19900722 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.1.23

The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami on July 22nd, 1990 in Hyderabad, India. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 5th Canto 1st Chapter 23rd verse.

Translation: Following the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mahārāja Priyavrata fully engaged in worldly affairs, yet he always thought of the lotus feet of the Lord, which are the cause of liberation from all material attachment. Although Mahārāja Priyavrata was completely freed from all material contamination, he ruled the material world just to honor the orders of his superiors.

*Translation with repetition*

Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda: The words māna-vardhano mahatām (“just to show honor to superiors”) are very significant. Although Mahārāja Priyavrata was already a liberated person and had no attraction for material things, he engaged himself fully in governmental affairs just to show respect to Lord Brahmā. Arjuna had also acted in the same way. Arjuna had no desire to participate in political affairs or the fighting at Kurukṣetra, but when ordered to do so by the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, he executed those duties very nicely. One who always thinks of the lotus feet of the Lord is certainly above all the contamination of the material world. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā:

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
mad-gatenāntarātmanā
śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

“Of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.” (Bg. 6.47) Mahārāja Priyavrata, therefore, was a liberated person and was among the highest of yogīs, yet superficially he became the emperor of the universe in accordance with the order of Lord Brahmā. Showing respect to his superior in this way was another of his extraordinary qualifications. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.17.28):

nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve
na kutaścana bibhyati
svargāpavarga-narakeṣv
api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ

A devotee who is actually advanced is not afraid of anything, provided he has the opportunity to execute the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the proper explanation of why Priyavrata engaged in worldly affairs although he was a liberated person. Also, only because of this principle does a mahā-bhāgavata, who has nothing to do with the material world, come down to the second platform of devotional service to preach the glories of the Lord all over the world.

Thus, end the Bhaktivedanta Swami translation and purport of text 23, chapter 1, canto 5 of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; in the chapter titled ‘The Activities of Mahārāja Priyavrata’.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Mahārāja Priyavrata, the son of Svāyambhuva Manu was completely detached from material sense gratification, material life. He was being preached to by Nārada Muni to not enter into the worldly affairs. But Lord Brahmā personally intervened and preached to Priyavrata that he could take this management of Manu as a devotional service, thus freeing Svayambhuva Manu to retire. So Svayambhuva Manu, he was in-charge of the whole universe. Not all the Manus are in charge of the whole universe.

But Priyavrata was in charge of all the planetary systems of the entire universe, according to these verses. So Prabhupāda, uses the example that at the present politicians are very eager to get the control of government and they don’t like to give it up even if they are in old age; they are diseased; they are weak; still they struggle to maintain their control of the governmental seats.

But here Svayambhuva Manu was very eager to give up the seat and handover the government to Priyavrata; the universal government. So, the difference is that, the rulers in the Vedic age, they didn't take the government for sense gratification, but they were doing it out of a sense of duty. To maintain and protect the kingdom for the welfare of the citizens. This is why the monarchical system was very effective in the Vedic age.

Nowadays people are against monarchy and they prone democracy. But they should understand why monarchy was working in those days, because of qualified leadership. If there is no qualified leadership, by whatever system you get a leader there, whether by vote or whatever; still citizens would not be properly ruled or happy. What’s actually needed is a proper leader. So, this is the qualification of a proper leader; to be fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. Prabhupāda explains how by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare that mahā-mantra which is imported from the spiritual world Goloka Vṛndāvan. Golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, by that process all these anomalies in the present day could be cured directly.

So even Nārada Muni gave his blessing. Because when the Priyavrata was taking it up as a devotional service; not just as a matter of inheritance for him to enjoy, but Priyavrata took it up as a matter of devotional service that also Nārada Muni was pleased. So devotional service, you should understand is categorically different than material activities.

Priyavrata is managing the government, but he is considered to be properly situated because he is doing it on the direction of his spiritual master, superior authority. Similarly, if we want to perfect our human form of life, we need to do everything based upon the higher instructions. Anything we do, but the desire of sense gratification is bound to entangle us in the material world. There is no compromise actually. Any compromise means that we are entangled to that degree with māyā.

Either something is authorized by Kṛṣṇa or it’s not authorized. The same activity Nārada Muni was preaching to Priyavrata, "Don’t do this. You become in the renounced order." The same thing when it was approved by the higher authority for proper Kṛṣṇa conscious reason then the same task was accepted and was pleased. "Alright! you do it". So, the activity is not as important as the purpose of the activity. The activity is secondary. If one is doing it to please Kṛṣṇa, it is authorized by the higher authority, that is of primary importance.

So then Prabhupāda explains how thinking of the lotus feet of the Lord is the cause of liberation from material attachment. How doing our devotional service, always meditating on the lotus feet of the Lord is itself the perfection of life?

Uttama-adhikārī stage, when one is performing everything is actually just meditating on the Lord and His pastimes. And the second status of madhyama-adhikārī, when one is actively preaching Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. Prabhupāda uses the example; just like Priyavrata was on the topmost platform, but he came down to become a monarch, a ruler, even of the universe. He had to do deal with so many material matters.

Similarly, there may be great pure devotees on the highest platform of devotional service. They have come down to the preaching platform on the orders of the Lord. The associates of Caitanya Mahāprabhu were nitya-siddhas, eternally liberated souls. But they came down to the platform of preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So, this is also something very special.

Prabhupāda, explains that there is a special nectar in carrying out the Lord's devotional service in this mood of preaching. That there is a special nectar there, otherwise what we are doing. So, the Lord [inaudible] His devotees to help Him in spreading the Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. So confidential devotees take up that service.

There is a group of sahajiyās – devotees who take the whole process very cheaply. They consider that all this preaching is not the highest platform. They encourage people to go directly into the; what they call the ‘siddha-bhajana’ or some kind of intimate devotional service. But they fail to realize is that because this is the desire of the Lord; even though to preach Kṛṣṇa Consciousness we have to face demons, we have to convince so many people about the voracity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, its validity, its meaning. That actually this is also the highest platform because this is desired by the Lord in His instruction, there is no loss or diminution.

In fact, King Priyavrata, he also followed the instructions of his superiors, would that have been better, would that have been pleasing, rather by following the Lord’s instructions, he pleased his superiors. He pleased Nārada Muni, he pleased everyone. And he was also indirectly preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness, just by managing a kingdom. So, of course the king also has to see that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is active throughout his area of domain.

A devotee who actually has advanced is not afraid of anything provided he has the opportunity to execute the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the proper explanation of why Priyavrata engaged in the worldly affairs although he was a liberated person. So, the devotees don’t have anything to do with material activity unless it is on the order of the superior.

Sometimes devotees say, I want to go and do some business, if I get any profit, I will give it to Kṛṣṇa. If one is instructed to go out and do business that is another thing. But if one is just doing it because they want to do it, it’s very risky.

Many people they do services without having it properly authorized by senior Vaiṣṇavas. In which case, they are in a very dangerous position. On the other hand, Prabhupāda might have instructed some devotees, ‘Set up BBT. Set up the book business. Print books. Sell books.' So that’s... what is the difference? Because it is on the order of Srila Prabhupāda, therefore nobody is thinking that BBT book distribution is material. It is considered one of the most important wings of our whole organization. In fact, ‘The most important’ you can say is publishing and distributing books.

Even more important than building temples and anything else. But the actual activity of purchasing paper, going to the printer, making contract, getting the books published, these all so called material activity, but in order to get the books published this is required.

Even Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, he went with Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura and Śyāmānanda Paṇḍita. And their instruction was to go and get the books published, to get them printed, and then to distribute them all over Bengal and Orissa. So even, they were the first book distributors and book publishers of our sampradāya. The books were written by the six Gosvāmī’s and by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja, but they were published by Śrīnivāsa Ācārya and others. So, Śrīnivāsa Ācārya was glorified in a song by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura.

Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings that Lord Caitanya’s devotees are His śakti, His energy. Some of these energies are engaged in writing transcendental literatures, and some of them are engaged in distributing them. The six Gosvāmī’s were engaged in writing, and Śrīnivāsa Ācārya was engaged in distributing. So, all these activities are in the transcendental platform.

We shouldn’t consider carrying out the order of the guru in terms of preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness to be material. I once went to Śrīla Prabhupāda requesting more time for reading his books because I was busy day and night building all the buildings in Māyāpur. Maybe I didn’t present it properly, and Prabhupāda started to chastise me, “Do you think that building my temples is material? Is building my temple different from reading my books? It is all spiritual.”

So, for executing our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, duly approved by the spiritual master in the disciplic succession, there is no question of material. So even the six Gosvāmī’s had temples constructed for their Deities, some of them. They didn’t go out of their way, but someone came and offered to build the temple for Rādhā-Madana-mohana.

So then Sanātana Gosvāmī accepted. So, this way, devotees are engaging so many people in the Lord’s service by constructing temples for the Lord.

Rāmānujācārya had approached various people for donations to build the temple. But they were not building. They were not giving. Even he had authorized his disciples in a very unorthodox way to do collection. Even without the permission of the donor.

Somehow by the mercy of the Lord, people are not so miserly today. If we go and approach them, they are also willing to contribute for worthy cause in the Lord’s service. So, in this way so many people are engaged in devotional service. It may be the only opportunity for many people to render devotional service to the Lord as they are too conditioned to come and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. When the temple is there then the materialistic people feel more inclined to come and chant. The purpose for the temples is to invite people to come and hear the Bhāgavatam and to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and to see the Lord being worshipped. All our ceremonies are accompanied by the chanting of the Holy names. Every day we have morning and evening classes for the people. In this way the people are engaged in devotional service in so many different ways. And then sometimes while doing our devotional service there are obstacles.

Śrīnivāsa Ācārya was bringing the books with Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura and Śyāmānanda Paṇḍita from Vṛndāvana. But the books were stolen. And when they saw that the books were stolen, they went practically mad. They were beating their heads on the trees, they were rolling on the ground, and they were looking everywhere. ‘Where have the books gone? All the great ācāryas have given us these books and trusted us with this responsibility. But we failed to fulfil it because somehow the books got stolen. You see. Not that when the books were stolen, they didn’t feel anything. Not that they didn’t care. "Oh! The books are stolen. Anyway, I should be transcendental. Doesn’t matter. So what!. Books or no books, what’s the difference!"

They became very excited because they were committed to carry out the orders of their superior authority. When the books were stolen, they became very much in anxiety.

So, someone may say, some Māyāvādī could come up and say, "What type of sādhus are you? You are feeling anxieties. You shouldn’t feel any anxiety. You should be equal in happiness and distress. Why you are feeling anxiety?" But their anxiety was not due to the happiness and distress of sense gratification. That sometimes you feel happy due to good sense gratification, sometimes you are suffering due to some material, therefore they are feeling sad. They are feeling the anxiety of not having fulfilled the order of guru and Kṛṣṇa. Not having carried out the instructions of the higher authority. Therefore, they are feeling great anxiety. That anxiety is also transcendental.

So that’s what this devotional service, the impersonalists can never figure out. How the person is transcendental? He is getting anxiety, he is beating his head on the tree. What is transcendental? If his anxiety is simply to please the Lord, therefore that anxiety is not material.

But of course, then Śrīnivāsa Ācārya preached to them “Anyway, this will not bring any useful purpose so let me go, what’s the principle person to be assigned this duty, so I will find the books. Anyway, you go and preach. But as soon as I find the books, then I will inform you. Kṛṣṇa must have a plan. Books must be coming available sooner or later.”

So, when we are doing our devotional service, we shouldn’t be discouraged even if there are some obstacles that comes up. Rather this may be also…. This is... a devotee considers this as a part of the Lord’s plan. Somehow, He wants to engage someone in devotional service or a devotee may consider it due to my carelessness.

So, there is a lesson to learn, not to be careless in the future and to be more careful and be conscious. In this case, because all these books were the wealth of the devotional service of so many great mahā-bhāgavatas.

So, Śrīnivāsa Ācārya debate that Kṛṣṇa would not let these simply be destroyed. In our devotional service sometimes, it may be because of the will of the Lord or may be sometimes due to… The Lord sanctions, but due to our own carelessness, to teach us a lesson, to make us become more conscious and surrendered.

Prabhupāda, repeatedly told the devotees that this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we have to be conscious. We have to be quite conscious about what we are doing. If we are doing things mechanically, we do things without thinking and how to please Kṛṣṇa by those activities, we tend to become careless and make mistakes. If our mind is thinking about sense gratification and not remaining absorbed in the service we are given, then we also tend to become unconscious about what we are doing. And then mistakes start to happen. And then when we have reprimanded or we have realized our mistakes, then we should take these as warnings that we are not being properly attentive to our devotional service. This means that we are not properly situated in the proper consciousness.

So, like this the devotee takes whatever happens to be a lesson in one way or another. But the sign of actually being a second-class devotee is that the devotee doesn’t lose the enthusiasm for devotional service. Obstacles may come, but the enthusiasm doesn’t wane. We need to remain always enthusiastic - utsāha. When we start off enthusiastically but later, we become without enthusiasm. This is a symptom of not such a high level of devotional service. So, we need to overcome these different obstacles. Rather the obstacles are like challenges. If we can overcome the obstacles enthusiastically engaging in devotional service, this is an opportunity for us to render more sincere service.

What is the big deal if everything works out exactly as we wanted, there is no obstacle, everything is so fair weather and we do the devotional service?

There are some devotees in the past they said, that if it wasn’t for Jagāi-Mādhāi coming and putting forward that obstacle, how would people know, how merciful Caitanya Mahāprabhu was. Because Jagāi-Mādhāi were there, they were delivered, therefore the actual extent of Lord Caitanya’s mercy became evident.

pāpi- tāpi yata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārila,
tara sākṣi jagāi mādhāi

The proof of Lord Caitanya’s promise to deliver all the fallen souls is the Jagāi-Mādhāi, they were delivered. And they are so fallen. How would people know the greatness of Bhīṣma, if it hadn’t been sleeping on the bed of arrows, or lying on the bed of arrows, and in spite of such a painful situation, he is offering all the prayers and glories to Lord Kṛṣṇa. So similarly, in our own consciousness when some obstacles comes up, it is also a test for our self. If we arise to the occasion, we depend on Kṛṣṇa, then actually this also increases our own faith.

I was having Iṣṭagoṣṭhi with some saṅkīrtana devotees, and one saṅkīrtana book distributor explained how one day the distributor went out was having no luck, He was distributing in the airport. So many people were coming out plane after plane, but nobody was stopping. So, then he became very frustrated, and then prayed to Kṛṣṇa, that “You please, if somebody is there with little bit travails and needful of your mercy, you please send such a person to me, that to please You, so I can preach to them”. So, then a new batch of passengers got off another plane, they came by, one business man was going by, so “Sir!” “I have no time no time don’t bother me now. it’s the worst day of my whole life. This is the worst day of my life”.

So then, he said “Sir, just one minute. I am very sad to hear that this is the worst day of your life. But we are trained to help people who are having bad days. So, this is our special duty. What happened?”

So then that person said; “Today, all my life I was working to be able to show my mother a good future, to cheer my mother, [conch shell sound] but my mother died. So, what’s the use? I am working so hard, just for my mother, my mother is no more. So, what am I working for? So today is a very bad day for me. The worst day.”

So, then he started to show Bhagavad-gītā, show the verses, show “This is what life. Your mother is still living. But her soul is going on. You should take this book. This will give you a lot of insight to what is life and how to relieve our anxieties.”

So, then he was very happy, gave a twenty-dollar donation, which is a quite handsome donation, 400 Rs, and then took the Bhagavad-gītā. So little things like this, where the devotees think, ‘No one is taking. What am I doing here? Seems no pr... still they are just serving Kṛṣṇa. It is an order that I should be out here. They are praying and remembering Kṛṣṇa intensively in their mind. And then, someone comes and they are able to preach, then “Ah! Yes, Kṛṣṇa has answered my prayer. Kṛṣṇa is very merciful." They are able to get their faith reconfirmed by actually sticking out even in spite of the difficult time.

If we make all kind of conditions to our service, then our mind will never be fixed. We want this thing; that thing; this has to be. We should just act as this is the order. You see, those devotees who are doing something not because this is the order of my guru or this is my duty, but because of their own whims, their own desire, "I need this to be happy. I need that..." Their minds are always changing. They are never fixed. Hot and cold, all this…

Prabhupāda, he gave a principle even for senior preachers; we make our proposal to the senior Vaiṣṇavas, ‘We want to do this preaching for this year, and then we take their approval or their order, even for like the sannyāsīs’. Then for one year we do that service. Don’t change in the year. Just how hard it is, you do it, it’s an order. Then, if we want again next year we can propose. For sannyāsīs we gave... sannyāsī who is very much senior, independent type preacher, even Prabhupāda, we have a system; that we should also work in this consciousness that I am working under some senior approval. Not to just do independently, anytime changing one thing to the next. What to speak of others, who are not sannyāsīs, who are in any other order of life. Devotees. We should do very strictly according to the higher authority.

Even the GBC members, they work under the GBC body. The service should be approved by the GBC body.

So, in this way one can always work in the consciousness, ‘I am doing my duty for Kṛṣṇa, as according to the instructions.’ Otherwise... what’s called... manoratha... we will be carried away by the chariot of the mind from one thing to the next.

So, when devotees lose this faith, lose this commitment to follow higher instruction. This way mind tricks them, their intelligence tricks them. That the mind tricks the intelligence that ‘I cannot put my faith in anyone'. I have to just figure out everything myself. So then, in this way the mind remains in control. And such people, they are not peaceful.

Here Priyavrata is following the orders of his superior authority even he is doing something less... apparently less exalted – he is managing the kingdom, rather than taking sannyāsa. But that was felt to be needed at that time. So, he is doing it. Subsequently when some other instruction is given, he will do that. We may have some doubt. We express our doubt, ‘If I do this, I may be entangled in material life?’.

Lord Brahmā, Nārada were there, they said, "No. You have a blessing. You won’t be entangled. You always think of the Lord." Someone may present their doubt. If I do this, I have this doubt. Then some may say, "Yes, you are not so strong. Alright. You don’t do that. Do something else." Or someone may say, "No. You can do this." Then we should try our level best to do it. This is the... from this life of the great soul, we get practical understanding, how to practice the devotional service.

It is that mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ - we need to follow in the footsteps of great souls. But if we don’t follow their examples, and we just want to do our own thing, but we want to rubber stamp that this is the devotional service. It’s not the same. Had Arjuna told Kṛṣṇa, "I won’t follow your instructions. I am going to go and become a mendicant Vaiṣṇava. Wear tilaka and chant and go around the forest. I don’t want to fight Kurukṣetra." Would he have been a greater devotee? Or would he have been a bogus sādhu? We have to understand that whatever we do, we have to do it with this idea, "What is pleasing to Kṛṣṇa?" How do you know what is pleasing to Kṛṣṇa? What do the superior representatives of Kṛṣṇa say.

Especially if one’s guru is present then one can clarify everything directly. But when one’s guru is not there, then one has to analyze by various śāstras, sādhu, guru’s instructions are there by guru-vāṇī, śāstras, sādhu, by the examples of these great souls.

So, like that Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, he went looking for the books. Finally, he got the books back and then he published literatures of the Gosvāmī’s, and he organized the distribution. So that for about a couple of hundred years, Lord Caitanya’s philosophy was widely preached all over Eastern India. Then again somehow the principles became watered down or something. Different apa-sampradāyas took hold.

So again, the movement of Lord Caitanya became very difficult to ascertain. Because there were so many offshoots who were not strictly following His instructions. Then Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura again, after studying all the instructions of the previous ācāryas and understanding from Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, he could realize where the movement had gone off. Then he again re-established the proper understanding and preached it widely. And this was handed down to the disciplic succession. Then again Bhaktisiddhānta, he continued to preach that widely.

And then Śrīla Prabhupāda, he took it all over the world. So, he was asked, "What is your secret of success?" He said, "if there is any secret of success, that I have, is that I tried to follow the order of my spiritual master."

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Śrīla Prabhupāda kī...

Devotees: Jaya