Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.26.44

Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse, etc.]

rasa-mātrād vikurvāṅād ambhaso daiva-coditāt gandha-mātram abhūt tasmāt pṛthvī ghrāṅas tu gandhagaḥ [SB 3.26.44]

[break] [02:45]

"Due to the interaction of water with the taste perception, the subtle element odor evolves under superior arrangement. Thence the earth and the olfactory sense, by which we can variously experience the aroma of the earth, become manifest."

Prabhupāda:

rasa-mātrād vikurvāṅād ambhaso daiva-coditāt gandha-mātram abhūt tasmāt pṛthvī ghrāṅas tu gandhagaḥ [SB 3.26.44]

So further analytical study of water is mentioned here by Kapiladeva. So the rasa, taste. Taste changes into gandha, smell. So the taste is created by daiva-coditāt. Taste of everything... Everything is being done, daiva-coditāt, the beginning. But the taste creates the different kinds of fragrance, gandha, smell, within the earth. There is water, there is taste, and taste and formation—either you say chemical or physical changes—it becomes smell. So different kinds of smell there are already within the earth. Simply it brings out by different methods. The scientist does not know. That we have already explained several times, that the different gandha, or smell, or fragrance, or aroma, whatever you call, there are already within the earth. Puṅyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca [Bg 7.9].

[I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics.]

Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, puṅyo gandhaḥ and pāpo gandhaḥ. In the material world, everywhere there are two things: pious and impious. So the pāpo gandhaḥ, bad smell, when it passes, so you close your nose, nostrils, not to accept it. But when there is puṅyo gandhaḥ, you feel fresh: "Oh, it is very nice."

So Kṛṣṅa says, puṅyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca. When you smell something very fragrant... Just like in the flower. There are different varieties of flower, and they are exacting different varieties of aroma from the earth. So the good smell of the flower... In some other place it is said in the Bhāgavatam that the..., when you see flower, you see Kṛṣṅa smiling. That is the seeing of Kṛṣṅa smiling. Therefore the flower should be utilized for Kṛṣṅa's service. Because these flowers, everything, is Kṛṣṅa's energy. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc Madhya 13.65, purport]. So specifically good fragrance of flower, Kṛṣṅa says that "I am that." Kṛṣṅa's particular presence is there. So we can remember Kṛṣṅa immediately. This Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is that you remember always Kṛṣṅa. Always Kṛṣṅa.

Just like Mahārāja Ambarīṣa did. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṅa-padāravindayoḥ [SB 9.4.18].

[Mahārāja Ambarīṣa always engaged his mind in meditating upon the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa, his words in describing the glories of the Lord, his hands in cleansing the Lord's temple, and his ears in hearing the words spoken by Kṛṣṅa or about Kṛṣṅa. He engaged his eyes in seeing the Deity of Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa's temples and Kṛṣṅa's places like Mathurā and Vṛndāvana, he engaged his sense of touch in touching the bodies of the Lord's devotees, he engaged his sense of smell in smelling the fragrance of tulasī offered to the Lord, and he engaged his tongue in tasting the Lord's prasāda. He engaged his legs in walking to the holy places and temples of the Lord, his head in bowing down before the Lord, and all his desires in serving the Lord, twenty-four hours a day. Indeed, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa never desired anything for his own sense gratification. He engaged all his senses in devotional service, in various engagements related to the Lord. This is the way to increase attachment for the Lord and be completely free from all material desires.]

He engaged his mind at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa—simply by engaging the mind. Vacāṁsi vaikuṅṭha-guṅānuvarṅane. If we utilize our senses always in the service of the Lord, that is bhakti. At the present moment we are utilizing our senses for material objectives. That is to be purified. It should be used for Kṛṣṅa's service. We are using our senses for the service of society, friendship and love. But that service should be transferred to Kṛṣṅa. Then it is bhakti. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [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.]

Bhakti means... This flower, we are smelling; we are enjoying. That is sense gratification. Similarly, this same flower, if it is offered to Kṛṣṅa as garland, that He will smell it and feel pleasure, that is bhakti.

So to come to the bhakti-mārga, or devotional service, it is not very difficult. The smell is creation of God, or Kṛṣṅa, puṅyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca. Therefore the smell should be used for Kṛṣṅa's pleasure—this is bhakti—not for my pleasure. This is called tyāga. Tyāga means that actually it should be used for Kṛṣṅa, who has produced it. Hṛṣīkeṅa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc Madhya 19.170]. Our senses are also Kṛṣṅa's senses. He is Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīka-īśa, iti hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīka means senses. Unfortunately, our senses are being used for sense satisfaction, neither for our use. It is for sense gratification. So bhakti means this practice of using the senses for sense gratification should be rectified, should be purified. Then the same senses will be utilized for Kṛṣṅa's satisfaction, and then you become a bhakta. Kṛṣṅa's things may be used for Kṛṣṅa. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc Madhya 19.170].

The Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛacā, the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, he has distinguished between kāma and prema. Kāma means lusty desires or sex desires. Generally it is meant, sex desires. So he has very simplified the matter very much. Ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā—dhare..., nāma dhare..., prema..., tāre..., bali dhare..., nāma kāma [Cc Ādi 4.165], like that. Kṛṣṅendriya-prīti-vāñchā dhare nāma prema, and ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā—dhare nāma kāma. They... Actually, senses are there for satisfaction. That's a fact. Otherwise, why the senses are there? Just like the smell is there, and the nose is there.

So smell is there for satisfaction of the senses. For the smell, for the nose, nostril, the beautiful flower is there, or beautiful..., anything beautiful. To the man, woman is beautiful; to the woman, man is beautiful. So the eyes are there, and the beautiful things are there. That is arrangement. That is development of this nature. As soon as... It is... It is coming from the fire. The... That we have already described. The fire is the origin of beauty, and the fire is the origin of eyesight. The loss of eyesight means there is less fiery element. Loss of appetite means there is less of fiery elements. In the Āyurvedic treatment it is called agni-māndyam. So these are transformation of the fire. Similarly, the smell is transformation of the rasa, taste.

How subtle things are going on, that is described in the Sāṅkhya philosophy presented by Kapiladeva, but we do not understand practically how things are going on. We are simply accepting the words that "By transformation of this thing, this thing is coming out so much." Neither it is possible to make experiment. Maybe; but scientists can take advantage of this Sāṅkhya philosophy. So you may experiment or not. That doesn't matter. Things are going on. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṅāni guṅaiḥ karmāṅi sarvaśaḥ, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā manyate... [Bg 3.27].

[The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.]

What is called?

Devotees: Kartāham iti manyate.

Prabhupāda: Kartāham iti manyate. Actually, these rules of transformation as ordained by daiva-coditāt, by the supreme design, that is going on. But we, under the name of so-called scientist, we are trying to take the credit. Just like they are testing now—in the test tube they are making life. But the substance, the semina, male and female, that you cannot create. That you have to take from the male, from the female, then put together in the test tube. Then it may come. They are very much proud that "Now in the laboratory we are making life by chemical combination." But the actual chemical coming from by this transformation under the supervision of the daiva, daiva-coditāt. Daiva is the principal cause. Sarva-kāraṅa-kāraṅam [Bs 5.1].

[Kṛṣṅa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]

That they do not accept. And people are giving credit to these artificial scientist.

In our Delhi program... There was lecture of a big scientist in Delhi; I forgot his name. He gave very good example that if a man learns how to bark like dog, and if he makes a show, many thousands of people will purchase ticket and go and see how he is barking. [laughter] But by nature's arrangement so many dogs are barking; nobody takes care. You see? So similarly, in the laboratory if a scientist can produce a life some way or other, so they will go and see and give him clap. Just like this aeroplane is flying in the air. Little discrepancy is immediately crash down. So he is getting so much credit, and the scientists also saying, "There is no need of God. Now we have solved all the questions." But nobody is giving credit to Kṛṣṅa, who is floating millions and trillions of stars and planets in the air. So by taking Kṛṣṅa's stock, the petroleum or gas, we become scientist and fly the aeroplane, and Kṛṣṅa has given the petrol, and He has no credit. He has no credit. That is the difference between demons and bhakta. A bhakta sees in everything presence of Kṛṣṅa: "Oh, here is Kṛṣṅa's energy is there. Here is nice taste. Oh, here is Kṛṣṅa." Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya [Bg 7.8].

[O son of Kuntī [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.]

So Kṛṣṅa has manifested Himself in so many ways by His different energies. We have to learn simply to know or see how Kṛṣṅa is working. So here it is stated that rasa-mātrād vikurvāṅād ambhaso daiva-coditāt. Kṛṣṅa is working there. Vikur..., transformation does not take place automatically. Just like the other day I gave you the example: there is oil and there is soda, but you can transform into soap by mixing together. That mixing process does not take automatically. There is Kṛṣṅa or Kṛṣṅa's part and parcel, the living entity. We are also Kṛṣṅa's part and parcel. So scientist is working, a devotee sees that Kṛṣṅa is working. That is the difference between nondevotee and devotee. A nondevotee will give credit to the scientist, who is working subordinately under the orders of Kṛṣṅa. That is stated also in the Bhagavad-gītā: sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo 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.]

In everyone's heart Kṛṣṅa is there. So one man is working very nicely. He is taking the credit of becoming a scientist. Why the other man cannot do it? Another man is also working in the laboratory.

Just like this airless telegram, radio. Many scientists were working, and in our childhood we have... I was present in a meeting. Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose was speaking. So Marconi and Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose and many other physists, they were working to study the waves of air and how to establish wireless telegram. So actually, Jagadish Chandra Bose, he found out the means, and they were talking, Marconi and Jagadish Chandra Bose. Marconi took the hint and immediately he published in the paper. And in those British ruling, British government, they wanted to give credit all to the Englishmen. Actually, this wireless telegram was established by Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose. He spoke in a meeting.

So anyway... Just like two scientists are working to find out something, to invent something, but the wireless telegram is in the credit of Mr. Marconi. Why not Jagadish Chandra Bose? There is the hand of Kṛṣṅa. They are so many people are working for inventing something, but one man takes the credit; other man cannot. Why? Why this discrimination? There must be some cause of this discrimination. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I am situated in everyone's heart." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca [Bg 15.15].

Mattaḥ, "From Me, if I give you the intelligence, 'Now mix this chemical with this chemical, your product will come.' " Others, they have got the chemical, and the laboratory man also there. But one takes the credit; one cannot take the credit. That is due to Kṛṣṅa. If Kṛṣṅa gives the intelligence, then he gets the intelligence and he takes the credit.

Nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savyasācin. Kṛṣṅa says to Arjuna that "This plan of Battle of Kurukṣetra is already there. I have caused assembly of all the demonic persons here." And paritrāṅāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg 4.8]:

[In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.]

"This is My plan. So Arjuna, I am flattering you so much that you fight. Fight. But don't think if you do not fight, they will go home. They will have to die here, because it is My plan already." Nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savyasācin: "Because you are My devotee, you take the credit. You take the credit." So actually a devotee, because he is very sincere servant of Kṛṣṅa, so Kṛṣṅa wants to give credit to His devotee, although He is doing everything. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca [Bg 15.15].

So always think like that, that... Do not try to take credit yourself. We should always remember that it is Kṛṣṅa's credit. He wants to do something at a certain time, and some of his servant is authorized to do that. That's all. Otherwise, whole credit goes to Kṛṣṅa. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Govindam ādi-puruṣam.

Just like Brahmā. Brahmā has created this universe, but he knows that he is not the creator. When Nārada Muni inquired from Brahmā that "We know that we are creator..., you are the creator," Brahmā said, "My dear son, you are wrongly impressed. I am not creator. The creator is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." That is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, sarva-kāraṅa-kāraṅam [Bs 5.1].

[Kṛṣṅa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]

And in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye [SB 1.1.1]. Brahmā was given inspiration or lesson from within the heart. Kṛṣṅa is therefore called caitya-guru, "the guru from the heart." So He gives intelligence for doing particular thing when He is satisfied with the service. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ [Bg 15.15]. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam [Bg 10.10].

[To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.]

Kṛṣṅa is ready to give intelligence to everyone, because everyone is Kṛṣṅa's son. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ [Bg 15.7]. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā [Bg 14.4].

[It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.]

So father is not particularly inclined to a particular son. No. But a son, if he is very obedient, then father discloses the most confidential things to that son. This is natural. This is not partiality. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ [Bg 9.29]:

[I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.]

"I am equal to..." Otherwise, how He can be God? If He is partial to somebody... Foolish people think, "Why God has made me poor? Why God has made so many poor men?" God has not made. They have made themselves poor. God has not made. He does not make any distinguish. He says the plain truth, 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.]

He is saying to everyone. So if we do not do—we have got little independence—then we are in this miserable condition of life.

So these miseries of the society, that is not creation by God. God is very, very kind to everyone. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ [Bg 9.29]. Nobody is Kṛṣṅa's, or God's, enemy; nobody is Kṛṣṅa's friend. But one who wants to serve Kṛṣṅa as friend, His consideration is different: "Oh, here is a willing servant." That is bhakti. Bhakti means willingness. Śānta, dāsya, sākhya, vātsalya, mādhurya—these are the different development of bhakti. First of all, in the material stage, we are defying, "Oh, what is..." That is asuric. "What is God? We are doing everything." A big svāmī lectured in America, and he was advocating, "Why you are giving credit to God? You are laboring, you are working, you are getting the result. Why should you give credit to God?" This was the subject matter. That is demonic. All credit should go to God. That is bhakti.

Actually, without Kṛṣṅa's help, without God's help, you cannot do anything. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi... Kartāham iti manyate [Bg 3.27].

[The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.]

In the demonic stage the living entity becomes a, what is called, play dog. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṅāni guṅaiḥ karmāṅi sarvaśaḥ [Bg 3.27]. Just like you have been in the beach: the dog is bound up by the chain, or the master says, "You come here," he has to come here. "You go there," like that. So we are enchained by these laws of material nature—daivī hy eṣā guṅamayī mama māyā duratyayā [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.]

but we are claiming independent. There is no independence. There cannot be independence. You are the servant. We are all the servant of māyā, prakṛti, because we have given up the service of the Lord. Our constitutional position is to remain a servant. But if we defy God, Kṛṣṅa, and we want to become independent, that means we become servant of prakṛti. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṅāni guṅaiḥ karmāṅi sarvaśaḥ [Bg 3.27].

[The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.]

We associate with different modes of material nature—sattva-guṅa, rajo-guṅa, tamo-guṅa. And under different association or being controlled by different modes of material nature, we are getting different varieties of body.

Why one has got very good body, very brāhmaṅa body or rich man's body, and why one has got dog's body, cat's body, tree's body? Why? There is some arrangement. Karmaṅā daiva-netreṅa. This is the injunction, that you are working under the impulse of certain modes of material nature. That is being observed by the Supersoul, anumantā upadraṣṭā [Bg 13.23]. He is seeing all your activities. So you wanted something to do, but you require certain body to do that. That is being arranged by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Karmaṅā daiva-netreṅa jantur dehopapattaye [SB 3.31.1].

[The Personality of Godhead said: Under the supervision of the Supreme Lord and according to the result of his work, the living entity, the soul, is made to enter into the womb of a woman through the particle of male semen to assume a particular type of body.]

This is the law. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, kāraṅaṁ guṅa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu [Bg 13.22]. Why one living entity is getting a better type of body, another a very low, abominable type of body? Daiva-netreṅa.

Therefore this consciousness can be awakened in this human form of life. We can take education. We can understand from Vedic knowledge what is our position, what is our relationship with God, how we shall act in that relationship. These are the opportunities in this human form of life—not in the form of cats and dogs. So in spite of getting this opportunity, if we do not understand God, if we do not understand what is our relationship with God, then according to śāstra it is called ātma-hā. Ātma-hā means suicide. If you cut your throat yourself, who can save you? So we should not become ātma-hā and spoil this life. Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam [SB 7.6.1] This human form life, durlabham. After many, many millions of evolution, we have got it. So it is very durlabha. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṅi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati [Padma Purāṅa]. So we have got this opportunity by the grace of God, or the material nature has given us this opportunity. Now we should utilize it properly. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. Don't spoil it.

And what is that? Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha [SB 7.6.1]. From the very childhood this dharmān bhāgavatān must be given lessons to the children. Therefore, from the very beginning we have opened this gurukula in Texas and in New Vrindavan, West Virginia. But here, practically, India, we don't get this opportunity. Before starting this movement, I approached many friends that "You have got four sons. Give me one. I will train him to become a Vaiṣṅava brāhmaṅa." Nobody agreed. You see? But in the European countries, in America... Of course, they are all children of my devotees. I got them married. They have got now children, and they are being taught in gurukula. That is strictly according to the Vedic science, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha, from the very beginning of life. So life should be utilized properly, and the children... Not all. Some of them may become kṣatriya; some of them become śūdra or vaiśya. But an ideal class of brāhmaṅa must be there to guide the society. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. [end]