Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.28

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat]

sūta uvāca evaṁ cintayato jiṣṅoḥ kṛṣṅa-pāda-saroruham sauhārdenātigāḍhena śāntāsīd vimalā matiḥ [SB 1.15.28]

[break]

sūtaḥ uvāca—Sūta Gosvāmī said; evam—thus; cintayataḥ—while thinking of the instructions; jiṣṅoḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kṛṣṅa-pāda—the feet of Kṛṣṅa; saroruham—resembling lotuses; sauhārdena—by deep friendship; ati-gāḍhena—in great intimacy; śāntā—pacified; āsīt—it so became; vimalā—without any tinge of material contamination; matiḥ... [break].

[03:20]

Translation: "Sūta Gosvāmī said: Thus being deeply absorbed in thinking of the instructions of the Lord, which were imparted in the great intimacy of friendship, and in thinking of His lotus feet, Arjuna's mind became pacified and free from all material contamination."

Prabhupāda: [indistinct] smṛti kṛṣṅa-pādāravindayo śṛṅoti abhadrāṅi sachanta noti[?]. This is our Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, that if constantly our mind is engaged in thinking of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa. Thinking begins from the lotus feet, not all of a sudden...

[child making noise] [aside:] Stop this child.

You cannot think of Kṛṣṅa all of a sudden on the top. This is the process. In the Second Canto you'll find we have to think of Kṛṣṅa's lotus feet. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto and Second Canto are the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa. Then you gradually rise. When you are accustomed to think of Kṛṣṅa, that is called transcendental meditation. At any time, at any moment, if you immediately meditate, you'll see the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa. That is transcendental meditation. Then gradually rise to think of this portion, this portion, this portion and, at last, the smiling face. That smiling face is compared with the Tenth Canto, Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This is explained.

So Arjuna was disturbed in so many ways, but as soon as he began to think of Kṛṣṅa's lotus feet, saroruha, kṛṣṅa-pāda saroruha, immediately everything became pacified. This is the process. This is transcendental consciousness or transcendental meditation. Immediately, without any delay for a moment you'll feel completely pacified. Therefore Kṛṣṅa advises, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg 18.65]:

[Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.]

"Always...," man-manāḥ, "always engage your mind upon Me."

This Deity worship means to train the neophytes devotees how to concentrate upon the form of Kṛṣṅa, especially His lotus feet. That will make our life pacified always, śānta, śānta, pacified, peaceful. Another point is, sauhārdenātigāḍhena: very deep intimacy. We have got already our relationship with Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati [Bg 5.29].

[The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.]

We are seeking after friends who can give me some benefit, who can give me some peace of mind. You are reading so many books, so many..., consulting so many philosophers, scientists, searching out peace of mind. But we are forgetting that our real suhṛt, friend, is Kṛṣṅa. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām.

Actually that is a fact, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa. The example I have given many times: Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body. So the finger is always happy when it is attached with this body. It is very practical. Try to understand. If the finger is cut and separated from this body, then it will be called somebody's finger. Everyone will see the finger falling on the ground. Somebody will say, "Yes...," somebody, if he knows that it is that man's finger. But this finger is useless. It is simply name "finger." That you have to understand. The finger's value is so long it is attached with the body. As soon as it is separated from the body, it is useless. You can call it finger. Similarly, our societies, human society, is divided into so many departments. Generally, it is divided into four classes—intelligent class, administrative class, productive class and worker class, the whole human society. There are certain men who are very intelligent. They are scientists, philosopher, writers, thinker—there are so many department. So similarly, there are politicians, diplomats. Similarly, there are industrialists, agriculturalists and general worker. They are neither intelligent nor administrator nor producer, but simply worker. You give them some money and they are satisfied. So that is natural division of the society. And you call it by different names. But scientifically the division is already there.

So in human society the central point is Kṛṣṅa. Central point is Kṛṣṅa. If we forget Kṛṣṅa, this intelligent class of men, this administrative class of men, these productive class of men, the worker class of men, they're all useless. They're all useless. If by your intelligence you cannot find out with whom you are intimately related, then what is the value of your intelligence? That kind of intelligence a dog has also got: "Where is something to eat? Where is something to mate?" The dog has that, eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This intelligence the dog has got. And if you have got the same intelligence without utilizing your intelligence to find out the Supreme, with whom you are so intimately related, then what is the value of your intelligence?

So this is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. We are trying to utilize intelligence to find out the supreme cause, the Supreme, with whom we are very intimately related. Because we are part and parcel. The same example: Just like this finger is very intimately related with this body. But if it is separated, it has no value. But again if there is possibility to join this finger with this body, then again it begins its value. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. We are now separated from Kṛṣṅa. We have forgotten Kṛṣṅa. This is our position. Although I'm intelligent, very intelligent, so-called intelligent for eating or sleeping or for having sex life intelligence... Just like they're..., the scientists are applying intelligence for abortion. What is this intelligence? To give facility sex life, that's all. What is this intelligence? Killing the poor child within the womb, is that very good intelligence? No. But that intelligence is for giving facility to sex life. That's all.

They are so-called scientists, intelligence. What is that intelligence? Discover atomic bomb. What is the effect? To kill. But they are dying, what is the credit for you? They're already dying, naturally dying, dying out of want for food, dying in famine, in pestilence. Then what you have discovered? This is called intelligence. This intelligence is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ [Bg 7.15].

[Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.]

They are advertising themselves as intelligent, but real intelligence is taken away. Real intelligence is that we are advancing in science, in education, in motorcars and..., motorcars, everything, but where is our peace? Where is śānti? That is intelligence.

That intelligence must be utilized to find out where is really śānti, peace. That is intelligence. That is described, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, yenātmā suprasīdati [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.]

If you want actually peace, then your intelligence should be utilized for searching out the Supreme and your relationship with Him. As soon as you find out... Just like you have lost your father, if you find out your father, immediately your relationship with father is revived. There is no question: "Here is my father," and father says, "Here is my son." Because the relationship is very intimate. A son may go out for years together, but as soon as he comes back home, he sees his father, mother, and that original intimacy immediately revived.

So we have got that intimate relation. So when we come to that position to understand our intimate relationship with God, or Kṛṣṅa, that is called svarūpa-siddhi. Svarūpa-siddhi. Svarūpa-siddhi means realization of perfection. Svarūpa-siddhi. So here Sūta Gosvāmī says, sauhārdena gāḍhena, śānta. If an old friend meets another old friend, they become very much delighted. Similarly, if the father meets the lost child, he becomes very delighted and the child also becomes delighted. The husband, wife separated, again they meet, so they become very delighted. It is quite natural. The master and servant, after many, many years if they again meet, they become very delighted.

So we have got our relationship with Kṛṣṅa in so many ways—śānta, dāsya, sākhya, vātsalya, mādhurya. Śānta, śānta means neutral: simply to understand the Supreme. Dāsya means a step forward. Just like we say, "God is great." That is śānta, to appreciate the greatness of God. But there is no activity. But when you go step forward, that "God is great, so I am serving so many society, friendship, love, cats, dogs, and so many I'm loving. Why not let me love the greatest?" that is called dāsya. Simply to realize God is great, that is also very good. But when you voluntarily go forward, "Now why not serve the great?" Just like from ordinary service, those who are engaged in service, they want to try to change from the inferior service to the superior service. Service is there, but superior service is somebody gets government service. He thinks it is very nice. So similarly, as we serve, when we desire to serve the great, that will give us peacefulness. That is śānta, dāsya.

Then service with friendship. Service, master and servant giving service, but when the servant becomes very intimate there is friendship. I've seen it practically in Calcutta. The Dr. Bose, his driver was his best friend. When he would sit on the car, he would talk all his mind with the driver. So this driver, he became his intimate friend. All confidential talks with driver. It happens so. If the servant becomes very confidential, the master discloses his mind. He talks with him what to do. So this is called platform of friendship. And again further advancement... Just like relationship with father and son, mother and son, this is called vātsalya and, at last, conjugal love. So in this way we are related with Kṛṣṅa some way or other—in veneration, in servitude, as friend, as paternal affection or as conjugal lover. You see? So we have to revive that. And as soon as you revive any one of them, intimacy, then we become happy, because that is eternal. The same example... The finger, so long is separated, it is not happy. As soon as it is joined, it is happy. Similarly, we have got our eternal relationship with Kṛṣṅa. Now we are separated, but as soon as we join with Him, again we become yenātmā samprasīdati.

Therefore Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is beneficial for everyone, just to try to revive your original consciousness. That is already there, nitya-siddha kṛṣṅa-bhakti [Cc Madhya 22.107].

[Pure love for Kṛṣṅa 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.]

Our Kṛṣṅa consciousness is eternally a fact. Otherwise you European, American boys and girls, you, three or four years ago, you did not know what is Kṛṣṅa. Why you are so much attached to Kṛṣṅa? Why you are attached? Unless you are attached to Kṛṣṅa, you cannot sacrifice your valuable time in this temple or for preaching Kṛṣṅa's glory. You have developed a love for Kṛṣṅa. Otherwise, nobody is so fool that he'll wasting time. No. How it is possible? One may say that "Kṛṣṅa is Indian. Kṛṣṅa is Hindu. So why the Christians are interested in the Hindu?" No. Kṛṣṅa is neither Hindu nor Muslim nor Christian. Kṛṣṅa is Kṛṣṅa. And you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa. This understanding—"I'm Hindu," "I'm Muslim," "I'm Christian," "I'm American," "I'm Indian"—these are all designations. Actually I am spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. And Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme Brahman, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg 10.12].

[Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.]

So we have got intimate relationship with Kṛṣṅa. That is eternally fact. Simply we have to revive. Śravaṅādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya [Cc Madhya 22.107].

[Pure love for Kṛṣṅa 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.]

We have to create. Just like the young man likes to love a young woman and the young woman likes to love a young man. That is natural. That is natural. But when they meet together, it is revived. It is not that something new imposition. It is there. But by chance or anyway, when they are in contact, the loving propensity increases. The love increases. So our relationship with Kṛṣṅa, that is natural. That is not unnatural. Nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha means it is eternally fact. Simply it is covered. It is covered. That covering has to be taken away. Then we are immediately in relationship with Kṛṣṅa, in natural way. That is perfection of Kṛṣṅa consciousness.

So here it is said that sauhārdena ati-gāḍhena. Gāḍhena, very deep. There are different types of sauhārga, friendship, but there is very intimate, deep friendship. So as soon as we revive our Kṛṣṅa consciousness, our deep relationship with Kṛṣṅa as servant, as friend, as paternal relationship or conjugal love... That is already there. Just like this finger. Finger has got already its place. It is separated. But if there is any physician or surgeon, he can simply put exactly on the place, then it works, immediately. Immediately works. So similarly, we have to place ourself exactly in the position in which we are related with Kṛṣṅa. Then our life is successful, immediately. Immediately successful. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṅa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya, śravaṅādi... And that can be accomplished beginning with hearing. Hearing. This is the beginning. We are inviting persons to come to hear about Kṛṣṅa from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, from Bhagavad-gītā. These are called kṛṣṅa-kathā, kṛṣṅa-kathā, the message of Kṛṣṅa or the words of Kṛṣṅa.

That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult, that... What is His cult? Cult is, He says,

āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṅa'-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.]

Kṛṣṅa-upadeśa. "You become a spiritual master under My order." Under His order. Don't manufacture yourself. Under the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That is called paramparā system: one who is following in disciplic succession the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And what is the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu? Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṅa'-upadeśa. Don't advising your rascaldom. Kṛṣṅa-upadeśa, what Kṛṣṅa has said, you just tell him; you become spiritual master. That's all. It does not become..., very difficult to become spiritual master. The rascals, they fail, because they do not say anything which Kṛṣṅa says. He manufactures something. He wants to take the place of Kṛṣṅa. This rascaldom will never make you happy. You have to follow as Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṅa'-upadeśa [Cc Madhya 7.128]. Then you become guru. To become guru is not at all difficult, provided you follow the right instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then everyone can become—expand, expand. You have learned something about Kṛṣṅa consciousness, now you rightly distribute them, then you will increase your group. But if you want to manufacture something of your own concoction, that will not act. That will not... That will be gramophone. No. [break]

...actually penetrating, āpani ācari prabhu jīvere śikhāya. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that you have to act accordingly as it is instructed, āpani ācari, then you can teach others. If you do not act yourself, your words will have no value. [break] ... because cut. Evaṁ paramparā prāptam [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 have got connection with the original powerhouse, then there is electricity. Otherwise it is simply wire. What is the value? Simply wiring will not help you. The connection must be there. And if you lose the connection, then it is of no value. Therefore Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement means you have to keep yourself always connected with the original powerhouse. And then wherever you'll go, there will be light. There'll be light. If you're disconnected, there will be no light. The bulb is there; the wiring is there; the switch is there. Everything is there. That's how Arjuna is feeling, that "I am the same Arjuna. I am the same Arjuna who fought in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. I was known as so great a warrior, and my bow is the same bow, and my arrow is the same arrow. But now it is useless. I could not defend myself, because disconnected with Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa is no longer." Therefore he began to remember the words of Kṛṣṅa which was taught to him in the Battle of Kurukṣetra.

Kṛṣṅa is not different from His word. That is absolute. What Kṛṣṅa said five thousand years ago, if you catch up those words again you're immediately connected with Kṛṣṅa. Immediately. This is the process. Just see Arjuna. He says that evaṁ cintayato jiṣṅoḥ kṛṣṅa-pāda-saroruham. When he began to think of Kṛṣṅa and His instruction as again, in the battlefield, immediately he become śānta, peaceful. Immediately pacified. This is the process. We have got intimate relationship with Kṛṣṅa, eternally. It is not artificial. Therefore if you keep ourself always connected with Kṛṣṅa, there will be no more disturbance. Peaceful.

Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ [Bg 6.22].

[The stage of perfection is called trance, or samādhi, when one's mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact.]

If you get that position, then that is the highest benefit, highest gain, yaṁ labdhvā ca, then you will not desire for any other gain. You'll perceive that "I have got the highest gain." Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ, yasmin sthitaḥ...

And if you keep yourself fixed up in that position, then guruṅāpi duḥkhena na..., even the heaviest type of calamities, you'll not be disturbed. That is peace. That is peace. Not that little pinching, you are disturbed. If you're actually fixed up in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, you'll not be disturbed in the greatest form of dangerous condition. That is the perfection of Kṛṣṅa consciousness.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya... [end]