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SB 01.15.48 avapur duravapam te...cited

Expressions researched:
"asadbhir visayatmabhih" |"avapur duravapam te" |"vidhuta-kalmasa sthanam" |"virajenatmanaiva hi"

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

SB 1.15.47-48, Translation and Purport:

Thus by pure consciousness due to constant devotional remembrance, they attained the spiritual sky, which is ruled over by the Supreme Nārāyaṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa. This is attained only by those who meditate upon the one Supreme Lord without deviation. This abode of the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, known as Goloka Vṛndāvana, cannot be attained by persons who are absorbed in the material conception of life. But the Pāṇḍavas, being completely washed of all material contamination, attained that abode in their very same bodies.

According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, a person freed from the three modes of material qualities, namely goodness, passion and ignorance, and situated in transcendence can reach the highest perfection of life without change of body. Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī in his Hari-bhakti-vilāsa says that a person, whatever he may be, can attain the perfection of a twice-born brāhmaṇa by undergoing the spiritual disciplinary actions under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, exactly as a chemist can turn gun metal into gold by chemical manipulation. It is therefore the actual guidance that matters in the process of becoming a brāhmaṇa, even without change of body, or in going back to Godhead without change of body. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī remarks that the word hi used in this connection positively affirms this truth, and there is no doubt about this factual position. The Bhagavad-gītā (14.26) also affirms this statement of Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī when the Lord says that anyone who executes devotional service systematically without deviation can attain the perfection of Brahman by surpassing the contamination of the three modes of material nature, and when the Brahman perfection is still more advanced by the selfsame execution of devotional service, there is no doubt at all that one can attain the supreme spiritual planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana, without change of body, as we have already discussed in connection with the Lord's returning to His abode without a change of body.

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.15.47-48 -- Los Angeles, December 25, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa has given different foodstuff for different animals. So for human being who is determined to go back to home, back to Godhead, they have got their food. For them, no meat-eating. For them, fine kacuri, rasagullā, puri, for them. As you are... I think Dr. Benard Shaw, he wrote one book, You Are What You Eat. If you eat stool, then you are stool. Because after all, this body will be stool. Because after death, the result is either the body becomes stool or ash or earth. Those who are burying on the ground, in due course the body will turn into earth. That's all. And those who are burning, like in India, Hindus do, this will turn into ash. And those who are throwing for being eaten by the animals and birds... Just like Parsees do in India... They throw, and vultures come, and they eat it, within a second. So after eating, it will be stool of the vulture. That's all. So this beautiful body will be resulted in three things: either stool, earth or ash. And we are taking so much care—for stool, earth, and ashes. And the occupier of the body? Forgotten. And we are advanced scientists. This is our position.

Therefore it is said, viśuddha-dhiṣaṇāḥ pare. Those who are purified in their thinking process... Those who are thinking, "I am this body," they are third-class rascals. The present world is simply full with third-class rascals. Because everyone is thinking, "I am American," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am white," "I am black," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian." So "I am this body." That's all. But they cannot. They cannot. Therefore it is said, virajena ātmanaiva. Virajena. Virajena means one who has become completely washed, cleansed, viraja. Raja. Raja means this material world, and vi means vigata, without. Virajenaiva. And it is very difficult to come to this position. Therefore it is said, avāpur duravāpām. It is very difficult to come to this stage of life, but the Pāṇḍavas, avāpuḥ, they got it. And for whom it is very difficult? That is also: asadbhiḥ. Asadbhir viṣayātmabhiḥ.

Who is asat? Asat means that does not exist, or that will not exist. There are two things: one thing will exist permanently, and one thing will not exist. It may exist for few minutes, or few hours or years. So this material world is asat, because it will not exist. Just like your this material body, it will not exist. Everyone knows. Everyone knows that it is born at a certain date, it will continue for certain years, it will produce some by-products, it will change into different forms, and then it will become old and then dwindle and one day finish. This is called ṣaḍ-vikāra, six kinds of changes. It is not progress. If one is progressing in his age, it is not progress. It means he is going to death. Suppose I am seventy-eight years old. So I have... Seventy-eight years I have already died. Only, say two or five years, or something like remaining balance. So people say "advanced age." No. Advanced in death, not advanced in age. So this is asat. It will not stay. It has begun to die from the very moment of his birth. If you ask a newly born child how old it is, the mother says, "It is one month old." So one month means he has already died one month. And balance months and years he has to die. Simply he has to wait for that death. So this kind of duration of life is called asat. And this kind of existence, the material existence, it also asat. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore sings, sat-saṅga chāḍi' kainu asate vilāsa, te-kāraṇe lāgila ye karma-bandha-phāṅsa. "I gave up sat-saṅga, oṁ tat sat, spiritual society. I associated myself with the material society. Therefore I am now entangled by karma by karma, one after another, one after another."

So spiritual realization is difficult for persons, asadbhiḥ. Why it is difficult? Viṣayātmabhiḥ. Because they are simply attracted by the four principles of material life: eating, sleeping, sex life and, one day, death. They cannot. One must be above this interest. One must be very sane man, that "These kinds of interests are there in the animals. So if I am also interested in only these things, then where is the difference between this dog and me?" Something more.

That information is given in the Bhagavad-gītā. Avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. Yena sarvam idam. This body is perishable, asat. But there is another sat, means permanent thing. What is that? Avināśi tu tad viddhi. You try to understand that thing, which is eternal. What is that? Yena sarvam idaṁ tatam, that which is spreading all over your body. You pinch your body. You feel pain. Why? Because there is consciousness. The consciousness is permanent. And as soon as the consciousness is gone, you chopped up your hand, no response. So take... It is a very nice statement. Tat, that consciousness, is avināśi, is eternal. Where is the difficulty?

Lecture on SB 1.15.47-48 -- Los Angeles, December 25, 1973:

So spiritual realization is difficult for persons, asadbhiḥ. Why it is difficult? Viṣayātmabhiḥ. Because they are simply attracted by the four principles of material life: eating, sleeping, sex life and, one day, death. They cannot. One must be above this interest. One must be very sane man, that "These kinds of interests are there in the animals. So if I am also interested in only these things, then where is the difference between this dog and me?" Something more.

That information is given in the Bhagavad-gītā. Avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. Yena sarvam idam. This body is perishable, asat. But there is another sat, means permanent thing. What is that? Avināśi tu tad viddhi. You try to understand that thing, which is eternal. What is that? Yena sarvam idaṁ tatam, that which is spreading all over your body. You pinch your body. You feel pain. Why? Because there is consciousness. The consciousness is permanent. And as soon as the consciousness is gone, you chopped up your hand, no response. So take... It is a very nice statement. Tat, that consciousness, is avināśi, is eternal. Where is the difficulty?

So those who are not interested to understand this consciousness and the origin of consciousness, they are asat. They cannot understand what is spiritual life. Therefore the beginning of spiritual life... In the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said that dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). In this body, in this asat, this temporary body, there is the proprietor of the body. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe. The proprietor of the body. So that is to be understood. So how it can be understood? Vidhūta-kalmaṣāḥ. Those who are washed off of the sinful act... Therefore we prescribe that "Don't be associated with sinful activities." What is that? Illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. One who is washed off of these, vidhūta-kalmaṣā sthānam, that sthānam, that place, is virajena ātmanaiva vidhūta-kalmaṣāḥ... Those who are washed of... Otherwise it is not possible. If you think that "I shall do this and do that," then do this, not that. That is finished. You go on doing this life after life, and remain in this material world. That is the point.

Page Title:SB 01.15.48 avapur duravapam te...cited
Compiler:Krsnadas
Created:09 of Sep, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=2, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:3