Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.2

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [leads devotees in chanting etc.] [break]

yathā hi puruṣasyeha viṣṅoḥ pādopasarpaṅam yadā eṣa sarva-bhūtānāṁ priya ātmeśvaraḥ suhṛt [SB 7.6.2]

[00:47]

Translation: "The human form of life affords one a chance to return home, back to Godhead. Therefore every living entity, especially in the human form of life, must engage in devotional service to the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṅu. This devotional service is natural because Lord Viṣṅu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the most beloved, the master of the soul, and the well-wisher of all other living beings."

Prabhupāda:

yathā hi puruṣasyeha viṣṅoḥ pādopasarpaṅam yadā eṣa sarva-bhūtānāṁ priya ātmeśvaraḥ suhṛt [SB 7.6.2]

Jayādvaita: Could all the ladies please take their children outside, outside of earshot.

Prabhupāda: Bhāgavata-dharma, yesterday we discussed, dharmān bhāgavatān iha. Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha [SB 7.6.1]. From the beginning of life, from childhood, they should be given lessons on bhāgavata-dharma. The bhāgavata-dharma is very clearly indicated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā should be read very carefully, attentively, from the beginning of life, childhood. Not that Bhagavad-gītā should be read in old age. No. From the very beginning of life. And whole Bhagavad-gītā is bhāgavata-dharma. And when one is well conversant with the Bhagavad-gītā or the lessons of Bhagavad-gītā, then the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins.

Bhāgavata-dharma means, as we have discussed yesterday morning, that Kṛṣṅa Himself is explaining bhāgavata-dharma. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru mām evaiṣyasi [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.]

The real aim of life is how to go back to home, back to Godhead. They do not know it. Na te viduḥ. Generally, people do not know what is the aim 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.]

All the Vedic mantra says. The Ṛg Veda mantra says, om tad viṣṅoḥ paramaṁ padam. That is the... Everyone must meditate upon Lord Viṣṅu. Meditation means to think of Lord Viṣṅu within the heart. I think you have seen many pictures that īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg 18.61],

[The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.]

the Supreme Lord is sitting in everyone's heart, and that Lord's mūrti form is Viṣṅu-mūrti. So dhyāna, yoga, all this means to concentrate the mind in Viṣṅu-mūrti. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ [SB 12.13.1].

[Sūta Gosvāmī said: Unto that personality whom Brahmā, Varuṅa, Indra, Rudra and the Maruts praise by chanting transcendental hymns and reciting the Vedas with all their corollaries, pada-kramas and Upaniṣads, to whom the chanters of the Sāma Veda always sing, whom the perfected yogīs see within their minds after fixing themselves in trance and becoming fully absorbed in thoughts of Him, and whose limit can never be found by any demigod or demon—unto that Supreme Personality of Godhead I offer my humble obeisances.]

Yogī, what is their business? Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā. Concentrating the mind, meditating upon the Viṣṅu-mūrti. Nowadays, they have invented some system of yoga, some light, something like that. But that is not the śāstric injunction. Śāstric injunction is to think of Lord Viṣṅu within the heart. He's already there, and we have to search out. That is called meditation. That is called dhyāna.

But in this Kali-yuga it is little difficult. Why little? It is very, very difficult to sit down in one place and meditate upon Lord Viṣṅu within the heart. Not only sit down in one place—it is recommended that we should sit down in a sacred place and in a secluded place. Not that it is a fashion, some hundreds of men sitting together and meditating. What meditating? That is not the process. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā it is recommended to sit down in a sacred and secluded place. That is called dhyāna. And sitting in a right-angle posture and the eyes half-closed, not fully closed. If you fully close then you will sleep. I have seen so many yogīs snoring, sleeping. Yes. Naturally, if you close your eyes and you have no subject matter to think what will be this, you will sleep, that's all. That is not yoga system. You have to sit down in a secluded place, in what is called yoga-āsana, straight body and not sleeping, half-open eyes and looking over the tip of the nose. There are so many methods. That is called meditation. But this kind of meditation is very, very difficult in this age. If one can perform, it is welcome, but it is very difficult. In the Kali-yuga, if I sit down to meditate upon, then I shall think of my family, my business, my friend, so many things. It is not possible. Therefore śāstra recommends,

kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṅuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt [SB 12.3.52]

[Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Viṣṅu, in Tretā-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvāpara-yuga by serving the Lord's lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṅa mahā-mantra.]

In the kṛte, means Satya-yuga, when people used to live for one hundred thousands of years, at that time it was possible. Just like Valmiki Muni meditated for sixty thousands of years. So actually this meditation, dhyāna, dhāraṅā, prāṅāyāma, pratyāhāra, the yogic system, it is recommended in the śāstras, the Bhagavad-gītā also it is there, but in this age it is not possible. Even Arjuna denied. "Kṛṣṅa, You are recommending me to undergo the process of yoga, but it is not possible." Tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye vāyor iva suduṣkaram [Bg 6.34]. "It is not possible." But Arjuna was a pure devotee. He was always thinking of Kṛṣṅa. He had no other business. Therefore Kṛṣṅa, to encourage Arjuna, He said that "Don't be disappointed. Because you are thinking that you are unfit to meditate upon Lord Viṣṅu, don't be disappointed. The first-class yogī... You are first-class yogī." Why? Because,

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā 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 thinking of Kṛṣṅa always within the heart, he's first-class yogī. Therefore kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. This is first-class yoga system. In this age, Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended, in the śāstra also it is recommended, that harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva [Cc Ādi 17.21].

[In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.]

So we have to follow the injunction of the śāstra. We cannot manufacture our own ways of spiritual advancement. That is not possible.

yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ na sa siddhim avāpnoti na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim [Bg 16.23]

[But he who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination.]

Anyone who transgresses the regulative principles recommended in the śāstra, śāstra-vidhi, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya, giving up śāstra-vidhi, vartate kāma-kārataḥ, whimsically does something, na siddhiṁ sa avāpnoti, he never gets success. He'll never be successful. Na siddhiṁ na parāṁ gati: neither he gets salvation. Na siddhim, na sukham: neither even any material happiness. So we must accept the śāstra vidhi. Śāstra-vidhi, as in the śāstra it is said, I have already quoted, kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt.

kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṅuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt [SB 12.3.52]

In this age the śāstra-vidhi is hari-kīrtana. The more you chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mahā-mantra, the more you become perfect. This is śāstra-vidhi. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirmed it. Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya. We have to be fixed up, first of all, what is the injunction of the śāstra. Then what the sādhus, those who are devotees, what they are doing. What they are doing, sādhu, śāstra, and guru. And what guru is asking. We have to follow these three principles. Sādhu-guru-śāstra-vākya tīnete koriyā aikya. Who is sādhu? Who is abiding by the injunction of the śāstra. Or guru? Guru means he's also abiding by the injunction of the śāstra. Then he's guru, he's sādhu. He's sādhu. And if one, śāstra vidhim, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya... If śāstra-vidhi you give up, then where is the question of guru and sādhu? Na siddhim. He's not siddha. He has not attained the perfection, because he has rejected the principles of śāstra. So he's bogus. We have to test like that, who is guru.

tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam śābde pare ca niṣṅātaṁ brahmaṅy upasamāśrayam [SB 11.3.21]

[Therefore any person who seriously desires real happiness must seek a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of the bona fide guru is that he has realized the conclusions of the scriptures by deliberation and is able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, should be understood to be bona fide spiritual masters.]

The śāstra says who is guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. One has to surrender to guru. That is, tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [Muṅḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12].

[To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth.]

One must approach guru. This is vidhiliṅ. Not that it is optional, I may accept the guru or not accept guru. No. Must. Gacchet. Gacchet means he must. It is vidhiliṅ. This verb is used where the purport is "one must." Otherwise, it is not possible. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. And who will go to guru? It is not a fashion, that we make some guru and we are engaged in our own business, and I can say in the society, "Oh, I have got a big guru who can show magic." No. Guru is necessary for him who is inquisitive of transcendental subject matter. He requires a guru. Not ordinary man. Just like somebody keeps some cats and dogs as fashion. Guru is not like that. Guru means one... First of all, who requires a guru? Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]: one who is inquisitive to know about the spiritual world. Uttamam. Uttamam means ud-gata tamam: transcendental to this darkness. This material world is called darkness, ignorance. Actually it is dark. Because it is dark, material world, therefore we require the sun. By the grace of Kṛṣṅa, we have got the sun. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṅāṁ [Bs 5.52].

[The sun who is the king of all the planets, full of infinite effulgence, the image of the good soul, is as the eye of this world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda in pursuance of whose order the sun performs his journey mounting the wheel of time.]

He is the light of all the planets. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā. Savitā means sun. Oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṅyam. This is Gāyatrī-mantra. So who requires a guru? Jijñāsuḥ śreyaḥ uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. One who wants to go beyond this world of darkness. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. This is Vedic injunction. Don't remain in this darkness. Jyotir gama: go to the world where light is there.

yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṅḍa-koṭi- koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi vibhūti-bhinnam tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtam govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs 5.40]

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose effulgence is the source of the nondifferentiated Brahman mentioned in the Upaniṣads, being differentiated from the infinity of glories of the mundane universe appears as the indivisible, infinite, limitless, truth.]

Yasya prabhā, that spiritual world is full of effulgence. Just like we have got example: the sun planet, sun globe, there is no darkness. There is always light. On account of presence of the sun, we are getting so much light and heat; just imagine what is the position in the sun globe, sun planet. It is always light. This is the example. Similarly, in the spiritual world, it is only light. Not only this light, but the light of knowledge. Therefore śāstra says, tamasi mā: "Don't remain in the darkness." Jyotir gama. Jyotir gama: "Come into the light."

So one who requires to go to the world of light, he requires a guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ [SB 11.3.21]. Jijñāsuḥ means inquisitive. Everyone is jijñāsuḥ. We go to the market to purchase something, we are also jijñāsuḥ there: "What is the price of this? What is the price of that?" That is also inquiry. But not..., inquiry is not like that, as we go to the market and inquire about the price, or sometimes we go to the share[?] market and other material markets. That is also... Inquiry is the life—but not material inquiry. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Śreya, śreya means ultimate goal of life. In the material world, there is no question of śreya; it is all preya. There are two things: preya and śreya. Immediate benefit, that is called preya. Just like child. If you ask child to sit down and read book, he would not like. If you offer one lugḍu, he will immediately accept. A small child, we see, you have seen: we distribute biscuits, and immediately, the small child, immediately he knows how to take it and put it in the mouth. This is called preya, "dear." They do not know anything else. If you give him poison, he will like to eat. This is child's nature. So if you ask the child, "Now you sit down and read books and write," he would not like. That is called śreya. To become educated is good for him for future, but he doesn't like. But if we give him one lugḍu, immediately he'll accept. This is the distinction between śreya and preya.

So we must be interested in śreya, not preya. Preya is sense gratification. The material life, sense gratification is only required. This is material world. Yan maithunādi gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45]. This śreya, or this preya, very dear things; ultimately, sex life, maithunādi... [break] ...married, the same sex life. Then he gets some children. Then he again, grandsons. They go on. Yan maithunādi. Here, the happiness is centered round that sex life. Kaṅḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham [SB 7.9.45]. And as soon as he enters into sex life, iva duḥkha-duḥkham, one after another, one after another, one after another. So this is preya. But śreya is how to approach the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṅu. Therefore here it is said, yathā hi puruṣasyeha viṣṅoḥ padopasarpaṅam: how to be engaged in the worship of the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṅu. That is possible. This ṣreya means sense gratification, culminating in sex life. That is available. That will be explained in the next verse.

sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā deha-yogena dehinām sarvatra labhyate daivād yathā duḥkham ayatnataḥ [SB 7.6.3]

This will be explained.

So aindriya sukham, sense pleasure, that is available everywhere. Even cats and dogs, they have got sense pleasure. But human life is not meant for that purpose. Human life is meant for..., this is the idea: yathā hi puruṣasyeha viṣṅoḥ padopasarpaṅam. This is required. They do not know it. Prahlāda Mahārāja another place said, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṅum durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ [SB 7.5.31].

Generally, those who are not trained up by guru, they do not know the svartha-gatim is Viṣṅu. Durāśayā. They are trying to be happy with this external energy, bahir-artha. Bahir, bahir-aṅga-śakti. Bahir-aṅga-śakti means this material world. So one who does not know what is the goal of life, they are interested in this bahir-aṅga-śakti, external energy. Therefore guru required, how to get him delivered from the clutches of external energy. Therefore guru required. One who is interested to get out of these activities of external energy, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta [SB 11.3.21], for him, guru is required. Don't make a guru as a fashion. That is useless. Then you get some guru who can manufacture gold, and you are interested in gold, so that kind of guru will be... No. Here it is said, tasmād guruṁ prapad..., tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum [Muṅḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12].

[To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth.]

Tad-vijñāna means spiritual science. For that purpose, one requires a guru. Not for any other purpose.

So Arjuna also showed by example. Although he was talking as friend, he submitted to Kṛṣṅa, 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.]

Arjuna was talking directly with Kṛṣṅa. But because the relationship was affectionate friendship, there could not be any serious talk. Therefore Arjuna submitted that "Kṛṣṅa, we are talking like friends; it will never come to any serious. Now I accept You as my guru." Śiṣyas ye 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam. Kārpaṅya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ [Bg 2.7]: "I am now perplexed." So when one is actually in knowledge, he feels perplexed. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Unless one feels perplexed in this materialistic way of life, his human life is imperfect. One must feel that this material world, actually it is not happiness. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu that grāmya-vyavahāre paṅḍita, satya kari māni [Cc Madhya 20.100]:

[I do not know what is beneficial for me or what is detrimental. Nonetheless, in ordinary dealings people consider me a learned scholar, and I am also thinking of myself as such.]

"I am minister, I am also born of a brāhmaṅa family." In India the brāhmaṅas are addressed as paṅḍitjī. So he says, grāmya-vyavahāre paṅḍita kaha ei paṅḍita: "Just like ordinary relationship, village friendship, they call me paṅḍita." Paṅḍita means learned. "I also accept that I am paṅḍita. But actually I am not paṅḍita." Why not? Āpanāra hitāhita kichui nāhi jāni: "I do not know what is the goal of my life." Ask anyone what is the goal of life. He may be Ph.D., D.A.C., he does not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṅum [SB 7.5.31].

They do not know.

Therefore if one is serious about understanding the value of life, the goal of life, he should approach a guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta [SB 11.3.21]. Prapadyeta. Prapadyeta means to surrender. Not that guru should be approached for challenging. No. If you challenge, then you'll be cheated. First of all, you must find out a person who, if you can surrender there. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. Tad viddhi praṅipātena [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.]

Praṅipāt, surrender, that is required first. If you think somebody that he's not worth surrendering, then don't make him guru. Don't make a fashion. First of all you test that "Whether I can surrender?" Praṅipātena. Then try to understand. Tad viddhi praṅipātena paripraśnena sevayā. Not only surrendering, but also render service so that guru may be pleased that "This disciple is very humble, meek and giving service." Anywhere, even in material world, if you want to take something from somebody, if you please him by service, it is very easy. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsa [SB 11.3.21].

So, yathā hi puruṣasyeha viṣṅoḥ padopasarpaṅam yadā eṣa sarva-bhūtānām. Why one should seek after Viṣṅu? Tad viṣṅoḥ paramaṁ padam. Because yadā eṣa sarva-bhūtānāṁ priya. Everyone's dearmost. That we have forgotten. Actually Viṣṅu, or Kṛṣṅa, He's dearmost. He's also friend of everyone. When we understand this secret, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaraṁ suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg 5.29].

[The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.]

Suhṛdam: He's actual friend. We go to friends for some help, but if we accept the natural friend, Kṛṣṅa, then there is no scarcity. Suhṛdam sarva-bhūtānām. Therefore we should learn how to love Kṛṣṅa, or Viṣṅu. That is the aim of life.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. [end]