English
Topic: Importance of Sravana
Date: 11th June 2024
Speaker: HG Vedant Chaitanya Prabhuji
Hare Krishna!
I offer my obeisances at the divine lotus feet of Srila Gurudev. Dandvat Pranam to all the devotees.
om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya
cakshur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah
nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine
nirvisesha-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine
(jaya) sri-krishna-caitanya prabhu nityananda
sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrinda
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
You all know about Sravana. We all hear everyday. But I will share some important points on Sravana. We should be aware of these points. I am taking my points from HH Sivarama Swami Maharaj’s book Suddha Bhakti Chintamani. HH Sivarama Swami Maharaj has provided the essence of this book in the name of the book itself. A Sadhak should listen as per his/her level of understanding in Bhakti. He has written this book to make us understand that what should we hear according to our level in Bhakti. He has instructed what points should we read to improve our hearing. It is a 1000-page book which is scientifically presented and follows Guru, Shastras and Pramanas. So staying in ISKCON we are just taught about basic things and only Kanishta Adhikari devotees are taught. HG Gopipran prabhuji, who is a disciple of Srila Prabhupada and is a Sanskrit scholar, he wrote a foreword for this book. He who was a book editor who helped in transcribing Srila Prabhupada’s books including Srimad Bhagavatam, so he also raises the same question that people says that there is no Rasa.
When we are LKG, we are taught basic things, in 1-2 class we are taught addition and subtraction in maths and then it gets difficult with the passing age. So we are taught as per our level of understanding. In material world also we are not taught difficult things like differentiation etc. at an early age. So we are taught little by little. It will be a waste at both the ends if we teach the child about difficult concepts of maths at a young age and the child can also be scared as well. So we teach them according to their age. They will not be encouraged to learn Maths then. Similarly we should hear as per our advancement, if we read and listen to lectures which are at a very advance level, then we cannot understand that. So we should hear and read as per our understanding. So, I if we don’t do that then it will have a negative impact on our bhakti.
Shraddha bhakti anukramashah we should proceed systematically from one level to another. We should do that in an order and if we do not do it without seeing our level, then our advancement will not be there. So in the first two three chapters of the book, we are taught how do we understand that what is our level according to the shastras. If we read and hear about higher knowledge without seeing our level, then we might have a negative effect on our bhakti. We can become a sahajiya and will not understand the philosophy and become emotional. Slowly we will not also realise that we have become a sahajiya. They show that they are very emotional but actually they are not. Bhaav and Bhavukta are two different things. So these people don’t understand the philosophy truly. We should be taught as per our understanding and knowledge. Srila Prabhupada also taught us as per our level of understanding. The speaker should speak as per the quality and level of listeners because then they can lose their interest and they will have a negative impact on their bhakti.
It can be considered as an offence for the speaker if he speaks above the qualification of people. Srila Prabhupada taught us the same, he has given us everything. In Shuddha Bhakta Chintamani, he has mentioned that how Srila Prabhupada has given us the knowledge starting from a beginner to an advanced devotee in his books. He has talked about everything in his books from basic to the knowledge required to take us back to Godhead. He is not left anything unfinished. We need to have that kind of understanding, knowledge and guidance to understand his books. We should read the books properly because he has represented everything systematically within the Parampara. He has also given rasa in his books, which a person can understand as per his level in bhakti. He has presented everything scientifically. Our knowledge is limited that’s why we don’t understand the philosophy. Some people will perceive that we must worship the demigods which as per their little understanding. To make us understand about the knowledge about the soul is very important.
Bg. 4.11
ye yathā māṁ prapadyante
tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham
mama vartmānuvartante
manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ
Translation
As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛthā.
Para bhakti is achieved only when one reaches the Brahma-bhootha state. One who is realised only he can perform para bhakti and if he doesn’t then it will be very difficult for him. It will just like studying PHD in LKG. So we should listen and read as per our standard. Then we say that we are not getting the rasa in reading Srimad Bhagavatam.
Bg. 18.54
brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
Translation
One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.
It will just like studying PHD in LKG. So we should listen and read as per our standard. Then we say that we are not getting the rasa in reading Srimad Bhagavatam. In starting of Srimad Bhagavata, it is said:
ŚB 1.1.3
nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ
śuka-mukhād amṛta-drava-saṁyutam
pibata bhāgavataṁ rasam ālayam
muhur aho rasikā bhuvi bhāvukāḥ
Translation
O expert and thoughtful men, relish Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures. It emanated from the lips of Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Therefore this fruit has become even more tasteful, although its nectarean juice was already relishable for all, including liberated souls.
Srimad Bhagavatam is not read but rather we drink it. It is filled with Rasa. We sleep after reading Srimad Bhagavatam, that’s why we are not getting the taste of the rasa in Srimad Bhagavatam. We don’t have that level that’s why we don’t get any rasa in Srimad Bhagavatam. Similar is the case of Chaitanya Charitamrita,
CC Madhya 17.133
nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś
caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ
pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto
’bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ
Translation
‘The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Kṛṣṇa Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Kṛṣṇa’s name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Kṛṣṇa Himself. Since Kṛṣṇa’s name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with māyā. Kṛṣṇa’s name is always liberated and spiritual; it is never conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa Himself are identical.’
Lord’s name is the personification of Rasa. All rasas are there in the holynames. We will experience that rasa while chanting. But people like us yawn, sleep during japa. We don’t have the qualification of even chanting. We think that there is no rasa in this but it is there but it is there in Srimad Bhagavatam, Chaitanya Charitamrita, lectures all the things. So we don’t have the ability to get that rasa from the shastras because our level is not that much. He should not think like this that if I am not getting Rasa in this, I should change the book. We should rather increase our level.
But rather if we shift our attention to other things like Rasa dance etc, then we will start comparing it with Bollywood movies. We will think just the story has changed and it is the same as any other love story. There are three types of bhakti: sadhana, bhaav and prem bhakti. Vaidhi bhakti can lead to Ragunaga bhakti. This will be Sahajiya bhakti if we think that we will directly reach Ragunaga bhakti. We cannot imitate Ragunaga bhakti and if we do that, then that is Sahajiya bhakti who is always in emotional state. So we should listen to Srila Prabhupada. He is given us the full package. We should do reading and hearing to get strong in Sambandh bhakti. So in Prabhupada’s lecture we can increase our sambandh knowledge about- the living entity, material nature and the Lord and the relations between them. We should understand that only Krishna is the supreme Lord. How the body works, we can understand. This is what Srila Prabhupada explains everything to improve our Sambandh knowledge in his lectures. We should hear again and again as our brain is made of concrete. So it is just like hammering the concrete which should be done regularly. Unless we hammer it continuously, we cannot progress. So, the first thing which is taught in Bhagavad Gita is about the soul. If we will not hear these things regularly, then we will not be fully able to understand this knowledge. If we think we are not souls, we can enjoy our lives, then we won’t live a moral life, there is no point in that. When we understand ourselves as souls then we understand ourselves truly. So Bhagavad Gita’s knowledge talks about Samandha knowledge first. This is very important. Srila Prabhupada has made us understand this scientifically. He has put everything scientifically in shastra. Now-a-days we are not hearing Srila Prabhupada’s lectures. So we should hear about Srila Prabhupada’s lectures properly. We should hear 50% from Srila Prabhupada. We feel that a speaker who cracks jokes is good is nice and we should not listen it for our fun. We should read and hear properly. So we should increase our faith in Srila Prabhupada’s lecture that is how Srila Prabhupada’s disciples have written their books. All the basis of knowledge is ISKCON is based on Srila Prabhupada’s knowledge. So focus should be on Srila Prabhupada.
Any questions:
Q1: Hare Krishna Dandvat Pranam. Lecture was very nice prabhuji. Please tell us how can we measure our level of advancement?
Ans1. We have to understand that through the qualities given as per the shastras and then we can analyse our level. In Rupagauna Vidyapeeth we will launch courses on this topic.
Q2. One is from Meerut. Even if I know that I am at a very low level but still we should hear Srimad Bhagavatam and Chaitanya Charitamrita.
Ans 2. It is not that hear but what to hear is important. As long we are reading under the guidance of Srila Prabhupada then we are playing safe. So Srila Prabhupada’s writes that we should hear systematically. It is said that after reading Chaitanaya Charitamrita we can understand Srimad Bhagavatam and visa versa. So it is never ending.
Q3. Hare Krishna Dandvat Pranam. What is the difference between bhavokta and bhav?
Ans 3. Bhavokta is imitation but not reality. Bhaav is knowledge.
We will take your leave.
Hare Krishna.
