741119 - Lecture SB 03.25.19 - Bombay

Lectures by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Lecture

741119SB-BOMBAY - November 19, 1974 - 41:07 Minutes

Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat) (leads chanting of verse, etc.)

na yujyamānayā bhaktyā

bhagavaty akhilātmani

sadṛśo 'sti śivaḥ panthā

yogināṁ brahma-siddhaye

(SB 3.25.19)

(Prabhupāda interrupts to correct Nitāi's pronunciation: "Brahma-siddhaye. Brahma-siddhaye. Brahma." Chanting of verse continues.)

(break)

"Perfection in self-realization cannot be attained by any kind of yogī unless he engages in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because that is the only auspicious path."

Prabhupāda:

na yujyamānayā bhaktyā

bhagavaty akhilātmani

sadṛśo 'sti śivaḥ panthā

yogināṁ brahma-siddhaye

(SB 3.25.19)

Yogī . . . yogī means connecting, and brahma-siddhaye . . . brahma-siddhaye means self-realization, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Simply to know that "I am spirit soul" is not sufficient. It must be further advanced. Then it will be siddha, perfection. Brahma-siddhaye, to realize "I am Brahman, ahaṁ brahmāsmi," that is not sufficient. You have to make further progress. Just like to become feverless . . . suppose one is suffering from fever, so medicine is given, and the no more fever—fever stop. That is not sufficient. Not only fever should stop, but you should get strength, you should get appetite, you should have normal life. Then it is perfect cure of the disease. Similarly, brahma-siddhaye, to realize that, "I am spirit soul," is not sufficient. You have to be engaged in the spiritual activities. That is bhakti.

Bhakti means spiritual activities. There is activity. It is not . . . the Māyāvādī philosopher, they think that, "Stop material activities." Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. "Why you are engaged . . ." The Buddhist philosophy also, they say nirvāṇa, "Stop this material life." The Buddhist philosopher, they do not give more information. "We are suffering on account of this material combination." That is their philosophy. Because this body is nothing but combination of earth, water, fire, air, mind, intelligence and ego, so if you separate it, let the earth go to the earth, let water go to the water, let fire go to the fire, then you become zero. If you dismantle, just like we dismantle some house, so there are so many things coming out. So let the doors be taken, somebody windows, somebody the bricks, somebody and . . . rubbish somebody. Then there is no house, zero. This is called nirvāṇa theory. No more existence. We are suffering pains and pleasure . . . pains. There is no pleasure. Pleasure means accepting another type of pain. I am suffering . . . just like there is boil on your body. This is suffering. And to cure it, another suffering, surgical operation. So it is going on like that. Actually, there is no pleasure; there is only pain.

So the Buddhist theory is to dismantle this construction, and then there is no more sense of pains and . . . the Māyāvādī theory also like that, that "Activities, because they are material activities, therefore there are sufferings. So the material activities, they are false. You simply understand yourself, that you are Brahman, and no more activities, stop all activities, Brahman realization . . ." Their example is given that if you take an empty pitcher and you put into the water, so long it is not filled up, there will be some sound: bud-bud-bud-bud-bud-bud. And as soon as the pitcher is fully filled up, there is no more, no more sound. So all these Vedic mantras and other . . . they're only means. So when one is completely Brahman realization, then there is no more chanting, hearing or Vedic hymns. Everything stop. The same theory. Buddhist theory and Māyāvāda theory is almost practically the same. They are saying: "Make it zero," and they are saying: "It is mithyā, false. Stop it." Brahma satyam . . . brahma satyaṁ jagan . . . Brahma satya means Brahman realization, "I am Brahman. I am the same Supreme. So 'ham." But that will not help you. That is simply theoretical. Practical is bhaktyā bhagavaty akhilātmani.

Bhaktyā bhagavaty akhilātmani. Bhagavān is everywhere. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1).

eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭiṁ

yac-chaktir asti jagad-aṇḍa-cayā yad-antaḥ

aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.35)

Akhilātmā. Hari, Īśvara, Bhagavān, akhilātmani. Akhilātmani bhakti. Bhakti, this word, is applicable only to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore it is said here, bhagavaty akhilātmani. Bhagavān is not alone. He's not only localized; He is everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). That is called akhilātmā—although He has got a particular place. Just like Kṛṣṇa. He is here; He is in many other temples also. That is Kṛṣṇa. It is not that Kṛṣṇa, because He is in one place, He cannot be in other place. Just like we are. We are conditioned. We are here. I am sitting here; you are sitting here. But you are not at your home, in your apartment. Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Kṛṣṇa . . . goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ. He's always in the Goloka Vṛndāvana. Still, He is aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. Aṇḍāntara-stha means He is within this universe.

This universe, the whole universe, is going on because there is the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. There are not only one universe; there are koṭi, millions. And ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). One aṁśa of Kṛṣṇa, that Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, is there. Just like this body is working nicely because the soul, the spirit soul, is within this body; similarly, the whole universe, its activities are going the . . . going nicely, regularly, everything, because the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is there. It is not difficult. Matter cannot work so nicely. Don't think that the so many planets, they are floating in the air without any arrangement. There is arrangement. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). Viṣṭabhya aham idaṁ sarvam ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). Therefore Kṛṣṇa is there, akhilātmā, Kṛṣṇa as Supersoul. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Kṛṣṇa, although localized, although He's always in His Goloka Vṛndāvana dhāma, still, He is everywhere. Therefore His name is Akhilātmā. Hari, Īśvara, Bhagavān, Akhilātmā, Parameśvara, Paramātmā . . . there are so many names.

So here it is said, na yujyamānayā bhaktyā bhagavaty akhilātmani. If you engage yourself in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is Supersoul or expanded everywhere, even within the atom, then your yoga system for brahma-siddhaye, for self-realization, will not be complete. Siddhaye. Yatatām api siddhānām. Therefore it is said, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). This siddhaye. Siddhaye means brahma-siddhaye. Out of many millions and millions of person, one is interested in brahma-siddhaye. (loud firecracker sounds) Nobody's interested. We are crying everywhere, "Please come. We have made this center. Please come and realize yourself and make your life perfect." But nobody's interested. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says: "Out of millions and millions of person, one may be interested."

Similarly, there is statement in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta:

ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva

guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja

(CC Madhya 19.151)

Kona bhāgyavān jīva. To come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not very easy. It is meant for the most fortunate person. Kona bhāgyavān jīva. Bhakti-yoga, to accept Kṛṣṇa consciousness or bhakti-yoga, is not so easy. Therefore general people, they are not interested. General people, they are not interested.

bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ

tayāpahṛta-cetasām

vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ

samādhau na vigacchati

(BG 2.44)

Those who are too much materially interested, sense gratification, they are not very much interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are not very much interested. So don't be disappointed that many people are not coming. It is a . . . it is a subject matter which is not for many people. Only selected. Just like if you enquire how many fools are there, you will find only . . . you will find practically everyone is fool. But if you want to see how many M.A.'s are there, it will be very difficult to find out.

So it is by Kṛṣṇa's, mean, Lord Caitanya's mercy that we are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world, and the fortunate, those who are very, very fortunate, they are coming to it. Otherwise, it is not very easy thing that people are interested in brahma-siddhaye. And brahma-siddhaye means complete self-realization, or perfect self-realization. That is called brahma-siddhi. To understand first of all Brahman . . . jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena. That is also bhakti-yuktena. In previous verse we have discussed that:

jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena

bhakti-yuktena cātmanā

paripaśyaty udāsīnaṁ

prakṛtiṁ ca hataujasam

(SB 3.25.18)

To be less influenced by the material modes of life, one has to come to this platform of jñāna, vairāgya and bhakti. Otherwise it is not possible. And that, the same process is being stressed again: na yujyamānayā bhaktyā bhagavati . . . bhakti, where it is to be applied? Somebody says: "I have got bhakti." Where you have got bhakti? "Now, I have got very much bhakti to my wife. I love her very much. I take care of her. If I do not see her, I become mad." So this kind of bhakti is not explained here. "I have got bhakti for my family. I have got bhakti my, for country. I have got bhakti for Goddess Durgā. I have got bhakti for the so many demigods . . ." No. That kind of bhakti will not do. Therefore it is particularly said, bhaktyā bhagavati. Bhagavati, "unto the Supreme . . ." What kind of Bhagavān? Now, nowadays there are so many Bhagavāns. No, not that kind of imitation Bhagavān, but what kind of? Akhilātmani. You ask this so-called imitation Bhagavān that, "Are you akhilātmā? Are you present in everyone's heart? Can you say what I am thinking now?"

So Bhagavān means He must be akhilātmā. Don't be misled by so-called Bhagavān. Everything is there. Bhagavān means akhilātmani. He knows. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe (BG 18.61). If you are Īśvara, then you must be present in everyone's heart. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ (BG 15.15). Īśvara . . . Kṛṣṇa is Īśvara. Therefore He said, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I am staying in everyone's heart." So if you are Īśvara, if you are Bhagavān, are you staying in my heart? Do you know what I am thinking now? So akhilātmani. Everything should be very scrutinizingly studied. Bhakti is only for Bhagavān. Not that, "My bhakti for this or that, for this demigod, for that demigod, for my family, for my country, for my society, for my wife, for my cat, for my dog." This is not bhakti. They are imitation only. That is lust. That is desire. That is not bhakti. Bhakti means bhagavati. Bhagavati means akhilātmani.

So if we can develop that Kṛṣṇa consciousness, bhakti, then our life, successful life, brahma-siddhaye, complete self-realization, will be possible. Therefore it is said, sadṛśaḥ asti śivaḥ panthā: "No. There is no other alternative." If you . . . brahma-siddhaye. Brahman, Para-brahman is Kṛṣṇa. Brahma-siddhaye means to understand what is the relationship . . . "I am Brahman." That's all right. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. But what is your relation with the Para-brahman? That is brahma-siddhi. Brahman and Para-brahman, there are two Brahmans. Why there is . . .? Ātmā and paramātmā, īśvara and parameśvara. So living being and the Supreme Being. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). These are the Vedic information. There are two, always two. Ātmā, paramātmā; brahman, parabrahman. So . . . and brahma-siddhaye means not only to understand that, "I am Brahman," but I must understand what is my relationship with Para-brahman. That is brahma-siddhi.

That means we must know what is Para-brahman. That Para-brahman is Kṛṣṇa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam (BG 10.12). We must know, "What is my relationship." That relationship is already explained, that "I am qualitatively one . . ." Brahman and Para-brahman means both of them one in the platform of being Brahman. But Para-brahman is very, very great, and I am simply Brahman, small. The Vedic instruction is not ahaṁ parabrahma. Never says it is. Ahaṁ brahma, that is all right. But you cannot say, "I am Para-brahman." Nobody says. There is no such maxim in the Vedic literature. Para-brahman is one, kaivalya. Kaivalya means there is no alternative. There is no duplicate. There is no equal. There is no greater than. That is kaivalya. So nobody can be equal to Para-brahman, and nobody can be greater than Para-brahman. That is Para-brahman. So brahma-siddhaye means simply one should not understand that "I am Brahman," but he must understand what his relationship with the Para-brahman. That is brahma-siddhi.

So for brahma-siddhi, for self-realization, people are trying in so many ways. First of all, the business of human life is only meant for this purpose, brahma-siddhaye. So long we are . . . Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the Vedānta-sūtra. Brahman . . . because, unless you become inquisitive, then how there can be brahma-siddhi? Therefore, this human life is meant for brahma-jijñāsā. Not that simply whole day work . . . they are also inquiring. They go to the market, "What is the price? What is the rate?" The whole day. In Ser Market you go, "Ke aba baye?" Everyone is asking. Not for that kind of question. That everyone is questioning, from the morning, "What is today's news?" Immediately newspaper. "What is the news?" Then it is no more . . . then you go the market, "What is the price of rice? What is the price of this? What is the price of that?" You purchase. Then you eat. Then you go the office or market. Then again, "What is the price? What is the . . ." Not that kind of inquiry. That is going on. That is also going on by the cats and dogs. They are also inquiring, "Where is food? Where is remnants of foods? Where they are thrown out so that I can go, I can take?" The crows are also doing that, that kind of question.

But you should not waste your time like the cats and dogs and crows by inquiring, "Where is food? Where is food? Where is food?" Food is there for you, fixed up. Don't bother. The Bhāgavata says there . . . tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). Now, not only in cats' and dogs' life, even in heavenly life and other life, we are simply inquiring, "Where is my sense gratification? Where is my sense gratification?" That kind of inquiry will not help you. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta. You should inquire for something which you never did before. That is brahma-jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. "What I am?" I am thinking, "I am this body," and I am engaged, but actually I do not get any pleasure, any happiness. But when I get information that "When you'll be realized, self-realized, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā . . . (BG 18.54). When you'll be self-realized, Brahman realized, then you'll be prasannātmā . . ." Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3). Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ (BG 6.22). These are the śāstric injunctions.

So this life is meant for brahma-jijñāsā. This life, this human life, is meant for brahma-jijñāsā. Other jijñāsā, inquiries, that is in the cats and dogs and hogs and crows and everywhere. So don't be bothering. "If I don't bother, then how shall I eat?" No, that people generally says that, "Everyone becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, how we shall eat? How things will go on?" Now, we are Kṛṣṇa conscious, practical example. Are we not eating? Are we not sleeping? What business is stopped? We have no business, we simply beg. There is no certainty that, "Tomorrow I shall go there, I'll get this money." There is no certainty. We do not know. We are eating in the morning. We do not know whether there will be food in the evening. If Kṛṣṇa gives, then we can eat. You know it very well. We have no business. We are not professional men. We are not going to the market for what is bao. Ke a bao haya? So are you not eating? We are eating. Not only eating, we have got hundred and two branches, and every branches there are at least one hundred men. They're all eating. Why? Because we know, "Kṛṣṇa will give us. Kṛṣṇa giving food to the ants, to the elephant. Why not to His servant? We have no . . ." If you have got this confidence, then . . . the śāstra says, tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. You should simply try for perfection of life, brahma-jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). This is the only . . . jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. This is the only business. "What I am?" The answer is ahaṁ brahmāsmi, so 'ham, "I am same, Brahman." "So then, what is my relation with the Parambrahman?" Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam.

Now, when there is question of jijñāsā, brahma-jijñāsā, then we inquire from a person who knows. Therefore it is said that tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21): "If you are actually interested in inquiring about Brahman, then you must go to guru who knows Brahman." Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. You cannot understand Brahman realization alone. Therefore, according to Vaiṣṇava philosophy, ādau gurvāśrayam. The first business is to take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master. If you want . . . not only brahma-jijñāsā—any. You must go to the perfect person who knows things. If you are wandering on some street you do not know, you ask somebody, "Where shall I go? In this way or that way?" So this is natural. So about Brahman, jijñāsuḥ . . . Brahma-jijñāsā means . . . that is not ordinary jijñāsā. It is called uttamam. Uttamam means transcendental to this material world, which is full of darkness, ignorance. That is called ut. Ud-gata tama yasmād iti uttama. There is no more darkness; simply light. If you, at night, you inquire about something, then it is very difficult. But if you go in the daytime . . . and at night if you got up on your roof and want to see where is Bombay or where is Santa Cruz, it is very difficult. But daytime, you can see. Similarly, uttamam. You must go out of this darkness, come to the light, and then you will see.

So that light is given by guru. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā (Gautamīya-tantra). That light is given not by bringing one torchlight, but jñānāñjana-śalākayā, the light of knowledge. The light of . . . jñānāñjana-śalākayā. Cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ. Guru's business is to give you light by knowledge. Then you understand. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). How the jñāna, knowledge, light is given? Śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. This is the guru's system, guru's symptom, what is guru. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. He has completely assimilated the Vedic essence of life. That is called guru. And what is śabda? Śāstra, or Vedas. Śruti-śāstra. Śruti means Veda, knowledge. Veda means knowledge. Or knowledge is received through ear, by hearing. That is real knowledge. Not by experimental knowledge. You cannot understand which is beyond your sense perception by experiment. Just like you cannot understand who is your father by experimental knowledge: "Let me make experiment and find out who is my father." That is not possible. Because it is beyond your experience. Your father was existing when you were not existing. Then how you can understand by experimental knowledge? The authority is mother. Therefore Vedic knowledge is the mother; the Purāṇas are the sisters. They are explained like that. You should understand from the Vedas what is the ultimate knowledge. And Kṛṣṇa says, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15): the ultimate knowable objective is Kṛṣṇa.

So simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa . . . yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. If you can simply understand Kṛṣṇa, then you understand everything. You haven't got to understand separately Kṛṣṇa's enlightenment. Teṣām aham . . . what is that verse? Samuddhartā. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā:

teṣām evānukampārtham

aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ

nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho

jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā

(BG 10.11)

If you actually come in contact with Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is within your heart . . . Kṛṣṇa is not far away. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. But He's still nearer. He is within your heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva . . . so if you become attached to Kṛṣṇa . . . when Kṛṣṇa sees now you are attached to Kṛṣṇa, then hṛdy antaḥ-stho abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām (SB 1.2.17). He is friend of the devotees. He's friend of everyone, but a special friend of the devotees. Suhṛt satām. Therefore you have to become a devotee. Therefore it is said, na yujyamānayā bhaktyā. Bhaktyā means devotee. Who performs devotional service unless he's a devotee? Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). So if we become devotee, if we take to devotional service, then Kṛṣṇa says, teṣām evānukampārtham (BG 10.11), "For special favor." Special favor. What is that? Teṣām evānukampārtham aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ nāśayāmi. Kṛṣṇa says: "I kill all kinds of ignorance."

So simply this qualification required, that you become perfect devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Then you perfectly become jñānī. Jñāna is there. Simply it is covered by the curtain of ignorance. Just like in darkness, everything is there. The light is there, everything is there. But as soon as it is dark, we cannot see where the things are there. So Kṛṣṇa says that anyone can understand Himself, anyone can understand Kṛṣṇa and the relationship, provided the darkness of ignorance is taken away. That is required. That is done by Kṛṣṇa personally. For whom? Teṣām evānukampārtham (BG 10.11). Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). Those who are engaged twenty-four hours with love and faith in devotional service. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ tam. The buddhi-yogam. He directs, "Do like this, do like that." Then . . . what for buddhi? Yena mām upayānti te. Then gradually you come to Kṛṣṇa, back to home, back to Godhead.

Therefore it is recommended here, na yujyamānayā bhaktyā bhagavaty akhilātmani, sadṛśo 'sti śivaḥ panthā. Śiva means auspicious. Śiva means auspicious. So if you actually interested for self-realization, if you want to become perfect in this life, śivaḥ panthā, the most auspicious, most perfect panthā is . . . what is that? Now, bhaktyā bhagavati. You just become a devotee and engage yourself in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not the so-called rascal Bhagavān, but bhagavaty akhilātmani, one, the . . . that Bhagavān who is present everywhere. That Bhagavān. Not this false bhagavān. Akhilātmani. These are the śāstric injunction. So that Bhagavān . . . "I don't find that Bhagavān." No. That Bhagavān is within your heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 18.61). That is real Bhagavān. So as soon . . . tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. That Bhagavān is always acting. He instructed Brahmā. Brahmā, the lord of the universe, he got instruction from Kṛṣṇa, and he created the whole universe, and what to speak of you? He'll also give instruction to you, provided you take to the devotional service, bhaktyā. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55).

Thank you very much. (end)