Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.13

Prabhupāda:

om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.]

śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam

[When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?]

he kṛṣṅa karuṅā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te

[O my dear Kṛṣṅa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṅī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.]

tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari vṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṅamāmi hari-priye

[I offer my respects to Rādhārāṅī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṅa.]

vāñchā-kalpa-tarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṅavebhyo namo namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṅava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.]

śrī-kṛṣṅa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

[I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṅa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.]

hare kṛṣṅa hare kṛṣṅa kṛṣṅa kṛṣṅa hare hare hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

[My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.]

atho mahā-bhāga bhavān amogha-dṛk śuci-śravāḥ satya-rato dhṛta-vrataḥ urukramasyākhila-bandha-muktaye samādhinānusmara tad-viceṣṭitam [SB 1.5.13]

[O Vyāsadeva, your vision is completely perfect. Your good fame is spotless. You are firm in vow and situated in truthfulness. And thus you can think of the pastimes of the Lord in trance for the liberation of the people in general from all material bondage.]

Each and every word of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, full of volumes of explanation, each and every word. This is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Vidyā-bhāgavatāvadhi. One's learning will be understood when he's able to understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Vidyā. Vidyā means learning, not this science, that science.

One can understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in true perspective, then he's to be understood that he has finished his all educational advancement. Avadhi. Avadhi means "this is the limit of education." Vidyā-bhāgavatāvadhi.

So here Nārada says that akhila-bandha-muktaye: "You should present literature for the people so that they can become liberated from this conditional stage of life, not that you should more and more entangle them in this conditional..." That is the main theme of Nārada's instruction to Vyāsadeva: "Why should you present rubbish literature to continue the conditional stage?"

Whole Vedic civilization is meant for giving liberation to the living entities from this material bondage. People do not know what is the aim of education. The aim of education, the aim of civilization, perfection of civilization, should be how people should get liberated from this conditional life. That is the whole scheme of Vedic civilization: to give liberation to the people.

So it is said, akhila-bandha-muktaye. Samādhinā, akhilasya bandhasya muktaye, akhilasya bandhasya. We are in conditional stage, perpetually bound up by the laws of material nature. This is our status. And Nārada is giving instruction to Vyāsadeva that "Present literature so that they can become liberated. Don't give them more and more opportunity to continue this conditional life." Akhila-bandha. Akhila. Akhila means complete, wholesale. And who can give this contribution? That is also stated, that atho mahā-bhāga bhavān amogha-dṛk: whose vision is clear. Whose vision is clear.

[about a child:] He should disturb.

Woman devotee: Is he disturbing you?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Woman devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Clear vision. Unless one has clear vision, how he can do welfare activities? You do not know what is welfare. His vision is clouded. If one's vision is clouded, if you do not know what is the destination of your journey, how you can make progress? Therefore the qualification... Those who are prepared to do good to the human society, they must have clear vision. Then where is the clear vision? Everyone is becoming leader. Everyone is trying to lead people. But he himself is blind. He does not know what is the end of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṅum [SB 7.5.31].

[Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Viṣṅu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.]

So therefore Vyāsadeva can do it, because he has clear vision. Nārada certifies. Nārada knows his disciple, what is the position. A spiritual master knows what is the condition. Just like a physician knows. By simply feeling the beating of pulse, a..., an expert physician can know what is the condition of this patient, and he treats him and gives him medicine accordingly. Similarly, a spiritual master who is actually spiritual master, he can know..., he knows the pulse-beating of the disciple, and he therefore gives him particular kind of medicine so that he may be cured.

So Nārada Muni knows what is the status of Vyāsadeva. He knows that he has got clear vision. Amogha-dṛk. Śrīdhara Svāmī says amogha. Amogha means... Mogha means sinful, and amogha means without any sin. Amogha. So long one lives sinful life, he cannot have clear vision. Diseased condition. How? "Physician, heal thyself."

He cannot have clear vision. Therefore amogha-dṛk means he is liberated person. He can see. Amogha-dṛk. Dṛk means vision. Amogha-dṛk. And śuci-śravāḥ. Śuci-śravāḥ. Śuci-śravāḥ means whose śravāḥ, means aural reception, śuci. Śuci means pure, who has received knowledge by aural reception in pure heart, or from the pure source. Śuci-śravāḥ. Śuci means pure. Śravāḥ. Śravāḥ means hearing. Śuci...

These are the qualification of the person who can actually do benefit to the human society. Not that everyone can do. That is the mistake of the... Everyone is giving some idea and some theory that "This way there will be peace, there will be nice thing in the world." But he does not know that he has to receive from the pure source by aural reception. One has to hear from the pure source what is actually benefit to the human society.

These are the qualification: śuci-śravāḥ. Then next word is satya-rataḥ. Satya means truth, and rataḥ means engaged: "one who is engaged in the matter of the Absolute Truth," not relative truth. Absolute, satya-rataḥ. And dhṛta-vrataḥ. Dhṛta-vrataḥ. Vrata. Vrata means vow, and dhṛta means who has taken vow that "I shall do this." These are the qualification.

Now, when these qualifications are there, then Nārada Muni entrusts Vyāsadeva that "You can liberate all the conditioned souls." How? Conditioned souls... Samādhinā anusmara tad-viceṣṭitam: "Simply you try to contemplate, meditate, on the activities of the Supreme Lord." Samādhinā. This is samādhi. Yoga process means to come to the stage of samādhi, aṣṭāṅga-yoga. Yoga means there are eight different stages, and the last stage is called samādhi.

The first stage is yama, saṁyama, controlling the senses. Yoga indriya-saṁyama. The beginning of yoga system means you have to control your senses. This is the first beginning. It is not a plaything, that you do all nonsense and you become a yogī. No. These things are very clearly explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. You have to regulate your life. You have to stop sex life. You have to eat certain procedure. You have to sit under certain procedure. In this way, you have to follow so many regulative principles. That is called yama. And niyama. Niyama means regulative principles. Yama means controlling the senses.

Yama, niyama, then āsana. Then sitting posture. Generally, in these yoga societies in your country, they give some lesson on the sitting posture, and people become captivated that he is practicing yoga. No. First one has to follow regulative principles and control the senses, then practice the sitting postures. Yama, niyama, āsana, prāṅāyāma. And when your sitting posture is correct, then you can exercise breathing. Exercise. Breathing exercise means the nostril which is stopped breathing. You have to press that side and try to breathe from the other side. In this way, breathing exercise. Yama, niyama, āsana, prāṅāyāma. This is called prāṅāyāma.

Then dhāraṅā, meditation. And what is that meditation? That meditation... Here it is recommended, tad-viceṣṭitam: "meditation on the activities of the Supreme Lord." If the Supreme Lord is impersonal, then where is the question of activities? And how you can concentrate your mind something impersonal? Bhagavad-gītā says that kleśaḥ adhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām [Bg 12.5]

[For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progrese in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.]

"Those who are trying to meditate on the impersonal feature, impersonal feature, their process is very troublesome." Kleśo 'dhikataraḥ. Adhikatara means greater.

Any spiritual realization, without painstaking, without accepting some voluntary trouble... And nobody can very easily..., eating, drinking, merrying. No, that will... That is not spiritual advancement. One has to accept voluntarily some principles. That is called tapasya. So dhyāna. Dhyāna means meditation. So that dhyāna.

Then dhāraṅā. Dhāraṅā means meditating, then the subject matter will be fixed up in your heart. It will not move. Not that every day I am meditating on some new subject. No. The meditation is viṣṅu-mūrti. Actually those who are yogīs, they meditate on the four-handed viṣṅu-mūrti. Mat-paraḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mat-paraḥ: "unto Me," either Kṛṣṅa or Viṣṅu. That is meditation. Dhyāna, dhāraṅā.

And one, when one is practiced meditating, first beginning from the lotus feet... These things are all explained in the Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, Bhagavad-gītā. Then gradually, when you are practiced to think of Kṛṣṅa's lotus feet or Viṣṅu's lotus feet, then you proceed—then the thighs, then the waist, then the chest, then the mouth, I mean the, face, then... In this way, one after another, one after another, you have to meditate. In this way, when your meditation is fixed up, that is called dhāraṅā. Dhāraṅā. It is not moving. Dhyāna, dhāraṅā.

Then pratyāhāra. Pratyāhāra means that your senses have been withdrawn from material engagement. The example is just like the tortoise. The tortoise can wind up all these parts of the limbs of the body within, immediately. And when it is required, he can expand. So pratyāhāra means that you have to withdraw the sensual activities inside. Then when you withdraw your senses for inside activities, that is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness.

You have to think of always how to satisfy Kṛṣṅa. Hṛṣīkeṅa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam [Cc Madhya 19.170].

[Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.]

Therefore hṛṣīka, hṛṣīka means the senses, and hṛṣīkeśa means the master of the senses. Kṛṣṅa is the master of the senses. I am possessing my hand, but actually the owner of the hand is Kṛṣṅa. These things are very nicely explained in Bhagavad-gītā. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca [Bg 15.15].

[I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.]

Suppose you are writing with your hands. Though your memory must be acting; otherwise you cannot write. If your memory, if your brain, does not act, how you can write? Suppose you are typing. Your memory does not act, then what is the use of this hand or your leg?

Then Bhagavad-gītā says, Kṛṣṅa says, sarvasya cāham hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I am sitting in everyone's heart." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam: "The knowledge and memory is from Me." Therefore, when Kṛṣṅa gives you memorization, gives you knowledge, then you can write or do something. Therefore this hand is not yours; it is Kṛṣṅa's. And Kṛṣṅa consciousness means to know that "This hand does not belong to me. It is Kṛṣṅa's.

Therefore it must be engaged in Kṛṣṅa's service." Hṛṣīka, "These indriya, the sense," hṛṣīkeṅa, by hṛṣīkeṅa, "by these senses, Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of the sense, should be served." Hṛṣīkeṅa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam [Cc Madhya 19.170], "service." Bhaktir ucyate: "This is bhakti." Bhakti is nothing new or something extraordinary. Simply to know, to be conscious that "All my senses, they belong to Kṛṣṅa."

Just like I am sitting here. These boys who are conducting this New Vrindavan, they have kindly given me this seat. So this is an example. So this seat I am not... I am a sannyāsī. This seat does not belong to me, but I am sitting very comfortably, because they have given to me. Similarly, these hand, legs, all these senses, five knowledge-acquiring senses and five active senses, ten kinds of senses, and the mind is in the center—all these senses belong to Kṛṣṅa.

So,

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam hṛṣīkeṅa hṛṣīkeśa- sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc Madhya 19.170]

What is the bhakti, Kṛṣṅa consciousness? That one has to purify the senses. Ahaṁ mameti. Now I am claiming that "This hand is my hand. This is mine." "This is my. This is I," "This is my. This is..." This is the disease. Ahaṁ mameti janasya moho 'yam [SB 5.5.8].

[The attraction between male and female is the basic principle of material existence. On the basis of this misconception, which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life's illusions and thinks in terms of "I and mine.]

What is illusion? Illu... This is illusion: "my and mine." Everyone. Everyone is claiming, "It is my body," "It is my wife," "It is my child," "It is my country," "It is my society," My this." My, my, my. And "I." Unless "I," there is no "my."

So ahaṁ mameti, this is the disease. And Kṛṣṅa consciousness is to cure this disease, this cure diseases, to cure this illusion. What is that? When I understand that "I have no existence without Kṛṣṅa. I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa. In that sense, I am Kṛṣṅa's," then my... That means to understand one's identification. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṅa-dāsa [Cc Madhya 20.108-109].

[It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa because he is the marginal energy of Kṛṣṅa and a manifestation simultaneously one with and different from the Lord, like a molecular particle of sunshine or fire. Kṛṣṅa has three varieties of energy.]

Because I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, then what is my duty? To serve Kṛṣṅa. There is no other duty. Any other duty I manufacture, that is illusion. That is māyā, any duty I manufacture. So under illusion, I am manufacturing duties. This is called conditional life.

So Vyāsadeva is advised that akhila-bandha-muktaye: "People are under illusion, 'I' and 'mine.' So just try to get them liberated from this illusion." This is Vaiṣṅava's duty. Just like Nārada is advising Vyāsadeva; Vyāsadeva is advising his disciple Madhvācārya; he is advising his disciple. This is Vaiṣṅavism. They are not concerned for personal self.

Akhila-bandha-muktaye: "Just try to liberate all these conditioned souls." Just like Lord Jesus Christ. For himself... He was son of God. He had nothing to do. God consciousness, he was. He's perfectly... He knows everything. But why he was crucified? Because he wanted to work for others. That is Vaiṣṅavism.

Lord Caitanya advises, therefore, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṅa-upadeśa [Cc Madhya 7.128].

[Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.]

Kṛṣṅa consciousness means whomever you meet... Suppose I practice some yoga practice. Suppose I become perfect. So that I make for myself. For myself. But Kṛṣṅa consciousness is so nice... Just like Vyāsadeva is advised, "For others, just..." Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ [Bg 18.69].

[There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear.]

So Nārada advises that "You do this." What is that? Urukramasya. Each word is meaningful. Urukrama. Uru means uncommon. Uru. Uru means great. And krama. Krama means activities. So who is Urukrama? Urukrama is Kṛṣṅa, God. His activities are uncommon. Just see. This Pacific Ocean is just like in a cup, and it is floating in the sky. Is it not? We see: "Oh, it is vast ocean." But what is the position of this? This vast ocean is in a cup, and it is floating in the sky.

That's all. Just see. This is called urukrama. This is God's activity. Can you float a cup of water in the sky? Is it possible? Let any scientist come and make any arrangement. They have discovered all this gravity of... What is called? Gravitation. So many things they have discovered. But let them fly a cup of water in the sky. Is it possible? Is there any scientist?

Therefore wonderful activities means... The wonderful actor means Kṛṣṅa, Urukrama. Uru, urukrama... Just like Vāmanadeva. Vāmanadeva, He asked Bali Mahārāja to give Him land covering His three feet. So he said, "My dear Sir, You are asking from me land. You ask something more. Your feet is so small. What you'll do with these three feet?" No. He said, "Yes, it is all right." So by the one feet, the whole universe became covered, upside. And another feet, the downside. And then there is no place to step the another feet. Therefore it is called urukrama.

Just like Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa, at the age of seven years, He lifted the Govardhana Hill. Just like the children plucks out a flower like this, He immediately lifted. This is called urukrama, urukrama, uncommon, wonderful. Therefore Kṛṣṅa's name is, another name is, Urukrama.

So here it is stated that tad-viceṣṭitam. Whose? His activities. Whose activities? Urukramasya, "who acts wonderfully." Not that somebody is meditating, his activities should be described. What wonderful things he has done? We are accepting anyone as God, but we do not test what..., what proof he has given to become God. Here is God: Urukrama. Here is God. We accept Kṛṣṅa as God. He has done from the very childhood uncommon, wonderful activities. We are not fool that we accept somebody, a nonsense having a great beard, and we accept God. No. We must see that he has wonderful activities. What is that wonderful activities? First of all test.

So here it is said, urukramasya. "If you describe the activities of the Supreme Lord, who acts wonderfully, then..." Samādhinā. That you can... That samādhi, yoga-samādhi. After passing all these stages, when one comes to the samādhi, fixed up—his concentration, meditation, fixed up on Kṛṣṅa and Viṣṅu, that is called samādhi—and in that samādhi, one can become liberated simply by thinking of the activities of the Lord. How it is so? It is described in the Bhagavad-gītā that,

janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg 4.9]

[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]

"My dear son of Kuntī, Arjuna, if somebody knows actually what are My activities, then simply by knowing what are My activities, he becomes liberated." Just see how Bhagavad-gītā and Bhāgavata is working. What is said by... This is called paramparā system, that the..., what is spoken in the Bhagavad-gītā by the Lord Himself is here also confirmed by Nārada. You don't find any contradiction. In the Bhagavad-gītā... Just like Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66].

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

And what we are saying? That "You give up everything. Just become Kṛṣṅa conscious." The same thing. Therefore it is for liberation. What was spoken by God Himself directly, the same thing is spoken by Nārada, and same thing we are speaking also. So these are the points how one can spiritually make advance.

urukramasya akhila-bandha-muktaye samādhinā anusmara tad-viceṣṭitam [SB 1.5.13]

Tad-viceṣṭitam means "His activities." Kṛṣṅa also says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ, tyaktvā deham [Bg 4.9].

[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]

And Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that yei kṛṣṅa-tattva-vettā, sei guru haya [Cc Madhya 8.128]

[Whether one is a brāhmaṅa, a sannyāsī or a śūdra—regardless of what he is—he can become a spiritual master if he knows the science of Kṛṣṅa.]

"Anyone who understands factually what are the activities of Kṛṣṅa, what is Kṛṣṅa, he is spiritual master." He is spiritual... Therefore Vyāsadeva... Nārada is spiritual master, Vyāsadeva is spiritual master, or anyone who knows by following their footprints, he is also spiritual master. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, yei kṛṣṅa-tattva-vettā, sei guru haya [Cc Madhya 8.128]. And one who knows kṛṣṅa-tattva, he becomes immediately liberated. Because it is said here, akhila-bandha-muktaye, "liberated from all conditions of material nature."

So a spiritual master means one who knows Kṛṣṅa. And as soon as one knows Kṛṣṅa, he's liberated. Therefore a spiritual master is liberated. Or a spiritual master or anyone who knows kṛṣṅa-tattva, he immediately liberated. Akhila-bandha-muktaye. Samādhinā, that "This has to be meditated." Anusmara. This another word, anusmara. Anusmara means you don't manufacture your meditation.

You try to follow the footprints who have had actually meditated. So then your meditation will be... Not that you manufacture some process of meditation and you get perfection. No, anusmara. And again he says... What is the subject matter of meditation? Tad-viceṣṭitam, the activities of the Lord. So if we simply remember how Kṛṣṅa is teaching Arjuna, what He is speaking, and how Arjuna is receiving, that is meditation. That is meditation.

Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu approved one brāhmaṅa. He was illiterate. He could not know what is the Sanskrit alphabet or character, what to speak of reading. But when he was initiated, his spiritual master said, "You read daily so many chapters of Bhagavad-gītā." The spiritual master knew that he is illiterate. And he also knew that "I am illiterate. I cannot know what is alphabet, Sanskrit." Still, the order of spiritual master, that is... This is discipleship.

"All right, my spiritual master, I shall try to read." So how he was reading? He, he took the book, and he was seeing the book, and "Ohhhh," like... That's all. His friends, who knew that this man is illiterate, and what he is reading: "Mr. Such-and-such, how you are reading?" Criticizing. He was silent, because he knew that "I am illiterate. My friends are criticizing. That's all right. What can I do?"

Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw that these things are going on in the Raṅganātha temple. But He saw that "This brāhmaṅa is very gentle and grave, and he's handling the book. That's all." So He inquired, "My dear brāhmaṅa, what you are reading?" He said... He could understand that "He's not criticizing. He's a, mean, a great man." So he said, "Sir, what can I say? My spiritual master asked me to read every day Bhagavad-gītā, so many chapters, but I am illiterate. I cannot read. Therefore I have taken the book, simply seeing. That's all. What can I do?" "But I see you are sometimes crying. You must be reading. Otherwise, how you are feeling and you are crying?" "Yes, I am feeling. That's a fact." "How, what is that?"

"Now, as soon as I take this book, Bhagavad-gītā, the picture of Kṛṣṅa and Arjuna comes before me. I see that both Kṛṣṅa and Arjuna are sitting on the chariot, and Kṛṣṅa is instructing Bhagavad-gītā. So I am appreciating how Lord is kind, that He has accepted the charioteer, to become a charioteer of His devotee. He's so kind. So when I feel this, that 'Kṛṣṅa is so kind that He become the servant of His servant,' that feeling gives me some ecstasy, and I cry." Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately embraced him: "Your Bhagavad-gītā reading is perfect."

Devotees: Haribol!

Prabhupāda: Yes. So this is the thing, tad-viceṣṭitam. He's simply thinking of the activities of Kṛṣṅa and Arjuna. That's all. That is perfect reading of Bhagavad-gītā. It does not require to read Bhagavad-gītā by your academic education. If you simply hear from the authoritative source the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, and if you simply meditate upon that speech, that instruction, "Oh, Kṛṣṅa instructed like this. Arjuna received like this. He questioned like this. He answered like this," that is meditation, perfect meditation, and you become liberated. Tad-viceṣṭitam. It is not very difficult job. Simply you have to receive.

Therefore satya-śravāḥ, śuci-śravāḥ. Śuci-śravāḥ. You have to hear from the pure source, give aural reception, and think of it, meditate upon it. Simply by doing this, you are liberated. These are not bluff. Here is the evidence. Simply receive the message from the right source and contemplate and meditate upon that instruction—you are liberated. Chanting and hearing. Hearing and..., śravaṅaṁ kīrtanam [SB 7.5.23].

[Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṅu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṅa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.]

First hearing, then chanting. Hear from the right source and discuss amongst yourselves, iṣṭagoṣṭhi. Then the perfection.

So, samādhinā anusmara tad-viceṣṭitam, śuci, śuddhyā, śravā, yaśa, satye rataḥ dhṛtāni ghṛtāni yasya bhavān, evaṁ mahā-guṅas tāvad atha urukramasya vidhitaṁ ceṣṭitaṁ līlā samādhinā citta, cittaika, aikāgrena[?]. This samādhi... Samādhi does not mean something artificial. Here Śrīdhara Swami says, citta aikāgrena. Citta means your mind, or heart, completely absorbed in Kṛṣṅa thought. That means Kṛṣṅa consciousness. That is samādhi. Citta aikāgrena. Ekāgra,[?] without diverting your heart and mind to any other business, if you simply be engaged twenty-four hours in Kṛṣṅa's activities, that is samādhi. That is samādhi.

So by yoga process, one has to come to this platform of samādhi. That is the perfection of yoga. And this Kṛṣṅa consciousness is directly that stage. Therefore it is the perfect yoga system. One has to come to that stage, samādhi. And samādhi means without any diversion you have to think always of Kṛṣṅa. So even a... Just like this man, this brāhmaṅa. He was simply... He was illiterate. He did not know what is Bhagavad-gītā's character, what is written there. But there is samādhi. He was thinking of "Kṛṣṅa and Arjuna, Kṛṣṅa and Arjuna, how they are talking, how they are sitting, how the chariot is going, how Kṛṣṅa is nice." This is thinking. That is samādhi.

Samādhi is not an artificial thing, by pressing your nose, or this or... That is... These things are recommended for the third-class men, who cannot concentrate his mind in Kṛṣṅa, for the fourth-class, third-class men. It is not for the first-class man. A first-class man is automatically Kṛṣṅa conscious. So these things are to be studied very minutely and understood; then the things are very easy. Śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ smaraṅaṁ pāda-sevanam [SB 7.5.23].

Now, the samādhi, samādhinā. Śrīdhara... We have to take the comments of authorities, that here you see samādhinā citta aikāgrena. Actually, that is samādhi. Now, these sitting posture, these breathing exercise, controlling the senses and mind—everything means that you have to make your mind so nice that it will never deviate from Kṛṣṅa. So these are different types of exercise.

Just like by exercise you can make your circulation of the blood nicely, you keep yourself healthy, similarly, the all these yogic process means to come to the stage of samādhi. Samādhi. And that is said also in the authoritative yogic literature. But what is that samādhi? Samādhi means not to deviate. The mind should always be absorbed in Kṛṣṅa thought, without any deviation.

So anyone who is chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa, he is in samādhi. Anyone who is cooking for Kṛṣṅa, he is in samādhi. Anyones who is typing for Kṛṣṅa, he is in samādhi. Anyone who is working in the field for Kṛṣṅa, he is in samādhi. Because his consciousness is that "I am doing here for satisfaction of Kṛṣṅa." Ānukūlyena kṛṣṅānuśīlanam [Cc Madhya 19.167].

[When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge obtained by monistic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Kṛṣṅa favorably, as Kṛṣṅa desires.]

Anuśīlanam: cultivation of Kṛṣṅa knowledge favorably, not unfavorably. Then it is perfection. Bhaktir uttamā. Ānukūlyena. Anyābhilaṣitā-śūnyam [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11].

[One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṅa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.]

When you cook, if you think, "Oh, this nice thing is being cooked. I shall eat it very nicely," then it is not Kṛṣṅa. But while cooking, if you think, "Let me do it very nicely so that Kṛṣṅa will taste it," it is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. The same thing. Activities is the same, but the consciousness is different. That is samādhi.

So samādhi is not very extraordinary thing. One has to become simply serious and sincere to Kṛṣṅa. Then he is in samādhi. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā:

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ [Bg 6.47]

[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]

"Anyone who is always thinking of Me within his heart and is engaged in My service, he's first-class yogī." So any person who is engaged in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, who's acting simply for Kṛṣṅa twenty-four hours, he's in samādhi. Samādhinā tad..., anusmara tad-viceṣṭitam [SB 1.5.13].

Anusmara: "That meditation should not be manufactured by you, but under the direction of the representative of Kṛṣṅa." Therefore it is called anusmara.

Cittaga..., akhilasya bandhasya muktaye. Then again, Śrīdhara Svāmī says that "This process is for giving liberation from all kinds of material bondage." Akhilasya bandhasya muktaye tam anusmara smṛtya varṅayata[?]. And again Śrīdhara Svāmī gives note herewith that "Not only you meditate, but you preach. That will help your meditation." Just like I am speaking to you. I am meditating simultaneously. Unless I remember, how can I speak to you?

Unless my attention is concentrated without any diversion in Kṛṣṅa subject matter, how can I speak to you? So that is also samādhi. Don't think that one who is simply sitting, he is in samādhi. One who is preaching, he's also in samādhi, because he's thinking of Kṛṣṅa. Otherwise, how he can talk of Kṛṣṅa if he does not think of Kṛṣṅa? Śrīdhara Swami gives... Tam anusmara smṛtya varṅayata. Varṅayata means "describe also," "preach." Ity artha. Etac ca vakhyantaram iti madhyama-puruṣa-prayogaḥ.[?]

So this preaching, śravaṅaṁ kīrtanam [SB 7.5.23], simply hearing of Kṛṣṅa and chanting of Kṛṣṅa, preaching of Kṛṣṅa, is samādhi.

And this will make one liberated, akhila-bandha-muktaye, from all kinds of bondage, material bondage.

Thank you very much.

[break] ...liberation, oh, she is canvassing me, "Will you kindly take my service?" Muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān. We are devotees of Kṛṣṅa, oh, mukti is standing on my door and just trying to.., begging, "May I serve you? May I serve you? What can I do for you? What can I do for you?" Muktiḥ mukulitāñjali means the folded hand. Mukti is serving us always in folded hands. We are not very much anxious for mukti, or liberation. Liberation is at our door.

That means Kṛṣṅa... A bhakta, Kṛṣṅa devotee, Kṛṣṅa conscious, is already liberated. Liberated is very... Just like if a person is M.A., that means he has already passed all other examinations. Muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān. This Kṛṣṅa consciousness is so nice. Try to understand and preach. Just like Śrīdhara Mahārāja: varṅaya, smṛtya varṅaya ity arataḥ. Don't simply be satisfied that you are simply thinking, but try to preach. That will make your life sublime. Go on. [end]

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.13

Referenced verses