19861218 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.2.6

The following is a lecture given by HH Jayapataka Swami on December 18th 1986 in Teluk Intan, Malaysia. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2nd canto, chapter 2, text 6.

Jayapatākā Swami: [leads chanting of the verse] [devotees repeat]

evaṁ sva-citte svata eva siddha
ātmā priyo ’rtho bhagavān anantaḥ
taṁ nirvṛto niyatārtho bhajeta
saṁsāra-hetūparamaś ca yatra

Translation: “Thus being fixed, one must render service unto the Supersoul situated in one’s heart by His omnipotency. Because He is the Almighty Personality of Godhead, eternal and unlimited, He is the ultimate goal of life, and by worshiping Him one can end the cause of the conditioned state of existence”.

Purport: As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā [18.61], the Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the all-pervading omnipresent Supersoul. Therefore one who is a yogī can worship only Him because He is the substance and not illusion. Every living creature is engaged in the service of something else. A living being’s constitutional position is to render service, but in the atmosphere of māyā, or illusion, or the conditional state of existence, the conditioned soul seeks the service of illusion. A conditioned soul works in the service of his temporary body, bodily relatives like the wife and children, and the necessary paraphernalia for maintaining the body and bodily relations, such as the house, land, wealth, society and country, but he does not know that all such renderings of service are totally illusory. As we have discussed many times before, this material world is itself an illusion, like a mirage in the desert. In the desert there is an illusion of water, and the foolish animals become entrapped by such an illusion and run after water in the desert, although there is no water at all. But because there is no water in the desert, one does not conclude that there is no water at all. The intelligent person knows well that there is certainly water, water in the seas and oceans, but such vast reservoirs of water are far, far away from the desert. One should therefore search for water in the vicinity of seas and oceans and not in the desert. Every one of us is searching after real happiness in life, namely eternal life, eternal or unlimited knowledge and unending blissful life. But foolish people who have no knowledge of the substance search after the reality of life in the illusion. This material body does not endure eternally, and everything in relation with this temporary body, such as the wife, children, society and country, also changes along with the change of body. This is called saṁsāra, or repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. We would like to find a solution for all these problems of life, but we do not know the way. Herein it is suggested that anyone who wants to make an end to these miseries of life, namely repetition of birth, death, disease and old age, must take to this process of worshiping the Supreme Lord and not others, as it is also ultimately suggested in the Bhagavad-gītā [18.65]. If we at all want to end the cause of our conditioned life, we must take to the worship of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is present in everyone’s heart by His natural affection for all living beings, who are actually the parts and parcels of the Lord [Bg. 18.61]. The baby in the lap of his mother is naturally attached to the mother, and the mother is attached to the child. But when the child grows up and becomes overwhelmed by circumstances, he gradually becomes detached from the mother, although the mother always expects some sort of service from the grown-up child and is equally affectionate toward her child, even though the child is forgetful. Similarly, because we are all part and parcel of the Lord, the Lord is always affectionate to us, and He always tries to get us back home, back to Godhead. But we, the conditioned souls, do not care for Him and run instead after the illusory bodily connections. We must therefore extricate ourselves from all illusory connections of the world and must seek reunion with the Lord, trying to render service unto Him because He is the ultimate truth. Actually we are hankering after Him as the child seeks the mother. And to search out the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we need not go anywhere else, because the Lord is within our hearts. This does not suggest, however, that we should not go to the places of worship, namely the temples, churches and mosques. Such holy places of worship are also occupied by the Lord because the Lord is omnipresent. For the common man these holy places are centers of learning about the science of God. When the temples are devoid of activities, the people in general become uninterested in such places, and consequently the mass of people gradually become godless, and a godless civilization is the result. Such a hellish civilization artificially increases the conditions of life, and existence becomes intolerable for everyone. The foolish leaders of a godless civilization try to devise various plans to bring about peace and prosperity in the godless world under a patent trademark of materialism, and because such attempts are illusory only, the people elect incompetent, blind leaders, one after another, who are incapable of offering solutions. If we want at all to end this anomaly of a godless civilization, we must follow the principles of revealed scriptures like the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and follow the instruction of a person like Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī who has no attraction for material gain.

Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta Swami purport to the chapter 2, text 6 of canto 2 of the Srimad-Bhāgavatam in the matter of the Lord in the heart.

Translation: of verse 6 “Thus being fixed, one must render service unto the Supersoul situated in one’s heart by His omnipotency. Because He is the Almighty Personality of Godhead, eternal and unlimited, He is the ultimate goal of life, and by worshiping Him one can end the cause of the conditioned state of existence”.

evaṁ sva-citte svata eva siddha
ātmā priyo ’rtho bhagavān anantaḥ
taṁ nirvṛto niyatārtho bhajeta
saṁsāra-hetūparamaś ca yatra

Jayapatākā Swami: There are various aspects here which are mentioned. The first one is “sva-citte” that we should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead; the Supersoul, who is in our own heart; “sva-citte.” In the modern context, the concept of God is someone very distant, very far-away, someone in the heavens. This way people have a type of distant conception of the Personality of Godhead. But here this verse nicely explains that because the Supreme Personality is omnipresent, omnipotent. He is also situated within our own hearts. So, He is the Lord of our heart. So this chapter is entitled “The Lord in the Heart”. And people want to have their own God, their own religion. So, here they can have that feeling of exclusivity, satisfied by worshipping the Lord in their own heart. He is their own personal Lord sitting in their own heart. How personal, how intimate, how exclusive! Of course, He’s the same Lord who is situated in everyone’s heart! But anyway that’s the other’s look-out. For each person, they can consider “well the Lord is in my heart.” When they expand a little further, they will understand the Lord is also simultaneously in everyone’s heart. Therefore He is the Lord for everyone.

In some sectarian concepts of religion, people feel that “God is only in my religious institution. He is only with the Methodists or the Baptists, or the [10:50 Not clear] or the Catholics. Or, He’s only with the Sunni’s or the Shia’s. Or He’s only with the Śivaites, only with the Shaktas. Or only with the Hindu’s.” Like this people think that “God is only for me. God is only ours.” But actually God is in everyone’s heart; the Supreme Personality of Godhead is sub-situated as the Supersoul in every individual’s heart. Not only humans but also animals, plants, even within the atom!

That’s why when Prahlad said that “Yes my Lord can come even come out of this pillar. He can come directly out of the pillar”. Because He is situated everywhere. So because the Lord is situated everywhere that means, He’s also simultaneously in all the religious institutions; is in everyone’s heart. Of course the difference maybe of the concept or the understanding about the Lord. Of course the Lord is unlimited. One could know more or less about Him. Or could even know different aspects. There’s a very simple Vedic example where different people were arguing, you see, about the Absolute Truth.

So some sages this example. This is like five people, five blind people trying to understand what is elephant and they’re arguing about who is elephant. One blind man goes and he grabs the belly of the elephant. And he said “elephant is very big and round, just like a huge tree”. Someone else grabbed the leg and said “No, no elephant is not so big, it’s only like a small tree”. But someone else grabs the tail and says “No, no elephant is actually snake. I know that it is I can feel it, it’s like a snake.” But someone grabbed the ears and said “No, no it’s like a big banana leaf”. You see. Then someone else grabbed the nose and said “No, elephant is like a vine but it breaths hot gas from the end of it.. So like this each one had their own idea of what was elephant because they’re only grabbing one part. So like this people are looking at one aspect of the Lord. And they think “Oh I know the whole thing. So I’m right and everyone is wrong.” But actually one can know unlimited but still not know everything about Kṛṣṇa.

It’s said that you can even know, or even with the scientists today they are analysing what are the different atoms, what are the. First there was 92 elements, then they had the man-made elements. There’s now over a hundred. In this way they’re discovering sub-atomic particles. First they discovered neutrons and protons and electrons. Now they’ve got so many particles that it’s almost unlimited. So like this they find there’s so many different aspects of nature. So in the Bhāgavatam, it says even if you count all the atoms and molecules and sub-atomic particles in the entire universe, and you can count them and categorise them and you can just list them all. Still, even if you can do that you could not count all the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His qualities are so much more; they’re so exhaustive and so wonderful. Of course everyone knows it’s not at all possible to count every atom. There’s so many atoms how can we count every atom? We couldn’t even count all the grains of sand in the beach, on the sea-shore. But even if you could, you couldn’t count all the qualities of Kṛṣṇa! Therefore, at least we can never know everything about Kṛṣṇa.

So, there may be something slightly different between one person to the next. So actually, everyone has their own personal relationship with the Lord and the Lord is situated in their own heart. So, from this we can feel a very personal connection with Kṛṣṇa. And, if there are different religions that are developed over different times and places. Rather than see all the differences, because differences are bound to be there. In rituals, in processes. Because of the difference in origin and the way that things are handed down. Rather people should look for the similarities, we should see that the oneness in philosophy. And then you can find it, actually we’re talking about the same person. Simply the discussion is from a different angle of vision.

Although the blind people were touching the same elephant, and the man who had eyes he could see and wondered “why are they fighting amongst each other? It’s only the same animal but they’re all touching a part.” Like that in the world today they are fighting between the different sects or sub-sects, people-sects, [not clear 15:33], upper-sects, other different religions. And amongst the different religions. And the whole thing becomes very political in some places. But actually there’s no actually consciousness of God that’s very evident. Or if it is it’s very minor. And instead people are arguing over the differences. But if they had the objective vision, they could see that what are you arguing about? You’re all talking about the same thing simply from a slightly different angle.

When we had the ISKCON in the Bhaktivedanta Institute had the world congress of science and religion, there were so many leaders and different religious groups, different scientists, Nobel prize Laureate and so on. So one of the Nobel Laureate said that, "before, 20 years before, we would never have conceived of having such a meeting with religion. Because science and religion had no connection whatsoever. But now since the latest discoveries in physics we found that the sub-atomics particles, they no longer act according to predictable physical laws that we have known before. They act independently of any known law. They go here and there and move around.. Just like we know people are unpredictable they can do different things. They act like conscious entities. Therefore, now modern scientists say that it may be that consciousness is the origin of life”.

But Prabhupāda said, "this so many years ago; life comes from life”. So because of that, now scientists are bewildered. They came to a point where things no longer are predictable and science, modern science are always depending upon putting things in laws and being able to predict it. You See So now, they have come to the point that the unpredictable has come then they naturally start thinking that may be religion is the solution. May be the ancient, so they said, “the best of all religion, to understand this is the Vedas. The Indian religion may think because it’s more scientific and it deals with all these material matters also in a very systemic way. So that’s why we’ve all come here to Bombay to participate in this function. Sponsored by ISKCON and the Bhaktivedanta Institute”. Like this they are praising. 20 years ago we wouldn’t dream of it!

Now were we are going and actually we failed. Even if we had some like material success in technology ultimately on the human side of it, we failed. People have not improved their happiness, they have not improved their peace of mind, they have not improved in so many aspects. So now we have to turn may be religion is the solution. May be we have to conceive that not only materialists will be the solution but there has to be synthesis between science and religion. The scientists themselves aren’t admitting! Because practically they said that social problems have increased so much in the world in spite of the scientific advancement. That whatever progress they make on one side is lost on the other side by social problems, political upheaval and so on. Then from the religious side one of the Muslim people, and one of the Christian people, they said, you know that, when we go into the actual philosophy, we find that there is very little difference.

Everyone believes in the Supreme Godhead, Everyone is believing in an Absolute Truth, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent and so on. Only the difference is in the rituals. So why are we only looking at the rituals? Rituals may be different from one person to the next. Why look at the rituals? We should see that what is the unity and philosophy and concepts. And let people have their own different rituals. According to one ritual they like they can follow. So even the other religious leaders they were stating all these things and coming to some understanding.

So whatever, Prabhupāda has placed, this meaning was only 1 or 2 years ago for the 500 anniversary. Prabhupāda has written this originally many many years ago in 1972 was the first printing. So, Prabhupāda could already see these things, not only when he wrote this but this was his realisation even in Vrindavan, he wrote some poems. He could understand what is going on here in the world! He wrote in a book called the “Vrindavane Bhajan” that people are coming for missionary preaching in India. And they’re trying to tell people that “you should take to the Gandhi life”, but they don’t even know what is the basic, you see, who that, Kṛṣṇa is the very God that they are worshipping. But they’re criticizing me, because they don’t know better. And when they come to ask “who is Kṛṣṇa?”. They see, the so-called preachers in the holy places, they’re practically useless for anything! They don’t tell the people anything about Kṛṣṇa. So the people go away with the same wrong ideas. So Prabhupāda was very upset. He said that now this has to change. People if they’re going to worship Kṛṣṇa, they should also try to help other people to know who is Kṛṣṇa! What is the purpose of life? Not just to do some so-called worship in some solitary place and let everyone else go to hell! So what is the use of that? Then the whole world is getting spoilt and people are offending Kṛṣṇa and they are getting worse and worse. So like this Prabhupāda had a great compassion. Actually sitting in Vrindavan he could see all the things going on. And so in the end his conclusion was go out and preach. So he left Vrindavan, went all over the world. So at the end of his life he could be silently sitting in Vrindavan listening to bhajan. Instead he was doing his bhajan of worshipping Kṛṣṇa all over the world and giving people this knowledge.

Actually this is the point we should all worship Kṛṣṇa in our heart and should become more and more intimately united with Kṛṣṇa in the heart. At the same time we should do what He desires us to do. Service means do what He wants us to do! I may want to do something but then if I do what I want, that’s not service. That’s own self, you see, consideration. Self-service, rather than service. Service means to serve another. So we are all serving others. We’re serving family, we’re serving country, we’re serving dogs, we’re serving cats, we’re serving so many. Why not serve Kṛṣṇa? Even sometimes people say “well I don’t have the time, I don’t have the money”. I don’t have the .. But really they don’t have the inclination. Because really is someone you see, people try to control how many children they have. But sometimes that doesn’t work according to their plan. And suddenly they have another child. But yet somehow they make and do. They feed the child, they educate the child, they grow the child, they do all the necessary. One more person fits in. So similarly why can’t we fit in Kṛṣṇa?

Even there’s one system of worshipping called “Pushtimarg” where they worship Kṛṣṇa like a child. Even if you take Kṛṣṇa as one of my family member at least you can give Him one share. If you have one more child you give the food. Somehow the mother will make time. “Do or die”. Like that somehow or another we have to make the time for Kṛṣṇa. He’s actually the person that we should give the most time to! But at least we can give that much time. Even if we give a little time to Kṛṣṇa, how much we would benefit. Why [Not clear 22:45] “svata eva siddha” – that how He is situated in the heart by His own perfection, by His own omnipotency. “Svata eva siddha” It’s not that He’s there, you see we’re in the body because we’re forced to be here. We don’t have a choice what body we take birth in. But Kṛṣṇa is there because of His own mystic power. He is there out of His own causeless mercy. He’s there to guide us, to help us, to accept our service, you see. “Atmā priyo” – and He’s the dear most, very dear. Supersoul is the most dear. Actually there’s no one more dear to us than the Supersoul but we’re not aware of that. Instead of putting our love, natural love to the Supersoul in the heart, we’re giving that love to others. Just like people think somehow or other let me save my life. So this life is more dear to them than most anything; self-preservation.

But actually the life, what is the life? Life is the soul in the body. And what is the soul? The soul is ultimately assist the (by being) part of the Supersoul. This means, actually the Supersoul is the dearest of all. Without Supersoul we have no existent. Our existence is that we are only part of the Supersoul. Actually in the material life we learn to hate our own self. We learn to become envious of the self. This is demonic nature, they cause pain even to the self into the Supersoul in the heart. And the devotees they try to please the self and the Supersoul. So “artho” – the substance, this is the real substance “bhagavān anantaḥ. There’s so many things which are not substance. They’re temporary, they are just coming and going. But actually the real substance is Kṛṣṇa! No beginning, no end, He’s the Ultimate Truth “anantaḥ” – unlimited. He’s the “artha” – He’s the actual value. People are wanting, well, they are wanting substance. But all the substance that they accumulate has a beginning and an end. They can’t take it with them also. So they want real wealth, they want real value. People say “good value for your money.”. so get good value for your life! Get Kṛṣṇa with your life. You’ve got the best value – you’ll never lose! “anantaḥ” – unlimited. Everything else we get, but we can lose it.

You see, people worship Lord Śiva. Prabhupāda explained, it was in the class yesterday, how people worship Lord Śiva and they get a lot of material wealth. But Lord Śiva is the most intelligent. If they’re really that smart, they will say “Lord Śiva can give all his devotees all the wealth, then why Lord Śiva living under a tree? So why Lord Śiva? He can get all the wealth, why doesn’t he…he can give himself all the wealth. He can live in a big palace, Why Lord Śiva? He’s able to give his blessings so much wealth. And his devotees’ blessings, he has so much wealth. Why himself lives like, in just a..very simple way? In a tree, in some mountain, in the forest, side of some river. Is he foolish? No, he’s the most intelligent! If someone’s really devoted they could understand that “Lord Śiva must have something more!”. If he’s, Lord Śiva then why is he living like this? Because he’s really happy! He’s always worshipping and meditating on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He’s always chanting, he’s chanting japa. He’s so happy in his spiritual meditation. Even if he doesn’t want to have children! He was so detached. Somehow or another it happened by His causeless mercy. But actually it wasn’t like he had some desire for them. Because demigods pleaded and different things happened, like this. Otherwise on his own desire, he was perfectly self-satisfied “atma-rama.” Completely self-satisfied. “Someone else can take it” - he doesn’t want to be bothered with it. But actually he told the pracetas that if he wanted the highest thing then he can also give you that. “ I can give you the knowledge about Kṛṣṇa, you take it! This is the science of Kṛṣṇa, I myself am worshipping Kṛṣṇa”. He’s so detached he doesn’t need anything! And yet he’s completely happy.

You see the normal IT people don’t think about that. They just think “well I can get something from him, go to him.” It’s just the opposite of Kṛṣṇa. He’s living in a very opulent situation: Dwarka, so many palaces and things. Or Vaikuntha, Narayana is there, unlimited wealth. And His devotees, sometimes they are living very simply. In the Bhāgavatam it is explained how Kṛṣṇa had two devotees, one was a great king Bahulasta and the other one was a very poor Brahmin Sutadeva. So when Kṛṣṇa went to see these two devotees. When He went, actually to Mithila. Mithila is now practically, whole of Mithila is been taken by Mahavishnu Maharaj, part of his own zone [laughter]. Somehow he has this blessing coming down from Kṛṣṇa, Bahulasta, Sutadeva. When Kṛṣṇa came there with all of the rishi’s and sages, so at the same time he divided into two. He made Himself two people and same time He went to Bahulasta who was a great king and same time he went to Sutadeva and different rishis are going also with Him. So when He went to see that King Bahulasta who was also His pure devotee. He gave him big reception; royal reception. You see, conches and Brahmins and mantras and golden seats and aarti’s and foot bathing and every possible, royal big feast and reception. They all say “this is wonderful” kingly royal reception! When He went to Sutadeva’s house. Sutadeva was a humble Brahmin. He didn’t have this, he was living in a grass house with a few mats and you see, in this simple situation. So he had nothing to offer. He offered his full obeisances. He offered a seat, he offered Kṛṣṇa, not only Kṛṣṇa, all the sages and devotees with Him, he bathed all of their feet, offered them aarti, offered them all, you see, in a humble way. But you see all very humble, not so many golden things, very few things he had. But he offered with full devotion very enthusiastically. Kṛṣṇa He was fully satisfied both by Bahulasta as well as by Sutadeva. Kṛṣṇa has devotees in all levels. You see the devotee himself doesn’t mind. Sutadeva was quite happy even though he was living in a simple way. You see, Bahulasta, he had the responsibility of making his country Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He was doing that and also, everything he did with a service attitude to serve for Kṛṣṇa.

So Kṛṣṇa’s devotees, if they don’t have, well they don’t ask Kṛṣṇa “please give me wealth.” They don’t, why should they ask Kṛṣṇa? They want to serve Kṛṣṇa! They don’t want “Kṛṣṇa You serve me!” Even when Nrsimha offered Prahlad Maharaj, “let me give you all”, you see, “opulence, great kingdom. Let Me give you, you see, the liberation”. “When you have to ask for something I have to say that I’m only here today before You, and having Your darsan because of the blessing of my Guru! If he hadn’t instructed me in the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Narada Muni. If he hadn’t instructed me, then what would I? I wouldn’t be here today! I wouldn’t know, I wouldn’t have this blessing from You. So therefore I know that, I owe everything to him only. So I want to simply that, I can remember and serve him always. Nothing else that I want.” Nrsimhadeva kept pushing “I have to ask you something, I pray that let all these people, my father, and all other people who have forgotten you, let them come up and become Kṛṣṇa conscious and they can experience what is the real eternal happiness of serving You! They are all suffering in this material world in ignorance”. This is the mood of pure devotees.

You see, Prabhupāda prayers, what is Prabhupāda praying when he’s in the ocean and he was crossing to America, Markin Bhagavati Dharma, there is one prayer. He wrote to Kṛṣṇa “just praying to Kṛṣṇa that you see in this world, you see the western world is filled with tamas and rajas. They’re all suffering in ignorance and passion somehow or another. I’m only praying that by this Bhagavat Science, by hearing about Kṛṣṇa, chanting His Name’s, serving, all the hard-knot of material attachment will be cut. So I’m going only with faith in Your words that by giving them this Name of Kṛṣṇa, everyone will become devotees simply if they hear and chant about Your glories!” He had simply the faith in Kṛṣṇa’s words, and he went and he gave, just like some doctor, he puts you some medicine with faith “if I give the medicine it will work.” You see. Now there are all kinds of dispensing factories they make some bogus medicine, you give and nothing happens, then the doctor gets frustrated “what’s going on?” To get original packing this is very difficult. But somehow or another if they know this is the medicine, this is what will help me, have faith, by practical. But normally people have faith only in material things. But spiritual things they don’t put their faith. That’s the difficulty. When a great soul: a Mahatma, who actually puts his faith in Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa doesn’t let down such great souls! This is actually the thing to put your faith in! And when you put your faith it does work! It’s not a blind faith. You put the faith it works, just like some doctor, he doesn’t know, “if I give this medicine if it’ll work or not”. First time he’s trying it out. He reads in a book, you give this it cures fever. He gives it, it works. “ok, it’s a good medicine.” So like that, people have material disease. Vedas say this is the medicine, you give the medicine, it works! So what more proof you want? That is the proof! People have material suffering, material disease. You give them the Hare Kṛṣṇa maha mantra, you give them the Kṛṣṇa Prasadam, you give them the hearing about the glories of Kṛṣṇa in the Bhāgavatam. They hear and it purifies them. And they feel relief and they get become peaceful and happy.

So the devotee doesn’t worry unnecessarily. If there’s some need, you see, then Kṛṣṇa gives him some material facility. He tries to use that for the service of Kṛṣṇa. Not that he just throws it away artificially. You see, some rich man he wants to renounce the world and achieve mukti and he wants to give it all away. He gives everything away to charity, family members, this, that and he goes and he wants to surrender to God. It’s not the way. Actually the things should be used for Kṛṣṇa! He has something, ultimately the energy is all Kṛṣṇa’s, so use it for Kṛṣṇa then it’s purified. That is the proper way.

So the devotee doesn’t artificially renounce. Wife, family, possessions. Rather use everything. Make the family Kṛṣṇa conscious. Make husband, make wife Kṛṣṇa conscious. Live together, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and try to induce others to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. One doesn’t have to abruptly change anything rather simply purify the consciousness. Worship the Supersoul in the heart. This is the process. And you see the medicine is working then you know, then your faith grows and grows. People say “why you have faith?” because he knows it works! We see in our own life, we see in others life’s it’s working. Of course, how deep the disease is we don’t know in the beginning. As we go on progressing we see that actually, when we thought we had a minor disease, but actually we go on, we see that material disease is very profound. We’ve been in the material world millions of births, so birth after birth, the accumulation has gone on so much that as we clear away one layer of contamination, another layer comes out. As we clear that another layer comes out. It’s like one the first day you find that some patient comes, he’s having some high fever and some pneumonia. So you cure the most severe thing but afterwards you find he also has lumbago, he's got some bad intestines, minus so many things. So you clean that and you find another thing is there. Heart condition. It goes on you see, one after the other. Like that we’ve got components so the major one we see first. When that gets cure we show there’s others. So it goes, until finer and finer until finally all the gross anarthas, the gross unwanted things are cleared away but then there are so many subtle ideas, subtle concepts, subtle attachments for fame, distinction, adoration, attachment for different types of dealings. We don’t deal properly we deal in a diplomatic way, kuti-nati some kind of, you see, devious way or we have a natural tendency cause others pain.

Bhaktivinoda Thakur would of saw where he studied, he mentions all the various qualities, he said “this is me. With all my, I get happy when others are happy, I get happy when others are suffering. I’m such a person.” Although he’s not like that but that way his humility and instruction, he showed how to make a prayer. All the good qualities he showed all the bad qualities they are having. So therefore I am simply surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, because only by His mercy can I ever be purified from all these qualities. S o the devotee takes the humble attitude “I have all the bad qualities, not some, let me become purified”. If he has 1000 good qualities he can only see the bad qualities in himself and tries to purify them, you see. That is the way. Just like Chanakya, one of the great moral pandits, he said simple thing “you shouldn’t stop until you cure all the disease in the body, until you have all the fire out, or you pay off all your debt. Don’t leave a little bit, because again it’ll grow up”.

Govinda Swami in hospital he had one disease but then because somehow or another after operation he was weak, some breeze or some chill came so he got pneumonia. So little bit of disease was there again it flared up, then he got pneumonia and then he was worse than before. Very serious. Now he’s better by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy. So like this, you can’t leave any disease left, it should all be cleared out. That is the point. So, how the devotee does that in conclusion, is that the devotee is always looking for the little traces of imperfection and tries to clear those out.

So in this way an outside person may see that the devotee seems to be completely perfect. 99.9% they don’t find any problem. But the devotee you’ll see that 1% mistake in himself and he’ll always try to get rid of that. So he’s always in a humble mood seeing his own mistake in himself and seeing the good qualities in others. Or some materialist might be there, he might have you know, 1% good quality he sees that and it’ll make him feel very proud. But 99% he may have bad qualities but he doesn’t see that. He sees all the bad qualities in others. “Look at all the others are bad, I am the only good”. Lord Śiva is the best example of this. He only sees the good qualities in others.

One hunter one time just killed some deer and hung up the deer on the branch so that no animals, tigers, or anything would eat it. It so happened that the blood was dripping down from that deer and it fell on a Śiva Linga in a hot time of the year. So because the dropping water was cooling the Lord Śiva, he got very relief from the heat. He got blessings from the hunter and said “anything you want you can have”. So after that, you see, all the devotees of Lord Śiva can be very easily satisfied. So they’re dropping water on his head. It's a normal sadhana. So, Lord Śiva he saw the hunter, what is the good quality? He just killed some deer, hung it on some tree by accident. But Lord Śiva said “Oh, somehow or other he cooled me down” so he was very pleased, “he’s a very good person, a good devotee, let me give him a blessing”. So that’s the nature of the great souls. Even they say, 1%, even hardly a fraction they see something good. They recognise that and the very lowest of souls, even that person they have so many good qualities, like Sisupala, he couldn’t see anything good in Kṛṣṇa, he was only picking out, trying to find, even though there was nothing wrong with Kṛṣṇa, but he’s imagining wrong things and criticising, you see.

So, therefore we can take advantage of serving the Lord and this way automatically, just being attached to Kṛṣṇa, we become detached from the world and you get the niatha, the permanent artha. The permanent Supreme Being simply by worshipping Kṛṣṇa and this is the cause for Uparama, cessation, ardha, samsara. Other conditional states of life. So the very simple process, singing Kṛṣṇa, taking Kṛṣṇa prasadam, associating with devotees, hearing a class from the Bhāgavatam. It’s very simple, where’s the difficulty? One can be working, everyday morning and at night has a little bhajan, little class. Take a little prasadam at the house, offering the food. What is the difficulty? It’s a very simple process; you become attached to Kṛṣṇa, you cut the bondage to the material world and at the end of this life you go back home back to Godhead.

Thank you very much.

No time for questions? – Pardon, Limited time - Any questions?

[Devotee asks a question] “you mentioned that priti nartha – can you elaborate on that?”

Jayapatākā Swami: One of the weeds of devotional service. It’s a, one that’s not straightforward in their dealings. You may say something to a person’s face but then actually you work against the person, do some kind of politics or diplomacy behind, this type of thing. Or you say that, you’re showing, that person’s showing as a devotee, but actually they are keeping so many other secret activities or desires, all these type of things they are like double standards and double, just like people say “you should practise what you preach”. So when a person starts to not practise what they preach, when they start to divert, basically one of the kutti-natti. So when one is just not straight forward. A devotee should be very simple and not be very diplomatic or in terms of their personal dealings with the vaiṣṇavas. Like sometimes you meet a person and he tells you that, you see, he tries to impress you, says “actually my father’s a multi crore-patti”, this and that I was a very big this and that, you know. Sometimes they even exaggerate and they lie just to present some kind of a big show. They think this way I’ll impress the devotees. But actually, it’s not needed in devotional life. Whoever you are, you can just be who you are. So when a person tries to all kind of double dealings and things and gets very complicated. Tries to maintain this all, very complicated into personal relations, based on diplomacy and, that’s kutti-natti. It’s one of the weeds that we should avoid, complicates the heart, gets us involved in various types of [Not clear 43:33]. Of course, maybe some person’s occupation is a politician. It’s a matter of his occupation he has to do that. But he shouldn’t carry that over onto his spiritual life into the dealings with Kṛṣṇa and His devotees.

Devotee: “Sometimes [inaudible 43:54] the person’s very straightforward with others that the people get upset”

Jayapatākā Swami: There’s a difference between truth and fact. There are many facts. Like say someone, it may be a fact that X is ugly. But you don’t go up to him and say “hey you’re ugly”. It may be a fact but that’s not truth. Truth is absolute truth. You’re a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. You’re an eternal sprit soul. You can tell people truth, won’t tell them facts. “Your nose is too big, your ears are bent. These are all, may be a fact but is not truth. So like this we have to be expert in dealing. Like Lord Caitanya said “you give praise to others and don’t expect praise for yourself.” So say the thing that is appealing to other people which is the truth.

Devotee asks a question: “What if the truth is not so appealing. Say someone is not, you know, practising spiritual life properly. So do you tell them, you know, give them some spiritual instructions of truth?”

Jayapatākā Swami: That does happen sometimes. The effect of that can be reduced by a person becoming more expert. Just like Lord Caitanya, He told the sanyasi’s of Kashi Benaras, the truth. And He even told them they’re all in Maya. He told them they’re all fools. But He did it in such a way that no-one took any offense. He did it by saying “I’m a fool”. He said “my Guru said I’m a fool because don’t waste my time simply reading so many books and mental speculating and everything. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.” Lord Caitanya never read all those books and did mental speculation. They were doing it. But by criticising Himself. Indirectly He was actually calling them indirectly “You’re all fools because you are doing this.” But He didn’t say “you’re” he said “I am; my Guru said don’t be a fool and do all this nonsense.” So that you see, it rebound, when they all though about it, they said “wait a minute, that’s what we do!” [Devotees and GM laughing]. But the way He said it to Himself so they wouldn’t take offense. Sometimes, it’s not like a uniform thing, you can’t go, just like, that student had the book, start hitting horses on the neck type of view, you have to apply with some particular. But sometimes there’s a way of doing it. So one has to become expert in Vaisnava dealings. That’s why even if you criticise someone. You see, sometimes there’s a way of doing, first you praise them and then you give them, “if you don’t mind I’ll just say something” in a question form, depending on their relative status and their Varnasrama, social status and spiritual status.

Devotee asks question: Suppose a person had to like repeatedly trying to improve and become more expert in dealing with. Suppose he can’t, should he rather not say anything and go away or should he rather speak even though it upsets others. What will be the? Even after many years, and even hearing from others advising him he should be more, say more tactful or more expert, still he can’t, he might as well stay [Not clear 47:04]. You might have seen examples of type of person. What should he do? Shall he rather go away? And not bother people? Or shall he speak out even though he knows he might upset them?

Jayapatākā Swami: See what the effect is. From by what he’s doing people get worse, then? [devotees laugh]. By his speaking people’s spiritual life are going down [devotees laugh]. We never give up. There was a question “I can’t do it, I tried so many years to be tactful. I’m not able to do it. So I’m just speaking the truth” [devotees laugh]. And people are all lying and wounded. First they lose their enthusiasm. We have to go on trying you see. If we’re not able to do it, then we have to tell someone “I’m not able to do, I know my limitations, please you tell.” We have to see what’s the result. According to that. It’s like a doctor, he has to see the patient get better. He may say “but the cure says this” like, when you give an operation it says the patient shouldn’t eat within 6 hours of operation. Otherwise during the operation table under anaesthesia they may vomit. If they vomit, food gets caught in their throat that can cause them to choke on the food and die. Many cases about it. So like that, maybe the patient needs operation but he just ate. So I can’t operate. So they have to get some other cure. Like that, you have to know about it, you have to be an expert doctor. Otherwise instead of curing the patient you’ll kill the patient and what’s the use? You went against your, the purpose you know.

Devotee asks question: Then on the other side say somebody gives us some advice [not clear 48:49] should we consider that potentially good advice or shall we say you should be more tactful [not clear 48:59]. Ramachandra Puri he was criticised by Lord Chaitanya but actually he wasn’t Lord Jagannath [inaudible 49:06].

Consider the advice and said yes that’s what he’s talking about [inaudible 49:15]. What should we do?

Jayapatākā Swami: And they say that person is more advanced no matter what someone says they’ll take it in appropriate manner. Should we? We’re supposed to take, that’s what the second part, “all respect to others, don’t expect respect”. Respect means expect disrespect [devotees and Guru Mahārāja laugh]. In another sense. We don’t expect any respect means that if someone doesn’t give you respect even gives you disrespect it’s not unexpected. You’re not expecting anything else. So the higher point of it, you shouldn’t be destroyed by that, should take it. This is the ideal, these are the goals, these are the ultimate standard. In practise, become short, offering the proper way. Become a little less in expecting. But that’s the standard we should aim for. Even Kṛṣṇa Das Kaviraja said that especially of your own people criticise it hurts more. If some stranger calls you something, you don’t mind. When someone who’s near and dear, or someone you have faith in, respect for, they act in a harsh way or a very cutting, that has more effect. You see that grihastha wife and family then they, if wife says something that hurts more, you see, that goes right to the heart. Or the husband says something. They never forgot. Long time they keep. So even the Vedas say don’t argue with wife and husband, you should avoid arguments. Don’t take seriously. Again some God brother or some dear person, suddenly they very impatient and say something, it may stay in the heart a long time. Although it shouldn’t, we should be detached but because someone’s very dear, when you have so much good relationship with someone and suddenly they reject you or they say something like that then it hurts more. It’s the nature of human life. What to be done? So we shouldn’t let that, you know, we can’t become a stone. It’s maybe going to have some effect. So we shouldn’t let that interrupt our devotional service. Hare Kṛṣṇa! [Devotees say Hare Kṛṣṇa!]

Actually it requires a little intelligence, a little patience to try to understand these things. For general people “chant Hare Kṛṣṇa” is enough. Whatever you believe and whoever your Guru is, it’s alright, just chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. But some intelligent people are needed to actually go into the mater to know what is the essence of the Vedas, what is the real purpose of life? And they can gradually educate other people; their friends, their relatives, the society. And in this way the world can be a better place to live in. otherwise if people don’t know what is the purpose of life, then they’re just heading out in the dark without any headlights. Ever tried driving when your headlights go out and it’s like a little flashlight? Its very difficult. Anything can come up, you see. You need the light to see. When the sun comes up there’s no problem, everything is revealed. So this knowledge it’s said, it’s just like, surya, sama. “Kṛṣṇa-suyra-sama”; Kṛṣṇa is like the sun. And “maya haya andhakara”

Ignorance and nescience is like darkness and then there’s Kṛṣṇa. “Jaha Kṛṣṇa, yahan Kṛṣṇa, tahan nahi mayara adhikara.'' There's no presence of ignorance. You don’t need to find God by speculating. It’s like going in the night and looking with a flashlight “where is the sun?” You see? When the sum comes out, we don’t have, self-illuminating. Absolute Truth is self-illuminating. When Lord Caitanya met the different spiritual leaders, the first thing He said was “before we get into long discussions, why don’t we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.” They didn’t want to chant. So then He said “Alright”. Then they said “why are You chanting?” then He would explain in a humble way; “This is the reason why.” Those who were patient, who would hear Him out, they accepted. So all we need is people give open aural reception. Everything is based on to understand the Vedas, you need to know, firstly whether the Vedic evidences. You have to use by logic and reason to understand it. Logic and reason, we can understand, what the Vedas are saying it makes sense, It’s practical. The Vedas say iti sodasakam namnam kalikalmasanasanam that Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's name are non-different, these 16 names of Kṛṣṇa, you chant them in this age, this will take away the evil effects of Kali-yuga, just to uplift the consciousness. That makes sense! That’s the Vedic praman. And if someone says “no no it’s not the names of Kṛṣṇa.” Even Lord Śiva he said, “you take Kṛṣṇa – The Krish and Na combine it together.” And he said “Param Brahma vidyate. He said “this is Param Brahma”. But no you’ll get some Swami-ji who’ll say “no it’s not Kṛṣṇa Hare Ram, it’s not the name it’s the void’s between the name.” This is simply, you see, political talk. “I am the void party. I am the... So whatever will promote my party, I’ll say that thing.” That’s not spiritual life. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto it very clearly says

vadanti tat tattva-vidas, tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam,
brahmeti paramātmeti, bhagavān iti śabdyate

The Absolute Truth is realised by the various seers of the Truth in different aspects, in different manifestations. But they’re “avida” “advayam”, they’re non doer. Some realise as Brahman, some realise as Para-matma, some realise as Bhagavan. So we accept that different realisations. The jñāna-yogi’s realise the impersonal Brama-jyoti. The astanga-yogi’s realise the Brama-jyoti as Para-matma and the bhakti-yogi’s realise the Brama-jyoti as Para-matma and Bhagavan! There are three manifestations of the Absolute Truth. Those who only know one or two, they may think “what is it?” they don’t know the other. But the Bhagavan-realised souls, they know all the manifestations! Therefore there’s no confusion. So we do not have any arguments with any of the transcendentalists. Atleast follow the Vedas. There are a system of Vedanta. You can realise Brama-jyoti, you can realise the Supersoul. Don’t introduce new things, follow what the Vedas say. that’s all we’re saying! And if someone feels that you’re not following the Vedas, you just tell us where we’re not following, ask us the question, we’ll face the challenge! We’ll show that how we are following! That’s our obligation. Otherwise we can’t sit on the seat, and we can’t speak what we are speaking. And if people are really Hindu’s, if they are really Sanatan-dharma, if they are really seekers of the Truth, if they really want to know what is the Absolute Truth, then they should find out what do the Vedas say! What are the real essence of the Vedas! Who is the Supreme Godhead! What is the Supreme Absolute Truth! What is the real purpose of life! “Athāto brahma jijñāsā” – that is what human life is meant for! To realise what is the Truth. Otherwise eating and sleeping, only animals are doing, we are also doing, we’ve done it in a grandish way. But the real purpose, you know, what is the Truth. So for that reason we are trying to find the intelligent people, the sober-minded people who will actually come forward to understand what is the Absolute Truth and then work to help others who are suffering. Why we suffering? Because of ignorance! We suffer because we don’t have love for Godhead! We don’t have spiritual knowledge! We don’t have actual realisation of the purpose of life, therefore we are suffering!

So in conclusion I’ll just finishing reading the purport of Srila Prabhupāda.

“According to Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu [1.4.15-16], the science of devotional service is explained”

ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu
saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā
tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt
tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ
athāsaktis tato bhāvas
tataḥ premābhyudañcati
sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥ
prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ

Translation: "In the beginning one must have a preliminary desire for self-realization. This will bring one to the stage of trying to associate with persons who are spiritually elevated. In the next stage one becomes initiated by an elevated spiritual master, and under his instruction the neophyte devotee begins the process of devotional service. By execution of devotional service under the guidance of the spiritual master, one becomes free from all material attachment, attains steadiness in self-realization, and acquires a taste for hearing about the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This taste leads one forward to attachment for Kṛṣṇa Consciouness which is matured in bhavā or the preliminary stage of transcendental love of Godhead. Real love for God is called premā, the highest perfectional stage of life.” End of translation.

Prabhupāda continues “In the premā stage there is constant engagement in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. So, by the slow process of devotional service, under the guidance of the bona fide spiritual master, one can attain the highest stage, being freed from all material attachment, from the fearfulness of one's individual spiritual personality, and from the frustrations that result from void philosophy. Then one can ultimately attain to the abode of the Supreme Lord.

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