VedaVyasa
Praneetha
The Mad Bhagavatam
11.2.47
11.2.48
gṛhītvāpīndriyair arthān
(48) He who in spite of the engagement of his senses with the objects of the senses hates nor rejoices and sees this universe as the deluding material energy of Vishnu is indeed a first-class devotee [see also B.G. 5: 3].
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, the position of the uttama-adhikārī, or first-class devotee of the Lord, is so worshipable that additional symptoms are now given in eight verses. It should be understood that unless one comes in contact with the lotus feet of a pure devotee of the Lord, the path of freedom from material illusion is very difficult to understand. In the fifth verse of Śrī Upadeśāmṛta Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has stated, śuśrūṣayā bhajana-vijñam ananyam anya-nindādi-śūnya-hṛdam īpsita-sańga-labdhyā: "One should associate with and faithfully serve that pure devotee who is advanced in undeviated devotional service and whose heart is completely devoid of the propensity to criticize others." Śrīla Prabhupāda comments, "In this verse Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī advises the devotee to be intelligent enough to distinguish between the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī and uttama-adhikārī. . .. A neophyte Vaiṣṇava or a Vaiṣṇava situated on the intermediate platform can also accept disciples, but such disciples must be on the same platform, and it should be understood that they cannot advance very well toward the ultimate goal of life under his insufficient guidance. Therefore a disciple should be careful to accept an uttama-adhikārī as a spiritual master." Therefore additional symptoms will now be given so that the conditioned soul who desires to go back home, back to Godhead, can properly identify the bona fide spiritual master.
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī and Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, associating with a pure devotee of the Lord is so important that now that the various categories of devotional service have been defined, eight additional verses are given concerning the qualifications of a pure devotee, so that students of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam will make no mistake in this connection. Similarly, in the Second Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā Arjuna asked Kṛṣṇa about the symptoms of a completely Kṛṣṇa conscious person, and Kṛṣṇa elaborately explained the symptoms of one who is prajñā pratiṣṭhitā, or established in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
The particular qualification mentioned in this verse is viṣṇor māyām idaḿ paśyan: one should see the entire material universe as a product of the illusory energy of the Lord. There is no question of lamenting or rejoicing for that which is the property of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Within this world one generally laments upon losing something desirable and rejoices upon acquiring the object of his wish. But since a pure devotee has no personal desire whatsoever (kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma — ataeva 'śānta'), there is no question of gain or loss. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (18.54):
brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
"One who is transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me." Similarly, Lord Śiva says to his wife, Pārvatī, while glorifying the character of King Citraketu,
nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve
svargāpavarga-narakeṣv
"Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, never fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation and the hellish planets are all the same, for such devotees are interested only in the service of the Lord." (Bhāg. 6.17.28)This state of complete satisfaction in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa is not a mental concoction achieved by artificial meditation, but is a result of having experienced the superior nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is a reservoir of transcendental bliss. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (2.59), rasa-varjaḿ raso 'py asya paraḿ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. When impersonalists and voidists artificially try to push material things out of their minds, they undergo great hardships and ordeals in their artificial meditation.
kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām
avyaktāsakta-cetasām
dehavadbhir avāpyate
(Bg. 12.5)According to Lord Kṛṣṇa, it is only with great inconvenience and suffering that one can achieve impersonal liberation, because every living being is eternally a person, being part and parcel of the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa. The concept of giving up one's personal identity is a reaction to the terrible frustration of material egotism. It is not a positive program. If one is suffering unbearable pain in his hand, he may agree to have the hand amputated, but the real solution is to remove the infection so that the healthy hand may become a source of pleasure. Similarly ego, or the sense that "I am," is a source of unlimited happiness when we understand what we are, namely servants of Kṛṣṇa. Impersonal meditation is dry and troublesome. A pure devotee realizes that he is an eternal person, part and parcel of the Supreme Person, Lord Kṛṣṇa, and that he has the privilege as the son of God to participate in the ecstatic eternal pastimes of the Supreme Lord, loving Kṛṣṇa and playing with Him forever. For such a devotee the pale material nature, which is but a perverted reflection of the spiritual world, becomes totally unattractive. Therefore, one who is completely attached to Kṛṣṇa and uninterested in the manifestations of māyā can be considered bhāgavatottamaḥ, a pure devotee of the Lord, as described in a previous verse (bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra ca [SB 11.2.42]).
Śrīla Madhvācārya has stated, viṣṇor māyāḿ viṣṇv-icchādhīnām: "The words viṣṇor māyām in this verse indicate that the illusory energy always remains dependent upon the will of Lord Viṣṇu." Similarly the Brahma-saḿhitā (5.44) says, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā. Māyā is like a shadow of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who serves Him in the creation, maintenance and annihilation of this world. Just as a shadow has no independent power of movement but follows the substance that casts the shadow, the illusory energy of the Lord has no independent power, but bewilders the living entities according to the Lord's desire. One of Kṛṣṇa's opulences is that He is supremely detached; when a living entity wants to forget Him, Kṛṣṇa immediately employs His illusory energy to facilitate the foolishness of the conditioned soul.
According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī the words gṛhītvāpīndriyair arthān indicate that the pure devotee of the Lord does not cease acting within this world; rather, he uses his senses in the service of the Lord of the senses, Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaḿ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has stated that if one gives up those material things which are favorable for serving Kṛṣṇa, considering them material and therefore an impediment to his spiritual advancement, his renunciation is merely phalgu-vairāgya, or immature and imperfect renunciation. On the other hand, one who accepts all material things for the service of Kṛṣṇa without any personal desire for sense gratification is actually renounced (yuktaḿ vairāgyam ucyate).
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has warned in his commentary on this verse that by envying any of the three classes of devotees — uttama-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī or kaniṣṭha-adhikārī — one falls down to the platform of impersonalism and loses all power to benefit others or even himself. Therefore those who are trying to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should not endanger their transcendental experience by unnecessarily criticizing other Vaiṣṇavas. According to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, if one engages in phalgu-vairāgya, or renouncing material things that are favorable to the service of Lord Kṛṣṇa, one runs the risk of being polluted by impersonal philosophy. On the other hand, by sticking to the principle of yukta-vairāgya, engaging everything for Kṛṣṇa without personal desire, one can remain aloof from the danger of material sense gratification and gradually come to the mahā-bhāgavata platform, as mentioned in this verse.
11.2.49
janmāpyaya-kṣud-bhaya-tarṣa-kṛcchraiḥ
saḿsāra-dharmair avimuhyamānaḥ
(49) He who by the birth, decay, hunger, fear and thirst of the body, the life air, the mind and the intelligence is not bewildered, he who is not bewildered by the inescapable features of a material life because he keeps the Lord in mind [see also 6.2: 14], is the foremost devotee [see also B.G. 2: 56-57].
there are three classes of intelligent living beings within this world, namely the demigods, ordinary human beings, and demons. A living being endowed with all auspicious qualities — in other words, a highly advanced devotee of the Lord — either on the earth or in the higher planetary systems is called a deva, or demigod. Ordinary human beings generally have good and bad qualities, and according to this mixture they enjoy and suffer on the earth. But those who are distinguished by their absence of good qualities and who are always inimical to pious life and the devotional service of the Lord are called asuras, or demons.
Of these three classes, the ordinary human beings and demons are terribly afflicted by birth, death and hunger, whereas the godly persons, the demigods, are aloof from such bodily distress. The demigods remain aloof from such distress because they are enjoying the results of their pious activities; by the laws of karma, they are unaware of the gross suffering of the material world. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (9.20),
trai-vidyā māḿ soma-pāḥ pūta-pāpā
"Those who study the Vedas and drink the soma juice, seeking the heavenly planets, worship Me indirectly. They take birth on the planet of Indra, where they enjoy godly delights." But the next verse of Bhagavad-gītā says that when one uses up the results of these pious activities, one has to forfeit his status as a demigod, along with the pleasure of the heavenly kingdom, and return to earth as a nara, or ordinary human being (kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaḿ viśanti [Bg. 9.21]). In fact the laws of nature are so subtle that one may not even return to earth as a human, but may take birth as an insect or tree, depending on the particular configuration of his karma.
The pure devotee of the Lord, however, does not experience material misery, because he has given up the bodily concept of life and identifies himself correctly as an eternal servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. As stated by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (9.2), susukhaḿ kartum avyayam. Even in the stage of regulative practice, the process of bhakti-yoga is very joyful. Similarly, Locana dāsa Ṭhākura, a near contemporary of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, said, saba avatāra sāra śiromaṇi kevala ānanda-kāṇḍa. Although there are various kāṇḍas, or divisions, of Vedic discipline, such as karma-kāṇḍa (fruitive ceremonies) and jñāna-kāṇḍa (regulated speculation), Caitanya Mahāprabhu's hari-nāma sańkīrtana movement is kevala ānanda-kāṇḍa, the pathway of pure bliss. Simply by chanting the holy names of Kṛṣṇa, eating the remnants of sumptuous food offered to the Supreme Lord and hearing the enchanting pastimes of the Personality of Godhead, one merges into an ocean of bliss called Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Fortunately this blissful ocean is the eternal situation of every living entity, provided he gives up all of his bogus concepts of life. One should not identify himself as a gross material body, nor as a fickle mind, nor as speculative intelligence, nor should one foolishly identify himself with the so-called void of Buddhist imagination. Nor should one even identify himself with the ocean of impersonal spiritual life called the brahmajyoti, which illuminates the great outdoors of the spiritual sky beyond the covered universe. One should rather identify himself correctly as an eternal individual servant of the supreme individual Personality of Godhead. By this simple admission of one's constitutional position and by sincere engagement in the service of the lotus feet of the Lord, one is quickly promoted to direct participation in the eternal pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, just as Arjuna got the opportunity to play with Kṛṣṇa as a soldier on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra.
Śrīla Madhvācārya has given an elaborate description of the process by which material miseries arise. When a conditioned soul of demoniac mentality identifies himself with the gross material body, he undergoes miseries of constant drowsiness and unquenchable sexual desires that burn all mental peace and serenity to ashes. When a demoniac person identifies himself with prāṇa, the life air, he suffers from hunger, and by identifying himself with the mind he suffers panic, fear, and hankering that ends in disappointment. When he identifies himself with intelligence, he suffers profound existential bitterness and frustration deep within his heart. When he identifies himself with the false ego, he feels inferiority, thinking, "I am so low." And when he identifies himself with the process of consciousness, he is haunted by memories of the past. When a demon tries to impose himself as the ruler of all living beings, all of these miseries expand simultaneously.
According to Śrīpāda Madhvācārya, sinful life is the demoniac standard for happiness. We can observe that in demoniac societies the dark, late hours of night are considered most appropriate for recreational activity. When a demon hears that someone is rising at four o'clock in the morning to take advantage of the godly early-morning hours, he is astonished and bewildered. Therefore it is said in Bhagavad-gītā (2.69),
yā niśā sarva-bhūtānāḿ
"What is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings is night for the introspective sage." Śrīla Prabhupāda has commented, "There are two classes of intelligent men. The one is intelligent in material activities for sense gratification, and the other is introspective and awake to the cultivation of self-realization." Thus the more one can increase illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling, the more one advances his prestige in a demoniac society, whereas in a godly society based on Kṛṣṇa consciousness these things are abolished completely. Similarly, as one becomes blissfully attached to the holy name and pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, one becomes more and more alienated from the demoniac society.
The demons are self-proclaimed enemies of the Supreme Lord, and they mock His kingdom. Thus they are described by Śrīla Madhvācārya as adho-gateḥ, or those who have purchased their tickets to the darkest regions of hell. On the other hand, if one is undisturbed by the miseries of material life, he is on the same spiritual level as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (2.15),
yaḿ hi na vyathayanty ete
puruṣaḿ puruṣarṣabha
so 'mṛtatvāya kalpate
"O best among men [Arjuna], the person who is not disturbed by happiness and distress and is steady in both is certainly eligible for liberation." One can come to this transcendental stage only by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the words of Śrī Madhvācārya, sampūrṇānugrahād viṣṇoḥ.Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has described the process by which one becomes an uttama-adhikārī If one is fortunate, he gradually becomes disgusted with the limited vision and activities of the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī and learns to appreciate the expanded vision of the madhyama-adhikārī, who is able to recognize that every living entity should become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa and that one achieves the perfection of life by following in the footsteps of an uttama-adhikārī devotee of the Lord. As one's devotional service gradually intensifies and one repeatedly bathes in dust from the lotus feet of a pure devotee, the harassment of birth, death, hunger, thirst, fear and so on gradually cease disturbing the mind. As stated in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.114),
alabdhe vā vinaṣṭe vā
bhakṣyācchādana-sādhane
"Even if a devotee is frustrated in his attempt to eat properly or clothe himself properly, he should not allow this material failure to disturb his mind; rather, he should use his intelligence to remember his master, Lord Kṛṣṇa, and thus remain undisturbed." As one becomes mature in this process of remembering Kṛṣṇa in all circumstances, he is awarded the title mahā-bhāgavata.Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta gives the example that just as a child's ball may be fastened to the end of a rope so that it cannot bounce away, a devotee who surrenders to Kṛṣṇa becomes tied to the rope of Vedic injunctions and is never lost in worldly affairs. In this connection Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has quoted from the Ṛg Veda (1.156.3) as follows: oḿ āsya jānanto nāma cid vivaktan mahas te viṣṇo su-matiḿ bhajāmahe oḿ tat sat. "O Viṣṇu, Your name is completely transcendental. Thus it is self-manifest. Indeed, even without properly understanding the glories of chanting Your holy name, if we vibrate Your name with at least a small understanding of its glories — that is, if we simply repeat the syllables of Your holy name — gradually we shall understand it." The supreme entity indicated by the praṇava oḿ is sat, or self-revealing. Therefore, even if one is disturbed by fear or envy, the transcendental form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead will become manifest to one who continues to chant the Lord's holy name. Further evidence is given in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.2.14):
sāńketyam pārihāsyaḿ vā
"One who chants the holy name of the Lord is immediately freed from the reactions of unlimited sins, even if he chants indirectly (to indicate something else), jokingly, for musical entertainment, or even neglectfully. This is accepted by all the learned scholars of the scriptures."
11.2.50
vāsudevaika-nilayaḥ
(50) In the mind of the one who dwells in Vâsudeva only is there no chance that the lust [see B.G. 3: 37-43] or the karmic craving for results [see also B.G. 6: 4] will develop; such a one verily is a first class devotee.
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, this verse describes the behavior of a devotee of the Lord. The activities of a pure devotee are devoid of material envy, false elation, delusion and lust. According to the Vaiṣṇava commentators, the word bījānām in this verse refers to vāsanāḥ, or deeply rooted desires, which gradually fructify in the form of activities, for which the living entity becomes subject to reactions. Thus the compound word kāma-karma-bījānām indicates the deep-rooted desire to lord it over the material world through the enjoyment of sexual pleasure and the expansions of sexual pleasure mentioned in the Bhāgavatam (5.5.8) as gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittaiḥ, that is, a beautiful residential building and ample land for producing sumptuous food to fill the belly, as well as children, friends, social contacts and a large bank balance. All of these material items are essential for completely forgetting that one is an eternal servant of the Supreme Lord. Therefore as stated in the Bhāgavatam, janasya moho 'yam ahaḿ mameti: [SB 5.5.8] intoxicated by these objects of material illusion, the conditioned soul becomes madly convinced that he is the center of the universe and that everything in existence has been created only for his personal sense gratification. Whoever obstructs such illusory enjoyment becomes immediately his enemy and subject to be killed.
Because of this bodily concept of life and the shackles of illusion, the whole world is being violently shaken by conflict arising from envy and lust. The only possible solution is to accept the leadership of the Lord's pure devotees, who are described here. A popular expression used to justify democratic government is "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Such homilies may be valid on the material platform, but it is specifically mentioned here that a pure devotee of the Lord who has completely taken shelter of the Lord's lotus feet cannot even consider taking part in material envy and sense gratification. His mind remains perpetually clear and sober, and he is always aware of the ultimate good of every living entity. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is strenuously endeavoring to inform the earth's suffering living entities of the serious need for a brain in human society. A brain racked by fever cannot give proper direction, and if the so-called thinkers of society are burning with selfish desires, they are no better than feverish, delirious brains. Delirious governments are gradually destroying all traces of happiness in human society. Therefore it is the duty of Vaiṣṇava preachers to act on the platform of bhāgavatottama so that they can give clear guidance to humanity, without being corrupted or even slightly attracted by the material opulence that may be offered to a saintly person. All intelligent human beings who are unable to take directly to the process of bhakti-yoga should at least be sufficiently educated to recognize the first-class devotee of the Lord and accept his guidance. In this way human society can be very nicely organized so that not only all human beings but even the animals, birds and trees can make advancement in life and gradually go back home, back to Godhead, for an eternal life of bliss and knowledge.
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has emphasized that those seriously interested in achieving the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness must live in a community of Vaiṣṇavas. Śrīla Prabhupāda has also mentioned several times in his literature that it is not possible to achieve the stage of perfect Kṛṣṇa consciousness unless one accepts the shelter of the pure devotees by living in the Kṛṣṇa conscious communities being established all over the world by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has emphasized that this does not mean that spiritual life is restricted only to those celibate students who can live within a temple compound. Devotees in the gṛhastha order, that of spiritual family life, can also take shelter of the Vaiṣṇava community by regularly attending temple functions. Those who are living in family life should daily see the Deity of the Supreme Lord, chant His holy names in His personal presence, accept the remnants of food offered to the Deity and hear learned discourses on Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Any householder who regularly takes advantage of these spiritual facilities and follows the regulative principles of spiritual life, namely no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling and no intoxication, is to be considered a bona fide member of the Vaiṣṇava community. According to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, those who remain inimical to the devotional service of the Lord are to be considered lifeless puppets in the hands of the illusory energy of the Lord.
11.2.51
(51) He is dear to the Lord who is not attached in the egotistical sentiment of a bodily concept of existence in the sense of being of a good birth, of meritorious acts, a certain varnâs'râma status orientation or a certain faction or race [see B.G. 2: 71 & 12: 13-14].
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, the word janma ("good birth") refers to such classes as the mūrdhāvasiktas (children of brāhmaṇa fathers and kṣatriya mothers) and ambaṣṭhas (children of brāhmaṇa fathers and vaiśya mothers), both of which are considered anuloma since the father comes from a higher caste. Marriages in which the mother comes from a higher class than the father are called pratiloma. In any case, one who becomes proud of his so-called prestigious birth is certainly in the bodily concept of life. Birth in any material body is a serious problem, which one should solve by surrendering to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One can thereby release himself from the golden shackles of a so-called aristocratic material body.
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, is worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in the system of varṇa and āśrama. There is no other way to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One must be situated in the institution of the four varṇas and āśramas." (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 3.8.9) Thus they think that material work in which a portion of the fruits are offered to God forms the highest platform of human life. According to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, there are several smṛti literatures that have encouraged such mixed devotional service. Such books are taken by materialistic devotees as facility for offending the holy name of the Lord because of egotistic attachment to the material body. Thus one thinks that a prestigious position in the varṇāśrama system according to birth and so-called pious activities is a prerequisite for becoming successful in life.
But those who have actually taken shelter of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa never boast about their birth in the material world, nor do they pride themselves on their so-called expertise in material work. As long as one's mentality is encumbered by the material designations of the varṇāśrama system, one has very little chance of becoming free from material bondage and establishing himself as dear to the Lord. In this regard, Caitanya Mahāprabhu emphatically declared that He could not identify Himself with any varṇāśrama designation, such as that of a great intellectual or priest, a courageous warrior in the Lord's army, a brilliant businessman making money for the Lord, or the hardest worker for the Lord. Nor could Caitanya Mahāprabhu identify Himself as a stalwart brahmacārī, a noble householder or an exalted sannyāsī. These designations reflect the material pride that can infiltrate the execution of devotional service. Although a devotee may carry out the standard duties of varṇāśrama, his only designation is gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ, the eternal servant of the servant of the servant of the Lord, the master of the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa.
According to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, when a devotee understands that the process of bhakti-yoga is complete in itself and he becomes absorbed in hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord, the supremely merciful Personality of Godhead affectionately lifts such a first-class devotee onto His own lap. The Supreme Lord can be pleased only by unalloyed devotion, and not by any arrangement of the gross body, composed of five material elements, or the subtle body, composed of innumerable speculations and bogus pride. In other words, Lord Kṛṣṇa can never be pleased by one's so-called aristocratic body, which is due to be devoured by worms or vultures. If one becomes proud of his material birth and so-called pious activities, by such false pride one gradually develops the impersonal mentality of merely renouncing the fruit of work or else the karmī mentality of enjoying the fruits of work. Neither the karmīs nor the jñānī speculators are aware that the fruit of work actually belongs to Kṛṣṇa. The conclusion is that one should carefully give up all false pride and always remember that he is a humble servant of Kṛṣṇa. As stated by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc. adi 17.31].
11.2.52
(52) He who is not of a dualistic mind of 'mine' and 'thine' about property and the body, someone who is equal to and peaceful with all living beings, is truly the best of devotees [see B.G. 13: 28-31 & 14: 22-25].
The vision described by the phrase sarva-bhūta-samaḥ, "seeing all living entities equally," does not include one's vision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this connection Śrīla Madhvācārya has quoted from the Harī-vaḿśa as follows:
na kvāpi jīvaḿ viṣṇutve
"Under no circumstance should one consider the living entity equal to Lord Viṣṇu, either in conditional life or in liberation." The impersonal speculative philosophers are fond of imagining that although in our present illusion we appear to be individual entities, at liberation we shall all merge into God and be God. Such wishful thinkers cannot reasonably explain how the omnipotent God could arrive at the embarrassing position of having to enter a yoga studio, pay weekly fees, press His nose and chant mantras to regain His divinity. As stated in the Vedas, nityo nityānāḿ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāḿ yo vidadhāti kāmān. The individuality or plurality of living entities is not a product of material existence. The word nityānām, denoting the plurality of eternal entities, clearly indicates that the living entities are eternally individual parts and parcels of the Lord, who is the singular unique entity described here as ekaḥ. In Bhagavad-gītā (1.21) Arjuna said to Kṛṣṇa, rathaḿ sthāpaya me 'cyuta: "My dear Acyuta, please place my chariot between the armies." This body is also ratha, a vehicle, and therefore the best policy is to request the infallible Lord to take charge of our conditioned body and guide us on the path back to the kingdom of God. The word acyuta means "the infallible" or "one who never falls." Learned or sane human beings will not entertain the silly notion that the omnipotent, omniscient God has slipped and fallen because of māyā. No amount of wishful thinking can erase our eternal servitorship at the lotus feet of the Lord.
This fact is stated by the Lord Himself in the Varāha Purāṇa:
naivaḿ tvayānumantavyaḿ
sarvair guṇair su-sampannaḿ
"You should never think Me one of the ordinary living entities in the jīva category. In fact I am the reservoir of all opulences and godly qualities, and therefore you should understand that I am the Supreme Lord."According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī and Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, this verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam does not forbid using a particular object in the Lord's service, since a devotee is free to use anything favorable for serving Lord Kṛṣṇa. This acceptance of favorable objects in the service of Kṛṣṇa is called yukta-vairāgya. As stated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe: one should be attached for Kṛṣṇa's sake, never for one's own sake. If one interprets this verse to indicate that one should not exercise control over any material object, even if it is favorable for serving Kṛṣṇa, one falls into the bad understanding called phalgu-vairāgya, or immature renunciation. Great kings such as Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and Mahārāja Parīkṣit engaged the entire earth, and other Vaiṣṇavas have engaged the entire universe in the service of Kṛṣṇa. But they completely gave up the sense of their personal proprietorship. That is the point made in this verse. Just as one becomes very much concerned about any pain in one's own body, one should be concerned with bringing the conditioned souls to the platform of devotional service so that all of their suffering will be banished forever. That is the actual purport of not distinguishing between one body and another.
11.2.53
smṛtir ajitātma-surādibhir vimṛgyāt
(53) He who not tempted by the opulence found in the three worlds, not even for a moment, half a second or a split of a second, moves away from the lotusfeet of the Supreme Lord that are the refuge of the godly and others for whom - undisturbed in their remembrance - the Unconquerable One is their very soul, is the topmost Vaishnava [see also 18: 66].
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī one may ask, "If one were able to gain the opulence of the entire universe in exchange for leaving the Lord's lotus feet for just half a moment, what would be the harm in leaving the Lord's lotus feet for such an insignificant amount of time?" The answer is given by the word akuṇṭha-smṛti. It is simply impossible for a pure devotee to forget the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, since everything that exists is in fact an expansion of the Supreme Lord. Since nothing is separate from the Supreme Lord, a pure devotee of the Lord cannot think of anything but the Lord. Nor can a pure devotee contemplate ruling or enjoying universal opulence; even if given all the opulence of the universe, he would immediately offer it at the lotus feet of the Lord and return to his position of a humble servant of the Lord.
The words ajitātma-surādibhir vimṛgyāt are very significant in this verse. The lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa are so opulent that even the lords of all material opulence, namely Brahmā and Śiva, as well as the other demigods, are always searching for a glimpse of the Lord's lotus feet. The word vimṛgyāt indicates that the demigods are not actually able to see the lotus feet of the Lord, but are endeavoring to see them. An example of this is given in the Tenth Canto when Lord Brahmā offers prayers to Viṣṇu, begging the Lord to rectify the disturbances on the earth.
A similar verse is found elsewhere in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.14.14):
na pārameṣṭhyaḿ na mahendra-dhiṣṇyaḿ
na sārvabhaumaḿ na rasādhipatyam
mayy arpitātmecchati mad vinānyat
"The devotee who has offered his soul to Me does not want anything if it is separate from Me — not the position of the supreme demigod of the universe, Brahmā, nor that of Lord Indra, nor kingship over the entire earth or over the lower planetary systems, nor the mystic perfections of yoga, nor even freedom from the cycle of rebirth."11.2.54
prabhavati candra ivodite 'rka-tāpaḥ
(54) Again: how can of the toes of the feet of the Supreme Lord, the feet of all those great heroic acts, how can of the moonshine of the jewel-like nails that takes away the pain in the hearts, there for the ones who are of worship be any pain of importance? Can the burning heat of the sun be of any effect when the moon has risen [see also 10.14: 58]?
When the moon rises, the expansion of its rays drives away the distress of the sun's fierce heat. Similarly, the cooling rays emanating from the lotus nails of the Personality of Godhead's lotus feet vanquish all distress for the Lord's pure devotee. According to the Vaiṣṇava commentators it is to be understood from this verse that material lust, exemplified by uncontrolled sexual desire, is exactly like a blazing fire. The flames of this fire burn to ashes the peace and happiness of the conditioned soul, who perpetually wanders in 8,400,000 species of life, vainly struggling to extinguish this intolerable fire. The pure devotees of the Lord place the Lord's cooling, jewellike lotus feet within their hearts, and thus all of the pain and suffering of material existence are extinguished.
The word uru-vikramāńghri indicates that the Lord's lotus feet are quite heroic. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is famous for His incarnation as Vāmana, the dwarf brāhmaṇa, who extended His beautiful toes up to the outer limits of the universe and perforated the universal shell, thus bringing the waters of the holy Ganges into the universe. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa was entering the city of Mathurā to challenge the demoniac King Kaḿsa and His entrance was impeded by a ferocious elephant named Kuvalayāpīḍa, Lord Kṛṣṇa kicked the elephant to death and peacefully entered the city gates. Lord Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet are so exalted that the Vedic literatures state that the entire material manifestation rests beneath His lotus feet: samāśrītā ye pada-pallava-plavaḿ mahat padaḿ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ (Bhāg. 10.14.58).
11.2.55
dharir avaśābhihito 'py aghaugha-nāśaḥ
(55) He never leaves the heart of the one whom one calls His foremost devotee, however accidentally that devotee directly called for Him [by means of His names], He who, bound by the ropes of love, destroys the sins however much they heaped up [see also B.G. 4: 36 and *4].'
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, the essence of a pure devotee's qualifications is given in this verse. A pure devotee is one who has attracted the Lord by his love so that the Lord cannot give up the devotee's heart. According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the word sākṣāt in this verse indicates that a pure devotee has realized knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, having given his heart to the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, who is all-attractive in six opulences, including beauty. A pure devotee can never be attracted by the fleshy bags of women's breasts or by the hallucinations of so-called society, friendship and love within the material world. Therefore his clean heart becomes a suitable abode for the Supreme Lord. A gentleman will live only in a clean place. He will not live in a polluted, contaminated place. Educated people in the Western countries are now greatly protesting the pollution of water and air by urban industrial enterprises. People are demanding the right to live in a clean place. Similarly, Lord Kṛṣṇa is the supreme gentleman, and therefore He will not live in a polluted heart, nor will He appear within the polluted mind of a conditioned soul. When a devotee surrenders to Lord Kṛṣṇa and becomes a lover of the Lord by direct realization of Kṛṣṇa's all-attractive nature, the Lord makes His residence in the clean heart and mind of such a pure devotee.
According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, ya etādṛśa-praṇayavāḿs tenānena tu sarvadā paramāvaśenaiva kīrtyamānaḥ sutarām evam evāghaugha-nāśaḥ syāt. If a devotee is absorbed in the loving transcendental service of Kṛṣṇa, directly or indirectly he is always glorifying the Lord by transcendental loving service. Therefore, even if he chants the holy name of Kṛṣṇa with improper attention due to being absorbed in the Lord's service, the mercy of the Lord purifies his heart of all sinful reactions. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.1.11):
etan nirvidyamānānām
harer nāmānukīrtanam
"O King, constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after the ways of the great authorities is the doubtless and fearless way of success for all, including those who are free from all material desires, those who are desirous of all material enjoyment, and also those who are self-satisfied by dint of transcendental knowledge." Therefore if one who has not come to the platform of loving devotional service chants the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, he will also be gradually freed from all sinful reactions. In the Sixth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the purports to the history of Ajāmila, Śrīla Prabhupāda has elaborately explained the holy name's potency to purify even an ordinary person.Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has nicely explained the process of bringing the Supreme Lord under control. Mother Yaśodā bound the child Kṛṣṇa to a grinding mortar with a rope. Kṛṣṇa, being attracted by the inconceivable love of His devotees, allowed Himself to be bound. Therefore, although Lord Kṛṣṇa binds all the conditioned souls by the chains of His illusory potency, māyā, if those same conditioned souls become pure devotees of the Lord they can in turn bind Kṛṣṇa by the chains of love of God.
According to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, all the world's inauspicious conditions due to sinful activities can be immediately eradicated by the chanting of the Lord's holy name. The Supreme Personality of Godhead never leaves the hearts of those who give up all sinful behavior and chant His holy name. Even if such chanting is not yet perfect, devotee who always remains in the Lord's service will gradually come to the stage of prema-niṣṭhā, or steady love of Godhead. Then they are to be considered mahā-bhāgavatas, or pure devotees of the Lord.
Thus end of the Eleventh Canto, Second Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "Mahārāja Nimi Meets the Nine Yogendras."
No comments:
Post a Comment