20211224 Explanation of the Word ‘ātmā’ (3. mana, 4. yatna, and 5. dhṛti) in ātmārāma, Part 1

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 24th December 2021 in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, India

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.166

manonigrahakārīra paramapada-lābha :—

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (10.87.18)—

udaram upāsate ya ṛṣi-vartmasu kūrpa-dṛśaḥ 
parisara-paddhatiṁ hṛdayam āruṇayo daharam
tata udagād ananta tava dhāma śiraḥ paramaṁ 
punar iha yat sametya na patanti kṛtānta-mukhe

Translation: “Those who follow the path of great, saintly mystic yogīs take to the yogic gymnastic process and begin worshiping from the abdomen, where it is said that Brahman is located. Such people are called śārkarākṣa, which means that they are situated in the gross bodily conception. There are also followers of the ṛṣi known as Āruṇa. Following his path, they observe the activities of the arteries. Thus they gradually rise to the heart, where subtle Brahman, Paramātmā, is situated. They then worship Him. O unlimited Ananta! Better than these persons are the mystic yogīs who worship You from the top of their heads. Beginning with the abdomen and proceeding through the heart, they reach the top of the head and pass through the brahma-randhra, the hole at the top of the skull. Thus, these yogīs attain the perfectional platform and do not enter the cycle of birth and death again.’

Purport: This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.87.18).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this process of mystic yoga meditation by which if one leaves the body from brahma-randhra from the head, then he will not take birth again. Of course the bhakti-yoga system is more easy to perform, if one chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa, mantra and engages in devotional service then automatically they can reach the supreme spiritual destination, otherwise by this mystic yoga process they have to transfer the life air through the different cakrās and then leaves the body from the brahma-randhra, from the top of the skull. This was practiced in previous ages but this age it is recommended the bhakti-yoga and chant the mantra.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.167

nigṛhītacitta munigaṇera kṛṣṇaguṇākṛṣṭa haiyā śuddha-bhakti:—

eho kṛṣṇa-guṇākṛṣṭa mahā-muni hañā 
ahaitukī bhakti kare nirgrantha hañā

Translation: “Being attracted by the transcendental qualities of Kṛṣṇa, such yogīs become great saints. At that time, not being hampered by the yogic process, they engage in unalloyed devotional service.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, normally to achieve success using the yoga process one has to do various sitting exercises and prāṇāyāma and a little mistake the life air may leave through the eye sockets or any other holes in the head but by practicing bhakti-yoga, the process of devotional service is not dependent on any other mechanical system of yoga.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.168

‘ātmarāmāḥ’-padera antargata ātmā-śabdera (4) ‘yatna’ arthadvārā vyākhyā :—

‘ātmā’-śabde ‘yatna’ kahe—yatna kariyā 
“munayo ’pi” kṛṣṇa bhaje guṇākṛṣṭa hañā

Translation: “Ātmā’ also means ‘endeavor.’ Being attracted by Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental qualities, some saints make a great endeavor to come to the point of rendering service to Him.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, if a yogī or mystic yogī starts to worship Kṛṣṇa by the process of bhakti-yoga or devotional service, he is considered a great saint

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.169

nityasatya vāstava vastura anusandhāna-janya yatna karā karttavya:—

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (15.18) —

tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido
na labhyate yad bhramatām
upary adhaḥ tal labhyate
duḥkha-vad anyataḥ sukhaṁ
kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā

Translation: “The transcendental position cannot be attained by wandering up and down from Brahmaloka and Satyaloka to Pātālaloka. If one is actually intelligent and learned, he should endeavor for that rare transcendental position. By the force of time one attains whatever material happiness is available within the fourteen worlds, just as one attains distress in due course of time. But since spiritual consciousness is not attained in this way, one should try for it.’

Purport: This verse was spoken by Nārada Muni in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.18). Nārada Muni was speaking to Vyāsadeva, who was morose even after he had compiled all the Vedic literatures. In this connection, Nārada Muni advised Śrīla Vyāsadeva to try to attain devotional service and nothing else.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, automatically due to laws of karma one will get material happiness and material distress, but actually one should make an endeavor to attain pure devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, this is not automatic, you have to want it, you have to try for it and so Nārada muni was telling Vyāsadevā, try for bhakti, that is the real success.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.170

Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.101)-dhṛta nāradīya vākya —

sad-dharmasyāvabodhāya
yeṣāṁ nirbandhinī matiḥ
acirād eva sarvārthaḥ
sidhyaty eṣām abhīpsitaḥ

Translation: “Those who are eager to awaken their spiritual consciousness and who thus have unflinching, undeviated intelligence certainly attain the desired goal of life very soon.’

Purport: This is a quotation from the Nāradīya Purāṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, if we want to achieve the highest spiritual destination and if we fix our intelligence on that then Kṛṣṇa will give us His mercy very soon.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.171

yatnāgraha vā utsāha o niścaya haite bhaktisiddhi :—

ca-śabda api-arthe, ‘api’—avadhāraṇe 
yatnāgraha vinā bhakti nā janmāya preme

Translation: “The word ‘ca’ may be used in place of ‘api,’ which gives emphasis to something. Thus, it means that without sincere endeavor in devotional service, one cannot attain love of Godhead.

Jayapatākā Swami: Love of Godhead is dormant in everyone’s heart, but one has to try for it then you can get it. Lord Caitanya was asked by Sanātana Gosvāmī to explain the ātmārāma verse so Lord Caitanya is giving His explanations.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.172

āsaṅgai yatnāgraha :—

Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.1.35) —

sādhanaughair anāsaṅgair
alabhyā su-cirād api
hariṇā cāśv adeyeti
dvidhā sā syāt su-durlabhā

Translation: “Devotional perfection is very difficult to attain for two reasons. First, unless one is attached to Kṛṣṇa, he cannot attain devotional perfection even if he renders devotional service for a long time. Second, Kṛṣṇa does not easily deliver perfection in devotional service.’

Purport: As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.6.18), muktiṁ dadāti karhicit. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī told Mahārāja Parīkṣit that Kṛṣṇa readily grants liberation but does not very readily grant perfection in devotional service. This means that Kṛṣṇa wants to see that a devotee is actually sincere and serious and that he does not have ulterior motives. If this is the case, devotional service can very easily be successful; otherwise it is very difficult to obtain from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This verse appears in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.1.35).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, you heard Kṛṣṇa does not easily give out love of Kṛṣṇa. One has to be very sincere and pass over all tests, but Lord Caitanya is very merciful He gives out love of Kṛṣṇa without considering who is qualified and who is not qualified, that’s why this Navadvīpa dhāma is known as audārya-dhāma, it’s the abode of mercy and by taking shelter of Lord Caitanya one can get pure devotion very easily. By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa one naturally becomes attached to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This māha-mantra helps to achieve attachment and attraction to Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.173

satata yogai yatnāgraha :—

Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītāya (10.10)—

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
yena mām upayānti te

Translation: “To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.’

Purport: This is a quotation from the Bhagavad-gītā (10.10). For an explanation, see Ādi-līlā 1.49

Jayapatākā Swami: So, if one is fixed in devotional service and desirous by the process of bhakti-yoga to achieve Kṛṣṇa, there are no ulterior motives, that means they are serving Kṛṣṇa out of love to please Kṛṣṇa. Then Kṛṣṇa gives them the intelligence whereby they can reach Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.174

“ātmārāmāḥ”-padera antargata ātmā-śabdera (5) ‘dhūti-’arthadvārā vyākhyā:—

‘ātmā’-śabde ‘dhṛti’ kahe,—dhairye yei rame 
dhairyavanta eva hañā karaya bhajane

Translation: “Another meaning of ‘ātmā’ is dhṛti, or endurance. A person who endeavors with endurance is ātmārāma. With endurance, such a person engages in devotional service.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, one should practice devotional service with determination and endurance and by this method one surely achieves success, one life is nothing! And Śrīla Prabhupāda said that for him to achieve perfection it took twenty years, it may take us obviously more time, but we should be very committed and actually by this mystic yoga system it takes many births, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. By jñana-yoga it may take many births, but by bhakti-yoga in this lifetime you can achieve success, but you should be committed and enduring.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.175

muni o nirgrantha-śabdadvayera artha; viṣṇu-vaiṣṇava kṛpāya ubhayera bhaktilābha :—

‘muni’-śabde—pakṣī, bhṛṅga; ‘nirgranthe’—mūrkha-jana 
kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya sādhu-kṛpāya doṅhāra bhajana

Translation: “The word ‘muni’ also means ‘bird’ and ‘bumblebee.’ The word ‘nirgrantha’ refers to foolish people. By the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, such creatures contact a sādhu [spiritual master] and thus engage in devotional service.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, even one if one is foolish, if they meet a pure devotee and take his instruction, take his initiation then they can achieve all success. Lord Caitanya is saying, indicating that one can achieve success by bhakti-yoga, if you meet a pure devotee and engage in devotional service.