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SB 01.05.02 parasarya maha-bhaga... cited

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

SB 1.5.2, Translation and Purport:

Addressing Vyāsadeva, the son of Parāśara, Nārada inquired: Are you satisfied by identifying with the body or the mind as objects of self-realization?

This was a hint by Nārada to Vyāsadeva regarding the cause of his despondency. Vyāsadeva, as the descendant of Parāśara, a greatly powerful sage, had the privilege of having a great parentage which should not have given Vyāsadeva cause for despondency. Being a great son of a great father, he should not have identified the self with the body or the mind. Ordinary men with a poor fund of knowledge can identify the body as self or the mind as self, but Vyāsadeva should not have done so. One cannot be cheerful by nature unless one is factually seated in self-realization, which is transcendental to the material body and mind.

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-4 -- New Vrindaban, May 22, 1969:

So there are two kinds of knowledge, avidyā and vidyā. Real vidyā means brahma-vidyā. This brahma-jijñāsā, athāto brahma..., that is vidyā. That is real knowledge. And avidyā, karma-saṁjña. Another vidyā is how to learn technology, avidyā. Avidyā. That is avidyā. Avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. So now, at the present moment, the education is being given to the people how to work hard, karma-saṁjña. That is not now. That is the system everywhere, because everyone wants to enjoy senses as far as possible, so he has to work very hard. But in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you will find the instruction is by Ṛṣabhadeva, that this life is not meant for that simply hard labor for sense gratification. If you work hard, you try to work hard for attaining Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your life will be successful. You have to work hard. If you want to enjoy senses, they are not very easily available. It is said that udyogināṁ praharṣaṁ praheti lakṣyam.(?) Unless you become industrious, laborious, you cannot enjoy even this material world.

So one has to work because his business is to become servant. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). So if he does not become servant of Kṛṣṇa, then he will have to become servant of māyā. Just like same thing we are doing in this New Vrindaban or anywhere. The same thing. We are also cooking, we are also cleansing. So this is for Kṛṣṇa. So even if we get tired by cleansing for Kṛṣṇa, but that is an asset. Yes. And if we work the same thing for sense gratification, that is simply spoiling time. This is the technology of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that we can achieve the highest perfection of life by doing the same thing. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate.

So Vyāsadeva, he also worked very hard, wrote so many books, unlimited. But he was not happy. So if you work for māyā, then you'll never be happy. You'll get tired and you'll simply be confused. But if you work for Kṛṣṇa, then you'll be happy. Just like... There are so many examples. Arjuna. Arjuna also, he remained a military man. He was in the beginning military man, and after hearing Bhagavad-gītā he remained a military man. But that military man was for Kṛṣṇa. And in the beginning he was a military man for acquiring some kingdom for sense gratification. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is simply to change the consciousness, to change the account. The activities may be the same, but when the account is changed, then you'll get the highest profit.

So when Vyāsadeva was morose, his spiritual master is addressing Vyāsadeva as pārāśarya mahā-bhāga. Mahā-bhāga. Pārāśarya means Vyāsadeva is the son of Parāśara Muni, who was a great sage. His mother was Satyavatī. Actually Vyāsadeva was born... His mother was a fishergirl, fisherwoman. In Bengali we call māchaoyālī. So, but because the father was very great, Parāśara Muni, so there is no question of father and mother. Everyone comes in his own ability according to karma. Nobody is responsible for his birth. Everyone is responsible for his work. So Vyāsadeva became a great personality although he was son of a fisherwoman. Pārāśarya. He's addressing, "My dear son of Parāśara, mahā-bhāga." Mahā-bhāga means "You are very fortunate." Bhāga means fortune. Bhāgya. Mahā-bhāga. Pārāśarya mahā-bhāga bhavataḥ kaccid ātmanā parituṣyati. "Do you think that you'll be satisfied identifying yourself with this material body or mind? That is not possible." Parituṣyati śārīra ātmā mānasa eva vā. Śārīraḥ śarīrābhimāny ātmā, ātmanā tena śarīreṇa kaccit kiṁ parituṣyati(?). One who is... "You have compiled so many books on this concept of life, that the living entities are, some of them are considering that 'I am this body,' and some of them are considering 'I am this mind,' and some of them are considering 'I am this intelligence,' but he is none of them. He's above this. He's transcendental." Unless he comes to that position, there is no question of paritoṣa, or satisfaction.

So this is the first question, that "My dear Vyāsadeva, you are so great. You are born of a great father. You are so learned. Mahā-bhāga, you are so fortunate. But still, all your compilation of these books are based on the concept of this body and mind. Therefore you cannot get happiness." Then he says,

jijñāsitaṁ susampannam
api te mahad-adbhutam
kṛtavān bhārataṁ yas tvaṁ
sarvārtha-paribṛṁhitam

"You have recently done..." Because Vyāsadeva, after the Battle of Kurukṣetra, he wrote Bhārata, this Mahābhārata, history, history of India or history of this planet, Mahābhārata. So he says that kṛtavān bhārataṁ yas tvaṁ sarvārtha-paribṛṁhitam.

Sarvārtha. Artha means, what are the arthas? Artha means interest. Interest. So there are four kinds of interests. We are interested in four things. If we are actually human being, a civilized being, then we should be interested with four things. What are those four things? Dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). In human society, for at least peaceful living, the human society must have religion, dharma. And artha means economic development, good condition, economic con... That is also required. One, that the human society should be religious, they must have nice economic organization, and the kāma, they must have also nice arrangement for sense gratification. So sense gratification is not denied. Dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa. And after that, when one is satisfied, when he, when one is, by religious procedure, he is satisfied in his economic development, in his satisfaction of senses, the next need is mokṣa. Mokṣa means liberation from material bondage. These are four arthas. Catur-vargaḥ puruṣārthaḥ. Puruṣārtha means the interest of the living entity. But they are not final. They are not final.

So Nārada will give the hint what is the final puruṣārtha. That final puruṣārtha is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Not that even if we become liberated, if we merge into the existence of the Absolute, oh, that is also not final. Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you'll find in the beginning that dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo' tra (SB 1.1.2). 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.

Lecture on SB 1.5.2 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1968:

Prabhupāda:

pārāśarya mahā-bhāga
bhavataḥ kaccid ātmanā
parituṣyati śārīra
ātmā mānasa eva vā
(SB 1.5.2)

I am just quoting Sanskrit mantras before you. You may not understand the language, but the vibration of the sound, the Sanskrit mantra, hymns, it has got special value. Mantra, sound vibration. Śabdād anāvṛttiḥ.

Now, the whole material world is produced from sound. That is scientific fact. Scientists are researching the importance of sound, physical science. Sound, light, and transmission of sound and light. There are so many things, electronics. So this sound vibration, this is material sound. They have got so much wonderful power. And just try to understand what is the power of the spiritual sound. Real sound is coming from the spiritual world. It is simply just like gramophone. The sound is coming originally from the person; the gramophone is reproducing. That is not the original source of the sound. Similarly, whatever sound is there in this material world, the original sound is produced by God. Just like in your Bible it is said, "Let there be creation." It is, simply it was sound and there was creation. So spiritual sound is so powerful. And we are trying to catch you directly from that sound vibration, Hare Kṛṣṇa, and I am sure it is acting. Simply, śabdād anāvṛttiḥ.

Our question by Nārada Muni to Vyāsadeva, asking that "My dear Vyāsadeva, the author of all Vedic literature, you are such a learned scholar. You have produced such vastly, scholarly, and philosophical theses, books, and still you are not happy. So did you try to find out what is the cause?" The similar position is of the present world. There is so much advancement of scientific research, result, economic. Of course, in India there may be poverty-stricken, but in your country, you have got ample, everything ample. But still, a section is confused and frustrated. Why? The same position as Vyāsadeva, who was not satisfied even after producing so many variety of literatures in material science and philosophy and religion and... Everything was complete. So therefore Nārada Muni is asking, "My dear Vyāsadeva, you are great personality, but do you think as long as one is situated in the bodily plane or in the mental plane, does he derive any pleasure?" This is the question.

We should try to understand how we are constituted. The Bhagavad-gītā explains our constitutional position very nicely. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhuḥ. Indriyāṇi. Indriyāṇi means senses. Just like, what is my material existence? I am in this world. What for? For my sense gratification. That's all. This is the first constitutional position. Every animal, every living entity, is busy for eating, sleeping and defending and mating. That means the bodily necessities, senses. First of all, the prominent factor of our existence is the senses. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, indriyāṇi parāṇy āhuḥ. My material existence means the sense enjoyment. That's all. And therefore in the material civilization the highest pleasure is being derived by eschewing sex life, because that is the last word. That is the last word of material enjoyment. One who has no knowledge of spiritual life, they cannot go further than sex life. One who goes still further than the platform of sense enjoyment, he comes to the mental speculation, as there are many philosophers, speculating. The meditation is also another type of mental speculation. So indriyāṇi parāṇy āhuḥ.

Bhagavad-gītā says the first prominent factor are the senses, and the next stage is the mind, mental speculation, because the senses are controlled by the mind. Mind is the central point of sensual activities. If my mind is not in order, in spite of my eyes, I cannot see; in spite of my hand, I cannot touch. Therefore next important stage is mind. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ (BG 3.42). Manaḥ means mind. Manasas tu parā buddhiḥ. And mind is also controlled by intelligence. Manasas tu parā buddhiḥ. And the factor which is controlling intelligence, that is soul. Therefore behind all manifestations, all activities, the soul is there. That is in dormant stage. Not dormant stage. Actually, the soul is agitating the intelligence, the intelligence is agitating the mind, and the mind is controlling the senses, and the sense enjoyment is our material life. But we want happiness. Therefore Vyāsadeva's question to Nārada..., uh, Nārada's question to Vyāsadeva is very intelligent, that "My dear Vyāsadeva, you are, you appear to be very, not very jolly even after producing so much literatures. But may I ask you, do you think that on the mental plane or on the bodily plane, if you think there is satisfaction, is it possible?" This is the question.

Lecture on SB 1.5.2 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1968:

Just this morning or yesterday morning I was walking on the street. So many books were thrown in the street. Very nice book. Gaurasundara, you remember. Because the fact is all these nonsense books could not give him solace. He has thrown it on the street. Very nice book. Not nice book, very binding nice. It must have been very costly book. Big, big book thrown away. Why? There was no peace. There was no peace. Therefore... Just like in your country I see bunch of newspaper. Just after one second, turning this page, that page, thrown away. Why? There is no pleasure. There is no pleasure. Simply the old story. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Chewing the chewed. In your country we don't find such things. In our country, India, the sugar cane is chewed, the juice is sucked, and it is thrown in the street. Now, if somebody goes and chews the chewed sugar cane, what relish, what taste he will get? Similarly, because we have no information of spiritual life, we are simply chewing the chewed. That's all. In a different way. This way or that way, this way or that way. And that is sex life. That's all.

So that will not give us happiness. This is the purport of the question of Nārada Muni. Pārāśarya mahā-bhāga bhavataḥ kaccid ātmanā. "Do you think that the soul can be pacified, the soul can be in peace by identifying himself with the body and the mind?" No. That cannot be. "And you are the first-class example." Why?

jijñāsitaṁ susampannam
api te mahad-adbhutam
kṛtavān bhārataṁ yas tvaṁ
sarvārtha-paribṛṁhitam

"You are not ordinary scholar. You have produced Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata." The other day I explained what is Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata is the... The real meaning of Mahābhārata is "History of India." History of... Mahā, mahā means great, and great history of India. Bhārata means India. India's real name is Bhāratavarṣa. Perhaps you know. Bhāratavarṣa. This whole planet was known in the beginning as Ilāvṛtavarṣa. Then there was a king, Mahārāja Bharata. So according to his name the whole planet became Bhāratavarṣa. This whole planet is called Bhāratavarṣa according to Vedic literature. But now it is now divided. There is a long history, how the human society was distributed all over this planet. So far Mahābhārata is concerned, you Americans or Europeans, you also originally belonged to India, according to Mahābhārata. Turkish civilization and Greece civilization was originally from India. Two sons of Mahārāja Yayāti, they were given kingdom of Turkey and Greece, and from Turkey and Greece the European civilization or population has increased and from Europe, the Americans, they have come here. Of course, that is historical point.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.254 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1968:

So I am reading from the Bhāgavata this introduction, how Bhāgavata was compiled by Vyāsadeva. I am reading that chapter. This is the First Canto, Fifth Chapter. So when his spiritual master, Nārada, came... It is the custom of disciple to receive him, and to give him nice seat, and offer obeisances, and then talk on different subject matters. So when Nārada came, Vyāsadeva offered him good seat, and..., comfortable seat, and offered his obeisances. Then Nārada is preaching to him. He saw his disciple Vyāsadeva very much morose. So he's asking,

pārāśarya mahā-bhāga
bhavataḥ kaccid ātmanā
parituṣyati śarīra
ātmā mānasa eva vā

"My dear Vyāsadeva, I see that you are not very happy. But I am asking you question, whether a person becomes ever-happy who has accepted this body as self or the mind as self?" There are two classes of men in the material world—I mean to say intelligent class. I am not speaking of the ordinary class of men. Those who are interested in knowledge, in higher thoughts, in philosophy, in religion, ethics, morality... So many things there are. In science, in literature... So Vyāsadeva is everything in one person. And he has written so many books, as I have described. Now Nārada is asking him, "My dear Pārāśarya...," Pārāśarya means Vyāsadeva was the son of Parāśara. His father's name was Parāśara; therefore he's addressing him, pārāśarya mahā-bhāga. Mahā-bhāga: "You are very fortunate. You have got the opportunity of doing the best service to the humanity by presenting such important literatures. Therefore you are mahā-bhāga."

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation and Reading from Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 1 and 12 -- June 25, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Hear, now.

Pradyumna: "Thus the sage among the gods, Nārada, comfortably seated and apparently smiling, addressed the ṛṣi amongst the brāhmaṇas, Vedavyāsa." Purport. "Nārada was smiling because he well knew the great sage Vedavyāsa and the cause of his disappointment. As he will explain gradually, Vyāsadeva's disappointment was due to insufficiency in presenting the science of devotional service. Nārada knew the defect, and it was confirmed by the position of Vyāsa." Text number two.

nārada uvāca
pārāśarya mahā-bhāga
bhavataḥ kaccid ātmanā
parituṣyati śārīra
ātmā mānasa eva vā

"Translation. Addressing Vyāsadeva, the son of Parāśara, Nārada inquired: Are you satisfied by identifying with the body or the mind as the objects of self-realization?" Purport. "This was a hint by Nārada to Vyāsadeva regarding the cause of his despondency. Vyāsadeva, as the descendant of Parāśara, a greatly powerful sage, had the privilege of having a great parentage, which should not have given Vyāsadeva cause for despondency. Being a great son of a great father, he should not have identified the self with the body or the mind. Ordinary men with a poor fund of knowledge can identify the body as self or the mind as self, but Vyāsadeva should not have done so. One cannot be cheerful by nature unless one is factually seated in self-realization, which is transcendental to the material body and mind."

jijñāsitaṁ susampannam
api te mahad-adbhutam
kṛtavān bhārataṁ yas tvaṁ
sarvārtha-paribṛṁhitam

"Your inquiries were full and your studies were also well fulfilled, and there is no doubt that you have prepared a great and wonderful work, the Mahābhārata, which is full of all kinds of Vedic sequences elaborately explained." Purport. "The despondency of Vyāsadeva was certainly not due to his lack of sufficient knowledge, because as a student he had fully inquired about the Vedic literatures, as a result of which the Mahābhārata is compiled with full explanation of the Vedas."

Page Title:SB 01.05.02 parasarya maha-bhaga... cited
Compiler:Visnu Murti
Created:10 of Sep, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=4, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:6