Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.120

Prabhupāda: So in our last meeting we were discussing about the constitutional position of the living entity. Sanātana Gosvāmī inquired from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya [Cc Madhya 20.102]. This is the first question. Arjuna also, when he became perplexed whether he should fight or not, he surrendered to Kṛṣṅa and accepted Him as his spiritual master: śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam [Bg 2.7].

[Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.]

"Actually I am deviating from my duty, so I am perplexed. What to do? Therefore I know..." Arjuna knew it perfectly well that Kṛṣṅa, although He is friend, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That was known to Arjuna. All the Pāṅḍava family members, they knew. Kurus also, they knew. Otherwise how it was possible to deal with Kṛṣṅa as family member? Kṛṣṅa was... In His human form of life He was related with the Kurus and the Pāṅḍavas by family relationship. Kṛṣṅa's father's sister, Kuntī, was the mother of the Pāṅḍavas, and Kuntī was the family daughter-in-law in the Kurus' family. So they were very intimately related. Duryodhana's daughter was married with Kṛṣṅa's son. So these two families, they were very intimately related. But they knew that Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

You'll read in Kuntī's stotra. She was praying to Kṛṣṅa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although Kṛṣṅa was offering His obeisances to the aunt, Kuntī. Similarly, Nārada Muni also, when he entered the royal assembly of Kṛṣṅa in Dvārakā, Kṛṣṅa received him by standing from His throne and taking the dust of his feet, although Nārada knows that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Similarly, Kṛṣṅa, whenever he used to meet Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, He was giving His respect by touching his feet, and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was embracing Him as younger brother. But they knew, all, that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So we can also have Kṛṣṅa like that. That is Kṛṣṅa's pastime, that... You are thinking of God as nirākāra, without any form: "He cannot be touched. He cannot be embraced. He cannot be talked." No. Kṛṣṅa, personally being present, He was talking with His devotees, dealing just like ordinary human being. But the devotees knew Him, that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Only the nondevotees... Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg 9.11].

[Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.]

Those who are nondevotees, still now... Just like we are worshiping here Kṛṣṅa in this temple. The others, nondevotees, rascals, they will think that "These fools are worshiping a stone statue." They will think like that. They are very learned scholar, so they think that "These are fools. They have accepted a stone statue. Everyone knows that here Kṛṣṅa is made of stone, so why these fools are spending so much money, lakhs and crores, for having a temple for this stone statue? This is their foolishness." Therefore Kṛṣṅa says, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam.

So people are unaware of Kṛṣṅa and His position. Therefore one should go to the guru—tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [Muṅḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12]

[To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth.]

—eva, "must," in order to learn Kṛṣṅa. That is... The example is being shown by Sanātana Gosvāmī, the minister. He is not ordinary man. He is trying to know from guru what is his actual position. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu knew Sanātana Gosvāmī, intelligent, advanced. So he doesn't require to be educated by teaching Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is the A-B-C-D of spiritual life, preliminary study. Bhagavad-gītā is not meant for persons who are advanced. They know Kṛṣṅa. One who does not know Kṛṣṅa, for them, first reading book is Bhagavad-gītā, so that he can know what is Kṛṣṅa. But here Sanātana Gosvāmī is advanced; therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu is teaching him from the point where Bhagavad-gītā was ended.

That Bhagavad-gītā ended... Kṛṣṅa, after teaching Arjuna different kinds of knowledge—karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, haṭha-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, so many, bhakti-yoga—ultimately He said, "Arjuna, because you are My very confidential friend, so I am giving you the confidential knowledge." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66]: "You surrender unto Me, and whatever I say, you do. That is your duty." So from that point, when one surrenders to Kṛṣṅa... Why one should surrender to Kṛṣṅa? Everyone is puffed up that "I am as good as Kṛṣṅa. Why shall I surrender to Kṛṣṅa?" Many, many scholars, they comment on this verse, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja. "Why? This is sophistry. Everyone should give up everything, simply surrender to Kṛṣṅa?" Still they say that "Why you are after Kṛṣṅa? Why not other gods or demigods?" That is their... Sometimes they question. But one who knows Kṛṣṅa, they cannot be..., he cannot be deviated from this path, kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. Bhagavān means Kṛṣṅa.

[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.]

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṅaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṅa-kāraṅam [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.]

This is understanding.

So our relationship with Kṛṣṅa... Sanātana Gosvāmī inquired from Caitanya Mahāprabhu, ke āmi, "What I am? What is my position? Why I am put into this miserable condition of material existence?" This should be the inquiry. Simply they are trying to mitigate the material distresses, but nobody inquires that "Why I am put into this condition?" That is real intelligence. When the disease is there, you go to the doctor, take medicine, try to become cured from the disease. But nobody inquires that "Why I am subjected to this disease?" That is intelligence. "Precaution is better than cure." If you know how to protect yourself from disease, then that is better position than to become diseased and cured. That is not very good intelligence. Rather, don't be diseased. Not that you become diseased repeatedly and go to the medical man and be cured. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṅānām [SB 7.5.30].

[Prahlāda Mahārāja replied: Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Kṛṣṅa are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.]

They have been described as chewing the chewed again and again.

So actually our problem is that we are diseased at the present moment, every one of us. What is that disease? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg 13.9].

[Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest, and evenmindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth—all these I thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance.]

This is our disease: we are forced to die, we are forced to take birth, we are forced to become old and we are forced to become diseased. This is our problem. But nobody inquires about this. When there is death forced upon us, they simply cry, "Oh, my father is gone. My father is gone." When we are diseased, then we cry. But nobody inquires that "Why I am put into this condition?" That is intelligence. That is called brahma-jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. So this Caitanya Mahāprabhu's disciple Sanātana Gosvāmī is inquiring that, that "What I am? Why I am put into these difficulties?" This is intelligent question. One should go to the spiritual master, guru, for answering or making solution of these problems, not for getting some material profit, that "I have got some disease," and the guru says, "All right, you take this dust and you become cured." "I am poor." "All right, I am creating some gold for you. Take it." This is not relationship with guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21].

[Therefore any person who seriously desires real happiness must seek a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of the bona fide guru is that he has realized the conclusions of the scriptures by deliberation and is able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, should be understood to be bona fide spiritual masters.]

One should go to guru for making the ultimate solution of life, not temporary. That is not relationship with guru and...

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu directly says that jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṅera nitya-dāsa [Cc Madhya 20.108], two words.

[It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa because he is the marginal energy of Kṛṣṅa and a manifestation simultaneously one with and different from the Lord, like a molecular particle of sunshine or fire. Kṛṣṅa has three varieties of energy.]

Svarūpa. Svarūpa means original, constitutional position. That is svarūpa. Mukti means... Just like one is diseased, and there are many symptoms of disease. So when one becomes free from the disease, the symptoms disappear. Similarly, mukti means that we have lost our original, constitutional position. Because here Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that the real position of the living entity is that he is eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa. So our position is servant, subordinate position. That is the Vedic injunction also. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13].

[The Supreme Lord is eternal and the living beings are eternal. The Supreme Lord is cognizant and the living beings are cognizant. The difference is that the Supreme Lord is supplying all the necessities of life for the many other living entities.]

He is the supreme leader, supreme maintainer of everyone. That is our position. We are maintained, and Kṛṣṅa is maintainer. We are predominated, and Kṛṣṅa is predominator. This is our relation.

How Caitanya Mahāprabhu describing the constitutional position of the living entity, svarūpa? Svarūpa means original position, and mukti means svarūpeṅa vyavasthitiḥ [SB 2.10.6].

[The merging of the living entity, along with his conditional living tendency, with the mystic lying down of the Mahā-Viṣṅu is called the winding up of the cosmic manifestation. Liberation is the permanent situation of the form of the living entity after he gives up the changeable gross and subtle material bodies.]

Mukti means hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṅa vyavasthitiḥ. This is the Vedic injunction. Mukti means hitvā anyathā rūpa. Now we are acting differently. Actually our position is servant of Kṛṣṅa. Now, at the present moment, every one of us, we are trying to become master. If not master of Kṛṣṅa, at least we are trying to become equal with Kṛṣṅa. This is our position. That is called māyā, "which is not possible." God is not so cheap that you can become equal with God or greater than God. You must always remain subordinate to God. That is your position. Actually we are subordinate. We have no meeting with God. We have no knowledge of God. But practically we see that we are subordinate to the material nature. That's a fact. Everyone knows. Who can overcome the laws of material nature? No. Nobody can do. By nature you have to die. You cannot avoid it. You are subordinate. By nature you have to become old man. You cannot avoid it.

So we know that we are subordinate to material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṅāni guṅaiḥ karmāṅi sarvaśaḥ [Bg 3.27].

[The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.]

All these living entities—man or not man, animal or trees or plants, everyone—everyone is under the laws of material nature. They are, of course, dumb, the other animals or living entities. But human being has got advanced senses. He can think advancedly. So why they are thinking that they are free? They are servant of at least material nature at the present moment. Why they are thinking "master"? That is their misconception. This is called anyathā rūpam. He is actually servant, but he's thinking "master." This is called anyathā rūpam. Anyathā means "otherwise," not svarūpam. So therefore mukti means hitvā anyathā rūpam, giving up this nonsense speculation that "I am master of nature. I am master of this, master of that," or "I am God. I am equal to God." These are all rascaldom, anyathā rūpam, thinking otherwise.

So when one gives up this rascaldom that "I am God. I am equal to God. I am nobody's servant. I am free...," so these are anyathā rūpam. Hitvā anyathā rūpam svarūpeṅa vyavasthitiḥ [SB 2.10.6].

[The merging of the living entity, along with his conditional living tendency, with the mystic lying down of the Mahā-Viṣṅu is called the winding up of the cosmic manifestation. Liberation is the permanent situation of the form of the living entity after he gives up the changeable gross and subtle material bodies.]

When one is situated in his original constitutional position, that is called mukti. Mukti does not mean that you get a big head or big hand. No. Mukti means knowledge. Knowledge. This is our actual knowledge, that "I am not master; I am servant." This is knowledge. So mukti means hitvā anyathā rūpam. Everyone is thinking otherwise. Somebody is thinking, "I am equal to God. I am God," or "I am master," or "I am trying to become master of nature." The scientists, they are always thinking like that, that "We want to control the material nature so that we can manufacture living entity according to our plan, according to our order." Everyone. This is called baddha jīva, conditioned soul. But mukti means... This is mukti. That means... Caitanya Mahāprabhu is immediately, by one word, giving you mukti. They are trying so much, undergoing austerities, penances, going to the Himalaya, making mystical..., so many things for mukti. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that mukti He's given directly: "Take this mukti." This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You simply try to understand your position, that you are eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa. And as soon as you accept this position, you are mukti.

So mukti is not difficult for a devotee. Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura has said, muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān: "Oh, mukti? She is standing at my door with folded hands: 'What can I do for you?' " So the bhaktas, they do not care for mukti. They are already mukta. There is no need of separate endeavor for mukti. You simply accept this truth, that you are servant of Kṛṣṅa—immediately you are mukta. Immediately. It doesn't require... It requires only one second to become mukta. It doesn't require... Just like Kṛṣṅa says in the Bha...,

sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi... [Bg 18.66]

This is mukti. "You surrender unto Me, and immediately I save you." Sarva-pāpebhyo... Because we become entangled by our sinful activities. There are all sinful activities, that "I am independent. I can do whatever I like. I am as good as God. I am God," or "I am God. Where is the difference for me? I can do anything. There is no question of sinful activities." Some of the big, big svāmīs, they lecture like that, that "Why you are thinking of sinful activities? You are God. There is no sin for you." They are preaching like that, that "You have no sin." And it is very easy to think. That is māyā. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ [Bg 7.15].

[Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.]

Therefore these sinful persons who are thinking like that, that "I am God. I have no sinful activities. I am independent. I can do whatever I like," they have been described in the Bhagavad-gītā as duṣkṛtina, duṣkṛtina. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg 7.15].

So by the grace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu one can learn how to become liberated in one second. One second. It doesn't require many births. Of course, to come to this position, as Kṛṣṅa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [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.]

after many, many births, that is very difficult job. We do not know. Suppose in this life I am living for hundred years or fifty years or ninety years. Then again another eighty years, ninety years, another hundred years, four, five hundred years, or five thousand years... Because according to the body... The trees are standing for hundreds of years, five thousand years. So bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg 7.19] is not very easy thing. It may be millions of years. So after millions of years, if one actually becomes wise, jñānavān, he understands this simple truth, that jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṅera nitya dāsa, this simple truth, that every living entity is eternally the servant of Kṛṣṅa. If he understands this, then he becomes immediately liberated.

But intelligent man, he takes things very intelligently, that "Caitanya Mahāprabhu said jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṅa dāsa [Cc Madhya 20.108-109], then why I am falsely thinking that 'I am God. I am not dependent on anyone,' this, that? Let me accept this." Then you become mukta, immediately. Simply acceptance how Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ [Bg 18.66], he becomes immediately mukta. Then actually when he is mukta, then there is life in mukta. Mukta does not mean finished life. Just like if you become free from a certain type of disease. So after being cured there is duty. There is duty. Not that after being cured, the disease also cured, and you are also cured, you are also finished. No. After the disease being cured, there is healthy activities. That is required.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām [Bg 18.54]

[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.]

So Brahman activities means bhakti, Brahman activities.

So these devotees who are engaged in devotional service of Kṛṣṅa twenty-four hours, they are not only realized soul, brahmaṅubhūti, but they are muktas, and they are engaged in Brahman activities. Brahman activities. That is bhakti. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Therefore devotee has no distinction between this man or that man. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. A devotee does not distinguish that "Here is American, there is Indian, and here is cat, here is dog." No. Paṅḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg 5.18]. A devotee knows that every one of them, all these living entities in different forms... It is not difficult to understand. Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavāmi mūrtayo yaḥ, tāsāṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā aham [Bg 14.4].

[It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.]

Kṛṣṅa is the supreme father. So a devotee knows that the dog is also part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, living entity, but he is in a different dress, dog's dress, and a learned paṅḍita, he is also the same spirit soul, but he is dressed as a learned scholar. Similarly,

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṅe gavi hastini śuni caiva śva-pāke ca paṅḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg 5.18]

[The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṅa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste]]

That is oneness, one who can see. Even from material point of view, a paṅḍita, a learned man knows that "What is this material form, your body or my body?" Superficially it may look black, white or colored, but if you chemically analyze—the same ingredients: the same blood, the same muscle, the same stool, the same urine. When doctor examines the urine and stool, they do not examine differently a black man's urine and a white man's urine different, because they know the chemical composition is the same. So from material point of view you are also one. Even though you have got this material body, differently formed, the ingredients are the same: kṣitir ap tejo marud vyoma, mind, intelligence. Everyone has got these things. This body, gross body, is made of earth, water, air, fire, ether and the mind. Don't think that dog has no mind. Everyone has got mind. Everyone has intelligence. A dog know intelligently how to secure his food, as we know. There is no scarcity of these things, material things, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca [Bg 7.4].

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

So a paṅḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg 5.18], means even materially all these living entities, although in different forms of body, the ingredients are the same. Sama-darśinaḥ. And spiritually, if living entity is spiritual spark, the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, that is all the same. You are also spark of the supreme spirit; I am also the spark supreme spirit, every one of us. So therefore they can see equally everyone. Paṅḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. When one comes to this position, then mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām [Bg 18.54].

[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.]

That means bhakti begins when one is mukta. Mukti has already been attained. Bhakti begins. So unless you accept Kṛṣṅa as your eternal master, how you can engage yourself in His service?

So bhakti means mukti.

māṁ ca 'vyabhicāriṅi- bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate sa guṅān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg 14.26]

[One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.]

So here Kṛṣṅa Caitanya, Śrī Kṛṣṅa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, is giving mukti immediately. People are undergoing severe austerities, penances, but if you simply understand your position, what you are, that is mukti. So here Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is giving the intelligence immediately to Sanātana Gosvāmī that jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṅera nitya dāsa [Cc Madhya 20.108]. Simply you have to accept, and surrender to Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa also says the same thing, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66], the same thing, nitya dāsa. Unless you accept yourself as servant of Kṛṣṅa, how you can agree that "Yes, I surrender to You"? Surrender is made to somebody who is superior, not to the equal person. So Kṛṣṅa demanding that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja, that means that we are servant. Otherwise how Kṛṣṅa can order that? So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is giving mukti immediately, teaching the same thing—jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṅera nitya dāsa. And Kṛṣṅa also says that this understanding, that "I am servant of Kṛṣṅa," is realized after many, many births.

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ [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.]

So mahātmā, su-durlabha mahātmā, means who is liberated, not trying for liberation. There are two kinds of mahātmās. One mahātmā is trying for liberation, mukti, and the su-durlabha means... Those who are trying for mukti, out of millions of such person, one becomes mukta. That is the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Out of millions of karmīs, one becomes jñānī. And out of millions of jñānī, one becomes mukta. And out of millions of mukta, one becomes bhakta. This is the description given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

So if we accept this philosophy, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's, without falsely declaring ourself that "I am equal to God" or "I am God," if you simply accept that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṅa dāsa [Cc Madhya 20.108-109], that we are eternally servant of Kṛṣṅa, and act like that... That servant of Kṛṣṅa means he must be always engaged in the service of Kṛṣṅa. This is called bhakti.

śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ smaraṅaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam [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.]

This is our position. And if we understand that all of us, we are servant of Kṛṣṅa—you are servant of Kṛṣṅa, I am servant of Kṛṣṅa, he is servant of Kṛṣṅa—then we can understand our position is one. That is oneness—we are all servants. So there is no question of becoming envious of you or your becoming envious of me. We are all servants of God, so we have to execute the orders of God. That is servant's business.

So "How I shall execute? Where is God? I surrender to God. That's all right. So let Him speak to me." Yes, He'll speak to you. How? Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca [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.]

"I am situated in everyone's heart as Paramātmā, and I give everyone intelligence how to do things." And especially for the bhakta, the instruction of Kṛṣṅa, or Paramātmā, is there:

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ yena mām upayānti te [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.]

This is Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa is situated within our heart, Paramātmā, in His Paramātmā feature. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11].

[Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān.]

So the feature by which Kṛṣṅa is situated in everyone's heart, that is... 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.]

So yogīs, they find out Kṛṣṅa. 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.]

Yogīs try to find out the Paramātmā, and the jñānīs, they are trying to find out the brahma-jyoti, and similarly, the bhakta is trying to find out Kṛṣṅa. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate.

So in this way Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the ultimate goal. But those who are addicted to Brahman or Paramātmā, they are also addicted to Bhagavān, but in different features. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam [SB 1.2.11]. Knowledge of Brahman, knowledge of Paramātmā and knowledge of Kṛṣṅa is the same, but in different features. Just like knowledge of the sun planet, knowledge of the sun-god and knowledge of the sunshine, they... Knowledge is the same—heat and light—but the heat and light which you receive from sunshine is different from the heat and light from the sun globe, and the heat and light in the sun globe is different from the sun-god. But heat and light is there, either you realize Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān. So a devotee means he is concerned with Bhagavān, that's all. So devotee is also mahātmā; those who are jñānīs, after Brahman, they are also mahātmā; and the yogīs, they are also mahātmā; but one who has understood Kṛṣṅa perfectly and surrendered to Him, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ [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.]

that mahātmā is very rare to be found.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is teaching how to become that mahātmā, su-durlabhaḥ. Koṭiṣv apy mahāmune. Muktānām api sahasrāṅām. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching is so sublime, and very easy also. We should take it up—this is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement—and execute it as it is enjoined in the śāstras and following the footsteps of mahājana. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc Madhya 17.186].

[Dry arguments are inconclusive. A great personality whose opinion does not differ from others is not considered a great sage. Simply by studying the Vedas, which are variegated, one cannot come to the right path by which religious principles are understood. The solid truth of religious principles is hidden in the heart of an unadulterated self-realized person. Consequently, as the śāstras confirm, one should accept whatever progressive path the mahājanas advocate.]

That is also described in the śāstra. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilaḥ [SB 6.3.20].

[Lord Brahmā, Bhagavān Nārada, Lord Śiva, the four Kumāras, Lord Kapila [the son of Devahūti], Svāyambhuva Manu, Prahlāda Mahārāja, Janaka Mahārāja, Grandfather Bhīṣma, Bali Mahārāja, Śukadeva Gosvāmī and I myself know the real religious principle. My dear servants, this transcendental religious principle, which is known as bhāgavata-dharma, or surrender unto the Supreme Lord and love for Him, is uncontaminated by the material modes of nature. It is very confidential and difficult for ordinary human beings to understand, but if by chance one fortunately understands it, he is immediately liberated, and thus he returns home, back to Godhead.]

And... Dvādaśa mahājana. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ, and prahlādo janako bhīṣmo balir vaiyāsakir vayam. Everything is there in the śāstra. So to become actually devotee we have to follow these mahājana. Svayambhū is Brahmā, and... Svayambhūr... Nārada Muni, and Śambhu, Lord Śiva. They have got their parties, or their paramparā system—Brahmā-sampradāya, Rudra-sampradāya Śrī-sampradāya and Kumāra-sampradāya. In this way we have to accept the sampradāya and follow. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [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.]

Then we become pure devotee.

And as soon as we understand pure..., we become pure devotee, we can 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.]

Although Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme, but He says that "If one wants to understand Me properly, then bhaktyā." He does not say that "by jñāna" or "by yoga." No. Why He says bhaktyā mām abhijānāti? The bhakta... His name is bhakta-vatsala. Because jñānī will take some time to understand Him. Yogīs also will take some time. They'll come to that point if they make actually progress. But bhakta can take immediately. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's gift. Therefore, when Rūpa Gosvāmī met Him at Prayag, he offered his prayers to Caitanya Mahāprabhu as mahā-vadānyāya: "You are the most munificent incarnation," namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṅa-prema-pradāya te [Cc Madhya 19.53], "because You are distributing kṛṣṅa-prema. One cannot understand Kṛṣṅa, but You are so munificent that You are giving kṛṣṅa-prema." Just like prema means love. If you do not understand a person properly, how you can love him? That is not possible. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu's process is so nice that even we are neophyte—we do not understand Kṛṣṅa—but if we follow His process, we immediately come to the platform of how to love Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa-prema-pradāya te.

namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṅa-prema-pradāya te kṛṣṅāya kṛṣṅa-caitanya- nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ [Cc Madhya 19.53]

[O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṅa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṅa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṅī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṅa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.]

So this Caitanya Mahāprabhu is teaching Sanātana Gosvāmī about bhakti-śāstra. He taught him for two months at Benares, Vārāṅasi, and He... Later on, these six Gosvāmīs preached Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult, which we are preaching at the present moment, according to the prediction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu,

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma sarvatra pracāra haibe more nāma [CB Antya-khaṅḍa 4.126]

[In every town and village of the world, the chanting of My name will be heard.]

That is His prediction, that as many towns and cities are there on the face of the globe, everywhere His name will be advertised, or everyone will know His name. So by His grace this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is going on all over the world, and everyone is receiving very nicely, either in Europe or America or Africa or Canada or Australia. So we are very much hopeful. And those who are foreigners present here, take this movement very seriously and preach it all over the world. People will be happy.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. [end]