Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.17

Prabhupāda: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevaya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevaya. [devotees repeat] Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Sixth Canto, Chapter One, verse number seventeen. [leads devotees in chanting]

sadhrīcīno hy ayaṁ loke panthāḥ kṣemo 'kuto-bhayaḥ suśīlāḥ sādhavo yatra nārāyaṅa-parāyaṅāḥ [SB 6.1.17]

[01:38]

"The path followed by pure devotees, who are well behaved and fully endowed with the best qualifications, is certainly the most auspicious path in this material world. It is free from fear, and it is authorized by the śāstras."

So this is the summarization of our Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, that the path followed by pure devotees. Pure devotees means who has no material desire. That is pure devotee. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11].

[One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṅa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.]

Śūnya means zero, one who has made all material desires zero. That is the way. In the Buddha philosophy it is called nirvāṅa. Nirvāṅa means make zero, śūnyavādi. But we cannot remain in the śūnya. That is not possible. Śūnyavādī-nirvāṅa means to give up material desires. It is not possible to give up desires. That is not possible. To give up desires means I am dead body, a stone. If I have got life, if I am not a stone, there must be desires. So where is the living entity who has no desires? That is not possible. If we kill somebody to make him desireless, that "If you are killed, then there will be no more desire," no, the desire will continue in the subtle body. Even one is finished, this material body... Sometimes they commit suicide out of frustration, that "This desire is not fulfilled. Let me commit suicide." No. That is ignorance. Desires continue in the subtle body—mind, intelligence and ego. And to fulfill the desire, Kṛṣṅa will give you another body. If we make a desire, it must be fulfilled, and Kṛṣṅa will give you facilities. Bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā [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.]

Desire is so strong. So how to make it zero? That is not possible. To make it zero means no more material desire. That is to make zero material desires. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc Madhya 19.170].

[Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.]

That is more lucidly explained in the Nārada-bhakti-sūtra. Desire means we should give up the desire of this body of designation: "I am Indian; you are American," "I am Hindu; you are Christian." These are all designation of the body. I... Accidentally I am born in India; therefore I call myself Indian. You are accidentally... Not accidentally; some way or other born in... You are American. Accidentally somebody takes birth in the Hindu family; he becomes Hindu. Accidentally he takes birth in the Christian family; he becomes Christian. These are all designation. So when we give up this designation, that is desirelessness. Designation.

Everyone is acting, they are fighting, they are making so many plans. Why? "We are Indian" or "We are American," "We are Russian, and the Russian must exceed the Americans," "Americans must exceed..." This is going on, on the platform of designation. When we change the platform and we simply desire how to serve Kṛṣṅa, that is desirelessness. Otherwise not that desirelessness means I become zero. That is not possible. Because I am a living being, I am living soul; how can I be desire... [break] ...loke panthāḥ kṣemo 'kuto-bhayam. If you want to be designationless, then come to the association of such persons who are suśīlāḥ sādhava yatra nārāyaṅa-parāyaṅāḥ, persons who are simply interested in serving Nārāyaṅa. Nārāyaṅa parāyaṅa means... Parāyaṅa means they're always ready to abide by the orders of Nārāyaṅa. Nārāyaṅa... Those who have taken the path of Nārāyaṅa, devotional service, as their life and soul, they are called nārāyaṅa-parāyaṅāḥ.

So what is the qualification of nārāyaṅa-parāyaṅa? It does not require any qualification to become nārāyaṅa-parāyaṅa, but if you become voluntarily nārāyaṅa-parāyaṅa... Nārāyaṅa-parāyaṅa means my life is now dedicated for Nārāyaṅa. Nārāyaṅa, Kṛṣṅa, Viṣṅu, they're the same. So that is qualification, if you simply take it as vow that "From this day my life is dedicated to Nārāyaṅa, Kṛṣṅa." Sarvopādhi vinirmuktaṁ tat paratvena nirmalam [Cc Madhya 19.170].

As soon as we take this vow, that "From this day my life is dedicated to Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa wants everyone to surrender. I surrender. I believe," from that day you become free from all designation. Simply this determination, that "From this day I belong to Nārāyaṅa, or Kṛṣṅa. Whatever He wants..." That is the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā. So long Arjuna... That is a superficial picture. Arjuna is always for Kṛṣṅa, but just to teach us, he became for his family. He became... In the war field, when there was to be fighting, he became to the family side, and he said, "My dear Kṛṣṅa, how can I fight with my family? They are my brothers, they are my nephews, they are my grandfather, they are my teacher, the other..." Because it was a family fight, five brothers and hundred brothers. So at the war field he became perplexed, that "I am fighting with my family. The fight means to fight with enemies. How is that? What kind of war it is? Eh? I have to fight with family." He said, Kṛṣṅa, "So who has taught this kind of fighting, Kṛṣṅa, to kill his own brother, his nephews and...?" Therefore that means he leaned to the family side. This is designation. This is designation. Because he belonged to the Kuru's family he took side of the family. But after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, after understanding Kṛṣṅa, when he came to the conclusion that "I must be with Kṛṣṅa's side, not to the family side," then he became perfect. After hearing thoroughly Bhagavad-gītā, he... Kṛṣṅa said, "Now what you will do? To the family side or My side?" Yathecchasi. That freedom is there. Yathecchasi: "Whatever you like, you can do. I have given My instruction."

That freedom is there always. The Kṛṣṅa or His representative, the spiritual master, he can give you good instruction, good advice, but to do it or not to do it, that is your option. That is your option. You decide yourself. That is the... Kṛṣṅa said, yathecchasi tathā kuru [Bg 18.63]: "I am not interfering with your independence. I am dealing as your spiritual master, and you accepted Me as your spiritual master." Kṛṣṅa was accepted, Arjuna, śiṣyas te 'ham: "Kṛṣṅa, no more friendly talk. I accept You as my 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.]

"What kind of disciple?" Now, prapannam, fully surrendered: "Now whatever You will say, I'll do." This is śiṣya. Śiṣya I have several times explained, śās-dhātu. Who voluntarily accepts the ruling of a person, he is śiṣya. And otherwise, "You go on talking whatever nonsense you can. I'll do my own business," that is not śiṣya. Śiṣya means śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam [Bg 2.7]. Tad viddhi praṅipātena [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.]

That is śiṣya.

So Kṛṣṅa taught him Bhagavad-gītā. Then, still, He gave him the freedom, yathecchasi tathā kuru [Bg 18.63]: "Now Arjuna, I have instructed you everything. Now you decide what to do." It is not force. Reply was that now, naṣṭo moho smṛtir labdhā: "My illusion is now over. I have got... I am now remembering what I am." That remembering means "I am not belonging to this family." Tvat prasādād madhusūdana. Smṛtir labdhā. Smṛtir. This is... In the material world we have lost our memory that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, and my duty is to serve Kṛṣṅa." This is our position. This is called illusion. Just like this finger is the part and parcel of my body. So what is the duty of this finger? To abide by the order of the body. I want, "Finger, you stand like this"; the finger is standing. "You come here," "Yes." That is part and parcel. That is part and parcel. So if we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, our only duty is to serve Kṛṣṅa. There is no other duty. But we have created so many duties, and that is designation.

So we can be designationless when you live with the pure devotees of Kṛṣṅa. Therefore it is said that suśīlāḥ sādhavo yatra. That path is very nice. Akuto bhayam, fearlessness. Where? Now, suśīlāḥ sādhavo yatra: "Where well-behaved saintly persons are there." Well behaved. It is the first word, suśīla. Śīla means character, very nice character. A devotee cannot be bad character. Because Kṛṣṅa is paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitram [Bg 10.12]

[Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.]

pavitra means pure—so impure cannot approach Him. That is not possible. If you want to enter fire, you must be fire. And if you are not fire, then you will burn. So first of all we have to revive, because Kṛṣṅa... The example is given that Kṛṣṅa is the big fire and we are sparks of fire. We are also fire, very small. The sparks of fire can play, can remain within fire, and it is beautiful: "phat! phat!" There is spark, you have seen while fire is going on. It is very beautiful. And as soon as this "phat! phat!" falls down, separate from the..., it is extinguished. No more fire. It is black charcoal, that's all. So if we want happiness, then we have to dance with Kṛṣṅa. But you cannot dance Kṛṣṅa if I am not pure. Kṛṣṅa is pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. Pavitra means the supreme pure. So if you want to take pleasure in the company of Kṛṣṅa and dance rasa dance, then you have to become pure, purified. That is sarvopādhi vinirmuktam [Cc Madhya 19.170], to free from all designation.

Nārāyaṅa parāyaṅa. Nārāyaṅa society or Kṛṣṅa society, the same thing.

So this is very nice verse, substance of Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, that those who are conducting this movement, they must be suśīla, very well behaved; nobody can find out any fault. That is suśīla, well behaved. The behavior should be so nice. That is the test how you have become Kṛṣṅa conscious. That is the test. Spotless. You study Caitanya Mahāprabhu's behavior, character—He's ideal. Throughout His whole life you'll not find a spot. You read Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Find out some fault, that "Here is Caitanya... Śrī Kṛṣṅa Caitanya is faulty." No. That is suśīla. And that is sādhu. Sādhava. Sādhava means sādhu, saintly person. What is saintly person?

titikṣavaḥ kāruṅikāḥ suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānām ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṅāḥ [SB 3.25.21]

[The symptoms of a sādhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime.]

This is the definition of a sādhu. What is that? Titikṣava, very, very tolerant. Just see Christ, ideal character, how tolerant he is. He was being crucified; still he is merciful. Similarly anywhere, those who are actually sādhu, saintly persons, they are very tolerant. Kṣamā-rūpa tapasvinām. That is the qualification of sādhu: titikṣava. At the same time kāruṅika, merciful. The others are torturing him, but still he is merciful.

That is the qualification of sādhu. Titikṣava kāruṅikā. Why? Suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānām: "He is friend of everyone." There is no distinction that "He is American," "He is Indian," "He is Christian," "He is Hindu," "He is dog," "He is cat," "He is man..." No. He is kind to everyone. Why we are preaching "No meat-eating"? If you stop meat-eating, then the poor animals will be saved. So what business we have got with the animals? Suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānām. A saintly person is friend to everyone. "Why unnecessarily a animal should be killed?" That is his feeling. You can eat animals because by nature this is the arrangement, that ahastāni sa-hastānām [SB 1.13.47].

[Those who are devoid of hands are prey for those who have hands; those devoid of legs are prey for the four-legged. The weak are the subsistence of the strong, and the general rule holds that one living being is food for another.]

Even we eat vegetable, that is also killing. But because I have to kill somebody to eat, that does not mean that I can kill my child also. That is also going on now. There is discrimination. Similarly, the our principle is that we are kind, merciful, to everyone. But we have to eat, so we eat Kṛṣṅa prasādam. Because after all, Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme Lord. So if He eats something, the responsibility is His. But we are not advocate of vegetarianism or nonvegetarianism. No. That is not our business. We are Kṛṣṅa-ites. What Kṛṣṅa said, we have to do. Therefore sādhu, suhṛt. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānām. Sādhu is not enemy. Ajāta-śatrava. He does not create enemy, but the world is such that if you become devotee, even your father will be enemy. Prahlāda Mahārāja, five-years-old boy, what was his fault? He became a devotee, and his father was prepared to kill him. This is world. So he does not create an enemy, but these demons, rascals, out of their jealousy they become our enemy. Otherwise our process is not to make enemy. We invite everyone, "Please come here, take prasādam, chant Hare Kṛṣṅa, dance and go home." Where is enmity? [laughter] But still, they'll become enemy. This is the world. But if he lives with the sādhava, suśīla, and follows the rules and regulation, then he also becomes sādhava. Saṅgāt sanjāyate kāmaḥ [Bg 2.62].

[While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.]

Just like if you mix with the drunkards, thieves and rogues, then you also become a drunkard, thief; similarly, if we live with the sādhu, sādhava, then you become sādhu.

So the Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is simply giving chance to people without any discrimination, "Please come. Become nārāyaṅa-parāyaṅa, devotee, and automatically you'll become suśīla and sādhu." As soon as—that is the test—you become a devotee, nārāyaṅa-para, then automatically you become suṣīla and sādhava. And if you become well behaved and sādhava, committing no sinful activities, sādhava, and simply serving Nārāyaṅa, or Kṛṣṅa, then for our elevation or salvation, that is the panthāḥ kṣemo akuto-bhayaḥ. Akuto-bhayam. Now we are fearless. If you are on the devotional path, then you have no fear. Why? Now, Kṛṣṅa takes charge of you. Kṛṣṅa says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ pranaśyati [Bg 9.31]:

[He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.]

"Kaunteya, Arjuna, you can declare throughout the whole world that one who has become My devotee, he will never be vanquished." Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ pranaśyati. You get immediately Kṛṣṅa's help. So if we depend completely on Kṛṣṅa, Nārāyaṅa, nārāyaṅa-para, then automatically we become sādhu, automatically we become well behaved, and automatically we are protected. Therefore this path is the best way of advancing in our life and go back to home, back to Godhead.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. [end]

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.17

Referenced verses