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SB 03.25.08 tasya tvam tamaso 'ndhasya... cited

Expressions researched:
"dusparasyadya paragam" |"labdham me tvad-anugrahat" |"sac-caksur janmanam ante" |"tasya tvam tamaso 'ndhasya"

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 3

SB 3.25.8, Translation and Purport:

Your Lordship is my only means of getting out of this darkest region of ignorance because You are my transcendental eye, which, by Your mercy only, I have attained after many, many births.

Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahūti, Verse 8

This verse is very instructive, since it indicates the relationship between the spiritual master and the disciple. The disciple or conditioned soul is put into this darkest region of ignorance and therefore is entangled in the material existence of sense gratification. It is very difficult to get out of this entanglement and attain freedom, but if one is fortunate enough to get the association of a spiritual master like Kapila Muni or His representative, then by his grace one can be delivered from the mire of ignorance. The spiritual master is therefore worshiped as one who delivers the disciple from the mire of ignorance with the light of the torch of knowledge. The word pāragam is very significant. pāragam refers to one who can take the disciple to the other side. This side is conditioned life; the other side is the life of freedom. The spiritual master takes the disciple to the other side by opening his eyes with knowledge. We are suffering simply because of ignorance. By the instruction of the spiritual master, the darkness of ignorance is removed, and thus the disciple is enabled to go to the side of freedom. It is stated in Bhagavad-gītā that after many, many births one surrenders to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Similarly, if, after many, many births, one is able to find a bona fide spiritual master and surrender to such a bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa, one can be taken to the side of light.

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:

Prabhupāda:

tasya tvaṁ tamaso 'ndhasya
duṣpārasyādya pāragam
sac-cakṣur janmanām ante
labdhaṁ me tvad-anugrahāt

(SB 3.25.8).

So sac-cakṣur, to see oneself and to see God, it is not very easy. Janmanām ante. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, jñānavān. The so-called learned scholars, Vedantists, so-called Vedantists... One who is actual Vedant..., knower of Vedānta, he understands the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Because veda means knowledge, and anta, "the late phase." Knowledge, there are different types of knowledge. Ordinary knowledge, as we are now interested for economic benefit, that is not actual knowledge. That is art of livelihood. That is not knowledge. Suppose you are a very big engineer, and another man is ordinary electric mistri. The qualification is the same: earning livelihood by some art. If there is some wrong in the electric line, I cannot repair it. I call one mistri. He knows the art. He immediately revives the electric current. So this sort of knowledge is called śilpa, śilpa-jñāna, "artistic knowledge." That is not knowledge. Real knowledge is Vedic knowledge, Vedānta knowledge, to know oneself, "What I am, what is God, Bhagavān, what is my relation with Him, and what is my duty, and what is the ultimate goal of life." This is knowledge. Etaj jñānaṁ tad ajñānam anyathā. Kṛṣṇa says, "This is jñānam." Kṣetra-kṣetra-jña-jñānam. If one can understand oneself and the Supreme Self and what is this material world, why we have come here, what is my relation with God, what is my relation with this world, this is knowledge. They are called jñānavān. Jñānavān, they are searching after knowledge. Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya.

Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:

So asura and deva, there are two kinds of men. Viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ smṛto daiva āsuras tad... It is Vedic injunction. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ... Ṛg-veda mantra. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. This is the Vedic mantra. Sūrayaḥ, those who are learned, advanced people, they look forward for the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Viṣṇu. So this viṣṇu-bhakta... Here it is said, tasya tvaṁ tamasaḥ and andhasya duṣpārasyādya pāragam. If you want to get relief from this duṣpārasya andhasya... We have already tried to understand that this material world is andha, andhakāra. It is simply darkness. Just see, now it is dark. Because the sun is not visible, it is just on the opposite side of the sun, therefore we are in darkness. Actually, the position of this material world is darkness. Just like here is now electric light. If the, some way or other, the current is off, it will be dark. Everyone knows it. We require artificial light because it is darkness. So Kṛṣṇa has given this artificial light both day and night. In the day there is sunshine, and there is moonshine at night. Because without light you cannot work. Without... You are very much proud of your eyes: "Can you show me God?" So the answer will be, "Have you got the eyes to see God? You rascal, you want to see God. Have you got the eyes to see God?" "No, sir." "Then why you want to see God?" God can be seen in a different way. God can be seen... Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38). When you will be devotee, lover of God, then, by that ointment, your eyes will be cleared and you will be seeing God. Now, here is God. Kṛṣṇa. Here is God. Why the people in Bombay, those (who are) challenging, "Can you show me God?" they do not come here? Because they have no love. A few devotees here, they understand that here is God. They can see here is God. But the rascals, they cannot see God. So even though he has got eyes, he cannot see God. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25).

Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:

So still, it is darkness. It is darkness, that this world... Unless you get information, this money will not save you unless you get information of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). Here it is also said like that: tasya tvaṁ tamasaḥ andhasya duṣpārasyādya pāragam, sac-cakṣur janmanām ante. Janmanām ante. Janmanām. Janma is singular number, and janmanām is plural number. Many, many janma, many, many births we are spoiling in this darkness. We do not know that. The university education is blind, andha. They cannot give you this information that we are going to the university, we are spoiling our time simply. Spoiling, actually spoiling. What university education? They give some technical education, that śilpa-vidyā, to earn money and eat and sleep and have sex life and die. This is the education. This education is described here that duṣpārasya, andhasya duṣpārasya. This kind of education will not help us because our sufferings are different. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9).

Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:

So here also, Devahūti, the same principle. She says, tasya tvaṁ tamaso 'ndhasya duṣpārasyādya pāragam, sac-cakṣur janmanām ante: "My dear Kapila, You have come as my son. But You are my guru. You are guru because You can give me information how I can cross over the nescience of darkness, of this material life." So one who is feeling the necessity of going across the dark nescience of material existence, he requires a guru. Not for curing some disease or getting a little portion of gold. That, that does not require that one should go to guru. Guru is required for whom? Just like Devahūti or Sanātana Gosvāmī. Those who are inqui... athāto brahma jijñāsā. Those who are interested in the matter of Brahman. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). If one is interested to understand things which is beyond this darkness, he requires a guru. To keep guru is not a fashion. Just like you keep a dog or a cat as a fashion. So things should not be done like that, that "I have got a guru. I don't care for him. That's all. I give him some money; therefore he must be my servant." That kind of keeping guru is not use. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Uttamam. Here is called tamaḥ. Here is called tamaḥ. Tamasaḥ, tamaso 'ndhasya. Tamaḥ and uttama. Udgata tamam. If you can transcend this tamaḥ, this darkness, that is called uttama. We use this word, uttama... Uttama means very good. Generally, we take. How it is very good? When it is transcendental, above this darkness, that is called uttama.

Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:

So duṣpārasya... Duṣpārasya, this material world is duṣpārasya, very, very difficult to cross over it. Therefore unless one understands what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa, what is His position, where does He live, why our relation should be revived, then he's in darkness. He's darkness. But one can be enlightened by the mercy of God. Because Kṛṣṇa comes Himself to inform. He sends His devotee door to door. He leaves behind Him Bhagavad-gītā, but we are so foolish, we do not take advantage of it. We do not take advantage of Bhagavad-gītā. We do not take advantage of His devotees who are hankering after giving this knowledge, sacrificing everything. But we are so stubborn, dogs' obstinacy, that we'll not take advantage of them. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,

ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
(CC Madhya 19.151)

The bhakti-latā-bīja, the seed of devotional service, is gotten by the most fortunate person. So those who are cultivating bhakti in this institution, they are the most fortunate persons in the world. That is the statement of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
(CC Madhya 19.151)

Bhramite. Therefore it is said, sac-cakṣur janmanām ante. This knowledge, this clue of bhakti-latā, is not so easily available. How it is available? It is... Labdhaṁ me tvad-anugrahāt: "By Your mercy." By Kṛṣṇa's mercy, you can get the bhakti-latā-bīja. Not ordinarily.

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ
(BG 7.28)

Unless you are free from the reaction of all sinful life, you cannot understand what is bhakti, what is Bhagavān. Therefore puṇya-karmaṇām. Janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. We should act piously. Piously means we must first of all give up impious activities: illicit sex life, meat-eating, drinking and gambling. Then you can lead pious life. Then you can understand what is God. Mean... These things are... Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means training people to become pious to understand Kṛṣṇa and make his life successful.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Mr. & Mrs. Wax, Writer and Editing Manager of Playboy Magazine -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:

Nitāi: Śrī bhagavān uvāca...

Prabhupāda: The mother first of all inquired? No.

Nitāi: Uh, you want me to start there.

Prabhupāda: Devahūti? The mother's name is Devahūti. And the son is celebrated as "son of Devahūti." The son is famous with the mother's name. And mother is taking instruction from the son. This is ideal society.

Nitāi:

devahūtir uvāca
nirviṇṇā nitarāṁ bhūmann
asad-indriya-tarṣaṇāt
yena sambhāvyamānena
prapannāndhaṁ tamaḥ prabho

"Devahūti said: I am very sick of the disturbance of my material senses, for because of this sense disturbance, my Lord, I have fallen into the abyss of ignorance." Tasya tvaṁ tamaso 'ndhasya...

Prabhupāda: There is no purport of Devahūti?

Nitāi: "Here the word asad-indriya-tarṣaṇāt is significant. Asat means 'impermanent,' 'temporary,' and indriya means 'senses.' Thus asad-indriya-tarṣaṇāt means 'from being agitated by the temporarily manifest senses of the material body.' We are evolving through different statuses of material bodily existence sometimes in a human body, sometimes in an animal body—and therefore the engagements of our material senses are also changing. Anything which changes is called temporary, or asat. We should know that beyond these temporary senses are our permanent senses, which are now covered by the material body. The permanent senses, being contaminated by matter, are not acting properly. Devotional service, therefore, involves freeing the senses from this contamination. When the contamination is completely removed and the senses act in the purity of unalloyed Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then we have reached the sad-indriya, or eternal sense activities. The eternal sensual activities are called devotional service, whereas temporary sensual activities are called sense gratification. Unless one becomes tired of material sense gratification, there is no opportunity to hear transcendental messages from a person like Kapila. Devahūti expressed that she was tired. Now that her husband had left home, she wanted to get relief by hearing the instructions of Lord Kapila."

Prabhupāda: So this full book is the answer and question between mother and son. So, although she is mother, she has given birth to the child, but she has become now dependent on this child for good instruction. This is ideal society.

Mrs. Wax: Thank you for answering my questions.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Give them prasādam. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Page Title:SB 03.25.08 tasya tvam tamaso 'ndhasya... cited
Compiler:SunitaS, Krsnadas
Created:13 of Sep, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=5, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:7