Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.28.18

Harikeśa: Page number 1192. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Third Canto, Twenty-eighth Chapter, text number eighteen. [leads chanting of verse, etc.]

kīrtanya-tīrtha-yaśasaṁ puṅya-śloka-yaśaskaram dhyāyed devaṁ samagrāṅgaṁ yāvan na cyavate manaḥ [SB 3.28.18]

[02:46]

Translation: "The glory of the Lord is always worth singing, for His glories enhance the glories of His devotees. One should therefore meditate upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead and upon His devotees. One should meditate on the eternal form of the Lord until the mind becomes fixed."

Prabhupāda:

kīrtanya-tīrtha-yaśasaṁ puṅya-śloka-yaśaskaram dhyāyed devaṁ samagrāṅgaṁ yāvan na cyavate manaḥ [SB 3.28.18]

This is called meditation. Yāvan, so long the mind is disturbed and deviates from our subject of meditation, one should practice this kīrtana. 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.]

Caitanya Mahāprabhu advises that the devotee should chant always, twenty-four hours, kīrtanya: "It is worth singing." It is worth singing, why? Puṅya ślokasya. Puṅya ślokasya... Puṅya śloka yaśaskaram. Even if you do not fix up your mind—kīrtana means fix up your mind—but even if you do not fix up your mind, then you are still gainer. The more you glorify the Lord, you become pious simply by kīrtana. It is not necessary that you understand, but if you go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa mahā-mantra, then you become pious. Puṅya-śloka. Kṛṣṅa's another name is Puṅya-śloka, Uttama-śloka. Simply by chanting "Kṛṣṅa," you become pious.

So dhyāyed devaṁ samagrāṅgam. The dhyāna, the meditation, should begin from the lotus feet. As soon as you begin kīrtana, first of all concentrate your mind on the lotus feet, not all of a sudden jump over the face. Be practiced to think over the lotus feet, then still higher, the knees, then the thighs, then the belly, then the chest. In this way, at last go to the face. This is the process. It is described in the Second Canto. The process is how to think of Kṛṣṅa., man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ [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.]

This is meditation. So this... By kīrtana it becomes very easy. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mahā-mantra twenty-four hours like Haridāsa Ṭhākura... That is not possible. So as much as possible. Tīrtha-yaśasa. Kīrtana... This is also kīrtana. We are talking about Kṛṣṅa, reading about Kṛṣṅa, reading Kṛṣṅa's instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā or reading Kṛṣṅa's glories in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. They are all kīrtana. It is not that simply when we sing with musical instruments, that is kīrtana. No. Anything you talk about Kṛṣṅa, that is kīrtana.

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.]

means that... Vacāṁsi vaikuṅṭha-guṅānuvarṅane [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.]

This is the character of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, that whenever he would talk, he would talk about Kṛṣṅa. This is kīrtana. He won't talk anything else. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṅa-padāravindayoḥ. Whenever he will think, he will think of Kṛṣṅa—His lotus feet, His body, His hands, His flute. This is meditation. Meditation means that... Trance means when your mind is so fixed up on Kṛṣṅa or Viṣṅu that not for a second your mind is deviated from the Kṛṣṅa's form. That is called trance. Not artificially. You can practice it. If you see Kṛṣṅa daily in the temple, if you worship, you offer your obeisances—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.]

naturally you will think of Kṛṣṅa twenty-four hours, and that will make you more pious, because without being pious, nobody can think of Kṛṣṅa.

Yeṣāṁ anta-gataṁ pāpam. Pious means there is no reaction of sinful life. It is all squared up. That you can do at any moment. Kṛṣṅa takes charge. Kṛṣṅa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi [Bg 18.66]. He can do that. He can nullify the destiny. Karmāṅi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām [Bs 5.54].

[I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, who burns up to their roots all fruitive activities of those who are imbued with devotion and impartially ordains for each the due enjoyment of the fruits of one's activities, of all those who walk in the path of work, in accordance with the chain of their previously performed works, no less in the case of the tiny insect that bears the name of indragopa than in that of Indra, king of the devas.]

Everyone is bound up by the laws of karma. Yas tv indragopam athavendram aho sva-karma-bandhānurūpa-phala-bhājanam ātanoti. Everyone, beginning from that small microbe, indragopa, and up to the king of heaven—his name is also Indra—so from this Indra to that Indra, all different types of living entities, they are suffering, not enjoying; suffering the resultant action of their past sinful life. This is material existence. Everyone is suffering, but māyā is so kind that he [she] misleads the sufferer to understand the suffering is enjoying. This is māyā. Actually everyone is suffering, but he is misled to think that he is enjoying. So if we keep ourself always in contact with Kṛṣṅa, then we become pious more and more, and as soon as our sinful reaction of life is counteracted by these pious activities, we begin to understand Kṛṣṅa. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam. Without being sinless, nobody can understand Kṛṣṅa. So this process should be continued.

Kīrtanya-tīrtha-yaśasaṁ puṅya-śloka-yaśaskaram dhyāyed devam [SB 3.28.18]. Devam. Devam means the Supreme Lord. Samagrangam. So if He has no form, how you can think of His whole body, samagra? Samagra means the whole; aṅgam means body. Samagrāṅgam. So if He has no body, if He is formless, if He is nirākāra, then where is the question of aṅgam? He has aṅgam, samagrāṅgam, but He hasn't got a form like us. That is the meaning. When in the śāstra it is said that God has no form, it means that He has no material form. He has form; otherwise how can I think of His form? This Kṛṣṅa's form is not like us. Just like if you take my statue or any other statue and if you pray or if you offer food, that does not go actually to the person. But Kṛṣṅa's His aṅga, His form, is nondifferent from Kṛṣṅa.

Foolish people may say that "These men, they are offering food to a marble statue. Everyone knows." No. It is not the fact. The fact is Kṛṣṅa is omnipotent. He can accept your service, becoming a marble statue. Because I cannot see Kṛṣṅa by my present eyes, therefore He has appeared before you just like a marble statue. But He is not marble statue. We must know that. If we think, "Here is marble statue, and if I commit some offense, who is going to see?" this is wrong conclusion. He is Kṛṣṅa personally present here in a form which we can see. It is His mercy. It is called arcā-vigraha. Kṛṣṅa is everything. This marble is also Kṛṣṅa's energy. Bhūmir āpo'nalo vāyuḥ [Bg 7.4].

[Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego—altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies.]

So He can accept your service from any of His energy. The marble is also His energy, the water is also His energy, the air is also His energy—everything. Without Kṛṣṅa nothing can exist. So He is omniscient, all-powerful. He can accept your service through His energy. This is arcā-vigraha. Samagrāṅgam.

So Kṛṣṅa has got form, aṅgam, but His aṅga is different. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs 5.1].

[Kṛṣṅa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]

His aṅga is sac-cid-ānanda, not like... 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 and His expansion—ananda-cinmāyā. Just like Kṛṣṅa is in the rāsa dance. These gopīs are also expansion of His energy, and you will find, therefore, with each and every gopī, Kṛṣṅa is there. That is another expansion. So we should not take Kṛṣṅa's dancing like our ball dance. No, that is mistake. If we understand Kṛṣṅa's dancing, then we become liberated. It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that instead of reading some books of this ball dance, if you read about Kṛṣṅa's dancing, then what will be the result? The result will be hṛd-rogam-kāmam apahinoty āśv acireṅa dhīraḥ [SB 10.33.39]. Everyone, we have got these lusty desires, but if actually one is advanced and he hears from a realized person what is the meaning of Kṛṣṅa's rāsa dance, then the result will be hṛd-roga-kāmam. We have got a heart disease. Heart disease means lusty desire. Hṛd-roga-kāmam apahinoti: "It becomes vanquished." If one actually hears Kṛṣṅa's rāsa-līlā, then no more material lusty desires. This is the result.

But unless we are so advanced spiritually, we should not indulge in hearing about rāsa-līlā. Then we shall commit offense. We shall think that "Kṛṣṅa is dancing like us." How He, Kṛṣṅa, is dancing? Kṛṣṅa is dancing with each and every gopī. Can you do that? Then how you can say that "Kṛṣṅa is dancing like us"? If you see the picture, you will find that each and every... Every gopī is thinking that "Kṛṣṅa is dancing with me." How it is possible? If you dance with imitation... There are many rascals, they imitate that, that "I am Kṛṣṅa, and I can dance also like that." No. It is ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ. This manifestation, demonstration, is not of this material world. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. When Kṛṣṅa was dancing, all the gopīs, they left their material body by the side of the husband, but they went to dance. That is spiritual body. That is not material body. So don't indulge in such a way, that "Kṛṣṅa's dancing and our dancing is the same." Then you will be mistaken. That will be offense.

So we have to become advanced in spiritual understanding. And people, the so-called artists, they indulge in Kṛṣṅa's pictures, His dealings with the gopīs. That is not very good. That is misleading. People may think, and actually that happens. If without being mature, without being advanced in spiritual consciousness, if one tries to understand or see kṛṣṅa-līlā with the gopīs, then he will be misled. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, you will find, rigidly He discussed this kṛṣṅa-līlā with very confidential devotee, Rāmānanda Rāya, not with others. He never discussed with Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya or Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. He discussed on philosophy of Māyāvāda, but not on kṛṣṅa-līlā. Kṛṣṅa-līlā He discussed with Rāmānanda Rāya, most confidential devotee. And to understand Kṛṣṅa, Vyāsadeva has devoted nine chapter..., nine cantos. And then, from Tenth Canto, he begins kṛṣṅa-līlā.

So kṛṣṅa-līlā is the face of Kṛṣṅa, smiling of Kṛṣṅa. So here we have to practice to see the different parts of the body gradually from down. We first of all see His lotus feet, then gradually... So that is described. The two feet, they are called the first chapter..., in the First Canto, Second Canto. In this way we must go. Everything is very scientifically arranged. If we take it in chronologically, according to the instruction of the śāstra, then it will be very easy. Otherwise,

manuṣyāṅāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti mam... [Bg 7.3]

[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]

We should understand tattvataḥ. That tattvataḥ means, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [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.]

Again tattvataḥ. Only through devotional service.

So devotional... What is devotional service? Śravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ smaraṅam pāda-seva... [SB 7.5.23].

[Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṅu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṅa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.]

We have to follow these nine principles of devotional service, especially this śravanam, kīrtanam and arcanam. Arcanam, worshiping the Deity, and śravanaṁ kīrtanam. Even if you follow one, that is sufficient, but there are nine different processes. As far as possible we shall execute everything, and at least śravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ smaraṅam pāda-sevanam, arcanam. Arcana is very important. For kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, devotee in the lower stage, arcana is very, very important. Although the devotee in the higher stage, he also offers worship, but Kṛṣṅa is everywhere. But for a neophyte devotee... Just like some people say that "Why you should go to the temple? Kṛṣṅa is everywhere." Who was asking that question? "Kṛṣṅa cannot be served..." Here, last night. I think those girls, svarṅa[?] girls. Kṛṣṅa is everywhere, that is a fact, but that is for the paramhaṁsa, one who is very, very advanced. For the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, he cannot... He, like parrot, he can say, "Kṛṣṅa is everywhere." He must be educated, "Here is Kṛṣṅa in the temple." Otherwise it is simply blaspheme, that "Kṛṣṅa is everywhere." That's a fact, but where is your realization? Kṛṣṅa is within your heart. Have you got that realization? Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg 18.61].

[The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.]

Have you got that realization, that Kṛṣṅa is within your heart? Can you talk with Kṛṣṅa? He says, Kṛṣṅa says, "I talk." 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.]

Kṛṣṅa gives intelligence. Kṛṣṅa is giving, but have you got that realization?

So these are all facts, that Kṛṣṅa is everywhere, Kṛṣṅa is within your heart, Kṛṣṅa is within the atom. Aṅḍāntara-stha-paramāṅu-cayāntara-sthaṁ [Bs 5.35],

[He is an undifferentiated entity as there is no distinction between potency and the possessor thereof. In His work of creation of millions of worlds, His potency remains inseparable. All the universes exist in Him and He is present in His fullness in every one of the atoms that are scattered throughout the universe, at one and the same time. Such is the primeval Lord whom I adore.]

that's a fact, but where is your realization? Therefore you have to begin realization by arcana. That is very essential. The more you become expert in arcana, ye yathā mām prapadyante [Bg 4.11],

[All of them—as they surrender unto Me—I reward accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛthā.]

Then the more you become realized, then more you become advanced. So therefore, for kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, he has to raise himself.

arcāyām eva haraye yaḥ pūjāṁ śraddhayehate na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ [SB 11.2.47]

By executing this arca-vigraha, arcanam, gradually you advance. But if you simply remain in the arcana-viddhi or arcana process, and you cannot understand who is a bhakta and what to do with others... That is also a bhakta's duty, not that simply we shall remain engaged in arcana. We must know how to respect devotee, how to do some service to others also. That is madhyama-adhikārī. Simply if you become satisfied, that "Now I am initiated and I am offering arcana. I have become perfect," no, the perfection is still awaiting. You have to understand who is a devotee. You have to understand how to give service to the innocent. If you do not know that, then if you simply become packed up by arca-vigraha-seva, arcana, then you will remain in the material platform.

Na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu sa bhaktaḥ prakṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ. Prakṛtaḥ means material. He is trying to go to the spiritual platform, but if he simply remains in the arcana and does not preach, this is na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu. Anyeṣu. Anyeṣu means those who are innocent. That is madhyama-adhikārī, middle stage.

īśvare tad-adhīneṣu bāliśeṣu dviṣatsu ca prema-maitrī-kṛpopekṣa yaḥ karoti sa madhyamaḥ [SB 11.2.46]

Īśvara. Then, by arca-vigraha worship, by śravana-kīrtana, by making your properly advanced, you will understand what is the position of Kṛṣṅa, īśvara. And īśvare tad-adhīneṣu. And adhīna. Adhīna means those who are working for Kṛṣṅa. They are called tad-adhīna. Adhīna means subordinate.

So every devotee is subordinate. Nobody is equal to Kṛṣṅa. If we do that, then it is mistake. Devotee... A devotee never says. Dāsa. Dāsa means servant. Servant is always the subordinate. Therefore Vaiṣṅava says "dāsa." He never says "master." Vaiṣṅava, dāsa, subordinate, tad-adhīna, under the..., under Kṛṣṅa. Nobody can be superior to Kṛṣṅa or equal to Kṛṣṅa. That is mistake. These Māyāvāda philosophers, they think, "Now I have become equal to Kṛṣṅa. I am also Kṛṣṅa." That is rascaldom. Kṛṣṅa, God, is never equal to anyone. Asamaurdhva. Asama means "not equal," and urdha, "always the top." Asamaurdhva. That is described in the Bhagavad...

So we should remain tad-adhīna, always under Kṛṣṅa. That is our perfection. If we remain... Just like in Western countries, they rebel. If a woman is advised to remain under the control of the husband, that is insult to them. They cannot tolerate it. But actually we see in India that a wife who remains under the guidance of the husband, she is happy. That's a practical fact. That is a practical fact. And therefore in the Manu-saṁhitā it is advised, na striyam svatantram arhati. Women should be always protected. That is... Protection does not mean negligence. No. Protection means to give him [her] all facilities. That is protection. Just like father gives protection to the chil... That does not mean neglecting. Similarly, a woman should be protected. It is not that neglecting. They misunderstand. In the Western countries maybe there is misbehavior, but actually we have seen, still going on in India, the woman is... That is the ideal given by Lord Rāmacandra, how woman is given protection by the husband. Sītādevī was kidnapped. Rāmacandra is the Supreme Lord; He could have married many thousands of Sītā. But as the dutiful husband, to rescue one wife He killed the whole family of Rāvaṅa. This is protection. He killed the whole family of him. He became... This is. So woman requires protection, and the husband is responsible to give protection, the father is responsible to give protection, and the elderly children, they are responsible to give protection.

So we are prakṛti. Prakṛti puruṣa. So Kṛṣṅa is the puruṣa. He is the protector of all living entities. Yesterday, bhṛtyānugraha-kātaram [SB 3.28.17]. Just like a father is always anxious to see his children are well protected, similarly, Kṛṣṅa is also always anxious to give protection to His subordinates. But if the subordinate denounce Kṛṣṅa, "I don't want Your protection," then suffer your karma. That you are doing. Those who are in the material world, they are suffering. Why? They have given up the protection of Kṛṣṅa. They are thinking that "We can protect ourself. What is the use of Kṛṣṅa?" So this is called dharmasya glāniḥ. This is deviation from the natural way of life, when you give up the protection. So our Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is: again go back to that protection, go back to home, back to Godhead.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. [break]

Prabhupāda: ...pātena paripraśnena. To understand the subject matter submissively, to question, is one of the paraphernalia.

tad viddhi praṅipātena paripraśnena sevayā upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ [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.]

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṅa: A question?

Devotee (1): You said that if we made a marble image of you and offered food to it, you would not accept it. So [indistinct].

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Brahmānanda: In your lecture you said that someone who offers food to a statue of yourself...

Prabhupāda: He is not statue, but people think statue. He is Kṛṣṅa Himself. But because we cannot see Kṛṣṅa at the present moment, therefore He appears like a statue.

Brahmānanda: His question... You stated that a statue of yourself is not the same as you, and yet in some of our temples, such as Vṛndāvana, the mūrti of Your Divine Grace has been installed, and they are offering prasādam. So is it the same, that the prasādam is accepted by the guru?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. Guru is nondifferent from Kṛṣṅa. That is accepted by all the śāstra. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta śāstraiḥ. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ: "It is said, tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ, and those who are advanced devotees, they accept it like that." Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya: "But the guru's position is the most confidential servant." So guru is the servant God, and Kṛṣṅa is the master God. Both of them are God—servant God and master God. Guru kṛṣṅa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc Madhya 19.151].

[According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṅa. By the mercy of both Kṛṣṅa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.]

So we have to serve the both the servant and the master. Through the servant, we go to the master. Any other question? Chant Hare Kṛṣṅa

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. [end]