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja

ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo

mokṣayiṣyāmi . . .

(BG 18.66)

Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. If you simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa, sarva-dharmān . . . sarva . . . there are many dharmas, or many activities or function. Some of them are pious; some of them are impious. There are two kinds. So Kṛṣṇa says: "You give up pious and impious, both." That is sarva-dharmān. Because we are acting piously or impiously. So you can give up both pious activities and impious activities. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was thinking that, "Fighting with my brother, it is impious." So Kṛṣṇa was insisting that "You must fight." So how Arjuna could take impious activities? Because Kṛṣṇa's service is above these pious and impious activities. That is called sarva-dharmān parityajya. Just like the gopīs. The gopīs went to Kṛṣṇa at mid . . . midnight, by simply hearing the flute of Kṛṣṇa. So young girl, going to Kṛṣṇa at midnight, this is impious activities. According to śāstra, according to moral, it is impious activities. But because it was done for Kṛṣṇa, it is understood as the most pious. Recommends. Who recommends? Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā (Caitanya-manjusa). Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was sannyāsī. He was very, very strict. And no woman could come near Him to offer respect. He was very strict about woman. And now He's saying, ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā: "What can be more wonderful process of worship than as it was conceived by the gopīs?" The six Gosvāmīs also: gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī-kallola-magnau muhur vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. So, so although it looks apparently that gopīs went to Kṛṣṇa to dance with Him, that is not very moral, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that is the highest method of worshiping Kṛṣṇa.

So this requires jñānam. Therefore this is called transcendental knowledge, how serving Kṛṣṇa one becomes transcendental to all these pious and impious activities. That requires knowledge.

māṁ ca 'vyabhicāreṇa

bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

(BG 14.26)

Pious and impious . . . piety and impiety, they are within these material guṇas, qualities, good and bad. And Kṛṣṇa's service is transcendental, above good and bad. So that is called real knowledge. And if one is fortunate enough to understand this knowledge, then immediately he becomes detached to these material pious and impious activities. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). That is called vairāgya. Jñāna-vairāgya. Bhakti-yuktena. Without bhakti, there cannot be jñāna and vairāgya. Actually, the human life is meant for jñāna and vairāgya, for two things. Otherwise, we remain animal. The animal cannot attain any jñāna, neither animal can attain any vairāgya. That is animal qualification. But a human being, he has the opportunity to come to the stage of jñāna and vairāgya.

Jñāna means to understand that, "I am not this material body. I do not belong to this material body. I am spirit soul. I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Spirit, and I belong to the spiritual world. Therefore my business is to finish this material world business and go back to home, back to Godhead." This is jñāna, knowledge. Therefore we have to understand Kṛṣṇa. If we have to go somewhere, we must know where we are going. Because we are serving here. Now, another program has to be made to serve Kṛṣṇa and live there in the spiritual world. So we have to understand Kṛṣṇa very nicely. That . . . and if you can understand Kṛṣṇa, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). To understand Kṛṣṇa in truth, that is not very easy task. That is very, very difficult task. Even the muktas cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Siddhi means mukti, liberation. Kaścid yatati. Who is trying for liberation? Nobody's trying. But still, there are somebodies who are trying for liberation. So Kṛṣṇa says, yatatām api siddhānām. After being liberated, those who are trying to understand Kṛṣṇa, some of them can understand Kṛṣṇa in truth, tattvataḥ. Therefore you have to understand Kṛṣṇa tattvataḥ, what is Kṛṣṇa.

So if you can understand Kṛṣṇa, janma karma me divyam . . . (BG 4.9) Kṛṣṇa says that, "If you can understand Me, how I come here, how I come, I play the part of a human being and teach the whole world Bhagavad-gītā, what is My mission, why I come, everything, where is My residence, what is My father's name . . ." People are searching after God, but God is canvassing, "Please understand Me. Here I am." But people will not understand. So what God will help you? How can He help you? He says everything. Now, "I come from My Vaikuṇṭha, or spiritual world." Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). "At that time I come. And I teach. And what do I teach? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66)." This is dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means the law given by God. That is dharma. You cannot make Hindu dharma, just like you cannot make any law. This is . . . suppose the government is there. Now, you cannot say that, "We Hindus, we have made this law," "We Mussulman, we have made this law," "We Parsees, we have made this law." No. What all law is given by the government you have to accept, either you are Hindu, Muslim or Christian and Hin . . . it doesn't matter. Therefore dharma means to accept the law of God. Not that you manufacture something. Therefore in the Bhāgavata it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). All cheating type of dharma is rejected, kicked out. Because real dharma is what is given by God. And what God says? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam . . . this is real dharma. This is the real dharma.

So we have to learn this, what Kṛṣṇa says. We have to understand Kṛṣṇa by tattva, by truth. Then we become liberated. That is called jñāna-vairāgya. And as soon as you become learned scholar about Kṛṣṇa, then you become immediately detached to this material world, and . . . jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena bhakti-yuktena. Then real bhakti begins. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā:

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

(BG 18.54)

Bhakti begins there, where jñāna-vairāgya is complete. Not that foolish person. But one can say that "In your Society there are not many very learned scholars." No, there are learned scholars. But even there are fool . . . just like the children. A child, he also chants and dances, so he will attain this jñāna and vairāgya. The other day I was asking the boy. He's not very learned scholar. So I asked him, "What is Kṛṣṇa?" He immediately said: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead." That is jñāna-vairāgya result. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). He has already got the knowledge. What you have to learn it, after many, many births, a child, a boy, has already learned it. Here is the boy. He said: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead." Then what is that? Similarly, instead of endeavoring jñāna and vairāgya artificially, you accept what Kṛṣṇa says. Immediately he becomes jñānīv and vairāgī. Immediately.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that even a child can be on the highest position of jñānav and vairāgya—if he takes the word of Kṛṣṇa by association, good association. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ (BG 2.62). So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for giving chance to people to take the advantage of association of jñānī and vairāgī. Not fools and rascals, but jñānī and vairāgī. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā (SB 1.2.12). Bhakti-yuktena ca ātmanā. Then, what is the result? Paripaśyaty udāsīnaṁ prakṛtim, prakṛtiṁ ca hataujasam. Now prakṛti has no more any influence: No more attraction for cinema. No. No more attraction for cigarette. You see practically. These are young men from Europe and America. Because they have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they have no more any attraction for meat-eating, cigarette or cinema. No. This is called vairāgya. How they attained this vairāgya? Only for this bhakti. Bhakti-yuktena.

So the real purpose of life is to attain jñāna and vairāgya. This is the . . . meant for human life. Because we are suffering in this material condition on account of ignorance, no jñāna. I am not this body, but I am thinking, "I am this body," "I am American." I am not actually so. I am thinking, "I am American," "I am Engli . . ." "Pakistani," "I am Hindustani," and fighting. This whole world is going on on this ajñāna. Because I am not this body. But the whole world is being conducted this ajñāna. And there is no vairāgya. Very much attached. The so-called family, society, love and . . . everything will be finished as soon as this body is finished. No more love, no more family, no more attraction. So this is going on—ajñāna and attachment. Moha, illusion. Ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8).

So this ahaṁ mameti, this is ajñāna. So when one is jñānī, then this influence of material nature, ahaṁ mameti, will be reduced to nil. That is, it is said, prakṛtiṁ ca hataujasam. "Now no more prakṛti can disillusion me that I am this body, and in bodily relation everything is mine." This ajñāna, ignorance, is immediately mitigated, and he becomes free. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). "Then I do not belong to all these things. Why I am falsely inclined to all these things? So it will come, how?" This bhakti-yuktena. If you take to bhakti-yoga, these things automatically . . .

vāsudeve bhagavati

bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ

janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ

jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam

(SB 1.2.7)

How he became so powerful jñānī? It is very difficult to understand how a small boy, and he's saying Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not only he—even a small child. There is another small child, only five years old, he goes to preach, "You know what is Kṛṣṇa?" And somebody says: "No, I do not know." "The Supreme Personality of Godhead." Anyway she has learned, that is jñāna. But that is a fact. I may not know to analyze what is fire, but my father has said, "This is fire. Don't touch it. It will burn." So that's all right. He may be child, but he has got the real knowledge.

Similarly, by hearing process, śruta-paramparā . . . evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). If you go through the process of disciplic succession, hearing from the authorities, you may be fool, I may be fool, but because I am hearing from the authority, my knowledge is perfect. My knowledge is perfect. Just like I may be imperfect. I don't say that I am perfect. But I am speaking to the whole world, "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." The same thing. As the child says, as the boys says, I am also saying the same thing. But it is becoming effective because this is the fact. This is the fact. I don't make any miracles or create any gold or this or that. No. These boys and girls, they are captivated to me not by miracles, but by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Because this is the fact. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not very difficult thing. You try to understand Kṛṣṇa.

janma karma me divyaṁ

yo jānāti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti . . .

(BG 4.9)

This will be the effect. If you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement . . . you can understand by chanting only Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, but if you think yourself that you are very learned scholar, scientist and philosopher, we have got dozens of books like this. You can read. And try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa, you'll be successful in your life.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Haribol. (end)