Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.27–31

[From the mouth of Brahmā, the brahminical order has come into existence. Similarly, from his arms the kṣatriyas have come, from his waist the vaiśyas have come, and from his legs the śūdras have come. These four orders and their spiritual counterparts [brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa] combine to make human society complete.] [Cc Madhya 22.27]

Prabhupāda: This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Eleventh Canto. It is very nicely compared with the body of the Supreme Lord and our situation in that partic..., body, in different positions.

Now, this verse says that the highly intellectual class of men, they are situated on the mouth of the Supreme Lord. The intellectual persons are considered the mouth of the Supreme Lord. And the next, the administrators, or the protector class of men... Not administrators; practically protector... Kṣatriya means protector. Protector class of men, they are considered to be the arms of the Supreme Lord.

And the productive class of men, they are considered as the waist of the Supreme Lord. And the laborer class of men, they are considered to be the legs of the Supreme Lord. So anyone in this society, or in this human society or material world, they must have some situation. There is some positive position of everyone in the body of the Supreme Lord.

So this comparison means that just like our head, our arms, our waist and legs, they're all important, being constitutional parts of the body, similarly, every one of us are important in consideration, being the parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord. But the conclusion is that ya eṣāṁ puruṣaṁ sākṣād-ātma-prabhavam īśvaram, na bhajanti [SB 11.5.3].

[Any members of the four varṅas and four āśramas who fail to worship the Personality of Godhead, the source of their own creation, or who intentionally disrespect Him will fall down from their position into a hellish state of life.]

Now, some of us are the arms of the Supreme Lord, some of us the mouth of the Supreme Lord—any part of the body we are situated—but if we don't work according to our positive situation, then the result is ya eṣāṁ puruṣaṁ sākṣād-ātma-prabhavam īśvaram [Cc Madhya 22.28].

[If one simply maintains an official position in the four varṅas and āśramas but does not worship the Supreme Lord Viṣṅu, he falls down from his puffed-up position into a hellish condition.]

One who does not serve according to his position, then sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ, he falls down from that position, and this falldown is this material body.

It is very nice example. We have got a particular position in the body of the Supreme Lord. Just consider the viśva-mūrti, the gigantic universal form of the Lord. And we are situated in different parts of the body of the Supreme Lord. So as parts and parcels of the body, we have got particular duty. If we do not accept that... Just like the hand: if it does not work, then it is in diseased condition.

So patanty adhaḥ. Diseased condition means the falldown. So, so long we are not situated in the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord, we should consider that we are in diseased condition, paralyzed position. Just the hand, when it is paralyzed, it cannot work, it cannot serve the body, so similarly, when we are detached from the service of the Supreme Lord, that is our diseased condition, and to be in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, or to be in devotional service, is our positive position.

So one should try to be situated in his positive position, and being freed from this diseased condition of sense enjoyment. Just like the paralyzed hand. It is simply... It is called a hand, but it has no function to act as hand. Similarly, without transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord, a so-called intelligent class is simply in name intelligent class. But it is not... He's actually not intelligent, because there is no function. So this is the instruction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

jñānī jīvan-mukta-daśā pāinu kari' māne vastutaḥ buddhi 'śuddha' nahe kṛṣṅa-bhakti vine [Cc Madhya 22.29]

[There are many philosophical speculators [jñānīs] belonging to the Māyāvāda school who consider themselves liberated and call themselves Nārāyaṅa. But their intelligence is not purified unless they engage in Kṛṣṅa’s devotional service.]

Now, there are many speculators, after some philosophical speculation, they think, "Now I have realized that 'I am the same. I am same God. I am God.' " So this process is called jñāna system. So Lord Caitanya says that these jñānīs, they artificially think that "Now I have realized myself," but actually that is not self-realization.

Self-realization is when you actually engage yourself in the service of the Lord. That is your self-realization. Because you are part and parcel, your duty is to serve the whole. If you think yourself, "I am whole," that is wrong conception. That is wrong conception. You are not whole. How you can be whole?

So there are so many examples that we think ourself that "I am the Supreme. I am the whole." Just the other day I was speaking to you: it is the last snare. We are not whole. We are part and parcel. Just..., just the hand in healthy condition, as part and parcel of the body, is very nice. When the hand is working in his position, that position is very nice. But when it is not working—it is in diseased condition—do you think it is very nice? No.

Paralyzed hand, simply in the name it is hand, but it has no function. So that sort of understanding, without actually reinstated in the healthy state of our spiritual life, simply thinking that "I am now spiritually realized; I am the Supreme," this is not pure. So Lord Caitanya says, vastutaḥ buddhi 'śuddha' nahe: "That sort of conception is not purified intelligence. That is still contaminated intelligence." And He is giving an evidence again from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ āruhya kṛcchreṅa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ [Cc.Madhya 22.30, SB 10.2.32]

[[Someone may say that aside from devotees, who always seek shelter at the Lord's lotus feet, there are those who are not devotees but who have accepted different processes for attaining salvation. What happens to them? In answer to this question, Lord Brahmā and the other demigods said:] O lotus-eyed Lord, although nondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances to achieve the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is impure. They fall down from their position of imagined superiority because they have no regard for Your lotus feet.]

This is prayer to the Lord by Brahmā, who says that ye 'ravindākṣa... Kṛṣṅa is sometimes addressed as the lotus-eyed, because His eye... He's very beautiful. So anyone who has got his eyes just like petals of the lotus flower, it is considered very beautiful. So He, He's addressed, aravindākṣa, "O the lotus-eyed..." Vimukta-māninaḥ.

"Those who are thinking falsely that 'I am now liberated. I have realized myself that I am the same. I am God,' " vimukta-māninaḥ tvayy asta-bhāvāt, "but he has no information of Kṛṣṅa... He's thinking artificially that he is liberated, but he has no information of Kṛṣṅa," tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ, "therefore, although he has advanced, to some extent in the spiritual realization path, but because he has not reached up to You, Kṛṣṅa, therefore his intelligence is not yet fully purified. He's still contaminated."

In the Bhagavad-gītā also the same thing said: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg 7.19].

[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]

After many, many births, one who is actually intelligent, actually in..., wise, in knowledge, he surrenders unto Him. So those who are thinking that "I am now liberated simply by some volumes of philosophical speculation," so Bhāgavata says, "No, your intelligence is not yet purified, because you have not yet approached Kṛṣṅa."

So what is the result for such persons? Āruhya kṛcchreṅa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ [SB 10.2.32].

They might come to the highest position, because Brahman realization is also very high position. It is not ordinary thing, that "I am not this body. I am Brahman." This realization is not ordinary realization. It is also realized after purification of the mind. But that is also not sufficient. So āruhya kṛcchreṅa, after undergoing severe penances and philosophical research, even though he has risen up to the point of perfection, to the point of perfection, still, patanty adhaḥ, he has the chance of falling down.

And that we have seen in many instances. Many sannyāsīns, they were very educated, and they have undergone severe penances, but without Kṛṣṅa realization they fall down. How they fall down? Sometimes they fall down, becomes a victim of a woman. Sometimes they fall down for this philanthropic work. Sometimes they fall down in the matter of opening hospitals. Generally they fall down by becoming a victim, victim of woman, and others, they also become victim of this material nature, become attracted by this social work.

So a sannyāsī is supposed to be renounced order. He has nothing to do with this material world. Then why should he come to the social order or philanthropic order? That is his falldown. That is his falldown. He should be situated completely in spiritual order. He has nothing to do. He should simply be engaged in spiritual service, in Kṛṣṅa consciousness. That is the perfection of renouncement.

Renounce means... What is renunciation? Renunciation means paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate [Bg 2.59].

[The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.]

One is engaged in the material activities, being attracted in it, and when he loses his attraction in this material world—he is attracted by the Supreme, Kṛṣṅa—that is renunciation. By seeing the Supreme, he rejects this. Just like sometimes we also, if we get some better type of foodstuff, then we reject inferior type of foodstuff naturally. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate.

Because, "Oh, it tastes very nice, so let me take this, reject this." Similarly, material attraction is so long..., as long as we are not in touch with Kṛṣṅa. As soon as we are in touch with Kṛṣṅa, in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, the result will be that we shall lose our material attraction.

Those who are falling down from Kṛṣṅa consciousness again to the material attraction, that means they are not serious about advancing in the Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Kṛṣṅa consciousness is not ordinary thing. It is very easy. At the same time very, I mean, difficult also. Those who are not attracted by the Kṛṣṅa conscious activities, there is every chance of falling down again in the...

Because he has no other alternative. Either he has to serve this way or serve that way. If he is not attracted to serve in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, then he has to serve in material consciousness. So those who are not fixed up in Kṛṣṅa, however he may be advanced in spiritual realization, that, there is falldown. It is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, āruhya kṛcchreṅa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ [SB 10.2.32].

Again falls down.

kṛṣṅa—sūrya-sama, māyā haya andhakāra yāhāṅ kṛṣṅa tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra [Cc Madhya 22.31]

[Kṛṣṅa is compared to sunshine, and māyā is compared to darkness. Wherever there is sunshine, there cannot be darkness. As soon as one takes to Kṛṣṅa consciousness, the darkness of illusion (the influence of the external energy) will immediately vanish.]

Kṛṣṅa—sūrya-sama. If you are actually in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, there is full light. Full light. Everything will be seen in its pure perspective. Kṛṣṅa consciousness means to know everything as it is. Nothing will be falsely represented to a person who is in Kṛṣṅa consciousness. He knows everything. By the grace of Kṛṣṅa, he gets knowledge what is what.

So kṛṣṅa—sūrya-sama. Just like in the sunlight. During night, in darkness, we cannot understand what is what. Suppose in darkness, at night, you go up to the roof of the house and you want to see where is your home. You cannot ascertain. But in the light, when the sun is up, you can see: "Oh, that direction is my house."

Similarly, as in the sunlight everything becomes clear for our seeing, similarly, in touch with Kṛṣṅa consciousness everything becomes clear, what it is. So for a Kṛṣṅa consciousness person, these material activities appear to be merely false. Not false, but temporary. But he is eternal. Every living entity is eternal. He's interested with eternal happiness. He's not interested, I mean to say, temporary happiness.

So this is the process of understanding.

kṛṣṅa—sūrya-sama, māyā haya andhakāra yāhāṅ kṛṣṅa tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra [Cc Madhya 22.31]

Just like where..., wherever there is sunlight, there cannot be darkness. That is a fact. You cannot say, "Oh, sunlight and darkness, simultaneously they are existing." No. Actually in the open sunlight there cannot be any darkness. Similarly, as soon as you become Kṛṣṅa conscious, there cannot be any darkness for understanding what is..., this material world is. That means the more you make advance in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, the more you understand the nature of this material world.

Thank you very much.

Any question? I have finished little earlier to ask you. [end]

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.27–31

Referenced verses