Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat]

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati [SB 1.2.6]

[The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.]

[break]

[01:35]

Prabhupāda: This is a speech of Sūta Gosvāmī in Naimiṣāraṅya. Formerly, great sages used to assemble in the forest of Naimiṣāraṅya. Those who are Indians, they will know Naimiṣāraṅya. There is a station, Nimsara, still. And it is near Lucknow. Still it is very nice place. So there was a great meeting of saintly persons. As nowadays ordinary persons meet together to find out the ways and means for people's prosperity, formerly the great saintly persons, sages, brāhmaṅas, they used to meet, and they used to give formula to the people, to the king, that "You follow this. You will be happy." This was the system, brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra.

So the brāhmaṅas will give the direction, and the kṣatriya king would execute it. And the vaiśyas will produce foodgrains. Vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam. Kṛṣi-vāṅijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg 18.44].

[Farming, cow protection and business are the qualities of work for the vaiśyas, and for the śūdras there is labor and service to others.]

For vaiśyas, three work, three kinds of occupation: first of all, agriculture, produce food, and then, give protection to the cows. Because cow is important animal, cow protection is very necessary. So kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṅijyam [Bg 18.44]. And where there is scarcity of food, transport food there, make business. These three things for the vaiśyas.

So there was meeting. So in the meeting... That meeting was held after the departure of Kṛṣṅa. So the question was that "After departure of Kṛṣṅa, who has taken charge of this world for proper discharge of religious principles?" So the reply was that "Kṛṣṅa has left this world, but here is the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That will give you direction." Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the sound representation of Kṛṣṅa. As Bhagavad-gītā is the sound produced, vibrated by Kṛṣṅa personally, similarly, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is written by Vyāsadeva under the direction of his spiritual master, Nārada, about Kṛṣṅa.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised to preach the message of Kṛṣṅa. That is His cult.

āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa 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.]

This is the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And He wanted all the Indians to help this movement.

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra [Cc Ādi 9.41]

[One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India [Bhārata-varṣa] should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.]

This is the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He has advised every Indian... Bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila. Every human being born in India, they should take up this cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They can take it. Because by birth they have got the right, because this Bhāgavatam is produced in India, Bhagavad-gītā is produced in India. That is the glory of India.

So the sons of India, those who are Indians, those who are proud of becoming Indian, they should take up this mission. Janma sārthaka kari'. First of all make your life successful by understanding what is Bhagavad-gītā and what is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Janma sārthaka kari'. If you are yourself unsuccessful in the mission of your life, you cannot preach anything. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, janma sārthaka kari': "after making your life successful." That means by understanding the value of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā, you preach this knowledge all over the world.

Because such knowledge is wanting all over the world. The Western countries, they might have advanced in material technology, technical knowledge, but they have no knowledge about the science of God. That is lacking. So the East and West, they should cooperate. They cooperate. You have got some knowledge; I take advantage of it. I have got some knowledge; you take advantage of it. This is cooperation. This is cooperation.

So especially now, people all over the world, they are trying to imitate the Western type of civilization. That is not bad. Do it. But you also do something so that Westerners may also take your knowledge. That is cooperation. So why you are silent in that point? Therefore, because Indians or Indian government has failed to do this duty, India is known as beggar country all over the world. I am traveling: "Oh, you are from India? It is very poverty-stricken country." This is the designation of India. Actually it is so. In comparison to Western country, India is very poor. Very poor.

So there is no need of remaining poor. You can make your economic development. This is required. Dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣāṅām [SB 3.7.32]. Human life means four things he must develop. First thing is dharma. He must know what is religion. Every human being—not Indians or Europeans or Americans. That is the prime duty of every human being. Without following the religious principle, then he is not human even. Dharmeṅa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ [Hitopadeśa]. If the human society... It doesn't matter what kind of religion you follow. It doesn't matter. But you must follow.

[aside:] Sit down properly. Don't go out now; come.

They, that is the duty, dharma. Dharmeṅa hīnāḥ. Human civilization begins when there is religious conception of life. Therefore all over the world—it doesn't matter whether Europe, America or India or China, Japan—there is some kind of religion. There is some kind of religion—either Hindu religion or Muslim religion or Christian religion, Buddhist religion. These are the prime religions of the world.

Now, here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, they are discussing about religion. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ.

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati [SB 1.2.6]

[The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.]

Everyone wants to be happy. Ātmā. Ātmā means body, ātmā means mind. Ātmā means ātmā, soul, also. So somebody is trying to be happy bodily. That is also ātmā. But that is very temporary. And somebody is wanting the peace and prosperity or tranquillity of the mind. That is also ātmārāma. Ātmārāma means everyone is wanting to remain happy and peaceful in his ātmā.

So those who are gross, they are trying to be happy bodily. They are called karmīs. And those who are little advanced, they are trying to be happy mentally. They are called jñānīs. Karmīs, jñānīs. And those who are trying to be happy spiritually, they are called yogīs. So yogīs, there are different kinds of yogīs. But the first-class yogī is bhakti-yogī. Bhakti-yoga. Kṛṣṅa says 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.]

He is first-class yogī. Who is first-class yogī? Now, mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā, "who is always thinking of Me." Kṛṣṅa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg 18.65].

[Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.]

This is Kṛṣṅa's advice in the Bhagavad-gītā. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ: "Always think of Me." It is not difficult. You think of Kṛṣṅa. We have got Kṛṣṅa's form. That is first-class meditation. Kṛṣṅa says, yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā.

Thinking of Kṛṣṅa, antar-ātmanā, within the core of heart—sa me yuktatamo mataḥ: he is first-class yogī. So we are teaching that, how to become first-class yogī. "Chant Kṛṣṅa, Hare Kṛṣṅa, and hear." Immediately... All Kṛṣṅa's—Kṛṣṅa's form, Kṛṣṅa's qualities, Kṛṣṅa's pastimes, Kṛṣṅa's paraphernalia, Kṛṣṅa's opulence—everything will be subject of your thinking. This is called first-class yoga.

So here also, what is spoken by Kṛṣṅa in Bhagavad-gītā, that is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Here it is said, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Para and apara. Para means superior or transcendental. There are two kinds of prakṛtis: parā-prakṛti, aparā-prakṛti. That is also described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Material: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ buddhir mano eva ca [Bg 7.4].

[Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego—altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies.]

Material things: earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence, ego. Prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā, bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. Kṛṣṅa says, "They are My prakṛti, My nature, My energy." Similarly, Kṛṣṅa says, next verse, apareyam: "This material prakṛti is inferior. But beyond this material prakṛti, there is a superior prakṛti." What is that? Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat [Bg 7.5]:

[Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe.]

"That is living entity."

So living entity is also prakṛti, another energy of Kṛṣṅa. Just like this material world is one creation, material creation, similarly, there is spiritual energy also. Kṛṣṅa has multi-energies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8].

[The Supreme Lord has nothing to do. Nothing is equal to Him or greater than Him. He acts in different phases by manifesting His parts and parcels, which are all simultaneously differently situated by His unlimited, variegated potencies. Each potency acts quite naturally in sequences, providing Him full knowledge, power and pastimes.]

Na tasya kāryam... This is Vedic injunction. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṅaṁ ca vidyate. God has nothing to do with His hands and legs. He is so powerful that He has got so many energies... Just like big man here, he does not do anything with his hand, but he has got so many assistants. As soon as he wants to do something, immediately it is done. If it is possible for ordinary human being, how much energy is in stock of Kṛṣṅa, and how He can perform everything perfectly. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Everything comes out nicely. So much energy is there, inconceivable energy. That is God.

So that energy is divided into three: material energy, spiritual energy and marginal energy. We are marginal energy. We living entities, we belong to the marginal energy, taṭasthā-śakti. Marginal means we can remain in the material energy or in the spiritual energy. Now, at the present moment, every one of us, we are under the control of the material energy. You can understand it very easily. Just like government. The government, that is one energy working. Similarly, the prison house, that is also another energy working. And the citizens, that is also another, another energy working. But the citizens are marginal. They can remain outside the prison walls and inside the prison walls. Therefore they are called marginal.

When you are abiding by the laws of the government, you are free. You are not abiding by the laws of the government, you are within the prison house. So you are at liberty. Either... That is your choice. Government has got university, as well as the criminal department. Government does not canvass; rather, government canvasses that "You come to the university. Be educated. Be advanced." But it is our choice we sometimes go to the prison house. It is not government's fault.

Similarly, those who have come to this material world, they are all supposed to be criminals, disobedient to the laws of God. Therefore there is dharma, to teach people that "You take to religious principle, gradually become purified, and come back again to the spiritual world. That is your real abode." Here it is foreign. Here it is foreign, and you are under so many tribulations. Just like if you are in the prison house, there you cannot expect any comfort of life. That is not possible. It is meant for inflicting miseries upon you so that you can understand that you are criminal, you should not do like this and come here again. That is the process going on.

Similarly, here also in this material world, we are always under troublesome condition. Especially in this age, Kali-yuga. So that we may come to our sense, if there is any possibility of making a solution of this miserable condition of life... But we are so callous, just like animals. They do not know. The animals are kept in the room for being slaughtered. They do not know. They are eating grass and very happy. Not happy. Some of them know that "We are going to be killed." They cry. But there is no escape. What can be done? But human life is not like animals. They must know that "We are in threefold miserable condition of life, adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. And we do not want these all miserable condition. We want to be happy. We want to be peaceful. How to do it?"

That is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

daivī hy eṣā guṅamayī mama māyā duratyayā mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg 7.14]

[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]

It is very difficult. You are trying to be happy by adjustment of material conditions, but that is not possible. Māyā is very strong. She'll not let you become happy under material condition. That is not possible. Then how one can become happy? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg 7.14]. As soon as you become obedient, surrender to Kṛṣṅa, you become transcendental to the laws of material nature. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ [Bg 9.13].

[O son of Pṛthā, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.]

Those who are mahātmās, they are not under material condition. They are under spiritual guidance, daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ. And what is their symptom? Bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ. Without any diversion, they are engaged in bhajana. Śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ. This is bhajana.

śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ smaraṅaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam [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.]

There are nine kinds of bhajana. Hearing—just like you are hearing about Kṛṣṅa—this is bhajana. So we are giving this opportunity. We are opening hundreds of branches so that people may take advantage of hearing about Kṛṣṅa. That is bhajana. You don't do anything. If you simply come here... We are holding class. If you simply come and hear, you will advance in spiritual consciousness. Simply by aural reception. Śravaṅādi-śuddha-citte.

Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṅa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc Madhya 17.136].

[Therefore material senses cannot appreciate Kṛṣṅa’s holy name, form, qualities and pastimes. When a conditioned soul is awakened to Kṛṣṅa consciousness and renders service by using his tongue to chant the Lord’s holy name and taste the remnants of the Lord’s food, the tongue is purified, and one gradually comes to understand who Kṛṣṅa really is.]

We cannot understand God, Kṛṣṅa, by our present senses. Therefore His name is Adhokṣaja. Here, this is the verse, it is said, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. Adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja. Kṛṣṅa's another name is Adhokṣaja. Akṣaja means direct perception. Just like somebody says, "I want to see." This is called akṣaja. Akṣa means eyes or senses. So He is not perceived by these blunt material senses. Therefore He is known as Adhokṣaja, adhah-kṛta akṣaja-jñānaṁ yatra, where this direct experimental knowledge is defeated. You cannot understand God by your this blunt material experience. No. That is not possible. Therefore we have to submit. We have to surrender.

Tad viddhi praṅipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg 4.34].

[Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.]

If you want to know, then first of all is praṅipāta. Praṅipāta means prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṅa nipāta. Just like we have got the system, the disciples they fall flat, straight, and offer respect to Deity or to the spiritual master. This is called praṅipāta. Praṅi... Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṅa nipāta. The first thing is praṅipāta. You have to find out somebody where you can surrender fully. That is the beginning of spiritual life. Tad viddhi praṅipātena [Bg 4.34]. First condition is praṅipāta. Praṅipātena paripraśnena. You can inquire. You can ask questions, after you have fully surrendered, not before that. Don't waste your time. It will not act.

Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was talking with Kṛṣṅa like friends. When Arjuna said, "Oh, the other side, they are all my kinsmen. How can I kill them? Oh, it is not possible," Kṛṣṅa said, "No, you are kṣatriya. It is your duty to fight. It doesn't matter the other party is your own kinsmen." Ordinary question, answers. In this way, questions and answer, questions and answer were going on. But at last, when by such questions and answers, friendly talk, nothing was solved, then Arjuna said, śiṣyas te haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam [Bg 2.7]:

[Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.]

"My dear Kṛṣṅa, in this way the problem will not be solved. I am becoming Your disciple. I am not talking any more as friend." Śiṣyas te 'ham: "I become Your disciple." Because you cannot argue with guru. That is praṅipāta.

Therefore we must have a guru where exact knowledge is coming, without any mistake. Because we cannot argue. So we must find out such guru, where perfect knowledge is coming. Just like... Therefore guru is... Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt. Guru must be perfect representative of Kṛṣṅa. So ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit [SB 11.17.27]:

[One should know the ācārya as Myself and never disrespect him in any way. One should not envy him, thinking him an ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the demigods.]

"Do not neglect the ācārya." Na martya-buddhyā: "Don't consider him as ordinary human being." Asūyeta. If he sometimes chastises you, don't be envious: "Oh, he is also man, I am also man. Why he is talking like that?" No. Nāsūyeta martya-buddhyā. These are the instruction. This is called praṅipāta. So Arjuna accepted this process, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: "My dear Kṛṣṅa, now, from this moment, I am Your śiṣya. I am Your śiṣya. I become Your disciple. Now You teach me." The Bhagavad-gītā was taught to Arjuna because he became a śiṣya.

So if we actually want the solution of the problems of this material existence, as it is said, yenātmā suprasīdati... Yena ātmā suprasīdati. Supra... Su means "very nicely"; prasīdati, "becomes satisfied." Everyone is trying to be satisfied, peaceful in his mind. But that is not being happen. How it will happen? The direction is given here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. That is first-class religion. It doesn't matter whether you are following Christian religion or Hindu religion or Muslim religion or any religion. It doesn't matter. Dharma means religion. That is English translation. But actually dharma means which you cannot change.

Religion, the so-called religion, is a sentiment. Today you are Hindu; tomorrow you become Muslim. Or today you are Muslim; tomorrow you become Christian. That kind of conversion, change, is not religion. Because the man remains the same. Simply by his changing the rubber stamp, "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," that does not make any benefit. Therefore our Movement is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. We don't talk of any religion. The consciousness should be changed. The material consciousness should be changed into spiritual consciousness. That is our propaganda. It is meant for Hindu, Muslim, Christian, anyone—white, black, yellow, everything. Because it is the function of the soul. Soul is not black, white, yellow. Soul is spirit. So one has to realize that "I am spirit soul. I am not Indian nor American nor Englishman nor German nor white nor black. This is my bodily description. I am not this body." This is the beginning of spiritual understanding.

Therefore Sūta Gosvāmī says, "That type of religion which actually gives spiritual education, and by spiritual education one develops his forgotten love of Godhead." Love of Godhead is there in every one of us. It is now forgotten. We have to simply awaken it. Otherwise, how these English boys, these American boys, the Canadian boys or gentlemen, they are taking to Kṛṣṅa consciousness so seriously? It is not something artificial. The Kṛṣṅa consciousness was there. It is being awakened under certain prescribed method. That's all. Śravaṅādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya [Cc Madhya 22.107].

[Pure love for Kṛṣṅa is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens.]

This is the process. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṅa-bhakti. Caitanya-caritāmṛta says that "This Kṛṣṅa consciousness is there, dormant, in everyone's heart. It is already there." Śravaṅādi-śuddha-citte: "If you kindly hear about Kṛṣṅa and your heart becomes purified, the original dormant Kṛṣṅa consciousness is immediately awakened."

So this is the process. Therefore Bhāgavata recommends, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ: "That type of religion is first class who has accepted this process how to awaken Kṛṣṅa consciousness." Adhokṣaja. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. What kind of bhakti? Ahaitukī: without any motive. Without any motive. Because generally we go to temple or perform religion with a motive, some material purpose. But bhakti should be without any motive, ahaitukī, no cause. Apratihatā: and it cannot be checked. It is not that because one is Christian or one is Muhammadan or one is outside the Vedic culture, he cannot become Kṛṣṅa conscious. No. Ahaituky apratihatā. Apratihatā means nothing can check.

Anything material impediment is not able to check Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati. If you follow this method how to awaken your Kṛṣṅa consciousness, then automatically your ātmā will be satisfied, "Oh." Just like Mrs. Sharma was describing, "Now I am so happy." She is not an ordinary woman. She is very rich. She has got business. But she is finding happiness here. This is practical example. This is practical example. Yenātmā, yena atmā suprasīdati.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "Take this responsibility of preaching Kṛṣṅa consciousness all over the world, those who are Indians." Now, there are many Indians in London. You take this Movement very seriously. It is your duty to spread this Movement. At least, you do it in European countries. Now here is a chance, good chance. Come here, participate with the Movement, become Kṛṣṅa conscious yourself, and preach it. That will be Indian's glory. Otherwise, simply beg. You will remain simply beggars, that's all.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṅa. [applause] [end]