19850709 Bhagavad-gītā 9.34 The Supreme Award Of Kṛṣṇa

Bhagavad Gita 9 34 The Supreme Award Of Krishna

Book:

Bhagavad-gita As It Is (BG)

Date:

Sunday, June 9, 1985

Collection:

Enlightenment 3

Audio player:

The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapataka Swami, on July 9th, 1985,in Toranto, Canada. The class is beginning from the reading of Bhagabad gita Chapter 9 text 34. (Gurumaharaj) Today read from the Srimadbhagabad Gita as it is, Chapter 9 text 34.

Translation by his Divine Grace Abhaycharan Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Engage your mind, Krishna is speaking; always in thinking of me, become my devotee, offer obeisance’s unto me and worship me. Being completely absorbed in me surely you will come to me. PURPORT: In this verse it is clearly indicated that Krishna consciousness is the only means of being delivered from the clutches of this contaminated material world. Sometimes unscrupulous commentators distort the meaning of what is clearly stated here, that; all devotional service should be offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. One should therefore engage his mind in the eternal form, the primal form of Krsna; with conviction in his heart that Krsna is the Supreme, he should engage himself in worship. There are hundreds of thousands of temples in India, for the worship of Krsna,and devotional services are practiced there. When such practice is made one has to offer obeisance to Krsna. One should lower his head before the Deity and engage his mind, his body, and his activities-everything.That will make one to become fully absorbed in Krsna without deviation. This will help one to transfer Krishnaloka,in the spiritual world. One should not be deviated by unscrupulous commentators. One must engage in the nine different processes of devotional service, beginning with hearing and chanting about Krishna. Pure devotional service is the highest achievement of human society. The seventh and eighth chapters of Bhagabad gita have explained pure devotional service to the Lord that is free from speculative knowledge, mystic yoga and furtive activities. Those who are not purely sanctified may be attracted by different features of the lord like the impersonal Brahmayoti and localized Paramatma but a pure devotee directly takes to the service of the supreme lord. There is a beautiful poem about Krishna in which it is clearly stated that any person who is engaged in the worship of demigods is unintelligent and cannot achieve at anytime the supreme award of Krishna. The devotee, in the beginning, may sometimes fall from the standard, but still he should be considered superior to all other philosophers and yogis. One who always engages in Krishna consciousness should be understood to be a perfectly saintly person. His accidental non devotional activities will diminish and he will soon be situated without any doubt in complete perfection. The pure devotee has no actual chance to fall down, because the Supreme personally of Godhead personally takes care of his pure devotees.Therefore, the intelligent person should take directly to the process of Krishna consciousness and happily live in this material world. He will eventually receive the supreme award of Krishna. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to the ninth chapter of the Srimadvagabad gita in the matter of the most confidential knowledge. This material world is sometimes described as ‘samsara’ the world of birth and death and in the material world we become entangled in the reactions to our activities in this life and in previous life. Therefore even though we want peace and happiness sometimes we always are wanting but we are not able to always have that peace and happiness in the material world. So the example has been given in the material world as spider’s web and Krishna is just like the spider who is leading the web. So you know in the spider’s web so many little flies are getting caught and the more they try to get out the more they become entangled. But the spider; have you ever seen a spider had ever got caught in the web? Who can say? No. Spider does not get caught. He is able to run wit him the web without any caught. That is his mystic power. Spider has got some mystic power. So in the same way someone who surrenders to Krishna as he has advised here by thinking of him, becoming his devotee, offering obeisance to him, in worshiping him,becoming absorbed in thinking about him that person will be able to go back to Krishna. So even in this lifetime.“Iha jassye harerdaswya karmana manashah gira nikhilasyasuabastasu jibonmukto sa uchhate”. Such a person is considered to be liberated even all living. So it is said it is like becoming a baby spider. The baby spiders, they also do not get, captured in the spiders web. So if a person becomes a devotee of lord, the supreme personality of Godhead, the Parambramha or the absolute truth engages in pure devotional services recommended here. Then one does not get entangled in the material world just rather like the spider babies you can go without getting entangled. So Krishna is trying to help his friend Arjuna how to get out of the material world. How to achieve his eternal shelter? He has previously said in the 32nd verse today we are reading at 34th,‘that anyone even though who is a businessman,labor, or any age whether man, whether women that If he took shelter of the lord through this process of devotional service or sadhona Bhakti they can attain the supreme destination.So that is that said; so if Someone who is already very qualified , someone who is already very righteous, someone who is a great Brahmina, or who is very learned in spiritual matters then how much quicker can they achieve perfection by engaging in the devotional service to thelord. Just like so many rivers are gradually get merging into the ocean so the different paths of spiritual realization ultimately bring one to realize Krishna, the supreme personality of Godhead Param Bhagaban and when one realizes Krishna then one engages in his bhakti or his devotional service. That is considered to be on the transcendental platform. Precedence In this material world we are always serving someone. We serve either our friends or our wife or our husband or family or some relative or the country. If anyone doe snot want to serve anyone then he may serve at least their pet dog. In the morning you can see people taking their dog out doing dog seva, service to the dogs. We are naturally by nature servant. It is unnatural for us to be lord. Artificially in this material world we are trying to lording over the material nature. Because of this lording over tendency we become entangled to the astringent laws of the material nature. So when we rather cultivate our serving attitude by serving the supreme object of service the lord himself that is the singular most purifying thing that we can.Than automatically frees us from the entanglement of this material world, and it established a link with us and Krishna to take us back to his spiritual world. This is Krishna’s very clear promise. “Mamebaisyesi”that you will definitely come back to me.This is very scientific. Coding to the Bhagabadgita‘yam yam vapi smaran vavet tejottantekoleborom’. At the time of leaving the body known normally as death we go to what everyone thinking about. Precedence in history is Bhagabatam the real history that Maharaja Bharat, a great king he gave up his family, give up his kingdom give everything up and went to the forest to do meditation. He had even achieved some siddhi or perfection. But in avertedly a baby deer was adopted by him when during a storm the mother died, the mother deer died. The deer died giving birth to the baby. So he picked up the baby treated as a pet. When that maharaja Bharat was dying he was thinking about the deer, who will take care of the deer, who will feed the dear, what will happen to the dear? So because he was thinking about the dear in his next life he became a deer. He took birth as a deer. Whatever we think about that is what we achieve in our next life. So fortunately because he had performed so much yoga practice he could remember his; he maintained the same human consciousness although in a deer’s body. So he had plenty of time to contemplate how ridiculous is was that he had gone so far and in his last moment rather than giving his full attachment to Krishna instead he allowed himself to become infatuated with the baby deer. Thus cause him to take another birth as a dear. Of course it’s a long story that in his next life to deer birth he took birth of “jodo Bharat. At that time he was able to achieve complete perfection. So I just wanted to use that as an example whatever we thinking about when we die, when we leave this body that’s way we will go on our next life. So if we trained up mind to think about Krishna. In this life ‘monmona’.‘Monmonavobomadvokto’.‘Monmona’ means give me your mind, think about me. ‘Madvokto’—become my devotee. This is the easiest way to achieve Krishna, to just become his devotee, whether you are living in a house, whether you living in a temple, wherever we may be living, it is very easy to think of Krishna, to chant Krishna’s name, to offer your obeisance to Krishna, to offer your meals to Krishna;according to the process of “voganaibaidya”, or offering of prasadam -foodstuff-- in this way naturally when you leave the body you can think of Krishna. Because that has become your habit.So suddenly many persons said I am to young let me get old then we will practice. That is not a very good proposal. Suddenly after 60 years of thinking in one way how will a person suddenly change their habit of thinking? Rather..rather by gradual habit of chanting, of meditating of the Lord, it will be easy even at the death or any sudden moment you think about Krishna. Someone may think what will happen to me whether at the time of death I will not be able to think of Krishna. Even jodo..although maharaja Bharat he although made a mistake but because of his spiritual practices that he was protected.So that eventually he did achieved the shelter of Krishna. So Krishna describes in Bhagabad Gita that someone who does good, someone who does auspicious spiritual activities, there is never any, is not possible to get any bad result. There is always being a good result. Krishna when he was present some people could recognize Krishna, Some people could not recognize Krishna. There is a very interesting example. You know that Krishna lived in Vrindaban for the first sixteen year of his life. In there in Vrindaban he is tending the cows. He is under the care of Nanda Maharaja and Yasodha Maye. There he had so many pastimes, in Vrindaban including Rasalila and others. So then Akrura came and took him to Mathura and he went there to rescue Devaki and Bashudeva, his original mother and father, from the prison house of Kamsa. So Kasmsa had invited Krishna and Balarama to come and wrestle against Mustika and Chanura, two great wrestlers. His idea was that these wrestler will kill Krishna and balaramalso Kamsa arranged his killer elephant thekaliyapida..Whatsthat?name.. Kaliya..Kuboloyapida will crush Krishna when he came to that arena.Kamsa was ademon who in his whole life always thinks about Krishna in hate. His idea was always to kill Krishna from the very moment he heard Krishna’s name so it was very unusual when Krishna entered into the arena there are thousands and thousands of people all around. The wrestlers were in the center. King Kamsa he was in the cover area of the stadium, it was a big stadium. Mother Yashoda and Nanda Maharaja, they were present, great yogis and saints were present. Common people were present. There was huge audience to see what was going to happen. So when Krishna came in a 16 years old boy with his brother Balaram at that time each individual who saw Krishna; saw Krishna from a different realization. Firstly his mother Yashodha and Nanda Maharaj they saw Krishna they saw there is their Son. Some common people, they see what this is, these two boys coming in, they are going to fight against these big wrestlers,and this is not fair. What is this?These are not even match. There are some foolish people they look they said what is this? They are two fools. They are coming to fight against these wrestlers, and there are some great siddha yogis, some great realized yogis.They saw Krishna Balaram, they saw, they saw the Paramatma himself come here. Those who are the impersonal yogis…there is the Bramhayoti; personified. Those two wrestlers they looked at the Krishna and Balarama although they were the young boys they looked at them as great heroes. And they were very afraid. These were very formidable force, the pure, the young ladies in the audience they saw Krishna and Balarama, they are the most beautiful cupid. Who had ever seen someone so handsome, so beautiful? Everyone they looked at Krishna and saw something different.No two people could see the same at least the same level of realization. The pure devotees of Krsna they saw Krsna as there is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme absolute truth, or eternal lord or master. And Kamsathe demon king when he saw Krishna he saw personified death. Today my death has come. So achieving Krishna. Many people saw Krishna when he was here in this planet 5000 years ago, but simply seeing Krsna that is not the actual perfection. Because Kamsa saw Krishna, although different people saw Krishna but who could actually see Krishna as he was. Only the pure devotees could see him in his perfection, in his real form, in his more complete form. Therefore Krishna says ‘Bhakta mam avijanati’ except form my devotee no one can know me, as I am. So if someone wants to know Krishna then the only method that he has offered is this process of devotional service or bhaktisadhona to know the other forms of Krishna, there may be other processes. But eventually everyone in the final realization he comes to the point of realizing Krishna. At that time they have to perform the same system of devotional service. So why go through so many different processes which are round the bulk when there is a direct root .Actually there is no difficulty in performing devotional service, It is very natural If one understands actually the servants of God, what is the difficulty in bowing down to him? What is the difficulty in chanting his name? We should not think that chanting the name of the Lord is some form of concentration. Is it on that case that case we chant so many rock and roll songs, nobody; something. There are so many songs are there rock and roll , someone could chant those songs, why chant the mantra? Whole world is chanting rock n roll , or some music or some songs but they are not achieving the perfection of life. They are not solving the problems of their lives. There are something different about the chanting this Mahamantra “ Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. The chanting of Hare Krishna is described in the Vedas as being non different from Krishna Himself. “ Nam Chintamoni Krishnas Chaitanya Rasabigraha, Purnosuddha nityamuktoha. This holy name is actually eternally liberated and nama-nami; there is no difference between the name and the named. Instance if I am thirsty I call out water, water is not going to quench my thirst. Become thirstier. Because there is difference between the word water ba pani,thani jolandthe substance water. But Krishna being the parambramha there is no difference between his name, the vibration Krishna and Krishna himself, his eternal from the ‘sadcidanandarupa’. This is the difference between the material vibration and spiritual vibration, so when a person, a needy person Draupadi was alone. Her husband was there helpless. She was being insulted by duswasna, the unworthy son of the kurus. At that time who is the savior. But she simply raised her hand and called down kesav, Krishna, immediately krishna was present.(27.15) time and space.Because he is all pervasive.He is existing simultaneously within everything as well as in his eternal abode. So you say Krisna he is immediately present. You can say like transcendental telephone ,dancing on your tongue. So dropadi said krishna,krishna came and immediately saved her. When little prahlad maharaja, his father challenged him where is your Krishna?is he in the sky? Yes.ishe in this column?Yes. He is everywhere. So then he than took his sword and smashed the column of this palaceandimmediately there came a resolving sound whose shadowing the entire universe and out came the form of krishna Narasimhadeva. To prove his devotees word was correct. Then he was simultaneously present in every atom, everyone's heart, everywhere. So the devotee is able to see the lord every where. But the non devotee is not able to perceive that. Non devotees they may try to love them shelves,they try to love their neighbors and mental attachment. But the devotee by loving Krishna because Krishna is present in everyone’s heart, they actually love everyone. The easiest way to develop love for everyone is to love Krishna. If you try to love everyone that is very difficult in some other independent way because very artificial. When someone is actually a lover of Krishna then as the Bhagabadgita said ‘panditah samadarshina’ that person become equal visioned to everyone. so lord Chaitanya whose 500 anniversary are going to be celebrated in this year (29.35)2006 mach 26th. He came as were predicted in the Vedas that it is kaliyuga it is predicted Lord personally will come as prachannaavatara. Krishnacomesin a non blackish color, in a golden color. ‘Akrishnabarnamtishakrishnamsangopangstraparsadam, yajnesankirtanaprayeyayanti hi sumedhosaha’. So Krishna he was here for about 5000 years ago as the supreme personality of godhead. But only 500 years ago he came as his own devotee to teach how to practice Bhaktiyoga or devotional yoga by his personal example. Just like sometimes a teacher took a pencil By his personal experience (31.00) he shows how to write, just to show the student, when Shree Krishna spoke the Bhagabadgita then there is only one understanding of Bhagabad gita. But now there are hundreds and hundreds of copies of translation of Bhagabad gita, and people, they started to misinterpret, misunderstand the real purports or purpose of the Bhagabad gita. So to show by his own example Krishna came as lord Chaitanya to show this process of applying the Bhagabadgita. Lord Chaitanya;he had devotees who are kings, great jaminders or landlords as well as simple banana salesman.He had one devotee called kholabeha Sridhar. kholabecha Sridhar, he was very poor. He was growing bananas in Bengal, in Bengal every house has got bananas. So he is selling bananas, is not a kind of high supplying the men’s item. Every one they have got bananas.Only there is some accidental need, they need bananas. He was not making a lot of profits from banana sale. Like selling bananas in coastarica or something like that or like in North America. Bengal and Urissa these are very familiar as there are plenty of bananas as tropical fruits ,So everyone has got bananas in their village., so his occupation was growing bananas , selling the leaves, banana, the flower, center or ‘thor’ of the banana, mocha all the different parts of he bananas. But he was a very great devotee. Although he was a small businessman, He was very sincere. He will chant everyday Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare and he was very happy. He had a very special service given by His Guru that was 50 % of his income he will worship everyday in the mother Ganges. He will go to the Ganges and he will doing worship like he is doing here, ring the bells offering light and fans. Normally when we give lectures we don’t ring a bell. Not to disturb-ant. When you worship you rang a bell. This is a practice. Ring the bell offer different things. Though he is very poor took half of this income just to buy incense, the ghee that he used in worshiping in Ganges. He was spent how much he made 50 % in buying the ingredients to offer worshiping the Ganges. Someone his Fellow countryman they approached him, and say listen, Why not you stop this worship of the Ganges for a year. Build up Your Capital. Become rich, and then you can do bigger worship of the Ganges. He said if I stop worshiping the Ganges, then what will ensure that again in future I will begin to worship again, once I break the habit then I could forget forever. He said no. I don't want to take that risk.(35.25) Because whole night he was used to chant with his friends hare Krishna. So they used to say listen, why do not you repair your house, it got wholes in your roof, he is a very poor man. He said all right. It keeps the sun and in hard weather it gives some ventilation. He had sense of humor. They said, listen,you have whole in in your dhoti;in your cloth. He said that….., at least I am not necked. And these are no problem for that(36.09). So in this way there is always constraint, always with his materialistic friends. There is always beyond his case. That why don’t you give up all these spiritual nonsense then you become rich and famous. If I will become rich and famous I will become rich and famous by the Lord mercy. I am working Hard, I am working sincerely, I am not going to try beyond.. I will try….but I will never stop this chanting process. So they were be so critical that when he chant at night they say this crazy guy he is chanting at night because he is hungry, cannot sleep. So he is howling Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna. Totally(36.50) un- sympathetic people. One day Lord Shaitanya he is holding(36.55) very big Kirtan Parties. Kirtan means congregational chanting Hare Krishna with hundreds of devotes .So one day Adaivta Gosai one of the great devotees of Lord Chaitanya he perceived by saying some prayers to lord Krishna and Lord Chaitanya had got into a (37.25)trounce and was actually manifesting he was in that particular moment he was in the mood of his original self Krishna, So at that time he started to perform great artik and ceremonies to Lord Chaitanya, and at moment Lord Chaitanya he started to give benediction to different devotees. There was one devotee named Murarigupta, Murari Gupta. Murari Gupta was a doctor. He was a great devotee of Lord Rama, So that time Lord Chaitanya reveled his form as Lord Ramachandra, and then Murari Gupta, he revealed himself actually he was Hanuman who has taken birth as Murari Gupta and to assist Lord Chaitanya who is actually Krishna and Rama in that special Pastimes. So when Murari Gupta saw he was Hanuman He became so shocked to see his real identity he fainted. When he come back to his consciousness(38.40) Dr mutari Gupta. So Like this each devotees are being called and they are been revealed their previous birth.What they were in their previous birth. What was their real identity? It was a great revolution, It was a wonderful mystery. Some devotees of Lord Chaitanya give them benedictions, Give them bless whatever they wanted to see you bring me that Banana salesman Sridhar. They went to Sridhar, the banana Salesman and said that Lord Chaitnya wants to see you now. He said vegetables Banana salesman, Lord Chaitanya wants to see me. YES.He faints. That’s too much. Can imagine what he wanted to (39.25) see? So that time when he became conscious there he saw Lord Chaitnya was manifesting his effulgent forms. Effulgence everywhere. There are complete transcendental displays devotees are chanting and Kirtan and artik is going on. Lord Chaitanya said, Now Sridhar you are devotee, you serve me faithfully. You tell me what do you Want?Do you want to have unlimited wealth?Big Kingdom, Take it. Kolabecha Sridhar , the banana salesman said NO, I don’t want that. You don’t want that, Mystic power, Siddhi .you can become smaller than an atom, larger than a planet. You can reach away in Hong kong and bring back Rolex watch, You can…He did not say that , I am explaining what siddhi is explaining one Siddhi prapti. You can get anything you want. If you want something from the moon you can get it. That’s called Prapti,. Anima, Laghioma Prapti, mahima. These are Different Siddhis. Astasiddhis. Lord Chaitanya said do you want Siddhi. Want that mystic power. So he said NO I don’t want Mystic Power. What do you want? You take mystic power you can be…..(41.10) what do you want? Do you want Libration from the repetition of the birth and death?Freedom from reincarnation? He said NO. I don’t want that. You don’t want liberation? Then what is that do you want? He said my dear Lord, my desire is that whenever you take your avater ,your incarnation in this world whether it is krishna ,Rama, Chaitanya, Rama , whatever from you come in my desire is that I could offer you your banana and vegetable needs. If I can do some service, I don’t want liberation, or if I can serve you eternally that is my desire. If I am not worthy to serve you or I can’t help you at least I can have the association of your devotees who are always filled with your transcended loving service. So then Chaitanya said I am going to give you that benediction which even Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma are eager to get. But they don’t get it easily. I am going to give you my pure love. Krishna prema. When the devotees heard that simple banana salesman, ahawker, in the street, he was given by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu the ashirbad,the blessings of Krishna Prema, Pure love for Krishna. They started to say HARIBOL HARIBOLHARIBOL they started to say in rejoice. The mercy of Lord Chaitanyais compassion. This is very esoteric. Most people, most in our Hindu tradition was Vedic Tradition, We know that there are Dharma, Artha ,kama, and Moksha. First is religious practices, and then there is Dharma, Then there is artha, the economic development, make some money, why Kama so you can, you can get sense gratification; you can enjoy the heavy material life, and the end of life Moksha, achieve liberation from birth and death. So these are considered as the Purusartha or the purpose of life. Actually Krisna; He gives Benediction very easy. If you want liberation, material benediction Krishna he gives his devotee very easily. In Vrindaban one lady came up offering Krishna a baskets of fruits he looked at his whole basket becomes jewels. Krishna gives this type of material Benediction very easily. WHY?Even giving liberation is very easy. What is the reason? The reason is that when Krishna gives those benedictions there is no obligation on his part. Just like a boss if you a take a hundred dollar Bonus. It’s a onetime thing.Finished. When he says I want to give you a raise, That means it’s a perpetual thing. So when Krisna gives liberation or some material benediction or mystic power, something like that, then Krishna has got no further warranty, no kind of further obligation is there. But when Krishna gives pure devotion to his devotee, when he gives the love of Krishna then Krishna said I never let my devotee perished. I always protect my devotee,as like Krishna adapting the devotees just like the spider and baby spider

Shantipriya Janaki Devi Dasi 11th February, 2016