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29 March 2024 Speaker: Śrīla Prabhupāda Theme: Devotional service is not sentimental Hare Krishna!! jñānaṁ te ’haṁ sa-vijñānam idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo ’nyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate Translation I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge, both phenomenal and numinous. This being known, nothing further shall remain for you to know. (BG 7.2) śrī-bhagavān uvāca mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu Translation The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Now hear, O son of Pṛthā, how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt. (BG 7.1)  Theme: Nine stages of Bhakti Yoga  ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu- saṅgo ’tha bhajana-kriyā tato ’nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ athāsaktis tato bhāvas tataḥ premābhyudañcati sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥ prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ Translation “ ‘In the beginning there must be faith. Then one becomes interested in associating with pure devotees. Thereafter one is initiated by the spiritual master and executes the regulative principles under his orders. Thus one is freed from all unwanted habits and becomes firmly fixed in devotional service. Thereafter, one develops taste and attachment. This is the way of sādhana-bhakti, the execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles. Gradually emotions intensify, and finally there is an awakening of love. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead for the devotee interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.’ (CC Madhya 23.14- 15)  Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī explains, ādau śraddhā which means one should have complete faith in Krsna. As the Lord says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ Translation Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear. (BG 18.66) We have to have complete faith that we can achieve perfection just by surrendering unto the lotus feet of the Lord. The Lord will protect us. That is firm faith. Avaśya raksibe Krsna viśvāsa pālana (Śaranāgati). This strong faith, that in any dangerous condition, Krsna will save me. This is surrender. In Caitanya Caritāmrta, Krsna dāsa Kavīrāja Goswāmī explains, faith means surrender. śraddhā’-śabde — viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya  Translation “Śraddhā is confident, firm faith that by rendering transcendental loving service to Kṛṣṇa one automatically performs all subsidiary activities. Such faith is favorable to the discharge of devotional service. (CC Madhya 22.62) īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā Translation The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy. (BG 18.61) No one is alone at anytime. The Lord is situated in everyone’s heart. The Lord wants us to be fortunate. That’s why He stays with us as our wellwisher. So just surrender to Krsna. Nothing more is required. That is firm faith. After having firm faith, sādhu-sanga is required. Sādhu or a monk who is always engaged in practicing devotional services unto the Lord. śrī-bhagavān uvāca mayy āveśya mano ye māṁ nitya-yuktā upāsate śraddhayā parayopetās te me yukta-tamā matāḥ Translation The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Those who fix their minds on My personal form and are always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith are considered by Me to be most perfect. (BG 12.2) api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ samyag vyavasito hi saḥ Translation Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated in his determination. (BG 9.30) Theme: Symptom of a Guru This is the symptom of a pure soul or a saint. One who has complete faith that in any condition, if he surrenders unto the Lord, he will be saved from the clutches of birth, death, old age and disease and he will achieve perfection. na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ’yaṁ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre Translation For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain. (BG 2.20) indriyārtheṣu vairāgyam anahaṅkāra eva ca janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi- duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam Translation renunciation of the objects of sense gratification; absence of false ego; the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease- all these I declare to be knowledge, and besides this whatever there may be is ignorance. (BG 13.9) manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ  Translation Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth. (BG 7.3) The more we engage ourselves in sādhu-sanga, the more our faith will increase. Which will lead us to perfection. Then bajana-kriyā, sādhu will teach us how to perform devotional services. parīkṣya lokān karmacitān brāhmaṇo nirvedamāyānnāstyakṛtaḥ kṛtena . tadvijñānārthaṃ sa gurumevābhigacchet samitpāṇiḥ śrotriyaṃ brahmaniṣṭham Translation Let a brahmin, after having examined all these worlds that are gained by works, acquire freedom from desires: nothing that is eternal can be produced by what is not eternal. In order that he may understand that Eternal, let him, fuel in hand, approach a guru who is well versed in the Vedas and always devoted to Brahman. (Mundaka Upanishad 1.2.12) Sādhu means a guru or spiritual master. Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Thākura says, Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya tinete kariya aikya. Sādhu is the one who has compiled śāstras, śāstras are the composition of sādhus and guru is the one who is a sādhu and fully acquainted of śāstrās. So after bhajana-kriyā, anartha-nivritti comes; one is freed from all unwanted habits or offenses. Like in America, we tell everyone to quit illicit sex as this is an obstacle to our progress in the spiritual path. The Lord says, yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ Translation Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life and whose sinful actions are completely eradicated are freed from the dualities of delusion, and they engage themselves in My service with determination. (BG 7.28) We should free ourselves from sinful actions to perform devotional services and Bhajana-kriya help us to get free from sinful actions. Intoxication, meat eating, gambling and illicit sex are the sinful activities. Then he will attain ruchī, taste in the name of the Lord and His services. Then we will attain niśthā or steadiness. śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām Translation Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted. (ŚB 1.2.17) The beginning of a devotional life starts from śravana and kīrtana. nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema ‘sādhya’ kabhu naya śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya Translation “Pure love for Kṛṣṇa is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens. (CC Madhya 22.107) The more our heart gets purified by hearing and chanting the holy name, the more we progress in spiritual life. Krsna consciousness is already there in everyone’s heart in a dormant form, we just need to revive it with the help of hearing and chanting the holy name in the association of pure devotees. cheto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam shreyah-kairava-chandrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam anandambhdhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamritasvadanam sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate shri-krishna-sankirtanam Translation Glory to the Shri Krishna sankirtana (congregational chanting of the Lord's holy names), which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. That sankirtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always anxious. (Text 1, Sri Shikshashtakam) With hearing and chanting in association of the devotees, our hearts get cleansed. The more our hearts get cleansed, the more we attain niśthā for holyname. Krsna is situated in everyone’s heart but He is specially favourable to His devotees. As the Lord is seated in everyone’s heart, He cleanses the desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages. tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye ceta etair anāviddhaṁ sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati Translation As soon as irrevocable loving service is established in the heart, the effects of nature’s modes of passion and ignorance, such as lust, desire and hankering, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes completely happy. (ŚB 1.2.19) 2 breads can satisfy one’s hunger but one needs 10 breads due to greed. So one keeps working hard. Therefore, to get rid of lust and greed, we must hear the pastimes of Krsna. Then comes āsakti - attachment with Krsna, then affection and then finally love of God. Lord Himself is giving this knowledge. There is jnāna and vijnāna. Jnāna is theoretical and vijnāna is bhakti or performing devotional services. We should not only get theoretical knowledge but also put that knowledge in use. ye ’nye ’ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho ’nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ Translation Someone may say that aside from devotees, who always seek shelter at the Lord’s lotus feet, there are those who are not devotees but who have accepted different processes for attaining salvation. What happens to them? In answer to this question, Lord Brahmā and the other demigods said:] O lotus-eyed Lord, although nondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances to achieve the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is impure. They fall down from their position of imagined superiority because they have no regard for Your lotus feet. (ŚB 10.2.32) Impersonalists do not believe in the form of the Lord. That is an offense. Krsna is playing His flute with His two hands. He has a beautiful form. So this is a science. We don’t need to speculate about the form of the Lord. We can know about the Lord by the mercy of the Lord only. ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ Translation “ ‘Therefore material senses cannot appreciate Kṛṣṇa’s holy name, form, qualities and pastimes. When a conditioned soul is awakened to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and renders service by using his tongue to chant the Lord’s holy name and taste the remnants of the Lord’s food, the tongue is purified, and one gradually comes to understand who Kṛṣṇa really is.’ (CC Madhya 17.136) vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate Translation Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān. (ŚB 1.2.11) Those who are jnānī, they try to understand God with their so-called knowledge. They are known as nirvīsheh nirākāra. yaṁ brahmā varuṇendra-rudra-marutaḥ stunvanti divyaiḥ stavair vedaiḥ sāṅga-pada-kramopaniṣadair gāyanti yaṁ sāma-gāḥ dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yogino yasyāntaṁ na viduḥ surāsura-gaṇā devāya tasmai namaḥ Translation Sūta Gosvāmī said: Unto that personality whom Brahmā, Varuṇa, Indra, Rudra and the Maruts praise by chanting transcendental hymns and reciting the Vedas with all their corollaries, pada-kramas and Upaniṣads, to whom the chanters of the Sāma Veda always sing, whom the perfected yogīs see within their minds after fixing themselves in trance and absorbing themselves within Him, and whose limit can never be found by any demigod or demon — unto that Supreme Personality of Godhead I offer my humble obeisances. (ŚB 12.13.1) Those who contemplate on the Lord, they see Lord as Paramātmā. And devotees see Krsna as the son of Nanda Maharaj. premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi Translation I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Śyāmasundara, Kṛṣṇa Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love. (Śrī brahma-samhitā 5.38) Those who attained love of godhead, they only see the Lord and nothing else. sthāvara-jaṅgama dekhe, nā dekhe tāra mūrti sarvatra haya nija iṣṭa-deva-sphūrti Translation “The mahā-bhāgavata, the advanced devotee, certainly sees everything mobile and immobile, but he does not exactly see their forms. Rather, everywhere he immediately sees manifest the form of the Supreme Lord.” (CC Madhya 8.274) eka-desa-sthitasyagner jotsna vistarina vathã parasya brähmanah saktih sarvedam akhilam jagat Translation Everything that is manifested within this cosmic world is but the energy of the supreme Lord. As fire emanating from one place diffuses it’s illumination and heat all around, so the Lord, although situated in one place in the spiritual world, manifests His different energies everywhere. Indeed, the whole cosmic creation is composed of different   manifestations of His energy”. (Visnu Purana 1.22.52) One has to have the eyes and love of Godhead to see Krsna. Then only he can see Krsna in a deity. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu fell unconscious by looking at the deity of lord Jagannātha. So only devotees can see Krsna. bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā viśate tad-anantaram Translation One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God. (BG 18.55) Devotional services can bind the Lord and hence, the Lord has to give darshan to His devotees. nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ mūḍho ’yaṁ nābhijānāti loko mām ajam avyayam Translation I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My internal potency, and therefore they do not know that I am unborn and infallible. (BG 7.25) When Prahlāda Mahāraj was getting tortured, Narsimha Deva gave him darshan in the pillar. This way, devotees can see the Lord anywhere and everywhere. While non-devotees can’t see Him even if the Lord is standing in front of him. That’s why we have to understand the science of Krsna consciousness. When we attain love of Godhead, all the austerities get over. As stated in the Pañcarātra: ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kiṁ nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim antar bahir yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kiṁ nāntar bahir yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim Translation “If one is worshiping the Lord properly, what is the use of severe penances? And if one is not properly worshiping the Lord, what is the use of severe penances? If Śrī Kṛṣṇa is realized within and without everything that exists, what is the use of severe penances? And if Śrī Kṛṣṇa is not seen within and without everything, then what is the use of severe penances? dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ notpādayed yadi ratiṁ śrama eva hi kevalam Translation The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead. (ŚB 1.2.8) If one has not attained love of Godhead, then what is the use of performing austerity. sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati Translation The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain the loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self. (ŚB 1.2.6) We always should remember that we are the servants of the Lord. The one who serves the Lord and performs devotional services, he attains liberation. īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṇā manasā girā nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate Translation “He who has the desire to serve the Lord in this world with actions, mind and words is called a liberated jīva in all circumstances.” (Bhakti-rasāmrta-sindhu 1.2.187) nirodho ’syānuśayanam ātmanaḥ saha śaktibhiḥ muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ Translation The merging of the living entity, along with his conditional living tendency, with the mystic lying down of the Mahā-Viṣṇu is called the winding up of the cosmic manifestation. Liberation is the permanent situation of the form of the living entity after he gives up the changeable gross and subtle material bodies. (ŚB 2.10.6) jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’ kṛṣṇera ‘taṭasthā-śakti’ ‘bhedābheda-prakāśa’ sūryāṁśa-kiraṇa, yaiche agni-jvālā-caya svābhāvika kṛṣṇera tina-prakāra ‘śakti’ haya Translation “It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa because he is the marginal energy of Kṛṣṇa and a manifestation simultaneously one with and different from the Lord, like a molecular particle of sunshine or fire. Kṛṣṇa has three varieties of energy. (CC Madhya 20.108-109) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, the constitutional position of jīva or living entity is that he is the eternal servant of Lord Krsna. Those who are engaged in the service of the Lord every time, they are liberated. When they are only serving the Lord and no one else. This is called liberation. So at present one is serving his family, friends, dog, cat. But one has to be fixed in serving Krsna. And then one’s life will be successful. This is the aim of human life. Making big buildings is not the aim of life; for eg, in America there are 102 storeyed buildings, Empire buildings. No, that’s not the success of life. janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna Translation One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna. (BG 4.9) One must understand that Krsna is the master and we are His servants. This is the success of Life. So one must keep chanting the holy names of Krsna. Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare - Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare All of you are vrindavan vasis. So there is not much need to teach you this. kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet Translation My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom. (ŚB 12.3.51) naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī Translation By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact. (ŚB 1.2.18) Theme: Types of Bhāgavata There are two Bhāgavatas. Book Bhāgavata and Person Bhāgavata. Guru is a person Bhāgavata. So hear from him. All the time, not only once. Then one’s heart is purified. Then one can see Krsna. 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. (BG 10.10) We should serve the Lord with all our heart knowing He is our Guru. na tad bhāsayate sūryo na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama Translation That supreme abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by fire or electricity. Those who reach it never return to this material world. (BG 15.6) So this is the message of Bhagavad Gītā to reach to the abode of the Lord, leaving behind the clutches of Birth and Death, and engage ourselves in the devotional services unto the lotus feet of the Lord. Hare Krishna!                  

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