Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.26.31

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

taijasānīndriyāṅy eva kriyā-jñāna-vibhāgaśaḥ prāṅasya hi kriyā-śaktir buddher vijñāna-śaktitā [SB 3.26.31]

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"Egoism in the mode of passion produces two kinds of senses—the senses for acquiring knowledge and the senses of action. The senses of action depend upon the vital energy, and the senses for acquiring knowledge depend upon intelligence."

Prabhupāda:

taijasānīndriyāṅy eva kriyā-jñāna-vibhāgaśaḥ prāṅasya hi kriyā-śaktir buddher vijñāna-śaktitā [SB 3.26.31]

We have to see how wonderfully the subtle actions are described in Sāṅkhya philosophy by Kapiladeva. There are many modern psychologist, scientist, physist, but they cannot analyze the subtle function that is going on, creating things as they are. Superficially we can see, but how things are taking place, that can be described in the Vedic literatures, not any other book. Therefore it is said, vidyā bhāgavatāvadhiḥ: "One who has studied Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam thoroughly, he has seen the end of knowledge." And actually, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the commentary, or explanation, on the Vedānta-sūtra. Vyāsadeva made Vedānta-sūtra, the ultimate knowledge, and he made his comment also, natural commentary. That is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. At the end of every chapter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you will find, brahma-sūtrasya bhāṣya: "It is the natural comment of Brahma-sūtra." So if we study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam very thoroughly, and specifically from a person bhāgavata, then our life is successful. 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.]

That is the instruction, nityam.

Just like here we are having Bhāgavata class. This is not ordinary Bhāgavata class, not jumping over Kṛṣṅa's rāsa-līlā. It is not like that. It is step by step studying what is Kṛṣṅa, what is this material world, what is the sambandha, or relationship with Kṛṣṅa—so many things—how this body has developed, how we have forgotten Kṛṣṅa, how to revive our Kṛṣṅa consciousness. These things must be studied first of all. Then we can understand what is Kṛṣṅa's pastimes with the gopīs. But these professional Bhāgavata preachers, they go, jump over at once. Because it appears like the dealings of young boys and girls, so that is the... Here in this material world, sex impulse... Here in this material world, sex impulse is the center of all activity. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ kaṅḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham [SB 7.9.45].

[Sex life is compared to the rubbing of two hands to relieve an itch. Gṛhamedhīs, so-called gṛhasthas who have no spiritual knowledge, think that this itching is the greatest platform of happiness, although actually it is a source of distress. The kṛpaṅas, the fools who are just the opposite of brāhmaṅas, are not satisfied by repeated sensuous enjoyment. Those who are dhīra, however, who are sober and who tolerate this itching, are not subjected to the sufferings of fools and rascals.]

People are working so hard day and night. What is their happiness? The happiness is sex, that's all. That has been described as tuccham, most abominable. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham. Ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8].

So we are not aware what is the aim of life. So Kṛṣṅa is very kind. He therefore comes. He came just before the beginning of this Kali-yuga, the most fallen age, and left for us the Bhagavad-gītā. And then, after Him, after His departure... It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, "After departure of Kṛṣṅa from this planet to His own abode, the principle of religion and knowledge, where it is kept?" So the answer is, "It is kept in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." Adhunā udita. So Kṛṣṅa is nondifferent from Bhagavad-gītā as it is spoken by Him personally, and He is also represented by Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, sound representation. So we should take the advantage of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. They are kṛṣṅa-kathā, kṛṣṅa-kathā. Kṛṣṅa-kathā means news or words about Kṛṣṅa, or Kṛṣṅa's kathā, the words given by Kṛṣṅa. That is Bhagavad-gītā, kṛṣṅa-kathā, Kṛṣṅa's words. And Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam means words for Kṛṣṅa. Both of them are kṛṣṅa-kathā, or kṛṣṅa-upadeśa, instruction by Kṛṣṅa.

So here is... Kapiladeva is giving instruction, how things have developed one after another from Kṛṣṅa, from Kapiladeva. Kapiladeva and Kṛṣṅa, there is no difference. You read the purport.

Nitāi: "It has been explained in the previous verses that mind is the product of ego in goodness and that the function of the mind is acceptance and rejection according to desire. But here intelligence is said to be the product of ego in passion. That is the distinction between mind and intelligence; mind is a product of egoism in goodness, and intelligence is a product of egoism in passion. The desire to accept something and reject something is a very important factor of the mind. Since the mind is a product of the mode of goodness, if it is fixed upon the Lord of the mind, Aniruddha, then the mind can be changed to Kṛṣṅa consciousness."

Prabhupāda: Yes, here is the secret of training the mind. The whole yoga system, aṣṭāṅga-yoga system—dhyāna, dhāraṅā, āsana, prāṅāyāma, like that—they are meant for only controlling the mind. Mind is the center of sensual activities. The purpose of aṣṭāṅga-yoga is to train up the mind, because the mind is very restless. Arjuna, five hundred years ago, he also appreciated the mind is very restless. So he declined to practice the haṭha-yoga system. He said clearly that "Kṛṣṅa, it is not possible for me to control the mind." In another place in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, "The mind is the most dearmost friend, and mind is the bitterest enemy." Everyone's bitterest enemy and dearest friend is there. That is the mind. It requires little training.

For training the mind, this yoga system is. Those who are too much engrossed in the bodily concept of life, for them, this yoga system, aṣṭāṅga-yoga system, is recommended by practicing a certain type of āsana and making a type of exercise of the breathing, in this way, prāṅāyāma, dhyāna, dhāraṅā, āsana, prāṅāyāma. But there is another simple method that is recommended in the śāstra. You can train up your mind if you simply keep your mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa is here, and you see Kṛṣṅa's lotus feet, and if you practice to meditate upon Kṛṣṅa's lotus feet, Kṛṣṅa's bodily feature, then immediately your mind becomes controlled. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṅa-padāravindayoḥ [SB 9.4.18].

[Mahārāja Ambarīṣa always engaged his mind in meditating upon the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa, his words in describing the glories of the Lord, his hands in cleansing the Lord's temple, and his ears in hearing the words spoken by Kṛṣṅa or about Kṛṣṅa. He engaged his eyes in seeing the Deity of Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa's temples and Kṛṣṅa's places like Mathurā and Vṛndāvana, he engaged his sense of touch in touching the bodies of the Lord's devotees, he engaged his sense of smell in smelling the fragrance of tulasī offered to the Lord, and he engaged his tongue in tasting the Lord's prasāda. He engaged his legs in walking to the holy places and temples of the Lord, his head in bowing down before the Lord, and all his desires in serving the Lord, twenty-four hours a day. Indeed, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa never desired anything for his own sense gratification. He engaged all his senses in devotional service, in various engagements related to the Lord. This is the way to increase attachment for the Lord and be completely free from all material desires.]

Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, he was the emperor of the world. He had to manage many political affairs. But he was one of the topmost devotees at the same time. Why? Because... About him it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that he practiced this yoga system, the topmost yoga system. What is that? Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṅa-padāravindayoḥ: "He kept always his mind at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa." And his legs engaged for going... He was king, emperor. He had no business to go. But still, he was using his legs to go to the temple. This is this yoga system: you employ your senses. Instead of going to the cinema and standing there for three hours for a ticket, if you engage your legs to come to this temple, it is yoga system. So simple thing. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṅa-padāravindayoḥ. Instead of thinking some beautiful woman or beautiful man, if you think of Kṛṣṅa, the most beautiful person, then it is yoga system. So simple.

So every senses you can engage in Kṛṣṅa's service. Just we have got senses, ten senses, and the mind. So mind engaged in Kṛṣṅa, legs engaged for going to the temple, hands engaged for cleansing the temple, nose engaged for smelling the flower offered to Kṛṣṅa or tulasī offered to Kṛṣṅa, tongue to taste Kṛṣṅa's prasādam, hear Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra—in this way, you can engage all the senses. There is no need of education. There is no need of passing M.A., Ph.D. You practice this simple yoga system: sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṅa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṅṭha-guṅānuvarṅane [SB 9.4.18]. Ambarīṣa Mahārāja used to do that. Vacāṁsi vaikuṅṭha-guṅānuvarṅane. You have to talk, but don't talk nonsense. But you engage your talking about Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā—vaikuṅṭha. Vaikuṅṭha means without any kuṅṭha, without any anxiety. Other talking, you will have so many anxieties because that is not vaikuṅṭha talking. But if you engage your talking on the subject matter of Kṛṣṅa... Kṛṣṅa is talking. Kṛṣṅa is not dumb, deaf and dumb, nirākāra. No. He is talking before Kṛṣṅa, aham ādir hi devānām [Bg 10.2], aham: "Here I am. I am the origin of all the devas." So Kṛṣṅa is talking like that. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg 7.14]. He is talking. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ: "Just think of Me. Become My devotee."

[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.]

He is stressing everywhere, a person; mama, "unto Me," "My," "I," the first person, everywhere. Aham ādir hi devānām. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate [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.]

So these are the talking of Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa is talking. So you take up this message from Kṛṣṅa directly and engage like that, vacāṁsi vaikuṅṭha-guṅānuvarṅane. Don't talk nonsense. Or if you talk of Kṛṣṅa, then nonsense talking will stop automatically.

Now you know that in our institution there are so many European boys and girls. In their own country they are very, very much fond of newspaper. If there is no newspaper, they think life is horrible. But you won't find a piece of newspaper in our temple, because they have stopped talking all nonsense. Only this Bhagavad-gītā, Bhāgavata. This is called vacāṁsi vaikuṅṭha-guṅānuvarṅane. They are no more interested with this nonsense talking of the newspaper. Vacāṁsi vaikuṅṭha-guṅānuvarṅane. This is advancement of spiritual life. I have heard one story from a gentleman, how newspaper is important in Western country. We have seen also, big, big bunch of newspaper thrown in every door. They subscribe. So one priest was preaching among the miners in Sheffield, where there are many coal mines, in England. So he was speaking that "You become devotee, followers of Jesus Christ," and in this way he's preaching Bible. So one of the miners, he never heard of Bible nor Jesus Christ. So he inquired, "What is his number?" That means he thought Christ may be one of the miners, and they have got specific number. So he said, "No, you are mistaking. Jesus Christ is Lord. He is not one of you, like worker. No. He's Lord. So if you don't appreciate him, don't worship him, then you will go to hell." Then another man asked, "What is hell?" And he described that "Hell is very dark. It is very moist," and so on. "There is no air there, no light, and..." So they are living always in the mine. There was no response, because they are habituated with this hellish life. [laughing] So the description of hell did not appeal. Then the priest was intelligent, said, "You know there is no newspaper." Then they said, "Oh, horrible!" [laughter] "It is horrible."

So that newspaper is so important in the Western countries. Even the miners and the most fallen people, they also read newspaper. And these boys and girls who you are seeing, not only here, there also, they don't care any more for any newspaper, any magazine, except Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This is a fact. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṅa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṅṭha-guṅānuvarṅane [SB 9.4.18].

So this is... If we simply do these things, that vacāṁsi vaikuṅṭha-guṅānuvarṅane, this Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, description of Vaikuṅṭha, the transcendental life where there is no anxiety... That is Vaikuṅṭha. So Vaikuṅṭha... God's name is also Vaikuṅṭha. In southern India they say Veṅkateśvara. That is apabhraṁśa of Vaikuṅṭheśvara. They say Veṅkateśvara. But Vaikuṅṭheśvara. Vaikuṅṭha, the spiritual world, and the master of the Vaikuṅṭha, He is called Veṅkateśvara or Vaikuṅṭheśvara. So in this way we can train up ourself. Keep your mind always thinking of Kṛṣṅa, as Kṛṣṅa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. Then you become gradually the first-class yogī. You don't require to make any exercise. The..., everything will be done automatically. Kṛṣṅa will give you intelligence. As you concentrate your mind on Kṛṣṅa's lotus feet, immediately you become qualified to talk with Kṛṣṅa. Immediately. That is said by Kṛṣṅa in the Bhagavad-gītā: teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam [Bg 10.10].

[To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.]

So Kṛṣṅa is there within your heart, and as soon as you engage yourself in the service of Kṛṣṅa, beginning with sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṅa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṅṭha-guṅānuvarṅane [SB 9.4.18], concentrating your mind, that is the yoga system.

Meditation means to concentrate the mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa; not something fictitious, but this is tangible. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ [SB 12.13.1].

[Sūta Gosvāmī said: Unto that personality whom Brahmā, Varuṅa, Indra, Rudra and the Maruts praise by chanting transcendental hymns and reciting the Vedas with all their corollaries, pada-kramas and Upaniṣads, to whom the chanters of the Sāma Veda always sing, whom the perfected yogīs see within their minds after fixing themselves in trance and becoming fully absorbed in thoughts of Him, and whose limit can never be found by any demigod or demon—unto that Supreme Personality of Godhead I offer my humble obeisances.]

That is the yoga practice of meditation, but not that he, the yogī, does not know what he is thinking. That is not yoga. This is simply show. Real yoga is to meditate upon the lotus feel of Kṛṣṅa. That is real yoga. Dhyānāvasthita. Dhyāna. Dhyāna means meditation. So they sit down in dhyāna. Now what is the subject matter of dhyāna? The subject matter of dhyāna is the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa or Viṣṅu. That is dhyāna, dhyāna-yoga. That is... Then you get yogic perfection. And Kṛṣṅa recommends in the Bhagavad-gītā how first-class yoga is thinking of Kṛṣṅa:

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ [Bg 6.47]

[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]

The first-class yogī is.

So actually it is so. As soon as you contact the Supreme, yoga... Yoga means contact, and another meaning, everyone knows, in mathematics, yoga: one plus one equal to two. And viyoga: one minus one equal to zero. Viyoga, vi-yoga, discontact, and contact. So we are now separated, separated superficially. "What is God? I don't care for God. I am God," this, that. Therefore yoga system is required to connect again your relation, reestablish. It is not broken. It is exactly like that: a boy is away from home for many, many years, so he is now separated or discontact. But immediately he can contact by remembering his father, mother, family, immediately. Immediately the relationship is revived. So yoga system means from time immemorial we have forgotten Kṛṣṅa, or God. This is our position. Kṛṣṅa bhuli' sei jīva anādi-bahirmukha [Cc Madhya 20.117].

[Forgetting Kṛṣṅa, the living entity has been attracted by the external feature from time immemorial. Therefore the illusory energy [māyā] gives him all kinds of misery in his material existence.]

Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṅa, anādi, before creation, therefore I am looking after external things for my happiness. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ.

Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṅum, bahir-artha-māninaḥ [SB 7.5.31]. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ, those who have been captured by this external energy, māyā, material world, they do not know what is their actual interest. The interest is to revive again his relationship with the Supreme Lord, Viṣṅu. Na te viduḥ. They do not know it. And,

na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṅuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ [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.]

Andha, the leaders of this class of man, they are also blind. We are blind, and the leaders, so-called leaders, he also does not know what is the aim of life. And they are misleading us in so many ways by so-called political emancipation, this party, that party, but they do not know actually what is the aim of life. Therefore they are andhas. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. And we are also andhas. So andha leading andha. So how there can be any peace and prosperity? Therefore the whole world is unhappy, chaotic condition, and everyone is manufacturing his own way of life to become happy. But they are not becoming happy because they do not know what is the aim of life. This is the position.

So this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is at least trying to give the people what is the aim of life, how he can be happy, how he can regain his eternal position of blissful life. These are the things. And they are authorized. What we are presenting, that is nothing manufactured by concoction of the brain. No. It is all authorized, all authorized. So if we take advantage of this movement, then we become happy, we become in the perfect knowledge, blissful life, even in this life, and next life you go back to home, back to Godhead.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla... [break] [end]