Rūpa Gosvāmī left Allahabad for Vṛndāvana, and Mahāprabhu came down to Benares. There He resided in the house of Candraśekhara and accepted His daily bhikṣā (meal) in the house of Tapana Miśra. Here it was that Sanātana Gosvāmī joined Him and took instruction for two months in spiritual matters. The biographers, especially Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja, have given us details of Caitanya's teachings to Rūpa and Sanātana. Kṛṣṇadāsa was not a contemporary writer, but he gathered his information from the Six Gosvāmīs themselves, the direct disciples of Mahāprabhu. Jīva Gosvāmī, who was a nephew of Sanātana and Rūpa's and who has left us his invaluable work the Ṣaṭ-sandarbhas, has philosophized on the precepts of his great leader. We have gathered and summarized the precepts of Caitanya from the books of those great writers.
Invaluable
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 3
Kardama Muni continued: What is the use of enjoyments other than the Lord's grace? All material achievements are subject to be annihilated simply by a movement of the eyebrows of Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By your principles of devotion to your husband, you have achieved and can enjoy transcendental gifts very rarely obtained by persons proud of aristocracy and material possessions.
Lord Caitanya recommended that the greatest achievement of human life is to achieve the grace of the Lord, love of God. He said, premā pumartho mahān: to achieve love of Godhead is the highest perfection of life. The same perfection is recommended by Kardama Muni to his wife. His wife belonged to a very aristocratic royal family. Generally, those who are very materialistic or who possess material wealth and prosperity are unable to appreciate the value of transcendental love of God. Although Devahūti was a princess coming from a very great royal family, fortunately she was under the supervision of her great husband, Kardama Muni, who offered her the best gift which can be bestowed in human life—the grace of the Lord, or love of God. This grace of the Lord was achieved by Devahūti by the good will and satisfaction of her husband. She served her husband, who was a great devotee and saintly person, with great sincerity, love, affection and service, and Kardama Muni was satisfied. He willingly gave love of God, and he recommended that she accept it and enjoy it because he had already achieved it.
Love of God is not an ordinary commodity. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was worshiped by Rūpa Gosvāmī because He distributed love of God, kṛṣṇa-premā, to everyone. Rūpa Gosvāmī praised Him as mahā-vadānya, a greatly munificent personality, because He was freely distributing to everyone love of Godhead, which is achieved by wise men only after many, many births. Kṛṣṇa-premā, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is the highest gift which can be bestowed on anyone whom we presume to love.
One word used in this verse, nija-dharma-dohān, is very significant. Devahūti, as the wife of Kardama Muni, achieved an invaluable gift from her husband because she was very faithful to him. For a woman the first principle of religion is to be faithful to her husband. If, fortunately, the husband is a great personality, then the combination is perfect, and the lives of both the wife and the husband are at once fulfilled.
He also wears around His neck a garland of attractive sylvan flowers, and a swarm of bees, intoxicated by its delicious fragrance, hums about the garland. He is further superbly adorned with a pearl necklace, a crown and pairs of armlets, bracelets and anklets.
From this description it appears that the flower garland of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is fresh. Actually, in Vaikuṇṭha, or the spiritual sky, there is nothing but freshness. Even the flowers picked from the trees and plants remain fresh, for everything in the spiritual sky retains its originality and does not fade. The fragrance of the flowers picked from the trees and made into garlands does not fade, for both the trees and the flowers are spiritual. When the flower is taken from the tree, it remains the same; it does not lose its aroma. The bees are equally attracted to the flowers whether they are on the garland or on the trees. The significance of spirituality is that everything is eternal and inexhaustible. Everything taken from everything remains everything, or, as has been stated, in the spiritual world one minus one equals one, and one plus one equals one. The bees hum around the fresh flowers, and their sweet sound is enjoyed by the Lord. The Lord's bangles, necklace, crown and anklets are all bedecked with invaluable jewels. Since the jewels and pearls are spiritual, there is no material calculation of their value.
SB Canto 7
The steps of King Indra's residence were made of coral, the floor was bedecked with invaluable emeralds, the walls were of crystal, and the columns of vaidūrya stone. The wonderful canopies were beautifully decorated, the seats were bedecked with rubies, and the silk bedding, as white as foam, was decorated with pearls. The ladies of the palace, who were blessed with beautiful teeth and the most wonderfully beautiful faces, walked here and there in the palace, their ankle bells tinkling melodiously, and saw their own beautiful reflections in the gems. The demigods, however, being very much oppressed, had to bow down and offer obeisances at the feet of Hiraṇyakaśipu, who chastised the demigods very severely and for no reason. Thus Hiraṇyakaśipu lived in the palace and severely ruled everyone.
SB Canto 8
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose eyes resemble the petals of a newly blossomed lotus, sat on the back of Garuḍa, spreading His lotus feet over Garuḍa's shoulders. Dressed in yellow, decorated by the Kaustubha gem and the goddess of fortune, and wearing an invaluable helmet and earrings, the Supreme Lord, holding various weapons in His eight hands, became visible to the demigods.
SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13
Foolish persons do not know how risky life is here if one does not follow the instructions of Kṛṣṇa. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, therefore, has been started so that by practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness one can avoid the risky life of this material existence. There is no question of accepting or not accepting Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not optional; it is compulsory. If we do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, our life is very risky. Everything is explained in Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore, to learn how to become free from the miserable condition of material existence, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is is the preliminary study. Then, if one understands Bhagavad-gītā, one can proceed to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and if one advances further, one may study Caitanya-caritāmṛta. We are therefore presenting these invaluable books to the whole world so that people may study them and be happy, being delivered from miserable conditional life.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
“After many births, due to some pious activity I got Your association. Now providence is breaking this invaluable association.
Upon hearing the verse recited by the King, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "You have given Me invaluable gems, but I have nothing to give you in return. Therefore I am simply embracing you."
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Teachings of Lord Caitanya
Renunciation Through Wisdom
When presented with a colorful glass doll and a diamond, a child will naturally be attracted to the doll and not the priceless jewel. Similarly, the people of Kali-yuga, endowed as they are with limited intelligence, have rejected the priceless diamond of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa and instead chosen the cheap doll of fruitive activity and dry speculation. Just as the child cannot comprehend that the invaluable diamond can purchase many thousands of cheap glass dolls, so the less intelligent people of Kali-yuga cannot understand that kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma-kṛta haya: "By rendering transcendental devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, one automatically performs all subsidiary activities."
Light of the Bhagavata
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appeared at Vṛndāvana about five thousand years ago, and the relics of His appearance at Vṛndāvana were lost from view. But Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is the very same Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the form of a great devotee, appeared at Navadvīpa, a district in West Bengal, and excavated the holy places of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa's transcendental pastimes. He instructed the above-mentioned six Gosvāmīs to compose authorized literature on the cult of Vṛndāvana, and any serious student anxious to know about the Supreme Lord may take advantage of this invaluable literature and the guidance of authorized scholars and thus know about the Lord of Vṛndāvana, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
That is yoga system. To connect again with the Supreme. Because I am part and parcel. The same example. Somehow or other the finger is cut off and it is falling on the ground, it has no value. My finger, when it is cut off and it is lying on the ground, it has no value. My finger, when it is cut off and it is lying on the ground, it has no value. But as soon as the finger is joined with this body, it has got millions and trillions of dollars value. Invaluable. Similarly we are now disconnected with God or Kṛṣṇa, by this material condition. Forget, not disconnected. Connection is there. God is supplying our all necessities just like a state prisoner is disconnected from the civil department. He has come to the criminal department. Actually not disconnected. The government is still take care. But legally disconnected. Similarly we are not disconnected. We cannot be disconnected, because there is no existence of anything without Kṛṣṇa. So how can I be disconnected? Disconnection is that by forgetting Kṛṣṇa, instead of engaging myself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I am engaged in so many nonsense consciousness. That is disconnection. Instead of thinking myself that I am eternal servant of God or Kṛṣṇa, I am thinking I am servant of my society, I am servant of my country, I am servant of my husband, I am servant of my wife, I am servant of my dog or so many. This is forgetfulness.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So by nature, there are four classes of men. Anywhere you go you'll find four classes of men. First-class, intelligent men. In whichever you take, you'll find not all of them of the same category. First class, second class, third class and fourth class. First class means the most intelligent class, scientists, philosophers, like that; mathematicians, great religionists. They're first-class men. The second class, administrator, to see that the government is going nicely, people are not unhappy, people are not suffering from thieves and rogues. This is the first business. Good government means that people will think that they're secure, their property and person is secure. There will be no harm. Not very many years ago, say about hundred years ago, in India the native states, the rule was that if something is lying on the streets, valuable or invaluable, so nobody should touch it. The person who has lost or who has left that thing there, he would come and pick it up. You cannot touch. That was the law. And if one was caught, a thief, his hands will be cut off. In Kashmir state this was the rule. As soon as a thief is arrested and if he's proved that he has stolen, the only punishment is cut his throat, aḥ, cut his hands. Bas. Exemplary punishment so that nobody will dare to steal. So this is second class, administrators. And the third class are to produce money—businessmen, mercantile. Money is also required. So without money nothing can be done, so that is not... But that is the occupation of..., the third class take. And the fourth class, śūdra. They cannot take any post as intelligent class or administrator class or money-producing class. They are simply servant, help others, śūdra. The śūdra was not meant for taking the political part.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
So if we follow through the path chalked out by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then Kṛṣṇa also, although He..., it is very difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa... Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahareṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye, yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). But through the process of Caitanya Mahāprabhu... And to follow Caitanya Mahāprabhu means to follow the six Gosvāmīs, because these six Gosvāmīs were directly instructed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu to spread this movement. He instructed Rūpa Gosvāmī continually for ten days in Prayāga, Daśāśvamedha ghāṭa. He instructed Sanātana Gosvāmī for two months in Benares. And they have given us this invaluable literature. There are so many other literatures, of which the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, we have translated into English: Nectar of Devotion. So try to follow this book.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
Just you try to understand what is the mystery of life. That is brāhmaṇa. Vijānataḥ. We have read in this verse, vijānataḥ. One who quits this body after knowing things as they are, he is brāhmaṇa. And etad aviditvā yaḥ prayāti... And one who quits this body without knowing the mystery of life, he's a kṛpaṇā. Kṛpaṇā means miser. Just like if you get one million dollars and you could not utilize it, simply you see that "Oh, I have got this bank balance," you are happy simply by seeing it, then you are kṛpaṇā. You do not know how to utilize. And one who has got one million dollars and utilizing it and making millions and millions dollars, he is intelligent. Similarly, this body is invaluable. One who is utilizing it for culture of spiritual knowledge, he is brāhmaṇa. That is the difference between brāhmaṇa and kṛpaṇā. And one who is utilizing this body like cats and dogs for sense gratification, he is miser. He does not know how to utilize one million dollars. Everyone does not know. But it is the duty of the father, duty of the state, duty of the teachers to educate from the very beginning. Bhāgavata says that one should not become a father, one should not become a mother, one should not become a teacher, one should not become a king unless they are able to elevate their dependents to this spiritual knowledge, which can save him from repeated birth and death.
- Thank you.
| Page Title: | Invaluable |
| Compiler: | Sahadeva |
| Created: | 27 of Apr, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=5, CC=2, OB=3, Lec=4, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 14 |