Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.15 Prabhupada: Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. So we are not going to be misled by anyone. We simply worship the original person, adi-purusa. Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. kecit kevalaya bhaktya vasudeva-parayanah agham dhunvanti kartsnyena niharam iva bhaskarah [SB 6.1.15] Sridhara Svami is giving his commentation in this connection, that tasya ati duskarad mukham eva anyat prayascittam kecit kirtanena, evam mudho bhakti pradhana virala iti darsayet(?). Kaivalyam tapa-adibhir nirapeksaya(?). Sridhara Svami’s explaining this word, kevalaya, “simply by devotional service,” kevalaya bhaktya—but without being dependent on other processes. The other processes we have described: tapasa brahmacaryena samena damena [SB 6.1.13], by observing celibacy. Now take for example celibacy. In this age, especially… Why especially in this or that? All over the world, to remain a brahmacari is little difficult. One who can, it is very good. But it is difficult. So brahmacaryena, by practicing celibacy, a life of celibacy, even one has the intention, the association, the society is so much polluted that one cannot. It is very difficult. So in bhakti-yoga it is not very strict that one has to observe celibacy strictly. He can marry. Marriage is allowed, but not for indulgence. But because a man requires a woman or a woman requires a man, there is sacred marriage. This man and woman is educated that he or she is not this body. Therefore advancement of this education will stop him for this bodily enjoyment. Just like eating also. We are eating; we are not fasting. We are eating. But we are eating just to maintain the body and soul together, not extravagantly. Although we have very nice plates, krsna-prasadam, but we do not make any palatable dishes for enjoyment. We make all nice things for Krsna, and we take prasadam. Therefore the material effect of eating, it does not act upon the devotees. So therefore Sukadeva Gosvami says, “By one stroke, kevalaya— without waiting for the austerity, undergoing severe penance, austerities, celibacy, controlling the mind, controlling the senses, and giving in charity, performing great sacrifices, to become, becoming very truthful, clean—but without waiting for all these things, simply by one stroke, accepting Krsna consciousness, one immediately ascends the highest position.” There is ample proof in our Society. They had never any austerity, penance or celibacy, or they tried to control the senses or mind, or they gave any big amount of charities, or they observed cleanliness. Nothing of the sort. But immediately, simply by accepting Krsna consciousness, just see how they are nice. Practical proof. Now bring any yogi, any jnani, any person undergoing severe penances, and compare with these boys and girls. He’ll fail. This is practical… Simply by accepting this devotional service, kevala-bhakti, without waiting for the other penance. They’re already under penance. They’re already leading the life of celibacy. They have already controlled the senses. They have already controlled the mind. They’re giving in charity. Whatever they have, they’re giving to Krsna. Damena tyagena, tyaga. They have given their life. What to speak of money and other things, they have given their whole life for Krsna. Otherwise, how this Movement is improving? If I… I came here alone. Still, no Indian helping me. There may be one or two of my disciples. Others… There are so many Indians in this country. They’re not helping me. But these boys, these girls, because they have come to the transcendental platform, they’re helping me so nicely. Therefore the Movement is going forward. This is practical. Kevalaya bhaktya. Simply by taking to Krsna consciousness, devotional service. It is just like, I sometimes give example: The blacksmith’s method and the goldsmith’s method. The goldsmith, he has got a small hammer—-tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk. And the blacksmith has a big hammer—-dumh, finish. So our is blacksmith method. We take the big hammer of bhakti yoga and finish all, everything. You see. We won’t have to undergo so many tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk. And there is no possibility. If I say, “Now you have to become completely brahmacari. You have to sit down in the forest and stay at right angle and press your nose for six months,” who will follow? There is no possibility. This tuk tuk method, there is no possibility. We have to get this hammer, blacksmith hammer of Krsna consciousness, and immediately finish everything. This is Kali-yuga. Simply one… Who can do this? This one hammer, finishing all, who can do this? Vasudeva-parayanah. Bhaktya vasudeva-parayanah. By devotional service one has to become vasudeva-parayana, devotee of Lord Vasudeva. That’s all. That is being taught here: how to become lover of Vasudeva. This prescribed method, that rise early in the morning, have mangala-aratrika, kirtana, then bhoga-aratrika, kirtana, then go to the street sankirtana, then come back, again kirtana, again aratrika—simply engaged in Vasudeva’s service. That includes everything. All these austerities, penance, charity, and cleanliness… They’re clean. They’re taking bath every day three times, at least two times, they are taking bath, although previous to this, perhaps weekly they were taking once bath. You see? So how they have become? This is practical proof. Vasudeva-parayana. Therefore whole people of the world should be made vasudeva-parayana by the simple method of Krsna consciousness, and they will be all peaceful. It will become Vaikuntha. Otherwise it is hellish. It is, has already become a hell, the whole world. And if you don’t take to this Krsna consciousness, this hellish condition of life will simply make progress, in spite of all your education and economic development. That’s a fact. Those who are thoughtful, they should take this Movement very seriously. They should try to understand what is the value of this Movement. It is not that something manufactured by me or by man. It is authoritative. Here it is said: bhaktya vasudeva-parayanah, agham dhunvanti kartsnyena. They become able, quite competent to cut down all sinful reactions simply by one method, kartsnyena. How? Niharam iva bhaskarah. Bhaskara means sun. As soon as there is sunrise, the mist or the fog immediately disappears. Many thousands of miles. People in the mist, in the fog, they cannot run on railway, they cannot run on the airplanes. And I’ve seen, I’ve experienced. Yesterday practically our plane was lost in the fog, and high in the sky. And I’ve seen in the sea also, as soon as there is fog… When I was coming to your country on ship, the ship stops and they began to bugle: gaonh gongh gonhgonh, like that. But as soon as there is sun, this thousands miles of fog immediately… The example is very nice: niharam iva bhaskarah. So you try to make Krsna sun rise in your heart. Krsna surya-sama. In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is said Krsna is just like sun. Maya haya andhakara. And maya, this illusory energy, it is darkness. Yahan krsna tahan nahi mayara adhikara. As soon as there is sun, Krsna, immediately darkness of maya disappears. So why not take this simple method? All maya disappears. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14] Otherwise, to surpass, to overcome this ocean of darkness, maya, is very difficult. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya. Duratyaya, very, very difficult. Hard. Then how? Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. Simply teach people to surrender unto Krsna. God. All illusion, fog, mist will disappear. Will disappear. And the method is very simple: chant Hare Krsna. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna… The more you go on chanting the…, the fog within your heart, the clumsy darkness of many, many lives sinful activities, will be cleared. Ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. And everything will be seen very distinctly. What I am? What is God? What is this world? What is our interrelation? How I shall live in this world? Then what is my next life? These things are not taught. Simply how to manufacture something for sense gratification. After all, it is sense gratification. You may discover… The other day somebody was telling me in Los Angeles that they have discovered an aeroplane which can run on very, I mean, speedily. But there is danger. As soon as the aeroplane will run on, there may be many windows here in the city, they’ll dismantle. So we are trying to create something for sense gratification. At the same time, side by side, we are creating so much inconvenience. In this way, our time is being wasted. Action and reaction. Action and reaction. There must be some reaction. Whatever you do, there must be reaction. And that reaction you’ll be entangled. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: yajnarthat karmano ’nyatra loko ’yam karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9]. Either you do good work or bad work, if it is for sense gratification, then you’ll be entangled. But yajnarthe karma, if you do for krsna-yajna, then you are free. So this process, recommended by Sukadeva Gosvami—kevala-bhakta—take to devotional service, this Krsna consciousness, and everything, all other things will be automatically adjusted. na tatha hy aghavan rajan puyeta tapa-adibhih yatha krsnarpita-pranas tat-purusa-nisevaya Now he clearly summarizes: na tatha hy aghavan. Aghavan means one who is sinful. Every one of us sinful, more or less. That’s all. Otherwise, unless you are sinful, you don’t get this material body. As soon as we are free from sinful life, then we are liberated. We are transferred to the spiritual world, and we get spiritual body. The whole process is how to cleanse ourself from the contamination of our sinful life. That is material world. So here Sukadeva Gosvami says that na tatha hy aghavan rajan. “My dear King”—rajan, he’s the king, rajan. Aghavan, “Those who are sinful…,” rajan na tatha hy aghavan rajan puyeta. Puyeta means becomes purified from contamination. Tapa-adibhih. Tapa-adibhih…, tapa means this austerity, beginning from austerity, tapasa brahmacaryena samena damena ca [SB 6.1.13]. I’ve described. We have discussed. He says that one cannot be completely purified by executing these process of purificatory methods. Na tatha. Maybe. Just like there are many examples. There are Dhruva, Visvamitra Muni. He underwent all this tapasya. He was a ksatriya. He wanted to become a brahmana. There was a quarrel between him and a rsi. So he saw the extraordinary power of the rsi, and he wanted to become a brahmana. So he began austerity. But he became also a victim of Menaka, the society girl of heavenly planet. And being entangled, he begot a child. In this way he became implicated, because he was not pure. So here it is said that even if you perform austerity, penances, the worldly circumstances are so implicated that it will involve you some way or other again into the material modes of nature. There are many instances. Many sannyasis, they give up this world as mithya, all false. “Let me take to Brahman.” But again they become implicated to philanthropic work, welfare activities. If this world is false, why you are attracted to the welfare activities? If it is false in your opinion… We say it is not false. Our philosophy is… We don’t say that the world is false; we say the world is temporary. How it can be false? If God created this world, if God is true, how His creation can be false? We don’t approve this philosophy. We accept that this is not false, but this is temporary. And because it is creation of God, because He’s Absolute Truth, it is also true. Simply we are seeing it otherwise. Just like I’m claiming something within this world as my property. That is false. But this is someone’s property—that is fact. That is God’s property. Isavasyam idam sarvam. Not that the property is false. Just like this house, this building, this nice room, it is so nicely decorated; there is electric light. If somebody says: “It is false,” how it is false? It is not false. Why I shall say false? Why I shall discourage the persons who are using this room as for their devotional service, they’re making progress…? How we can say it is false? It is not false. The false is when I claim that “This is my house.” That is false. That is false. That is my false puffed-up consciousness, that “I am the proprietor, I am the master, I am God.” This is false. Just like first of all we want to become a proprietor, then master, then minister, then president, then God. When everything fails, then “I am God.” Same tendency is there—that I want to become the greatest. But how you can be the greatest? God is greatest. You are always smallest. That is… That smallest is thinking greatest that is false. The smallness is not false. The greatness is not false. But when the small thinks as great, that is false. That is maya. So long one is in maya… Now our beginning is that we accept immediately the great the great and the small the small. We understand from the Vedic literature: mahato mahiyan anor aniyan. Anu means atom. The atom, he is, the Brahman, or the spirit, is smaller than the atom. Anor aniyan, still smaller. And mahato mahiyan: and the greater than the greatest. We have the conception of the greatest, the sky. But Krsna showed that millions of skies were within His mouth. So therefore mahato mahiyan. So actually we, the living entities, we are part and parcel of God, but we are very minute quantity, infinitesimal. And God is infinite. So infinitesimal, our magnitude is, I’ve several times explained, one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. So you cannot even imagine with your material senses. Therefore anor aniyan, smaller than the atom. The same thing—we are also spirit, and Krsna, or the Supreme Lord, is also spirit. Qualitatively we are one. But we are the smallest and He is the greatest. So we accept it immediately from the Vedic information. Therefore our position is safe. We do not falsely declare that “I am God.” Just give proof that you are God. Then claim. But some rascal claims that he’s God, and other rascals, they accept that he’s God. God is not so cheap. God, as we get description from Brahma-samhita: yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah [Bs. 5.48]. Many millions of universes are coming out from the exhaling of God, and again they are disappearing by inhaling of God. That is God. By simply breathing, millions of universes are being created and millions of universes are being dissolved simply by inhaling. This is going on. So how we can claim? So our, this unnecessary, puffed-up claim is not there. Therefore we are already liberated. We don’t have to seek for liberation. Liberation means to become liberated from these nonsense, false ideas. That is liberation. As soon as we think that “I am this body,” I’m not liberated. And as soon as I know perfectly well that “I am not this body,” I am liberated. This knowledge gives liberation. Therefore Sukadeva Gosvami says prayascittam vimarsanam. To develop your knowledge, that will give you relief. So our knowledge is perfect because we know that we are very small particle of spiritual spark. That is our constitutional position. And God is the Supreme, the greatest spiritual identity. Eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman. He’s supplying all the necessities of the small, spiritual sparks. Because we know rightly, and as we are part and parcel of God, minute particles, therefore our duty is to serve God. Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body; this finger is not enjoyer. The body, or the chief place in the body, the stomach, he’s the enjoyer. Similarly, God is the center of all creation, the whole universal body. Therefore He’s enjoyer; we are servitor. So our conception is very clear. Therefore we are liberated. Liberation means to become free from all false conception of life. That is liberation. Liberation does not mean that you have got now two hands, and, as soon as you are liberated, you’ll have ten hands. No. Liberation means that you become free from all nonsensical, false conception of life. That is liberation. That is the definition given in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, what is liberation. Muktir hitva anyatha rupam. Mukti means to give up… Anyatha rupam… As we are now living under some false conception, so when one gives up this all false conception, that is called mukti. Muktir hitva anyatha rupam svarupena vyavasthitih. And when one is situated in his original, constitutional position, giving up all false notions, he’s liberated. That is liberation. Liberation is not very difficult. Simply… There is another verse that by awakening knowledge, one becomes liberated immediately. But, but what is that knowledge? This knowledge is very simple: God is great; we are small. We are His part and parcel; therefore it is our duty to serve Him. Two lines—liberation. Instead of undergoing so much difficult processes, if simply you understand these two lines: God is great, I am very small. He is the Supreme Proprietor, or master, He is supplying us all necessities of life; therefore our duty is to serve Him. That’s all. Now, if anyone present here can challenge this statement? Is there anyone? No, you cannot challenge. This is the fact. Simply we are under false impression that “I am this; I am that.” Lastly “I am God. I am God.” What kind of God you are? If you get immediately little toothache, you go to physician-god, the dentist-god. This is called maya. This is called maya. There is a verse that pisaci paile yena mati-cchanna haya maya-grasta jivera haya se bhava udaya Pisaci means ghost. When one man is ghostly haunted, he speaks so many nonsense. Similarly, when one is entangled by the illusory energy, maya, he also speaks all nonsense. At last he speaks that “I am God.” That is the last snare of maya. So they are not, they cannot be liberated, because they are under the false impression still. Anyone who is under the false impression, or anyone who is attracted by false knowledge, he’s under the clutches of maya. When there is right knowledge, right conception of life, then one is liberated. That is called brahma-bhuta. And Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita: brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. As soon as you get right knowledge, you become jolly. First jolliness is due to “Oh, I was in such false notion so long. Oh, how fool I was.” Then you become happy that “Now I am no longer fool. I was thinking that I’m God. But now I can understand that I am God’s eternal servant.” That gives him liberation and he becomes prasannatma, jolly. Because that is the right situation. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma, na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54]. Na socati. He has no lamentation. Because if anyone knows that I am a small particle, spiritual spark, and protected by the Supreme Lord, then where there is scope of my lamentation? Just like a small child, so long he knows that “My father is standing by me, I am free. Nobody can touch my body…” Because he’s confident that if there is any danger, “My father is there.” Similarly, this surrender means completely to have faith that “I have no danger because God, Krsna, is protecting me. I am now fully surrendered, prasannatma.” That is called prasannatma. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54]. He has no lamentation, and he has no desire also. Na socati na kanksati. He’s hankering after something. The whole material world, one who is not God conscious, is simply hankering, hankering. Or, if he loses something, he’s lamenting. That is two business are there. But a God conscious person, Krsna conscious person, has no lamentation, no hankering. If anything is lost, he knows that it is God’s wish. “God desired this. That’s all right.” And he knows that “Everything is provided by God; why shall I hanker?” Na socati na kanksati samah sarvesu bhutesu. Then universal brotherhood: “As I am part and parcel of God, my brother is also, my friend is also, the dog is also like that, the cow is also like that. They’re all part and parcel of God as spirit, as spiritual spark. Therefore they’re all equal. Why shall I envy him? Why shall I utilize(?) him? Why shall I trouble him?” These good consciousness, good qualities, automatically develop. Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-gunah. Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana. Anyone who has developed Krsna consciousness, all the good qualities of the demigods will manifest in his body. Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah. The demigods are supposed to be very highly qualified. So all the godly or demigodly qualities will manifest. They are… Vancha-kalpatarubhyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eva ca. The Vaisnava becomes the ocean of mercy to others. They’re going door to door: “Please be Krsna conscious. You’ll be happy.” Actually that is the fact. So who can be merciful than these Vaisnavas? They are giving the right contribution to the society. They need it. So simply by God consciousness, simply by Krsna consciousness, we can develop all the good qualities, we can conquer over all reactions of our sinful life. Simply we have to follow the regulative principles as they’re enjoined by the acaryas, as they’re… Very simple method. And by chanting this Hare Krsna mantra, as much as possible, then we keep the standard. We keep the standard means we keep ourself in liberated state. Simply we have to be cautious that maya, or material conception of life, may not again attack us. So (he) says, na tatha hy aghavan rajan puyeta tapa-adibhih, yatha krsnarpita-pranah. Anyone who has dedicated himself, his life, to Krsna, na ta…, yatha krsnarpita-pranas tat-purusa-nisevaya… How one can become dedicated to Krsna? Tat-purusa-nisevaya. That Supreme Personality being served, being served. By serving. You can, you can, simply by lip… But you cannot say that “Now I have dedicated my life to Krsna.” No. That’s all right, but you have to keep the standard of surrender by nisevaya, by serving. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva. As you serve, as you go on serving the Supreme Lord, so He becomes revealed within your… He’s within your heart. So by your service He’ll reveal Himself. So krsnarpita-pranas tat-purusa-nisevaya. We should remember this, that our business is that we should be dedicated to Krsna. Our life, everything, should be dedicated to Krsna. And how it can be possible? Tat-purusa-nisevaya. Simply by serving the Supreme Personality. So this program, this devotional service, morning, from morning till night, is simply how to serve Him. The more we serve, then we become dedicated to Krsna. And Krsna says on the Bhagavad-gita the same thing: tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam [Bg. 10.10] Persons who are twenty-four hours engaged, satata-yuktanam… Satata means twenty-four hours. Not that five minutes or fifteen minutes meditation, and then do all nonsense. No. Twenty-four hours one should be engaged in the service of the Lord. Twenty-four hours. That we are doing. Whatever he knows, whatever talent he has got, use for Krsna. That is twenty-four hours’ engagement. Either sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam arcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam [SB 7.5.23] There are nine processes. So keep your self always engaged in either of these nine processes. That is twenty-four hours’ engagement. Satata. Tesam satata-yuktanam [Bg. 10.10] One who is always engaged in Krsna’s service. How? Bhajatam priti-purvakam. Not that it is disgusting. No. Priti, with love. Of course, it may be disgusting in the beginning. But as you make progress in service, you’ll find it pleasing, not disgusting. That is the taste that you have developed. When you do not feel disgusted in the service, in executing the service of the Lord, that means you have made progress. That material service becomes disgusting. Just like for example, here is Krsna’s name, “Hare Krsna.” Throughout one’s life, twenty-four hours, he’s chanting Hare Krsna. But it is not disgusting. But take any material name and chant it three times, you become disgusted. This is a fact. But these boys, these girls, throughout, throughout their life will go on chanting Hare Krsna, will never be disgusted, but they will chant more and more. So this is priti. The more you chant, the more you become attached: “Let me chant more.” Not disgusted, but “Let me chant more.” This is called priti. Similarly, any service of the Lord. This is service by sravanam and kirtanam. That is the beginning. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam [SB 7.5.23]. Then always remembering Krsna. When you are perfect in chanting and hearing, then you’ll always remember Krsna. That means in the third stage you become the greatest yogi. Because Krsna says, yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana sraddhavan bhajate yo mam: [Bg. 6.47] “One who is always engaged…” So Krsna says, tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam, dadami buddhi-yogam tam [Bg. 10.10]. Then Krsna reveals and gives him intelligence: “You do like this. You do like this.” Why Krsna gives intelligence? Yena mam upayanti te. He gives such intelligence by which he may progress for reaching Krsna—not for going to hell. He’s given intelligence for making progress to approach Krsna, not that turn back to Krsna and go to hell. No. That intelligence is not given by Krsna. So here also the same thing is stated, that, yatha krsnarpita-pranas tat-purusa-nisevaya sadhricino hy ayam loke panthah ksemo ’kuto-bhayah susilah sadhavo yatra narayana-parayanah Now Sukadeva Gosvami says… This is the perfect way for our ultimate good, goodness, ksema. Akuto-bhayah: without any fearfulness. In any action you do, there is some fearfulness whether it will be successful or not: “If I fail, if…” But if you take to devotional service, then it is akuto-bhayah. Akutah means there is no fear, no fear, because any, anything material you do, unless you come to the perfectional point, whatever you have done, that is all gone to hell. Suppose you are trying to construct a nice factory. But if you do not come to the ultimate end, the factory cannot be started. If in the middle you have no money or somehow or other the factory construction is stopped, then whatever money you invested, that is gone to hell. But Krsna consciousness is so nice that whatever you have done in this life—one percent, two percent, ten percent, fifty percent… If you can execute cent percent, then the whole life is perfect. But even if you do not come to the perfectional point, whatever you have done, that is your permanent asset. Next life you begin from that point. These things are stated in the Bhagavad-gita when Arjuna enquired that “If one cannot finish the whole course of yoga system, what happens to him?” He assured that “Whatever he has done, that remains his permanent asset. Now, from next life, he begins—suppose he has finished fifty percent—from the next life he begins from fifty one percent.” But for the karmis, whatever they have done in this life, whatever they have earned… Suppose by working very hard, you got millions of dollars. But you cannot take it away. It is left here and go. You cannot take. But Krsna conscious activities you take with you and next life begin again. So we should not wait for next life. We should try to fulfill the mission of Krsna consciousness in this life so that, as assured by Krsna, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti: [Bg. 4.9] “After leaving this body, he does not come again to this material world.” Mam eti: “He comes to Me.” Thank you very much. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
New York, August 1, 1971