Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.33

Pradyumna: Translation: "Kuntī, after overhearing Arjuna's telling of the end of the Yadu dynasty and disappearance of Lord Kṛṣṅa, engaged in the devotional service of the transcendental Personality of Godhead with full attention and thus gained release from the course of material existence." [SB 1.15.33]

Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṅa has got two kinds of existence: prakaṭa and aprakaṭa. Prakaṭa means when you see Kṛṣṅa personally. When Kṛṣṅa is present on this planet, everyone can see Kṛṣṅa. And actually, everyone saw. But only the devotees could understand that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." So that is called prakaṭa, "physically present." And there is another phase, which is called aprakaṭa, "not physically present." But that does not mean Kṛṣṅa is dead, or God is dead. That does not mean. Prakaṭa or aprakaṭa, physically present or not present, it doesn't matter.

So after all, He is adhokṣaja. This word is used, adhaḥ. Adhaḥ means subdued. And akṣa, akṣa means eyes or senses. Akṣaja. Ja means generated. So our senses are there—eyes, ears, hands, legs, nose, so many. Ten senses are there. So we are acquiring knowledge, generated. Knowledge is generated from the senses. But so long our senses are materially contaminated, we do not get real knowledge. We have to acquire knowledge through the senses, but unless our senses are purified, we do not have real knowledge. So we cannot appreciate or understand God, His form, His name, His quality, His pastime, His entourage; nothing of them we can understand by our these present material senses. That is not possible. Therefore His name is Adhokṣaja. Adhaḥ. Adhaḥ means cut down. You cannot approach the Supreme by your these blunt material senses. That is not possible. Therefore His name is Adhokṣaja. Adhah-kṛta akṣaja-jñānaṁ yatra.

The adhokṣaja... Jñāna means experimental knowledge. Just like these modern scientists, they believe in experimental knowledge. But they are so rascal, in their own case, they will say, "Yes, we are trying. In future it will be successful." Why not experimental knowledge now? If you say that life is generated from matter... You are writing so many books and getting Nobel Prize. Why not by experimental knowledge prove that "Here are some matters and chemicals and here is life"? That they say, "We are trying." This is their escape. But actually, science means two things: observation and experiment. If you do not experiment practically in the laboratory, simply observation is not sufficient. That is not science; that is theory.

Anyway, this experimental knowledge is not very helpful in the matter of understanding the Supreme. Experimental knowledge there is, but not by these blunt senses. When the senses are purified, then that experimental knowledge—that means spiritual experimental knowledge—that is perfect. Therefore it is said adhokṣaja. And our Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is to understand that Adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja means who is beyond the perception of these material senses. This is our subject matter. Our subject matter is not anything material. Material is within the purview of my material senses. But our subject matter is beyond the senses. Adhokṣaja, therefore it is said. Adhokṣaja. Just like Kuntī and others. Kṛṣṅa was not present before their eyes. Kṛṣṅa has already gone to His abode. But still, it is said that ekānta-bhaktyā bhagavaty adhokṣaje [SB 1.15.33]. Adhokṣaje. The same word is used. But if you cannot see God now, how there can be ekānta-bhakti?

Ekānta-bhakti means unalloyed devotion. This is the secret of devotional life. Even God is not physically present, a devotee can be very much exalted by devotional service. That is the teaching of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Because the sahajiyās... Sahajiyās means persons who take things very easily, according to his sense perception, manufactured. They are called sahajiyās. But these Gauḍīya Vaiṣṅava, the devotees following the footprints of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's, they are not sahajiyās; they are devotee of the Adhokṣaja. Beyond the sense perception; still, they are devotee. This is the secret of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṅava. Beyond the sense perception. Just like Gosvāmīs. They were living at Vṛndāvana. And what sort of living?

Simply in separation and search. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also taught us like that. He was searching, "Where is Kṛṣṅa? Where is Kṛṣṅa?" and feeling separation. Just like you feel sometimes with your lover separation and you search, this is our process: always feel separation from Kṛṣṅa and try to search out. This is ekānta. This is explained here, ekānta-bhaktyā bhagavaty adhokṣaje. Adhokṣaje, "He is beyond my perception. Still, my devotion is unalloyed." Not that "I cannot see where is God. Oh, what is devotion?" Just try to understand. It appears to be contradictory. Because foolish people say that "If you cannot see God, where is the question of devotion? You want to serve God, but if you cannot see God, then how you can serve?" Therefore, particularly this word is used, ekānta-bhaktyā bhagavaty adhokṣaje niveśitātmopararāma saṁsṛteḥ. That is the process.

So even though we cannot see God with our present eyes, but God is so merciful that He becomes present before us in a manner by which we can see Him. That is this vigraha, arcā-vigraha. God is beyond our sensual perception, adhokṣaja. But those who are neophyte, they may become atheist, that "We cannot see God," that "How can I serve Him?" But those who are advanced, they can see God every moment, although physically others cannot see. The example is that Hiraṅyakaśipu and Prahlāda. Prahlāda is seeing God, but his father, he is asking, "Where is your God? Where is your God?" He was saying to the column, pillar: "Is your God there?" But he is seeing God there; he says, "Yes." So he became angry, he broke the column, and actually God came out.

So it is the question of advancement. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His followers taught us that if you feel separation... How you will feel separation unless you love? And you simply worship the Supreme in a feeling of separation, then that is perfection. Then that is perfection. Therefore the Gosvāmīs, their prayer, their method of worshiping the Lord at Vṛndāvana... They left their ministerial post and went to Vṛndāvana by the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So what was their process?

The process was tyaktvā tūrṅam aśeṣa-maṅḍala-pati-śreṅīṁ sadā tuccha-vat [Śrī Śrī Ṣaḍ Gosvāmy Aṣṭaka 4].

[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 kicked off all association of aristocracy as insignificant. In order to deliver the poor conditioned souls, they accepted loincloths, treating themselves as mendicants, but they are always merged in the ecstatic ocean of the gopīs' love for Kṛṣṅa and bathe always and repeatedly in the waves of that ocean.]

They gave up their materialistic way of life as very insignificant. They were ministers. They were minister. Their associates were very big, big men. But tyaktvā tūrṅam aśeṣa-maṅḍala-pati. Maṅḍala-pati means leaders, leaders of the society, poli..., big, big politician, businessmen, important men. Because they were minister, everyone used to come to see, and they were associated with. But they gave up. Tyaktvā tūrṅam aśeṣa-maṅḍala-pati-śreṅīm. How it was given up? Sadā tuccha-vat: "Oh, it is insignificant. What is this? There is no need of..."

And bhūtvā dīna-gaṅeśakau karu... Why? Why they gave it up? Because they thought, under the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they understood that "So many mass of people are suffering without Kṛṣṅa consciousness. So we have to do something for them." Therefore they gave up. Not a fancy: "I become naked, that's all." What is the use of your becoming naked? You must do something. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. Not that "I have become a mendicant. I have given up all material things." You cannot give material things. Instead of coat, pant, you may have a shabby cloth. That's all. You cannot give up. That is not possible. You have to accept something. But they are thinking that "Because I have given up this coat, pant, and I am now a shabby dress, I have become advanced." Not that. You must [have] some positive engagement.

And that is... We find in the life of Gosvāmīs,

tyaktvā tūrṅam aśeṣa-maṅḍala-pati-śreṅīṁ sadā tuccha-vat bhūtvā dīna-gaṅeśakau karuṅayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau [Śrī Śrī Ṣaḍ Gosvāmy Aṣṭaka 4]

Kaupīna-kanthāśritau, loincloth only; minimizing the bodily necessities of life. Bhūtvā. Because they were prepared, dīna-gaṅeśakau karuṅayā, to give mercy to the mass of people. Mass of people. If you become so much dependent on the bodily necessities of life, then you cannot become fully and wholly for the benefit of the mass of people. Our Gandhi, he imitated this: for the mass of people. But that was to extent, to a certain extent successful. But it was political purpose. It was political purpose. These things are not for any material purpose. Then it will be failure. If you imitate spiritual life for material benefit, then it will be failure. So the Gosvāmīs did not do so. They gave up this material opulence for spiritual advancement. Positive. If you don't get something positive, simply by negative process you will never be happy. Then again you will fall down.

Just like big, big svāmīs in India—sometimes they come to your country also—they say that "This world is false," jagan mithyā. Mithyā. But we don't say that it is false. We say it is reality, but temporary. That is right philosophy. How it can be false? Because everything is produced by the Truth, by the Absolute Truth. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. Nothing can come out except from the Absolute Truth. Kṛṣṅa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ [Bg 10.8]:

[I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.]

"I am the origin of everything." If Kṛṣṅa is truth, He is the origin of everything, so how everything can be false? Is that very logical? No. If something has come from gold... Just like we have got so many preparation of gold: gold bangles, gold earring, gold necklace. But it has come from the gold; therefore it is gold. How it can be false? Gold is never false. Gold is gold. So this philosophy that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, that "Gold mine is right, but the gold earring is wrong..." No. That you cannot say. If gold mine is right, then gold earring is also right, because it has come from the gold mine. Similarly, Kṛṣṅa says that ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: "I am the origin of everything." And the Vedānta-sūtra also says, janmādy asya yataḥ: "Absolute Truth is that from whom everything emanates."

So everything has emanated from Kṛṣṅa. So how this material world can be false? It is true. Then what is that false? It is not false; it is temporary. But the idea that "This material world is for my enjoyment," that is false. That is false. As soon as you take things that "It is for my enjoyment," then it is false. Because you cannot enjoy. You are not the proprietor. God is the pro... Why the trouble? Why the problems of the world? Because people are taking things for their enjoyment. Why this petrol problem? Actually, that petrol, stock of petrol, in any part of the world, that is God's property. But these rascals, they are claiming that "my property." That is false. Neither the petrol is false, neither God is false. Everything is right. But this conception, that "This petrol belongs to me," this is false. And as soon as this false conception is moved, that is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Very simple thing.

So we are trying to remove these rascals' false conception. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. We don't say that this world is false. Why this world is false? It is not false; it is fact. It may be temporary, but it is fact. Just like this winter season. It will not stay. It will be for three months. Again summer season will come. So we cannot say that this winter season is false. No. It is not false; it is fact. But it is temporary. So temporary things, although it is real, so if we can utilize that reality, sense of reality, for the supreme reality, then our life is successful. That is called ekānta-bhaktyā. That is stated here: ekānta-bhaktyā bhagavaty adhokṣaje. Ekānta-bhaktyā. Ekānta means without any diversion. Everything. Īśāvāsyam idam... Thinking that "Everything belongs to Kṛṣṅa. Why shall I use it for my personal sense gratification?" this is called ekānta-bhaktyā. Ekānta. Eka. Ekaṁ evādvitīyam. Eka, Kṛṣṅa is one. There cannot be any competition of Kṛṣṅa. So eka anta, that one end, bhakti, serving that Supreme. Ekānta-bhakti.

Bhajate ananya-bhāk. Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva samantavyaḥ. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk [Bg 9.30].

[Even if one commits the most abominable actions, if he is engaged in devotional service, he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated.]

That ananya-bhāk means simply concentrated to Kṛṣṅa. That is required—that devotion in any circumstances. It doesn't matter whether Kṛṣṅa is personally... Kṛṣṅa is present, but because we want to see with our material eyes, therefore we claim this, that "I want to see Kṛṣṅa." He does not accept that he has no eyes to see Kṛṣṅa. But with his blunt eyes, he wants to see Kṛṣṅa. Therefore His name is Adhokṣaja. Kṛṣṅa is there. That sun is there in the sky, but the person who is in darkness at night, he wants to see sun. He is in darkness. Otherwise, one who can fly from this country to other country, he can see immediately the sun is there. Sun is everywhere. But my eyes are, being covered by māyā, I cannot see. Therefore He is called Adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja.

So Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is to understand that Adhokṣaja, and that is the bhāgavata-dharma. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [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.]

Not to become a rascal, that "Here is the avatāra of Kṛṣṅa. Let us go and see." One who can see Kṛṣṅa, he can see Kṛṣṅa everywhere; he can see Kṛṣṅa here. Why one should go to a rascal, another rascal? No, that is not. Therefore Kṛṣṅa is Adhokṣaja. There are so many things to be learned. Everything is there in the authoritative scripture. If we take advantage of these books—we are taking so much labor to present—you can understand this science of Kṛṣṅa very perfectly, and your life becomes successful. It is not the question of seeing Kṛṣṅa personally or not. Kṛṣṅa is personally present everywhere. Simply you have to purify your eyes to see Kṛṣṅa. That is wanted. That is the process of Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc Madhya 19.170]. This is the process. You have to be above the designation. Sarva upādhi-vinirmuktam. In this way you have to become purified, nirmalam. Malam means dirt, and nir means no dirt.

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.]

In this way, when your senses will be purified, then you will be eligible to serve Kṛṣṅa. Hṛṣīkeṅa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam. Because Kṛṣṅa is the proprietor of the sen... He is the proprietor of everything. So our senses, as we claim, "This is my hand," actually this is not my hand; it is Kṛṣṅa's hand. Kṛṣṅa has given me to use it. Therefore this hand. Just like my hand is utilized for my benefit. I am not using this hand for your benefit. This is natural. My hands, my legs, my eyes are used for my purpose. So if it is actually Kṛṣṅa's hand, how it can be used for your purpose? So when you learn this science, that "This hand, I am claiming... It is not my hand; it is Kṛṣṅa's hand. It should be utilized for Kṛṣṅa," that is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness.

So that we have to learn by the process as it.., ekānta-bhaktyā bhagavaty adhokṣaje. Then what is the benefit? Niveśita-ātmā-upararāma saṁsṛteḥ. If you can utilize your senses for the service of Adhokṣaja, beyond your sense perception, if you adopt that method, then the benefit will be niveśita-ātmā, fully absorbed in Kṛṣṅa consciousness always. That is very easy. But those who are not doing, for them it is very difficult. Kṛṣṅa says... He gives the prescription that satataṁ cintayanto mām [Bg 9.14]:

[Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.]

"Always thinking of Me." 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.]

Here is the chance. You come to the temple, engage in the temple service. Naturally your mind will be absorbed in Kṛṣṅa. This temple is open not for making a farce; just to make this process, niveśita-ātmā, always absorbed in Kṛṣṅa thought. That is the process. Always, twenty-four hours. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc Ādi 17.31].

[One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.]

This is the process. Twenty-four hours we shall be engaged. Not that five minutes' meditation and then twenty-three hours and forty minutes engaged in other business. No. Twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṅa's business. That is called niveśita-ātmā.

Then what will be the result? Now, upararāma saṁsṛteḥ. Upararāma means then you become..., you cease from this repetition of birth and death. This will be the result. This is the actual aim of human life. Animal life and human life, this is the difference, we repeatedly say.

The animal cannot understand, neither they can perform how to check birth, death, old age and... That is not possible for the animal. But human being can do that. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg 4.9].

[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]

What is that process? Niveśitātmā: always be absorbed in Kṛṣṅa thought, and you are saved from this repetition of birth, death and old age.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya... [end]