Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.18

Bhāgavata: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse, etc.]

naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī [SB 1.2.18]

[break] [01:50]

"By regularly hearing the Bhāgavatam and rendering service unto the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is practically destroyed, and loving service unto the glorious Lord, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact."

Prabhupāda:

naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā... [SB 1.2.18]

[sound of small children]

Bhāgavata: Go! Celo.

Prabhupāda:

...nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī [SB 1.2.18]

Naiṣṭhikī. Niṣṭhā. From niṣṭhā... Niṣṭhā means "firmly fixed up." Firmly fixed up. Ādau śraddhā tato sādhu-saṅgo tato bhajana-kriyā atha anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā [Cc Madhya 23.14-15]. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has explained how one can be fixed up, niṣṭhā. This niṣṭhā stage comes when one is freed from anartha. Ādau śraddhā. Just like you all have come here out of śraddhā, some faith, that "Let us go to the Hare Kṛṣṅa temple, see the ārati or hear from the svāmīs." This is the beginning, śraddhā. To create śraddhā, little faith, these centers are established. And one takes to faith, then he gradually advances. Ādau śraddhā. And that śraddhā has been explained by Kavirāja Gosvāmī, what is śraddhā.

That śraddhā, he has said, śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya. Śraddhā means firm faith, viśvāsa; sudṛḍha niścaya, unflinching. What is that sudṛḍha niścaya? Kṛṣṅe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. This is the beginning of śraddhā. Śraddhā means... As in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, 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.]

If one is agreeable to this condition, that kṛṣṅe bhakti kaile; if one agrees, "Yes, if I surrender to Kṛṣṅa, my all perfection of life is achieved," this is śraddhā. Not that "Kṛṣṅa is also good, and this demigod is also good. You are also good, I am also good. You are also God, I am also God." There is no śraddhā. Just like a chaste woman cannot say that every man is good. She'll say, "Only my husband is good." That is chastity. If some woman says that "Any man is good..." Similarly, śraddhā means to become chaste, pure kṛṣṅa-bhakta. That is śraddhā.

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

Now practically you can see. These American and European boys, they began with śraddhā. I told them that "Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28].

[All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.]

They accepted it. They did not present so many rascals, that "Here is another God, here is another God, here is another God." No. Kṛṣṅe bhakti kaile sarva-karma... They fixed up their faith. That is their fortune. They had no hodgepodge idea. Therefore they are making progress. Ādau śraddhā. Then sādhu-saṅga [Cc Madhya 22.83].

[The root cause of devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṅa is association with advanced devotees. Even when one’s dormant love for Kṛṣṅa awakens, association with devotees is still most essential.]

That śraddhā, that firm faith in Kṛṣṅa, can be more and more firm by sādhu-saṅga. Sādhu-saṅga means... Who is sādhu? A sādhu means a devotee. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ. Who is sādhu? Sādhu means..., does not mean that having a long beard and saffron-color dress. Sādhu means, mahātmā means, who is pure devotee. That is the explanation in the Bhagavad-gītā:

api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ [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.]

He is sādhu, even he is su-durācāraḥ. Just like sometimes we find these American, European boys, from our angle of vision, they are deviating little. But Kṛṣṅa confirms, "Even if he's deviating, still, he's sādhu." Why? Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk: "Because he does not know except Me, Kṛṣṅa." This is the certificate given by Kṛṣṅa. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ [Bg 9.30]. Samyak... "Oh, he may be sādhu, but not complete." No. Samyag vyavasito hi saḥ. He's complete sādhu. So what is the qualification? Now, bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. The example you can see, how they are making bhajana by the Deity worship. You'll never find in Calcutta such nice Deity worship. Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. They do not know. All these boys and girls, they do not know anything but Kṛṣṅa. So this is the qualification, sādhu.

So we have to associate with such sādhus who has got unflinching faith in Kṛṣṅa and fully engaged in Kṛṣṅa's service. He is sādhu. Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ [Bg 9.13].

[O son of Pṛthā, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.]

That is mahātmā. We are after mahātmā. Who is mahātmā? Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ [Bg 7.19].

[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]

One who's accepted Kṛṣṅa as everything, such mahātmā is very rarely to be seen. Otherwise, so-called mahātmās, they are loitering in the street: "You are God, I am God, everyone is God." Not that kind of mahātmā. Mahātmā means bhajanti: "He worships Me, Kṛṣṅa." Kṛṣṅa is bhajanīya, and we are servant. One who is convinced on this platform, he is mahātmā, he is sādhu. So we have to associate with such sādhus.

Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ [Cc Madhya 23.14-15].

[In the beginning there must be faith. Then one becomes interested in associating with pure devotees. Thereafter one is initiated by the spiritual master and executes the regulative principles under his orders. Thus one is freed from all unwanted habits and becomes firmly fixed in devotional service. Thereafter, one develops taste and attachment. This is the way of sādhana-bhakti, the execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles. Gradually emotions intensify, and finally there is an awakening of love. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead for the devotee interested in Kṛṣṅa consciousness.]

Pure devotee of Kṛṣṅa. They have no other desire. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [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.]

They have no other desire. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam: uncovered by the mental speculation or fruitive activities, karma-kāṅḍa. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Cc Madhya 19.167].

[When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge obtained by monistic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Kṛṣṅa favorably, as Kṛṣṅa desires.]

Not covered. If you mix up karma with bhakti, if you mix up jñāna with bhakti, or if you mix up yoga, it is contaminated. It is not pure. Pure devotional service is given by Rūpa Gosvāmī: anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Cc Madhya 19.167]. No desire for fruitive activities or philosophical speculation or yogic..., mystic yogic magic. No. Simply how to satisfy Kṛṣṅa. That is bhakti. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṅānuśīlanam. Ānukūlyena. Ānukūlyena means what is favorable, what Kṛṣṅa desires. Just like Arjuna. He did not like to fight. He wanted to be a very nice, nonviolent gentleman. But Kṛṣṅa was inducing him, "You fight." Then later on, he agreed: "Yes, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava [Bg 18.73]."

[Arjuna said, My dear Kṛṣṅa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy, and I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.]

This is ānukūlyena. "Kṛṣṅa wants it. Doesn't matter whether it is violent or nonviolent, Kṛṣṅa wants it. I must do it." This is called ānukūlyena: not against the desire of Kṛṣṅa, but in favor of Kṛṣṅa. This is called anukūla, anukūla-sevā. So ānukūlyena kṛṣṅānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā [Cc Madhya 19.167]. That is first-class bhakti. Not that "If I like it, then I shall do it." That is not anukūla. That is pratikūla. You like or not like, that doesn't matter. Kṛṣṅa likes it; you must do it. That is ānukūlyena kṛṣṅānuśīlanam.

So if we associate with sādhu... Sādhu means, mahātmā means, who are fully engaged in Kṛṣṅa's service. That is sādhu. That is mahātmā. Therefore it is recommended, ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ [Cc Madhya 23.14-15]. And if you associate with sādhu, then bhajana-kriyā. If we... Just like so many thousands of Europeans, Americans, they have joined us on account of sādhu-saṅga. First of all they come in the temple and hear for some days. Then all of a sudden he becomes shaven-headed. We haven't to request. He takes a bead and bead bag, although he's not initiated. Then, after some days, he approaches, "Please get me initiated." The bhajana-kriyā. This is called bhajana-kriyā. So we initiate. "Yes, now you are interested, we initiate." We give him hari-nāma: "Chant Hare Kṛṣṅa" This is the first initiation. "And chant sixteen rounds and observe these rules and regulation." Then, when I see, six months or one year, he's doing very nicely, then we accept him as my disciple, the second initiation. So this is bhajana-kriyā. Then he's admitted to worship the Deity or cook for the Deity, so many things. Bhajana-kriyā.

Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.4.15]. If there is bhajana, then he'll be freed from all anarthas. Anartha means unwanted things. Just like one man is smoking. Smoking is not essential for living. If you don't smoke... Just like we don't smoke. That does not mean we are dying. It is an anartha. But anyone who has learned this smoking, he cannot stop it. Anartha. The result of bhajana will be substantiated when anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, he's no more interested with some unwanted things. We have practiced so many unwanted things. The first of all: illicit sex, making so-called lusty affairs without any married bondage. Illicit sex. This is anartha. Why? If you want sex, get yourself married according to śāstra. Then there is no hindrance. According to Vedic civilization, the..., a girl must be married. But in every country I see the female population is more than the male population. Then how every girl should be married? Therefore in India more than one wife was allowed. Now it is not allowed. That is the Vedic injunction, kanyā-dāna. The father must get..., find out a husband for his daughter. There are many history, the Kulīna [indistinct].

So anartha. We should not create in the society anarthas, unwanted disturbances. The unwanted disturbance is illicit sex. And meat-eating. Meat-eating... Why one should eat meat? No animal foodstuff. Kṛṣṅa has given so many nice things. Produce. Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, annād bhavanti bhūtāni [Bg 3.14].

[All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rain. Rains are produced by performance of yajña [sacrifice], and yajña is born of prescribed duties.]

Kṛṣṅa never says māṁsād bhavanti bhūtāni, matsyād bhavanti bhūtāni. Never says. Annād. Anna, anna. Anna means food grain. Produce sufficient food grain. So the... In the village side you go, hundreds and thousands of acres of land is lying vacant. Nobody is interested. Now they are interested opening slaughterhouse. Kill the poor animals and eat, but don't produce food grain. The whole world, this rascaldom is going on. I have traveled over many countries, all over the world. In Africa there are so much vacant land. In Australia there are so much vacant land. But nobody is producing food grain. They, they have kept some cattles, these cows. They are automatically maintained. There is grass. And when they are fatty, take them and send to the slaughterhouse and eat. But the land is lying vacant. The land is lying vacant.

So therefore people are not following the rules and regulation given by God or by nature's own way. They have invented their own way of living condition. Therefore they are suffering. Now we see in Calcutta or any other... Now it is a problem. Everywhere, the problem will be food shortage and fuel shortage, power shortage. This is the prediction of many, many great scientists. Because people are committing so many sinful life, they must starve. That is the punishment. That is the punishment. These sinful rascals must be punished. Tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān kṣipāmy ajasram andha-yoniṣu [Bg 16.19]. These godless persons, dviṣataḥ, envious of God: "Why there should be God? Why Kṛṣṅa shall be God?" Envious.

So these are dirty things. We began in this chapter that,

śṛṅvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṅaḥ puṅya-śravaṅa-kīrtanaḥ hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṅi [SB 1.2.17]

[Śrī Kṛṣṅa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.]

Abhadrāṅi, all dirty things, they are accumulating. So by hearing about Kṛṣṅa... Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā [SB 1.2.18].

[By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.]

You have to hear... Not that Bhāgavata-saptāha. I don't find this Bhāgavata-saptāha in anywhere in the Bhagavad, Bhāgavata. But they have invented some means for professional reading. Nahi. In the Bhāgavata it is said..., not said, saptāha bhāgavata-sevayā. Why it is said, nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā? You have to hear Bhāgavatam daily, regularly. That is the injunction of Bhāgavatam. You have to hear from, not from the professional men, professional reciters. Bhāgavata-saptāha, and then, after one saptāha, you do your all nonsense things and he takes some money for livelihood, for maintaining his wife and children. And so many umbrellas, so many suits, so many utensils, and sell in the market, get some money, and maintain them. This kind of bhāgavata-sevā will not help. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order is bhāgavata paṛā giya bhāgavata-sthāne. If you want to realize what is Bhāgavata, then you must go and learn Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from a person whose life is Bhāgavatam, not the professional Bhāgavata reciters.

So here it is said... And who will recite Bhāgavatam daily unless he has dedicated his life for Bhagavān? He's bhāgavata. Grantha-bhāgavata, and the person bhāgavata. Bhāgavata. Mahā-bhāgavata. A person, a devotee, is called bhāgavata. And the grantha-bhāgavata. So we have to serve both. We have to hear daily Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the realized person. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā [SB 1.2.18]. The guru, the devotee, they are bhāgavata. So we have to serve; we have to please them. That is also said in the Bhagavad-gītā. Tad viddhi praṅipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg 4.34].

[Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.]

If you want to learn the transcendental subject matter, then you must adopt three things. Tad viddhi... First of all surrender. Find out that kind of person where you can surrender. If there is no surrender, it is not possible.

So the..., the Vaiṣṅava philosophy begins from surrender. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66].

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

That is the order of Kṛṣṅa. And what is the difference between Kṛṣṅa and His representative? The representative says that "You surrender to Kṛṣṅa." He never says that "You surrender to me. I have become Kṛṣṅa." That is a nonsense, rascal. He will say the same thing. Therefore he's Kṛṣṅa's representative. Kṛṣṅa is personally asking that "You surrender to Me," and it is the duty of this bona fide spiritual master, guru, to say to his disciple that "You surrender to Kṛṣṅa." He'll never say that "You surrender to Me. I have become Kṛṣṅa. Now I am realized soul, I have become Bhagavān." He's a rascal.

So these are the process. Tad viddhi praṅipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg 4.34]. Here it is also, the same thing. The same thing is said in a different way. That is śāstra. Actually, as Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā... What is Veda? There are four Vedas and 108 Upaniṣads, then Vedānta-sūtra, then so, so many books. All of them are Vedas. And what is the purpose? Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ [Bg 15.15].

[I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.]

You read all the Vedas, all the Purāṅas, Brahma-sūtra, Rāmāyaṅa, Mahābhārata. What is the purpose? To understand Kṛṣṅa. If you don't understand Kṛṣṅa, then it is useless. Your so-called study of Vedas are useless. Śrama eva hi kevalam. That is the confirmation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

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

[The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.]

You are spoiling your energy. You are... Dharma... A brāhmaṅa is executing his brahminical culture very nicely. It is very good. A kṣatriya is doing his duty very nicely. That's all right. A vaiśya, he's dutying... But the test, whether he's perfect or not, or simply working for nothing, wasting his time, what is that test? That is also stated by Sūta Gosvāmī:

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṅāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṅam [SB 1.2.13]

[O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for one's own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life is to please the Personality of Godhead.]

He must understand whether by executing his... It doesn't matter whether Hindu or Muslim or this or that. Your duty is, by executing your religious principles, whether you are satisfying Kṛṣṅa. That is wanted. Tasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭam.

So the Kṛṣṅa personally says that "You surrender unto Me." That is the only business. There is no other business. Simply to see that "Whether I am satisfying Kṛṣṅa?" So that will be possible... Here it is said that naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. Not completely. There are so many dirty things within our heart. If at once it becomes all cleared, then immediately we are liberated person. And that is not possible. Gradually. Gradually, you go on hearing, hearing, śṛṅvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṅaḥ [SB 1.2.17].

[Śrī Kṛṣṅa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.]

Gradually, all the dirty things will be cleansed. So naṣṭa-prāyeṣu: almost clean. Not purely, not completely clean. Even it is almost clean... Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. How it is cleansed? Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā [SB 1.2.18].

[By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.]

You serve your spiritual master, the representative of Bhagavān, bhāgavata, and you hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—these are the two kind of Bhāgavatam—and you do it. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Naṣṭa-prāye... Almost, almost cle... Then what is that? Bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī. The result will be that you'll be fixed up in the devotional service. Uttama-śloka.

Bhagavān's another name is Uttama-śloka. Uttama-śloka means selected prayers. Just like Brahmājī is offering prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead:

cintāmaṅi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa- lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs 5.29]

There are so many prayers in the śāstras. So therefore His name is Uttama-śloka. These prayers are composed by not ordinary, rascal poet. They are composed by very, very stalwart, great personalities like Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and others, Sūta Gosvāmī, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, Vyāsadeva. Therefore they are called uttama-śloka, "selected poetry." Therefore Bhagavān's another name is Uttama-śloka. He is offered prayers by the great personalities with selected composition of poetry and prayers. So bhagavaty uttama-śloke.

If actually we follow these regulative principles, nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā, then gradually our heart will be cleansed. Ceto-darpaṅa-mārjanam [Cc Antya 20.12].

[Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṅa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṅa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.]

This is the process of cleansing the mirror of the heart. Mirror, when it isCaitanya Mahāprabhu said. The process is to cleanse the dirty heart. Actually, we are clean. Asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. We have no business to be contaminated with the material qualities. We do not contaminate. Just like we know... In Bengali we say, tele jale mesera[?]. You put oil in the water, it will never mix. Similarly, we are spirit souls, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. We have nothing to do with this material world. But somehow or other, I am in contact. So simply I have to be contactless. That Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ceto-darpaṅa-mārjanam. As soon as your heart is cleansed with all dirty things, then bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṅam, immediately you become out of this contamination, bhava-mahā-dāvāgni.

This contamination means we are in the blazing fire of this material world. Blazing fire. It is, has been expl... Blazing fire... Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni. Mahā-dāvāgni. Dāvāgni means the fire in the forest. In the forest nobody goes to set fire, but it takes place. Just like we, in India, we thought that "By driving away the Britishers, we shall be happy." No. The dāvāgni is so that... That is not the medicine. Medicine is bhavauṣadhi. Medicine is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Not that simply changing from this ism to that ism, this political party to this... That is not. Because everyone is imperfect. How they can give you perfect happiness? It is not possible. They are themselves andha. Andha means blind. So if you follow the blind man, how you'll cross? That is not possible. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. Why they are andha? Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṅum [SB 7.5.31].

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

They do not know the ultimate goal of life is to surrender to Kṛṣṅa. That they do not know. They are manufacturing their own ways of advancing. That will never be successful. They do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṅuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ [SB 7.5.31]. They are thinking, "By adjustment of this material world, we shall be happy." That is not possible. The māyā, the material energy, will not allow you to become perfect unless and until you surrender to Kṛṣṅa. That is her business. Therefore it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā,

daivī hy eṣā guṅamayī mama māyā duratyayā mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg 7.14]

[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]

This is the way.

So in this verse it is confirmed... The same thing. In the Vedic literature the same thing is spoken in a different way, in different circumstances. But the ultimate goal is how to know Kṛṣṅa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ [Bg 15.15].

[I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.]

So if we follow this principle, hear Bhāgavatam... Bhāgavatam means the words or the activities of Bhagavān. But the impersonalists, they think the ultimate goal, ultimate truth, Absolute Truth, is not a person. So there is no activity. If one is person, he has got activities. But if one is not person, void, just like a sky... In the sky, there is no activity. The only activity is the sky is covered with cloud, and you cannot see the sun. That is the only activity.

So that kind of activity is not required. Regular, varieties of activities. Therefore we have to hear about Kṛṣṅa. You'll hear about Kṛṣṅa in so many varieties of activities. Bhagavad-gītā, you hear. It's so many activities of Kṛṣṅa. So we have to hear about these. And unless there are activities, what you will hear? Simply "Brahman, Brahman, Brahman..." Nirākāra. How long you will hear? And how long you will enjoy? That is... There is no enjoyment. Therefore they, these Brahmavādī, these Nirākāravādī, although by austerities and penances they may rise up to the Brahman effulgence, still, they will fall down. Because we are living entities, we want varieties of enjoyment. We are not satisfied in void, in zero. That is not possible. Therefore śṛṅvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṅaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. One has to hear about Kṛṣṅa, varieties of activities. Varieties of activities. Not nirākāra, without any activities. No. That activity is different from material activity. Janma karma me divyam [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.]

Therefore it is called divyam. They are not ordinary activities. They are all transcendental, spiritual activities. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand.

So we have got enough matter for hearing about Kṛṣṅa. Śṛṅvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṅaḥ puṅya-śravaṅa... If we simply sit down and hear, we become pious. And as soon as we become pious, then we can understand what is Kṛṣṅa, what is God. If we are involved or implicated in sinful activities, there is no chance. Therefore anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. By sādhu-saṅga [Cc Madhya 22.83],

[The root cause of devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṅa is association with advanced devotees. Even when one’s dormant love for Kṛṣṅa awakens, association with devotees is still most essential.]

by association with the sādhus, bhaktas, and by bhajana-kriyā, we'll be seen..., a person will be seen that he's no more involved in unwanted things. He's simply interested in executing devotional service. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā, bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī [SB 1.2.18].

[By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.]

When we are almost free from all this contamination, then we become fixed up in the devotional service. That is...

Bhagavān said in the Bhaga... Bahavo jñāna-tapasā pūtā. Pūtā. Pūtā means purified. So this bhakti process means to become purified, purified. That is... The Nārada Pañcarātra-sūtra also says that,

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 can be performed when you are purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuk... Upādhi. These are the upādhis: "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am black," "I am white." These are upādhis. This is the description of the skin, not for me. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. I do not belong to the skin. I do not belong... Because I do not belong to the skin, then so many skin description. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "I am not a brāhmaṅa. I am not a śūdra. I am not a sannyāsī. I am not a brahmacārī. I am not a kṣatriya." In this way, "not, not, not..." Then what You are? "I am gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc Madhya 13.80]."

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

When you understand that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa," that is purification. That is purification. You accept it blindly, or by the process of reading śāstra and Vedas, you have to come to the conclusion: vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ [Bg 7.19].

[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]

Then you become mahātmā, and your life is perfect.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. [end]