VedaVyasa
Praneetha
The Mad Bhagavatam
11.3.15
(15) The senses, the mind and the intelligence along with the gods [representing the emotions], o King, enter into the ego-element and the I-awareness along with all its guna-qualities merges into the Supreme Self [see also 3.6 and 3.26: 21-48].
11.3.16
(16) With us thus having described this illusory energy consisting of three qualities, this agent of creation, maintenance and dissolution of the Supreme Lord, what more would you like to hear?'
King Nimi had expressed to the nava-yogendras his fear of the illusory potency of the Lord and had requested a detailed explanation of māyā so that he could avoid becoming a victim at her hands. Now, Śrī Antarīkṣa, having described the illusory potency, is suggesting that the King inquire about the means to become totally free of māyā's influence. Not waiting for the King to ask such a question, Śrī Antarīkṣa himself is suggesting, "Now that you have heard about māyā's influence, you should inquire about the process of becoming free of such influence." According to Śrīdhara Svāmī, that is the significance of Śrī Antarīkṣa's question kiḿ bhūyaḥ śrotum icchasi, "What more do you wish to hear?" the process of annihilation described in the previous verses. Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the presiding Deity of consciousness, which becomes manifest within the mahat-tattva. By further transformations of the mahat-tattva the threefold false ego appears as follows. (1) From vaikārika, false ego in the mode of goodness, appears the eleventh sense, the mind, whose presiding Deity is Aniruddha. (2) From taijasa, false ego in the mode of passion, comes intelligence, whose presiding Deity is Pradyumna, and the five working senses and five knowledge-acquiring senses with their various presiding deities. (3) From false ego in the mode of ignorance arises the subtle form of sound, and from that sound, or śabda, all the material elements gradually become manifest, beginning with ether and the sense of hearing. The presiding Deity of these three divisions of false ego is Sańkarṣaṇa. This description is taken from Chapter 26 of the Third Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, verses 21, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32 and 35.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead's external potency, māyā, causes the birth, maintenance and destruction of the material world. She is tricolored red, white and black. In her red feature the material nature is created, in white it endures, and in black it is annihilated. The mahat-tattva arises from this māyā, and from the mahat-tattva come the three varieties of false ego mentioned above. At the time of annihilation the five great elements, namely earth, water, fire, air and ether, merge into false ego in the mode of ignorance, from which they were originally generated; the ten senses and intelligence merge into false ego in passion; and the mind, along with the demigods, merges into false ego in the mode of goodness, which then merges into mahat-tattva, which further takes shelter of the prakṛti or unmanifest pradhāna.
As described above, each of the gross elements is wound up when its distinguishing quality is removed; the element then merges into the previous element. This can be understood as follows. In space or ether there is the quality of sound. In air there are the qualities of sound and touch. In fire there are sound, touch and form. In water there are sound, touch, form and taste. And in earth there are sound, touch, form, taste and aroma. Therefore from ether down to earth each element is distinguished by the addition of its own unique quality, called guṇa-viśeṣam. When that quality is removed, an element becomes nondifferent from its previous element and thus merges into it. For example, when great winds take aroma away from earth, earth contains only sound, touch, form and taste and thus becomes nondifferent from water, into which it merges. Similarly when water loses its rasa, or taste, it contains only sound, touch and form, thus becoming nondifferent from fire, which also contains those three qualities. So the wind takes away aroma to merge earth into water and takes away taste to merge water into fire. Then when the universal darkness removes form from fire, fire merges into air. Space then removes the sense of touch from air, and air merges into space. The Supreme Personality of Godhead as the time element removes sound from space, and space then merges into the false ego in the mode of ignorance, from which it arose. Finally, false ego is merged into the mahat-tattva, which is merged into the unmanifest pradhāna, and thus the universe is annihilated.
11.3.17
śrī-rājovāca
dustarām akṛtātmabhiḥ
(17) The honorable king said: 'O great sage, please tell how persons who are dull of intelligence with ease may overcome this material energy of the Lord that is so unsurpassable to those who are not self-controlled.'
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, sthūla-dhiyaḥ indicates those who ignorantly identify themselves with the gross material body and who are therefore unable to analyze the subtle laws of nature by which the soul transmigrates in illusion. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī comments that sthūla-dhiyaḥ also indicates so-called pious persons who execute pompous religious ceremonies for material sense gratification rather than trying to prepare themselves to go back home, back to Godhead, by engaging in the loving devotional service of the Lord. King Nimi was already an advanced devotee of the Lord and therefore knew that one can cross over the illusory energy, māyā, by surrendering to the lotus feet of the Lord and pleasing Him by pure devotional service. Therefore the King was asking the question for the benefit of those who falsely consider themselves very much learned but in fact are addicted to materialistic fruitive activities, which increasingly entangle them in illusion. In this regard Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has quoted from the Amara-kośa dictionary to show that akṛtātmabhiḥ indicates apūrṇatvam, or one whose life is empty.
Every living being has an eternal relationship with the supreme living being, Kṛṣṇa. One may love Kṛṣṇa by thinking of Him as one's eternal master, one's most intimate friend, one's beloved child or the object of one's conjugal attraction. Of course, such ecstasies should never be confused with ordinary, material emotions, which are perverted reflections of spiritual rasas, or relationships. In the material world we try to relish these same relationships of servitude, friendship, parental love and conjugal love, but the object of such feelings is a temporary material body, which is quickly devastated by the laws of nature. These loving feelings should be directed toward the spiritual body of the Supreme Personality, Kṛṣṇa, who is the reservoir of all beauty and transcendental bliss. One who has not learned the art of directing his love to Kṛṣṇa is apūrṇa, or one whose life is ultimately empty.
11.3.18
karmāṇy ārabhamāṇānāḿ
(18) S'rî Prabuddha said: 'Looking at people who live as husband and wife should one understand that their endeavoring to accomplish results in order to lessen the distress and to gain in happiness, leads to opposite results.
11.3.19
nityārtidena vittena
durlabhenātma-mṛtyunā
gṛhāpatyāpta-paśubhiḥ
(19) What happiness would be gained by the unsteadiness of having a home, children, relatives and domestic animals and with the hard to acquire wealth that one is in pain for but leads to the death of the soul?
11.3.20
sa-tulyātiśaya-dhvaḿsaḿ
(20) One should understand that the next world [heaven or 'a higher planet'] for which one this way settles with one's fruitive action, cannot be sustained and is characterized by the resultant [competitive] mutual destruction of equals, superiors and those who rank lower [B.G. 8: 16].
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī has quoted the following text from the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (8.1.6): tad yatheha karma-cito lokaḥ kṣīyate, evam evāmutra puṇya-cito lokaḥ kṣīyate. "One's present status of material pleasure, the result of one's previous work, will eventually be vanquished by time. Similarly, although by executing pious activities one will be elevated to a higher status in the next life, that future situation will also be vanquished." The basis of material enjoyment is the particular body one has acquired. The material body is karma-citaḥ, the accumulated result of one's previous material activities. If one is awarded a body decorated with beauty, education, popularity, strength and so on, his standard of material enjoyment is certainly high class. On the other hand, if one is ugly, mentally retarded, crippled or repulsive to others, there is very little hope for his material happiness. In both cases, however, the situation is flickering and temporary. One who has acquired an attractive body should not rejoice, since death will quickly bring an end to such an intoxicating situation. Similarly, one who has taken birth in an obnoxious situation should not lament, since his suffering is also temporary. The beautiful man and the ugly man, the rich and the poor, the educated and the foolish should all endeavor to become Kṛṣṇa conscious so that they can be elevated to their eternal constitutional situation, which is to reside in the planets beyond this material universe. Originally every living entity is unimaginably beautiful, intelligent, wealthy, and so strong that his spiritual body lives forever. But we foolishly give up this eternal, blissful situation because we are unwilling to meet the condition for eternal life. The condition is that one should be a lover of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Although love of Kṛṣṇa is the most exquisite ecstasy, surpassing by millions of times the most intense pleasure of the material universe, we foolishly break off our loving affair with the Supreme Lord and artificially try to become independent enjoyers in the material atmosphere of self-delusion and false pride.
Even if one reaches the exalted heavenly planets of this universe he will be afflicted by various types of suffering. Every conditioned soul in the material world wants to become the greatest person. Therefore one is constantly harassed by his equals who have a similar desire. This situation is commonly termed the "rat race" of material existence. Even on the heavenly planets there is a similar rat race for heavenly distinction. Since some persons inevitably excel our own achievements, our hearts burn with envy upon seeing others enjoying the very rewards we have strived for. And because our whole situation is temporary, we must undergo fear, anxiety and death even on the heavenly planets. The example given here is very nice. Minor kings may be enviously admired by ordinary citizens for their wealth, power and fame, but such kings themselves constantly burn with jealousy, resentment and fear due to rivalry and threats from other kings. Similarly, modern politicians are constantly harassed by envy and fear.
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has pointed out that the conditioned souls, being eager to acquire material happiness and avoid distress, take shelter of sexual relationships and thus surrender to the hard labor of fruitive activities. Those who are enlightened, however, can perceive the ultimate futility of such gross materialistic endeavors. One's so-called wife, home, children, relatives, bank account and so on are all temporary phantasmagoria, and even while manifest they can never give real satisfaction to one's senses. To acquire wealth in this world one is practically forced to become the killer of his own soul. There is no possibility of acquiring pleasure from materialistic activities, since they are performed with temporary senses in the hot pursuit of temporary sense objects. When the conditioned soul achieves his goal he becomes proud and brags to others as if his achievements were permanent. And when defeated he is submerged in lamentation. Such a tendency to consider oneself the doer is a sign of weak intelligence, since in fact the living entity is merely desiring within the material body. The body itself is moved by the forces of material nature, under the control of God. The relationships of master and servant, father and son, husband and wife entail exchanges of well-wishing and service that give a sense of material gratification, but such ephemeral devotion can never bring about the eternal absolute benefit of the soul. By such temporary gratification, māyā induces the conditioned soul to wander throughout the material world, pursuing the relative rewards of material nature. According to the subtle laws of karma, the living entity achieves happiness and distress. One cannot obtain happiness by force, no matter how strenuously or how long one tries. Therefore those whose intelligence is uncontaminated should surrender at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and give up the ludicrous pursuit of permanent material happiness, a pursuit which can be compared to a dog's chasing its tail.
11.3.21
tasmād guruḿ prapadyeta
brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam
(21) Therefore should someone eager to know about the highest good, take shelter of a spiritual master who resides in the supreme tranquility of the Absolute Truth and is well versed in the brahminical word [see e.g. 5.5: 10-13, 7.11: 13, 7.12: 1-16, 7.15: 25-26, 10.86: 57 & B.G. 4: 34].
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, the word śābde refers to the Vedic literature, and pare refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The bona fide spiritual master must be niṣṇātam, deeply experienced in authorized Vedic literatures and in practical understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Without scriptural knowledge and practical realization of the Personality of Godhead, a so-called guru will be unable to dissipate the doubts of his disciples and therefore unable to execute the function of bringing the sincere student back home, back to Godhead. The symptom of realized understanding of the Vedas and Kṛṣṇa is upaśamāśrayam. In other words, the bona fide spiritual master is one who has retired from the glittering illusions of materialistic society, friendship and love.
Within the material world one is certainly attracted to becoming a great intellectual, a powerful politician, the loving father of many beautiful and affectionate little children, a most honored welfare worker or a highly admired and successful businessman. But none of these material positions have a permanent basis, nor do they afford permanent happiness, because they are all based on the primary misunderstanding by which one identifies himself with the material body.
Anyone can readily experience that he is not the body but consciousness. Even if one loses a limb of his body, he does not cease to exist as a conscious entity. Ultimately, the entire body is lost at the time of death, and the living entity acquires a new body. The preliminary understanding of one's identity as consciousness is called self-realization. But beyond this elementary knowledge is the elaborate subject matter of how the soul came to exist within the cycle of 8,400,000 material species of life. And if the living entity is not the material body but consciousness, he must ultimately have an original status on a higher platform.
Punishment implies reward also; a powerful man who can punish is also able to reward. Therefore, the existence of punishment for the living being, who is forced to take a miserable material body subject to birth, old age, disease and death, also logically implies the existence of a reward for him. Although we mistakenly consider material sense gratification the ultimate reward of life, material happiness is actually another type of punishment, since it entices one to continue rotating in the cycle of birth and death. In the Western countries violent prisoners are placed in solitary confinement whereas well-behaved prisoners are sometimes allowed to work in the warden's garden or library as a reward. But any position in prison is ultimately a punishment. Similarly, the existence of higher and lower categories of material sense gratification does not explain the living entity's ultimate reward, which must constitute the natural antithesis of the punishment of material existence. That actual reward is an eternal life of bliss and knowledge in the kingdom of God, where there is no punishment. The kingdom of God is Vaikuṇṭha, or unconditional pleasure. There is no punishment in the spiritual world; it is a place of ever-increasing pleasure.
A bona fide spiritual master is one who is expert in all of these subject matters, not by his personal imagination or speculation but by mature understanding of the authorized Vedic literatures, which are the literary manifestation of the causeless mercy of God. The Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (9.3).
aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā
dharmasyāsya parantapa
"Those who are not faithful on the path of devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of foes, but return to birth and death in this material world." Therefore the spiritual master must awaken the disciple to the eternal existence of devotional service. The example may be given that in the early morning a mother may enter her child's room to wake him up so that he can attend school. The child does not want to get up, but the loving mother forces him to get up and sends him off to school to be educated. Similarly, the bona fide spiritual master awakens the sleeping soul and sends him to the gurukula, or the āśrama of the spiritual master, where he can be trained in perfect knowledge.If the disciple has doubts about the value of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the bona fide spiritual master must dissipate those doubts by superior knowledge. One who himself doubts the authority of Kṛṣṇa or Vedic knowledge cannot become a bona fide spiritual master. On the other hand, kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kena naya/ yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya: [Cc. Madhya 8.128] any human being from any social or economic status can become a bona fide spiritual master if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,
yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa
"Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land." (Cc. Madhya 7.128) Only by the order and authority of the Supreme Lord one can become a spiritual master, not by one's own so-called erudition.
The duty of the bona fide guru is to connect the disciple to Kṛṣṇa. A scholar or meditator has no potency to connect another living being with Kṛṣṇa if that scholar or meditator himself is not connected with Kṛṣṇa. Although many sports fans attend gymnastic competitions and applaud at the exhibition of difficult calisthenic feats, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not such a gymnastic spectator, and He does not applaud the calisthenics exhibited by foolish persons in the name of yoga. Nor is the Supreme Personality of Godhead impressed by mediocre attempts at philosophical speculation, since the Lord has already given His own opinion in Bhagavad-gītā (śṛṇu me paramaḿ vacaḥ). The word of Kṛṣṇa is paramaḿ vacaḥ, the last word in knowledge. And Kṛṣṇa says, yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate: "When you know this knowledge there shall remain nothing further to be known." Kṛṣṇa has also referred to His knowledge as rāja-vidyā, the king of all knowledge.
If one does not become a lover of Kṛṣṇa, his connection with Kṛṣṇa takes place indirectly, through the illusory potency of the Lord. The idea that one can attract the Supreme Lord through mere gymnastics or foolish speculation on the Absolute Truth is certainly a product of māyā. One who is connected to Kṛṣṇa through His external, illusory potency can serve only as a material master to connect his so-called disciples to the same illusory energy. On the other hand, in Bhagavad-gītā (9.13) it is said,
mahātmānas tu māḿ pārtha
bhajanty ananya-manaso
Those who are actually great souls have surrendered to the internal potency of the Lord and can similarly connect others to the internal pleasure-giving potency. A mahātmā is described in Bhagavad-gītā as follows: vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19]. "He knows Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare." It is to such a spiritual master, who has reached the mature understanding that Vāsudeva is everything, that one must surrender. According to Śrī Nārada Muni, yo vidvān sa gurur hariḥ: such a great soul is to be considered the external manifestation of Kṛṣṇa Himself. Kṛṣṇa states this also:ācāryaḿ māḿ vijānīyān
nāvamanyeta karhicit
"One should know the ācārya to be My self and never disrespect him in any way. One should not envy him, thinking him an ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the demigods." (Bhāg. 11.17.27)According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, if a spiritual master cannot destroy his disciple's doubts by superior knowledge, the disciple will gradually become despondent in spiritual life. Because a bogus guru cannot actually give Kṛṣṇa to the disciple according to the principle of rasa-varjaḿ raso 'py asya, the disciple will again become attracted to material happiness, not having achieved the bliss of Kṛṣṇa's association. Such a weak disciple of a weak spiritual master will gradually become hopeless and discouraged in his attempt at self-realization and will again become fascinated by the temptations of illusion, such as women, money and so-called intellectuality based on speculation and imagination.
Further symptoms of the bona fide spiritual master are given in the Upadeśāmṛta (1) as follows:
vāco vegaḿ manasaḥ krodha-vegaḿ
sarvām apīmāḿ pṛthivīḿ sa śiṣyāt
"A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind's demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world." Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has stated, upaśamāśrayaḿ krodha-lobhādy-avaśī-bhūtam: a bona fide spiritual master cannot be under the control of ordinary anger, greed and lust.According to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, one who has understood the futility of material existence can approach a bona fide spiritual master. In the two previous verses the futility of earthly and heavenly sense gratification has been described. Now, the natural conclusion is that one who has understood this should approach a bona fide spiritual master. The bona fide spiritual master broadcasts the sound vibration from the spiritual planets called Vaikuṇṭha. The inhabitants of the spiritual planets, headed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, are certainly not deaf and dumb; they are in constant communication through unlimited transcendental bliss and knowledge. And the bona fide spiritual master can transmit this sound vibration of bliss and knowledge to his disciple. Just as a radio broadcasts mundane news, the bona fide guru broadcasts the news from Vaikuṇṭha. This is confirmed by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura: golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-sańkīrtana. The spiritual master also transmits to the disciple the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, which is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa Himself. The bona fide guru informs his disciple that every living entity is qualitatively one with the Supreme Lord but quantitatively different and thus engages the disciple in the loving service of the Lord. Because the living entity is qualitatively one with the Lord and is part of Him, there is an eternal loving relationship between them. And because the living entity is quantitatively different, that relationship is eternally one of service. According to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, even though one may have the good fortune to accept a bona fide, highly qualified guru, if one maintains a taste for fruitive activities or mental speculation one's advancement will be checked. But if a serious student surrenders to a bona fide spiritual master there is absolutely no impediment to the transmission of perfect knowledge and bliss in the devotional service of the Lord.
11.3.22
amāyayānuvṛttyā yais
tuṣyed ātmātma-do hariḥ
(22) At his feet should one, with the guru as one's soul and deity, learn to be of respect for the bhâgavata dharma [or emancipation process, see 11.2: 34] by which without deceit being faithfully of service the Supreme Soul, the Lord bestowing His own Self, can be satisfied [**].
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī the Lord's tendency to give Himself to His pure devotee is demonstrated in the case of Bali Mahārāja, who sacrificed his universal kingdom for the pleasure of Lord Vāmanadeva. Lord Vāmana was so pleased by the selfless surrender of Bali Mahārāja that the Lord became the doorman in the palace of Bali who was reinstalled as a great leader in the universe. aster, [2] becoming initiated by the spiritual master and learning how to discharge devotional service from him, [3] obeying the orders of the spiritual master with faith and devotion, and [4] following in the footsteps of great ācāryas [teachers] under the direction of the spiritual master." (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.74) One who has executed these preliminary duties is qualified to relish Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
When one actually hears the sound vibration of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as it is, he becomes free from the desire for sense gratification and mental speculation and is happy and satisfied in the service of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
yasyāḿ vai śrūyamāṇāyāḿ
"Simply by giving aural reception to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the feeling for loving devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sprouts up at once to extinguish the fire of lamentation, illusion and fearfulness." (Bhāg. 1.7.7) One should hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from a bona fide spiritual master who can expertly engage the propensity for loving Kṛṣṇa that arises from hearing the transcendental sound of the Bhāgavatam. Such a transcendental, authorized engagement is called bhāgavata-dharma. Within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness there are many thousands of authorized engagements pertaining to the Society's missionary activities. And by hearing the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and performing such engagements the Society's members feel relief from śoka (lamentation), moha (illusion) and bhaya (fear).
According to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, those who have achieved a mature understanding of the transcendental sound vibration of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam may adopt the order of tridaṇḍi-sannyāsa, as described in the Haḿsa-gītā, the Thirteenth Chapter of this canto. A so-called Vaiṣṇava who whimsically neglects the strict control of the body, mind and speech cannot actually achieve shelter at the lotus feet of a bona fide spiritual master. Even if such a whimsical sense enjoyer makes a show of assuming the dress and daṇḍa of Vaiṣṇava sannyāsa, he will not attain the desired result, love of Kṛṣṇa. A bona fide Vaiṣṇava should work earnestly to free himself from any tinge of sense gratification and mental speculation, and with a loving heart he should carry out the orders of his bona fide spiritual master. By always remembering the exalted position of the bona fide spiritual master, the disciple will achieve shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.
11.3.23
sarvato manaso 'sańgam
bhūteṣv addhā yathocitam
(23) On the basis of a mind that in every way is of detachment should one properly, with mercy, friendship and reverence for all living beings, cultivate association with the saintly and the saints [compare 11.2: 46].
from the Garuḍa Purāṇa to demonstrate that within this universe those who take birth as demigods, great ṛṣis or pious human beings are all considered santaḥ, or saintly persons. According to Bhagavad-gītā, traiguṇya-viṣayā vedāḥ: the varṇāśrama culture described in Vedic literature deals mostly with the living entities who are struggling within the three modes of nature. The Vedic literatures teach such conditioned souls that material happiness can be achieved only through pious works. In this sense, the demigods are to be considered the most pious living entities within the three modes of material nature. The ṛṣis, or the great saintly mystics of the universe, who are able to travel at will to various planets and who cultivate mystic powers, are to be considered somewhat below the demigods. And those human beings on earth who perfectly execute the Vedic rituals are to be considered in the third or lowest category of santaḥ, or saintly persons. But a devotee of the Lord is beyond the three modes of material nature. Lord Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (14.26),
māḿ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa
"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." Thus Lord Kṛṣṇa clearly says that a Vaiṣṇava who does not fall down from the regulations of bhakti-yoga is beyond the three modes of nature. And Lord Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna, a kṛṣṇa-bhakta, to transcend the three material qualities of the illusory creation of māyā (nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna). But in the Eighteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā (18.40) the Lord says,
na tad asti pṛthivyāḿ vā
"There is no being existing, either here or among the demigods in the higher planetary systems, who is free from the three modes of material nature." Thus the demigods are not exempt from the pollution of the three modes of material nature, whereas a pure devotee actually becomes guṇātīta, or transcendental to the influence of māyā.
Therefore, one should cultivate the association of the uttama-adhikārī, or pure devotee of the Lord, as stated previously (Bhāg. 11.3.21):
tasmād guruḿ prapadyeta
brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam
"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."On the other hand, one should avoid the association of a materialistic person even if such a person is outwardly chanting the holy names of Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has advised in this respect,
kṛṣṇeti yasya giri taḿ manasādriyeta
One may mentally offer respect to any living entity who is chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, but one should avoid intimate association with materialistic persons, especially those attached to sex enjoyment. Tamo-dvāraḿ yoṣitāḿ sańgi-sańgam. If one associates with a sensuous person who is attached to the company of women, by such association one will surely go to hell.
But if a materialistic person approaches a pure devotee with a sincere desire to hear from him about spiritual improvement, that first-class devotee may mercifully give his association, provided the purpose of such a meeting is advancement in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa. By such association even a materialistic person can gradually become a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. If an advanced devotee is not able to engage a materialistic person in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, such association is strictly forbidden.
In the Garuḍa Purāṇa it is stated,
viśeṣataḥ svottameṣu
"One cannot be liberated without association with a pure devotee of the Lord. And unless one shows mercy to those in an inferior position, one's life will be superficial." It is our practical experience in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement that those who are expanding their mercy by preaching the message of Kṛṣṇa are making rapid spiritual progress, and their life is filled with transcendental bliss. Those who neglect the quality of mercy, being uninterested in the missionary activities of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, are not filled with transcendental pleasure as described here by the word pūryate. Not being filled with spiritual pleasure, surely such persons attempt to fill their lives with material pleasure through sense gratification and mental speculation, associating with women or reading innumerable mundane novels, newspapers, newsmagazines, and so on. According to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu the preaching activities of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement are ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam, the ever-increasing ocean of bliss. Missionary activities are based on the principle of dayām, or mercy to those who are fallen. Those who are actually preaching become enlivened by associating with other preachers. This principle is called maitrīm, or friendship among equals. The power to carry out such preaching activities, as well as the proper guidance for distributing Kṛṣṇa's message, comes through the principle of praśrayam, or humble service at the lotus feet of spiritual authorities such as the spiritual master. If one preaches Kṛṣṇa consciousness sincerely under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master and in the company of fellow preachers, one is perfectly fulfilling the statement of this verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and thus he will come to the point of sarvato manaso 'sańgam, or complete detachment from the illusory energy of the Lord. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has stated, lava-mātra sādhu-sańge sarva-siddhi haya [Cc. Madhya 22.54]. By becoming attached to the devotees of the Lord, one will achieve all perfection in life, going back home, back to Godhead.If one neglects the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by engaging in sinful life, he is certainly not merciful. One who ignores his eternal status as part and parcel of the Supreme Lord and who instead covers himself more and more with material illusions in the form of temporary designations — "I am American," "I am Russian," "I am Indian," "I am black," "I am white" and so on — is certainly a killer of his own soul and cannot be considered merciful. Similarly, those who support animal slaughter by eating meat, fish and eggs cannot be considered merciful. Sometimes the argument is given that if one does not harm others he is perfectly religious. But because we are now in a state of ignorance, we have no idea whatsoever of the future reactions to our present activities. Ignorantly boasting that one is not harming others, without an awareness of the subtle laws of nature, does not make one a religious person. One becomes religious by surrendering to the laws of God as they are stated by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gītā. As long as a living entity is infatuated with his own mental speculations, which carry him away like the waves of the ocean, he cannot understand the process of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mental speculations based on our experience of the variegated creations of the Lord's illusory energy are incapable of bringing us to perfect knowledge. One must give up materialistic association and make company with pure devotees of the Lord, those who are engaged twenty-four hours a day in perfectly pleasing the Supreme Lord.
One should cultivate association with those who are more advanced than oneself in devotional service. One's advancement can be measured by one's detachment from sense gratification and his ability to distribute Kṛṣṇa consciousness to others. In this connection Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has said, chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā, nistāra pāyeche kebā: "Who can attain salvation if he gives up the service of the Vaiṣṇavas?" By serving the lotus feet of pure devotees, one is immediately enlightened with spiritual knowledge. All of the so-called pleasures of the material world, culminating in many varieties of sexual fantasy and impersonal visions of oneself as God, become useless to one who has achieved the mercy of the lotus feet of a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. The entire material creation is compared to an insignificant bubble in the ocean. The material universe rests on the spiritual potency of the Lord called brahmajyoti, just as an insignificant bubble rests on the potency of the unlimited ocean. By serving the lotus feet of a pure devotee one can enter the ocean of eternal happiness and experience his constitutional position as a servant of Kṛṣṇa. The mercy of the Vaiṣṇavas is unlimited, and one who has tasted that mercy becomes mad after the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, not caring for the hallucinations of so-called material pleasure or mental speculation. The mercy of the Vaiṣṇavas is substantial and as powerful as Kṛṣṇa Himself, whereas impersonal speculations and hopeless dreams of society, friendship and love merely constitute various means by which māyā cheats the conditioned souls and keeps them in perpetual frustration.
11.3.24
(24) One should be of [inner and outer] cleanliness, penance, tolerance and silence; scriptural study, simplicity, celibacy, nonviolence and of equanimity when confronted with the duality [see also yama & niyama and B.G. 12: 13-20].
Śaucam, or "cleanliness," refers to both internal and external purity. One should remain externally clean by bathing with soap and water at least once and, if possible, three times daily. One is considered internally pure when he is free from the pollution of false pride and egotism. Tapaḥ, or "austerity," means that despite the irrational impulses of the mind one should remain fixed in executing his proper duty in life. Specifically, one must control burning anger and the urge for wanton sex life. If a human being does not control the impulses of lust, anger and greed, he loses his power to understand his actual situation. Human life is a golden opportunity to solve the overwhelming problems of birth, death, old age and disease. According to the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (3.8.9),
varṇāśramācāra-vatā
Every human being can achieve spiritual perfection by dedicating the fruits of his prescribed work to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu. Similarly, in Bhagavad-gītā (18.45) Lord Kṛṣṇa clearly states, sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ saḿsiddhiḿ labhate naraḥ. One does not have to adopt a monastic life or live in the forest as a yogī; one can achieve perfection by dedicating his occupational duties to the Supreme Lord. Similarly, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has said, nāmāśraya kari' yatane tumi, thakaha āpana kāje. If one sincerely takes shelter of the holy names of Kṛṣṇa by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, he will achieve spiritual perfection within the compass of his normal daily activities. Unfortunately, if a human being neglects the regulative principles of civilized life that prohibit illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling, he will surely be overwhelmed by the waves of lust and anger, which completely cover one's consciousness of the reality of spiritual life and draw one to engage in the phantasmagoria of the temporary material body. As Lord Kṛṣṇa has stated in Bhagavad-gītā (3.39),
āvṛtaḿ jñānam etena
duṣpūreṇānalena ca
"Thus a man's pure consciousness is covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire." Therefore, the word tapaḥ, or "austerity," in this verse indicates that one must remain in his prescribed duty and not become impatient or unregulated due to the waves of lust, anger and greed.The word titikṣām, or "tolerance," indicates that a transcendentalist must be forgiving. The material world is full of embarrassing and irritating situations, and unless one is inclined to be very much forgiving he will become infected by a vindictive mentality, which spoils one's spiritual consciousness. Maunam, or "silence," means that one should not speak on worthless or frivolous topics, but should discuss the actual issues of human life such as going back home, back to Godhead. Remaining completely silent is a symptom of ignorance; a stone is silent due to a lack of consciousness. Since every material thing has its spiritual counterpart, the Vedic śāstras contain negative and positive injunctions. Corresponding to the negative injunction against speech is the positive injunction that one should always speak about Kṛṣṇa. Satataḿ kīrtayanto mām [Bg. 9.14]. One should always speak about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, glorifying His holy name, fame, pastimes, entourage, and so on. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also it is stated, śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca dhyeyaḥ pūjyaś ca nityadā. One should always hear about, glorify, meditate upon and worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. In the twenty-first verse of this chapter it was stated, śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. The bona fide spiritual master is expert in śābde pare, or the transcendental sound vibration describing the spiritual world. One cannot artificially remain empty-headed or speechless, as advocated by foolish proponents of concocted systems of meditation and yoga. But one should be so absorbed in the loving service of Kṛṣṇa, and so lovingly attracted to praising Kṛṣṇa, that one has not a single moment free to speak nonsense. That is the purport of the word maunam.
Svādhyāyam means that one should study Vedic literature according to his individual ability and also teach others. In Bhagavad-gītā it is mentioned that a brāhmaṇa should have the qualities of jñāna and vijñāna, scriptural knowledge and practical realized application of knowledge. Specifically one should study those books which increase one's desire to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His Divine Grace Oḿ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaḿsa Parivrājakācārya Aṣṭottara-śata Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda has written in a few short years a veritable library of transcendental knowledge. It is being practically seen throughout the world that when the principle of svādhyāyam, or Vedic study, is applied to these books, such as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Caitanya-caritāmṛta and The Nectar of Devotion, the sincere reader becomes infused with the ecstatic determination to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The entire International Society for Krishna Consciousness is expanding all over the world on the basis of this transcendental literature. Svādhyāyam does not indicate speculative or imaginary interpretations of religious scriptures, nor should one try to read many books to increase his false prestige as a so-called scholar. One should read those books which inspire practical spiritual advancement in knowledge and renunciation, as exemplified by the books of Śrīla Prabhupāda.
The word ārjavam indicates simplicity or straightforwardness. According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī svacchatām, or "clarity, transparency," is a synonym for straightforwardness. Unless one is pure in consciousness he will adopt many crooked means. Straightforwardness does not indicate that one should insult others in the name of honesty, but that one should speak the humble truth. The word brahmacaryam, or "celibacy," indicates either renouncing completely the association of women or following strictly the Vedic principles of householder life, which regulate sex life for the purpose of procreating saintly children. Ahiḿsām indicates that one should not commit violence against any living entity. Unless one is aware of the subtle laws of karma, by which a living being enjoys and suffers, one cannot actually practice ahiḿsā, or nonviolence. Ultimately the material world is full of violence, and the laws of nature, which impose old age, disease and death upon every living creature, are themselves filled with violence. Therefore, if somehow or other one can convince others to surrender to Kṛṣṇa and thus release themselves from the violent laws of material nature, that is the perfection of ahiḿsā.
Samatvaḿ dvandva-saḿjñayoḥ indicates that one should keep a cool head even when disturbing material dualities become manifest. Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (2.14):
mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya
āgamāpāyino 'nityās
tāḿs titikṣasva bhārata
"O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed."11.3.25
sarvatrātmeśvarānvīkṣāḿ
(25) In solitude without a fixed residence, wearing old rags and satisfied with anything, should one with the Controller constantly kept in mind, meditate upon the True Self that is Omnipresent [see also 2.2: 5, 7.13: 1-10].
Kaivalyam, or living in a secluded place, indicates a place free from material disturbances. Therefore, one should live in the association of Vaiṣṇavas, where the common goal is advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Especially in the Kali-yuga, if one tries to remain physically isolated from all others the result will be degradation or insanity. Aniketatām means that one should not be intoxicated by the ephemeral satisfaction of one's "home sweet home," which will vanish at any moment by the unforeseen circumstances produced by one's previous activities. In this age it is not actually possible to dress in tree bark in modern cities, nor to wear mere scraps of cloth. Previously, human culture accommodated those practicing tapasya, or penances in the interest of spiritual advancement. In this age, however, the most urgent necessity is for preaching the message of Bhagavad-gītā throughout human society. Therefore, it is recommended that Vaiṣṇavas dress with clean and neat cloth, covering the body decently so that the conditioned souls will not be frightened or repulsed by the severe penances of the Vaiṣṇavas. In the Kali-yuga the conditioned souls are extremely attached to material sense gratification, and extreme austerities are not appreciated, but are instead considered abominable denials of the flesh. Of course, austerity is required for spiritual advancement, but the practical example set by Śrīla Prabhupāda in successfully spreading the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was that all material things should be used to attract people to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore, Vaiṣṇavas may at times adopt ordinary dress to serve the higher principle of distributing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In any case, one should learn to be satisfied in any material situation so as to prepare for the moment of death. According to Bhagavad-gītā, at the time of death the particular consciousness we have created in this life will carry us to our future situation. Therefore, human life can be seen as a type of practice for successfully fixing one's mind on the Absolute Truth during the severe trials of death.
11.3.26
(26) With faith in the scriptures that relate to the Supreme Lord and not blaspheming other scriptures, should one with respect for the truth, being of strict control with the mind, one's speech and one's activities, be of inner peace and sense control as well [see also B.G. 15: 15].
The definition of śraddhā, or faith, is given as follows in Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 22.62):
'śraddhā'-śabde — viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya
"By rendering transcendental loving service to Kṛṣṇa, one automatically performs all subsidiary activities. This confident, firm faith, favorable to the discharge of devotional service, is called "śraddhā." Thus a devotee should be confident that by carrying out the injunctions of bhāgavata-śāstra, or Vedic literature that directly, rather than indirectly, describes devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one will easily achieve all knowledge and the perfection of life.
According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, mano-vāk-kāya-daṇḍam, or strict control of the mind, speech and bodily activities, means mānasa-vācika-kāyika-vikarma-rāhityam; that is, one should rigidly abandon all sinful activities with his mind, speech and body. As Śrīla Prabhupāda has repeatedly pointed out, sense control does not mean stopping sensory activities, thus becoming like a dead body, but rather engaging one's mental, vocal and bodily activities in the service of Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has stated,
īhā yasya harer dāsye
nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu
"A person acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in the service of Kṛṣṇa, with his body, mind, intelligence and words is a liberated person, even within the material world, although he may be engaged in many so-called material activities." (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.187) Thus one can achieve vikarma-rāhityam, or freedom from unauthorized, sinful activities, by engaging one's senses, mind, intelligence and speech twenty-four hours daily in the service of Kṛṣṇa. In Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa says that only those pious living entities who are vikarma-rahita, completely free from sinful life, can achieve freedom from the illusory duality of material nature (samatvaḿ dvandva-saḿjñayoḥ). The Lord says,yeṣāḿ tv anta-gataḿ pāpaḿ
"Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion engage themselves in My service with determination." (Bg. 7.28) In his purport to this verse, His Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda has stated, "Those eligible for elevation to the transcendental position are mentioned in this verse. For those who are sinful, atheistic, foolish and deceitful, it is very difficult to transcend the duality of desire and hate. Only those who have passed their lives in practicing the regulative principles of religion, who have acted piously and have conquered sinful reactions can accept devotional service and gradually rise to the pure knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then, gradually, they can meditate in trance on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the process of being situated on the spiritual platform. This elevation is possible in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the association of pure devotees who can deliver one from delusion."
Śrīla Madhvācārya has quoted the following statement from the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa: "One should have complete faith in transcendental literature such as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other literature that directly glorifies the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One should also have faith in Vaiṣṇava tantras, the original Vedas, and Mahābhārata, which includes Bhagavad-gītā and which is considered the fifth Veda. The Vedic knowledge originally emanated from the breathing of Viṣṇu, and Vedic literature has been compiled in literary form by Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the incarnation of Viṣṇu. Therefore, Lord Viṣṇu should be understood to be the personal speaker of all this Vedic literature.
"There are other Vedic literatures, called kalā-vidyā, which give instructions in material arts and sciences. Since all such Vedic arts and sciences are ultimately intended to be used to render devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Keśava, saintly persons in the renounced order of life should never blaspheme such apparently mundane literatures; because such literatures are indirectly connected with the Supreme Lord, one may go to hell for blaspheming these secondary literatures.
"Śraddhā indicates a faithful mentality, which can be analyzed in two sections. The first type of faith is a firm conviction that all the statements of the multifarious Vedic literatures are true. In other words, the understanding that Vedic knowledge in general is infallible is called śraddhā, or faith. A second type of faith is the belief that one must personally carry out a particular injunction of Vedic literature in order to achieve his goal in life. A devotee of the Supreme Lord should thus apply the first type of faith to the various kalā-vidyās, or Vedic material arts and sciences, but he should not accept such scriptures as pointing out his personal goal in life. Nor should he carry out any Vedic injunction that is contradictory to the injunctions of Vaiṣṇava scriptures such as the Pañcarātra.
"Thus one should faithfully accept all Vedic literature as directly or indirectly describing the Supreme Personality of Godhead and should not blaspheme any portion of it. Even for Lord Brahmā, as well as for other creatures, down to the insignificant unmoving species such as trees and stones, blasphemy of any Vedic literature causes one to merge into the darkness of ignorance. Thus the suras — the demigods, great sages and devotees of the Lord — should understand that the Pañcarātric literatures, as well as the four Vedas, the original Rāmāyaṇa, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other Purāṇas, and the Mahābhārata, are Vedic literatures that establish the supremacy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the unique transcendental position of the Lord's devotees according to their status of spiritual advancement. Any other vision of Vedic literatures is to be considered an illusion. In all authorized religious scriptures the ultimate goal is to understand that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the controller of everything and everyone, and that the Lord's devotees are not different from Him, although such devotees are to be understood in terms of their level of spiritual advancement." Lord Kṛṣṇa has stated in Bhagavad-gītā, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo/ vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham: "By all the Vedas, I am to be known; indeed, I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas." Similarly, the Lord states:
yasmāt kṣaram atīto 'ham
akṣarād api cottamaḥ
prathitaḥ puruṣottamaḥ
"Because I am transcendental, beyond both the fallible and the infallible, and because I am the greatest, I am celebrated both in the world and in the Vedas as the Supreme Person." (Bg. 15.18)Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura mentions that one cannot develop the godly qualities mentioned in the preceding verses unless one accepts the shelter of the lotus feet of a bona fide Vaiṣṇava spiritual master. Tasmād guruḿ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. In this connection, he has quoted the following statement:
arcayitvā tu govindaḿ
"One who performs worship of Lord Govinda but fails to worship His devotees should be understood to be not a devotee of the Lord but simply a victim of false pride." For one who has accepted shelter at the lotus feet of a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, it is very easy to execute worship of the Lord Himself.
For such a surrendered soul there is no need of artificial penances and austerities. In this regard Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has quoted the following (from Nārada Pañcarātra):
ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kiḿ
"If one is worshiping Lord Hari, what is the use of performing extraneous penances? And if one is not worshiping Lord Hari, no such penances will save one. If one can understand that Lord Hari is all-pervading, within and without, what is the need of performing penances? And if one is not able to understand that Hari is all-pervading, all his penances are useless." A Vaiṣṇava is always absorbed in executing his devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. If a devotee becomes falsely proud of executing severe penances and austerities and meditates on accepting and rejecting material objects instead of thinking of his service to Kṛṣṇa, his so-called austerities become an impediment to devotional service.
A devotee should not be disturbed by the word jugglery of those who are against the devotional service of the Lord. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has emphatically pointed out that devotional service to the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord is the only means of achieving the final perfection of life. Therefore a Vaiṣṇava should practice maunam, or silence, by ignoring those literatures which are full of false arguments, such as those of the Māyāvāda school, and those karma-kāṇḍa scriptures which promote sense gratification in the name of religious life. If one becomes overwhelmed by mundane unhappiness due to not achieving immediate success in self-realization, or if one becomes deluded by sense gratification and tries to take shelter of materialistic men and doctrines, one's devotional progress will immediately be checked. Similarly, if a devotee expresses love for things separate from Kṛṣṇa or tries to find fault in the process of devotional service or the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā in order to justify absorbing himself in the sense gratification of seeing things separate from Kṛṣṇa, his progress in spiritual enlightenment will be seriously disturbed. Such an illusory concept is called dvitīyābhiniveśa, or absorption in illusion. On the other hand, if one is attracted to the vibration of Vedic sound by the consensus of self-realized authorities called the vaiṣṇava-paramparā and thus engages enthusiastically in kṛṣṇa-nāma-kīrtana, or chanting the holy names of the Lord, then one's practice of mauna, or silence, is perfect.
One should avoid prajalpa, or whimsical conversations unrelated to devotional service. Merely restraining the senses artificially without chanting and hearing the glories of the Supreme Lord cannot be considered the spiritual perfection. The example is given that although many domestic animals in the barnyard are sometimes forced to practice celibacy when isolated from one another, such animals cannot be considered brahmacārīs, or spiritual students. Similarly, one is not considered spiritually advanced simply because of dry speculative arguments or temporary austerities. One must submissively hear the message of the Vedic sound vibration, especially as it is summarized in Bhagavad-gītā by the Lord Himself. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ [Bg. 15.15].
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has warned us that if one becomes attracted to nontheistic ethical philosophies, such as those of the Buddhists and Jains, which glorify such mundane principles as ahiḿsā, or nonviolence, one's mundane faith in godless ethics is spiritually suicidal. To restrict the senses by artificial austerities and to undertake huge social arrangements to facilitate mass sense gratification are both godless attempts to regulate human society in an artificial way that hides the eternal relationship of every living being with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the natural leader of society. When so-called moral philosophers spoil the opportunity of human life, the opportunity to revive our eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa, in the name of ethics such foolish persons commit the greatest violence against human society. Therefore, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī has said,
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-dayā karaha vicāra
"If you are indeed interested in logic and argument, kindly apply them to the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. If you do so, you will find such mercy strikingly wonderful." (Cc. Ādi 8.15)
According to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura a mahā-bhāgavata, or pure devotee of the Lord, is one who sees that both the material and spiritual worlds are nondifferent from Lord Kṛṣṇa, being expansions of His potency, but also sees that Vrajendranandana, Kṛṣṇa, keeps Himself eternally distinct by His unique quality of all-attractiveness. Thus a pure devotee of the Lord is aniketana, without a fixed residence, meaning that he accepts neither the gross nor subtle body as his eternal residence. Since one's so-called home and family are expansions of his body, such material creations are also not to be considered one's actual residence. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,
ayi nanda-tanuja kińkaraḿ
"O Kṛṣṇa, son of Mahārāja Nanda, I am Your eternal servitor, yet somehow or other I have fallen into the ocean of birth and death. Please pick me up from this ocean of death and place me as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet." (Śikṣāṣṭaka 5) Thus a devotee should understand that his eternal residence is fixed in the dust of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A Vaiṣṇava should reject the gross sense gratification of living in the forest in the mode of goodness, in the city in the mode of passion, or in the gambling house in ignorance. A pure devotee may travel all over the world distributing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but he should never consider any material place to be his actual residence. One who has become mature in this understanding may take the tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa order of life under the direct shelter of the Lord.
The impersonalist cannot understand how the devotee of the Lord, although fixed in the duality of seeing himself as eternally different from the Lord, sees all existence as nondifferent from the Lord. Those who attempt to acquire knowledge by impersonal speculation based on their tiny experience of the material cosmic manifestation cannot understand the transcendental reality of acintya-bhedābheda-tattva, the Absolute Truth's simultaneous oneness with and difference from His creation. The process of assimilating this transcendental knowledge is given in these verses, starting with tasmād guruḿ prapadyeta [SB 11.3.21]. One is recommended to accept a bona fide spiritual master and serve him according to the direction of these verses. The essence of such instructions is that one should abandon the association of Māyāvādī impersonalists, ritualistic fruitive workers and those who are whimsically indifferent to the ultimate purpose of life, and instead one should devote himself to associating with the devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A falsely proud neophyte may imagine himself a great devotee of the Lord without taking to the company of the Lord's followers, but without such association it is not possible to become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
11.3.27-28
tad-arthe 'khila-ceṣṭitam
(27-28) Hearing, chanting and meditating the pastimes and transcendental qualities of the Lord, of whose incarnations the activities are all wonderful, must one do everything for His sake. Whatever worship one performs, of whatever charity, penance, japa, piety, one is, including whatever one holds dear, one's wife, one's sons, home and very life air, should one all dedicate to the Supreme [see also B.G. 9: 27].
if a human being is not initiated into the process of bhāgavata-dharma he must depend upon the uncertain knowledge derived from his gross material senses. Indifferent to the sublime descriptions of the Lord's eternal appearances, pastimes and innumerable transcendental qualities, the faithless materialist wanders about on the platform of mundane enjoyment. But if one can understand the reality of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as He is described in authorized Vedic literature, then one should accept the order of tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa, or at least one should practice restraint of the body, mind and words and thus become self-controlled and fixed in the Absolute Truth. Then all of one's desires, all the charity he gives, and his penances and chanting of mantras — in other words, his entire personality, his home, his children, his wife and his very life air — become heartfelt offerings to the Supreme Lord. When a living entity constantly hears the authorized descriptions of the Supreme Lord and dovetails all of his activities in the Lord's service, avoiding other activities, he is considered to be fixed on the platform of bhāgavata-dharma.
11.3.29
paricaryāḿ cobhayatra
(29) With rendering service to both [the moving and nonmoving] must one be of friendship for as well the [normal] human beings as for the ones who are of a saintly respect, for the purest souls, such as those who accept Krishna as the Lord of their heart.
the highest duty for devotees of the Supreme Lord is to establish friendship with those who have completely surrendered to Kṛṣṇa and who have thus achieved śaraṇāgati, shelter at the Lord's lotus feet. One should render service to both the Lord and His devotees, since the Lord is more pleased by sincere service rendered to His pure devotees. One should not only officially offer respect to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His devotees and His worshipful paraphernalia, but should actually render service to the representatives of the Lord, who are known as mahā-bhāgavatas.
11.3.30
parasparānukathanaḿ
mitho ratir mithas tuṣṭir
(30) In mutual discussions, in being mutually attracted and pleasing one another, is there thanks to the glories of the Lord, in the joint cessation of material activities, the purification of [one's relation to] the soul [see also B.G. 3: 38].
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, those who are advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should not envy one another or quarrel among themselves. Giving up all such mundane feelings, they should gather together and chant the glories of the Supreme Lord for mutual purification. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has pointed out that glorification of the Supreme Lord is especially potent when performed in the association of pure devotees. When devotees engage in sańkīrtana, chanting the glories of the Lord together, they experience the highest transcendental bliss and satisfaction. Thus they encourage one another to give up material sense gratification, which is based on illicit sexual connections with women. One devotee will say to another, "Oh, you have given up sense gratification. Starting today, I shall also give it up."
One should learn to increase one's love for the devotees, to satisfy them and to give up sense objects unfavorable to serving Kṛṣṇa. And one should learn to view the entire universe as paraphernalia for the Lord's service. By engaging the objects of the senses in Kṛṣṇa's service, one automatically becomes detached from them. And as one passes one's days in the association of the Lord's devotees, one's transcendental ecstasy increases more and more, through discussions about the topics of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore, one who wants to be free from the harassment of māyā in the form of sense gratification must constantly associate with pure devotees of the Lord who have no engagement other than chanting and hearing the glories of the Lord and carrying out His mission on earth.
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