So there are five kinds of liberation. Sāyujya, the first liberation is supposed to be sāyujya, means, to become one with the Supreme. The Māyāvāda philosophers, monists, they aspire after sāyujya-mukti. But the devotees, Vaiṣṇavas, they do not aspire after sāyujya-mukti. Their, for them, there are other, four kinds of mukti: sārūpya, sālokya, sārṣṭi, sāmīpya. And those who are still further advanced, they do not want any kind of mukti, neither of these five kinds of muktis. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He prays, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is pure devotional prayer. The devotees does not approach the Supreme for any material gain. Pure devotion means without any aspiration of any kind of material gain. Or even spiritual gain.
Aspire (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
That is not. You'll get distress and happiness both.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa has explained in the previous verse, here also: yaṁ hi na vyathayanty ete. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha (BG 2.14). Here in this material world there is winter and the counterpart summer also. In the winter we aspire, "If it would have been warmer." That means you want summer. And again summer you'll require, you aspire had it been, I mean to say, cooler. You apply cooling machine. So this is our struggle. In the summer, we apply cooling machine, and in the winter, we apply heating machine. So undisturbed happiness, either in coolness or warmth, you cannot have. This is not possible. Therefore we have to become callous. But the materialist persons, they are disturbed. A little winter, little chilliness, immediately, "Bring electric heater, immediately." Or if there is too much hot, "Bring fan, bring cooler." So they are busy how to adjust these material disturbances. But they do not think that "Why these material disturbances are disturbing me? I do not want them." That question do not come... They simply struggle how to counteract it.
Without gain nobody works—either spiritual gain or material gain. Somebody works for material gain, and somebody works for spiritual gain. There must be some gain. But Lord Kṛṣṇa, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Supreme Personality of Godhead means He is full with opulence, all opulence. Now, what are the things we, generally, people aspire after? People, generally they want wealth. They want riches. They want to be very highly rich man, accumulate wealth, millions and millions of rupees. Then somebody wants to become very strong man. Somebody wants to become very beautiful man. Somebody wants to become very learned man. Somebody wants to be very famous man, so on. There are six opulences. I have discussed in this hall many times.
One has to transcend even the so-called goodness of the material world. Just like Arjuna was trying to be so-called good man of this material world. He was trying to avoid the injunction of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wanted him that "You should fight this Kurukṣetra battle," but he wanted to be good man. So that fighting, when he was convinced of Kṛṣṇa's instruction, this Bhagavad-gītā, that means he transcended even the goodness platform of this material world. So Kṛṣṇa is trying to raise him to the... traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna. This whole material atmosphere is surcharged with three modes of material nature. So one has to transcend the modes of material nature. Just like one should not try to become a first-class prisoner. In the prisonhouse, if one is a third-class prisoner and one is first-class prisoner, the third-class prisoner should not aspire that "Let me remain in this prisonhouse and become a first-class prisoner." That is not good. One should transcend the prison walls or come out of the prisonhouse. That is his aim.
That is needed. This science, Bhagavad-gītā, must be learned by the leaders. The society is managed by the leaders, by the kings, by the brāhmaṇas. That is Vedic culture. The brāhmaṇas, they give guidance according to the śāstra, and the king is trained up in such a way that he takes instruction from the saintly persons and brāhmaṇas and rules over the kingdom. Therefore it was so perfect.
We are aspiring after rāma-rājya. Why rāma-rājya? What is the difference between rāma-rājya and this rājya? There is difference. Rāma-rājya means responsible government. Even during the time of Lord Rāmacandra, one brāhmaṇa's son died. So he went to the king to challenge that "What kind of king you are that in the presence of the father the son is dying?" This is responsible government.
He has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Veda says. The Supreme Lord has nothing to do. Why He has to do? He's full, complete. He has nothing to do. He has nothing to aspire. There is nothing wanting. We are working for... Because we want so many things. But He has no want. He's ātma-tṛpta, fully complete. Thus He has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. This is description of God. He has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate.
There is nobody equal to Him, nobody is greater than Him. This is the Vedic description of God. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate, na tat-sama... Sama means equal. And adhika. Adhika means greater. Here you will find somebody is equal to you, somebody is greater than you, somebody is lower than you.
Such persons, akāma. And akāma means one who has no desire. Just like those who are devotees, Kṛṣṇa conscious, they have no desire. They don't like any material comforts, any material improvements. They want simply Kṛṣṇa. Akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā and mokṣa-kāma (SB 2.3.10). Mokṣa-kāma means one who is disgusted with these material desires and aspires after something void, impersonal, or freedom from all these desires, mokṣa-kāma.
So Bhāgavata says that either you are a person desiring unlimitedly or you have become free from all desires, or you are desiring liberation from this material conditional life, you please try to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Your desires, whatever desires you may have, that will be fulfilled. That will be fulfilled. So this is referred. Akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā (SB 2.3.10). So whatever desires you may have, if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious then you, that desire will be fulfilled.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fourteen: "There is no work that affects Me, nor do I aspire for the fruits of action. One who understands this truth about Me does not become entangled in the fruitive reactions of work."
Prabhupāda: Because He does not belong to any community or anything of this material world He has nothing to do. We work. Why we work? Because we want some material profit. He hasn't got to take any profit so why should He work? He says therefore that "There is no work that affects Me." But still He comes. Why? That is explained in the beginning. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). When there is discrepancies in the matter of religiosity I come down to make things all right. To set things in right order." That is His work.
Lord Caitanya prays, "My Lord, Jagadīśvara..." Jagadīśvara means the Lord of the Universe. "I pray unto You. I don't want any wealthy condition. I don't want any wealth." Na dhanam. Dhanam means wealth. Na janam. "I don't want any number of followers." Here, in this material existence, we aspire after money, after followers and after woman. That is... These are our desires. And Lord Caitanya says that, "I don't want wealth. I don't want any number of followers, neither I want any beautiful wife." Then what is the use of your coming to God? Oh, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "I simply pray that birth af... I do not think that in this very birth I will be liberated. Even there is my birth, I don't mind. But let me have Your unconditional service. That's all."
That should be the standard of prayer. The more we shall have wonderful things in the material world, the more we shall be entangled. We are just trying to get free from this entanglement and go back to Kṛṣṇa, where going I'll have no more to come back in this miserable world. That should be the aim and object of life.
Pradyumna: Translation: "There is no work that affects Me; nor do I aspire for the fruits of action. One who understands this truth about Me also does not become entangled in the fruitive reactions of work."
Prabhupāda:
- na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti
- na me karma-phale spṛhā
- iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti
- karmabhir na sa badhyate
- (BG 4.14)
Last night we discussed, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). There are two condition of life. Actually, conditioned life and non-conditioned life, liberated life and conditioned life, that is real nomenclature, "liberated life and conditioned life." Conditioned life means this material world. We are conditioned by the laws of material nature.
Just like we are trying to go to the moon planet, but we are conditioned; we cannot go. There are so many impediments. This is the nearest planet. Still, because we are conditioned, we cannot go. No free access. Otherwise, a living entity name is sarva-ga. Sarva-ga(taḥ) sthāṇur acalo 'yam. Sarva-ga means a living entity can go anywhere. As we see, there are so many planets. Why we cannot go? There are means also. We are flying in the air, but we cannot go. This is called conditioned life.
Then world will be happy and you will be happy. This is required. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). That is recommended here, evaṁ jñātvā kṛtaṁ karma pūrvair api mumukṣubhiḥ. This kind of business can be done by whom? Mumukṣubhiḥ, not ordinary men. Those who are aspiring after liberation. Those who are thinking of stopping this nonsense business of repetition of birth and death, for them. They are not ordinary men. Mumukṣubhiḥ.
When Viśvāmitra Muni approached Mahārāja Daśaratha for help, taking Rāmacandra and Lakṣmaṇa for killing that rākṣasī... Viśvāmitra Muni could kill that rākṣasī, but because he was brāhmaṇa, it was not his business to kill. He begged help from Mahārāja Daśaratha to lend Lord Rāmacandra and Lakṣmaṇa, to take Him there. This is the systematic way. The brāhmaṇas should be engaged in knowledge and distributing knowledge. That means their business is not fighting. The kṣatriyas, they should fight. The killing business is meant for the kṣatriya.
"Abandoning all attachment to the results of the activities." Everyone is aspiring some result of his activity. So the plain example is suppose you are working in an office. So you are not concerned with the result. You have to simply do your duty. The result, the ultimate profit or loss of that establishment is concern for the proprietors or directors. But your duty is that the post which you are occupying, you must do your work very nicely. That's your duty. Without being attached to the result. The result will be enjoyed by the proprietors of that establishment. Go on.
That is practical example. There are many sannyāsīs. They so-called merging into Brahman, but they come back in material activities, in politics, in sociology and so on. So therefore these instructions are very valuable. nirāśīr yata-cittātmā tyakta-sarva-parigrahaḥ śārīraṁ kevalaṁ karma. Śārīra, just to maintain your body. Be satisfied. Whatever is supplied by Kṛṣṇa, be satisfied. Don't aspire more and more. Save time for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.... (break).... so that you can, with great enthusiasm, you can make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śārīraṁ kevalam. Not for sense gratification.
You have to eat. These things are eatable: food grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, sugar. That's all. Why should we eat nonsense things? This will keep your health very nice. Sāttvikāhāra. And you can prepare so many nice preparations within this jurisdiction. Why should you go and kill animals for the satisfaction of the tongue?
One who is aspiring after that transcendental happiness which is called brahma-sukha, brahma-sukha... One who is, yaḥ antaḥ-sukha, that brahma-sukha is within. That brahma-sukha is not without. Yaḥ antaḥ-sukhaḥ antar-ārāmaḥ. And is happy and satisfied by enjoying within. Antaḥ-sukhaḥ antar-ārāmas tathāntar-jyotir eva yaḥ. And who is trying to find out the brahma-jyotir, the effulgence of Brahman within. Sa yogī brahma-nirvāṇam. That yogi is already situated in Brahman. Nirvāṇam means ending all this material contamination. Brahma-bhūto 'dhigacchati. And he becomes a realized soul or the brahma-antaḥ.
Devotee: "One who seeks an improvement in health or aspires,"
Prabhupāda: Generally this yoga practice goes on in the name of improving health. Somebody goes to reduce fat. You see? Reduce fat. Because you are rich nation, you eat more and become fatty and again pay yoga practice fees and reduce your fat. That is going on. I have seen some advertisement the other day, "Reduce your fat." Why you increase your fat? The nonsense they will not understand. That if I have to reduce it, why I increase it? Why not be satisfied with simple foodstuff? If you eat grains and vegetables and light foodstuffs, you'll never get fatty. You see? You'll never get fatty. Reduce eating as much as possible. Don't eat at night. Practice yoga like this. If you become voracious eater, you'll be—there are two kinds of diseases. The voracious eaters, they are attacked with diabetes and those who cannot eat sufficiently, they are tuberculists (?). So you cannot eat more or you cannot eat less. You just eat what you require. If you eat more then you must be diseased. And if you eat less, you must be diseased. That will be explained. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya yogo bhavati siddhi.... You are not to starve, but don't eat more. Our program, kṛṣṇa-prasāda, is that you eat kṛṣṇa-prasāda. Eating is required, you have to keep your body fit for any practice. So eating is required. But don't eat more. Don't eat less also.
Just like the other day I explained the happiness of the yogis. Ramante yoginaḥ anante satyānande cid-ātmani (CC Madhya 9.29). Ramante yoginaḥ anante. The yogis, those who are transcendentalists aspiring after spiritual life, they are called yogis: bhakti-yogī, jñāna-yogī, dhyāna-yogī. There are so many departments of yogis. Now, they also enjoy. The whole process is to concentrate upon the viṣṇu-mūrti, Viṣṇu form, within the heart. And unless there is pleasure, there is no enjoyment, what is the use of controlling the senses and focusing the mind on the Supreme Supersoul within the heart? There is pleasure. What sort of pleasure that is? That pleasure is ananta. Ananta means endless. Endless. Yoginaḥ. Yoginaḥ. Ramante yoginaḥ anante. Anante means that pleasure is not endless. That pleasure, why it is not ended?
When mind will be praśānta... Praśānta means not being dragged to think anything more than Kṛṣṇa. That is called praśānta.
There is a nice verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. A devotee is aspiring, bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ praśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ. Bhavantam eva. The devotee is praying to the Lord, "My dear Lord, when I shall be cent percent, twenty-four hours engaged in Your service?" Bhavantam eva. "Only Yours and nothing more." Bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ. Nirantara means "Without cessation. I shall always be engaged in Your service." And how? Praśānta-niḥśeṣa mano-rathāntaram. Because my mind is agitating, therefore I create so many mental concoctions. I think, "This will make me happy. This will make me happy." So many things I create. They are called mano-rathāntaram. Just like a man on the motor car goes anywhere, everywhere, similarly, the mind is taking us everywhere and anywhere, sometimes here, sometimes there, sometimes here. So that shall be stopped. As soon as I engage my mind in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then my mind will be naturally stopped for loitering hither and thither. So he is praying that bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ.
That is not possible. So we have to study from śruti. Then we become learned. Then we can know what is our constitutional position. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati (BG 18.54). Then he does not lament and neither he aspires everything, because he knows everything is complete there, conducted by the Supreme Being. And the Supreme Being said, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10).
So this is the understanding of knowledge. So you take it very seriously, study Bhagavad-gītā and learn everything nicely, become learned, and jñānavān. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). And just try to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful.
So why they cannot understand? Moghāśā. Moghāśā means whatever they are aspiring, whatever they are desiring, that will be baffled. Moghāśā. Just the karmī... Karmī means the fruitive actor. They are always hoping, "Something better, something better, something better." There is no limit where they will stop. So much money, so much bank balance, so much money, so much... Still... So moghāśā. Mogha means they are hoping to be very happy at a certain point, but that point never comes. That point never comes. Moghāśā. This means moghāśā. Because he does not know "what is the ultimate point of my satiation." Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). People, they do not know... Who are, I mean to say, enamored by the external beauty of this illusory material energy, they cannot understand that what is the aim and objective of life. They cannot understand.
Just like cotton. If cotton is fact, then the thread is also fact. How you can say that thread is false and cotton is fact? That is not possible. If the cotton is fact, then the thread, effect of cotton, that is also fact. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī says that prāpañcikatayā buddhyā hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ. Anything which has got connection with Hari, Kṛṣṇa, prāpañcikatayā buddhyā hari-sambandhi..., mumukṣubhiḥ parityāgaḥ. Mumukṣu, those who are aspiring after liberation, mumuk... Mokṣa. The Māyāvādīs, they are aspiring after mukti. Mukti. A devotee does not care for mukti. Mukti's not very important thing for them because, actually, one who is pure devotee, he's already mukta, liberated. He doesn't care for mukti.
So last night we discussed about the demons' thinking. Āśā-pāśa-śatair baddhāḥ. He does not know "So long I shall be aspiring more and more, I am getting entangled more and more within this material world. Because Kṛṣṇa is so kind, he has given me freedom to enjoy this material world, but according to my work, I am becoming implicated. So long I'll have a pinch of desire for enjoying this material world, I'll have to accept a typical body." This is the law of nature. When you'll actually be free from all material desires, then it is called mukti, mukti, liberation. That is liberation. So that standard of mukti, mukti standard or mukti platform, is bhakti-yoga.
"No desire" does not mean no desire for serving Kṛṣṇa. That is real desire. Other desires are artificial. That is material. But the desire to... That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When all our desires are for serving Kṛṣṇa... Desires you cannot give up. That is not possible.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
"One should try for developing God consciousness, not for anything else, because happiness and distress, they come automatically." We haven't got to try for it. Happiness, everyone aspires for happiness. Nobody aspires for distress, but distress is forcibly come upon you. Similarly, the śāstra says, "As distress comes without any desire, similarly, happiness also will come without any endeavor." So long we are in the material world, the so-called happiness and distress will come and go, but our, the human life, the endeavor should be how to find out or revive our relationship with God. That is our main business. They are just like seasonal changes, happiness and distress. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). Just like there is winter season. It is pinching cold. That will also not stay. And the scorching heat, that will also not stay. It comes and goes.
Just like here in this material world they are also engaged in ram, ramaṇa, but that is sex life. That's all. That is sex life. That is also ramaṇa. But there is another ramaṇa, that is Rāma. If you take the shelter of Rāma, that is real happiness. Ramante yoginaḥ anante. Those who are yogis... Yogis means transcendentalists. Those who are aspiring after spiritual perfection, they are called yogis. So the preliminary yoga system that is practiced generally, haṭha-yoga, aṣṭāṅga-yoga, that is preliminary. Nobody gets perfection even in the preliminary yoga system. And what to speak of further progress. So the bhakti-yogī, those who are engaged in this bhakti-yoga system... Māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate. That is yogi.
That is called jñāna-miśra-bhakti, means bhakti adulterated with jñāna. Real bhakti, as I have explained, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11), means no other desire than to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is pure bhakti. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167), means the karmīs, they want promotion in the heavenly planets, and the jñānīs, they want to become one with the Supreme or liberation, so it should be uncovered by the result of jñāna and karma and fully devoid of any other desire. That is bhakti. So those who are bhaktas and desiring after liberation, they are not pure bhakta. Because why a devotee shall aspire after liberation? As soon as (he is) a bhakta, he is already liberated.
"He, anyone, who is engaged in pure devotional service, he is transcendental to all these three qualities of the material world, and he is situated in the Brahman platform." Liberation means to be situated on the Brahman platform. So for a bhakta, the liberation is already there. Śrīla Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura has said, muktiḥ svayaṁ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān: "We are devotees, so mukti, liberation, is standing on my door with folded hands, 'What can I do for you?' " So why a pure bhakta should desire after liberation? For a pure bhakta, the liberation is standing on the door as maidservant. So a devotee is not aspiring for liberation.
That is the teachings of Lord Caitanya. Āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām adarśanān marma-hatāṁ karotu vā (CC Antya 20.47). "Either You embrace or You trample me down or" marma-hatāṁ karotu vā, "make me broken-hearted," adarśanāt... Every devotee aspires to see the Lord. That is natural. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "It doesn't matter. Whether I see Kṛṣṇa or not, it doesn't matter. He may not be present before me for millions of years and make me broken-hearted." If I aspire to see Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa does not come, naturally I become sorry, broken-hearted. But even one is broken-hearted, still, he should not stop devotional service. Not that "I have served Kṛṣṇa for so many days, or so many years, and Kṛṣṇa did not come. Oh, what is the use of it?" No, not like that. One should be confident that...
Just like Mukunda. Mukunda, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu's class friend and devotee. So he was attending many jñānī, karmī, yogi.
So in the calculation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, such dharmas, system of dharma, which is meant for sense gratification, personal interest, that is called kaitava-dharma, cheating. Cheating... Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra.
In this connection, Śrīdhara Svāmī has commented, artha mokṣavāṁś ca nirastham(?). Those who are aspiring after liberation, that is also rejected. Why? There are so many great saintly persons, jñānīs, philosophers; they're trying to get liberation. And it is cheating? Yes. It is cheating. Vyāsadeva says, kaitava, cheating. And a great commentator like Śrīdhara Svāmī, he also gives his confirmation that up to mokṣa-vāñchā, that is cheating. Why cheating? That is explained by Kavirāja Gosvāmī in his Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
So bhukti-mukti-siddhi. Bhukti means karmīs, those who are aspiring after being elevated to the higher planetary system, Svargaloka, or higher status of life. That is called bhukti. And mukti, the jñānīs, nirbheda-brahmānusandhana, just to become merged into the existence of the Absolute Brahman. They are, they are called jñānīs, or muktīs, mukti-kāmī. Bhukti-kāmī. And siddhi-kāmīs means the yogis. They are aspiring after so many material opulences. So because they are demanding something, aspiring something for sense gratification, therefore that is cheating. That is not religion. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. Aśānta. If you have, if you have got some intention to cheat others, then you will be restless, aśānta. But if you are simple, plain, then there is no aśānta. There is śānti.
These four principles of our interest, means dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa, projjhita, they are thrown away from this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And the great commenter, commentator, I mean to say, Śrīdhara Svāmī, he says that dharmaḥ projjhita-dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa atra mokṣa-visandhir(?) api parityaktaḥ. One should not aspire even for liberation. That is the position of a devotee.
Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). These are dharma-artha. Anyone wants... Everyone wants money, everyone wants good wife, good family, good comfortable life. Caitanya Mahāprabhu denies, that "I don't want all these things." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. Then that is... (break)
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you should study very scrutinizingly, critically. And there is explanation of great, I mean, stalwart devotees. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there are eight kinds of commentary. In Bhagavad-gītā... They are authorized.
So Kṛṣṇa therefore recommends, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama: (BG 15.6) "If you come to My place, then you are no more under the laws of birth, death, old age, and disease." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). That should be the aim of life. Those... There are others who are aspiring to go to the heavenly planet or Satyaloka or Brahmaloka, but Kṛṣṇa says, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that "Why we should go to the heavenly planet or Brahmaloka or any other material planet? We shall go directly to the abode of Kṛṣṇa, Goloka Vṛndāvana." That is the aim of the devotees.
So that aim you can fulfill by practicing bhakti-yoga. That is mentioned here, bhaktiḥ pravṛttā ātma-rajas-tamopahā. So rajas-tamas. So long one is situated in the modes of passion and ignorance, there is no hope.
Because that is our aim. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human life is meant for spiritual understanding, not for any other purpose. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ, śāstra recommends. Only for spiritual understanding engage your activities. And what will be other things, about my family life, worldly life? That is said that tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. Just like you don't aspire or don't wish for distressed condition. It comes upon you. Similarly, whatever happy condition in your life is expected, that will also come. You don't require... There are many places. So our endeavor, the human energy should be fully engaged in understanding Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Nothing else. Other things we should minimize. Yāvad artha-prayojanam. Just to maintain the body and soul together you should live very nicely. You should not become weak by health; otherwise, we cannot execute. But don't eat more, don't eat unnecessary things.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore recommends that niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Anyone who is aspiring to become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya... Why bhagavad-bhajana required? Pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya. For a person who wants to go to the other side of the ocean of nescience, pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣoḥ. (break) ...means one who is very rich man. No. Rich man and poor man doesn't matter. If one is interested simply with the four principles of the bodily necessities, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna-eating, sleeping sex and defense, they are called viṣayīs. Viṣayiṇām... Viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt. If viṣayī means rich man, then why the śāstra says viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt: the enjoyment of these four necessities of body, it is available everywhere? The sparrow, he's also enjoying viṣaya. There is a male and female, and they are jumping from one tree to another, from here to there. And as soon as they require, they are enjoying sex and eating something. So eating, sleeping, mating, this is going on.
"When I shall become the most attentive servant," aikāntika, "no other business?" Kadāham aikāntika-nitya... Praharṣayiṣyāmi: "I shall become engladdened," praharṣayiṣyāmi. Sanātha-jīvitam. Sanātha. Those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, they are anātha. Anātha, just you know anātha. Anātha means no father, mother, no protection. That is called anātha. And he's aspiring to become sanātha. Sanātha means, "Yes, I have got my protector. Kṛṣṇa will protect me." Prakṣiṣyati iti viśvāsa-pālanam(?). "Yes, I am surrendered to Kṛṣṇa and He'll give me protection." This is surrender. Śaraṇāgati means... This is one of the item of śaraṇāgati, that "I have surrendered to Kṛṣṇa fully. So Kṛṣṇa says ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). Then I am fully protected. He'll give me protection." To believe in this word of Kṛṣṇa, that is fully surrender.
So it is not theoretical-practical. Just like in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, even in America they inquire, these. our devotees,
So to understand God, the Supreme Being, who is controlling the whole universe, it is very, very difficult to understand Him. But if we become devotee, then Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself. That is the... Then not only the devotee understands what is Kṛṣṇa, but he attains the position that he can order over Kṛṣṇa, he can control Kṛṣṇa. This is devotee's position. So why a devotee should aspire for merging into the effulgence of Kṛṣṇa's rays? They have got a different position. So we should try to become a devotee simply by service. You can become a perfect devotee simply by service. There is no other method. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Bhakti means service, simply. That is bhakti. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). Simply the spirit, bhakti... Bhaktir uttamā. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā (CC Madhya 19.167). Ānukūlyena. Whatever Kṛṣṇa orders, if you discharge that, that is bhakti, simply favorable to Kṛṣṇa.
If I think, "Oh, I have taken sannyāsa. If I would have possessed all these things, I would have been...," then immediately fall down. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu strictly prohibits that if you have become niṣkiñcana, renounced order, with a idea of going forward, bhava-sāgarasya, on the other side of the ocean, then aspiring after money and women is lower than dying, committing suicide. Hā hanta hanta viṣa-bhakṣaṇato 'py asādhu. If you take poison, that is criminal. Similarly, He says, "A man in renounced order of life, if he's thinking of woman and money, then he's committing suicide more than ordinary suicide." Viṣa-bhakṣaṇato 'py asādhu. Viṣa-bhakṣaṇa. If you drink poison, then you are criminal. If you survive, by law you'll be punished. Perhaps you know it. Anyone attempting to commit suicide, if he survives, by law he'll be punished: "Why you attempted suicide? This is criminal." Similarly, to see, to aspire after women and money, by the renounced order people, is lower than committing suicide. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's version.
"Oh, I am so wretched, I could not serve Kṛṣṇa. How I can see Kṛṣṇa? It is not possible." In this way. That is the teaching of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. "But even though I do not see Him, neither it is possible for me to see Him..." Means: "What I am? I am insignificant person. Why Kṛṣṇa come and see me?" This is right. "Why shall I aspire after seeing Kṛṣṇa? What qualification I have got?" This is bhajana. This is bhajana. Why should I be proud that "Now I shall see Kṛṣṇa"? What I am? That is the teaching of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu māṁ marma-hatāṁ karotu vā adarśanāt (CC Antya 20.47). Adarśana. "Without giving me audience, You kill me, You break my heart; still, You are my Lord, You are my worshipable Lord, nobody else." This is love. This is love. (Bengali:) Asan kṛṣṇa galai diba naiva beja tata(?). Not like that. "Kṛṣṇa may not come. I may not see Kṛṣṇa for thousands and thousands of lives. I may rot in the hellish condition of life for many, many births. That doesn't matter.
Lord, Kṛṣṇa, bhavantam. Bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ. Nirantara means without any stop, continually. "When I shall live in Kṛṣṇa consciousness without any stop?" Bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ. Praśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ. Manas means mind here on the chariot, and the mind is the driver and the senses are the horses. So we are being driven here and there by the... This chariot is this body. The mind is the coat-man or the chariot driver, and the senses are the horses. So, in this way, we are being forced to wander in so many planets, in so many species of life. This is our material condition. Bhrāmayan yantrārūḍhāni māyayā. Bhrāmayan yantrārūḍhāni māyayā.
"What can I do for you?" Muktiḥ svayaṁ mukulitāñjali sevate 'smān dharmārtha-kāma-gatayaḥ samaya-pratīkṣāḥ.
So bhakti is above mukti. Therefore a pure devotee does not aspire for mukti. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye, mama janmani janmani. He says, janmani janmani. Janmani, when He says janmani, it is not mukti. Because mukti means you stop your material transmigration from one body to another. That is mukti. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu: mama janmani janmani. A devotee doesn't require mukti. Janmani janmani tvayi bhaktiḥ. If you are situated in the devotional service of the Lord, then you are already mukta. Avyabhicāriṇī.
Mukti's already there if he's actually a pure devotee. A pure devotee means just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says. He has no other desire. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīm (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Everyone is desiring in this material world for riches, wealth, dhanam, and janam, good family, high aristocratic family, or good followers, leader, minister. Janam. They are aspiring popular votes. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitām. And next is to have a very beautiful, obedient wife. These are the aspirations of material life. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "I do not want all these things." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīm. This is bhakti life. When one is free from all such material desires, he's fit for executing devotional service. That is mukti.
Therefore we have to cleanse our heart. Our heart is always aspiring how to get money, how to get women, how to get prestige, how to become leader, how to become minister, how to become guru.
One who desires good fortune should worship Durgādevī, the superintendent of the material world. One desiring to be very powerful should worship fire, and one who aspires only after money should worship the Vasus. One should worship the Rudra incarnations of Lord Śiva if he wants to be a great hero. One who wants a large stock of grains should worship Aditi. One who desires to attain the heavenly planets should worship the sons of Aditi. One who desires a worldly kingdom should worship Viśvadeva, and one who wants to be popular with the general mass of population should worship the Sādhya demigod. One who desires a long span of life should worship the demigods known as the Aśvinī-kumāras, and a person desiring a strongly built body should worship the earth. One who desires stability in his post should worship the horizon and the earth combined. One who desires to be beautiful should worship the beautiful residents of the Gandharva planet, and one who desires a good wife should worship the Apsarās and the Urvaśī society girls of the heavenly kingdom. One who desires domination over others should worship Lord Brahmā, the head of the universe.
Rāvaṇa was made a very powerful man by worshiping Lord Śiva, and he used to offer severed heads to please Lord Śiva. He became so powerful by the grace of Lord Śiva that all the demigods were afraid of him, until he at last challenged the Personality of Godhead Śrī Rāmacandra and thus ruined himself. In other words, all such persons who aspire after gaining some or all of the material objects of enjoyment, or the gross materialistic persons, are on the whole less intelligent, as confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.20). It is said there that those who are bereft of all good sense, or those whose intelligence is withdrawn by the deluding energy of māyā, aspire to achieve all sorts of material enjoyment in life by pleasing the various demigods, or by advancing in material civilization under the heading of scientific progress. The real problem of life in the material world is to solve the question of birth, death, old age and disease. No one wants to change his birthright, no one wants to meet death, no one wants to be old or invalid, and no one wants diseases. But these problems are solved neither by the grace of any demigod nor by the so-called advancement of material science. In the Bhagavad-gītā, as well as in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, such less intelligent persons have been described as devoid of all good sense. Śukadeva Gosvāmī said that out of the 8,400,000 species of living entities, the human form of life is rare and valuable, and out of those rare human beings those who are conscious of the material problems are rarer still, and the still more rare persons are those who are conscious of the value of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which contains the messages of the Lord and His pure devotees.
Bhakti-yoga, thus being the supreme means of self-realization, is recommended here. Everyone must therefore seriously take up the methods of bhakti-yoga, even though one aspires for material enjoyment or liberation from material bondage.
Akāmaḥ is one who has no material desire. A living being, naturally being the part and parcel of the supreme whole puruṣaṁ pūrṇam, has as his natural function to serve the Supreme Being, just as the parts and parcels of the body, or the limbs of the body, are naturally meant to serve the complete body. Desireless means, therefore, not to be inert like the stone, but to be conscious of one's actual position and thus desire satisfaction only from the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has explained this desirelessness as bhajanīya parama-puruṣa-sukha-mātra-sva-sukhatvam in his Sandarbha. This means that one should feel happy only by experiencing the happiness of the Supreme Lord. This intuition of the living being is sometimes manifested even during the conditioned stage of a living being in the material world, and such intuition is expressed in the manner of altruism, philanthropy, socialism, communism, etc., by the undeveloped minds of less intelligent persons.
Mumukṣubhiḥ. Mumukṣubhiḥ means those who are aspiring after mukti. Those who are aspiring after mukti. Because when one is disgusted with these material engagements—sadā samudvigna-dhiyām—they want to destroy this. Mithyā. But the Vaiṣṇava says that prāpañcikatayā buddhyā hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ. Everything has got relation with the Supreme Person or the Absolute Truth. Just like this microphone. It is made of metal. But what is metal? It is another form of earth. So Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). It is His energy. So His energy... He is the source of energy. So energy, how it can be untrue? That is not untrue. We don't say that "This metal has no connection with Kṛṣṇa." Yes, it has connection. Because it is production of His own energy. So... Just like this material world, this cosmic manifestation, is the production of the sunshine. The sun and the sunshine—you cannot say the sunshine is false and the sun is true. That is not nice philosophy. If the sun is true, then the sunshine is also true. So we don't say that this jagan mithyā. No. It may be temporary, but it is not mithyā. Therefore our Gosvāmīs, they instruct, or Kṛṣṇa also instructs that everything belongs to Him. Therefore everything should be utilized for His purpose. That is wanted.
The yogis, they have aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga, eight kinds of perfection. One can become smaller than the smallest or lighter than the lightest, bigger than the biggest, whatever he likes, he can get immediately, vaśita, he can control over, he can create a planet even. These are some of the yoga-siddhis. But here it is said that the supreme yoga system is not to aspire for material happiness, neither to become distressed by the material inconvenience.
This is perfection of yoga. Everyone is trying to get out of the material distress and get some happiness, but anything material-happiness, so-called happiness, or so-called distress... Just like here, the fireworks is going on. (loud sound of firecrackers, etc., occurring intermittently in background) It is happiness for somebody, but it is distress for us. Is it not? They are thinking they are enjoying, and we are thinking it is inconvenience. So that is material way, happiness, one side happiness, another side distress. So both the happiness and distress, they are illusion. Illusion. There are many examples. Just like water; in summer season it is happiness, and in winter season it is distress. But the same water. Some water, at one time, it is happiness, and the same water, at one time, it is distress. The same son, when he is born, it is happiness, and the same son, when he's dead, it is distress. But son is the same.
Why there are so many bodies? Why not one kind of body? That is also stated in the Bha...Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. Kāraṇam The reason is that the dehī within the body, the soul, he is associating with different types of the modes of material nature. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu. Therefore he is getting different types of body. It is naturally going on. You haven't got to aspire for your next body, different... But it must be different body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You have to change this body, but Kṛṣṇa does not say what kind of body. That will depend on your qualification. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. Qualification. If you associate with sattva-guṇa, then ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18), then you are elevated to the higher planetary system. Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. If you are associating with the modes of passion, then you will remain here. And jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ: and if you associate with the tamo-guṇa, then you go lower and lower, abominable family, lower family, animal family, or trees, plants, like that. So the 8..., 8,400,000 forms of life is due to kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. And according to the body, there are distresses and happiness. You cannot expect in the dog's body the same happiness as a king or a very rich man is enjoying. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-sa... He has got the dog's body, he has got the king's body. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22)
You simply surrender. I'll do everything for you." And He assures Arjuna in the Sixth Chap..., yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ: "You just do..., try to achieve that thing which achieving you will be no more aspiring for achieving anything more." That is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa. Just like Arjuna, he did it very conscientiously. Kṛṣṇa said that "This war, your fight, is family. I am connected with both the families. So I cannot take part in this war." But they insisted that "At least You take some part as You like." Then He said that "I divide Myself into two. So one side, all My soldiers, eighteen akṣauhiṇī soldiers, and one side, I am alone. Now you select. Which one you want?" So Duryodhana's thought that "What shall I do with Kṛṣṇa? He's one man. Let me take His soldiers." So he took all the soldiers. And Arjuna said, "No, Kṛṣṇa, I want You." Then Kṛṣṇa said, "No, I'll not fight." "No, You simply remain in my side." "All right, I shall become your chariot driver, that's all."
Just like here in this material world also, if you go Europe, America, you become more opulent automatically. Automatically. I am giving some example. Similarly, if you can go to the heavenly planet, you become more opulent.
Therefore they are aspiring after going to the higher planetary system. Karma-kāṇḍīya. They perform yajñas and pious activities to go to the heavenly planets. Oh, what is the idea? The idea is that we shall be able to enjoy more, more, more duration of life, more opulence, more money, more beautiful woman, more nice garden. Actually, that is a fact. That is a fact. But a devotee is not interested in all these things. A devotee is not interested because he accepts Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he is not interested. Kṛṣṇa says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna: (BG 8.16) "My dear Arjuna, even if you are promoted to the Brahmaloka, or the planet where Brahmā lives, where the duration of life already.
And theist class, they believe in God. They worship in God while living, and their business is: in this life they are serving God, Kṛṣṇa, and even after death, they will do the same business. Nitya-yuktā upāsate. So there is no difference between going to Vaikuṇṭha and in this temple, for a devotee, because the business is the same. So why they should aspire even going to Vaikuṇṭha? Why they aspire? Therefore it is said... What is said? Śriyaṁ bhāgavatīṁ vāspṛhayanti. Because Vaikuṇṭha, if you go to the spiritual world or Vaikuṇṭha, you get equal opulence like Kṛṣṇa or Nārāyaṇa. Sāyujya, sārūpya, sārṣṭi (CC Madhya 6.266). There are five kinds of mukti. So one of the mukti is sārṣṭi. Sārṣṭi means equally opulent with the Supreme Lord, equally. In the Vaikuṇṭha the devotees or the inhabitants, they are equally opulent. Everyone is like Nārāyaṇa, four-handed, equally opulent. Just like in Vṛndāvana also, Goloka Vṛndāvana. Kṛṣṇa and the cowherds boy, they are equally opulent. The cowherds boys in Vṛndāvana, they do not know that Kṛṣṇa is God, Kṛṣṇa is greater than him. No. They think, "As Kṛṣṇa is, I am also." They are so opulent.
They think, "As Kṛṣṇa is, I am also." They are so opulent.
So that is the devotional position. Therefore it is said, atho vibhūtiṁ mama māyāvinas tām aiśvaryam aṣṭāṅgam anupravṛttam, śriyaṁ bhāgavatīṁ vāspṛhayanti bhadrām. The devotees do not aspire for all these opulences. Their only aspiration is, ambition is how to be engaged in the service of the Lord, how to be engaged. That is their... And in that way they get everything. There is no difference. When you worship Kṛṣṇa—man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), mām evaiṣyasi—so he has already gone. There is no difference, the worshiping of the Lord here and there. Just like in politics sometime. These are some of the examples, that in a foreign country, when you are staying in your ship, then you are not subjected to the rules of that country. You are subjected to the rules of your own country. Similarly, so long you are in devotional service, you are not subjected to the rules and regulation of this māyā. Māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Māyām etām... Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. Anyone who is not devotee, who is not engaged in the service of the Lord, he is under the control of māyā. And anyone who has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa and is simply twenty-four hours engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, he is not under the control of māyā. Māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Kṛṣṇa says.
So therefore a devotee is not aspiring of any so-called material opulence, even aṣṭāṅga-siddhi. Here it is said, aiśvaryam aṣṭāṅgam anupravṛttam. Aṣṭāṅga-siddhi. The yogis, those who are actually yogi, they get aṣṭāṅga-siddhi, not these cheap yogis, gymnastic. No. The āsana, gymnastic, that is all right. That is the process only to go to the yogic platform. But when one is actually on the yogic platform, he gets siddhis. Siddhis means perfection: aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā, prāpti, īśitā, vaśitā, like that. He can become smaller than the smallest. That is aṇimā-siddhi. Some of the yogis, they can... You keep him within the room, locked up, and he'll come out. Because as soon as there is little let out, he'll come out. That is called aṇimā-siddhi. Laghimā-siddhi. You can walk... By achieving this la..., you can walk on the water. You become... You can fly in the air. You can go from one planet to another by flying. You can go to the moon planet or sun planet by capturing the beams. That is called mahimā-siddhi. There are so many siddhis. You can create even one universe. Not this magic, little gold, but you can create not universe, one planet.
That's all. Because he know that "If I gain Kṛṣṇa, I can achieve the favor of Kṛṣṇa, then all juggleries and magic are under my control. He will do that. Why shall I use?" Just like a rich man's son. He does not endeavor to get money. He knows, "My father is so rich, I can spend it as I like. If I am good son, father will give me money." This is the position of devotee. Therefore he is not after any vibhūti, nor even he is aspiring going back to home, back to Godhead. That is also aspiration. A devotee does not... Because his home is... He can create Vaikuṇṭha here.
It is, therefore... Temple is called nirguṇa. Temple is called nirguṇa. In the śāstra the forest is sattva-guṇa, and city is rajo-guṇa, and the places like these four sinful activities are going on—illicit sex, intoxication, gambling... There are places. Every one of us aware of it. So they are called tamo-guṇa. So to live in such places where illicit sex or prostitution is going on, the place where drinking is going on, the place where meat-eating, hotels, restaurant is going on, and gambling going on, these places are tamo-guṇa. And ordinary cities and towns, they are called rajo-guṇa.
So to live in such places where illicit sex or prostitution is going on, the place where drinking is going on, the place where meat-eating, hotels, restaurant is going on, and gambling going on, these places are tamo-guṇa. And ordinary cities and towns, they are called rajo-guṇa. And forest... Therefore formerly those who were aspiring after spiritual under..., they left either city or these things, everything. They went to the forest. That is called vānaprastha. Vānaprastha. Vana means forest. Before taking sannyāsī, one leaves his family connection and goes to the forest. Vanaṁ gato yaḥ harim āśrayeta. Vanam, vanaṁ gato harim āśrayeta. Then why they used to go to the forest? To take shelter of Hari. Vanaṁ gato yaḥ harim āśrayeta. So that is sāttvika. And above all these thing—to live in the temple—that is nirguṇa, above sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Therefore those who are inhabitants of the temple, they are in Vaikuṇṭha.
Therefore the philosophy of becoming the father of Kṛṣṇa is very perfect. Because one hasn't got to ask like the son asks from the father, "Father, give me this, give me this." Because devotee want..., doesn't want to ask anything from. Then how he can become son? Son business is to ask from father. Therefore they do not aspire to become the son of Godhead, but they aspire to be father of God. This is perfection-Nanda Mahārāja, father, Vasudeva, father. Kṛṣṇa will always ask. Just like Kṛṣṇa is always asking to suck the breast of Mother Yaśodā. Always demanding. And if she refuses, He'll create disturbance. And Mother Yaśodā is always thinking that "If I do not feed Kṛṣṇa nicely, He'll die." This is love. This is love. Therefore it is said that yeṣām ahaṁ priya ātmā sutaś ca. The devotee accept Kṛṣṇa as suta, as son, not as father. Father means exacting.
You should not mix bhakti with jñāna and karma. That is pure bhakti. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11). To... Just like there are many bhaktas. They are not pure bhaktas. Chanting, they are also chanting, but they are aspiring after mukti. So they are not pure bhaktas; they are adulterated bhaktas. A bhakta does not want mukti. We have discussed all things. Bhakta wants nothing from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He simply wants to serve Him. That's all. And serve Him ānukūlyena, not whimsically, "I want to serve You as I like." No. Ānukūlyena. Just like Arjuna did. Arjuna served Kṛṣṇa not whimsically, but as Kṛṣṇa desired. Kṛṣṇa... Arjuna was not willing to fight. He said, "No, Kṛṣṇa, the other side, my friends and relatives, I cannot." That is whimsical. But when he decided after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73): "Yes, I shall do what You are asking, to fight. I shall kill my grandfather. That's all." That is anukūla.
And the jñānīs, they are hankering after to become one with the Supreme. They have experienced that even the standard of material happiness available in the heavenly planets, that also did not give them complete satisfaction. So they aspire to become one with the Supreme, that "That will give me happiness. I become one with..." Monist. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am one with Brahman." So that is also hankering. Mukti. Mukti means liberation from this material unhappiness and come to the spiritual happiness, "I am Brahman. I am the same Supreme," thinking, concoction, like that. So there is also hankering. And siddhi, yogis, they want many perfection: aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā, prāpti-siddhi, prākāmya, īśitā, vaśitā. There are eight kinds of yogic siddhi. You can become smaller than the smallest, you can become bigger than the biggest, you can become lighter than the lightest, you can get anything you like immediately. These are some of the yoga-siddhis. But this is also hankering. This is also hankering, not śānta. Either karmī... What to speak of ordinary being? They are simply hankering. Even the so-called perfect karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, they are also not śānta. They are hankering.
So therefore this is the best welfare activity to the human society, to awaken them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that they will again revive their original svaccha consciousness, and they will be śānta. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42). Just like Dhruva Mahārāja, he was pious, born in a very pious family, and by family quarrel he went to worship the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu in the forest, aspiring material opulence. He was a child. He thought that "My stepmother has insulted. I shall go to God and take from Him such opulence which is many, many millions times better than my father's." That was his ambition. But when he actually saw Lord Viṣṇu standing... He was meditating Viṣṇu. All of a sudden he saw the Viṣṇu is missing within the heart. Then his meditation broke, and he saw Lord Viṣṇu is present before him. So this is not very difficult for Lord Viṣṇu. He is always within your heart, and if He likes, He can come outside and become visible by you. That is not very difficult. So when he saw Viṣṇu and Viṣṇu offered, "My dear boy, what do you want?
He does not say only to Arjuna; He says to everyone. So that is Kṛṣṇa's desire, and if you want to serve Kṛṣṇa, to fulfill His desire, that means you canvass everyone to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. This is preaching. Kṛṣṇa wants it. It is declared. So your business is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. So do it. Why don't you do it? Why you are aspiring after mukti, siddhi, and bhukti? These are all personal. Anyone who is executing pious activities, acquiring puṇya, what is the result? Puṇya means he will go to the heavenly planet. That is sense gratification. Heavenly planet, you go to the heavenly planet. You live for many thousands of years, many millions of years, and get the association of apsarās, very nice standard of life, and so on, so on. These are all personal comforts, bhukti, a better standard of material enjoyment. To go to the heavenly planet means a better standard of, thousand times better, millions times better than this planet. As you go up and up... This is Bhūrloka.
They elevate themself very high, so much so that they enter the spiritual world, paraṁ padam. Paraṁ padam, the spiritual world. Really paraṁ padam means the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. But paraṁ padam, because this Brahman effulgence is also bodily rays of Kṛṣṇa, the Brahman effulgence is also called sometimes paraṁ padam. But those who are aspiring to merge into that paraṁ padam, Brahman, they are actually not vimukta, vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking, "Now we have become liberated." Māninaḥ. Māninaḥ means the position is different, but he is thinking that "I have become now perfect."
So why if they have gone to the spiritual world and stays in the Brahman effulgence and still they are māninaḥ, not certain? Yes. Why? Because they cannot stay there. This is very logical argument and statement of the Vedic literature. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). They fall down because they do not get ānanda. Spiritual effulgence is simply eternity.
The airplane men, they come down and they take rest on the ground. It is not our nature because it is impersonal. In the air there is no variety, simply air. Similarly, in the sea there is no variety, simply water. So it becomes suffocating. Similarly, those who are aspiring to go to the Brahman effulgence... Brahman effulgence is spiritual world, certainly, but there is no variety. There is no Kṛṣṇa's enjoying with the cowherds boys or Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. You cannot find there. You simply remain in the Brahman effulgence.
But because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, as Kṛṣṇa wants enjoyment, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), ānandamaya, so we part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we also want ānanda. So to remain in the Brahman effulgence is not ānanda. It is eternity only. It is not ānanda. Therefore on account of absence of ānanda, they come down again to enjoy this material ānanda.
This is the duty of the woman. But that is Vedic instruction. Nowadays, as soon as there is little discrepancy, disagreement-divorce. Find out another husband. No. She remained. And then she got the nicest child, Personality of Godhead, Kapila. So this is the three stages. Woman should aspire first of all, by his (her) karma one is given the place under a suitable father, and then under suitable husband, and then produce a nice child like Kapiladeva.
So Kapiladeva is addressing His mother, nṛpātmaje: "My dear princess, the daughter of King..." He is not addressing her (His) mother as the wife of Kardama Muni. Because she would be little puffed up that "I am the daughter of king." So..., and Kapiladeva knew how to flatter woman. (chuckles) So he addressed her (His) mother, nṛpātmaje, "My dear daughter of king." She felt very much proud, "Yes, I am daughter of king."
There are many businessmen, they are running on big factories and thousands of men are working at his direction. This is also opulence. And to have great amount of money, that is also opulence. Dhanaṁ janam. And another a opulence, to have a very nice wife, beautiful, obedient, very pleasing. So these are material necessities. People generally aspire for these three things: wealth, many followers, and a good wife at home. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanam: "I don't want money." Just the opposite. Everyone wants money. He says, "No, I don't want money." Na dhanaṁ na janam: "I don't want many men to..., as My followers." Just see opposite. Everyone wants. The politicians, the yogis, the swamis, everyone wants, "There may be hundreds and thousands of my followers." But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No, I don't want." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
Prabhupāda: Yes. Everyone thinks, "My relationship with Kṛṣṇa is the best."
Haṁsadūta: So it's not a matter of aspiring to some...
Prabhupāda: No, there is no question of aspiring, because he is already situated in the best of relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Even the trees in Vṛndāvana, they want to serve Kṛṣṇa silently in that way, supplying fruits and flowers. That is their ānanda, everyone enjoying the supreme bliss. When Kṛṣṇa comes, takes a flower or fruit, that is their enjoyment: "Oh..."
Revatīnandana: When Kṛṣṇa doesn't come, then they are feeling separation?
Prabhupāda: Yes, certainly. That is another bliss, to feel separation from Kṛṣṇa. Everything, either you meet or you separate, the bliss is there. Crying for Kṛṣṇa is better bliss. So as there are Yamadūtas—they are arresting all the sinful persons—similarly, Viṣṇudūtas, they are always protecting the devotees. Nārāyaṇa-paraḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati (SB 6.17.28).
They have got... Such post can be occupied by you also if you become qualified. Just like you can become the President. Similarly, you can also occupy the predominating post in the sun planet, in the moon planet, and all the other planets. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, devān deva-yājo yānti, that anyone who aspires after to be elevated to such planetary system which is inhabited by the demigods, they can go.
So anyway, that is a different story. So Kṛṣṇa says that "First of all, I narrated this yoga system to Vivasvān." Vivasvān means the predominating deity whose name is Vivasvān, Vivasvān. He was instructed Bhagavad-gītā. And He says, vivasvān manave prāha. "And Vivasvān, this gentleman, he spoke the truth about Bhagavad-gītā to Manu." We have already mentioned the name of Manu. Manu means the father of the mankind. Vivasvān manave prāha, that means the, from sun planet the message of Bhagavad-gītā was handed down to the chief man of this planet, the father of the mankind, Manu. Just like in your scripture also it is said Adam and Eve, similarly Manu. So vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravit. And Manu handed over this knowledge to his son whose name is Ikṣvāku. This Ikṣvāku, he's also a great king.
A devotee should not desire even for mokṣa. What is mokṣa? Mokṣa is very insignificant thing for a devotee. Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura has explained, muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān. "Mukti, she is standing on my door and flattering me, 'Sir, what can I do for you?' " This is mukti. So why a devotee shall aspire about mukti? No.
- nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve
- na kutaścana bibhyati
- svargāpavarga-narakeṣv
- api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ
- (SB 6.17.28)
Just like Nārada Muni. He is going to the hellish planet also for preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So a devotee is not afraid of going anywhere for the service of the Lord. That is devotee. He has no personal desire, simply how to glorify. So this Prahlāda Mahārāja, he is our guru. Out of the twelve mahājanas, he is one of them. So he is advising, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). Why so early, kaumāra? Prahlāda Mahārāja says, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma: "This human form of life is very, very rarely obtained in the process of evolution, 8,400,000's of different species of life." After that, we have got this durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma.
They get good birth. To born, to take birth in very rich family... Janmaiśvarya-śruta. He can become very learned man, B.A., M.A. Ph.D., Dh.C, so many things, title, learned man. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī, and beautiful, beautiful body. These are the results of pious activities. But that does not mean you are a devotee. Devotee is different thing. Devotee means who does not aspire of anything like this, that "Let me take birth in rich family. Let me possess very good amount of wealth. Let me become beautiful. Let me become very learned." These are material aspirations, but a devotee has no material aspiration. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11)—zero, nothing of the sort.
And what is his aspiration? That is explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitaṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4).
Everyone is after money and women. This is material aspiration. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu is rejecting. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitaṁ vā jagad-īśa. Then what You want? Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "I don't mind where I get my birth. I am not aspiring to get my birth in a very aristocratic way, no." Anywhere. Mama janmani. "I may become a demigod in the heavenly planet or I may a cat, dog, or any insignificant. But I want this, that My devotion to Your lotus feet may not be forgotten." This is desirelessness. Anything beyond the..., we desire, that is material.
So bhakti begins when you are desireless Gato... The Yamunacārya's śloka. Niśeṣa-mano-rathāntaram. Kadāham aikantika-nitya-kiṅkaraḥ praharṣayiṣyāmi sanātha jivitaṁ bhavantam eva caran nirantaram. This is devotee, devotion. He's praying, Yamunacārya's praying to the Lord, bhavantam: "You only..." Caran nirantaram.
So still, he was morose. The wife asked the husband, "Why you are morose? I am giving you so much service. You are leper, you cannot move. I can take you... I take you on a basket and carry you. Still, you feel unhappy?" So he admitted, "Yes." "Oh, what is the cause?" "Now, I want to go to the prostitute, Lakṣahīra." Just see. He is leper, a poor man, and he is aspiring to go to a prostitute who charges 100,000 of pieces of diamond. So anyway, she was a faithful wife. She wanted to satisfy her husband. Some way or other, she arranged. Then, when the leper was at the house of the prostitute, the prostitute gave him very nice dishes of food but everything in two dishes, everything, one in the golden pot, another in iron pot. So while he was eating, so he inquired the prostitute, "Why you have given me in two pots?" "Now, because I wanted to know whether you will feel different taste in different pots." So he said, "No, I don't find any difference of taste. The soup in the golden pot and the soup in the iron pot, the taste is the same."
You cannot gain. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). Sarva-haraś ca. Whatever you have acquired, everything will be taken away. Mṛtyu... Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. Hiraṇyakaśipu, whatever he had acquired, Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "In a second, You took away. So why, my Lord, You are offering me this material benediction? What is the value of it? I have seen my father, simply by his eyebrows' twinkling the demigods would be afraid. Such position You have finished in a second. So what is the use of this material position?" So therefore those who are pure devotee, they do not aspire anything material. That is not their...
- anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
- jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
- ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
- śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā
- (Brs. 1.1.11)
We should always remember that. Don't bring any material desire in executing devotional service. Then it is not pure. Na sādhu manye yato ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa deha. As soon as you bring in material desires, then you have wasted your time, because you'll have to get a body. Your desire will be fulfilled. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmi (BG 4.11). If you want to fulfill some desire by bhakti, Kṛṣṇa is very kind: "All right." But you have to take another body. And if you are pure, simply, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). This is wanted, pure devotee.
He doesn't require anything from us, but He wants everyone that because he is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, He wants to see that everyone is obedient to Him, everyone loves Him. That is His aspiration. Just like the father is very rich man. He doesn't require any help from his son, but he aspires that his son should be obedient and lover. That is his satisfaction. That is the whole situation. Kṛṣṇa has created... Eko bahu śyāma. We are vibhinnāṁśa-mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7)—part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, every one of us. So everyone has got some duty. Kṛṣṇa has created us, expecting something to be done by us for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti. So that, our opportunity, is obtained in this human form of life. We should not waste our valuable time in any other occupation or business. Simply inquire and be ready how to serve Kṛṣṇa. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīla Ānukūla. Not your satisfaction but Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction.
Prabhupāda: For his personal self he denied: "Oh, what shall I do with this kingdom by fighting with my brothers and grandfather? No. Kṛṣṇa, excuse me. I cannot fight." But when he understood that the fight is to be done for Kṛṣṇa, he took all the responsibility. Similarly, a Kṛṣṇa conscious person will not aspire anything for his sense gratification, but he will aspire for all the world for Kṛṣṇa's service. Is that clear? Yes. Yes?
Guest: Supposing if I were to become a devotee and I might be influenced to try to live like Śiva because richness doesn't appeal to me. But the problem is that in a country like this the winter is extremely cold, and if I try to live like Śiva I would freeze to death. So...
Prabhupāda: I have understood. I have understood. Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not mean that you falsely make some attempt. The... Just like Arjuna. Arjuna understood the Kṛṣṇa philosophy, and it does not mean that he became a naked fakir and went away from the fighting place, and without any clothing he began to travel. Is it that? No. The only thing is that he changed the account. The account was on behalf of Kṛṣṇa. So you haven't got to make such renunciation that you have to live underneath a tree or give up your dress, become naked. No.
How you can be happy? "Yes." How one can be happy by servant, becoming servant, there are many instances. Suppose you are working in a private firm. Fortunately you get a very good job in the government service where there are so many regulations. You get pension, you get this, that. So everyone aspires to get some government service. And he becomes satisfied. So if you can become satisfied by becoming a government servant, how much satisfied you will be, just imagine, by becoming the servant of the supreme government, Kṛṣṇa. What is this government? A tiny government. But don't you know how big government is this? This planetary system is running on: the sun is rising in due course; the moon is rising in due course; there is seasonal changes; there are so many demigods, innumerable living entities; their foodstuff is being supplied; it is being produced in different planets, different varieties. So there is a huge, big government of Kṛṣṇa.
That is my satisfaction." So a Vaiṣṇava is not afraid of to becoming in the form of any species of life, provided he simply... That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's prayer, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). A devotee does not aspire of being born in a very rich family or getting very nice wife and many controlling power, much controlling power. They do not want. Mama janmani... Neither a devotee wants (to) stop birth and death, because he has no desire. That is called akāmī. A devotee has no desire to fulfill. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaj says,
- bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kami sakali 'aśānta'
- kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma ataeva 'śānta'
- (CC Madhya 19.149)
Niṣkāma, no desire. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11)—this is devotee, no desire. "As You..." As Kṛṣṇa likes. Simply how to take charge of serving the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says, prīto 'pavarga-śaraṇaṁ hvayase kadā nu: "My Lord, You are apavarga-śaraṇaṁ." This is very important word, apavarga. Pavarga and apavarga. Pa means just the opposite, and pavarga, here in this material world, we are in the pavarga. Pa means pariśrama, laboring. Here you cannot get food without any labor. Just see. These laborers here, they have come. Whole day they are working. But if I say that "Why you are working so hard? Come here, live here, take little prasādam, and make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness," nobody will come.
So they have got so long duration of life, strength, administrative power and so many things. Still, they were afraid of Hiraṇyakaśipu, still... In spite of possessing so much big, big possessions. Akhila-dhiṣṇya-pānām āyuḥ śriyo vibhava. And everyone, icchati, everyone desires. "If I could live so many years like Brahmā"—everyone is aspiring. Therefore they want to be promoted to the higher planetary system for which they perform yajña to be promoted. In this life they struggle, the karmīs. They struggle to become prime minister and Birla and this and that. And again, for the next life, they make provision. Therefore they want to give some charity, yajña-dāna-ta... Yajña, performing yajña. Yajña-dāna-ta... Tapasya. Hiraṇyakaśipu also underwent severe type of austerity, and he got benediction from Brahmā that "You'll not be killed by any man, any demigod, any animal. You'll not be killed in the sky or the water or the land," so many ways.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "Prahlāda Mahārāja was the best person in the family of demons. Demons always aspire for material happiness, yet even though Prahlāda was somewhat allured when the Supreme Personality of Godhead offered him benedictions for material happiness, because of his unalloyed Kṛṣṇa consciousness he did not want to take any material benefit for sense enjoyment."
Prabhupāda:
- evaṁ pralobhyamāno 'pi
- varair loka-pralobhanaiḥ
- ekāntitvād bhagavati
- naicchat tān asurottamaḥ
- (SB 7.9.55)
So this is conclusion of Nārada Muni, that this boy, although born in asura family... Asura means those who are too much materially... Not too much, only materially interested, they are called asuras. Different types of material enjoyment. Karma, jñāna, yoga, they are all material enjoyment. Karma, karmīs, generally we see everywhere. They are working so very hard, making plans how to improve material enjoyment. So they are called karmīs. And jñānīs, their demand is also very great, to become one with the Supreme, to become God. These are material desires. And then yoga, to display, demonstrate magic: "I can prepare gold. I can travel in the sky. I can walk on the water. I can eat broken glasses." Yes. People will gather. "I can remain without any breathing underneath the ground." These things are demonstrated.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that we are trying to engage everyone in pure devotional service. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Pure devotional service means to serve Kṛṣṇa without any motive. That is pure. Without any motive. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam jñāna-karmādy anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). Not by rendering service to Kṛṣṇa, if one aspires to become liberated. That is the jñānī's aspiration. They want to merge into the existence of Brahman. Therefore pure devotional service should be uncontaminated with that jñāna idea also. Jñāna-karmādy anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). The karmīs, they want to be promoted to the higher planetary systems, heavenly planet. The jñānīs, they want to become liberated. The yogis, they want some mystic power. But a devotee should be free from all these things. No mystic power, no elevation to the heavenly planet, no merging into the exi... Never mind. What Kṛṣṇa desires, that's all right.
Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. Ye 'nye ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas (SB 10.2.32). So this kind of mukti is not first-class mukti. Therefore Vaiṣṇavas, they do not want it. Vaiṣṇava does not want any kind of mukti. This Vaiṣṇava wants simply to remain in the service of the Lord. They don't aspire for any kind of mukti. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). So this mukti the sāyujya-mukti, means to become one with the Supreme, it not very safe, because there is, there is want of ānanda and knowledge. Simply to become one, that will not help. Therefore he is actually, constitutionally, a small particle of sac-cid-ānanda. So for want of ānanda, he comes again. Thus we have seen many sannyāsīs, they give up this world as brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, but they do not get any benefit out of it. Therefore they come down again to open hospitals and schools and philanthropic work. They fall down.
Our simply, simple desire is how to be engaged in the service of the Lord. Janmani janmani. When, when Caitanya Mahāprabhu speaks janmani janmani, that means He rejects liberation also. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na kavitāṁ vā yāce. This is the karmī's, jñānī's... And even liberation. He rejects liberation. Mama janmani. If one is liberated, then where is the question of janmani janmani? So liberation is also not aspired by a devotee. These are the characteristics of pure devotion. This chapter is "Characteristics of Pure Devotional Service." Pure devotional service should be without any desire, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). The others, they are trying to make Kṛṣṇa-śūnyam, śūnyavādi; our attempt should be to make our desires śūnyam. Simply we be engaged in the service of the Lord. That is pure devotion. Go on, one paragraph more. What is the time now?
One, knowledge." That's all. So Prabodhananda Sarasvatī says, kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. This conception of liberation, that "I have become one with the Supreme," it is, to a devotee, just like hell. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. They do not give very much value to such conception, to become one with the Supreme. Or liberation, mukti. And the, this is mokṣa-kāmi, those who are aspiring after... Nirbheda-brahmānu-sandhana, without any difference with the Supreme Brahman. That is called mukti, liberation. And tridaśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate. And the karmīs, they're aspiring after heavenly planets, tri-daśa-pūr. Tri-daśa means thirty. So there are more than thirty millions of demigods in different planetary systems. They are called heavenly planets. So they are ākāśa-puṣpa. Ākāśa-puṣpa means a flower does not grow in the sky; it is something imaginary, phantasmagoria. Tri-daśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate. So karmīs are interested in the ākāśa-puṣpa, heavenly planet. And the jñānīs are interested in mukti. Karmī, jñānī... And yogis are interested how to control the senses.
. I simply pray that my Kṛṣṇa consciousness may be more strong and steady, because happiness derived out of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service is so powerful that with it one can have all the other perfections of religiousness, economic development, sense gratification and even the attainment of liberation from material existence.' Actually, a pure devotee does not aspire after any of these perfections because the happiness derived from devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so transcendental and so unlimited that no other happiness can be compared with it. It is said that even one drop of happiness in Kṛṣṇa consciousness stands beyond comparison with an ocean of happiness derived from any other activity. Thus, any person who has developed even a little quantity of pure devotional service can very easily kick out all the other kinds of happiness derived from religiousness, economic development, sense gratification and liberation."
Simply we have to engage ourself in the devotional service of the Lord, then māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). One who has surpassed the boundaries of māyā, he's liberated. He's liberated. He's already liberated. Why he should aspire after liberation? He's already liberated. Go on.
Pradyumna: "Any kind of happiness derived from religiousness, economic development, liberation or sense gratification cannot even dare to enter into the heart of a pure devotee. It is stated that as the personal attendants and maidservants of a queen follow the queen with all respect and obeisances, similarly, the joys of religiousness, economic development, sense gratification and liberation follow the devotional service of the Lord. In other words, a pure devotee does not lack any kind of happiness derived from any source. He does not want anything but service to Kṛṣṇa, but even if he should have another desire, the Lord fulfills this without the devotee's asking."
Pradyumna: " 'Rareness of Pure Devotional Service.' In the preliminary phase of spiritual life there are different kinds of austerities, penances and similar processes for attaining self-realization. However, even if an executor of these processes is without any material desire, he still cannot achieve devotional service. And aspiring by oneself alone to achieve devotional service is also not very hopeful because Kṛṣṇa does not award devotional service to merely anyone. Kṛṣṇa can easily offer a person material happiness or even liberation, but He does not agree very easily to award a person engagement in His devotional service."
Prabhupāda: This is very confidential. To attain Kṛṣṇa's service, that is not so easy. You can get liberation—if you want from Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa can give very easily—or any material opulence. But to give engagement in devotional service, that requires very sincerity. As it is stated by Rūpa Gosvāmī, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ (Brs. 1.1.11). People, generally, go to temple and churches for mitigating some material wants. Ārto arthārthī. Jijñāsī jñānī ārto arthārthī. Generally, people go to Kṛṣṇa to mitigate some material distresses, ārto, or one who is in need of money. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. He went to Kṛṣṇa, he went to worship Kṛṣṇa under the instruction of his mother in the forest with a desire to achieve the kingdom of his father or better, better kingdom than his father. That was his aspiration. But later on, when he actually met the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he said, "My dear Lord, I have no other aspiration.
Bhavānanda: "One must know that he is finite and that the Lord is infinite. Thus it is not possible to actually become one with the Lord even if one aspires for this."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Simply desiring... Tvayy aviśuddha-bhāva. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. Māninaḥ. Maliya (Hindi) Ne. Not like that. Go on.
Bhavānanda: "Therefore anyone who has any desire or aspiration for satisfying his senses by becoming more and more important, either in the material sense or in the spiritual sense, cannot actually relish the really sweet taste of devotional service. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has therefore compared possessing these bhukti (material) and mukti (liberation) desires with being influenced by the black art of a witch. In both cases, one is in trouble. Bhukti means material enjoyment, and mukti means to become freed from material anxiety and to become one with the Lord. These desires are compared to being haunted by ghosts and witches, because while these aspirations for material enjoyment or spiritual oneness with the Supreme remain, no one can relish the actual transcendental taste of devotional service. A pure..."
Prabhupāda: There is said that so long, bhukti-mukti-spṛhā yāvat piśācī hṛdi vartate. Rūpa Gosvāmī. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi piśācī. It is... They are compared with piśācī, What is called, piśācī? Witch? What is that? Witch, what does it mean by "witch"?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One who flies around bewitching people.
Prabhupāda: What is that witch?
Bhavānanda: "This evidence from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gives assurance to the pure devotee of being elevated to association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī remarks in this connection that one who is actually attracted by the beauty of the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa or His service and whose heart, by such attraction, is always full with transcendental bliss will naturally never aspire after the liberation which is so valuable to the impersonalists."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Liberation, a devotee never... Why liberation? Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he says... Liberation means kaivalya. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. What is this liberation? It is as good as the hell. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Tri-daṣa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate (Caitanya-candrāmṛta 5). The persons, they are hankering after being elevated to the heavenly planet. So for a devotee, this is will o' the wisp, phantasmagoria, it has no value. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tri-daśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpayate indriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate. And the yogis... Karmīs, jñānīs, yogis. Karmīs are after heavenly planet; jñānīs are after kaivalya, liberation; yogis are after controlling the senses. So senses are very dangerous. Everyone knows. Our senses are very strong. Therefore the yoga system is recommended for them who are very much in bodily concept of life.
Bhavānanda: "In spite of such facilities, my dear Lord, I do not aspire to achieve any such results. My only prayer is that I may have unflinching faith and devotion unto Your lotus feet."
Prabhupāda: This is the only thing. If we have got unflinching faith and devotion to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then we can automatically become niṣkiñcana, liberated, developed in economic condition. That is not important thing for a devotee. They come automatically. Yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). Kṛṣṇa says. Why he should try for economic development? Kṛṣṇa personally comes. "You want this. Take it." That is devotee. Why he should hankering after economic development? No. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches: na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). There is no need of hankering. Kṛṣṇa knows what he requires, "How My devotee will be satisfied." Kṛṣṇa knows... If Kṛṣṇa sees that this devotee has got little desire for some material enjoyment, Kṛṣṇa will give.
He says, 'Any person whose heart is attracted by the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Madhusūdana, not to speak of material opulences, does not care even for that liberation which is aspired to by many great sages.' "
Prabhupāda: This Mahārāja Bhārata was the son of Ṛṣabhadeva and under whose name, after whose name this planet is called Bhārata-varsa. This, the same Bhārata Mahārāja, he left this world at very young age, twenty-four years. Young wife, children, kingdom, everything he left. Then he developed some attachment for a young deer. So he had to take the birth in the shape of a deer. The next birth he remained silent, Jaḍa Bhārata. So (the) Jaḍa Bhārata story is there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Very enlightening.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Just like the demons, they worship especially Lord Śiva. Or Rāvaṇa, the example... We are not accusing unnecessarily. Rāvaṇa was a great demon, but he was devotee... Worshiping Lord Śiva means to gain some material profit. And in the worshiping Viṣṇu there is material profit. That is given by Viṣṇu. That is not karma. But Vaiṣṇava, they are not aspiring after any material profit. The material profit automatically comes. But they, they do not desire. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Material profit is not their aim of life. Their aim of life—how to satisfy Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu. That is Vaiṣṇava. Viṣṇur asya devataḥ. Na te... And the demons, they do not know that to become Vaiṣṇava, that is the highest perfection of life. They do not know it.
So anyway, our request is that you all young men who have taken to this path of Vaiṣṇavism, and there is very good chance to preach this cult in your country, so even if you are not very much successful in other countries, in your country you'll be very successful. There is good potency. And try to make them stronger to fight with the demonic principles.
You have to follow how they are loving Kṛṣṇa. You have to learn that. Then you'll get the chance of Kṛṣṇa's association.
Dīvyad-vṛndāraṇya-kalpa-drumādhaḥ, preṣṭālībhiḥ sevyamānau smarāmi. The Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava, generally, following the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they aspire to become one of the assistants of the gopīs. There are others also who like to be the assistants of the cowherd boys. So our Gosvāmīs, Rūpa Gosvāmī, śrī rūpa sanātana bhaṭṭa raghunātha, they were all the assistants of the gopīs. Gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī-kallola-magnau muhur vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. These six Gosvāmīs, rūpa sanātana bhaṭṭa raghunātha śrī jīva gopāla bhaṭṭa dāsa raghunātha, they were all very, very big men, not ordinary men—ministers, zamindars, learned scholars. They were not ordinary men. And they gave up everything. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat.
That is described here. Dīvyad-vṛndāraṇya-kalpa-drumādhah-śrīmad ratnāgāra-siṁhāsana-sthau. There the siṁhāsana, the throne, that is also spiritual. That is not material. Everything spiritual. Simply in different capacity they are serving. There the water is also spiritual. So this spiritual realization, if we get the opportunity fortunate enough, then naturally we shall aspire to enter into the spiritual world. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, kṛṣṇera saṁsāra kara chāḍi' anācāra: "If you want to enter into this association of spiritual kingdom, then practice here the family of Kṛṣṇa." Just like here we are trying to be family members of Kṛṣṇa. Here Kṛṣṇa is sitting, Rādhā-Mādhava is sitting on the throne. He is the enjoyer, and we are trying to serve Him so that He may very nicely enjoy. This is called Kṛṣṇa family-center, Kṛṣṇa. Just like in ordinary family the head man is there, and he is the chief man, and all other—his wife, children, servants, and other friends, associates, even animals, cats, dogs, cows—everyone is serving the center point, master.
This is the grace of Nityānanda Prabhu. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura explains, āra kabe nitāi-cānda, karuṇā ha-ibe. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is aspiring for the day when Nityānanda Prabhu will be pleased upon him. Just like Jagāi-Mādhāi was delivered by the mercy of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, so we have to pray Nityānanda Prabhu. He's very merciful. He's so kind, Baladeva, He gives spiritual strength. Then we can approach the Supreme Lord. Therefore we chant "Nitāi-Gaura." This is the process. We cannot change this policy. Pañca-tattva must be worshiped; otherwise wherefrom we shall get...? The spiritual master... Nityānanda Prabhu is the spiritual master. Or spiritual master is the replica, representation, of Nityānanda Prabhu. So when Nityānanda Prabhu is pleased, then we become detached from this material attraction.
Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that "Birth after birth." Because a devotee, he does not aspire after going back to home, back to Godhead. No. Any place, it doesn't matter. He wants to simply glorify the Supreme Lord. That is his business. It is not the business of the bhakta that he is chanting and dancing and executing devotional service for going to Vaikuṇṭha or Goloka Vṛndāvana. That is Kṛṣṇa's desire. "If He likes, He'll take me." Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura also: icchā yadi tora. Janmāobi yadi more icchā yadi tora, bhakta-gṛhete janma ha-u pa mora. The, a devotee only prays that... He does not request Kṛṣṇa that "Please take me back to Vaikuṇṭha or Goloka Vṛndāvana." No. "If You think that I must take birth again, that's all right. But only, only my request is that give me birth in the house of a devotee. That's all. So that I may not forget You." This is the only prayer of the devotee. Because... Just like this child. She has taken birth having Vaiṣṇava father and mother. So she must have been a Vaiṣṇavī or a Vaiṣṇava in her previous life.
So again He supports Śaṅkarācārya, that "It is not his fault. He had to do it under the superior order to explain the Vedic literature in an impersonalist way. But those who are not expert, if they hear the commentary of Śaṅkarācārya, Śārīraka-bhāṣya, then he is doomed." In other words, those who are actually aspiring for being elevated in spiritual science, they should avoid to hear any commentary which is impersonal. Any commentary. Then he is doomed. If we follow Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction, then any impersonal commentary means, if we hear... Because we are not expert. We are not expert. Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī. Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī means neophytes, neophytes who are not conversant with the conclusion of the Vedas. They have got some, I mean to say, faith. That's all. But faith can be changed. Any... If a person, strong in arguments and strong in presenting things in jugglery of words, oh, the neophyte, his idea can be changed.
The day is very good, but you are in the cloud. Therefore you say, "It is very bad." So similarly, those who are in the clutches of māyā, for them, this world is very bad. You see? But those who are above this māyā, it is pleasant because it is Kṛṣṇa's kingdom. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. So if you remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the cloud cannot touch you and if your former, your original... Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). You become always joyful. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati: (BG 18.54) "One who is brahma-bhūtaḥ, he never laments or never aspires anything for material enjoyment." Samaḥ sarveṣu: "And he becomes universal. He sees everyone on the same level: 'Oh, they are my brothers. They are part and parcel of my father. They are my brothers.' " Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So jñānī, those who are appreciated in the Bhagavad-gītā. And there are other four classes of men, they are called duṣkṛtinaḥ. Duṣkṛtina means miscreants. They're simply busy in sinful activities: "Any way, bring money; never mind what is the process." Or not that always they get money. But they aspire after material happiness by so many... Just like in Calcutta. The party, Naxalite, they are committing so many sinful activities thinking that by that way they will be happy and they will get the political supremacy. They are called duṣkṛtina. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Four class, the four classes of men who are pious, whose background is piety, they go to worship Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, there are four classes of men who are called duṣkṛtina, very sinful, simply miscreants, and mūḍha, rascals, no knowledge, completely in ignorance, almost like animals, mūḍha. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ, and narādhamāḥ, lowest of the mankind.
He's aspiring that "When I shall loudly call 'Lord Caitanya, Gaurāṅga'?" Gaurāṅga is Lord Caitanya. "And my body will be shivering. And when I shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, tears will flow down from my eyes."
- gaurāṅga bolite habe pulaka-śarīra
- hari hari bolite nayane ba'be nīra
Āra kabe nitāi-cānder koruṇā hoibe: "And when I shall be favored by Nityānanda Prabhu?" Āra kabe nitāi-cānder koruṇā hoibe, saṁsāra-bāsanā mora kabe tuccha ha'be: "When I shall be detached from material enjoyment?" Viṣaya chāriyā kabe śuddha ha'be mana: "And when I shall be detached from this material enjoyment, my mind will be purified. My mind will be freed from all contamination of material dirty things." Kabe hāma herabo śrī-vṛndāvana: "And at that time it will be possible to see Vṛndāvana." Rūpa-raghunātha-pade hoibe ākuti. Now, here the author, I mean to..., the singer says that "When I shall be too much devoted to the principles of Rūpa Gosvāmī so that I'll be able to understand what is the pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa?" In other words, if we want to understand Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya philosophy, then we should try to follow the instruction left by Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī.
So here also we should not be aspiring after improving our material condition or liberation or anything. These are all desire, desires. They say that "desireless," but desire cannot be completely absent because I am living entity. So my desire should be not to forget Kṛṣṇa. That's all, that one desire. That is real desire. And all other desires, they are foolish. So we cannot be desireless, but we should desire only bona fide. Just like I am part and parcel of the Supreme. So if I desire to work in cooperation with the Supreme, that is my natural position. That is desirelessness. If you... Suppose in this material condition, if you desire to eat, oh, that is natural. So long you have got this body, you have to eat. If somebody says, "Oh, you are desiring eating...?" Nobody says like that. Similarly, what is natural desire, that is permitted. And what is not natural, that is called "become desireless."
So prema-sukha-bhoga-mukhya prayojana haya. Prema-sukha. The happiness in the matter of our reciprocation as the whole and the part and parcel, that sense is the highest pleasure. That we should aspire after, not that by becoming Kṛṣṇa consciousness we may desire some material profit. That is not.
veda-śāstre kahe sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana
kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-bhakti, prema—tina mahā-dhana
Now, we are aspiring after possessing something, possessiveness. What we should possess? The possession is Kṛṣṇa, and desire is reciprocation between Kṛṣṇa and myself, and the ultimate end is love. That's all. Just like we have got perverted reflection of that love here between the two lovers. They don't want anything. He wants she, and she wants he. That's all. That is desire and their reciprocation of loving affairs and the ultimate end, that they are peaceful in love. This is only perverted reflection of the real love, which is reciprocated with Kṛṣṇa. Here there is no possibility of love. This is all lust. But we call it love because it is just a reflection. Just a real... That is real, and this is unreal. Just like shadow and reality. There is gulf of difference between the shadow and reality. So whatever love we see in this world, that love is only a perverted reflection of that real love with Kṛṣṇa.
So there are three divisions of the Purāṇas: sattvika Purāṇa, rājasika Purāṇa and tamasika Purāṇa. Sattvika Purāṇa is meant for the higher class of people who are in transcendental knowledge of Brahman, Paramātmā and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Rājasika Purāṇa are meant for those who are aspiring to have improvement of material condition. And tamasika Purāṇa are meant for those who are in the lowest stage of..., little, just like animal life, and to develop them the Purāṇa is helping them to come to the second and first stage.
So in the Purāṇas there are worship of different demigods. Just like in the tamasika Purāṇa there is description of the worship of goddess Kālī. You have seen perhaps the picture of goddess Kālī, a black female standing with sword and cutting the heads of so many people like that, that picture, goddess Kālī. And animal sacrifice is offered before goddess Kālī. So such kind of worship is mentioned in the tamasika Purāṇa.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
So as soon as we shall require any material things, the Kṛṣṇa will give us opportunity. But that is not very good proposal. In the material life, either your very rich man or demigod, or in the higher planetary system, or as insect or any royal person anywhere, the threefold miseries of material existence there must be. Every intelligent man should be aspiring for Kṛṣṇa only and should be satisfied as Kṛṣṇa likes him to do. That's all. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. You try to understand. Take to it. You'll be happy. That is our proposal.
So if anyone has got some question, you can ask.
Devotee (1): Anyone have any questions?
Woman Guest: It seems that most of the devotees are young people, persons under thirty, under twenty-five. Why is this so? Why hasn't the movement spread? Is this a deliberate thing, or why do you feel it hasn't spread to parents or to older people?
Initiation Lectures
Ocean does not increase. But this ocean, transcendental bliss, is increasing. Some of you must have experienced, those who are actually relishing. The authorities like Rūpa Gosvāmī, he says that "What I shall chant with one tongue? If I would have millions of tongues, then I could chant a little more. And what I shall hear with two ears?" So he's expecting, he's aspiring to have millions of ears and trillions of tongues to relish this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So that is another stage, of course, when this chanting will be so melodious that we shall try to have more ears and more tongues to utilize it. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). By our present senses, we cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa, or what is God, what is His name, what is His form, what is His quality. Therefore immediately, if we try to understand Kṛṣṇa by His picture, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is embracing Rādhārāṇī or the gopīs," we shall mistake. Because unless our senses are purified, we shall accept Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī as ordinary young boy or girl and their dealings.
So similarly, Kṛṣṇa's name, we should not try to exact some material profit by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That is not pure devotion. Sarva... What is called? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). We shall simply aspire to serve Kṛṣṇa. The Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra means, "He Kṛṣṇa, my Lord Kṛṣṇa." He, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare, "O the energy of Kṛṣṇa, O Kṛṣṇa, please engage me in Your service." This is the sum total meaning of this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Simply praying, "Please engage me," that is real profit. Not that "Please give me, instead of hundred dollars, give me thousand dollars." No. This is not pure devotion. You should all understand this. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (CC Madhya 19.167). Completely freed from any material desire. That is pure devotion. That will make you happy. Go on. Go on with... You are finished?
Therefore is called kuṇṭha jagat, full of anxiety. But there is another world, where there is no kuṇṭha. Everyone is free. Some of us trying to become free from all kinds of anxieties, but that is not possible here. We can become free from all kinds of anxiety when we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness; otherwise it is not possible. We are aspiring, every one of us, aspiring how to become free of anxiety. But that can be done only when we take shelter of the Vaikuṇṭha-pati. Vaikuṇṭha-pati, Vaikuṇṭheśvara. So, so long we are accepting asat, asad-grahāt... Here in this material world everything is temporary. Suppose this body, your body, my body. This is called asat. Asat means temporary. It will not exist. So because we have accepted everything which will not exist, therefore we are full of anxiety. This is the full definition of anxiety. And if we take the sat, the, which will exist, and we sacrifice everything for that, that is called Sannyāsī. Sat nyāsī, sannyāsī. If we accept asat, then we will be full of anxiety, and if we accept sat, then we will be free of anxiety. This is the secret of spiritual life.
General Lectures
No other desire. Not that "By worshiping Kṛṣṇa or acting devotional service I shall get this opportunity, this facility," material or spiritual. A real devotee, he does not aspire even for liberation. He doesn't want. He simply wants, "My Lord Kṛṣṇa, wherever I may be, it doesn't matter. Please keep me always engaged in Your consciousness." That's all. A devotee never aspires that he'll be elevated to the spiritual sky or Vaikuṇṭha or... Never mind. "For thousands and thousands of births I may rot into the hell, but simply I want my Lord, that wherever I may be situated, I may not forget You." Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Lord Caitanya teaches this. Janmani janmani. Where there is janmani janmani, that means that is not liberation. As soon as you're liberated, you are not supposed to take birth again.
A devotee never aspires that he'll be elevated to the spiritual sky or Vaikuṇṭha or... Never mind. "For thousands and thousands of births I may rot into the hell, but simply I want my Lord, that wherever I may be situated, I may not forget You." Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Lord Caitanya teaches this. Janmani janmani. Where there is janmani janmani, that means that is not liberation. As soon as you're liberated, you are not supposed to take birth again. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, janmani janmani. He doesn't aspire about liberation. "Birth after birth, please keep Me engaged in Your devotional service." That is pure devotion. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā (CC Madhya 19.167).
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for purifying the existence of the living entity and engage him constantly in the service of the Lord, and thus he achieves all success of life.
"Oh, never mind. Immediately." (laughter) Yes, immediately. So don't you see? So what is use of becoming President? If I am so much under the laws of nature, under the order of Supreme, that immediately, I am going in procession very nice, and then, oh, there is shot and finished everything...
Therefore those who are sensible, they do not aspire for all these temporary things. Temporary bodily acquisitions, good birth, good opulence, good beauty, and good knowledge—these are bodily acquisitions. (affections?) Everyone is very much proud if he's born in a nice family or nice nation. Oh, he's very proud, "I am Englishman," or "American," "I am this," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am this, first class." Why? Good birth. Then, if one is very rich, oh, he's very proud. Then, if one is very much learned, he is very proud. And if one is very beautiful, he's also very proud. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhiḥ (SB 1.8.26). These are our objects of being proud. But this can be finished within a second, because it is due to this body.
And as soon as he understands Kṛṣṇa, he understands his duty, that my duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is called bhakti, immediately he becomes free from all the contamination of māyā. Sa gunān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). Who? Māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate (BG 14.26). If you employ yourself immediately in loving service of Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa also says, māyām etāṁ taranti te. So all the devotees they are not under māyā. They're already in liberated stage. Therefore a devotee does not want liberation because he's already liberated. Why he'll aspire about liberation? That is explained by Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān. Mukti is standing before me with folded hand, "What can I do for you?" So why the devotees will aspire (to) mukti? Mukti is ready to serve him as maidservant. This is the position of devotee. Muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate, this is the great authority, Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura. Yes?
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Yes. (indistinct). Kṛṣṇa... When you think that "This is my wife," that is other thing. But (s)he does not belong to you; everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. But under certain ritualistic ceremony, marriage ceremony, Kṛṣṇa gives you, "All right, you take this as your wife." That is, so much we can take. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā (ISO 1). But you cannot aspire more than that. That is immoral.
Śyāmasundara: This Bertrand Russell says that ethics, or what is right and wrong, is simply a set of emotional attitudes, and it cannot be, we cannot regard anything as good or bad. That nothing...
Prabhupāda: He does not make any distinction between good and bad?
Śyāmasundara: That there's no absolute good and bad. Nothing can be said "This is true or false," that "This is good," or that "This is bad."
Prabhupāda: That means he could not observe the distinction between good and bad. Does it mean like that?
Purports to Songs
This is a song sung by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. He says, "When that day will come, that I shall sing simply Lord Caitanya's name and there will be shivering on my body?" Gaurāṅga bolite habe pulaka-śarīra. Pulaka-śarīra means shivering on the body. When one is factually situated in the transcendental platform, sometimes there are eight kinds of symptoms: crying, talking like a madman, and shivering of the body, dancing without any care for any other men... These symptoms develop automatically. They are not practiced artificially. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is aspiring for that day, not that one has to artificially imitate. That he does not recommend. He says, "When that day will come, so that simply by uttering the name of Lord Caitanya there will be a shivering on my body?" Gaurāṅga bolite habe pulaka-śarīra. And hari hari bolite: "And as soon as I shall chant 'Hari Hari,' or 'Hare Kṛṣṇa,' there will be pouring down of tears from my eyes." Hari hari bolite nayane ba'be nīra. Nīra means water. Similarly, Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said that "When that day will come?" We should simply aspire. But if, by Kṛṣṇa's grace, that stage we can reach, these symptoms will come automatically. But Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that it is not possible to reach that stage without being freed from material affection.
So in Śaṅkara sampradāya nobody is accepted as bona fide impersonalist unless he has accepted the renounced order of life. But here, in Caitanya's movement, there is no such restriction. Advaita Prabhu, He was a householder. Nityānanda, He was householder. Gadādhara, He was also householder. And Śrīvāsa, he was also householder. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu also married twice. So it doesn't matter. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that to become in renounced order of life, or to remain in householder life, that does not matter. If he is actually taking part in the movements of Caitanya's saṅkīrtana activities and actually understanding what it is, he is taking sport in the waves of such devotional ocean, then such person is always liberated. And Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is aspiring his association ever increasingly. That is the sum and substance of this song.
He advises, śravaṇa kīrtana, smaraṇa vandana, pāda-sevana dāsya re. You can adopt out of the nine ways of devotional service any one. If you can adopt all of them, that's very nice. If not, you can adopt eight of them. You can adopt seven of them, six of them, five of them, four of them. But even if you adopt only one of them, your life will be successful. What are those nine methods? Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Hearing from authoritative sources. And chanting. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Smaraṇam. Memorizing. Vandanam, prayers. Śravaṇa kīrtanaṁ, smaraṇaṁ vandana, pāda-sevanam. Offering service to His lotus feet as eternal servant. Pūjana sakhī-jana. Or just try to love Kṛṣṇa as your friend. Ātma-nivedana. Or give up everything for Kṛṣṇa. That is the way of devotional service, and Govinda dāsa is aspiring after that Kṛṣṇa consciousness business.
The next line is viṣaya chāḍiyā kabe śuddha ha'be mana. (spells out) This kabe means when, aspiring. Śuddha means purified. Ha'be, will be. Mana means mind. So when actually our spiritual master or Nityānanda Prabhu is pleased upon us, at that time the symptom will be that we shall no longer hanker after material enjoyment. When that stage of life is arrived, at that time only, we can understand what is Vṛndāvana, the abode of Kṛṣṇa. Vṛndāvana is not a material place, just like ordinary city or country. It is transcendental. So appreciation of Vṛndāvana will be possible when our mind is free from all material desires. Viṣaya chāḍiyā. Viṣaya means eating, sleeping, mating and defending. They are called viṣaya. Viṣaya means objects. In the material world there are, these four objects are in view: how I shall eat, how I shall sleep, how shall I mate, how shall I defend. So as soon as one is purified of all material desires, these material objectives will not be a problem.
| Page Title: | Aspire (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | SunitaS, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 25 of Jul, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=109, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 109 |