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Ocean of darkness

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 4

The citizens continued: Today you have opened our eyes and revealed how to cross to the other side of the ocean of darkness.
SB 4.21.51, Translation: The citizens continued: Today you have opened our eyes and revealed how to cross to the other side of the ocean of darkness. By our past deeds and by the arrangement of superior authority, we are entangled in a network of fruitive activities and have lost sight of the destination of life; thus we have been wandering within the universe.

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

One who has taken shelter of the lotus feet, which is compared with a boat, plavam, then he has nothing to fear from this material ocean of darkness.
Lecture on SB 1.7.18 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1976: This is the version of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam. Pada-pallavam, lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, yaśo murāreḥ. Murāri is Kṛṣṇa. One who has taken shelter of the lotus feet, which is compared with a boat, plavam, then he has nothing to fear from this material ocean of darkness. And this place, this material world, which is darkness, and where there is danger, step by step... Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām. Teṣām, for them, it is not for them. It is for the persons who want to remain in the darkness. And one who does not want to remain in darkness, for him, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta [SB 11.3.21]. He has to take shelter of the bona fide guru.
To surpass, to overcome this ocean of darkness, māyā, is very difficult.
Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- New York, August 1, 1971: When I was coming to your country on ship, the ship stops and they began to bugle: gaonh gongh gonhgonh, like that. But as soon as there is sun, this thousands miles of fog immediately... The example is very nice: nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ. So you try to make Kṛṣṇa sun rise in your heart. Kṛṣṇa sūrya-sama. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said Kṛṣṇa is just like sun. Māyā haya andhakāra. And māyā, this illusory energy, it is darkness. Yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra. As soon as there is sun, Kṛṣṇa, immediately darkness of māyā disappears. So why not take this simple method? All māyā disappears. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. Otherwise, to surpass, to overcome this ocean of darkness, māyā, is very difficult. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā. Duratyayā, very, very difficult. Hard. Then how? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. Simply teach people to surrender unto Kṛṣṇa. God. All illusion, fog, mist will disappear. Will disappear.

Initiation Lectures

One shall cross over the insurmountable ocean of darkness of ignorance simply by taking shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Mukunda who gives all kinds of liberations and who is worshiped by many great previous ācāryas.
Sannyasa Initiation -- Los Angeles, February 20, 1970: Dayānanda: Translation: "I shall cross over the insurmountable ocean of darkness of ignorance simply by taking shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Mukunda who gives all kinds of liberations and who is worshiped by many great previous ācāryas." Purport: "There are sixty-four kinds of rendering service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, out of which to accept the uniform dress of a tridaṇḍi sannyāsī is also an important item. One who accepts this order of life, surely by rendering service unto the Supreme Lord becomes eligible to cross over the insurmountable ocean of ignorance. All previous sages used to accept such order of life, and later ācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, adopted this order of life and specifically stressed on this procedure in order to achieve firm conviction in the matter of devotional service.
We have to cross over this ocean of darkness and reach that jyotir dhāma. Jyotirmāyā dhāma, brahmajyoti. Tamo mukundāṅghri.
Initiations and Sannyasa -- New York, July 26, 1971: Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu took sannyāsa, Rāmānujācārya took sannyāsa very young age. My Guru Mahārāja took sannyāsa at very young age. So it is not that only old men should take sannyāsa, but there are many instances. Why? Now, parātma-niṣṭhā. Etāṁ sa āsthāya ahaṁ tariṣyāmi: "I shall cross over." Tariṣyāmi means cross over. Duranta-pāram: "which is very difficult to overcome." Tamo: "this darkness." This material world is dark. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. Vedic injunction is, "Don't remain in this darkness. Go the other side, jyoti, where there is..." Na tad bhāsayate sūryaḥ. There is another nature, where there is no need of sun, no need of moon, no need of electricity. There jyoti... Jyoti means effulgent light, only light. So we have to cross over this ocean of darkness and reach that jyotir dhāma. Jyotirmāyā dhāma, brahmajyoti. Tamo mukundāṅghri. How it will be possible? Mukunda.
Cross over the insurmountable ocean of darkness of ignorance simply by taking shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Mukunda, who gives all kinds of liberations and was worshiped by many great previous ācāryas.
Initiations and Lecture Sannyasa Initiation of Sudama dasa -- Tokyo, April 30, 1972:

Sudāmā: "Etām—this; sa āsthāya—taking shelter of; parātmā—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; niṣṭhām—firm conviction; upāsitām—worshiped by; pūrvatamaiḥ—by previous ācāryas; mahadbhiḥ—great; aham—myself; tariṣyāmi—shall cross over; duranta-pāram—insurmountable; tamo—the darkness of ignorance; mukundāṅghri—the lotus feet of Mukunda, who gives all liberations; niṣevayaiva—simply by worshiping."

Prabhupāda: Then go on.

Sudāmā: Translation: "I shall cross over the insurmountable ocean of darkness of ignorance simply by taking shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Mukunda, who gives all kinds of liberations and was worshiped by many great previous ācāryas."

General Lectures

This material world is a great ocean of nescience, darkness. This is the nature. Just like at night you see, this space is a great ocean of darkness. That is the nature. Therefore it is called tama. This world's nature.
Lecture -- Montreal, October 26, 1968: The lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa is compared with a very nice boat. Boat. Just like lotus flower. His everything is like lotus flower. One who has accepted this boat... Because this material world is a great ocean of nescience, darkness. This is the nature. Just like at night you see, this space is a great ocean of darkness. That is the nature. Therefore it is called tama. This world's nature... Here we require the sunlight, the moonlight, the electricity; otherwise it is dark. By nature it is dark. So you are put into the darkness. There is no light. But there is another nature, which is full of light. Therefore Vedic injunction is tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ: "Don't remain in this darkness. Try to come out to the light." That is spiritual world. That is spiritual world. Jyotir gamaḥ tamasi mā. Don't remain in this darkness.
Page Title:Ocean of darkness
Compiler:Rati, Serene
Created:24 of Nov, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=6, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:7