20210725 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.9.47

The following is a Śrīmad Bhāgavatam class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on July 7th, 2021 in Śrī Māyāpur, India. 

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

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Translation: All the great sages then glorified Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who was present there, by confidential Vedic hymns. Then all of them returned to their respective hermitages, bearing always Lord Kṛṣṇa within their hearts.

Jayapatākā Swami: In the heart of the devotees the Lord resides and in the heart of the Lord the devotees reside. Now here Bhīṣmadeva, at his last moment, completely absorbed his consciousness on Lord Kṛṣṇa. He did not feel any more pain from the arrows. He simply was remembering the transcendental form of Kṛṣṇa. And in this state of meditation he left his body. Everyone was silent. They understood that he had gone back to Godhead. At that time flowers were showered from the sky. And this verse tells us that at that time all the sages and saintly persons they started chanting Vedic hymns. All of these Vedic hymns are for pleasing the Supreme Lord. So like that everything was very Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So Bhānu Swami Mahārāja was explaining that how in Satya yuga everyone was mentally controlled. Therefore they were able to meditate. But in the Tretā yuga one fourth of the dharma was reduced and the mind became a little more agitated. So they needed the flame to focus the attention. In Tretā yuga the system was homa. In Dvāpara yuga half of the dharma was lost, therefore they needed the deities in the temple to focus their mind. We know that there were many demons. Lord Kṛṣṇa had killed so many demons. So in Kali yuga the mind is more disturbed and three fourths of dharma is lost. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa gave the Harināma-saṅkīrtana as the method. Harināma can be performed at any place in any circumstance. Simply by hearing the holy name. But now the people have within them godly and demoniac natures. I saw in the news that in the UK, they have lifted the COVID-19 restrictions. So there was a night club, filled with people dancing and taking intoxication. About 500 or 1000 people. Looked like the hellish situation. So that was the full mode of ignorance. So people are so much bewildered at the present time and they don’t know the valuable human form of life. They can actually be happy chanting the holy names.

This way yesterday we were reading how by reading the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam both men and women all can be especially benefitted. So foolish people, they think that by satisfying their senses, they will be happy. But by the same senses they are forced to suffer. While the World Health Organization is saying that people should be careful, but the people, they don’t care. So Śrīla Prabhupāda was saying, we kill someone one by one, but when Kṛṣṇa does, He kills in mass. Now already 4 million people have died due to COVID-19. And it is not decreasing. It is very important that people chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and engage in devotional service.

We are hearing about the passing away of Bhīṣmadeva. This is a very beautiful subject matter. We are not this material body, we are eternal spirit souls, we are the atomic minute energy of Kṛṣṇa. Because the devotees are full of love for Kṛṣṇa, therefore they always see the Lord in their hearts. So we are promoting unalloyed love. But people are bewildered and they are promoting lust. And when they take intoxication, they are very happy. That is why Śrīla Prabhupāda is saying that this present society is like a sophisticated animal society. So Kṛṣṇa keeps His devotees in His heart. Kṛṣṇa wants to see His devotees are in the right path. And if they can go back to home, back to Godhead. So Kṛṣṇa He would sometimes put Himself under the care of His devotees. He is the Lord of everyone, He is Jagannātha. But Nanda Mahārāja, He carried his shoes, Kṛṣṇa was allowing them to take care of Him. He became the messenger; He became the chariot driver for Arjuna. He did not have to do this. But He likes to do it. So just like He likes to serve His devotees, the devotees always want to serve Him. So when Mother Pārvatī asked Lord Śiva there are so many types of worship, what is the best? Lord Śiva replied, ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param. (Padma Purāṇa) Of all the types of worship, worship of Lord Viṣṇu is the best. One thing is even better than the others, that is, worship of those objects or paraphernalia that are connected to Kṛṣṇa, worship of the tadīya is even better. If you worship Lord Śiva as the independent Lord, that is not pleasing. But if you worship Lord Śiva as the greatest Vaiṣṇava then that is pleasing. vaiṣṇavānām yathā śambhuḥ (ŚB 12.13.16) Śambhu is the best of all the Vaiṣṇavas. So that is the secret that we should worship the devas in relation to Kṛṣṇa, then it is auspicious.

Now we are reading the departure of Bhīṣmadeva and how they did the final rites. And how all the ṛṣīs they all chanted various Vedic hymns to celebrate his departure. Yesterday, in Māyāpur, we were observing the disappearance anniversary of His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami. Somehow at the same time we were reading the Bhāgavatam verses about the departure of Bhīṣmadeva. Yesterday they quoted Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and he wrote that those who say that Vaiṣṇava dies they reason ill, that they still live in sound, and while living they try to spread the holy name around.

And we were reading how Devānanda Paṇḍita was very offensive but by the association of Vakreśvara Paṇḍita, he became changed. He wanted to know how he should study the Bhāgavatam and how he should teach the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Lord Caitanya said that the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the beginning to the end, there is nothing in it but devotional service only. That is why the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is called Amala Purāṇa as it has nothing but pure devotional service. In other Purāṇas and other literature the Lord is there, devotional service is there, but other things are also there. That is why people often tend to get a little bewildered as to what they should do. But in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is nothing but bhakti. So it is said that if a foolish person, if they take shelter of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, they become blessed. So Bhāgavatam is so important for everyone to study.

Parīkṣit mahārāja has completely sacrificed his life in order to search for the Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda, taking a lot of difficulties and inconveniences, he has translated the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhakit Charu mahārāja he has translated it from English to Bengali. Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami said that how teachers and educationists and many professors, they glorify this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that it is not done in sādhu bhāṣā – technical Bengali language, but rather in a simple sweet Bengali language and understandable to everyone. One person was coming from a lecture by a Māyāvādī paṇḍita. One devotee was passing by, he said oh! how did you like the program? Oh very, very nice! Nice program! So what did the Swamiji say? Swami, what did he say? What did he say? I am an ordinary person, how will I know what he said? It was very wonderful, but I did not understand anything. Therefore, that is the difference, that Śrīla Prabhupāda presented the highest philosophy in a very easily digestible manner.

That was the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu to Devānanda Paṇḍita. Please present devotional service in the Bhāgavatam. That is the solution for the people suffering. Now somehow we should get the people to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, chant the name of God, in this time of the pandemic. And because we are breaking the laws of karma, laws of nature, we are forced to suffer. Even some of our devotees, they are also suffering. But if they can focus their consciousness on Kṛṣṇa like the way Bhīṣmadeva did, this way they can achieve the highest destination. So, this part of the Bhāgavatam is very important that because all of us will face death and will be born again if we are not careful. But the way Bhīṣmadeva passed way, everybody knew that he was not going to return. Haribol! Haribol! I hope that everyone prepares themselves for this final test. Then everyone will be happy throughout their lives by being Kṛṣṇa conscious.