19860815 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.29.5

The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami on August 15, 1986 Hyderabad farm in India. The class begins with the reading from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3rd canto, chapter 29, verse 5.

Jayapatākā Swami: (leads chanting of the verse 2 times)

lokasya mithyābhimater acakṣuṣaś
ciraṁ prasuptasya tamasy anāśraye
śrāntasya karmasv anuviddhayā dhiyā
tvam āvirāsīḥ kila yoga-bhāskara
(ŚB 3.29.5)

Translation by His divine Grace Abhaycharan Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda:

My dear Lord, You are just like the sun, for you illuminate the darkness of the conditional life of the living entities. Because their eyes of knowledge are not open, they are sleeping eternally in that darkness without Your shelter, and therefore they are falsely engaged by the actions and reactions of their material activities, and they appear to be very fatigued.

*Translation and repetition*

Jayapatākā Swami: Oṁ tat sat

Purport: It appears that Śrīmatī Devahūti, the glorious mother of Lord Kapiladeva, ( aside - you want the same thing, at the same time as one is speaking) is very compassionate for the regrettable condition of people in general, who, not knowing the goal of life, are sleeping in the darkness of illusion. It is the general feeling of the Vaiṣṇava, or devotee of the Lord, that he should awaken them. Similarly, Devahūti is requesting her glorious son to illuminate the lives of the conditioned souls so that their most regrettable conditional life may be ended. The Lord is described here in as yoga-bhāskara, the sun of the system of all yoga. Devahūti has already requested her glorious son (that’s Kapila muni), to describe bhakti-yoga, and the Lord has described bhakti-yoga as the ultimate yoga system. Prabhupāda go down to say Bhakti-yoga is the sun like illumination for delivering the conditioned souls, whose general condition is described here. They have no eyes to see their own interests. They do not know that the goal of life is not to increase the material necessities of existence, because the body will not exist more than a few years. The living beings are eternal, and they have their eternal need. If one engages only in caring for the necessities of the body, not caring for the eternal necessities of life, then he is a part of a civilization whose advancement puts the living entities in the darkest region of ignorance. Sleeping in that darkest region, one does not get any refreshment, but, rather, gradually becomes fatigued. He invents many processes to adjust this fatigued condition, but he fails and thus remains confused. The only path for mitigating his fatigue in the struggle for existence is the path of devotional service, or the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purports of text 5, chapter 29, of canto 3 of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the chapter titled ‘Explanation of the Devotional service’.

Jayapatākā Swami:  Here we can see that, Devahūti, Srimati Devahūti, the glorious mother of Lord Kapiladeva, she is actually like the mother of everyone. Because she is concerned about all of the fallen conditioned living entities. She cares about their condition and wants them to be uplifted to pure spiritual consciousness. (Conch blowing) In a material world you are always suffering, sometimes little bit of material enjoyment is there, so they feel that there is the good. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jai. That is a good reason for them, to avoid spiritual life because they can enjoy some material happiness. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so merciful that He has given us the process of devotional service. It is so wonderful, it is so blissful that one does not have to engage in any rigid, dry renunciation. One can become Kṛṣṇa conscious simply by a very balanced moderate way of life. And by constantly chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare,
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

So Lord Caitanya told Sanātana Gosvāmī, to teach him His teachings, to give the details how one should avoid dry renunciation. Sometimes one wants to renounce, because he does not like the material world. You hear people say, ’Family life, too much troubles, saṁsāra, too difficult’ and then give it all up. But that alone is not a complete understanding. Actually one has to rise from that negative impulsion. They are not to give attachment to Kṛṣṇa. That type of frustration may help one in the beginning to make a few steps forward in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. But eventually unless one develop their full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they cannot be free from the influences of the material world. When one is fully, he is basically well situated, fixed in devotional service then they naturally are getting so much energy from Lord Kṛṣṇa. Then it is very easy to receive this Kṛṣṇa Conscious movement. Lord Caitanya He wanted that this dry renunciation should be replaced by type of productive devotional service to guru and Kṛṣṇa. It’s no need to do rigorous type of tapasyā like meditating under water, or meditating with fires all around oneself in the hottest day of the year or other such practices which are recommended for the mystic yogīs. Because those things makes the heart even harder. It makes it even more difficult to understand our natural relationship with Kṛṣṇa. So here it recommends that we should just take this very simple process of bhakti-yoga in moderation, one can achieve easy perfection. Bhagavad-gītā explains that the real yogī does not eat too much, does not eat too little. Real yogī does not get disturbed when he receives praise, or dishonour. He is aloof from pain and infamy. So actually we should take shelter of the Bhāgavatam as explained here in the science of bhakti-yoga, devotional service.

Here we see how the great souls, they are concerned about others. Lord Caitanya gives us the process of to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, we practice our Kṛṣṇa Consciousness and then to protect us against any mistakes, and rather to deliver the others this is the primal responsibility. To bring others to the path of devotional service so they can also achieve this highest perfection of the human life. Prabhupāda explains that the living beings are eternal and they have their eternal need. If one engages only in caring to the necessities of the body, not caring for the eternal necessities of life then he is part of the civilization of advancement of the living entities in the darkest region of ignorance. So this ignorance is increasing. Suffering is there. If we don’t experience suffering, then we think, ‘Alright. It’s okay’. This morning I read in the newspaper, Andhra Pradesh there something like 6.7 lakhs of persons who have leprosy. In Tamil nadu there are seven lakhs. Just like in India there are 4 million or 40 lakh people who have leprosy even today, known case. They are going to the treatment. So in spite of so much medical advancement, it’s not that even such disease like the leprosy is eradicated. Disease is there, old age is there, death is there - what to do ? That system is given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He said: yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (Cc. Madhya 7.128) He said ‘ama..’ He said also that

śuna śuna nityānanda, śuna haridāsa
sarvatra āmāra ajñā karaha prakāśa
prati ghare ghare giyā koro ei bhikṣā
bolo `krsna', bhajo krsna, koro krsna-sikṣā
(Cb. Madhya 13.8-10)

He asked Nitāi and Haridāsa to go door to door requesting the people, to take up the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, to worship Kṛṣṇa, and to know the teachings of Kṛṣṇa. So Lord Nityānanda and Haridāsa they themselves firstly took up this work going door to door, on Lord Caitanya’s order. Similarly we should also take up the order of spreading the message of Caitanya Mahāprabhu to as many people as possible. (Conch blowing)

Lord Caitanya, He took sannyāsa just so that He can spread the movement more. Otherwise He was very happily situated, young loving wife, affectionate mother, public fame, He had everything but He left all those considerations so that he could expand preaching of this movement to benefit the others. Lord Caitanya decided to take sannyāsa, He went to Katwa. At that time He did a big kīrtana with His devotees that are with Him. Thousands of people gathered. Then He told them, He told the barber ‘Now you cut my hair.’ But the barber said,” How can I ? I cannot do it. I cannot cut your hair”. Lord Caitanya became impatient, said “You must cut my hair, it’s your job. Don’t hesitate”. So then the barber decided,’ Alright, I will cut it’. In so doing then Lord Caitanya, He told the.. he had the barber cut his hair. Then went down to the Ganges He took His bath, put on His sannyāsī robes. Then He asked Keśava Kaśmīrī..? oh Keśava Bhāratī, to give Him the mantra. But first He said,” You know the sannyāsa-mantra of the Vaiṣṇava ?” Then He called him over, and in his ear, He gave the mantra. “You know this mantra?”. So this way He initiated Keśava Bhāratī as his Guru. Then again that guru gave Him back the mantra, like taking water from the Ganges and offer back to the Ganges. So even Lord Caitanya took sannyāsa from a great Vaisnava who was.. Lord Caitanya after He took, He took sannyāsa from the Śnkarācārya school, He could deliver all of the advaitavādīs. He took harinama-dīkṣā from Madhvācārya-sampradāya. He took sannyāsa from the Śankara-sampradāya. So in this way He can also deliver those impersonal philosophers and Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. So Lord Chaitanya’s whole mood was to deliver the fallen souls, to save them. After taking initiation again, He is still chanting

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare,
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

It’s not that just someone should chant Hare Kṛṣṇa because they are neophyte, when you become advanced you don’t chant. No! Lord Caitanya chanted throughout His entire life, Haridāsa Ṭhākura chanted throughout his entire life. Everyone is chanting. In fact Nārada Muni who is a liberated soul, who travels all over the universe, he also chants Hare Kṛṣṇa. Wherever you go this chanting is actually more important than any other processes. The first nine processes of devotional service begin with hearing and chanting and remembering- śravaṇam, kīrtanam viṣṇor, smaraṇam viṣṇu. So we can take easily to this process of chanting.

So we can take easily to this process of chanting.

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare,
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Chanting is not difficult. At the same time it is more more sublime to both the beginner and the most advanced to take up the chanting. Whether Nārada Muni or a small child, they can all chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. They can all chant the names of the Lord. Lord Caitanya, He was the perfect example of a sannyāsī who is practicing the Vaiṣṇava-dharma. The other sannyāsīs who don’t practice perfectly Lord Caitanya would reject them. One time He and Nityananda Prabhu were going to Advaita’s house. On the way, one sannyāsī came out from his āśrama and requested Them to come in. So then he was discussing and they were discussing different topics they agreed. Then ah..he said please come down and take some fruit, some prasāda. So Nitāi and Gaura sat down to take prasāda, they were discussing. Then that sannyāsī said, “Can I get you any meat and wine ?” “Say what? You take meat and wine? You eat meat and wine?” “Hey, what’s wrong with that sometimes we are taking". Immediately jumped up from their seats leaving that fruits. He said “Oh! we have eaten fruit from someone who is not following the regulative principles. You are only a sannyāsī in cloth; you are not actually following the rules”. They ran out and jumped with Their clothes on into the Ganges. This is the very strict position of Lord Caitanya. person may be fallen, you can be purified. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you are forgiven. But once we take the shelter of Kṛṣṇa we should try to avoid committing more offences. We may make some mistakes but we should try to be Kṛṣṇa conscious to avoid committing all offences.

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Are there any questions? Yes?

Devotee: When does man become conditioned soul?

Jayapatākā Swami: Man, man is always conditioned soul.

Devotee: From birth itself ?

Jayapatākā Swami: You are conditioned before birth.

ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ’yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre
(BG 2.20)

Life is going on. You are conditioned from the moment the soul enters, leaves the spiritual world, enters into the material world, it becomes conditioned. It goes through 84 lakh species of life through aquatics, plants, so on. When it comes to human being, it’s still conditioned. Even if you become Brahmā, Indra you are conditioned. Until you achieve complete liberation, you are conditioned soul. The conditioned life already is there, you can get unconditioned by chanting:

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

That’s how we end the condition. So we see that’s why God is always God. When He comes down, it’s described in Bhagavad-gītā, He comes atmamāyayā. He comes by His own potency. Not that God has to meditate for five to ten years, then He becomes God. Those yogīs who meditate and say that they became God, they are not real yogīs they are not real incarnations. God does not to do meditation to become God. Yes ?

[not audible: 22.59 to 23.45]

Jayapatākā Swami: You should simply serve the spiritual master or spiritual master’s representatives. So then he is always under the shelter of senior Vaiṣṇavas. To renounce an object of devotional service which can be used to promote the Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is considered to be a dry renunciation or a phalgu-vairāgya. To accept something which, for sense gratification, this is also bhoga. Both the things are bad. This also we avoid -niyamāgraha. We also have to avoid this type of material attachment and subtle attachments. You know person is sincerely trying to engage in Kṛṣṇa’s service and he is authorized under the guidance of senior Vaiṣṇavas or the guru, then his position is strong. If you do something on your own and you are feeling weak then it is more dangerous. No one should ever act independently. They should always be acting as authorized by the spiritual master. Then one can enjoy the shelter of the spiritual master. Isn’t it ?

[not audible 25.10 to 25.25] Subject and object are one.

Jayapatākā Swami:  Subject and object are one, Who said?

Devotee : Bhagavad-gītā

Jayapatākā Swami: Which Bhagavad-gītā you read? Read the śloka. Read out the verse. Read out the purport. So reading one verse today, if you want to ask a good question on another verse, bring that verse out. Then only we can discuss it. Otherwise you have something in your mind, but the others, they are not aware what’s going on. Any other question?

Devotees speaking: Why does the human being goes on questioning ?

Jayapatākā Swami: Which type of question? Doubting questions?

Devotees speaking: Mainly inquiring.

Jayapatākā Swami: Ah..Because that is the purpose of human life. Purpose of human life is to enquire. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Inquire into the absolute knowledge. Our mind is made to question because we are supposed to enquire - Who am I? Where have I come from? Where is the Brahman ? Where is the absolute ? Where is the Param brahma? We have brahman and Parabrahma, like a minister, chief minister. You say chief minister, then there must be a ordinary minister.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
(Brahma Samhita 5.1)

What it means is Kṛṣṇa who is sac-cid-ānanda, anādir Kṛṣṇa , ādir puruṣa, Kṛṣṇa Puruṣottama. Kṛṣṇa Puruṣottama - That He is the Supreme Lord. There may be the other Lords, other puruṣas are there. paramaḥ īśvaraḥ. īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇa. That mean you say paramaḥ īśvaraḥ, that means other īśvaraḥ are there. But paramaḥ īśvaraḥ, who is the supreme īśvaraḥ, that is Kṛṣṇa. There may be so many other īśvaras, Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, Lord Indra, Kārtikeya, Devī, so on, so many other īśvaras and īśvarīs are there. But who is the paramaḥ īśvaraḥ?. That was asked to Lord Śiva, that there are so many īśvaraḥ, so many pūja, which pūja is the best ? Then he said

ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ
viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param
tasmāt parataraṁ devi
tadīyānāṁ samarcanam
(CC Madhya 11.31)

Of all the types of worship, the worship of Viṣṇu is the best, the top most, except for one thing- that is worshipping those who are dear to Viṣṇu. So we inquire what is the absolute truth, because we are part of Kṛṣṇa.

mamaivāḿśo jīva-loke
jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ.
(BG 15.7)

Simply inquiring alone is not enough. Firstly one must enquire from the right source.

avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ
pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam
śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyaṁ
sarpocchiṣṭaṁ yathā payaḥ.
(Padma Purāṇa)

If you enquire from a non Vaiṣṇava, from someone who is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, it is as good as drinking milk which has been touched by a poisonous serpent. You have to hear from a authorized source- from the devotees of the Lord. Then you can get the proper answer. Then when you get the answer, not just that you have the knowledge then what you do? Just like it is useless when somebody studies law, knows all the law, then he goes and sleeps. He should use that law as a solicitor, advocate or judge, and then it has some value. Just that you know the law, but you don’t use it. Then what is the use ? - wasted your time. If someone asks a question- ‘Who am I? What is the purpose of life?’ Then he has to take up the practical spiritual activities. There are different activities given in all the vedas. You take up some practical spiritual programmes. Human being is inquisitive to know what is the answer. Answer is not simply known by mere academic type of study, it’s known by realization.

rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ pavitram idam uttamam
pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyaṁ su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam
(Bg. 9.2)

Pratyakṣāvagamaṁ, pratyakṣa. You can have pratyakṣa -that means you can have your personal realization. You can see with your own eyes. Not these necessarily physical eyes but with your own spiritual vision, you can realize by perception - what and who you are ? Who is the supreme Lord ? Everything you can realize then. su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam. There is the definite knowledge that is more joyfully performed. So human being wants to be saccidānanda, wants to be eternal, wants to be in full of knowledge, wants to be happy.

But in this conditional life as given here, as Devahūti said, there is no happiness. There is fatigue, there is tiredness, there is all these problems. They are, the people are struggling very hard with the material energy. How to liberate them from that condition? Because there is this difficulty there. Because they struggle, all these problems are there. Therefore human being wants to know why is this? I want to be happy why I am not happy? I want to live eternal why do I die? I want to know what is going on. Why I am ignorant? Its natural, by nature we are saccidānanda.

Just like a man, a man who had a car accident. He’s put in through a coma. He cannot remember very much, he wants to know. Who am I ? Where am I? What’s my name? They wouldn’t know because this man unnatural. They may say listen, ‘You are, you are Gopal, you are Gopal shetty, this is your wife Dipika, this is your son Dilip, and so on. So gradually the memory comes back. He keeps on asking more questions trying to find out. Because he is in unnatural state. We are in an unnatural state. This is not our natural state to be in, our natural state is ‘saccidānanda’. Therefore we have the inquisitive nature - ‘Why is this? Why are we suffering ?’. That’s the real human life. If someone does not have the inquisitive nature then they are not developed. When someone becomes inquisitive that’s a first step. But the real inquiry should be made in to Brahman, into the Absolute. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. What is the Supreme truth? Relative truths are inconsequential in the base of supreme truth. Is that all right? Any other question? Hare Kṛṣṇa.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ
paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande
śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam
śrī caitanya iśvaram
hariḥ oṁ tat sat

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Thank you for your recitation of Bhagavad-gītā slokas, your recitation of the modern history of India and it’s independence as well as the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

Tomorrow being the Independence Day celebration of India August 15., we remember that time when India received the independence from the British. Of course there are other countries which have received independence from foreign rulers. But actually India is the oldest country, oldest civilization in the world. And therefore, this culture although politically they was dominance, the culture of India has not been dominated, but it is continuing on intact.

At one time India was the ruler of the world according to the Mahābhārata. King Yudhiṣṭhira, he toured his kingdom and it extended to China, to Europe, to Northern Africa, across the Indian subcontinent. So India was at one time the center of the entire world administration. But due to many years of foreign rule in India, these historical facts are often not taught to the students. Actually the independence from the British should be a chance for all of you to now become more and more proud and in knowledge of your ancient history, your history which goes back since time immemorial. Real Independence, can anyone say what real independence or freedom means? If I catch one of the boys, then he wants to get free. Then he will say now I am free. So if you are caught up by a foreign rule then we rule ourselves. Then we said we got independence or freedom. But Bhagavad-gītā says, that in this world there is one supreme energy known as mayā or prakṛtī. And we all under the governing of that material energy. prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ. So even if you are under one foreign rule or our own rule or some other rule, that doesn’t mean that we are free from the rule of nature. So the Bhagavad-gītā says that our freedom struggle is not over until we free ourselves from the bondage of birth, death, old age, and disease. That is the ultimate independence struggle which everyone in the world has to try for. But that struggle you have to do individually, one by one with the help of the guru, of the teachers, and of the parents. We should all try to train the children to get free from this bondage of material life. How many of you want to get free from that bondage of material life? Can I see you show your hands? Can You understand? Can understand?

Devotee: Can you understand what Maharāja said? How many of you want to get free from this material bondage?

Jayapatākā Swami: How many of you want to get sick? Raise your hand. (devotees laughing) How many of you don’t want to get sick in your life?

Devotee: Who wants to get sick? Who wants to be free? Who wants …? Kabhi bimar nahi hona, or janam maran se free ho jana 

Jayapatākā Swami: Thank you very much. So chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and be happy, and be free from these miseries.