20200926 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.30-31

govardhana dharam vande
gopālam gopa rūpiṇam
gokulotsavam īśanam
govindam gopikā priyam

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

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.30

sa evedaṁ sasarjāgre
bhagavān ātma-māyayā
sad-asad-rūpayā cāsau
guṇamayāguṇo vibhuḥ

Translation: In the beginning of the material creation, that Absolute Personality of Godhead [Vāsudeva], in His transcendental position, created the energies of cause and effect by His own internal energy.

Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda: The position of the Lord is always transcendental because the causal and effectual energies required for the creation of the material world were also created by Him. He is unaffected, therefore, by the qualities of the material modes. His existence, form, activities and paraphernalia all existed before the material creation.* He is all-spiritual and has nothing to do with the qualities of the material world, which are qualitatively distinct from the spiritual qualities of the Lord.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.31

tayā vilasiteṣv eṣu
guṇeṣu guṇavān iva
antaḥ-praviṣṭa ābhāti
vijñānena vijṛmbhitaḥ

Translation by Śrīla Prabhupāda: After creating the material substance, the Lord [Vāsudeva] expands Himself and enters into it. And although He is within the material modes of nature and appears to be one of the created beings, He is always fully enlightened in His transcendental position.

Purport: The living entities are separated parts and parcels of the Lord, and the conditioned living entities, who are unfit for the spiritual kingdom, are strewn within the material world to enjoy matter to the fullest extent. As Paramātmā and eternal friend of the living entities, the Lord, by one of His plenary portions, accompanies the living entities to guide them in their material enjoyment and to become witness to all activities. While the living entities enjoy the material conditions, the Lord maintains His transcendental position without being affected by the material atmosphere. In the Vedic literatures (śruti) it is said that there are two birds in one tree.* One of them is eating the fruit of the tree, while the other is witnessing the actions. The witness is the Lord, and the fruit-eater is the living entity. The fruit-eater (living entity) has forgotten his real identity and is overwhelmed in the fruitive activities of the material conditions, but the Lord (Paramātmā) is always full in transcendental knowledge. That is the difference between the Supersoul and the conditioned soul. The conditioned soul, the living entity, is controlled by the laws of nature, while the Paramātmā, or the Supersoul, is the controller of the material energy.

* * *

Jayapatākā Swami: Although the Lord, He enters into this material world, since He is the creator of the material energy, but He is always the controller of material energy. And He is never under the control of material energy. But we are! Jīva śakti can be under the control of the material energy. We have a choice to be under the control of yogamāyā or mahāmāyā. We are very small so we are controlled by one energy or the other. This is our minute independence. We are under the control of Subhadrā or Bhadrā. So the process of bhakti-yoga means that we engage ourselves fully in the service of Kṛṣṇa. So if we don’t engage in bhakti-yoga, we engage in fruitive work. Then we have to take various karmas as they come.

I was hearing the glories of this Ekādaśī, the Padminī Ekādaśī. But that Ekādaśī observance starts today. Eight things we cannot eat. Tomorrow the process of that Ekādaśī is also very complicated. But if we follow it, then we can have our desires fulfilled and go back to Kṛṣṇaloka. I don’t think I can do it! But just as an example. There was a king in Satya-yuga. He had a thousand queens. But he didn’t have any son. So the king who doesn’t have a son, he is not happy. So he decided to go into the forest and do tapasya. One of his queens was very devoted, she thought I am a pati-vratā and so I also follow my husband to the forest. That queen she gave up all her opulences and went to the forest with her husband. The king observed tapasya for ten thousand years! But he had no child. He became very thin. So the queen thought that I should do something, let me go to the most chaste lady in the world, Arundhatī. So she went to her and prayed for blessing, that what is the most auspicious vrata which she could do to help her husband. So Arundhatī was very pleased and she gave advice. That the ādhika month comes every 32 months. And during that month there are two Ekādaśīs. One is the Padminī and one is the parama. If you observe that Padminī Ekādaśī completely, that will please Kṛṣṇa and you can get whatever you want. So she went to the forest with her husband, and she observed this Padminī Ekādaśī. Kṛṣṇa was very pleased, and He came on Garuḍa and He asked her what did she want. She gave the boon to the husband. The husband, he wanted a son, that was his long desire. He asked for a son, who is so powerful that he cannot be defeated by anyone, but Nārāyaṇa. He would be the emperor of the world, and the world could be in peace. Kṛṣṇa said, So Be It! So the queen became pregnant and she had a son. That son was so powerful that Rāvaṇa attacked him and he defeated Rāvaṇa. Kept Rāvaṇa locked up. But Rāvaṇa, Indra and all the demigods, were defeated by him. So that was how strong the son of this king was.

So, why do we read the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, canto after canto? So that we understand that everything that Kṛṣṇa does is transcendental. And although His activities may appear like activities of the human beings, actually, they are different and transcendental. By reading the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, canto after canto, we can understand that. Some lecturers like to go straight to kṛṣṇa-līlā in the tenth canto. But people misunderstand the activities of Kṛṣṇa. Actually, the activities of Kṛṣṇa are completely very mysterious and hard for the ordinary people to understand. So, that is why we need to understand the actual position of Kṛṣṇa. Every avatāra has a different mood. Every avatāra expresses His mood in His own way. But only Kṛṣṇa, we can directly have so much intimate contact with. Even Lord Rāma, He played as a king. So His subjects could only get a this close to Him. But Kṛṣṇa in Gokula, He lifted the Govardhana hill, He associated with the cowherd boys and gopīs.

So we don’t see anyone but Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma giving the opportunity to the devotees to associate with Them so intimately. Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma openly declared that They are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But many people did not understand. And Kṛṣṇa came again as Lord Caitanya. And that was in the mood of a devotee. We were just reading, that how after taking sannyāsa, Lord Caitanya was roaming in Birbhum, Rāḍha-deśa. But He did not hear anyone chanting the holy name. He thought, I will commit suicide because I don’t hear the holy name from anyone’s mouth. Then He heard some children chanting, “Haribol! Haribol!” He asked, “How close is the Ganges?” The boys replied, “If you walk for approximately three hours walk, you will reach the Ganges.” Then when He reached the Ganges, He started glorifying the Ganges. But the breeze of the Ganges is so powerful that it inspires one to offer devotional service. And He said many prayers to the Ganges. The Ganges was feeling very embarrassed, because the Supreme Lord, where she comes from, was praising her! That was His mood, He was in the mood of a devotee. And then He was glorifying Kṛṣṇa, He would glorify devotees. That was His mood. He would be with the devotees, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa saṅkīrtana. And devotees would be in ecstasy, associating with the Lord. So, He is Kṛṣṇa, but He is more merciful than Kṛṣṇa. So many living entities, millions, were able to engage in kīrtana with Him. So, He decided that He would go to Jagannātha Purī.

Anyway, we see that the Supersoul is our constant companion, birth after birth. But here in the material life, we are trying to enjoy the material energy. But the Paramātmā is watching. There is an example given, like there are two birds in the tree, one is eating the fruit, and the other is watching. So Paramātmā is the witness bird. And the jīva is the fruit eating bird. Bhakti-yoga means the fruit eating bird who looks to the Paramātmā. That is what Lord Caitanya advised everyone - think of Kṛṣṇa, worship Kṛṣṇa, read about Kṛṣṇa. So in this way, Kṛṣṇa is showing how to be a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. What blessing is given by Lord Caitanya, we don’t get anyone else who gives so much mercy! So, it is our duty to now give the mercy of Lord Caitanya far and wide. Bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra (Cc. Ādi 9.41). In the land of Bhārata-varṣa those who have taken birth, they should achieve perfection of life by working for the benefit of all other people. Śrīla Prabhupāda, he fulfilled this obligation. Now, so many Indians have gone to different countries, and working as engineers, doctors, etc. Musicians, workers, different professions, they should make their life perfect, and give out the mercy of Lord Caitanya to other people. I am very pleased that many devotees have got other new people, to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and sent short vides to the Fortunate People website. There is an app, Fortunate People, now that you can download and upload the videos and they can send the videos on the Fortunate People app. So I asked His Holiness Lokanātha Swami that the World Holy Name festival is over, but can we continue to make people fortunate during the Puruṣottama month? And he replied in the affirmative. And my physiotherapist, from Russia, he got his mother, grandmother and other relatives to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa! Although he lives here, through internet, what’s app, he got them to chant! And I saw some videos, I don’t know who was his friend or relative, but he was in a suit and was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, very seriously. One of my Bengali disciples he called his village dādā, and that person never chanted, not vegetarian, no devotional service, he told him that glories of Puruṣottama month and he requested him to chant and offer a lamp to Deity of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa and be a vegetarian. He (dādā) said, I will chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra one round today. I will offer a lamp every day to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. But I will try to be a vegetarian, but people know I am a non-vegetarian and if they hear, they will laugh at me and I will feel embarrassed. I was so pleased that these new people are also becoming very fortunate! Some devotees told me that they offered and uploaded 5, 7, 50 or even 150 videos! How many people got the mercy! I wish that Lord Caitanya bestows His mercy on everyone. So please take this very seriously, and give the mercy of Lord Caitanya to everyone!

So this verse of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam shows that Lord Kṛṣṇa cares for us, but we are ignoring Him. If we somehow get people to chant, it will start their devotional life. So, Lord Caitanya desires that we should do some welfare activities for other people. This is the Māhatmya, glory, of being born in Bhārata-varṣa. Of course, at one time the whole planet was Bhārata-varṣa. And we hope that happens again! And that Lord Caitanya’s mercy is spread all over the world! Haribol! Haribol! Haribol! Nityānanda! Gaurāṅga! Śrīla Prabhupāda kī jaya! One or two questions?

Everybody can pray for the health of the son of Śāntirūpa devī dāsī, Hari who is in the ICU. By chanting the Pañca-tattva mantra, śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. Hari, we pray that if Kṛṣṇa so desires, you get better quick. But please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Put some Ganges water on his head. If you don’t have Ganges water, use the mantra to call the Ganges in. (At the end of the class we heard Hari had left his body.)