Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.11 Prabhupada: (Hindi) (sings mangalacarana prayers) (aside:) That’s all right. na niskrtair uditair brahma-vadibhis tatha visuddhyaty aghavan vratadibhih yatha harer nama-padair udahrtais tad uttamasloka-gunopalambhakam Na niskrtair uditair brahma-vadibhih. There are twenty kinds of religious scripture, out of which, Manu is considered to be the greatest. So they have prescribed many methods for getting oneself released from the reaction of sinful activities. Every one of us, anyone who is engaged in karma… Karma means papa, sinful activities. And karma means one who is working for his own benefit. He is karmi. The whole world is working so hard not for others’ benefit but his personal benefit. That is called karma. Try to understand what is karma. Karma means anyone who is working very hard day and night for his own benefit. That is called karma. And whenever you perform karma for your personal interest there must be some sinful activity. Therefore every karmi is a sinful man. It is clear understanding. No karmi can be without being sinful. Every karmi is. Therefore how to work? Just like government gives you license, say for… One is… Every businessman is given some license. The municipality gives license. The sales tax department gives license, certificate. There are so many licenses a businessman has to follow, income tax licenses. But there are rules and regulations because all these departments know it very well that any businessman or karmi, he is sure to commit sinful activities. Therefore there are so many regulations just to stop him as far as possible from sinful activities. Similarly, there are twenty kinds of vimsati-prakasa-dharma-sastra. How one can live faithfully, religiously, the directions are there in twenty kinds of scriptures made by Parasara, Manu, and many other sages. There are different types. So therefore it is said here that na niskrtair uditair brahma-vadibhih. Brahma-vadibhih. Brahma-vadi means those who are trying to lead persons to realize Brahman. The whole direction of the Vedic injunction is to understand that “I am not this material body; I am spirit soul.” And in order to understand this factual position there are so many directions in the dharma-sastra or religious scriptures. And you’ll find here the Yamaduta or Yamaraja will speak, dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Really, originally, the, I mean to say regulator of religious principle is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Krsna is sometimes addressed as dharma-setu. Setu means bridge. We have to cross over. The whole plan is that we have to cross over the ocean of nescience in which we are now fallen. The material existence means it is ocean of ignorance and nescience, and one has to cross over it. Then he gets the real life. This is not real life. Bhutva bhutva praliyate. We are… Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. People are so foolish. They do not take it very seriously because they do not know that they are eternal. That is another ignorance. Bhagavad-gita begins from this knowledge that living soul is eternal, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. But they are in ignorance. They take it as a matter of fact that “This life, this body, is all in all, and after death there is no more any body, so who cares for sinful activities?” That is another ignorance. And in order to give them direction there are so many religious scriptures in human society. Therefore it is said, dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah. If one is not following the principles of religious scriptures… It doesn’t matter whether it is Hindu religion or Christian religion or Muslim religion. It doesn’t matter. But human civilization, a civilized human being must follow some religious principles. That is the aim of human life. And anyone who does not follow any religious scripture, he is simply animal. That is the position of the present world. We may claim to be Hindu or Muslim or Christian, but nobody cares for religion. They are simply karmis. Therefore they are all sinful. Na niskrtair uditair brahma-vadibhih. Now here the Visnuduta says that “The direction given in the religious principles, to get out of reaction of the sinful activities, they are not sufficient.” Just like in Christian religion there is the direction that if anyone is sinful he should go to a priest and confess that “I have committed these things.” And if the priest or the father who is supposed to be representative of God or Christ, if he excuses for his confession, then his sinful activities become null and void. Here it is said, na niskrtair uditair brahma-vadibhis tatha visuddhyaty aghavan. Just try to understand that this direction cannot purify the sinful man so nicely because the same man who has confessed that “I have committed these sins,” he again comes out of the church and again commits the same sin. Therefore he is not purified. He is not purified. Here it is said, na visuddhyaty aghavan vratadibhih. It is not only in Christian religion. In every religion there are some prescribed method that… Accepting as a matter of fact that every man is sinful, therefore in religious scriptures there are certain methods to purify them. But here the Visnuduta says that these prescribed methods, although they are authorized and fact, but they cannot purify the heart of the follower of that religion. And you can see that as our Hindu-Muslim religion, even they perform the ritualistic ceremonies, they do not cease from committing the sins. Just like a rascal patient. He goes to the physician. The physician gives some medicine and gives some direction that “You take this medicine. Do not do this. You do not eat so many things. You eat like this.” But he takes the medicine. For the time being he follows and again he commits the same mistake and again he goes to the physician and “Doctor, please give me medicine.” This is going on. So this kind of treatment is not accepted by the Visnuduta. Therefore it is said, tatha visuddhyaty, na tatha visuddhyaty aghavan vratadibhih yatha harer nama-padair udahrtais tad uttamasloka-gunopalambhakam So this is the superexcellence of chanting the holy name of Krsna or God. Here it is said that “Such description or prescription for performing ritualistic ceremony, they are not sufficient to purify a man.” But if one chants the holy name of God, Hare Krsna mantra, yatha harer nama-padair udahrtaih, padaih, once, once only, Krsna, Rama, Narayana… So harer nama, not other name, only harer nama. Yatha harer nama-padair udahrtaih. Simply once chanting. Uttamasloka-gunopalambhakam. The purification of chanting harer nama [Adi 17.21] means as soon as you chant the holy name of Krsna immediately you will see the form of Krsna, you will realize the qualities of Krsna, you will immediately remember the pastimes of Krsna. That is pure chanting of Hare Krsna mantra. That is the commented by Srila Jiva Gosvami, that a pure devotee who chants Hare Krsna mantra, immediately all these—nama, rupa, guna, lila, parikara, vasistha… Simply by chanting name you will feel the form of Krsna: “Here is Krsna.” Nama, rupa, guna. “Here are the qualities. Oh, Krsna is so qualified. He is so kind. He is so magnanimous.” So many qualities you will remember. Nama, rupa, guna, lila. Then His pastimes. “Oh, Krsna instructed Arjuna. Krsna played with His cowherd boys. Krsna had very nice talks with the gopis, with His mother Yasoda.” These things will be remembered. That is factual perfection of chanting, that Ajamila… Ajamila in his previous life, although he became fallen in later age, but he was a brahmacari. He was being trained by his father and he knew the pastimes, the form, the name of Narayana. But by bad association for the time being, he forgot. But as soon as he chanted the name of Narayana he remembered all these. Therefore he was saved. Try to understand this. One should know the offenseless chanting means remembering the form. Therefore Mayavadi, those who are impersonalists, they cannot think of the form of the Lord, neither of the pastimes. They do not believe in the pastimes of the Lord. They think these pastimes means it is maya. Krsna’s transcendental pastimes, they think it is maya. Krsna’s form, it is maya because they are impersonalists. Therefore Krsna says that janma karma me divyam. The rascals, they cannot understand what are the activities, pastimes of Krsna. They think it is maya. But they are divyam, transcendental, not of this material nature. Krsna-lila is not of material nature. Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. Anyone who knows factually, in truth, he only is immediately liberated. Just try to tally. Here it is said that Narayana, Narayana, simply by chanting this holy name, if immediately you remember what is the nature of the form of Krsna, what is the nature of His pastimes, what is the nature of entourage, then you immediately become liberated. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita. janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9] Therefore chanting is so easy and sublime. One who is chanting Hare Krsna mantra, if he is offenseless he’ll always remember Krsna’s form, Krsna’s pastimes, Krsna’s qualities, Krsna’s entourage. The whole thing will be remembered and that will make him liberated. Offenseless chanting means liberated. We should therefore (be) very much careful not to commit offenses. Then we remain always… So long you chant Hare Krsna mantra, you remain liberated. And actually ayi mukta-kalir upasyamana. Srila Rupa Gosvami has said that the chanting is possible only by the liberated soul. Ayi mukta-kalir upasyamana. When he is addressing the holy name he says mukta-kalir upasya: “Those who are liberated, they can chant offenseless or pure holy name of the Lord.” Ayi mukta-kalir upasyamana. And Pariksit Maharaja also has stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam… What is that verse? I immediately forget. Bhavausadhac chrotra-mano-’bhiramat. What is that sloka? Catur-masa, can you remember? Bhavausadhac chrotra-mano-’bhiramat ka uttamasloka-gunanuvadat, virajyeta puman vina pasughnat [SB 10.1.4]. Nivrtta-tarsair upagiyamanat. Yes, I remember now. Nivrtta-tarsair upagiyamanat, that “The holy name of Krsna can be chanted by persons who are nivrtta-tarsaih.” Nivrtta means those who are completely ceased from material desire. He can chant. Nivrtta-tarsair upagiyamanat. The holy name of God, Krsna, can be chanted by persons who are completely liberated from all kinds of material desire. That is pure stage of devotional service. anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam anukulyena krsnanu-silanam bhaktir uttama [BRS 1.1.11] One who has become completely freed from all kinds of material desires… Jnana-karmady-anavrtam [Madhya 19.167]. Jnana-karmady… Jnana, cultivation of knowledge, and cultivation of pious activities, that is also on the material field. The pious… To become very pious man does not mean that he is a liberated man. He is good man, on the platform of the quality of goodness, but he is not a liberated man. Try to understand. A good man is not a liberated man. Good man is also conditioned soul. He is bound up by good condition. Just like to become a brahmana. That does not mean that… He has acquired the good qualities but that does not mean that he is a devotee. You will find in this prayer. You will find many good men but you will find rarely a pure devotee. So good man is not a devotee. Try to distinguish. Good man is good for this material existence but devotee is different from good man. A devotee… Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is killing, engaged in killing. People may think that “Oh, Arjuna is not very good man. He is killing his grandfather, he is killing his, what is called, nephews, and devastating the whole family. Oh, he is not a good man.” Sometimes comment, people comment like that. But Krsna says, bhakto ’si priyo ’si me: “You are My very dear friend.” Just try to understand. In the estimation of the material world he is a very good man, er, he is not a good man because he is killing his own kinsmen. But in the estimation of Krsna, he is dear friend and devotee. So that is the difference between a devotee and good man of this world. A devotee is naturally very good man, but when he acts just like a bad man on behalf of Krsna, he does not fall down. He still remains a pure devotee. So here it is said that yad uttamasloka-gunopalambhaka. We have to… Just like there are some sahajiyas. They think that “Krsna’s rasa-lila is very nice, but Krsna’s fighting with the demons and killing of the demons, that is not very nice.” But they do not know the Absolute Truth, that Krsna is as good in any circumstances, either He is enjoying the company of the gopis or He is killing the demon. That is the Absolute Truth. So these things should be understood. So any kind of lila, yad uttamasloka-gunanu, lila, any kind of Krsna’s activities, if you remember by chanting Hare Krsna mantra, then you are liberated. Immediately you are liberated, from the authoritative description of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Na niskrtair uditair brahma-vadibhih. Brahma-vadibhih, those who are very much anxious to realize Brahman, they have prescribed so many methods, ritualistic methods, but they are not sufficient because such things cannot elevate a person to the standard of a pure devotee. He may… Just like this arrangement, this Kumbha-lila arrangement, is a prescription by the Brahmavadis. There is a prescription that one should go during this time, maghamela, and live in the confluence, on the bank of the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna and at least three days he must live. Then he becomes eligible to enter into the heavenly kingdom. These people who have come here, their ambition is to enter into the heavenly kingdom. But a devotee does not care for heavenly kingdom. A devotee cares a very fig in any planet within this material world. As Krsna says, a-brahma-bhuvanal lokan punar avartino arjuna. Means they know what is the benefit of entering into heavenly kingdom. There is no benefit. Suppose I may get thousands of years’ age and I enjoy very high standard of life, woman, money, wine. Just think. But what is the benefit? There is no benefit. I was very glad to read one article sent by Satsvarupa in Boston. He has said, “What is this society, family? It is all hellish. We do not wish to live without Krsna.” Very nice statement. That is real realization. We do not like to live without Krsna. So anyone who has realized it that “Any amount of material happiness is to be kicked out. We don’t care for it. We simply care for Krsna, how Krsna will be happy,” that is pure devotee. Anukulyena krsnanusilanam. Anukulyena means favorably. We should simply try to please Krsna favorably, not unfavorably. Just like Kamsa. Kamsa was also Krsna conscious, always thinking of Krsna, but that was unfavorably. His business was how to kill Krsna. He was thinking of Krsna but his business was he was thinking, “How to kill Krsna?” That is pratikula. Pratikula is not bhakti. When you think of Krsna against His desire, against the principle of satisfying Him, that is not bhakti, although that is also Krsna consciousness. An enemy of Krsna, he is also thinking of Krsna. That does not mean that he is Krsna conscious. He is Krsna conscious unfavorably. Therefore it is not bhakti. You have to act favorably. So Arjuna became a devotee because he acted favorably for satisfaction of Krsna. It was not favorable to the material life but it was favorable to Krsna. That should be your business, how Krsna should be satisfied. And therefore naturally it is concluded that “How I can satisfy Krsna?” You have to satisfy his representative. Therefore we have sung just now, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah **. If you satisfy His representative, then He is satisfied. Just like in office the proprietor has got a head of a department. If you satisfy that head of the department the proprietor is satisfied. The report goes to the proprietor that “This man, this clerk is working very nice,” so his promotion, increment of payment is already there. So a pure devotee’s business is how to satisfy Krsna. And as soon as he chants the Hare Krsna mantra, immediately he remembers the whole plan, how to satisfy Krsna. Therefore he’s a liberated person. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. Devotee (1): (indistinct) …wants to satisfy… (indistinct) …satisfy the proprietor… (indistinct) Prabhupada: Yes. Devotee (1): If one satisfies the pure devotee, he’ll be satisfying Lord Krsna. Prabhupada: Yes. Devotee (1): Yet he was saying that the demigods are also taking part of… Prabhupada: The demigods are not pure devotees. They are devotees. Just like Brahma is the best of the demigods but he has a material desire that “I shall be the controller of the universe.” Therefore he is not a pure devotee. Bhaktivinoda Thakura has said, kita janma hau, jatha tua dasa, bahir-mukha brahma-janme, nahi mora asa. Is not that? So a pure devotee does not try to become a Brahma also, what to speak of other demigods, because anyone within this material world, he has got some material desire, anyone. Therefore he is not liberated. He is conditioned. Only the pure devotee who is trying to satisfy Krsna by all his activities, he is liberated. What do you think, Ramananda? Eh? Is it clear or not? That’s nice. Thank you. Yamuna devi? Yamuna: I surrender to your lotus feet, Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada: All right. So anyone, if you have got doubt you can clear it. Now you can try to understand how powerful is this pure chanting of Hare Krsna mantra. Offenseless chanting of Hare Krsna mantra means you remain liberated always. Offenseless chanting, once chanting is sufficient. But because we are not offenseless, therefore we have to make a regulated program that we must chant Hare Krsna so many times. Otherwise one chanting of Krsna is sufficient to make you liberated, one chant, “Krsna,” “Rama,” once, that’s all, sufficient. Just like this Ajamila. Once he chanted Narayana. He became immediately liberated because he was offenseless. But because we cannot do that, therefore we have to make a prescription. Just like a child who cannot write very good hand. He is asked that “You write so many pages.” By writing, writing, writing, writing, writing, he writes good hand. So we should not neglect. Chanting, chanting, chanting… Another… This is one side. Another side is when you become liberated the chanting will give you transcendental pleasure so that you cannot cease. You cannot cease chanting. That is another side. That is liberated stage, just like Rupa Gosvami, Haridasa Thakura. You cannot imitate Haridasa Thakura but you must make a prescribed form that “I must chant so many times.” That is for conditioned soul. When you are liberated, then there is no need of giving you direction. You’ll feel transcendental pleasure by chanting. You cannot cease. Yes? Devotee (2): (indistinct) …was not prescribed… So how was it possible to chant the name at the time of death? Prabhupada: No, when he was a boy he was doing everything. You have not heard? So svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. Because he practiced sometimes before falling down, so by chanting this Hare Krsna mantra he immediately remembered that real Narayana immediately, His pastimes, His form, everything, and therefore he became liberated. He had practiced. But for the time being his practice was stopped on account of bad association. But as soon as chanted… That is the advantage of a devotee. If you practice devotional service even for some time and if you fall down, then it will also help sometime. Narada therefore says, tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer bhajann apakvo ’tha patet tato yadi [Bhag. 1.5.17] He says that a person who takes to devotional service, giving up all his prescribed duties… Just like Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Now, in course of prosecuting the devotional service, even he falls down there is no loss. Because whatever he has done, that remains his credit. Whereas a person who is following the ritualistic principles but does not develop devotional service, what will be benefit? He may get a promotion to the heavenly planet. What is that gain? The performance of ritualistic ceremonies according to Vedic injunction may… Just like here they are doing. They may get promotion to the heavenly planet. That much. They are not devotees. They are not eligible for entering into the kingdom of God. Therefore Narada says, “What is the benefit?” Suppose if one performs a ritualistic ceremony and is elevated to the heavenly planet, Satyaloka, Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka. There are so many higher planets, up to Brahmaloka. But Krsna says, a-brahma-bhuvanal lokan punar avartino. He has to come back again. But once you understand Krsna in fact—janma karma me divyam—once you remember Krsna’s pastimes, Krsna’s form, in pure devotion, he immediately becomes liberated. The karma-kandiya, they cannot understand this. Therefore pure devotion should be freed from the contamination of karma-kanda and jnana-kanda. Narottama dasa Thakura says, karma-kanda, jnana-kanda, sakali visera bandha. “Either you become pious or you become very learned philosopher, they are all poison pots because by cultivating such things you cannot become liberated from this material condition.” Therefore pure devotion means anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam [BRS 1.1.11]. Pure devotion means one should be freed from all material desires, even from the desire of being elevated to the heavenly planet or Brahmaloka, Satyaloka—that is karma—or to try to understand, just like the philosophists, they do. By speculation, by philosophical speculation, they try to understand what is God. So they are not pure devotion. They are karma-kanda, jnana-kanda. And Narottama dasa Thakura warns that karma-kanda, jnana-kanda, sakali visera bandha, amrta baliya yeba khaya: “A person, by mistake if he takes to the pots of karma-kanda and jnana-kanda, then the result is: nana yoni bhraman kare, he wanders in various species of life, sometimes as demigods, sometimes in heaven, sometimes…” But does not mean liberation. Nana yoni bhraman kare, kadarya bhaksana kare. And within these different varieties of life he may be sometimes a worm in the stool, a hog. Kadarya bhaksana kare. At that time he has to eat most abominable things. Therefore who takes to this principle—tara janma, adho pate yaya. If one does not take advantage of this human form of life to be a Krsna conscious person, then he simply spoils his life. Tara janma, adho pate yaya. Even if he is elevated to the heavenly kingdom what does he gain? He’s adho pata because the next chance he may be worm in the stool. Tara janma, adho pate yaya. These are facts. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Allahabad, January 16, 1971