20260330 Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.25.1 | Śikṣāṣṭaka Explained

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-gurun dina tāriṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.25.1

śaunaka uvāca
kapilas tattva-saṅkhyātā
bhagavān ātma-māyayā
jātaḥ svayam ajaḥ sākṣād
ātma-prajñaptaye nṛṇām

Translation: Śrī Śaunaka said: Although He is unborn, the Supreme Personality of Godhead took birth as Kapila Muni by His internal potency. He descended to disseminate transcendental knowledge for the benefit of the whole human race.

Purport: The word ātma-prajñaptaye indicates that the Lord descends for the benefit of the human race to give transcendental knowledge. Material necessities are quite sufficiently provided for in the Vedic knowledge, which offers a program for good living conditions and gradual elevation to the platform of goodness. In the mode of goodness one’s knowledge expands. On the platform of passion there is no knowledge, for passion is simply an impetus to enjoy material benefits. On the platform of ignorance there is no knowledge and no enjoyment, but simply life almost like that of animals.

The Vedas are meant to elevate one from the mode of ignorance to the platform of goodness. When one is situated in the mode of goodness he is able to understand knowledge of the self, or transcendental knowledge. This knowledge cannot be appreciated by any ordinary man. Therefore, since a disciplic succession is required, this knowledge is expounded either by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself or by His bona fide devotee. Śaunaka Muni also states here that Kapila, the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, took birth, or appeared, simply to appreciate and disseminate transcendental knowledge. Simply to understand that one is not matter but spirit soul (ahaṁ brahmāsmi: “I am by nature Brahman”) is not sufficient knowledge for understanding the self and his activities. One must be situated in the activities of Brahman. Knowledge of those activities is explained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. Such transcendental knowledge can be appreciated in human society but not in animal society, as clearly indicated here by the word nṛṇām, “for the human beings.” Human beings are meant for regulated life. By nature, there is regulation in animal life also, but that is not like the regulative life as described in the scriptures or by the authorities. Human life is regulated life, not animal life. In regulated life only can one understand transcendental knowledge.

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Jayapatākā Swami: So today is not Vyāsa-vūjā, this is a normal Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam class. So, this verse from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is very important.  The Lord is in the spiritual world and He comes down to disseminate knowledge about Himself. So, at the time of Svāyambhuva Manu, Kardama Muni and Devahūti were there and He came as Kapila Muni. So, Svāyambhuva Manu and other Manus’ lifespan is 306 million, 77 hundred twenty thousand years. Anyway, it was a long time ago! So, the Supreme Lord is unborn. But He takes His birth anyway, by His internal potency. He descends to disseminate transcendental or spiritual knowledge. And because of that the entire human race is benefited. So, therefore is an incarnation of the Lord in every yuga, at least. So, we have a very short lifespan, maximum 100 years or so. And in our yuga, Lord Caitanya appeared. He is actually the Supreme Lord. He came to disseminate knowledge! He came to give the yuga-dharma. He did not write any books. He wrote eight ślokas – the Śikṣāṣṭaka. Through the Śikṣāṣṭaka, He takes us through our devotional service from a different perspective. Every devotee should learn this Śikṣāṣṭaka and this is very important. Kapila said that this knowledge had got lost in due course of time, that is why I have come to reestablish this transcendental knowledge.

Earlier there was a time when there was one emperor and the Vedic knowledge was spread all over. Today we have the United Nations and different things and many countries, but Vedic knowledge is lost. Even the Bhagavad-gītā, people don’t know. They told me that in India people mostly know two verses from the Bhagavad-gītā. I don’t know if every college or every institution teaches that, but someone told me. But they did not really understand any of the Bhagavad-gītā and did not read the other verses. So, in this way, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to establish the saṅkīrtana movement and gradually uplift the people in devotional service.

ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ

At first Lord Caitanya, He tells about the glories of the saṅkīrtana movement. He starts off by saying it cleanses the heart of all the accumulated dust. On this earth we are suffering in the forest fire of the material world. And this saṅkīrtana puts out the fire! Nirvāpaṇam!

śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He says that He has descended to distribute this transcendental knowledge and the saṅkīrtana-yajña is the ultimate limit of this transcendental knowledge. And this is all auspicious for the material world.

ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ

On the earth there is an ocean but that ocean does not increase, but the ocean of transcendental bliss is ever increasing. And at every step one tastes or experiences complete, nectarean transcendence.

sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam

So Lord Caitanya is saying, all glories to the saṅkīrtana movement! And by establishing the saṅkīrtana movement, all the people are blessed! In this way, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu revealed the glories of the nectarean saṅkīrtana movement. Jaya saṅkīrtana-yajña parama-vijayate!

So in verse 2, Lord Caitanya is telling the glories of the holy name.

nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis

In His holy name all His transcendental potencies are contained. Some people may think, what is the benefit of chanting the holy names! But this Harināma, holy names, within these names Kṛṣṇa has placed all of His energies, all His potencies. So Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth, so His name is not different from Him. Our name may be different from ourselves, but Kṛṣṇa’s name and Kṛṣṇa are non-different.

tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ

Normally every mantra has different rules, regulations and times to be chanted. In general if you chant some mantra when you are aśuci that is not allowed. But for chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra there are no rules, śuci, aśuci, any time any place you can chant and there are no other considerations. That is why the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is called the mahā-mantra.

etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavān mamāpi

In this way, Bhagavān has invested all His mercy in His holy name. So this is a special mercy that in His holy name, you get all the mercy of Kṛṣṇa!

durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ

So, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is teaching us by His own example. It is my misfortune that even after hearing so much of the glories for the holy name, I don’t have any attraction for the holy name. So like this Lord Caitanya is teaching us that if we don’t have attraction and enthusiasm for chanting the holy name, then it is our misfortune. So then, He is teaching us what attitude we should have.

tṛṇād api su-nīcena
taror iva sahiṣṇunā
amāninā māna-dena
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

So, we should be more humble than a blade of grass. I think Śrīla Prabhupāda had given an example. How, one person stamps the grass and moves on, but the grass then gradually springs up again. In this way, we should be fixed in our position but we should be humble. And tolerant like a tree. We see the tree is standing in heat, cold, rain, wind, sun. And we notice that we go and break a branch of the tree to brush our teeth. When we cut the branch of a tree to make firewood or we make any furniture etc. but the tree doesn’t object. He is very tolerant. So we offer respect to everyone. But, others should respect me or honor me, that we do not expect. In this way, you can chant kīrtana all the time! What attitude one should have while chanting, that Lord Caitanya taught us. Like this Lord Caitanya taught also, what should be our spiritual desires.

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
mama janmani janmanīśvare
bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi

So, generally people want wealth, followers, beautiful women. Lord Caitanya is saying I don’t want any of these things. He says I desire to serve the Lord of the Universe.  Birth after birth, I only want Bhāgavata bhakti! And He says, ahaitukī, not that I want for this reason, for that reason no, he wants it unconditionally.

ayi nanda-tanuja kiṅkaraṁ
patitaṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau
kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-
sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya

Here He says that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the son of Nanda Mahārāja, and that He is the servant of Lord Kṛṣṇa.  But somehow or other, He has fallen into this ocean of birth and death. But other than serving the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, I desire nothing else. He says, I just want to be at the dust of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet! So, I wanted to read all the eight verses of Lord Caitanya but I only read five. And my time is up! What should I do?

nayanaṁ galad-aśru-dhārayā
vadanaṁ gadgada-ruddhayā girā
pulakair nicitaṁ vapuḥ kadā
tava nāma-grahaṇe bhaviṣyati

yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa
cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam
śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ
govinda-viraheṇa me

[Break] We are all in separation of Kṛṣṇa. So, He gives some practical examples here. How even a moment appears like twelve years or more. And the whole world seems to be empty. Govinda viraheṇa me – My dear Lord Govinda by Your absence.

In the next verse, the last verse, I heard that this was said in the mood of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām
adarśanān marma-hatāṁ karotu vā
yathā tathā vā vidadhātu lampaṭo
mat-prāṇa-nāthas tu sa eva nāparaḥ

So, Kṛṣṇa can embrace Me, drop Me, He can make Me sad, and He may not be present before Me, but He is always my Lord.  So, Lord Caitanya, He is teaching us how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa.

Kapila Muni had come many millions of years ago and His teachings are still valid. But the teachings of Lord Caitanya are more applicable to us. Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga!

His Holiness Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami would like to make some announcement.

Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami: Dear Guru Mahārāja, the last three days’ class has been fabulous, excellent. Guru Mahārāja will be here for another five minutes. Guru Mahārāja we will all be going to our respective places with the instructions you have given and we will try to implement the instructions you have given in our lives and move forward in devotional service.

Jayapatākā Swami: I liked all the programs yesterday, but especially enjoyed the Safari drama. I thank Marīci dāsa and the Safari devotees.