19840605 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.5.40

The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami on June 5, 1984 in New Vrindavan, West Virginia. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3rd Canto, Chapter 5, Verse 40.

dhātar yad asmin bhava īśa jīvās tāpa-trayeṇā abhihatā na śarma
ātman labhante bhagavaṁs tavāṅghricchāyāṁ sa-vidyām ata āśrayema
(ŚB 3.5.40)

*repetition*

dhātā — O father; yat — because; asmin — in this; bhave — material world; īśa — O Lord; jīvāḥ — the living entities; tāpa — miseries; trayeṇa — by the three; abhihatāḥ — always embarrassed; na — never; śarma — in happiness; ātman — self; labhante — do gain; bhagavan — O Personality of Godhead; tava — Your; aṅghri-chāyām — shade of Your feet; sa-vidyām — full of knowledge; ataḥ — obtain; āśrayema — shelter.

Translation (by His Divine Grace Śrīla Abhayacarana Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda): O Father, O Lord, O Personality of Godhead, the living entities in the material world can never have any happiness because they are overwhelmed by the three kinds of miseries. Therefore they take shelter of the shade of Your lotus feet, which are full of knowledge, and we also thus take shelter of them.

*repetition*

Purport: The way of devotional service is neither sentimental nor mundane. It is the path of reality by which the living entity can attain the transcendental happiness of being freed from the three kinds of material miseries — miseries arising from the body and mind, from other living entities and from natural disturbances. Everyone who is conditioned by material existence — whether he be a man or beast or demigod or bird — must suffer from ādhyātmika (bodily or mental) pains, ādhibhautika pains (those offered by living creatures), and ādhidaivika pains (those due to supernatural disturbances). His happiness is nothing but a hard struggle to get free from the miseries of conditional life. But there is only one way he can be rescued, and that is by accepting the shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The argument that unless one has proper knowledge one cannot be freed from material miseries is undoubtedly true. But because the lotus feet of the Lord are full of transcendental knowledge, acceptance of His lotus feet completes that necessity. We have already discussed this point in the First Canto (1.2.7):

vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ
janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam

There is no want of knowledge in the devotional service of Vāsudeva, the Personality of Godhead. He, the Lord, personally takes charge of dissipating the darkness of ignorance from the heart of a devotee. He confirms this in Bhagavad-gītā (10.10):

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ yena mām upayānti te

Empiric philosophical speculation cannot give one relief from the threefold miseries of material existence. Simply to endeavor for knowledge without devoting oneself to the Lord is a waste of valuable time.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports and Translation to the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto 3, Chapter 5, Text 40 in the matter of “Vidura’s Talks With Maitreya.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Here the demigods, they are engaging in praying to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to the Personality of Godhead Viṣṇu. Because without the benediction of Viṣṇu, they are not able to perceive or to free themselves from the undesirable situations of material life. Actually, the demigods, they are devotees of the Personality of Godhead. In the Vedas, definition of deva is Viṣṇu Bhakta or a devotee of Viṣṇu and the definition of asura is a non-devotee or someone who is a Viṣṇu vidveṣī or someone who is against Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa.

So when Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared in this material world as the son of mother Śacī, at that time all the demigods and demigoddesses, they took the form of ordinary villagers, so that they could come unknown, unannounced. And they saw that, “Here in this Kali-yuga, here is the form of the Lord coming to benedict the fallen souls.” So, the demigods coming as villagers as brāhmaṇas, brāhmaṇīs – they brought various types of presentations and gave to Jagannātha Miśra and Śacī Mata. Otherwise no one could recognize them, except for very few who had that vision.

So in this way the demigods, they are actually devotees, but they were very concerned for the material happiness of the people and that they are able to progress in god consciousness also. Here you can see that they are very concerned that the living entities don’t have any happiness being overwhelmed by the three kinds of material miseries. You see.

In the heavenly planets, by the mercy of Viṣṇu, they are able to enjoy much less quantity of these material miseries. There is very little disease, problems in the body are to the very minimum, or you can say practically no disease. Old age is just reduced to a very short period, before one dies. Death of course is there. You cannot escape. Even on these heavenly planets they’re going to suffer death and again they have to be reborn. And even though the demigods, they are wanting to be happy, sometimes they are attacked by the demons and they have to fight them to defend themselves. So even the demigods they are suffering these three aspects of ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika and ādhidaivika suffering.

We are reminded of a humble devotee of Caitanya Mahāprabhu who actually was apparently suffering. His name was Kholāvecā Śrīdhara, the banana salesman Śrīdhara, devotee of Lord Caitanya. He was very very poor. He had his ripped cloth. He had… Prabhupāda explains that, “When you take a banana salesman in Bengal, where everybody and every house has got plenty of banana trees, so to be a banana salesman there is not very, it is not the most lucrative business to be in.” It’s like being a coal salesman in New Castle or something or selling steel in Pittsburg. It’s… everybody has bananas. Only if there is some specific shortage maybe somebody needs a banana that day.

But he was selling bananas, banana leaves, banana flowers, banana center. Actually, the banana tree was a gift to this world by the demigods. It is a flower in Svargaloka. It is one of the Svargaloka plants. And you can see that the banana, every single part of that tree is used. You use the leaves as plates, you use the bark you can feed to the cows. There is center part of the banana tree you chop it up into little pieces and it is very sweet. It has a little gum in it, and you take the gum and it is called kola-thora. And they prepare very wonderful vegetable from that in Bengal.

If you read some of the prepārations by Advaita’s wife, Sita thakurani, she prepares this. Alright. In that bhaja bhakata-vatsala śrī-gaurahari, you see mocā-ghanṭa like that there is some... So, mocā that means the flower of the banana. The flower of the banana they take, and they make that also in to a vegetable. And of course, the bananas they are also edible. So, everything that the banana is given, it is practically the whole thing is, is dedicated to the service of the proprietor. So anyway, Kholāvecā Śrīdhara, this was his main business, was selling bananas and he was very poor. With fifty percent of his income, whatever he got, he would worship the Ganges and the other fifty percent he would use it to maintain himself.

So, Lord Caitanya when He was Nimāi Paṇḍita about 8 / 9 years old – He would go shopping for mother Śacī sometimes. And He go, He would always go right to Kholāvecā Śrīdhara His pure devotee, who was worshiping the Ganges every day.

So, then He was… pick up a bunch of bananas and say, “How much is this? “And he would say so many little conch shells.

“So much!? You are simply trying to exploit the poor brāhmaṇas like Me, overcharging!”

But Kholāvecā Śrīdhara would always give the exact price. He would never, you know, go more than the market. He said, “You! Listen, go and ask anybody. Why are You giving me the hard time? This is the price.”

“No, no! I know you are so rich.”

“What do you mean? I am very poor. “

“No, you are very rich. You are just dressing like this to conceal your wealth. Actually, you are very, very rich.”

Of course, Caitanya Mahāprabhu – everything He says is perfect. And actually, Kholāvecā Śrīdhara was very rich, but his wealth was of the most valuable kind, which is revealed later.

So in this way Lord Caitanya and Kholāvecā Śrīdhara, they would sometimes have their arguments over the price. Sometimes Lord Caitanya would take the bananas and start walking off without paying anything. And Kholāvecā, “What are You doing? How am I going to worship the Ganges if You just take the bananas and don’t give anything for them?”

And then Lord Caitanya would say, “What do you think? You think I want these bananas for free!? Think I don’t have any money! You are calling brāhmaṇa a thief?” And in this way, He would intimidate Śrīdhara, Kholāvecā Śrīdhara. And then He would go back and hand him half the price and walk off. “You are simply trying to take too much.”

Sometimes when he would say, “I am trying to just worship the Ganges. If you give something, I can do worship to the Ganges.”

Then Lord Caitanya would say, “What do you mean? I am the father of the Ganges.”

Kholāvecā, “What do you mean? The father of the Ganges is Viṣṇu Himself! Viṣṇu Viṣṇu Viṣṇu! How can You say such offensive things?”

But then after this was over, he would always think, “Who… wait… Who is this Nimāi Paṇḍita? Whenever I see Him, my heart just melts. He wants to take the bananas and I can’t say anything. I don’t know what happens. When I, when I see Him my hairs stand on end and just something comes over me. I guess I am just so fortunate that He comes to me and I just have to accept it as some special mercy. I have never seen anyone like Nimāi Paṇḍita. He is so beautiful, His lotus feet, they are perfectly formed, right to th…. His lotus eyes – I have never seen any brāhmaṇa like this and… so, so argumentative.” In this way he would contemplate and meditating on Lord Caitanya.

But Kholāvecā Śrīdhara’s own personal life many people would criticize him, because he was so poor. Because every day after worshipping the Ganges and taking care of his bananas… Actually, bananas require very little maintenance. So, he would have plenty of time and he would spend it reading the Bhāgavatam and chanting especially, even late until the night

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare 
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare 

So sometimes the local brāhmaṇas, local richer people they would call him aside, “Listen Kholāvecā. Why are you having these ripped cloths? Well why don’t you just stop this Ganges pūjā? You are giving fifty percent of your income! Why don’t you stop it for a few days, stop it for one year, build up your capital, reinvest? You will have so much then you can do glorious worship for the mother Ganges. Why this daily fifty percent? Your clothes are ripped!”

“No, no, my clothes are there! My body is covered, there is no problem. And it is very cool in the summer.”

“But your house has got holes in it!”

“No, but that also is like air-conditioning.”

“But your whole life, you are just howling!”

“No, well, it’s the holy name.”

Then they go off on the side, say, “He is just hungry, he can't sleep, so that is why he cries all night.”

In so many ways they were nasty to him, you know. But he would not, he just ignore it. He just wouldn’t be misled. So, in this way maybe by some material evaluation, he was very unhappy. But actually, he was the happiest person being able to see Lord Caitanya, daily worshiping the Ganges, chanting the holy name.

So when Lord Caitanya manifested His mahā-prakāśa, you see Lord Caitanya after the age of fourteen, when He began His harināma-saṅkīrtana movement, when He came back from Gaya, after the departure of Jagannātha Miśra from this world, then one day Advaita Gosāñi could sense, he actually had realized who Lord Caitanya was. That’s a whole other long history. And Lord Caitanya, He came in a specific mood where Lord Caitanya… something uh…

One day He just came and sat down on the bed of the Deities. And Advaita Gosāñi with his transcendental vision could see that the Lord was in His original mood, that His mood as a devotee, that was, He wasn’t in that mood today. This particular day, He was in the mood as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His original form. And so Advaita Gosāñi, He started to take Tulasī and worship the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya,

namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca
jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya govindāya namo namaḥ

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.19.65)

And all of the other devotees, they at first were amazed that, “How is it that Advaita Gosāñi is worshiping Lord Caitanya as Kṛṣṇa Himself?” And then Lord Caitanya, He revealed His transcendental glory to all of the devotees, where they could actually see that He was none other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead, had come in the form of devotee, but He was actually Kṛṣṇa Himself. And then different demigods, Śukadeva Goswami, different demigods they came, and they started to worship Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The Ganges personified she came on the Ganges river with her carrier. She rides on… I believe it’s a dolphin. She came to worship Caitanya Mahāprabhu and then Lord Caitanya he started to reveal the different identity of His different devotees.

He revealed to Śrīvāsa that he was actually Nārada Muni. He revealed to Murāri Gupta that He, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, was Śrī Rāmacandra and Murāri Gupta was His eternal devotee, Hanumān. That is why he could only worship Rāmacandra even though he tried to worship Kṛṣṇa. When Murāri Gupta saw that, he fainted. He was unconscious. In this way Lord Caitanya was benedicting different devotees. For twenty-one hours they had the kīrtana, which we meditate upon every night when we sing (kiba) jaya jaya gorācāńder āratika śobhā. That twenty-one-hour mahā-prakāśa ārati, that is especially the subject of our meditation when we do the evening ārati.

So, then suddenly Lord Caitanya, He called, “Bring that Kholāvecā Śrīdhara.”

And so the devotees, they went. “Kholāvecā Śrīdhara, the hawker, the peddler on the streets, bring him?!”

“Bring him.”

So everyone knew he was a devotee, but why Lord Caitanya was bringing him, they were puzzled. So then they… the few devotees went to get him. They said, “Kholāvecā Śrīdhara, Lord Caitanya is requesting that you immediately come to see Him.”

“Lord Caitanya!? Gauranga Mahāprabhu, see me!?”

He fainted right on the spot. Couldn’t… it was too much for him. So, they picked him up and carried him all the way to [Śrīdha…] Śrīvāsangan and to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Placing him before Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu then, Kholāvecā Śrīdhara looked, and there he saw, “Lord Caitanya was more brilliant than thousands of suns and on His side was Advaita Gosāñi… excuse me. On His side was Nityānanda prabhu holding umbrella. There was the devotees waving cāmara, and then all around, there were these devotees all effulgent. The whole material world disappeared in the presence of Caitanya Mahapra…”

He could only see the form of the Lord and His devotees. The complete transcendental glory was only visible. The material world was no longer visible in the presence of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Just as you cannot see the stars in the presence of the sun, so the material reflections of the spiritual world disappeared in the presence of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu then asked Kholāvecā Śrīdhara that, “You have been worshiping Me for so… and worshiping the Ganges so faithfully. So now I want to give you a benediction. You tell Me what you want. I will give you, you may have residence in the... you may have a huge kingdom… you may have a huge kingdom where you can reign, and everyone will follow you.”

Kholāvecā Śrīdhara said, “Prabhu, master I don’t want a kingdom.”

“I’m giving you a kingdom!”

“I don’t want a kingdom.”

“Alright you can take residence in the heavenly planets as one of the demigods.”

“I don’t want to go to the heavenly planets.”

“I will give you mukti, liberation. You may have liberation!”

Kholāvecā Śrīdhara said, “My Lord, I don’t want liberation.”

“Liberation from the three modes of material nature, from the three miseries, complete liberation.”

“My Lord, sorry but I do not want liberation.”

“Then what do you want. You can have whatever you want!”

Just see, these demigods they are praying for the lord. But in the end, they are going to answer the creation and they can do their material duties properly. Of course, they are all devotees and we respect them. But here Kholāvecā Śrīdhara has shown a quality which is beyond even the greatest sages who desire liberation, or those demigods who desire to have material benediction. Kholāvecā Śrīdhara was not desiring any of these. What was he desiring?

When Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “So what do you want?” Kholāvecā Śrīdhara said, “Kindly give me that benediction that whenever You appear I can supply the vegetables, bananas, banana leaf plates and all Your vegetable needs. I simply want to see that smiling mischievous face of that young brāhmaṇa Nimāi Paṇḍita who is coming. I simply want it and if I am not able to and if I am unworthy to serve You when You, wherever You are then at least allow me to serve Your pure devotees, allow me to render service to the devotees of the Lord.”

Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu in front of all of the devotees who were performing kīrtana and ārati is going on, then He said, “Kholāvecā Śrīdhara, I am benedicting you, you may have pure Kṛṣṇa prema – that thing which even the demigods, even Śiva, even Brahmā they find it difficult to have – they are hankering for it eagerly, you may have pure love for Kṛṣṇa!”

Then the devotees they went wild and they are jumping up and chanting “Haribol! Haribol!” This is the nature of…

…a prepāration offered by me Kṛṣṇa said, “To my devotee - [Dinanti] [SB 3.29.13] dīyamānaṁ na gṛhṇanti - even if you offer them, they will not accept, [mat seva vina] vinā mat-sevanaṁ - without My devotional service.” Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He offered His devotees all facilities. They did not want it. They only wanted His pure eternal devotional service or to serve His devotee. This is the special glory of those pure devotees of Kṛṣṇa or the pure devotees of Caitanya Mahāprabhu that they are not even concerned with ending the three miseries of material life.

Because if they have pure love of Kṛṣṇa, if they have the eternal devotional service of Kṛṣṇa where is the question of material misery? They are already on the transcendental liberated platform. Even in this world if we are fully absorbed in hearing and rather serving with our mind, with our words, with our bodies, with our activities the Lotus feet of the Lord and His devotees, we are already considered liberated. Where is the misery for such devotees? Such devotees are always experiencing transcendental bliss. Even if externally it appears that they are physically suffering, or they may be impoverished, or sick or whatever, they are never not experiencing the spiritual bliss in union or in separation of the service of the Lord. This is the wonderful quality of devotional service.

īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṇā manasā girā
nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.187)

So in the holy dhāma where the Lord’s pastimes are there that is also above the three modes of material nature. The dhāma is simply meant for engaging in hearing, chanting, remembering engaging in the nine folds of devotion, the practices of devotional service. It is simply meant for engaging lord’s words and activities in the devotional service. If one is in the dhāma and recognizes one’s relationship as an eternal servant of the servant of the lord, then that person is already considered to be above the material influence.

We have to cultivate this relationship with Kṛṣṇa, this understanding that, I am the servant of the servant in the dhāma, then it is very easy to be above these influence of the three modes of material nature. So, without any offence meant to the demigods, but we take this opportunity to glorify especially those pure devotees who are visible in different bodies either demigod, or human, or animal who have completely given their thoughts, words and deeds to the Lotus feet of the Lord. They are transcendental to all the miseries of life and they have achieved the highest perfection of life.

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare 
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare 

I think there might be time for one question, or something.

Any question? Yes?

Question: When Kṛṣṇa came… (inaudible)

Jayapatākā Swami: Yes, Kṛṣṇa He only stole butter. You see Kṛṣṇa came and He went, and He sometimes known as having the pastimes of a vaiśya. He came and in His childhood He used to steal butter and give it to monkeys. He used to, He used to you know play with the cowherd boys in the field. But Lord Caitanya He came down as a brāhmaṇa, as a devotee. So brāhmaṇas - their play is more mental, very mischievous mentally.

So Lord Caitanya, He would go sometimes to the Ganges, and He splash water on the brāhmaṇas saying their Gāyatrī, pull their feet out of under them. He would sometimes someone would come, and He take the men’s clothes and put them with the women's clothes, take the women's clothes and put them with the men. They come out, it would be very embarrassing to do. He do all you know but He was only 4,5 or 6 years old 7 you know. Playing so many little… So, this is actually preparing a certain setting so that the devotees, actually all these residents of Navadvīpa, they were devotees of Kṛṣṇa and this was a special benediction.

So then, the men would go and would approach to Vasu… excuse me… Nan… to Jagannātha Miśra’s house and they would complain that, “Your son… Your son is doing so much mischief we can’t do our pūjā. We can’t do. He is going there and… and He is taking the clothes and sometimes He is splashing, and we were trying to do our pūjā, and we were trying to do the Ganges pūjā, and He comes and takes the articles, says, “I am the father of the Ganges. What kind of a son do you have?! You have to do something. He is going to go bad if you don’t discipline Him. He is down there right now in the Ganges. You should see; He is a terror down there!” So then, Jagannātha Miśra, “Alright, I am going just now!”

Meanwhile the daughters of the brāhmaṇas, they came, and they said, “This Nimāi Paṇḍita He comes to us and, and we are trying to worship the Ganges, Oh He takes the worship, ‘Why don’t you worship Me?’ that was what actually happened. And then sometimes He runs. He says, ‘Listen. I’ll benedict you that you can have many children ah, you can have a good husband, you just have to offer the worship…’ How can he do all these things!? And then sometimes He jumps out from nowhere and he scares us and He is just… you must do…”

But then they saw that Jagannātha Miśra, “Alright, I’m going now.” they became very frightened, “Oh, maybe he’s going to… He is going to punish Nimāi Paṇḍita.” So they ran down to the river and said, “Nimāi Paṇḍita, watch out! Your father is coming!” (Laughter) Then you know, there He was, playing with all the cowherd boys you know the other brāhmaṇas. They are all you know… from… liberated souls who get to play with the Lord like this. So immediately He has a little huddle with them. Quarterback, you know He has a little huddle with them, they have their strategy, Ifft…. He is out of the water.

So then coming with a stick, here comes Jagannātha Miśra. “Alright, where is Nimāi?”

“Nimāi?! Have you seen Nimāi?! We are waiting here. We are waiting for Him to come here to the river. We are all…Can you send Him from His house? We all been waiting here for so long, He hasn’t come!” Just… something he is…

“All those brāhmaṇas, how the senior citizens you know how would they?! They all common and say some… some…”

“No, no. We haven’t seen Nimāi the whole day!”

So, then he went back. Meanwhile, Nimāi Paṇḍita, He appeared at His house. Somehow His body was all filled with dust. He had ink spots on His hand, hair was completely dry. Says, “Mother Śacī! Just come home from school! I’m real hungry! I want to go and take my bath in the Ganges now!” She looked. No sign of taking any bath. No wrinkled fingers. No wet hair. Dusty, ink spots from the class.

Jagannātha Miśra came back. He looked. “Alright…” He could not figure it out. “…go take Your bath.” So He went back and again began His... (laughter)

So this was you know Lord Caitanya is actually… Even when they saw Jagannātha Miśra, the brāhmaṇas became afraid. “No, no. We just were saying, but don’t, don’t beat Nimāi. He is a very nice boy actually.” Actually, was just they were so eager to talk about Lord Caitanya. They took any opportunity. This was just a way that all the devotees could engage in different kind of glorification of the Lord and His childhood pastimes.

Just like the cowherd boys in Vṛndāvana, I mean the cowherd you know men they would complain that, “Kṛṣṇa is coming and stealing our butter and He is feeding it to the monkeys, and you have to do something.” This is a pastime of Kṛṣṇa because it’s not a worship with awe and reverence. It is intimate. It is parental, friendship and conjugal, it’s a different mood of a very familiar service. So, for that reason, they have these mischievous pastimes in His childhood. But of course, then later He gets on to His serious business whatever that may be. He gets on to His other pastimes, but His that mischievousness, that quality is there in the Personality of Godhead, but in Him it is perfect. It actually inspires the love of His devotees.

Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee: Ācāryapāda ki…

Devotees: Jaya!