Lecture

Paṅḍāl Lecture

Prabhupāda: [chants maṅgalācaraṅa prayers]

[om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā] cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.]

śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam

[When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?"]

he kṛṣṅa karuṅā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te

[O my dear Kṛṣṅa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṅī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.]

tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari vṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṅamāmi hari-priye

[I offer my respects to Rādhārāṅī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṅa.]

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṅavebhyo namo namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṅava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.]

śrī-kṛṣṅa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

[I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṅa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.]

hare kṛṣṅa hare kṛṣṅa kṛṣṅa kṛṣṅa hare hare hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

[My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.]

[01:20]

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are very much thankful to you for your kindly participating in this great movement, Hare Kṛṣṅa. This Hare Kṛṣṅa movement is especially meant for this age because for self-realization, although there are many methods recommended in Vedic scriptures, in this age the greatest common factor for self-realization is simply chanting this Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra.

Actually, our miserable condition of life is due to our forgetfulness. As I said yesterday, day before yesterday, this material existence is a condemned position of the living entities, exactly like a criminal is placed in the prison house. Now, the whole Vedic literature is meant for getting us liberated from this conditional life.

So far Bhagavad-gītā is concerned, the same aim is there, because at the ultimate instruction, Lord Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66].

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

That is the ultimate goal. We have to come to that point, to surrender unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It may take hundreds of years or hundreds of births, but unless we come to that point, our life is simply frustration, śrama eva hi kevalam.

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said,

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ notpādayed ratiṁ yadi śrama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8]

[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.]

You can execute... You may have some particular type of religious system which you are following. It doesn't matter. But if that following your religious system, if you do not come to the point of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or if you do not become interested in the matter of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you should know it that your performances of all religious ritualistic ceremonies are simply waste of time.

So how to come to the point of surrendering to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is taught in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. So I shall... I have given you some introduction to the Bhagavad-gītā, that this Bhagavad-gītā contains subject matter relating to God, to the living entity—īśvara, jīva—and prakṛti, and the time factor, and karma.

Now, in the beginning, the six chapters in the Bhagavad-gītā are simply devoted to understand what is the constitutional position of the jīva. The living entities are eternal. That is stated in the Second Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā: dehino 'smin yathā dehe... [Bg 2.13].

[As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.]

[break] ...man's body. So... But I am the same. I can remember some of the incidences of my childhood, of my boyhood, of my youthhood. Therefore I am permanent. That is the real understanding of the living entity. These things have been explained very vividly.

And in the Sixth Chapter Lord Kṛṣṅa recommended how to practice yoga. Yoga is the beginning of linking up our lost relationship with the Lord, yoga. Yoga means adding, addition, or linking. Because we are now forgotten... The yoga system, any yoga system, means... Bhakti-yoga, karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga—there are different names of yogas—but actual fact is how to link up our lost relationship with the Supreme Lord. That is called yoga. Yoga indriya-samyamaḥ.

Indriya. Because we are being deviated from our eternal relationship with God, Kṛṣṅa, on account of our too much being engaged in sense gratification. Bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayāpahṛta-cetasām [Bg 2.44].

[In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination of devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not take place.]

Lord says, Kṛṣṅa says, "Those who are too much after bhoga and aiśvarya, material enjoyment and material opulence," prasaktānāṁ tayāpahṛta-cetasām, "whose heart has been taken away by the process of sense gratification, for them, it is very difficult to be situated in samādhi." Bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayāpahṛta-cetasām.

So yoga, yoga means to control the senses. Those who are too much in the bodily concept of life, for them, this haṭha-yoga is prescribed just to control the sense by some mechanical way. You sit down, āsana, prāṅāyāma, dhyāna, dhāraṅā, pratyāhāra—there are eight different stages of fulfilling the yoga practice—and then coming to the position of samādhi. Samādhi means fully situated in Kṛṣṅa consciousness. That is real samādhi.

Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gata-manasā. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gata-manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ. This is the definition of yogīs. They are in meditation, and the mind, being absorbed in the thought of Viṣṅu, and yaṁ paśyanti yoginaḥ. The yoginaḥ, by controlling the senses, concentrating the mind upon Viṣṅu, they become yogī. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gata-manasā: mind is absorbed in the thought of Viṣṅu. That is perfection of yoga.

So that is one method. Those who are too much, I mean to say, thinking of this body, for them, this haṭha-yoga system is prescribed. But the aim of that haṭha-yoga system is to see or search out the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or Paramātmā. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg 18.61].

[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.]

The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, and by this yoga practice, by samādhi, one is situated constantly seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead Viṣṅu. That is samādhi.

But there is another method, supreme method. That will be explained in the Seventh Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā. At the end of the Sixth Chapter the conclusion is,

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ madgatenāntarātmanā śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ [Bg 6.47]

[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]

"Anyone who is always thinking of Me within his mind," śraddhāvān, "not mechanically, but with faith and love," śraddhā, and bhajate—bhajate means bhaja sevayam, engaged in the service—"such person is the first-class yogī." That is recommended by Kṛṣṅa. And in the bhakti-yoga system, the same thing is also recommended:

premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti yam śyāmasundaram acintya-guṅa-svarūpaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs 5.38]

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Śyāmasundara, Kṛṣṅa 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.]

This is spoken in the Brahma-saṁhitā by Lord Brahmā. He says that "The devotee whose eyes are smeared with the ointment of love of Godhead..." Just like we sometimes use surma for clarifying our eyesight, similarly, one whose eyesight is purified...

We have to purify the position of our senses in order to perceive. With our present senses, materialistic senses, we cannot understand Kṛṣṅa, or God. It is not possible. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṅa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc Madhya 17.136].

[Therefore material senses cannot appreciate Kṛṣṅa’s holy name, form, qualities and pastimes. When a conditioned soul is awakened to Kṛṣṅa 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 Kṛṣṅa really is.]

He is not... Kṛṣṅa is not perceivable by our material senses. "Then why you are troubling so much, because you have nothing but material senses?" No. It can be purified. How it can be purified? By love of God.

When you evolve your dormant love of Godhead, your vision becomes different. That is called premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs 5.38]. They are also yogīs. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ [Bg 6.47].

[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]

The same process. Either you go through the haṭha-yoga process or jñāna-yoga process, the ultimate goal is Kṛṣṅa, ultimate goal is Viṣṅu. And if we miss this point, then... The Bhāgavata says that you do not know what is your ultimate goal of life. Bhāgavata says,

na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṅuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ [SB 7.5.31]

[Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Viṣṅu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.]

So the verdict of all śāstras, Vedic literature, is aiming how to understand Kṛṣṅa. That is the version of all Vedas. So Kṛṣṅa here in the Seventh Chapter, recommending personally. Kṛṣṅa is teaching the process how you can understand Kṛṣṅa. You haven't got to learn some art and method how to understand Kṛṣṅa from anyone else. You can understand directly from Kṛṣṅa. That is the process.

The Bhāgavata says, athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi [SB 10.14.29].

[My Lord, if one is favored by even a slight trace of the mercy of Your lotus feet, he can understand the greatness of Your personality. But those who speculate to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead are unable to know You, even though they continue to study the Vedas for many years.]

Without Kṛṣṅa's mercy, nobody can understand Kṛṣṅa. That is the process. The Vedas also says, nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.23]:

[The Supreme Lord is not attained by expert explanations, by vast intelligence, nor even by much hearing. He is attained only by one who He Himself chooses. To such a person He manifests His own form.]

"One cannot understand the Supreme Soul simply by lecturing." Pravacanena. If one is very expert in lecturing, it does not mean that he has realized Kṛṣṅa. Na medhayā.

Or if one has very good brain—a great scientist, great philosopher—he can understand Kṛṣṅa? Veda says, "No." Na medhayā na bahunā śrutena: "If one is very learned in Vedic literature, he also cannot understand Kṛṣṅa." But one who is favored by Kṛṣṅa or when Kṛṣṅa reveals Himself to somebody, being satisfied with his devotional service, he can understand Kṛṣṅa; nobody else.

Therefore the process ultimately comes to the bhakti-yoga. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg 18.55].

[One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.]

In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find that nobody understands Kṛṣṅa.

manuṣyāṅāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ [Bg 7.3]

[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]

To understand Kṛṣṅa in truth, tattvataḥ, it is very difficult. Out of many hundreds and thousands of people try to make his life successful by spiritual advancement, by accepting so many processes, jñāna-yoga, karma-yoga, dhyāna-yoga. And out of many perfect persons..., or, not perfect; out of many persons who have succeeded in such processes, one may understand Kṛṣṅa. That is difficult also.

So without Kṛṣṅa's mercy... The conclusion is: without Kṛṣṅa's mercy, nobody can understand Kṛṣṅa. Therefore it is futile to explain Kṛṣṅa, to comment on Bhagavad-gītā, without being a devotee of Kṛṣṅa. That is a fact. It is not that because one is very learned scholar or because one is very learned scientist or philosopher...

Without any Kṛṣṅa consciousness, it is not possible for him to understand Kṛṣṅa. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, na cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan [SB 10.14.29].

Others, they may go on speculating for thousands and thousands of years; still, they will not be able to understand what is Kṛṣṅa.

Therefore Kṛṣṅa, in the Seventh Chapter, He is teaching how to understand Kṛṣṅa, how to realize Him. That realization, He says,

mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṅu [Bg 7.1]

"My dear Arjuna, now I shall speak to you how you can understand Me thoroughly." Of course, it is not possible to understand Kṛṣṅa thoroughly. That is not possible. But still, as far as our knowledge is concerned, we can get an idea of Kṛṣṅa if we follow these instructions. Kṛṣṅa is unlimited; we are limited. Therefore, however we may become advanced, it is not possible for us to understand the Unlimited. That's a fact. But still, we can understand to some extent by the mercy of Kṛṣṅa, not otherwise.

Therefore Kṛṣṅa says, mayy āsakta-manāḥ. One has to develop his mind being always attached to Kṛṣṅa. Āsakta. Āsakta means attachment. This āsakti is also not attained very easily, but there is a process. If we follow the process, as recommended by the authorities, then there is way. And one who is serious to understand God, or Kṛṣṅa, they must follow the methods prescribed by the mahājanas. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc Madhya 17.186].

[Dry arguments are inconclusive. A great personality whose opinion does not differ from others is not considered a great sage. Simply by studying the Vedas, which are variegated, one cannot come to the right path by which religious principles are understood. The solid truth of religious principles is hidden in the heart of an unadulterated self-realized person. Consequently, as the śāstras confirm, one should accept whatever progressive path the mahājanas advocate.]

If you follow the footsteps of great personalities, great ācāryas, then that is the way. You don't manufacture your own way. Then you will be frustrated. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ.

So who can be greater mahājana than Kṛṣṅa? All mahājanas, they are great devotees of Kṛṣṅa; therefore they have become mahājanas. Just like Svayambhū, Lord Brahmā, Nārada Muni... Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ [SB 6.3.20].

[Lord Brahmā, Bhagavān Nārada, Lord Śiva, the four Kumāras, Lord Kapila [the son of Devahūti], Svāyambhuva Manu, Prahlāda Mahārāja, Janaka Mahārāja, Grandfather Bhīṣma, Bali Mahārāja, Śukadeva Gosvāmī and I myself know the real religious principle. My dear servants, this transcendental religious principle, which is known as bhāgavata-dharma, or surrender unto the Supreme Lord and love for Him, is uncontaminated by the material modes of nature. It is very confidential and difficult for ordinary human beings to understand, but if by chance one fortunately understands it, he is immediately liberated, and thus he returns home, back to Godhead.]

Śambhu, Lord Śiva. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilaḥ kaumāraḥ, kapilo manuḥ. Kaumāra, the four Kumāras, Sanat Kumāra, Sunanda, these four Kumāras.

And kumāraḥ kapila, Kapiladeva, the original propounder of Sāṅkhya philosophy, Kapiladeva; and Manu, you know, Manu-saṁhitā, the law-giver to the mankind, Svayambhuva Manu, Manu. And Prahlāda Mahārāja, whose instructions we were discussing in the morning. Prahlādo janaka-rāja bhīṣma, the grandfather of the Kurus. Vaiyāsaki, Śukadeva Gosvāmī; or Bali Mahārāja, a grandson of Prahlāda Mahārāja, he is also an authority. And Yamarāja, he is also authority.

So we have to follow these authorities. Otherwise, dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām [Cc Madhya 17.186, Mahābhārata, Vana-pārva 313.117]:

we cannot understand the secrecy of religion. So all these twelve mahājanas, they are great devotees of the Lord. Therefore they have become mahājanas, authorized persons.

Now here Kṛṣṅa, in the Bhagavad-gītā, taking compassion on the fallen souls of the Kali-yuga, He is personally instructing. How much fortunate we are. Although we are born in this age, fallen Age of Kali-yuga, still, we are so much fortunate that Kṛṣṅa personally is taking interest how to teach us. He comes personally as He is, Lord Kṛṣṅa. And still, when He is misunderstood, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ [Bg 9.11],

[Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.]

again He comes as a devotee, Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya was detected by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī:

namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṅa-prema-pradāya te kṛṣṅāya kṛṣṅa-caitanya- nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ [Cc Madhya 19.53]

[O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṅa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṅa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṅī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṅa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.]

He understood that Lord Caitanya is no other than Lord Kṛṣṅa Himself, but He has appeared as a devotee just to deliver love of Kṛṣṅa to everyone. Kṛṣṅa-prema-pradāya te. Kṛṣṅa-prema, love of Godhead, love of Kṛṣṅa, one who delivers, one who gives in charity the love of Godhead, he is called mahā-vadānya, the greatest of all munificent persons. Namo mahā-vadānyāya.

So there is a program of Kṛṣṅa. Sometimes He comes Himself, sometimes He comes as a devotee, sometimes He leaves behind Him instruction like Bhagavad-gītā, and sometimes He authorizes somebody to preach this cult. Of course, anyone who is a sincere devotee, he is authorized. That Kṛṣṅa, as Lord Caitanya, has said personally: āmāra ajñāya guru hañā tāra ei [Cc Madhya 7.128].

[Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.]

Our only business is to follow the superior. Just like a faithful servant, if he simply follows the instruction of the master, then he is perfect. If he does not adulterate the instruction of the master, then he's perfect.

It is not that those who are preaching this Kṛṣṅa cult, they are all perfect. There may be many deficiencies. Any conditional soul has got four deficiencies naturally. He is to commit mistake. However great man he may be, surely, because he is conditional soul, he'll commit mistake. You know. In our country Mahatma Gandhi, he was a great man undoubtedly, but he also committed mistake, so what to speak of us? A conditioned soul must commit mistake.

And he must be illusioned. To accept something as something else, that is called illusion. Just like illusion, best example of illusion, is given that māyā-marīcika, to accept water in the desert. An animal sees that there is water in the desert, and being thirsty, he goes after the water, but the water also makes progress, and he also makes progress. In this way he dies. That is called illusion. Actually there is no water, but he is fleeing after water.

So for conditioned soul these are the defects: he is to commit mistake, he is illusioned, and he has got a cheating propensity also. Everyone is thinking in transaction that "I have cheated that man very nicely. In business transaction I have gained; he has lost." And of all the deficiency, most important deficiency is that our senses are imperfect. We say, "I want to see God," but we forget that our eyes are so imperfect that I cannot see in the nearest eyelid. As soon as I close my eyes, I do not see the eyelid. This is the power of my seeing. Therefore we should not be so much proud of our seeing power that we'll say that "I want to see God. Can you show me God?" This is not possible.

So these four deficiencies of conditioned soul are there; therefore we cannot have perfect knowledge by our mental speculation. That is not possible. We have to receive knowledge from authorities. That is the process. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc Madhya 17.186].

If we receive knowledge... Our process is that we are trying to receive knowledge from Kṛṣṅa, the greatest mahājana, the greatest authority, and if we follow the instruction of Kṛṣṅa, then we are perfect. The same example, as Kṛṣṅa Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,

āmāra ajñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṅa'-upadeśa [Cc Madhya 7.128]

This is necessary. It is not that you have to become completely perfect by following certain process. If you simply perfectly follow the instruction of Kṛṣṅa, then you become perfect. That is required. Don't adulterate. Then you'll never become perfect. Other processes—yoga, dhyāna, karma, jñāna... There are many processes to make oneself perfect, but even becoming perfect, you cannot understand Kṛṣṅa. Yoginām... Manuṣyāṅāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye [Bg 7.3].

[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]

Siddhaye means perfection. Yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ. Even you become perfect, still, it is doubtful whether you have understood Kṛṣṅa. This is the position.

Therefore the conclusion is that if you simply follow the perfect instruction of Kṛṣṅa, then automatically you become perfect, however imperfect you may be. That is our duty. It is not very difficult. Just like a child, a boy, a child, he's asking father, "My dear father, what is this?" An intelligent child questions like that. The father explains, "This is this," and the child accepts. Then his knowledge is perfect. Why the child should endeavor to understand [indistinct] things as it is? It will take long, long years. And it may not be perfect. But if he accepts the instruction of the father or mother, immediately he becomes perfect.

There are many other examples. Just like a child wants to know who is father. The mother says, "My dear child, this gentleman is your father"—that is perfect knowledge. But if the child wants to research who is his father, it is impossible to find out. Similarly, if we want to know the supreme father, Kṛṣṅa, or God, we have to take instruction from the supreme father, not speculating, just like by speculating we cannot understand our ordinary father without the instruction of mother. If you go on speculating, "He may be my father. He may be my father. He may be father," go on speculating, but you will never understand who is your father. But you accept the authoritative statement of your mother, that "He is your father"—that is perfect knowledge.

That process should be accepted. Otherwise, our position is very precarious.

ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṅa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ [Cc Madhya 17.136]

These our present senses are very blunt, imperfect. It is to be purified by sevonmukha, being eager to serve Lord Kṛṣṅa. Then our senses will be purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc Madhya 19.170].

[Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.]

Nirmalam means without any contamination. At the present moment our senses are contaminated. I am thinking in so many different consciousness. I am thinking in consciousness of nationality, community, society, friendship—so many ways—but without Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Therefore our consciousness is impure.

We have to be freed from all the designated consciousness. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "I am not a brāhmaṅa. I am not a kṣatriya. I am not a sannyāsī. I am not a brahmacārī. I am not a gṛhastha." In this way He denied His identity to all these eight kinds of forms and stages, varṅāśrama. Then He said that gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc Madhya 13.80]:

[I am not a brāhmaṅa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a vaiśya or a śūdra. Nor am I a brahmacārī, a householder, a vānaprastha or a sannyāsī. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa, the maintainer of the gopīs. He is like an ocean of nectar, and He is the cause of universal transcendental bliss. He is always existing with brilliance.’]

"I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṅa, who is maintainer of the gopīs." This is the identification of Caitanya.

So we have to follow the mahājanas, great personalities, or a great devotee like Caitanya Mahā..., that "I am also the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṅa." That is our real identity. This is called mukti, liberation. As soon as we understand that "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṅa," this identification is ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am not this."

Brahmāsmi, this concept of life, that "I do not belong to this material world. I am Brahman. I am spirit soul..." So without being spirit soul, how we can become servant of the Supreme Spirit? Just like without being fire, you cannot remain in the fire, similarly, without becoming Brahman, how we can serve the Supreme Brahman? So this is Brahman realization. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc Madhya 19.170].

Now, after being purified, what is your position? Not that you become imperson. There are philosophers, that when one becomes identified with Brahman, he becomes immediately imperson. No. We keep our personality. We are never impersons. All of us are individual. Kṛṣṅa is individual. We are sitting here. We are all individual. So we keep our individuality, but our senses become purified. That is called mukti.

The Bhāgavata gives the definition of mukti: mukti hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṅa vyavasthitiḥ [SB 2.10.6].

[The merging of the living entity, along with his conditional living tendency, with the mystic lying down of the Mahā-Viṣṅu 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.]

What is mukti? Mukti means when one gives up his engagement, activities, hitvā anyathā rūpam, identifying himself with something material, and he is engaged in his own original, constitutional position, and that is called mukti. The original constitutional position is every living entity is a part and parcel of the Supreme Person.

I have given you several times example—this is stated in the śāstras also—just like this finger is my part and parcel of this body. It is the duty of the finger to serve the whole body. I want to do like that; the finger helps me. That is the duty of the finger. If the finger cannot do it, then it is to be understood that he is diseased. It is diseased. As soon as the finger cannot give me regular service, it is to be understood that it is diseased. Similarly, any person who is not giving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is diseased, materially diseased. He has to be cured.

Therefore the śāstra says, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc Madhya 19.170].

Just suppose I am a great patriot. I am giving service to my country. That's very good. But I am creating many enemies at the same time, because there are other persons who are also interested with their country or community. Therefore that kind of service is not perfect. That is service with designation, because I am thinking... I am spirit soul, I am Brahman, I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa, or God, but I am thinking that "I am servant of this country, this community, this society, this..." so many things.

So one has to become free from the designation. Then his senses will be purified. At that time, with that purified senses, when he renders service to the Lord, that is called bhakti. That is called bhakti. Bhakti is not a sentiment. It is practical. It is practical, to engage... Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is certified by Kṛṣṅa as bhakto 'si, "My devotee." Does it mean that he was sitting idly? Eh? He has gone to Himalaya? No. He was serving Kṛṣṅa personally as a fighter. That is required. That is bhakti.

Some gentleman criticized, "Swāmījī, your bhakti cult will make people dull, because they will simply sit down and chant Hare Kṛṣṅa." And "No, you have not seen a bhakta. You are misguided," I replied. In our India, two histories are there: the history of Rāmāyaṅa and the history of Mahābhārata. And there was two great battles: fight with Rāvaṅa and Kurukṣetra fighting. In these two fighting the heroes were Vaiṣṅavas: Hanumānjī and Arjuna. They are still worshiped as the great Vaiṣṅavas, Vajrāṅgajī and Arjuna.

So it is a mistake. Here is the definition of bhakti: tat-paratvena nirmalam, "When your senses are purified by devotional service." Not that your senses are wiped out in mukti. No. The senses are there. It cannot be wiped out. Simply it is purified. Just like if you have got some disease—the same example—in your finger, it is painful.

You cannot render service. But when the finger is cured by treatment from the disease, it again gives service. Similarly, those who are not engaged in the service of the Lord, Kṛṣṅa, they are supposed to be diseased. The degree may be different, that one is very highly diseased, another is very slightly diseased. It doesn't matter. But he is diseased.

Therefore this is the curing method. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc Madhya 19.170].

Kṛṣṅa says to Arjuna, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66].

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

When He says? When he was cured of the disease. Kṛṣṅa asked him... [break] [end]

Paṅḍāl Lecture

Referenced verses