Lecture

The Nectar of Devotion

Prabhupāda: [Hindi with someone] [break]

Pradyumna: [reading] "...cannot steadily remain either in sense enjoyment or in renunciation. Change is going on perpetually, and we cannot be happy in either state because of our eternal constitutional position. Sense gratification does not endure for long, and it is therefore called capala-sukha, or flickering happiness. For example, an ordinary family man who works very hard day and night and is successful in giving comforts to the members of his family thereby relishes a kind of mellow, but his whole advancement of material happiness immediately terminates along with his body as soon as his life is over.

"Death is therefore taken as the representative of God for the atheistic class of men. The devotee realizes the presence of God by devotional service, whereas the atheist realizes the presence of God in the shape of death. At death, everything is finished, and one has to begin a new chapter of life in a new situation, perhaps higher or lower than the last one."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is very important point. The atheist class men, they say, "Can you show me God?" There are statements of atheist class, or sannyāsī even, that he demanded his spiritual master, "Whether you can show me God?"

So God cannot be seen by such demand. In the śāstras it is said, 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.]

Śrī-kṛṣṅa-nāmādi. Śrī Kṛṣṅa is present by His name, by His form, by His pastimes, by His paraphernalia, by His quality. Anything about Kṛṣṅa is non-different. Kṛṣṅa and Kṛṣṅa's name, it is the same. There is no difference.

In the materialistic view, there is difference between the substance and the name. Just like water. If you are thirsty, simply if I chant "water, water, water," it will not quench your thirst. You require the substance, water. So similarly, a..., a person's photograph or a statue is different from the person. If there is a photograph of a certain gentleman and if you want to do business with the photograph, it is not possible. You'll have to seek for the actual person.

But in case of Kṛṣṅa, it is not like that. Kṛṣṅa the person and Kṛṣṅa's name, Hare Kṛṣṅa, the same thing. It is not that we are chanting "Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa" and this Kṛṣṅa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is different. No. Nāma rūpe kṛṣṅa avatāra. The name of Kṛṣṅa and Kṛṣṅa the person, identical.

Just like we are worshiping the form of Rādhā-Govinda, Rādhā-Mādhava, Rādhā-Dāmodara. So this form, atheists will say that "This is statue." But a theist person, who knows Kṛṣṅa, he will see this form of Kṛṣṅa not different from the original person Kṛṣṅa. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He entered the Jagannātha temple, He immediately fainted: "Here is My Lord." Others who are going in the Jagannātha temple, they are seeing something made of wood.

Therefore śāstra forbids, arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṅave jāti-buddhir sa eva narakaḥ [Padma Purāṅa]. Arcye śilā-dhīr. Arca-mūrti, the form worshiped in the temple, if somebody thinks it is made of wood, it is made of stone, that is nārakī-buddhiḥ. No devotee will say. Only the nondevotee, atheist class of men, will say it, that "They are worshiping wood. They are worshiping stone." But devotee knows that His worshipable Lord is present here personally. It is a question of revising, or reforming, the perception.

The whole Kṛṣṅa consciousness process is reforming or purifying the senses.

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam hṛṣīkeṅa hṛṣīkeśa- sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [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.]

Bhakti means to purify the senses.

premāñjana cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti yaṁ śyāmasundaranam 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.]

Real devotee, santaḥ, saintly persons, their eyes are purified by the ointment of love of Godhead. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs 5.38]. They are seeing Kṛṣṅa or his worshipable God... Kṛṣṅa has many forms. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu. Kṛṣṅa has His form as Lord Rāmacandra, as Varāha, as Kūrma, as Nṛsiṁha. Ananta-koṭi. Innumerable forms He has got. All of them are Kṛṣṅa.

So a devotee, on account of his eyes being smeared with the ointment of love of God, he sees Kṛṣṅa twenty-four hours within his heart. That is the vision of the devotee. Atheist class will say, "Where is God?" because he has no eyes to see the God. But a theist class, or a devotee, he sees God, or Kṛṣṅa, twenty-four hours. He does not see anything else. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, sthāvara jaṅgama dekhe nā dekhe tāra mūrti [Cc Madhya 8.274].

[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.]

A devotee, mahā-bhāgavata, highly advanced devotee, he sees trees, but he does not see the tree; he sees Kṛṣṅa. How? Has he gone mad? No. Actually he sees.

But what is this tree? The tree, outwardly, is Kṛṣṅa's energy. Your body, my body, the tree's body, the dog's body, the cat's body—what are these bodies? The bodies are made of the external, material energy. Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā [Bg 7.4].

[Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego—altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies.]

The material elements, they are simply Kṛṣṅa's external energy. So as soon as a devotee sees anything material, he sees immediately the energy of Kṛṣṅa, and along with the energy of Kṛṣṅa, he sees immediately Kṛṣṅa. Reactory. With reference to the context.

Just like you are reading some portion of a book. As soon as there is some reference, immediately you see the person. Suppose you are phoning, talking on telephone with somebody. As soon as hear the body, as soon as hear his sound, immediately you see your friend. It is not very difficult to understand. Simply one has to know the person or one has..., must have the knowledge. So one who has got knowledge, perfect knowledge of the constitution of this material body, he does not see the body; he sees Kṛṣṅa.

So anything, sthāvara jaṅgama... Sthāvara means moving, and jaṅgama... Sthāvara means "not moving," and jaṅgama means "moving." There are two classes of living entities. Some of them are moving and some of them are not moving. So a devotee either sees a living entity moving or a living entity's not moving, he does not see the outward covering, but he sees within, the spirit soul, part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, and without, the body, the material body, he sees Kṛṣṅa's energy. And because everything is in reference with Kṛṣṅa, therefore he sees Kṛṣṅa only and nothing else.

So this is the statement in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Sthāvara jaṅgama dekhe nā dekhe tāra mūrti [Cc Madhya 8.274].

He does not see the external form, but he sees the actual essence of the person, and therefore he sees Kṛṣṅa. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is confirmed,

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṅe gavi hastini śuni caiva śva-pāke ca paṅḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg 5.18]

Paṅḍitāḥ, those who are actually paṅḍitas, learned, knowledge, they see everyone on the equal level. Paṅḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. Vidyā-vinaye-sampanne. He sees one very learned scholar, brāhmaṅa, and sees a cow, sees one elephant, sees one dog, sees one dog eater, the lowest of the human kind, but he's sama-darśinaḥ. He sees every one of them as spirit soul, the body as Kṛṣṅa's energy. Therefore he has no different vision for different person. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāh..., paṅḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg 5.18].

[The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṅa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste]]

This is called Brahman realization vision. Brahman realization, God.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām [Bg 18.54]

[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.]

This is brahma-bhūtaḥ vision. A paṅḍita. Actually, when one becomes learned scholar, he becomes Brahman realized. That is the meaning of brāhmaṅa. Brāhmaṅa is one who has realized the Brahman.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām [Bg 18.54]

So before beginning of pure devotional life, one must be Brahman realized. That is pure bhakti. That is actual, actually the platform of devotional service. Means one must be above the brahminical qualification, a Vaiṣṅava. A Vaiṣṅava... Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām. One who attains the devotional service, parām, parā bhakti...

There are three stages of devotional life. Arcye śilā-dhīr...

arcāyām eva haraye yat pūjāṁ śraddhayehate na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ [SB 11.2.47]

A person who is worshiping the Deity in the temple with all regulative principles, arcāyām eva haraye yat pūjāṁ śraddhaya, with devotion, he's executing the service, but he does not know how to respect a devotee. Na tad-bhakteṣu. He has concentrated his mind on the arcā-mūrti, Deity form of the Lord, within the temple. That is very nice. But if he does not know how to worship a devotee, na tad-bhakteṣu, cānyeṣua, and he does not know how to elevate other persons, sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ, such kind of devotee is to be considered as material, prakṛti. Gradually one has to become aprākṛta.

So there are different stages of devotional service. So everything is explained in the scripture. Now our point was that how to see Kṛṣṅa in everything.

ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṅa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc Madhya 17.136]

By these blunt material senses, we cannot appreciate or we can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It has to be purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ. One must be relieved from all designation. So long one thinks that "I am Hindu," "I am Christian," "I am Muhammadan," "I am this," "I am brāhmaṅa," "I am śūdra," "I am kṣatriya," "I am man," "I am a woman," "I am black," "I am white," these are all designation. One has to become freed from all these designations. That is called sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ.

If you see God, Kṛṣṅa, from the Hindu angle of vision, if you see God from Christian angle of vision, then you cannot see God. That is not seeing God. You have to become free from all these designation. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us, nāhaṁ vipra na ca nara-patir na yatir vā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "I am not a Brahmin. I am not a kṣatriya. I am not a vaiśya. I am not a śūdra. I am not a sannyāsī. I am not a gṛhastha. I am not a brahmacārī." Then "What You are?" Because within these eight categories you are living. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says "I don't belong to all these categories." "Then what You are, Sir?" Gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsa [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 the servant of Kṛṣṅa, the maintainer of the gopīs."

So unless you come to this stage, free from all designation, you cannot serve Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa accepts service from the devotee. 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.]

Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg 9.26].

[If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.]

Kṛṣṅa is not beggar, that He has come to your place and asking some food from you. No. But Kṛṣṅa accepts your food provided you are a devotee. That is Kṛṣṅa. You can offer Kṛṣṅa patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ.

You do not require to become very rich man. The poorest of the poor can offer Kṛṣṅa something. What is that? Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ: little flower, little fruit, a little leaf, a little water. Everyone can collect a little flower, a little water. And from any part of the world. Not that Kṛṣṅa can be worshiped in India, Kṛṣṅa can be worshiped in Vṛndāvana. Wherever Kṛṣṅa is worshiped, that is Vṛndāvana. Otherwise, if Kṛṣṅa is not worshiped, that is not Vṛndāvana.

So how Kṛṣṅa is worshiped? Kṛṣṅa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati: "Anyone who offers Me these things with bhakti, with devotion, with love," tad aham aśnāmi, "then I eat it." Not that a abhakta will offer something and Kṛṣṅa will accept. No.

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat paratvena nirmalam hṛṣīkeṅa hṛṣīkeśa- sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc Madhya 19.170]

This is the definition of bhakti in the..., in the Nārada Pañcaratra, that when one is freed from the designation, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam... "Sir, I am a Brahmin. Therefore I can offer You something." No. Kṛṣṅa is not exposed to anyone except to the devotee. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ [Bg 7.25].

[I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My eternal creative potency [yoga-māyā]; and so the deluded world knows Me not, who am unborn and infallible.]

Kṛṣṅa is covered by yogamāyā. He's not revealed to any..., anyone, except to the devotees.

There are many other instruction in the śāstras. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṅa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc Madhya 17.136].

That I explained. Kṛṣṅa is not approachable by our these blunt senses, material senses, with designation. Unless one is freed from all designation... Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructs, "I am not a Brahmin, I am not a śūdra, I'm not a kṣatriya, I'm not a brahmacārī, I'm not a gṛhastha, but I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṅa, who is the maintainer of the gopīs." Gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsa.

So Kṛṣṅa is not visible to the atheist class of men. Kṛṣṅa's only visible to the devotees. And the devotee sees Kṛṣṅa, and nothing but Kṛṣṅa, and twenty-four hours. It is not that Kṛṣṅa is..., a devotee sees Kṛṣṅa while he's worshiping only, and other times he's not seeing. No. He's seeing twenty-four hours. But the atheists, they ask, "Can you show me Kṛṣṅa? Can you show me God?" The reply is, "Have you got the eyes to see Kṛṣṅa?"

It is not so easy, Kṛṣṅa. In the Brahmā-saṁhitā it is said,

panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām so 'pyasti yat-prapadya-sīmny avicintya-tattve govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs 5.34]

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, only the tip of the toe of whose lotus feet is approached by the yogīs who aspire after the transcendental and betake themselves to prāṅāyāma by drilling the respiration; or by the jñānīs who try to find out the nondifferentiated Brahman by the process of elimination of the mundane, extending over thousands of millions of years.]

Govinda. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo. Pantha means road. If you walk over the path of Kṛṣṅa... Suppose Kṛṣṅa, there is Kṛṣṅaloka. Above this material universe, there is another, spiritual sky, paravyoma. It is called paravyoma. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ 'vyakta 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ [Bg 8.20]. There is another nature. As this is material nature, there is spiritual nature. And in that spiritual nature there are innumerable spiritual planets. They are called Vaikuṅṭha planets. And the highest Vaikuṅṭha planet is called Kṛṣṅaloka, or Goloka Vṛndāvana.

This Vṛndāvana is replica of that original Vṛndāvana. When Kṛṣṅa comes on this planet or within this universe, He comes in this Vṛndāvana. This is called Bhauma-Vṛndāvana. Of course, there is no difference between Bhauma-Vṛndāvana and Paravyoma-Vṛndāvana.

So if we want to see Kṛṣṅa, then we must be freed from designation. That is the process. Not only designation, but from all kinds of desires.

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam ānukūlyena kṛṣṅānu- śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11]

[One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṅa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.]

These are the definition given by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. We Gauḍīya Vaiṣṅava, Madhva-Gauḍīya Vaiṣṅava, we are follower of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and others, Ṣaḍ-gosvāmī.

śrī-rūpa-sanātana-bhaṭṭa-raghunātha śrī-jīva-gopāla-bhaṭṭa-dāsa-raghunātha [Cc Ādi 1.36]

[My instructing spiritual masters are Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Bhaṭṭa Raghunātha, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī.]

ei chay gosāi yāra tāra mui dāsa tān-sabāra pada-reṅu mora pañca-grās [Nāma-saṅkīrtana]

[I am servant of that person who has followed the six Goswamis. The dust of their lotus feet is my subsistence.]

Unless one has followed strictly the path of the ṣaḍ-gosvāmīs, we cannot accept him as guru. Because Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, ei chay gosāi yāra tāra mui dāsa: one who has followed strictly the principles of Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī, of course, he lived very simply, mendicant: a small loincloth and simply underneath a tree. But simply by imitating his loincloth one does not become Rūpa Gosvāmī. One has to follow the principles of Rūpa Gosvāmī. Then he's called rūpānuga. Unless you become rūpānuga, you cannot understand the Gauḍīya philosophy. Ei chay gosāi yāra tāra mui dāsa.

So this is called paramparā system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayoḥ viduḥ [Bg 4.2].

[This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.]

If you follow the path of Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī... Not that simply by imitating his cloth. You must follow in principle all the rules and regulations given by...

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam ānukūlyena kṛṣṅānu- śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11]

This is the definition given by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu.

So one must be freed from all material desires. You cannot earn your livelihood by showing the Deity. This was not the business of Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī did not do any business by showing the Deity. Therefore you have to follow strictly the principles of Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī. Then you become Rūpānuga Vaiṣṅavas. And Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, "One who is following the principles of the Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī, tāra mui dāsa, I accept him as spiritual master." Tān-sabāra pada-reṅu mora pañca-grās.

ei chay gosāi yabe braje kailā vāsa rādhā-kṛṣṅa nitya-līlā karilā prakāśa [Nāma-saṅkīrtana 8]

[When these six Gosvāmīs lived in Vraja they revealed the lost holy places and explained the eternal pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṅa.]

So rādhā-kṛṣṅa nitya-līlā karilā prakāśa. By the..., writing so many books, hundreds of books, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, especially Jīva Gosvāmī... Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṅaika-nipuṅau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau lokānāṁ hita-kāriṅau [Śrī Ṣaḍ Gosvāmy Aṣṭaka 2].

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Six Gosvāmīs, namely Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who are very expert in scrutinizingly studying all the revealed scriptures with the aim of establishing eternal religious principles for the benefit of all human beings. Thus they are honored all over the three worlds, and they are worth taking shelter of because they are absorbed in the mood of the gopīs and are engaged in the transcendental loving service of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṅa.]

They wrote, they wrote books for the benefit of the whole world. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṅau.

They did not write books only for the Hindus or for the persons who are in India or in Vṛndāvana. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṅau, nānā-śāstra-vicāraṅaika-nipuṅau. They were very, very expert. You'll find in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, wherever Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has stated something, immediately he has given reference from the śāstras. He did not manufacture anything which is against the śāstras. That is rūpānuga, rūpānuga-vaiṣṅava.

So in order to see God, in order to serve God, we have to follow. Śrī Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, he has said,

rūpa-raghunātha-pade haibe ākuti kabe hāma bhujhaba se yugala-pīriti [Gaurāṅga Bolite Habe]

Rūpa-raghunātha-pade haibe ākuti. Unless one becomes very, very much eager to follow the path of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, he cannot understand what is the love affairs of Rādhā and Kṛṣṅa. Without following the principles of Rūpa Gosvāmī, if we want to understand what is Rādhā and Kṛṣṅa, then we shall understand a boy, ordinary boys' and girls' affairs. That is not Rādhā-Kṛṣṅa.

Therefore in the śāstra it is said, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṅa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc Madhya 17.136].

Do not try to understand Rādhā and Kṛṣṅa with these blunt eyes and senses; try to understand through the instruction of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī.

śrī-rūpa-sanātana-bhaṭṭa-raghunātha śrī-jīva-gopāla-bhaṭṭa-dāsa-raghunātha

So this is the process. Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, which we have translated into English, Nectar of Devotion, is very important book. It is the science of devotional service. If you want to be engaged in devotional service, then you must read the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. And then we shall be able to see God. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena [Bs 5.38].

By following the rules and regulation and the direction laid down in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, we shall be gradually elevated to the platform of loving God.

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī therefore says, ādau śraddhā. Ādau śraddhā. First of all, faith. That is the basic principle. And this word, śraddhā, has been described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta by Kavirāja Gosvāmī,

'śraddhā'-śabde—viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya kṛṣṅe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya [Cc Madhya 22.62]

This is called śraddhā, that "If I surrender to Kṛṣṅa, then all business of my life is done." This is called śraddhā. Not that sometimes I worship Lord Kṛṣṅa, sometimes Lord Śiva, sometimes goddess Kali, sometimes this, sometimes that. That is not śraddhā. Śraddhā means sudṛḍha niścaya viśvāsa. What is that viśvāsa? Kṛṣṅe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. If I worship only Kṛṣṅa, then all other duties are performed, automatically.

The example is just like if you pour water on the root of the tree, the transmission of the water is automatically done to the other branches, leaves and everything. If you supply food to the stomach, then the energy is distributed automatically to the eyes, ears and other parts of the body. Similarly, if you simply offer Kṛṣṅa surrender and worship Him, 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.]

then you worship all other demigods. You don't have to exert yourself for worshiping other demigods. That is automatically done. Therefore the whole concentration should be given to Kṛṣṅa.

That is the specific significance of Vṛndāvana. In Vṛndāvana, simply Kṛṣṅa worshipable. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayaḥ. That is the vision of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that ārādhya, worshipable Deity, worshipable God, is vrajeśa-tanayaḥ, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, Kṛṣṅa. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam [Caitanya-mañjusā].

[The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, is to be worshiped along with His transcendental abode, Vṛndāvana. The most pleasing form of worship for the Lord is that which was performed by the gopīs of Vṛndāvaṅa. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the spotless authority on everything, and pure love of God is the ultimate goal of life for all men. These statements, for which we have the highest regard, are the opinion of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.]

As Kṛṣṅa is worshiped, similarly His place, Vṛndāvana, is also worshiped.

Ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū vargeṅa kalpitā: there is no more better form of worship than it was conceived by the damsels of Vraja. Śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṅam. And the books, authoritative literature, to understand Kṛṣṅa and His service is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam [SB 12.13.18]. Śrī-caitanya-mahaprabhor matam idam [Caitanya-mañjusā]. This is the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is exactly following the principles of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, yāre dekha tāre kaha upadeśa [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.]

So the atheist class, they cannot see Kṛṣṅa. They ca... They'll see Kṛṣṅa at a certain time. What is that? That is ex..., described in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham [Bg 10.34].

[I am all-devouring death, and I am the generator of all things yet to be. Among women I am fame, fortune, speech, memory, intelligence, faithfulness and patience.]

When there will be death, when death will take away all our possessions, at that time we can see Kṛṣṅa. Just like Hiraṅyakaśipu. Hiraṅyakaśipu was atheist. He could not see God. He was godless. But at the last, he saw God in the form of Nṛsiṁhadeva. That is also being father of Prahlāda Mahārāja. Otherwise it was not possible.

So God is everywhere. Kṛṣṅa is everywhere. Aṅḍāntara-stha-paramāṅu-cayāntara-stham [Bs 5.35].

[He is an undifferentiated entity as there is no distinction between potency and the possessor thereof. In His work of creation of millions of worlds, His potency remains inseparable. All the universes exist in Him and He is present in His fullness in every one of the atoms that are scattered throughout the universe, at one and the same time. Such is the primeval Lord whom I adore.]

Eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṅḍa-koṭi yac-chaktir asti jagad-aṅḍa-cayā yad-antaḥ...

[break] That's all. Otherwise you can see God everywhere. He is within the atom, what to speak of other things. Simply you have to smear your eyes with the ointment of love of God, Kṛṣṅa. And if you want to come to that stage, then you have to follow the instruction given by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṅa.

Devotee (1): If one makes arrangement during this lifetime for others to render service to Kṛṣṅa, but if the whole purpose of his arrangement is to simply maintain his family, and if he's still attached to sense gratification, at the time of death, even though he has attraction for sense gratification, will he attain a higher birth in a family of Vaiṣṅavas in his next life, or anything like this?

Prabhupāda: No. Those who are engaged in devotional service, if they cannot finish their business in this life, they are given chance next life to get birth in a Vaiṣṅava family. Not all. Yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sañjayate. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe [Bg 6.41].

[The unsuccessful yogī, after many, many years of enjoyment on the planets of the pious living entities, is born into a family of righteous people, or into a family of rich aristocracy.]

Those who could not finish, yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ, bhakti-yoga, if he falls down while executing, he has no loss because, even if he falls down, his life, next life is guaranteed in a nice family. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe.

Either in rich family or in a devotee's family. So both ways, he gets the chance of having a human form of life. And if he's born in a Vaiṣṅava family, naturally he becomes Vaiṣṅava. And if he takes his birth in a rich family, he has no problem for his bread. So he can exclusively engage himself in devotional service—provided he gets the assistance of a bona fide spiritual master. So your answer... Is that question, question is answered?

Devotee (1): Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (1): Like if someone has a temple and he maintains a Deity for his personal sense gratification...

Prabhupāda: That, that's all right. He is kaniṣṭha-adhikārī. So gradually he'll be elevated to the madhyama-adhikārī, and then uttama-adhikārī. So in Kṛṣṅa's service, either he does this way or that way, there is no loss. It is only gain. That is the statement of Nārada. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṅāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi, ko vā āptaḥ abhūd amuṣya kim [SB 1.5.17].

[One who has forsaken his material occupations to engage in the devotional service of the Lord may sometimes fall down while in an immature stage, yet there is no danger of his being unsuccessful. On the other hand, a nondevotee, though fully engaged in occupational duties, does not gain anything.]

Even one falls down, there is no loss, because he'll get a chance next life to begin from the point where he failed. So there is no loss. Whereas others, because they did not know what is Kṛṣṅa, simply worked very nicely, they..., they, they are fruitless life. There is no gain. Ko vārtha āpto abhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ. Even if one executes his occupational duties very nicely, because he's not devotee, what is the gain of his life? He does not gain anything. These are the version in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Yes?

Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, what is the highest principle of the Gosvāmīs, by following which one will be sure of attaining love of Śrī Kṛṣṅa?

Prabhupāda: Gosvāmī is controller of the sense, controller of the mind, controller of the tongue, controller of the genital, controller of anger... So many things he has to control, then he becomes gosvāmī. Vāco-vegaṁ krodha-vegam udara-vegam upastha-vegaṁ manaso-vegam, etān vegān viṣaheta dhīraḥ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt [Upadeśāmṛta 1]. After becoming gosvāmī, he can make disciples all over the world.

Devotee (2): Hare Kṛṣṅa.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṅa.

Devotee (3): Śrīla Prabhupāda, today is the beginning of ūrjā-vrata. Can you describe what that is, ūrjā-vrata, how it should be observed?

Prabhupāda: What is this?

Gurudāsa: They want to know ūrjā-vrata.

Prabhupāda: Uh.

Gurudāsa: He wants you to describe what it is.

Devotee (3): And how should we observe it,

Prabhupāda: Ūrjā-vrata, you chant Hare Kṛṣṅa twenty-four hours one month. [laughter] That's all.

Gurudāsa: Hare Kṛṣṅa, Hare Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Don't sleep, don't eat. This is ūrjā-vrata. Can you execute?

Devotee (3): I don't know. [laughter]

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Śāradīyā: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I may have missed a point about the atheist. He sees God at the time of death. Does he see the form of Kṛṣṅa at the time of death?

Prabhupāda: No. As the form of death. Kṛṣṅa has many forms. So death is also Kṛṣṅa's form. Ye yathā mām prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham [Bg 4.11].

[All of them—as they surrender unto Me—I reward accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛthā.]

One who has become inimical to Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa appears as enemy. Just like He appeared as Narasiṁhādeva to Hiraṅyakaśipu. So Hiraṅyakaśipu was very great personality. He was father of Prahlāda Mahārāja. So ordinary man, they fear the death. That fearful death, meeting with the fearfulness, is their meeting with Kṛṣṅa. All right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṅa. [kīrtana] [end]