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visvasya—of the cosmic universe; janma—creation; sthiti—maintenance; samyama-arthe—for the dissolution also; krta—accepted or assumed; avatarasya—of the incarnations; pada-ambujam—lotus feet; te—Your; vrajema—let us take shelter of; sarve—all of us; saranam—shelter; yat—that which; isa—O Lord; smrtam—remembrance; prayacchati—awarding; abhayam—courage; sva-pumsam—of the devotees.

O Lord, You assume incarnations for the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the cosmic manifestation, and therefore we all take shelter of Your lotus feet because they always award remembrance and courage to Your devotees.

For the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the cosmic manifestations there are three incarnations: Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara (Lord Siva). They are the controllers or masters of the three modes of material nature, which cause the phenomenal manifestation. Visnu is the master of the mode of goodness, Brahma is the master of the mode of passion, and Mahesvara is the master of the mode of ignorance. There are different kinds of devotees according to the modes of nature. Persons in the mode of goodness worship Lord Visnu, those in the mode of passion worship Lord Brahma, and those in the mode of ignorance worship Lord Siva. All three of these deities are incarnations of the Supreme Lord Krsna because He is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead. The demigods directly refer to the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord and not to the different incarnations. The incarnation of Visnu in the material world is, however, directly worshiped by the demigods. It is learned from various scriptures that the demigods approach Lord Visnu in the ocean of milk and submit their grievances whenever there is some difficulty in the administration of universal affairs. Although they are incarnations of the Lord, Lord Brahma and Lord Siva worship Lord Visnu, and thus they are also counted amongst the demigods and not as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Persons who worship Lord Visnu are called demigods, and persons who do not do so are called asuras, or demons. Visnu always takes the part of the demigods, but Brahma and Siva sometimes take the side of the demons; it is not that they become one in interest with them, but sometimes they do something in order to gain control over the demons.

SB3.5.44

TEXT 44

yat sanubandhe ’sati deha-gehe

mamaham ity udha-duragrahanam

pumsam suduram vasato ’pi puryam

bhajema tat te bhagavan padabjam

yat—because; sa-anubandhe—due to becoming entangled; asati—thus being; deha—the gross material body; gehe—in the home; mama—mine; aham—I; iti—thus; udha—great, deep; duragrahanam—undesirable eagerness; pumsam—of persons; su-duram—far away; vasatah—dwelling; api—although; puryam—within the body; bhajema—let us worship; tat—therefore; te—Your; bhagavan—O Lord; pada-abjam—lotus feet.

O Lord, persons who are entangled by undesirable eagerness for the temporary body and kinsmen, and who are bound by thoughts of “mine” and “I,” are unable to see Your lotus feet, although Your lotus feet are situated within their own bodies. But let us take shelter of Your lotus feet.

The whole Vedic philosophy of life is that one should get rid of the material encagement of gross and subtle bodies, which only cause one to continue in a condemned life of miseries. This material body continues as long as one is not detached from the false conception of lording it over material nature. The impetus for lording it over material nature is the sense of “mine” and “I.” “I am the lord of all that I survey. So many things I possess, and I shall possess more and more. Who can be richer than I in wealth and education? I am the master, and I am God. Who else is there but me?” All these ideas reflect the philosophy of aham mama, the conception that “I am everything.” Persons conducted by such a conception of life can never get liberation from material bondage. But even a person perpetually condemned to the miseries of material existence can get relief from bondage if he simply agrees to hear only krsna-katha. In this age of Kali, the process of hearing krsna-katha is the most effective means to gain release from unwanted family affection and thus find permanent freedom in life. The age of Kali is full of sinful reactions, and people are more and more addicted to the qualities of this age, but simply by hearing and chanting of krsna-katha one is sure to go back to Godhead. Therefore, people should be trained to hear only krsna-katha—by all means—in order to get relief from all miseries.

SB3.5.45

TEXT 45

tan vai hy asad-vrttibhir aksibhir ye

parahrtantar-manasah paresa

atho na pasyanty urugaya nunam

ye te padanyasa-vilasa-laksyah

tan—the lotus feet of the Lord; vai—certainly; hi—for; asat—materialistic; vrttibhih—by those who are influenced by external energy; aksibhih—by the senses; ye—those; parahrta—missing at a distance; antah-manasah—of the internal mind; paresa—O Supreme; atho—therefore; na—never; pasyanti—can see; urugaya—O great; nunam—but; ye—those who; te—Your; padanyasa—activities; vilasa—transcendental enjoyment; laksyah—those who see.

O great Supreme Lord, offensive persons whose internal vision has been too affected by external materialistic activities cannot see Your lotus feet, but they are seen by Your pure devotees, whose one and only aim is to transcendentally enjoy Your activities.

panena te deva katha-sudhayah

As stated in Bhagavad-gita (18.61), the Lord is situated in everyone’s heart. It is natural that one should he able to see the Lord at least within himself. But that is not possible for those whose internal vision has been covered by external activities. The pure soul, which is symptomized by consciousness, can be easily perceived even by a common man because consciousness is spread all over the body. The yoga system as recommended in Bhagavad-gita is to concentrate the mental activities internally and thus see the lotus feet of the Lord within oneself. But there are many so-called yogis who have no concern with the Lord but are only concerned with consciousness, which they accept as the final realization. Such realization of consciousness is taught by Bhagavad-gita within only a few minutes, whereas the so-called yogis take continuous years to realize it because of their offenses at the lotus feet of the Lord. The greatest offense is to deny the existence of the Lord as separate from the individual souls or to accept the Lord and the individual soul as one and the same. The impersonalists misinterpret the theory a reflection, and thus they wrongly accept the individual consciousness as the supreme consciousness.

The theory of the reflection of the Supreme can be clearly understood without difficulty by any sincere common man. When there is a reflection of the sky on the water, both the sky and the stars are seen within the water, but it is understood that the sky and the stars are not to be accepted on the same level. The stars are parts of the sky, and therefore they cannot be equal to the whole. The sky is the whole, and the stars are parts. They cannot be one and the same. Transcendentalists who do not accept the supreme consciousness as separate from the individual consciousness are as offensive as the materialists who deny even the existence of the Lord.

Such offenders cannot actually see the lotus feet of the Lord within themselves, nor are they even able to see the devotees of the Lord. The devotees of the Lord are so kind that they roam to all places to enlighten people in God consciousness. The offenders, however, lose the chance to receive the Lord’s devotees, although the offenseless common man is at once influenced by the devotees’ presence. In this connection there is an interesting story of a hunter and Devarsi Narada. A hunter in the forest, although a great sinner, was not an intentional offender. He was at once influenced by the presence of Narada, and he agreed to take the path of devotion, leaving aside his hearth and home. But the offenders Nalakuvara and Manigriva, even though living amongst the demigods, had to undergo the punishment of becoming trees in their next lives, although by the grace of a devotee they were later delivered by the Lord. Offenders have to wait until they receive the mercy of devotees, and then they can become eligible to see the lotus feet of the Lord within themselves. But due to their offenses and their extreme materialism, they cannot see even the devotees of the Lord. Engaged in external activities, they kill the internal vision. The Lord’s devotees, however, do not mind the offenses of the foolish in their many gross and subtle bodily endeavors. The Lord’s devotees continue to bestow the blessings of devotion upon all such offenders without hesitation. That is the nature of devotees.

SB3.5.46

TEXT 46

pravrddha-bhaktya visadasaya ye

vairagya-saram pratilabhya bodham

yathanjasanviyur akuntha-dhisnyam

panena—by drinking; te—of You; deva—O Lord; katha—topics; sudhayah—of the nectar; pravrddha—highly enlightened; bhaktya—by devotional service; visada-asayah—with a greatly serious attitude; ye—those who; vairagya-saram—the entire purport of renunciation; pratilabhya—achieving; bodham—intelligence; yatha—as much as; anjasa—quickly; anviyuh—achieve; akuntha-dhisnyam—Vaikunthaloka in the spiritual sky.

O Lord, persons who, because of their serious attitude, attain the stage of enlightened devotional service achieve the complete meaning of renunciation and knowledge and attain the Vaikunthaloka in the spiritual sky simply by drinking the nectar of Your topics.

The difference between the impersonalistic mental speculators and the pure devotees of the Lord is that the former pass through a miserable understanding of the Absolute Truth at every stage, whereas the devotees enter into the kingdom of all pleasures even from the beginning of their attempt. The devotee has only to hear about devotional activities, which are as simple as anything in ordinary life, and he also acts very simply, whereas the mental speculator has to pass through a jugglery of words, which are partially facts and partially a make-show for the maintenance of an artificial impersonal status. In spite of his strenuous efforts to attain perfect knowledge, the impersonalist attains merging into the impersonal oneness of the brahmajyoti of the Lord, which is also attained by the enemies of the Lord simply because of their being killed by Him. The devotees, however, attain to the highest stage of knowledge and renunciation and achieve the Vaikunthalokas, the planets in the spiritual sky. The impersonalist attains only the sky, and does not achieve any tangible transcendental bliss, whereas the devotee attains to the planets where real spiritual life prevails. With a serious attitude, the devotee throws away all achievements like so much dust, and he accepts only devotional service, the transcendental culmination.

SB3.5.47

TEXT 47

tathapare catma-samadhi-yoga-

balena jitva prakrtim balistham

tvam eva dhirah purusam visanti

tesam sramah syan na tu sevaya te

tatha—as far as; apare—others; ca—also; atma-samadhi—transcendental self-realization; yoga—means; balena—by the strength of; jitva—conquering; prakrtim—acquired nature or modes of nature; balistham—very powerful; tvam—You; eva—only; dhirah—pacified; purusam—person; visanti—enters into; tesam—for them; sramah—much labor; syat—has to be taken; na—never; tu—but; sevaya—by serving; te—of You.

Others, who are pacified by means of transcendental self-realization and have conquered over the modes of nature by dint of strong power and knowledge, also enter into You, but for them there is much pain, whereas the devotee simply discharges devotional service and thus feels no such pain.

In terms of a labor of love and its returns, the bhaktas, or devotees of the Lord, always have priority over persons who are addicted to the association of jnanis, or impersonalists, and yogis, or mystics. The word apare (others) is very significant in this connection. “Others” refers to the jnanis and the yogis, whose only hope is to merge into the existence of the impersonal brahmajyoti. Although their destination is not so important in comparison to the destination of the devotees, the labor of the nondevotees is far greater than that of the bhaktas. One may suggest that there is sufficient labor for the devotees also in the matter of discharging devotional service. But that labor is compensated by the enhancement of transcendental pleasure. The devotees derive more transcendental pleasure while engaged continuously in the service of the Lord than when they have no such engagement. In the family combination of a man and a woman there is much labor and responsibility for both of them, yet when they are single they feel more trouble for want of their united activities.

The union of the impersonalists and the union of the devotees are not on a par. The impersonalists try to fully stop their individuality by attaining sayujya-mukti, or unification by merging into oneness, whereas the devotees keep their individuality to exchange feelings in relationship with the supreme individual Lord. Such reciprocation of feelings takes place in the transcendental Vaikuntha planets, and therefore the liberation sought by the impersonalists is already achieved in devotional service. The devotees attain mukti automatically, while continuing the transcendental pleasure of maintaining individuality. As explained in the previous verse, the destination of the devotees is Vaikuntha, or akuntha-dhisnya, the place where anxieties are completely eradicated. One should not mistake the destination of the devotees and that of the impersonalists to be one and the same. The destinations are distinctly different, and the transcendental pleasure derived by the devotee is also distinct from cin-matra, or spiritual feelings alone.

SB3.5.48

TEXT 48

tat te vayam loka-sisrksayadya

tvayanusrstas tribhir atmabhih sma

sarve viyuktah sva-vihara-tantram

na saknumas tat pratihartave te

tat—therefore; te—Your; vayam—all of us; loka—world; sisrksaya—for the sake of creation; adya—O Original person; tvaya—by You; anusrstah—being created one after another; tribhih—by the three modes of nature; atmabhih—by one’s own; sma—in the past; sarve—all; viyuktah—separated; sva-vihara-tantram—the network of activities for one’s own pleasure; na—not; saknumah—could do it; tat—that; pratihartave—to award; te—unto Your.

O Original Person, we are therefore but Yours only. Although we are Your creatures, we are born one after another under the influence of the three modes of nature, and for this reason we are separated in action. Therefore, after the creation we could not act concertedly for Your transcendental pleasure.

The cosmic creation is working under the influence of the three modes of the external potency of the Lord. Different creatures are also under the same influence, and therefore they cannot act concertedly in satisfying the Lord. Because of this diverse activity, there cannot be any harmony in the material world. The best policy, therefore, is to act for the sake of the Lord. That will bring about the desired harmony.

SB3.5.49

TEXT 49

yavad balim te ’ja harama kale

yatha vayam cannam adama yatra

yathobhayesam ta ime hi loka

balim haranto ’nnam adanty anuhah

yavat—as it may be; balim—offerings; te—Your; aja—O unborn one; harama—shall offer; kale—at the right time; yatha—as much as; vayam—we; ca—also; annam—food grains; adama—shall partake; yatra—whereupon; yatha—as much as; ubhayesam—both for You and for us; te—all; ime—these; hi—certainly; lokah—living entities; balim—offerings; harantah—while offering; annam—grains; adanti—eat; anuhah—without disturbance.

O unborn one, please enlighten us regarding the ways and means by which we can offer You all enjoyable grains and commodities so that both we and all other living entities in this world can maintain ourselves without disturbance and can easily accumulate the necessities of life both for You and for ourselves.

Developed consciousness begins from the human form of life and further increases in the forms of the demigods living in higher planets. The earth is situated almost in the middle of the universe, and the human form of life is the via medium between the life of the demigods and that of the demons. The planetary systems above the earth are especially meant for the higher intellectuals, called demigods. They are called demigods because although their standard of life is far more advanced in culture, enjoyment, luxury, beauty, education and duration of life, they are always fully God conscious. Such demigods are always ready to render service to the Supreme Lord because they are perfectly aware of the fact that every living entity is constitutionally an eternal subordinate servitor of the Lord. They also know that it is the Lord only who can maintain all living entities with all the necessities of life. The Vedic hymns, eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman, ta enam abruvann ayatanam nah prajanihi yasmin pratisthita annam adame, etc., confirm this truth. In Bhagavad-gita also, the Lord is mentioned as bhuta-bhrt, or the maintainer of all living creatures.

The modern theory that starvation is due to an increase in population is not accepted by the demigods or the devotees of the Lord. The devotees or demigods are fully aware that the Lord can maintain any number of living entities, provided they are conscious of how to eat. If they want to eat like ordinary animals, who have no God consciousness, then they must live in starvation, poverty and want, like the jungle animals in the forest. The jungle animals are also maintained by the Lord with their respective foodstuffs, but they are not advanced in God consciousness. Similarly, human beings are provided with food grains, vegetables, fruits and milk by the grace of the Lord, but it is the duty of human beings to acknowledge the mercy of the Lord. As a matter of gratitude, they should feel obliged to the Lord for their supply of foodstuff, and they must first offer Him food in sacrifice and then partake of the remnants.

In Bhagavad-gita (3.13) it is confirmed that one who takes foodstuff after a performance of sacrifice eats real food for proper maintenance of the body and soul, but one who cooks for himself and does not perform any sacrifice eats only lumps of sin in the shape of foodstuffs. Such sinful eating can never make one happy or free from scarcity. Famine is not due to an increase in population, as less intelligent economists think. When human society is grateful to the Lord for all His gifts for the maintenance of the living entities, then there is certainly no scarcity or want in society. But when men are unaware of the intrinsic value of such gifts from the Lord, surely they are in want. A person who has no God consciousness may live in opulence for the time being due to his past virtuous acts, but if one forgets his relationship with the Lord, certainly he must await the stage of starvation by the law of the powerful material nature. One cannot escape the vigilance of the powerful material nature unless he leads a God conscious or devotional life.

SB3.5.50

TEXT 50

tvam nah suranam asi sanvayanam

kuta-stha adyah purusah puranah

tvam deva saktyam guna-karma-yonau

retas tv ajayam kavim adadhe ’jah

tvam—Your Lordship; nah—of us; suranam—of the demigods; asi—You are; sa-anvayanam—with different gradations; kuta-sthah—one who is unchanged; adyah—without any superior; purusah—the founder person; puranah—the oldest, who has no other founder; tvam—You; deva—O Lord; saktyam—unto the energy; guna-karma-yonau—unto the cause of the material modes and activities; retah—semen of birth; tu—indeed; ajayam—for begetting; kavim—the total living entities; adadhe—initiated; ajah—one who is unborn.

You are the original personal founder of all the demigods and the orders of different gradations, yet You are the oldest and are unchanged. O Lord, You have no source or superior. You have impregnated the external energy with the semen of the total living entities, yet You are unborn.

The Lord, the Original Person, is the father of all other living entities, beginning from Brahma, the personality from whom all other living entities in different gradations of species are generated. Yet the supreme father has no other father. Every one of the living entities of all grades, up to Brahma, the original creature of the universe, is begotten by a father, but He, the Lord, has no father. When He descends on the material plane, out of Mis causeless mercy He accepts one of His great devotees as His father to keep pace with the rules of the material world. But since He is the Lord, He is always independent in choosing who will become His father. For example, the Lord came out of a pillar in His incarnation as Nrsimhadeva, and by the Lord’s causeless mercy, Ahalya came out of a stone by the touch of the lotus feet of His incarnation as Lord Sri Rama. He is also the companion of every living entity as the Supersoul, but He is unchanged. The living entity changes his body in the material world, but even when the Lord is in the material world, He is ever unchanged. That is His prerogative.

As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (14.3), the Lord impregnates the external or material energy, and thus the total living entities later come out in different gradations, beginning from Brahma, the first demigod, down to the insignificant ant. All gradations of living entities are manifested by Brahma and the external energy, but the Lord is the original father of everyone. The relationship of every living being with the Supreme Lord is certainly one of son and father and not one of equality. Sometimes in love the son is more than the father, but the relationship of father and son is one of the superior and the subordinate. Every living entity, however great he may be, even up to demigods like Brahma and Indra, is an eternally subordinate servitor of the supreme father. The mahat-tattva principle is the generating source of all the modes of material nature, and the living entities take birth in the material world in bodies supplied by the mother, material nature, in terms of their previous work. The body is a gift of material nature, but the soul is originally part and parcel of the Supreme Lord.

SB3.5.51

TEXT 51

tato vayam mat-pramukha yad-arthe

babhuvimatman karavama kim te

tvam nah sva-caksuh paridehi saktya

deva kriyarthe yad-anugrahanam

tatah—therefore; vayam—all of us; mat-pramukhah—coming from the total cosmos, the mahat-tattva; yat-arthe—for the purpose of which; babhuvima—created; atman—O Supreme Self; karavama—shall do; kim—what; te—Your service; tvam—Yourself; nah—to us; sva-caksuh—personal plan; paridehi—specifically grant us; saktya—with potency to work; deva—O Lord; kriya-arthe—for acting; yat—from which; anugrahanam—of those who are specifically favored.

O Supreme Self, please give us, who are created in the beginning from the mahat-tattva, the total cosmic energy, Your kind directions on how we shall act. Kindly award us Your perfect knowledge and potency so that we can render You service in the different departments of subsequent creation.