So Kṛṣṇa and His father... Although he's not Kṛṣṇa, he's nitya-mukta. There are different types of living entities: Nitya-mukta, nitya-baddha, sādhana-siddha, kṛpā-siddha. These things are very nicely discussed in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Nitya-siddha. This father, mother of Kṛṣṇa, they are nitya-siddhas. Although they are living entities, they are not Bhagavān, not viṣṇu-tattva. Jīva-tattva. But nitya-siddha. Those who are in the spiritual world, they are nitya-siddha. Nitya-mukta. Nitya-mukta means they never come in this material world. Just like Kṛṣṇa is nitya-mukta śuddha. Similarly, the associates of Kṛṣṇa who come with Him... Just like the gopīs or the cowherd boys, and so..., the cows, calves, they are all nitya-siddha, nitya-mukta. They come with Kṛṣṇa. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. They are in the spiritual form, ānanda-cinmaya-rasa, enjoying always spiritual bliss in the association of Kṛṣṇa.
Krpa-siddha
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 8
My Lord, You are the Supreme Brahman, complete in everything. Being completely spiritual, You are eternal, free from the material modes of nature, and full of transcendental bliss. Indeed, for You there is no question of lamentation. Since You are the supreme cause, the cause of all causes, nothing can exist without You. Yet we are different from You in a relationship of cause and effect, for in one sense the cause and effect are different. You are the original cause of creation, manifestation and annihilation, and You bestow benedictions upon all living entities. Everyone depends upon You for the results of his activities, but You are always independent.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead says in Bhagavad-gītā (9.4):
- mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ
- jagad avyakta-mūrtinā
- mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni
- na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ
"By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them." This explains the philosophy of simultaneous oneness and difference, known as acintya-bhedābheda. Everything is the Supreme Brahman, the Personality of Godhead, yet the Supreme Person is differently situated from everything. Indeed, because the Lord is differently situated from everything material, He is the Supreme Brahman, the supreme cause, the supreme controller. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). The Lord is the supreme cause, and His form has nothing to do with the material modes of nature. The devotee prays: "As Your devotee is completely free from all desires, Your Lordship is also completely free from desires. You are fully independent. Although all living entities engage in Your service, You do not depend on the service of anyone. Although this material world is created complete by You, everything depends on Your sanction. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: (BG 15.15) remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness come from You. Nothing can be done independently, yet You act independently of the service rendered by Your servants. The living entities depend on Your mercy for liberation, but when You want to give them liberation, You do not depend on anyone else. Indeed, by Your causeless mercy, You can give liberation to anyone. Those who receive Your mercy are called kṛpā-siddha. To reach the platform of perfection takes many, many lives (bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19)). Nonetheless, even without undergoing severe austerities, one can attain perfection by Your mercy. Devotional service should be unmotivated and free from impediments (ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati). This is the position of nirāśiṣaḥ, or freedom from expectations for results. A pure devotee continuously offers transcendental loving service to You, but You may nonetheless offer mercy to anyone, without depending on his service."
I am the grandson of Mahārāja Prahlāda. How can I withdraw my promise because of greed for money when I have already said that I shall give this land? How can I behave like an ordinary cheater, especially toward a brāhmaṇa?
Bali Mahārāja had already been blessed by his grandfather Prahlāda Mahārāja. Therefore, he was a pure devotee, although born in a family of demons. There are two kinds of highly elevated devotees, called sādhana-siddha and kṛpā-siddha. Sādhana-siddha refers to one who has become a devotee by regular execution of the regulative principles mentioned in the śāstras, as ordered and directed by the spiritual master. If one regularly executes such devotional service, he will certainly attain perfection in due course of time. But there are other devotees, who may not have undergone all the required details of devotional service but who, by the special mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa—the spiritual master and the Supreme Personality of Godhead—have immediately attained the perfection of pure devotional service. Examples of such devotees are the yajña-patnīs, Mahārāja Bali and Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
The yajña-patnīs were the wives of ordinary brāhmaṇas engaged in fruitive activities. Although the brāhmaṇas were very learned and advanced in Vedic knowledge, they could not achieve the mercy of Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma, whereas their wives achieved complete perfection in devotional service, despite their being women. Similarly, Vairocani, Bali Mahārāja, received the mercy of Prahlāda Mahārāja, and by Prahlāda Mahārāja's mercy he also received the mercy of Lord Viṣṇu, who appeared before him as a brahmacārī beggar. Thus Bali Mahārāja became a kṛpā-siddha because of the special mercy of both guru and Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirms this favor: guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Bali Mahārāja, by the grace of Prahlāda Mahārāja, got the seed of devotional service, and when that seed developed, he achieved the ultimate fruit of that service, namely love of Godhead (premā pum-artho mahān), immediately upon the appearance of Lord Vāmanadeva. Bali Mahārāja regularly maintained devotion for the Lord, and because he was purified, the Lord appeared before him. Because of unalloyed love for the Lord, he then immediately decided, "I shall give this little dwarf brāhmaṇa whatever He asks from me." This is a sign of love. Thus Bali Mahārāja is understood to be one who received the highest perfection of devotional service by special mercy.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
By remembering the lotus feet of the Pañca-tattva, a dumb man can become a poet, a lame man can cross mountains, and a blind man can see the stars in the sky.
In Vaiṣṇava philosophy there are three ways for perfection—namely sādhana-siddha, perfection attained by executing devotional service according to the rules and regulations, nitya-siddha, eternal perfection attained by never forgetting Kṛṣṇa at any time, and kṛpā-siddha, perfection attained by the mercy of the spiritual master or another Vaiṣṇava. Kavirāja Gosvāmī here stresses kṛpā-siddha, perfection by the mercy of superior authorities. This mercy does not depend on the qualifications of a devotee. By such mercy, even if a devotee is dumb he can speak or write to glorify the Lord splendidly, even if lame he can cross mountains, and even if blind he can see the stars in the sky.
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So this is the process. This process you cannot expect immediately, but if you practice general process, very easily done, as it is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru... (BG 18.65). You cannot get the position of Prahlāda Mahārāja immediately. That is not possible. The process is, first of all, sādhana-bhakti. This Prahlāda Mahārāja's position is different. He is mahā-bhāgavata. In many places we have seen already. He is nitya-siddha. There are two kinds of devotees, three: nitya-siddha, sādhana-siddha, kṛpa-siddha. These things are described in The Nectar of Devotion. Nitya-siddha means they are eternally associate of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are called nitya-siddha. And sādhana-siddha means one is fallen in this material world, but by practice of devotional service according to the rules and regulation, injunction of the śāstra, direction of guru, in this way, one can reach also the same position as the nitya-siddha. This is sādhana-siddha. And there is another. That is Kṛpa-siddha. Kṛpa-siddha means... Just like Nityānanda Prabhu. He wanted that these Jagāi-Mādhāi must be delivered. There was no sādhana. They never followed any rules and regulation. They were thieves and rogues, very fallen condition. But Nityānanda Prabhu wanted to show an example that "I shall deliver these two brothers. Never mind they are so fallen." That is called kṛpa-siddha. So we should always remember there are three categories: nitya-siddha, sādhana-siddha and kṛpa-siddha. But when they become siddha, perfect, by any process, they are on the same level. There is no distinction.
So if you want to approach the same level like Prahlāda Mahārāja, we should not immediately imitate him. We must follow the sādhana-bhakti, sādhana-bhakti, for general, and kṛpa-siddha, that is special. That is incalculable. If Kṛṣṇa wants, He can make immediately somebody very important. That is kṛpa-siddha. So there are three classes of devotees: nitya-siddha and sādhana-siddha and kṛpa-siddha. Prahlāda Mahārāja is nitya-siddha. He is not ordinary sādhana-siddha or of course, ultimately there is no difference, either sādhana-siddha or kṛpa-siddha or nitya-siddha. But we should always remember that Prahlāda Mahārāja is not ordinary devotee. He is nitya-siddha. Therefore immediately he developed the transcendental symptoms, aṣṭa-siddhi. Aṣṭa-siddhi, you have read in The Nectar of Devotion. So the ecstasies Ekāgra-manasā. Ekāgra-manasā, "with full attention." For us to bring that full attention may take hundreds and thousands of years, full attention. But Prahlāda Mahārāja, immediately. Immediately. Five-years-old boy. Because he is nitya-siddha. Always we should remember that we cannot imitate. "Now, Prahlāda Mahārāja has immediately ekāgra-manasā, and I shall become also." No. That is not possible. May be possible, but that is not the way.
Just like in our country, perhaps you know, there was a poet, Rabindranath Tagore. He got many distinction from the Oxford University. He got... He never went to school but he got the title "doctor," "Doctor Rabindranath Tagore." And if you think that "I shall also get doctorate without going to school," that is foolishness. That is special. Similarly, don't try to imitate. Follow the general course, sādhana-siddhi. The regulative principles you must follow as instructed in the śāstra. Therefore there are so many śāstras. And guru is guide. We must always... Even if you are nitya-siddha or kṛpa-siddha, you should not neglect the general regulative principle. That is very dangerous. Don't try to do that. We must follow. Nitya. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself, God, but He is accepting guru. Who is His guru? He is guru of everyone, but He has also accepted Īśvara Purī as His guru. Kṛṣṇa Himself, He accepted His guru, Sāndīpani Muni, teaching us that without guru you cannot make any advance. Ādau gurvāśrayam. The first business is to accept guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Don't think that "I am so advanced. I may not require any guru. I can do without guru." That is nonsense.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. About Caitanya Mahāprabhu it is said in the Bhāgavatam, kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam (SB 11.5.32). Saṅga, associates. Therefore we worship Caitanya Mahāprabhu with His associates. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. These are principal associates, and similarly other devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, just like six Gosvāmīs and many others—we have got the list in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta—so they are all nitya-siddhas, eternal. There are two kinds of living entities: nitya-siddha and nitya-baddha. Nitya-siddha means they never fall a victim of māyā. That is nitya-siddha. Even though they are within this material world, they are never victimized. That is called nitya-siddha. And one who is victimized, he is called nitya-baddha. But the actual constitutional position of every living entity is nitya-siddha, because God is eternal and His part and parcels, the living entities, they are also eternal. So that is nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha, sādhana-siddha, kṛpā-siddha—there are different grades. They are all described in The Nectar of Devotion. So one can become sādhana-siddha. By following the rules and regulations and instructions of the spiritual master, he can also become siddha. He can become again nitya-siddha.
Purports to Songs
Gaurāṅgera saṅge-gaṇe, nitya-siddha boli māne. Anyone who has understood that the associates of Lord Caitanya, they are not ordinary conditioned souls... They are liberated souls. Nitya-siddha bole māni. There are three kinds of devotees. One is called sādhana-siddha. Sadhana-siddha means by following the regulative principles of devotional service, if one becomes perfect, he's called sādhana-siddha. Another devotee is called kṛpā-siddha. Kṛpā-siddha means even if he has not followed strictly all the regulative principle, still, by the mercy of ācārya or a devotee, or by Kṛṣṇa, he is elevated to the perfectional stage. That is specially. And another devotee is called nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha means they were never contaminated. The sādhana-siddha and kṛpā-siddha was contaminated by material touch, and by following regulative principles or by the mercy or grace of some devotee and ācārya they're elevated to the perfectional state. But nitya-siddha means they were never contaminated. They're ever liberated. So all the associates of Lord Caitanya, just like Advaita Prabhu, Śrīvāsa, Gadādhara, Nityānanda, they are Viṣṇu-tattva. They are all liberated. Not only they, the Gosvāmīs... There are many others. So they are ever-liberated. So one who can understand that the associates of Lord Caitanya are ever-liberated... Nitya-siddha bale māni, sei yaya vrajendra suta-pāśa. Immediately he becomes eligible to enter into the abode of Kṛṣṇa.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes, this is prayer, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa means "O Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa's energy, please accept me as Your servant."
Jesuit: But are you praying for all these people outside who do not belong to...
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.
Jesuit: So you're...
Prabhupāda: Therefore we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa so that they can hear and take benefit. But they see that, "They are disturbing," but we are helping them.
Jesuit: And do you believe that God is pleased by your prayer and helps them because of your prayer?
Prabhupāda: That depends on God. God is fully independent. He may not like. You cannot force Him. But it is our duty to request Him. You cannot force Him. If He likes... If He does not like, that is His will, because He is the supreme will. But God likes. If a devotee requests Him something, He likes to accept. That is God's mercy. He takes the devotee's prayer very seriously. Therefore our another process is to take the shelter of a devotee first. Because even one is inferior, not to be accept by God, but if a devotee requests, "God, kindly accept this fellow," God accepts. Mercy of saintly... Kṛpā-siddha. The Sanskrit word is kṛpā-siddha. He becomes perfect by the mercy of devotee.
Jesuit: What was the meaning of the bag you wear on your hand?
Prabhupāda: These chanting. Beads.
Jesuit: Oh, beads in there.
Prabhupāda: Yes. I think in Christian there are beads also.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Guest (10): What's the difference between grace and mercy?
Prabhupāda: Grace means he'll willingly give you mercy, and mercy means you ask for mercy. Kṛpa-siddha. Sādhana-siddha and kṛpa-siddha. You are trying to earn one lakh of rupees—that is sādhana. But if somebody is gracious he can give you: "Take one lakh of rupees. Don't work hard." That is grace. That is kṛpa. You are ambitious for one lakh of rupees or somebody graciously give you: "All right, take." There are many persons. So that is grace. Otherwise, you earn by your hard labor. That is sādhana. Similarly, by association, by sādhana-bhakti, you attain perfection, and by grace also, you can attain perfection. Two ways. So those who are kṛpa-siddha, they are more fortunate. (Hindi) Preach this Bhagavad-gītā as it is. People will be benefited. You'll be benefited. Don't make unnecessary interpretation, misguide others and spoil your own life. That is very unfortunate. What is the difficulty to accept Bhagavad-gītā? There is no difficulty. Unfortunately we interpret in different way and take it other way. So our little attempt is to spread Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and whatever it may be, it is being accepted in the Western countries. Not by all. But the people in general, now the... Feeling the weight, they have now began opposing.
Correspondence
1970 Correspondence
Krsna philosophy is understood as it is stated in the Vedas:
- Yasya deve para bhakti yatha deve tatha gurau
- tasya ete kathitha hi artha prakasante mahatmanah
"One who has got unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord and similar faith in his Spiritual Master to him only the imports of Vedic knowledge become revealed."
A Spiritual Master is always liberated. In any condition of His life He should not be mistaken as ordinary human being. This position of a Spiritual Master is achieved by three processes. One is called sadhana siddha. That means one who is liberated by executing the regulative principle of devotional service. Another is krpa siddha, one who is liberated by the mercy of Krsna or His devotee. And another is nitya siddha who is never forgetful of Krsna throughout his whole life. These are the three features of the perfection of life.
So far Narada Muni is concerned, in His previous life He was a maidservant's son, but by the mercy of the devotees He later on became siddha and next life He appeared as Narada with complete freedom to move anywhere by the grace of the Lord. So even though He was in his previous life a maidservant's son there was no impediment in the achievement of His perfect spiritual life. Similarly any living entity who is conditioned can achieve the perfectional stage of life by the above mentioned processes and the vivid example is Narada Muni.
| Page Title: | Krpa-siddha |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti |
| Created: | 07 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=3, CC=1, OB=0, Lec=6, Con=2, Let=1 |
| No. of Quotes: | 13 |