Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.20-23 Prabhupada: svayambhur naradah sambhuh kumarah kapilo manuh prahlado janako bhismo balir vaiyasakir vayam [SB 6.3.20] Twelve mahajanas, authorities, we have discussed yesterday morning. dvadasaite vijanimo dharmam bhagavatam bhatah guhyam visuddham durbodham yam jnatvamrtam asnute So the science of Krsna is very difficult to understand. Durbodham. Durbodham. Durbodham means very, very difficult to understand. Therefore you have to approach the mahajanas. People, they try to understand which is impossible to understand by their own effort. That is a great mistake. Therefore this very word is used, durbodham. What is religion and what is God, that is very, very difficult to understand. The Vedic injunction is, in order to understand, one must approach a bona fide spiritual master, durbodham. Guhyam visuddham. Why durbodham? Why it is very difficult to understand? Because it is transcendental, visuddham, beyond the range of this material atmosphere. Our knowledge is… We get knowledge after creation of this body; therefore all knowledge is material. We tax our brain, which is a material production only. So there is no possibility of understanding religion or God by taxing the material membrane. What is called? Hamsaduta: Membrane. Prabhupada: Yes. That is not possible. But those who are grossly materialistic, those who do not know that beyond this materialistic body there is the soul, they cannot understand, for them, this yogic principle is recommended, to exercise this body. As if by exercising the body he will understand God and understand religion. Therefore the yoga system is not recommended for the first-class men. First-class men, they know that by gymnastic process of exercising the material senses, one cannot understand God or religion. Visuddham. It is beyond. Therefore another name of Krsna, or God, is Adhoksaja. Adhah. Adhah means falls down, and aksaja, aksaja means… Aksa means direct experience, direct seeing, direct touching. And ja means born. Knowledge born of direct perception of the senses—this is called aksaja. And adhah means where aksaja, the direct perception of material senses, is cut down. (curbed?) There is no possibility. He is called adhoksaja. Therefore, Krsna’s another name is Adhoksaja, “beyond the sense perception knowledge.” Panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyah. We cannot understand God or religion by our mental speculation even by the speed of mind, manasa. Panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara. And the speculation continues by, continues to hundreds and hundreds of years. Panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara. Sata means hundred, and koti means ten million. So ten million into hundred—unlimited time. If you go on speculating, by speculation, panthas tu koti, still, your conception of God or religion will remain incomplete. Panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo vayor athapi [Bs 5.34] By airplane, with the speed of the mind… There are different airplanes, and they have got different speeds. Now, if you manufacture an airplane which runs with the speed of the mind… You know the speed of the mind. Within a second, you can travel millions of miles. So an airplane running on, on that speed, and thinking for millions of years, still, you cannot approach the abode of Krsna or understand Krsna. Only you can understand by His mercy. Only by the mercy of… Bhaktya mam abhijanati. Bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. Just like Krsna is voluntarily offering Arjuna to understand Bhagavad-gita. He’s not going to canvass anyone. “Arjuna, you understand it. You’ll be able to understand because you are My devotee.” So for a devotee only, the door of God is open. For others, there is no possibility. Therefore, He’s called durbodham. Durbodham yam jnatva. But somehow or other, if he can understand the principles of religion and God, then immediately he becomes immortal. Immortal means he’s no more going to accept any material body. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita: janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9] Anyone who can understand in truth, not ephemerally, substantially, if one understands what is Krsna, how He appears, what are His activities, what is our relation—these things, when one understands, immediately he becomes liberated. Tyaktva deham punar janma [Bg. 4.9] Such person, giving up this body, no more comes into this material world. The same thing is herein: jnatva. If one can understand what is religion and what is Krsna, only by this understanding, jnatva amrtam asnute. Amrtam. Mrtam means death. A means “none,” “not,” negation. So amrtam asnute: he drinks nectarine. The word nectarine, sudha. You know there was fight between the demons and the demigods, who will drink the amrta, the nectarine. Because by drinking nectarine one becomes immortal. So here it is said, amrtam asnute. As by drinking nectarine, one can become immortal, similarly, by drinking the nectarine of devotion, one becomes immortal. Therefore we have named the book Nectar of Devotion. You drink it and become immortal. That’s all. Amrtam asnute. etavan eva loke ’smin pumsam dharmah parah smrtah bhakti-yogo bhagavati tan-nama-grahanadibhih So dharma, this religion, so although it is very difficult to understand, still, by the grace of Krsna, it has been made very simple and easy. Unfortunately, people have no faith. They do not believe. They think something cumberous, something speculative, something very difficult is the process of executing religion. No. Yamaraja says that etavan eva loke ’smin pumsam dharmah parah smrtah: “The highest principle of religion is this.” What is that? Bhakti-yogah bhagavati. Bhakti-yoga. One may… Just like some people, some foolish say, “Bhakti-yoga… I have got very much devotion to Goddess Kali, to Goddess Durga, or so many demigods. This is also bhakti.” No. Bhakti-yoga means bhagavati. Love means love of Godhead. Otherwise, there is no love—only lust. Similarly, bhakti means, when this word used, bhakti-yoga, that is only in relationship with the bhakta, or devotee, and Bhagavan. That is called bhakti-yoga. Nama, harer nama, not that any name. Harer nama harer nama [Adi 17.21]. Any name can be applied to Krsna indirectly, but directly… We are concerned directly. Anukulyena krsnanusilanam. We have to cultivate Krsna not indirectly. Indirectly, everything is worshiping Krsna, because there is nothing but Krsna everywhere. Just like Kamsa. Kamsa, he was thinking of Krsna indirectly as enemy. Therefore, that is not bhakti. Bhakti means Krsna consciousness favorably, directly. So if somebody says, “If everything is Bhagavan, why not worshiping the Goddess Kali and Durga becomes bhakti?” No. That is not. Here it is distinctly stated, bhakti-yogah bhagavati. Bhakti-yogah bhagavati. And that bhakti-yoga, how it begins? Tan-nama-grahanadibhih. Tan-nama, His name, His holy name, grahana, chanting. The method is very simple. Tan-nama-grahana-adibhih. Adibhih means beginning is chanting. There are other processes. Chanting, sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam, arcanam vandanam dasyam… [SB 7.5.23]. There are different processes, but the beginning is chanting and hearing. Tan-nama-grahanadibhih. Nama-grahana. Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, nama saya sari tako apana karya.(?) So this, our process, first of all, we give the chanting process. Sixteen rounds. That whole process of bhakti-yoga begins from that point. And the more you become experienced and more you relish the chanting, the more you become advanced. Other things will automatically come and make you perfect. Tan-nama. Therefore we should be very much, I mean to say, strict in the principle of following the regulative principles and avoiding offenses and chant the mantra faithfully. That is the beginning of religion, and that is the beginning of liberation. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu blesses that iha haite sarva-siddhi haibe tomara. If you chant the holy name of Krsna in faith and according to rules and regulations… Even rules and regulation fails, but chanting may not be stopped. Even sometimes we fail. There is possibility of failing, because we are conditioned, and there is every chance of falling down. So despite you are fallen down, still, you should go on chanting. This verse Narada Muni’s instruction, we were discussing the last meeting. Tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer bhajann apakvo ’tha patet tato yadi [Bhag. 1.5.17]. One has taken to this Krsna consciousness cult and is chanting as far as possible, but there is possibility, because one is not mature, there are so many attraction of maya, he may fall down. But Narada Muni says, “Still, he is not in loss.” It is so powerful. “Still he is in gain. And one who does not take to Krsna consciousness, if he is following the religious principles… Everyone has got some religion. Still, what does he gain? He does not gain anything.” That is the verdict of Narada Muni. A person who has taken to Krsna consciousness, giving up his all religious principles and occupations, even he falls down on account of his immature position, he is much gainer than the person who is sticking to his religious principle, so-called religious principle, but does not know what Krsna consciousness. He does not gain anything. That is the verdict of Narada Muni. namoccarana mahatmyam hareh pasyata putrakah ajamilo ’pi yenaiva mrtyu-pasad amucyata So the evidence is that Ajamila, simply by his chanting “Narayana,” he became saved from imminent danger, being arrested by the Yamadutas, or death. etavatalam agha-nirharanaya pumsam sankirtanam bhagavato guna-karma-namnam vikrusya putram aghavan yad ajamilo ’pi narayaneti mriyamana iyaya muktim This is the conclusion, that etavatalam agha-nirharanaya pumsam sankirtanam bhagavato guna-karma-namnam. Therefore Yamaraja is recommending that by our fruitive activities we are implicated in so many sinful reaction of life, so sankirtanam bhagavato guna-karma-namnam. Not only the chanting of Hare Krsna mantra is called sankirtana of the holy name of the Lord, but here it is said, guna-karma-namnam. Sankirtanam bhagavato guna-karma-namnam. Not that when you read Krsna, the book which is full of Krsna’s activities… That is also sankirtana. That is also sankirtana. Sankirtana does not mean simply chanting the holy name of Krsna. Sankirtana means you discuss Krsna’s activities, that is also sankirtana. That is not different from sankirtana. It is clearly stated here that bhagavato guna-karma-namnam. Nama means name, and guna means quality, and karma means activities. That is not ordinary karma. Just like when we read Krsna book, Krsna is killing so many demons, He is kidnapping somebody, He is… So many things. It appears just like ordinary, I mean to say, malpractices in the material world. It appears like that. “So what is this God? He is killing so many persons, He is kidnapping some woman. What is this God?” they may say. But they do not know that that is also transcendental. That is as pure as chanting Hare Krsna mantra. It is as pure as. Otherwise, what interest we have got to read Bhagavad-gita? It is in the battlefield. Senayor ubhayor madhye. Combination of two parties, soldiers, and they are fighting, they are killing. Therefore those who are sahajiyas, they simply go to the pastimes of Lord Krsna with the gopis. Other things, “Oh, no, no. That is not Krsna’s pastimes. That is not Krsna’s pastimes.” That is, they differentiate the absolute activities of the Absolute. That is called sahajiya. The sahajiyas will never read Bhagavad-gita, will never read. (sarcastic:) Because they have been elevated to the mellows of conjugal love. Therefore they have no interest in Bhagavad-gita. They say… Or when you discuss Srimad-Bhagavatam on the philosophical point, janmady asya [Bhag. 1.1.1], they also do not attend. If you discuss on the philosophy of Upanisad and Vedanta, they’ll not attend. I have seen it. In Radha-kunda, sometime in 1934, my Guru Maharaja was living, and he was discussing Upanisad. He was discussing Upanisad regularly. And the babajis… There are many babajis in Radha-kunda. First of all, they came, that “Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura has come, such a learned scholar and the establisher of Gaudiya Matha.” So out of curiosity they came. And when they saw that he was discussing Upanisad, gradually they stopped coming. So my Guru Maharaja recommended that “These people are not living in Radha-kunda. They are living in Naraka-kunda.” I have heard it personally. So those persons distinguish. Just like Bhisma. Bhisma is stated here as one of the authority, mahajanas. But what did he do? He fought against Krsna and pierced with his arrows. You know, in the… We have stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Krsna became so much disturbed that… Not disturbed. That is also another… He’s pleased. He became pleased, rather. Being pierced by the arrows of Bhisma, He became pleased. That I have described in my translation. So being pleased, He came before him. He came before him as if angry, but not… He was so pleased, that “You wanted to break My promise. I have broken it! Please save Arjuna; that is My request to you.’ ” He promised that “Now tomorrow I shall fight in such a way that either Krsna has to break His promise, either, or His most intimate friend, beloved friend, Arjuna, will be killed.” So this person is determining to kill Krsna’s friend, most intimate friend, and he’s a mahajana. Just try to understand. Bhisma is accepted here as mahajana, as authority. And what was his business? He wanted to kill Krsna and Arjuna. Just try to understand. Therefore, we have to follow only the instruction of mahajana; otherwise, we’ll be bewildered. Vaisnave kriya mudra vijneha na bujhaya. We cannot understand what are the activities of Krsna and His devotees. We have to simply follow their instruction. That’s all. The sahajiyas, they do not follow the instruction. They imitate only: “Krsna has made rasa-lila; so why not we also make rasa-lila?” It is going on, regularly. So etavatalam agha-nirharanaya pumsam sankirtanam. If you actually want to become free from the contamination of this material world, then you should always be engaged in chanting, sankirtanam. Not only the holy name, but reading the Krsna book, The Nectar of Devotion, Teachings of Lord Caitanya. If you feel tired chanting, you read these books. Sometimes there is psychology, transfer. You are reading some book, you want to read another book. So we have got so many books. If you feel tired this book, then transfer your attention to another book, or another book, or chant. Find out. Simply, not to waste a single moment. Kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. adi 17.31]. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says sada. Sada means always. So we have got materials for engaging ourself always in Krsna consciousness. Not that we have got only this one item. No. We have got so many items. That is also accepted. sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam arcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam [SB 7.5.23] In whatever activities you are engaged… My Guru Maharaja condemns the… Mana tumi kisera vaisnava, pratisthara tare nirjanera ghare, tara hari-nama kevala kaitava, He says that in a corner, in a secluded place, you are chanting in a cheating process for cheap adoration. Why? Because he knows that those who are neophytes, if they imitate the chanting, they simply waste their time. Therefore, he should be engaged in other activities because he has got the power at the present moment, karma… Karma means activities. This whole world is full of activities. Therefore this karma should be changed into bhakti, in devotional service. He…, one must be engaged in that… It appears like karma, but it is not karma. It is bhakti. Here also… Just like Krsna is doing something. That is not karma. That is transcendental. Similarly, a devotee in Krsna consciousness, for service of Krsna, if he is engaged which looks superficially as karma, that is not karma. That is bhakti. The sahajiyas, they do not know it. They think that “We shall sit in a secluded place and chant, imitating Haridasa.” We have seen it. Their imitation is useless. They fall down. Therefore, they must be always engaged in some activities. Otherwise, he’ll be attracted by the modes of ignorance and passion. Etavatalam agha-nirharanaya. Agha means the reaction of sinful activities. Every one of us, anyone who is in this material world, he is sinful. Without being sinful, nobody is here in this material world. If he’s not sinful, then he’ll be immediately transferred. Yesam anta-gatam papam jananam punya-karmanam. Immediately transferred to the spiritual world. He has… Just like a person who has finished his criminal punishment, immediately he is released from the prison. Similarly, a person who is freed from the resultant action of sinful activities, he immediately becomes liberated. Therefore anyone who is in this material world engaged in fruitive activities… Not the devotees. That is another mistake. The devotees are also here, but they are always in Vaikuntha. Brahma-bhuyaya kalpate. So anyway, the general process is that instead of, I mean to say, following the religious rituals for diminishing or getting out of the sinful reaction, one is recommended to accept bhakti-yoga, beginning with the chanting of the holy name of Krsna. That is the conclusion. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971