Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.26.30

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

saṁśayo 'tha viparyāso niścayaḥ smṛtir eva ca svāpa ity ucyate buddher lakṣaṅaṁ vṛttitaḥ pṛthak [SB 3.26.30]

[break] [03:19]

"Doubt, misapprehension, correct apprehension, memory and sleep, as determined by their different functions, are said to be the distinct characteristics of intelligence."

Prabhupāda:

saṁśayo 'tha viparyāso niścayaḥ smṛtir eva ca svāpa ity ucyate buddher lakṣaṅaṁ vṛttitaḥ pṛthak [SB 3.26.30]

So, the modern psychologists, they have divided the function of the mind: thinking, feeling, willing, and then other subdivisions. That is known as the science of psychology. But intelligence... Above mind there is intelligence. I don't think in the modern science there is any analytical study of the intelligence function. But in the Vedic literature there is analysis of the intelligence. They are described here: saṁśaya, doubtfulness.

The saṁśaya, saṁśayātmā vinaśyati... In the Bhagavad-gītā there is a statement: "Those who are doubtful about the existence of God," vinaśyati, "they are finished." Their progress is finished. Saṁśayātmā vinaśyati. That niścayātmā, that is very good, to believe, to have faith, niścaya, by full assertion. Just like Kṛṣṅa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66]. So if by your intelligence you become doubtful, "Whether Kṛṣṅa is able to give me protection?" then you are finished. Saṁśayātmā vinaśyati. But if you have faith in Kṛṣṅa's words, niścaya, "When Kṛṣṅa says that if I surrender unto Him, He will give me protection, there is no doubt about it," that is called faith, niścayātmikā. Vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ. Buddhi, intelligence, vyavasāyātmikā, niścayātmikā, that is very good.

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca buddhayo 'vyavasāyinām [Bg 2.41]

Avyavasāyinām, those who have no faith, doubtful, they have got different branches of activities. But one who has got faith, niścayātmikā, "Yes, here Kṛṣṅa says that He will give me protection. Let me surrender," then his life becomes successful.

This is beginning of successful life. Ādau śraddhā, this śraddhā, or this niścayātmikā buddhi, or vyavasāyātmikā buddhi, is the beginning of spiritual life. If one has no faith in the words of the authorities, then he has no hope. Saṁśayātmā vinaśyati. Vinaśyati means he does not get any chance to enter into spiritual life. We are in the material world. We are... Vinaśyatsu. We are in an atmosphere of being finished. That everyone, we know. This body... I am concerned with this body, and the body is to be finished. But the soul is not finished. Therefore our bhakti-mārga... How one can make progress in bhakti-mārga? If we have got faith in the words of Kṛṣṅa, that Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66], if we apply our intelligence, niścayātmikā, then our spiritual life begins. 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.]

These are the different methods to make advance in spiritual life, especially in bhakti-yoga, devotional life.

So ādau śraddhā. Kṛṣṅa says these are on the intellectual platform. Sometimes intellectual platform is taken as sentimental. But if it is rightly taken, somebody believes, even Kṛṣṅa..., Kṛṣṅa's statement, they are not sentimental. They are vijñāna-sahitam. Jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitam. Yaj jñātvā mokṣyase aśubhāt, jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitaṁ pravakṣyāmy anasūyave [Bg 9.1]. Yaj jñātvā mokṣyase aśubhāt. This is the statement in Bhagavad-gītā. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ [Bg 7.2].

[I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge both phenomenal and noumenal, by knowing which there shall remain nothing further to be known.]

Pravakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ, yaj jñātvā mokṣyase aśubhāt. That aśubha, inauspicious, we do not understand. We have taken inauspicious thing as auspicious. This is called māyā. We accept something māyā, or illusion, or vivarta. We accept something for something. The example is given: there is a rope, and due to my ignorance or insufficient knowledge, I take it as a snake. This is my insufficient knowledge. The snake is fact and the rope is fact. But when we take the rope as snake, that is ignorance, or the snake as rope, that is ignorance. The Māyāvādī philosopher says that "We are accepting snake..., er, rope as a snake. But there is no snake." But we, Vaiṣṅava philosopher, we say, "No, there is snake and there is rope. But when we accept the rope as snake, that is māyā." Similarly, there is spiritual world and there is material world. But when we accept the material world as everything, that is māyā. That is illusion.

There is spiritual world. Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ [Bg 8.20]: "There is another bhāva, nature." What is the nature? Sarveṣu naśyatsu na vinaśyati: "When the material world, this cosmic manifestation, the phenomenal world, will be finished, that will stay. That will not be finished." There are many example. Just like mirage in the desert: sometimes you see there is vast mass of water in the desert. The animal runs after the water, being thirsty, but there is no water. Therefore the animal dies. But human being should not be like the animal. They should raise their standard. They have got special consciousness. They can raise their standard of understanding by these literatures, Vedic literatures given by God. Vyāsadeva is incarnation of Kṛṣṅa, so he has given us the Vedic literature. Therefore his name is Vedavyāsa, incarnation of God, Vedavyāsa. Mahā-muni-kṛte kiṁ vā paraiḥ [SB 1.1.2].

[Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bhāgavata Purāṅa propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are fully pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries. This beautiful Bhāgavatam, compiled by the great sage Vyāsadeva [in his maturity], is sufficient in itself for God realization. What is the need of any other scripture? As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhāgavatam, by this culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart.]

There is no need of speculating. Just follow Vyāsadeva in the disciplic succession. Vyāsadeva's disciple is Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni's disciple is Vyāsadeva. So in this paramparā system, if we receive knowledge, then that is perfect knowledge. So we have to accept it. Niścayātmikā.

Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī says that spiritual life can be advanced, the first principle is utsāha. Utsāhāt. Utsāha means enthusiasm: "Yes, Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66]. I will accept it and work enthusiastically on the principle, as Kṛṣṅa says." Kṛṣṅa says, 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.]

and we have to do it, execute it enthusiastically: "Yes, I shall always think of Kṛṣṅa." Man-manāḥ. Kṛṣṅa says directly, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ, "You just become My devotee." So we have to be enthusiastic, "Yes, I shall become Kṛṣṅa's devotee." Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī. Kṛṣṅa says, "Worship Me," so we should be very much enthusiastic to worship Kṛṣṅa, offer maṅgala-ārati, rise early in the morning. These are all enthusiasm, utsāha. Those who are not enthusiastic—lazy, lethargetic—they cannot advance in spiritual life. Simply sleeping, they cannot make. One must be very, very enthusiastic, positive. Utsāhād dhairyāt. Dhairya means patience, not that "Because I have begun devotional service with great enthusiasm..." So you are already on the perfectional platform, but if you become impatient, that "Why I am not becoming perfect? Sometimes why māyā is kicking me?" Yes. That is habitual. That will go on. It will stop. Niścayāt. Dhairyāt, niścayāt, that "When Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66], now I have given up everything. I have no other occupational duties—simply to serve Kṛṣṅa. So when I have taken to it, then niścaya, Kṛṣṅa will surely give me protection." That is called niścaya. Don't be disappointed. Kṛṣṅa is not a false speaker. He says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi.

So we should have firm faith, niścaya. Niścayāt..., utsāhād, dhairyāt, niścayāt. But niścayāt; at the same time, you should not sit idly. You should work according to the direction of the spiritual master. Tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. "Now Kṛṣṅa has given me assurance. Now let me sleep. Everything will come automatically." No. Tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt [Upadeśāmṛta 3].

[There are six principles favorable to the execution of pure devotional service: (1) being enthusiastic, (2) endeavoring with confidence, (3) being patient, (4) acting according to regulative principles [such as śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ smaraṅam [SB 7.5.23]—hearing, chanting and remembering Kṛṣṅa], (5) abandoning the association of nondevotees, and (6) following in the footsteps of the previous ācāryas. These six principles undoubtedly assure the complete success of pure devotional service.]

The spiritual master says, "You must do this," you must do that. That is called tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. Not that "Now I am initiated and..." That is going on in so many places. The guru says, "You think of me. Everything will be all right." I do not wish to name, but a very big āśrama, they simply sit idly, and the guru has advised that "Think of me," that's all. This is not Vaiṣṅava principle. Vaiṣṅava principle is you must act according to the order of spiritual master. That is also an order. But the Vaiṣṅava spiritual master orders according to the śāstra. Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya. Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā aikya, ār nā koriho mane āśā. This is the instruction of our ācārya.

So this is called vyavasāyātmikā buddhi. Vyavasāyātmikā buddhi, niścayātmikā buddhi, means with good faith that "I must execute it. That is my life and soul." If we take that, then our life is successful. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. Guru is accepted identical with Kṛṣṅa. Haritvena. It is accepted in all the śāstras, Vedic literature, tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ. And those who are devotees, pure devotees, they accept like that. So why they accept? Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Guru is very dear to Kṛṣṅa because under the direction of Kṛṣṅa, by the paramparā system, he is training, "You do like this. This is paramparā system. Do not deviate." Because he is training people according to the desire of Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa is desiring that everyone should surrender unto Him. That is His desire. So guru's business is to train people how to surrender to Kṛṣṅa, not to become Kṛṣṅa. That is foolishness. You cannot become Kṛṣṅa. Your respect is as Kṛṣṅa because you are doing the most confidential service of Kṛṣṅa. But if you think that you have become Kṛṣṅa, then he is not guru. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya.

sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya

This sākṣād-dharitvena, equal to Kṛṣṅa, why? Priya eva tasya. Because he is very, very dear to Kṛṣṅa. Now, how he has become dear to Kṛṣṅa? Because he is preaching the same principle as Kṛṣṅa wanted.

ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati [Bg 18.68]

na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ [Bg 18.69]

Kṛṣṅa says, "Anyone who is preaching this confidential cult..." Mad-bhakteṣu abhidhāsyati. Bhakteṣu means "amongst the devotee." Who will understand Kṛṣṅa, and who will surrender to Kṛṣṅa, unless he is bhakta? Therefore, guru's business is first of all to make him bhakta. Then he will be able to understand what is Kṛṣṅa and surrender to Him. He has got very double business. Kṛṣṅa says, mad-bhakteṣu abhidhāsyati: "This cult, who preaches, anyone who preaches this cult of bhakti-yoga amongst My devotees..." He is selecting, "devotees." He never says the jñānīs, yogīs. The jñānīs, yogīs will not be able to understand what is Kṛṣṅa. From the very beginning they think they have become Kṛṣṅa. Vimukta-māninaḥ. They think like that. Actually, it is not. Kṛṣṅa is not so cheap thing that one can become Kṛṣṅa. One can become Kṛṣṅa's most confidential servant—that is possible. But one cannot become Kṛṣṅa. That is another illusion, māyā.

Therefore Kṛṣṅa said that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66]. This cult, who will understand unless he is devotee? A jñānī, yogī cannot understand. It is not possible. Because they are not bhakta, they cannot understand Kṛṣṅa. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg 18.55].

[One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.]

Kṛṣṅa never says, "By jñāna or by yoga, by karma one can understand Me." No, that is not possible. Therefore jñānī, yogī, karmī, they cannot understand. Therefore they are misled. Māyā-mohita. Nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam [Bg 7.13].

[Deluded by the three modes [goodness, passion and ignorance], the whole world does not know Me who am above the modes and inexhaustible.]

Tribhir guṅamayair bhāvaiḥ. Nābhijānāti: they cannot understand. Mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam. So Kṛṣṅa says, therefore, "Preach this cult amongst the devotees." He never said that "Preach this cult amongst the karmīs, amongst the jñānīs, amongst the yogīs." Because they are very unfortunate; they cannot understand Kṛṣṅa. Māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa [Cc Madhya 6.169]. One who comes in touch with the Māyāvādī... Māyāvādī means one who thinks Kṛṣṅa is also in māyā. That is called Māyāvādī. "Kṛṣṅa's body is also māyā." They are called Māyāvādī. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu warns that māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa: anyone who listens to the commentary of the Māyāvādī philosopher, then his fate is doomed. He is finished. He will never be able to understand bhakti philosophy. It is so poisonous.

Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī has warned not to hear from avaiṣṅava about Kṛṣṅa. There is a very famous Bhāgavata reader in Bombay. He is a pakkā avaiṣṅava. But he is going on, and he is infusing poison—means those who are hearing him, they will never be able to understand what is Kṛṣṅa. They will never be able. It is so poisonous. Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī says, avaiṣṅava-mukhodgīrṅaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, na śravaṅaṁ na kartavyam: "Avaiṣṅava, who is not Vaiṣṅava, who is not devotee, if he speaks about Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, nonsense..." He will speak nonsense. So it is not good. Avaiṣṅava-mukhodgīrṅaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṅaṁ na kartavyam: "You should never hear." On principle you should avoid hearing from such rascals. This is the injunction of Sanātana Gosvāmī. "Why? He is speaking Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Why one should not hear? Bhagavad-gītā is very nice." That's all right. He gives the example, sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payo yathā. Milk... Everyone knows milk is very good food. But if it is touched by the lip of a serpent, then it is finished. Then it is finished. He will die. If you take such milk, then your destiny is to death.

That is very important point, that Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, he advised... Many person used to come to see Caitanya Mahāprabhu, but he was first of all examined by His secretary whether he is actually fit for talking with Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Otherwise, he will simply waste His time. So one brāhmaṅa from East Bengal came with some literature. Many people used to write something. So when it was examined by Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, he said, "No." Then he explained how the literature was defective. He pointed out. These are described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Then he saw the person was submissive; he did not protest. Then Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī advised him that "You..." Bhāgavata paḍā giya bhāgavata sthāne: "You go to a bhāgavata, person bhāgavata, and read or hear Bhāgavata from him. Otherwise you will be misled, doubtful."

So saṁśayātmā vinaśyati. So it is our business to be very, very careful from understanding spiritual life or devotional life from nondevotee class of men. Nondevotee means one who does not accept Kṛṣṅa the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is nondevotee. Kṛṣṅa abhakta āra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was asked by His one devotee, gṛhastha devotee, that "What is the primary function of a devotee?" So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said in two lines: asat-saṅga-tyāga, ei vaiṣṅava-ācāra [Cc Madhya 22.87]. Asat. Asat means those who are nondevotees. They are asat. They are asat. Why asat? Because they will remain in this material world. Therefore they are asat. And those who will go to the spiritual..., those who will be promoted to the spiritual world, back to home, back to Godhead, they are sat, oṁ tat sat, because they are being promoted to the eternal kingdom. That is sat. This is the distinction between asat and sat. Those who will perpetually remain within this material world, they are called asat. The karmīs, jñānīs and yogīs... Yogīs, they... Just like... What is that big yogīs? That ṛṣi, great ṛṣi?

Devotee: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi? Swami Tuk?

Prabhupāda: No, no, not this swāmī. He was very angry.

Devotee: Durvāsā.

Prabhupāda: Durvāsā, yes. Durvāsā Muni, he was a very, very big yogī. He was such a big yogī that he could go anywhere, even the spiritual world. The yogīs can go, travel. There is a planet which is called Siddhaloka. These are called siddhis, yoga-siddhi: aṅimā, laghimā, prāpti. Nowadays there are so many yogīs, but they are not siddhas. They cannot display all these yoga-siddhis. Simply by some exercise, gymnastic, they become yogī. That is... Gymnastic is required in the beginning for controlling the mind. But the yoga-siddhi is different. That require perfect yoga practice—aṅimā, laghimā, prāpti-siddhi, īśitā, vaśitā.

So there is a planet which is called Siddhaloka. In that Siddhaloka, the inhabitants are by nature siddhas. They can fly in the sky. From one planet to another planet they can go. There is siddhi, there is laghima-siddhi, to become lighter than the air. So they can fly in the air without any burden. These are Siddhaloka. So even these Siddhalokas, the inhabitants who are by nature born perfect in yoga-siddhis, they also could not enter into the Vaikuṅṭhaloka. And karmīs, they go up to the heavenly planet. And jñānīs, they may go up to Brahman effulgence. Paraṁ padam. Āruhya kṛcchreṅa paraṁ padam [SB 10.2.32].

[[Someone may say that aside from devotees, who always seek shelter at the Lord's lotus feet, there are those who are not devotees but who have accepted different processes for attaining salvation. What happens to them? In answer to this question, Lord Brahmā and the other demigods said:] O lotus-eyed Lord, although nondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances to achieve the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is impure. They fall down from their position of imagined superiority because they have no regard for Your lotus feet.]

Āruhya kṛcch... They elevate themself very high, so much so that they enter the spiritual world, paraṁ padam. Paraṁ padam, the spiritual world. Really paraṁ padam means the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa. But paraṁ padam, because this Brahman effulgence is also bodily rays of Kṛṣṅa, the Brahman effulgence is also called sometimes paraṁ padam. But those who are aspiring to merge into that paraṁ padam, Brahman, they are actually not vimukta, vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking, "Now we have become liberated." Māninaḥ. Māninaḥ means the position is different, but he is thinking that "I have become now perfect."

So why, if they have gone to the spiritual world and stays in the Brahman effulgence, and still they are māninaḥ, not certain? Yes. Why? Because they cannot stay there. This is very logical argument and statement of the Vedic literature. Āruhya kṛcchreṅa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. They fall down because they do not get ānanda. Spiritual effulgence is simply eternity. So suppose if you live eternally without any ānanda, how long you will like to live like that? Is it possible? That you cannot do. Suppose somebody lives eternally in the sky without any death. Rather, he will try to commit suicide. It is not possible. It is not possible. Just like we have got experience: if you remain for very long time—I have got experience—in the sea or in the air, you feel very uncomfortable. You want to land down, land down, another air station, another port, and feel very uncomfortable. The airplane men, they come down and they take rest on the ground. It is not our nature, because it is impersonal. In the air there is no variety, simply air. Similarly, in the sea there is no variety, simply water. So it becomes suffocating. Similarly, those who are aspiring to go to the Brahman effulgence... Brahman effulgence is spiritual world, certainly, but there is no variety. There is no Kṛṣṅa's enjoying with the cowherds boys or Śrīmatī Rādhārāṅī. You cannot find there. You simply remain in the Brahman effulgence.

But because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, as Kṛṣṅa wants enjoyment, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt [Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12],

[By nature, the Supreme Lord is blissful.]

ānandamaya, so we part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, we also want ānanda. So to remain in the Brahman effulgence is not ānanda. It is eternity only. It is not ānanda. Therefore on account of absence of ānanda, they come down again to enjoy this material ānanda. We have got many experience of persons. The Māyāvādī sannyāsī, they take sannyāsa, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, but after some time they come to take parts in politics. Why? Is jagan mithyā, why you are taking to politics? Because they could not get ānanda. Nirviśeṣa, nirākāra—simply philosophizing, but there was no ānanda. "Therefore let me go to the jail by political activities. There is ānanda." [laughter] Yes, they do, practically. Yes. So they will take ānanda in the jail, not with Kṛṣṅa.

Therefore śāstra says, āruhya kṛcchreṅa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ [SB 10.2.32].

[[Someone may say that aside from devotees, who always seek shelter at the Lord's lotus feet, there are those who are not devotees but who have accepted different processes for attaining salvation. What happens to them? In answer to this question, Lord Brahmā and the other demigods said:] O lotus-eyed Lord, although nondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances to achieve the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is impure. They fall down from their position of imagined superiority because they have no regard for Your lotus feet.]

This class of men, although after severe penance and austerities, āruhya kṛcchreṅa, very severe penance and austerities performing... The Māyāvādī sannyāsī, those who are really following the principles, their life is very strict, stricter than the Vaiṣṅavas'. So in spite of such strict observance of rules and regulation and rising up to the Brahman effulgence, because they do not get ānanda... Ānanda is there with Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅaloka. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ [Bs 5.37].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Goloka, with Rādhā, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the company of Her confidantes [sakhīs], embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa.]

Kṛṣṅa is enjoying in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, expanding Himself in so many gopīs, so many cowherds boys, so many trees, plants, water, land—everything Kṛṣṅa's expands. Here also it is Kṛṣṅa's expansion, this material world, bhūmir āpaḥ analo vāyuḥ. That is bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. That is separated energy. Apareyam, this is inferior. Itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. That information is there. There is another prakṛti, parā-prakṛti. And what is that parā-prakṛti? What is the sample? Jīva-bhūta, living entities. That prakṛti is living, and this prakṛti is dead. That is the difference. Anyone can understand. There also, the trees, they are living tree. Here also living tree, but covered by the material body, his life is not manifested. Just like why we cannot go to other planet? Because I am covered by these material elements. But when I am not covered by the material elements, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc Madhya 19.170], then I can go everywhere, automatically. Just like Nārada Muni goes everywhere. He has no impediment.

[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.]

So everyone can possess that status of life. So this is niścaya. If we understand Kṛṣṅa philosophy, Kṛṣṅa consciousness, rightly, then there will be no doubt, by intelligence. Without intelligence, nobody can understand Kṛṣṅa philosophy. Dull-headed, poor fund of knowledge, they cannot understand Kṛṣṅa. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān [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.]

Actually, those who are thinking they are jñānīs, they are not jñānīs. They are still in māyā, darkness, because they think that they have finished their business; now they have become liberated. They have become Nārāyaṅa. Instead of separate Nārāyaṅa, each, every one them is Nārāyaṅa. They address amongst themselves, "Nārāyaṅa." And that is their foolishness. At least you must show the four hands of Nārāyaṅa. Where is your four hand? You are begging, and you are Nārāyaṅa? What kind of Nārāyaṅa you are? Now daridra-nārāyaṅa they have manufactured. "Yes, I am Nārāyaṅa, but daridra-nārāyaṅa." But we do not know daridra-nārāyaṅa. Nārāyaṅa is Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṅa. He is the husband of Lakṣmī.

So they manufacture all these concocted ideas. Therefore it is called māninaḥ. They are thinking they have become liberated. Vimukta-māninaḥ. They are ordinary living being, but they can befool some foolish persons. But they are not liberated. They are under the spell of māyā. Māyā is dictating. Just like in the material world, māyā is dictating, "Now you are prime minister," "Now you are president," "Now you are very rich man, so your life is..." [break] Then you can surrender. Yes. Mattaḥ... Actually, He is na mattaḥ paratara... That is fact. Even Śaṅkarācārya accepts, nārāyaṅaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt: "Nārāyaṅa is not a living being of this world." But his followers, they are thinking, "I am Nārāyaṅa." You see? They do not know even their original philosophy. It is clearly written by Śaṅkarācārya, nārāyaṅaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. So... And in the śāstra it is said, yas tu nārāyaṅaṁ devaṁ brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ, ekatvena or samatvenaiva vīkṣeta sa pāṣaṅḍī bhaved dhruvam [Cc Madhya 18.116]. Pāṣaṅḍī. Unbeliever, atheist, infidel, faithless—they are called pāṣaṅḍī. So anyone who thinks Nārāyaṅa on the same level with such exalted demigods like Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā, brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ samatvenaiva vīkṣeta, if he puts Nārāyaṅa on the same level, sa pāṣaṅḍī bhaved dhruvam: he is pāṣaṅḍī.

So these pāṣaṅḍīs are flourishing in this Kali-yuga on account of our these doubts. What is that? Saṁśaya, this saṁśaya. So the first business of spiritual life is to become free from saṁśaya. Because saṁśayātmā vinaśyati. We should accept the statement of the śāstra, we should accept the statement of authorities, and make our life following. 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.]

That is actually paramparā system, as Kṛṣṅa says, as Kṛṣṅa's devotee says, His authorized agent says. Then our life will be successful. Otherwise, saṁśayātmā vinaśyati [Bg 4.40].

[But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness; they fall down. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next.]

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. [end]