Bhagavad-gītā As It Is

Bhagavad-gītā 7.9

Prabhupāda:

...jīvanaṁ sarva-bhūtānām jīvanaṁ sarva-bhūteṣu tapaś cāsmi tapasviṣu [Bg 7.9]

[I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics.]

So if we want to realize God, it is very simple; there is no difficulty. But unfortunately we do not want. That is our disease. Somebody has objection to go to the temple: "Why shall I go to the temple?" That's all right, you do not go to the temple, but what is the harm to think of Kṛṣṅa, or God, when you drink water?

What is the loss? Suppose while you are drinking water, and as it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya [Bg 7.8],

[O son of Kuntī [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.]

that taste, that nice taste of water, is God. So if we remember, smaraṅaṁ... Smaraṅaṁ is one of the process of devotional service.

śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ smaraṅaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam [SB 7.5.23]

[Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṅu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṅa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.]

So we can adopt either of all these processes—one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. Even one is sufficient. If you cannot execute the nine different processes, one is also sufficient. It is so easy.

Just like Parīkṣit Mahārāja, he was warned that within seven days he will meet with death. He was cursed by so-called brāhmaṅa boy. He was cursed. Parīkṣit Mahārāja accepted that, and he was preparing himself for death. That is our Vedic process: until the next death comes, we have to prepare ourself for the next birth. Not that we shall die like cats and dogs. No. There is a chain of progressive march, from aquatics to plant life, trees' life, then insect life, then birds' life, then beasts' life, then human form of life.

Then you can promote further yourself to the higher planetary system: Tapaloka, Janaloka, Svargaloka, Maharloka, there are human beings. They are also human being, but with great intellect, the standard of happiness better, far, far better, thousand times better. As you go more and more on the upper planetary system, you get more and more standard of living, higher, up to Brahmaloka. But nowhere you can get immortality. That is not possible. If you want immortality, then you will have to go to the Vaikuṅṭhaloka, far, far away from this material world.

paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ [Bg 8.20]

That is sanātanaḥ dharma.

So anywhere you like, you can go, but you have to prepare yourself. They are trying to go to the moon planet, but it is not so easy. Moon planet, so far we get information from the Vedic literature, that is also one of the heavenly planets. There the inhabitants live for ten thousands of years. These descriptions are there. Now, how you can enter moon planet without being qualified for it? Suppose if you want to go to America, they have got their immigration department, and they very scrutinizingly, they examine whether you can be admitted as an immigrant or citizen, or even as visitor.

So if so much restrictions are there within this planet, how do you expect there is no restriction and you can enter the higher planetary system by your whim? It is not possible. Why do you think like that, that there is no human being or intelligence? These are false assumption. Śāstra-cakṣurvat: you have to see through the śāstras. What I am speaking, not that I have gone to the higher planetary system, but I am speaking from my knowledge received from the Vedic literature, that's all. Śāstra-cakṣurvat. Therefore the injunction is that you should see through the śāstras. Otherwise it is not possible.

So in the Bhagavad-gītā it is also said, yānti deva-vratā devān [Bg 9.25].

[Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me.]

Devān, Devaloka. This is called Bhuloka. Above this, the planetary system is called Bhuvarloka, then Svargaloka, then Janaloka, then Maharloka. In this way there are different status of higher planetary system, and lower also—Tala, Atala, Vitala, Talātala, Pātāla, Rasātala, like that. These are descriptions.

So who goes to the upper planetary system and who goes to the lower planetary system, or lower grades of life, that is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā [Bg 14.18].

[Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.]

Sattva-sthā: those that are situated in the modes of goodness, they are promoted to the higher planetary system. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā, madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ: those who are under the modes of passion, they remain here. And those that are under the modes of ignorance, they go to the lower planetary system or to the animal kingdom. So we understand from Vedic literature these things are there.

In another place it is said,

yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām [Bg 9.25]

Now if you want to go to the planetary system where Kṛṣṅa, Nārāyaṅa, are residing, Vaikuṅṭha planet, then you have to prepare like that. You have to become a devotee. Without devotion you cannot understand where the Vaikuṅṭha planetary systems are. That is also described in the Bhagavad-gītā: 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.]

Kṛṣṅa says, "Only by devotional service one can understand Me." Kṛṣṅa says. The karmīs, jñānīs, yogīs, they can be elevated to the higher planetary system. Karmīs can go up to the Svargaloka; the jñānīs can go to the Janaloka, Maharloka; and the bhaktas, they can go to the Vaikuṅṭha planets or Kṛṣṅaloka. These are the description.

yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām [Bg 9.25]

So there are many so-called svāmīs, they say that whichever form of God you worship, you are elevated to the same place. The demigods, the forms of the demigods, generally they worship, just like Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, Goddess Durgā, Kālī, Gaṅeśa, they have also got their different planetary system. But Bhagavad-gītā says, yānti deva-vratā devān. Deva-vratā, those who are worshiping demigods, they will be promoted to the respective planetary system. Mad-yājino 'pi mām. It is not that if you worship goddess Kālī or Durgā you go to Vaikuṅṭha.

That is not possible. We don't find these things in the Vedic literature. It is very practical to understand. If you purchase a ticket for going to Delhi, how you can go to Calcutta? Similarly, if you are preparing yourself for going to the moon planet, how you can go to the sun planet? Or if you are preparing to go to the sun planet, how you can go to the Satyaloka, Brahmaloka, like that, the highest?

So Kṛṣṅa says, jīvanaṁ sarva-bhūteṣu tapaś cāsmi tapasviṣu [Bg 7.9].

[I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics.]

So all these planetary systems are attainable by tapasya—not very easily. Tapasya. You have to prepare yourself. Without being prepared, you will not be allowed. The same example: if you want to go to some nice country even within this planet, you have to prepare yourself for passport, visa and other, bank balance, P-form. So many things. So the tapasya is performed for being promoted to the higher planetary system. But the best tapasya is to be promoted to the Vaikuṅṭhaloka. Tapo divyaṁ [SB 5.5.1].

[Lord Ṛṣabhadeva told His sons: My dear boys, of all the living entities who have accepted material bodies in this world, one who has been awarded this human form should not work hard day and night simply for sense gratification, which is available even for dogs and hogs that eat stool. One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one's heart is purified, and when one attains this position, he attains eternal, blissful life, which is transcendental to material happiness and which continues forever.]

Ṛṣabhadeva says that if you are undergoing tapasya, then you perform it for going back to home, back to Godhead. Tapasya means…Tapa means voluntarily accepting some uncomfortable position. There are description, you know, that sometimes tapasya is performed in summer season in the midst of fire. In the summer season already the temperature is very great, and still some tapasi, they sit down within the blazing fire, an all-round fire. And similarly, in winter season they dip up to the neck in the water and chant Gāyatrī mantra and other mantras.

So there are different processes of tapasya, which is called kṛtya[?]-sādhana, very difficult execution of spiritual life. But in this age these things are like stories; it is not possible. Sometimes they say, "We shall go to Himalaya and execute tapasya there," but it is very, very difficult. It is not possible. And Kṛṣṅa knows that in this age, when people are of very short duration of life, prāyeṅālpāyuṣaḥ... [SB 1.1.10].

[O learned one, in this iron Age of Kali men almost always have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed.]

At the present moment our duration of life is not very long. Nobody lives hundred years. Formerly people…, I have seen my grandmother died at the age of ninety-six. So my father died at the age of eighty-four. But gradually it is reducing. Perhaps we may not go so far. Maybe. It is all depends on Kṛṣṅa also, will. But generally the duration of life is reducing; memory is reducing; strength is reducing; compassion, kindness, reducing. At the present moment, if on the high road we see somebody is being killed, nobody takes sympathy. "What is the use of taking botheration?" At least this is going on in the Western countries. They don't care.

So sympathy, compassion, mercifulness, duration of life, strength of the body, memory—all these things are now reduced. Gradually they are reducing. This is the Age of Kali. Besides that, we are very slow. Human life is meant for God-realization, but we are not very serious about it. Mandāḥ. Mandāḥ means very slow. And sumanda-matayo: and even one is not slow, he will accept something bogus. If somebody says bogus thing, that is very easily accepted, and if sometimes something is said authorizedly, from Vedic literature, people are not very much interested. If somebody says that "I will give you a special mantra. Within six months you will become God," oh, that is very welcome. And as soon as one is directed to undergo tapasya, tapasya, eh… Tapasya, here it is said, tapaś cāsmi tapasviṣu. If one is advised to become a tapasi, that is not possible. At the same time, nobody can become tapasi in this age, due to so many disadvantages.

Therefore in this Kali-yuga śāstra has given us concession that in this age, simply if you chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra without any offense—or with offense, never mind; you will gradually becoming offenseless by chanting and chanting—then gradually you develop all your spiritual consciousness without any difficulty. This is the only recommendation for the people in this age. There is no difficulty, there is no cost. And if there is any gain, why don't you try for it, by chanting this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṅa, Hare Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa Kṛṣṅa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare?

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā [Cc Ādi 17.21]

[In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.]

Three times—it is in the Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṅa—three times it has been stressed: there is no other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative.

"No other alternative" means karma, jñāna, yoga. You cannot achieve success by the path of karma-kāṅḍīya-vicāra. In the Vedas there are three kinds of processes: karma-kāṅḍa, jñāna-kāṅḍa, upāsanā-kāṅḍa. Therefore Vedas are sometimes known as trayī: three different. So here it is said, nāsty eva, nāsty eva, nāsty eva gatir anyathā.

If you think by karma-kāṅḍa process you will make your life successful, it is said no: nāsty eva. If you think that by jñāna-kāṅḍa process you will make your life successful, then again, nāsty eva. If you think by upāsanā-kāṅḍa you will make your life successful, that is also nāsty eva. That is not possible. Karma-kāṅḍa means sacrificing big, big…, performing big, big sacrifices, yajña. Yajña dāna-tapasya: either by performing big sacrifices or by giving in charity, yajña dāna-tapasya, or by undergoing severe austerities. Those that have got money, they can give in charity to the proper person—not charity for the sake of name or without any knowledge.

There are three kinds of charities also. If you give in charity to the proper place, dātavyam [Bg 17.20], then you are spiritually elevated. If you give charity with a motive, that "I shall get good name" or "I shall get some benefit," that is in the modes of passion. And charity given without any consideration... Suppose you give in charity to a rascal, thief, that means you encourage him to commit sinful activities by stealing. So you shall be responsible. But if you give in charity to a nice brāhmaṅa or Vaiṣṅava… Because actual qualified brāhmaṅa or Vaiṣṅava, they are engaged in Kṛṣṅa’s service. They have no other occupation. Therefore whatever charity you give, your money will be engaged in the service of Kṛṣṅa, so you get the benefit. That is called dātavyam—that hear, you should, you must. That is sāttvika.

So these are all described in the Bhagavad-gītā. If we read carefully we can understand all the processes of self-realization, and we may make our choice. But here Kṛṣṅa says, tapaś cāsmi tapasviṣu. That means that "I am the ultimate goal. I am the ultimate goal for the tapasi." If you are undergoing different types of austerities and penance, it is to be understood that you are searching after Kṛṣṅa. And ultimately, by your successful execution of penances, you will meet Kṛṣṅa. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says, tapaś cāsmi tapasviṣu.

So tapasya we should accept for searching out Kṛṣṅa—not tapasya for sense gratification. Just like a tapasi is undergoing severe austerities, similarly an ordinary man is going to work in the factory from six to evening six, or more than that. This is also a type of tapasya, because tapasya means voluntarily accepting some unfavorable condition, not very comfortable position. That is called tapasya. So one has to work very hard in the factory, day and night, that is also tapasya.

That tapasya for sense gratification, that is not recommended. The recommendation is tapo divyaṁ: undergo penances and austerities for divyaṁ. Divyaṁ means for spiritual realization. Then what will be the result? The result will be tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattvam. If you undergo severe austerities for self-realization or God-realization, then your existence will be purified, yena śuddhyet sattvam existence. Now my existence, your existence is depending on this body, but this body is not pure. Therefore we have to give up this body and we have to accept another body. But if you purify your existence, the next birth you will get such a body, you will never be envious.

yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg 15.6]

These are…, these things are there. Therefore tapo divyaṁ. If we at all undergo severe austerities, not for manufacturing lethal weapon but for self-realization, and that will make my existence purified. And what is the result of being purified? Now, yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam [SB 5.5.1].

Brahmā-saukhyaṁ.

We are all hankering after happiness, but any happiness within this material world, that is temporary. But if you attain brahma-saukhyaṁ, brahma happiness, then that is anantam: it will never end; it will be ramante yogino ’nante [Cc Madhya 9.29].

[The Supreme Absolute Truth is called Rāma because the transcendentalists take pleasure in the unlimited true pleasure of spiritual existence.]

That is eternal, perpetual happiness, blissful life.

So human form of life is meant for this realization, mānuṣyam artha-dam [SB 11.9.29].

[After many, many births and deaths one achieves the rare human form of life, which, although temporary, affords one the opportunity to attain the highest perfection. Thus a sober human being should quickly endeavor for the ultimate perfection of life as long as his body, which is always subject to death, has not fallen down and died. After all, sense gratification is available even in the most abominable species of life, whereas Kṛṣṅa consciousness is possible only for a human being.]

This mānuṣyam, this human form of life, is meant for giving you something substantial, artha-dam. Not artha-dam means to get some hundreds of millions of dollars. Artha-dam means that you get eternal life, eternal blissful life. That is artha-dam. That can be achieved within the duration of this human form of life simply by executing the different processes of devotional service.

śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ smaraṅaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam [SB 7.5.23]

Simply by hearing. Just like we are discussing here Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā. If you kindly come here and if you continue to hear, then all perfection you will get. You don't require to be a Sanskrit scholar or very educated or scholar or rich—nothing. Ahaituky apratihatā [SB 1.2.6].

[The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.]

All these material conditions, neither they can help you, nor they can stop you from your spiritual progress of life, it is so nice.

Simply that is recommended by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that because in this age people are very much embarrassed, they cannot adopt any prescribed method of self-realization. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended that you remain in your position. It does not matter what you are—you may be a very great scholar, or you may be illiterate, you may be medical man or engineer or ordinary man—it doesn't matter. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ [SB 10.14.3].

[Those who, even while remaining situated in their established social positions, throw away the process of speculative knowledge and with their body, words and mind offer all respects to descriptions of Your personality and activities, dedicating their lives to these narrations, which are vibrated by You personally and by Your pure devotees, certainly conquer Your Lordship, although You are otherwise unconquerable by anyone within the three worlds.]

You remain in your position; there is no need of change. San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām [SB 10.14.3]: we have to simply hear from the right source the message of Kṛṣṅa. That will be sufficient, simply by hearing.

Parīkṣit Mahārāja, as I told you, Parīkṣit Mahārāja, for seven days he simply heard from Śukadeva Gosvāmī. He did not execute any other form of devotional service, he simply give aural reception to the words received from Śukadeva Gosvāmī. That is called śravaṅam. And similarly, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he simply chanted Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He got a nice audience, nice student like Parīkṣit Mahārāja, and he went on speaking or chanting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So both of them, the hearer and the chanter, got perfection.

So Parīkṣit Mahārāja got perfection simply by hearing, and Śukadeva Gosvāmī got perfection simply by chanting. So śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ: about Lord Viṣṅu, or Kṛṣṅa. And then smaraṅaṁ. Smaraṅaṁ: Prahlāda Mahārāja. His father tortured him like anything, and he was simply remembering Nārāyaṅa: "All right, let my father torture me." So he simply remembered. Śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ, smaraṅaṁ pāda-sevanam. Pāda-sevanam… Goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, she attained perfection simply by massaging the lotus feet of Viṣṅu. You have seen the picture: she is engaged in giving service to the lotus feet of Viṣṅu. This is called pāda-sevanam. Śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ smaraṅaṁ pāda-sevanam.

Arcanaṁ: Pṛthu Mahārāja. Just like this is called arcana, Deity worship. So if you engage yourself in Deity worship, you get perfection. And if you engage in Deity worship, in hearing, in chanting, in remember—what to speak of—then you are sure. Either of them or all of them, all facilities are there. Arjuna: sakhyam. Arjuna made friendship with Kṛṣṅa, and he got the highest perfection. Kṛṣṅa certified: bhakto 'si, priyo 'si. This friendship, sometimes between friends there are some loose words, so sometimes fight, sometimes insulting—that is not insult; that is love.

So Arjuna had all these affairs with Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa… Arjuna wanted to marry Kṛṣṅa’s sister. Arjuna could understand…, Kṛṣṅa could understand that "My friend is attached with My sister," but His elder brother, Balarāma, was not agreeable. So Kṛṣṅa arranged, advised Arjuna to kidnap His sister. Just see how much Kṛṣṅa is affectionate to His devotee. In any way.

You try to worship Kṛṣṅa in either of these nine ways, you get Kṛṣṅa within your hand. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau [Bs 5.33]:

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the Vedas, but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal puruṣa; yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth.]

you cannot understand Kṛṣṅa by studying Vedas. It is very difficult. Of course, the aim of Vedas is to know Kṛṣṅa, but simply by studying Vedas you cannot understand Kṛṣṅa. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau.

But if you become a devotee of Kṛṣṅa, He is just like within your hand. Just as the gopīs: they had no education, they were not nice society girls of city and town. They were village girls, and born of third-grade family. But they were so great devotees that Kṛṣṅa was within their clutches. This is the process of devotional service. If we actually get the opportunity to become a devotee, then God-realization is not very difficult thing.

bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [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.]

Simply by devotional service you can understand God as He is, without any bogus humbug. You will understand. Kṛṣṅa says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. He doesn't says that by jñāna, by yoga, by karma one can understand. He specifically mentions this very word bhaktyā: bhaktyā mām abhijānāti, yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ. And not to understand Kṛṣṅa very vaguely. Tattvataḥ, in truth.

tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā viśate tad-anantaram [Bg 18.55]

And when one understands Kṛṣṅa in truth, he is allowed to enter in His kingdom.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṅa. [end]

Bhagavad-gītā 7.9

Referenced verses