So would that indicate that the muhurthus will also adjust?
Muhurthus according to the Puranas were of a fixed length. Ah, okay. Some days, you know, there’s statements in the Vishnu Purana that for the midsummer, the length of daylight hours is 18 muhurthus, and the midwinter is 12 muhurthus. Okay.
The length of the four kinds of days, you know, billow days, solar days, kirtis, and sunrise to sunrise, three of them are not fixed. They vary throughout the year, and only the number of stars is a fixed one. So from that, it’s determined the length of dandas and so on. Oh, okay. Okay, so it’s according to nakshatras, then. Yes. So that would place the nakshatra. Nakshatras is quite prominent. Yes, they’re the only fixed, constant movement. Oh, okay. Even more. Okay, so even more than the sun. The sun, he has his constant movement within a specific order, but the speed he takes on that varies throughout the year. So I’m saying that nakshatras are the only really fixed. Because they’re considered in the modes of nature to be in the topmost level of goodness. So Lord Brahma himself, the mahatatva, the nakshatras, I think Prajapatis, and Dharmasastra, they’re considered to be the top within the material sphere, the most situated in the highest levels of goodness. So it must be their steadiness. Constancy. Yeah.
So verses 31 to 34. The battle is already won by Krsna, and Arjuna should only become Krsna’s instrument and take the credit.
Verse 31. A lord of lords, so fierce of form, please tell me who you are. I offer my obeisances unto you. Please be gracious to me. You are the primal lord. I want to know about you, for I do not know what your mission is. The Supreme Personality of Godhead said, Time I am, the great destroyer of the worlds, and I have come here to destroy all people. With the exception of you, the Pandavas, all the soldiers here on both sides will be slain.
Therefore get up, prepare to fight and win glory. Conquer your enemies and enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by my arrangement, and you, O Savya Saci, can be but an instrument in the fight.
Drona, Bhisma, Jayadratha, Karna and the other great warriors have already been destroyed by me. Therefore kill them and do not be disturbed. Simply fight and you will vanquish your enemies in battle.
So bewildered by fear, Arjuna prays for the Lord’s grace and inquires who he is and what his mission is. So, because he knows Krsna in a particular way, in a particular rasa, so in this form he doesn’t know. So he’s bewildered, so he’s afraid, as we mentioned, because fear comes from not knowing one’s position, one’s relation.
So he doesn’t know that relation, so he’s feeling that fear. So he’s asking, what are you here, what is your mission? Because somebody always is doing something. If you have an identity, you do something, you get a result. So what is it that you’re doing? What is your purpose? The Supreme Lord declares that he has timed the great destroyer of the worlds. He says that except for the Pandavas, everyone will be slain. He encourages Arjuna to fight as an instrument and kill those who are already destroyed by him. So, because Krsna is coming to establish dharma, and protect the devotees, so here then dharma is being established. And so you’re trying to get rid of all the demoniac personalities. So rather than, you know, knock them off one by one, then you create this situation in which you can have something very wonderful, right? Five thousand years later people are still talking about it. And that will go on for a long time, because the Gita… Nanda Baba quotes Gita, right? So when would have the last time the Gita been spoken? At Nanda Baba’s time, right? At the end of the previous Dvapara-yuga. So that means 4,300,000 years previously.
That’s when it was last spoken.
Right? Does that make sense? And that’s a very good thing. And then even here Krsna said He spoke to the sun-god, you know, and then to Ikshvaku, and like this it came down. So like this you’re talking millions and millions of years before it’s been spoken. And so, you know, these things are quite famous, right? We’re still talking about Ramachandra’s victory over Ravana, and that we’re talking about more, because Treta -yuga will be, you know, three segments, right? So that means you have… Dvapara will be, instead of 4,300,000, it will be 8,600,000. And the Treta-yuga will be, what is it? 12,000,000, what do you say? 3,900,000, right? So you’re talking much longer before, right? So something like this, why? Because it’s so great, it’s so special, it’s so unique. So the Lord, when He does things, He does them very unique, because He’s trying to attract the mind of the living entity, right? If you just do something ordinary, who cares, right? If you do something very big, everyone talks about it, right? Does that make sense?
Yes. I’m wondering, everybody will be slain, so all these millions of people who are siding with the Tantra, are they righteous, but just not quite righteous enough? That’s… no, that’s… whatever, it’s just part of the scene, because even if they are… Because you have to remember that a lot of them… Oh no, that’s on the other side. Duryodhana-gata, on the other side. Means there’s a reason, because they’re there, but then there’ll be that power and all that, then the problem is they, when Krishna goes, they might misuse it also. So even those who are useful, then it may be a problem. Like, I think it was Madhvacharya? Or no, I think it was Nila.
What’s his name? Nila, the sword of Vishnu.
But his short name is Nila. He’s one of the twelve Alwars.
So he was building the walls around Sri Rangam. The walls you see today, like right around the temple and that, these big, really thick, very high walls, those were built by him. And so he had three disciples. One could walk on water. One could open any lock. And one could hide in his own shadow.
So with those three, then they would go out and, you know, how you say? Fundraise.
And so, as long as he was present, then they would be controlled. But when he was going to leave, he sent them first. Because otherwise, if he left and left them there, then they would make trouble. So, we also have that element.
Okay. Yeah, no, I think seven people were left. The Pandavas, then Satyaki, and Krtavarma.
And that was it. Well, Asvatthama also made it, but he didn’t make it so, you could say, gloriously. So basically, that was all. Also, no, one more. So it was nine. There was also Vikarna. Wasn’t it Vikarna? No.
You sure?
Oh, Vikarna was killed. There was that one son of the main servant. He’s a brother, but he’s not counted in the hundred. Yuyutsu. Yeah. Yeah, so he was very powerful. He’s mentioned as one of the great maharatis. But because he’s not technically Kshatriya, pure Kshatriya blood, so he was sent back to take care of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari. Like that. So these were the only ones that were left out of the whole.
In other words, on the Pandavas’ side, then there were so many more were left. Duryodhana’s side was basically wiped out. But there were so many left on the Pandavas’ side. But then Asvatthama got the bright idea that night when they’re sleeping and going and killing them, and that was somehow or another pleased Duryodhana.
It didn’t, but you know. So this way everyone got killed except these persons. The Pandavas weren’t killed because they, in tradition, when you defeat the other army, one of the options is staying in the enemy’s camp. You defeated them, so you stay in their camp that night, rather than your own camp. So they weren’t in the camp. Like that. And then Yuyutsa was, because the battle was over, he was sent back.
So then that would be, so that’s five, that’s six. And then you had Kripa, Asvatthama, and Satyaki.
So then, not Satyaki.
Yeah, no, Krita Varma. Krita Varma is Satyaki. No, but they were in the other camp. They must have stayed with the Pandavas.
So then, but Asvatthama, Kripa, and there was one more. Yeah, they made the plan to kill, so then they went to the camp.
So that’s it. All the other 640 million were, are more, they say.
They became historical before these Pandavas became, they say.
So the point Universal Form is saying is that he’s time, he’s destroying everything, right? Also we saw before, he creates everything, he maintains everything, but he’s saying, what is his mission? So his mission in this context is to destroy all these warriors. So it’s already done. Now Arjuna can take part in this, right? And he calls him Savi Sachin, because Savi Sachin is very expert at shooting arrows. He can shoot with either hand, right? Does that make sense? So we even just saw the other day an example of this present-day man. He can hold, they, means, generally we think of, we have the bow and arrow, then you have your quiver, you take one arrow out, you pull it, you shoot it. But it’s mentioned that Arjuna’s bow always looked like a circle, right? So then there’s this one man, he can shoot, I think it’s 10 hours, 10 arrows in 12 seconds, which is very fast. And that’s fully pulling it and hitting the target. So what he does is he holds all the arrows in his fingers, right? He holds them in his fingers, holds the bow, and then shoots. So he shoots, then takes an arrow, shoots the map. So there is systems for this. So Arjuna would have at least something like this, if not better.
Yes?
Yes?
Quiver.
Shooting, no, because it was so quick. That’s what’s meant of lightness of hand, is that it’s just so expertly they can take things and like that. So you had a few of the warriors who were like this, they were commented on the lightness of hand. So Arjuna is one of them. I think Satyaki was also another one of them like this, very excellent. It would say you just see the steady stream of arrows. It’s like one right after another, kind of like a Los Angeles traffic jam. So many of them like that.
So he’s referred to that he’ll be the best one to do this, because otherwise they’re going to be killed anyway. But if some not very important character does it, then they’re going to think, well, it doesn’t make sense.
So a qualified person like Arjuna is able to do this. And Krishna has already arranged that they’re all killed, so this combination will be very good. So that’s the point that was made before by some others to Duryodhana, is that the same scenario was there with Narayana Rishi, killing the demons when they were attacking the demigods. So just the two of them defeated the whole host of the Asuric army. And then they point out after saying this and they go, yes, that’s true. Then they go that same Narayana is Krishna and Arjuna. So the point is, so how do you think you’re going to defeat them? Just the two of them can destroy everyone you have, let alone they have an army.
So that was the point. And they always use bows and arrows like that. Arjuna would always use a bow and arrow like that. So Narayana would use a Sudarshan like that, but Nara would use a bow and arrow. So between the two of them, they didn’t stand a chance. So Sudarshan is time. So Krishna through time has killed them all, and now Arjuna will kill them with his bow and arrow.
Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana writes in his commentary, verses 32 and 33, Krishna says, Even without your fighting, they will be killed. In the form of time, I will take their lifespan. But you, if you give up the battle, will have deviated from your dharma. Therefore, rise and fight according to your dharma. Gain fame, attain rare glory. Warriors such as Bhisma, who cannot be conquered by the Devas, have been conquered by Arjuna. Such will be your fame. They have already been killed by me at the time they offended Draupadi.
They are proceeding like puppets to give you fame. Therefore, just become the instrument. So that’s what we were discussing yesterday, is that the reason the whole dynasty and all these kings will be killed is because of the insult to Draupadi. Right? So just the whole dynasty will be… So at that time, Krishna already arranged that they’ll all be killed. Because if you do something like this, your lifespan is shortened. Right? Yes.
Yes. Yes. Yeah, Mano mentions that. Because he’s going through… See, it’s going through all the different things. Because in the Vedic culture, you always have a balance. That’s the element that’s very important to catch. For us, it’s very easy if it’s one way or the other. But the balance is the perfect. So that’s why the actual conclusion, the ultimate conclusion, you could say, of the Vedic literature is the cinta-bheda-bheda-tattva.
It’s how you can have two contradictory elements, but they perfectly synthesize because of the commonality of origin.
Right? Does that make sense? So that aspect, that’s what’s special in Lord Caitanya’s presentation. Because we see all the other presentations are very simple. They’re very straightforward.
That means you have Dwight. It’s true. No discussion of any variety of oneness. It’s just not even brooked. Right? Madhvacharya felt Ramanuja was an impersonalist because of his, you know, Vishistha-Dwight philosophy. Right? That it’s, you know, the special oneness. But he meant oneness in purpose, not oneness in form. But Madhvacharya wasn’t even going to tolerate any aspect of anything being one. Right? But you’re dealing with that. The oneness of it, but in mood, or Vishuddha-Dwight, that purity of that endeavor and everything like that. So that Vishuddha-Dwight. Right? Then you have Dwight-Dwight. Right? It’s two. It’s one. You can look at it both ways, but not simultaneously. Right? Ad-Dwight. Right? That’s the simplest.
So then, but acintya-bheda-tattva means you can see at the same time, simultaneously, the two contradictory things functioning at once with no contradiction.
That’s what our philosophy provides. These are the difficult parts because they overlap. You know, if we look at it from one way and then look at it from another way, completely, and don’t refer to each other, that is very easy.
But when you refer to them both at once, that’s where the difficulty comes.
So that’s the difficult aspect that is there in understanding in the Gita, how all this can happen at once. Right? Does that make sense?
How by performing means the point of value is its connection to Krishna. So you perform a pious activity, it’s its connection to Krishna that makes it valuable. The piety is simply the quality of what you’re connecting. But the piety on its own doesn’t actually have any value or meaning. You know, that’s like saying, you know, the coconut tree and the pond in the mirage, those are of more value than, you know, just the sand that’s around the pond.
You know what I’m saying? It’s all an illusion anyway, so it’s not that one’s more valuable than another. So then, therefore, then the point is, is then even something that’s not pious could be connected to Krishna because its connection to Krishna is what’s important. So then you have this conflict of the pious and the impious, because one sees them of actual value because of our understanding of karma. Or, you know, that karma is that religious activities must be good. And so that’s the good quality of it. You know, the person’s, you know, very regulated, very humble, very detached, and, you know, deals very nicely. You see, that’s his good quality. Not that, no, those are there in their connection to Krishna. That makes them good. Because there’s plenty of people that are like that in the material world that aren’t devotees.
So it’s actually its connection to Krishna that’s valuable. So we said the quality of a pious act is a better…
The mechanics of it, the overall result of it, the creating less of a disturbance, is all greater in a pious act as opposed to an impious act. The impious act is working on a much smaller scale. So its result and its long-term effect are much smaller. At the same time, it can also have more of a disturbing effect. That’s why it’s considered impious, because it disturbs the environment, while the pious activity doesn’t.
Does that make sense? You know, let’s say watering plants in the morning and the evening give the best result, right? You could water them at noon, but the problem with watering at noon in the middle of summer is that then the water gets very hot from the sun. So water in the soil will be hotter than just soil. So the plant will actually get more discomfiture from being watered at noon. That’s why it’s not done. So according to the Veda, that would be impious, because it’s against the nature of the combination of the plant and water. Because the water will get hotter than the dirt, right? You have tea, you put it into a cup, right? The cup is not as hot as the tea. That’s why you do it. If the cup was as hot as the tea, what would be the meaning? So earth doesn’t get as hot as water. So water gets very hot. Plants need water, but they don’t need hot water. They need cool water. So they like their heads to be hot, their feet to be cool. Then they’re very happy. So if you make their feet hot, not good. So that’s why it would be considered impious. So impious means against the nature. Does that make sense? So that’s why Krishna is saying, it’s against your nature to not fight. You’re a ksatriya, so you fight. If he was a big brahmana, he wouldn’t say, so take part in this battle.
He would say, walk away, what do you care? But it’s his nature to fight. So therefore, do your dharma. And according to that, then you get your results, your artha. So therefore, people, you’ll be famous.
Does that make sense?
Does that answer your question?
If it’s not connected, it’s useless. See, this is also the difficulty. Because of karma, we’re so used to good activity is good on its own. But that’s not enough. It has to be connected. Otherwise, for the devotee, it’s useless. For the karma, yes, good activity is better than bad. For the jnani, good activity is better than bad. But for the devotee, that’s not what good and bad is decided by. Good and bad is decided by what’s favorable to Krishna and what’s not. So this is where the overlap is. This overlap is the bewildering point. You can talk about it until the cows come home. And still, it’s very hard for devotees to catch.
Does that make sense? You can see the symptomatic in how they deal with devotees, depending upon their good or bad activities.
And the reason they deal in the way they do is because the good activity is good and bad activity is bad on its own. Connected to Krishna or not, it doesn’t matter. So they’re not taking the definition of good means it’s connected to Krishna. Otherwise, then what’s not good? If it’s not good, then what’s the first thing you have to do?
You have to connect it to Krishna. The person has done something wrong, like the example given before, been involved in adultery. What’s the problem?
Is the adultery actually the problem?
No, the problem is the lack of Krishna consciousness. So now, for correction, then what are you supposed to do?
Increase the environment that will… I mean, adjust the environment to increase the Krishna consciousness. That would be the correct thing to do if you actually understood good and bad according to Krishna consciousness. Now, if you understand good and bad according to mundane, then you’re correcting the situation is not to improve Krishna consciousness, but it’s retribution, it’s punishment, right? For the purpose of that injustice has been done, so therefore to the degree of injustice, then there must be a material injustice, there must be a material punishment. And that will then set the universe straight.
But the universe is controlled by Krishna, as you said, he pervades everything. So it’s actually bringing in balance with Krishna, that’s the actual thing. You understand?
So it’s a completely different viewpoint.
That was Swayambhuva Manu’s point to Dhruva Maharaj, is how you’re dealing and killing the Yaksas, if it was a regular king, no one would say boo, it’s natural. But you’re a pure devotee, why would you be seeing the way the materialist sees? Why are you looking at mundane retribution? You know, or Arjuna, why are you looking at this mundane vision?
So this is where it’s in the Veda Veda Tattva, it overlaps and that becomes a bewildering part, right? So these other qualities are there so that one can appreciate it, because if you’re proud, then it’s hard to appreciate, right? The symptom of knowledge is humility, right? If humility is there, then knowledge is then properly obtained. That position, that quality. So knowledge is served through humility. So you require knowledge to understand Krishna, right? So one must serve Krishna. And that service, that is done through humility.
So that automatically creates the environment for perfect knowledge, which is knowledge about Krishna. Not the facts and figures, but the actual understanding of Krishna as a person. Does that make sense? Or how he is a person and in control of everything, but at the same time, he’s not involved, right? His expansions are doing. Brahman, Paramatma. But at the same time, they’re not involved. It’s the modes of nature that are actually doing. So to be able to see all these happening at once, and there’s no contradiction. So I can deal with the material energy, you know, and see how the modes work, so I understand the technique. I know the technique of the mechanics of dealing with this material situation. At the same time, as I understand the elements of Brahman and Paramatma, how the energies of the Lord are pervading, and that’s what makes it work, and Paramatma is there sanctioning, and therefore, it’s all happening. At the same time, Krishna is a person, is there, who’s beyond all this, but all this is to be connected to him, and that’s the actual real point of the material world.
So you have three things that seem completely contradictory, because devotees will say, okay, we have to do something practical. So where do we look? We have to look at some mundane source of knowledge, because that’s the only place where practical is, because all this is just, you know, straight up front theory.
But the point is that Krishna has pervaded everything. That means what makes that book that you’re looking at work is Krishna. So you’ve connected it to Krishna, but you’re connecting your illusion to Krishna. You’re not connecting your knowledge to Krishna, because knowledge without Krishna is illusion, it’s ignorance, because you think it’s the mechanics that make it function, when it’s not. Krishna is the cause of all causes, so he’s actually why it’s working.
Does that make sense? So the secondary creation works because it’s reflecting the primary creation.
That’s all. The primary creation pervades the secondary. That’s why it works. But we only see the secondary, so we think that I did this, when actually we were only an instrument to the potency of the primary creation, performing the activity.
But that was carried out through the modes of nature. So the material cause is what does it.
And then the person is the efficient cause, does the activity, but they’re still only doing the activity with the material cause that’s defined by the formal cause and the original cause.
So all these different elements then are contradictory, but at the same time they’re not, because they’re all connected to Krishna. So would that work? So this is where difficulty comes up.
In other words, this level of management, there’s no managers on the planet that can say this. It’s so far beyond anything in any management book. It’s like a pogo stick and a Formula One race car.
And that would be a euphemism.
Maybe a slogan, a Formula One race car. That might be closer.
But it can’t be seen. Why? Because one can either only see the spiritual or only see the material. One can’t see the two simultaneously.
That’s a cinta-bheda-bheda-tattva, being able to see them both simultaneously. There’s nothing that Prabhupada did that he didn’t see in connection to Krishna, and there was no one more expert than him.
Our biggest managers today don’t even come close to anything that Prabhupada could do. I mean, nowhere close.
They did see something far out with those trained by Prabhupada. But what you see today is managerially extremely ho-hum.
You know what I’m saying? Why? Because we only see the external.
And the mechanics of the material nature, if you’re going to deal with that, you better have some really good material karma. Otherwise, you can’t do it.
You know what I’m saying? You can’t take a useless hippie off the street and turn him into a top-class professional. It doesn’t happen. He doesn’t have the karma.
You know what I’m saying? It doesn’t happen.
Does that make sense? So, that’s the thing. If you want to deal with material energy on her terms, you better be really pious. Otherwise, you’ll get nowhere.
But, if you deal with the mechanics of the material energy in connection with Krishna consciousness, then you get somewhere.
And if you can actually see how it functions, how the original and the reflection, how they function on the same mechanics, then you’ll be very expert.
Does that make sense? That’s why it’s said, the pure devotee, he can never be defeated because he sees the full mechanics. Anyone else doesn’t see the full mechanics. So, they can’t actually understand it to the same degree. So, that’s why they can never be defeated.
The Madhyama has the knowledge that he may be defeated because someone else is more expert in rhetoric or in logic. Like we were saying, Krishna says, he is Vada, which is conclusion. But, someone can win an argument on Vedanta. He just is very expert and the power of his presentation is so strong, the other person doesn’t know what to say.
And that’s someone who’s quite expert. Then you have the normal thing, Jalpa. You know, it’s just kind of, you say something that’s good for everybody, the politically correct position, everybody can relate to it. It’s just, it’s wasting time.
Yes.
Yes. Yes, that would be correct. You don’t have to make, yes, you don’t have to make Krishna consciousness relevant to everyone’s life because actually, the nature of the living entity is Krishna consciousness. But because the living entity has chosen freely to identify with the material phenomena, therefore, they think there’s something else. It would be like, let us say, you’re in an insane asylum.
Like that. Just a random example.
And you have somebody there who thinks he’s Napoleon Bonaparte. Okay? Now, the science of psychology doesn’t change because he thinks he’s Napoleon Bonaparte or Madame Curie or whatever he thinks he is. That doesn’t change. So, but, and it’s not that you have to make the psychological system relevant to him. Otherwise, it has no value. You know, it has its value anyway. But the expert psychologist will then take it and present his science to Napoleon Bonaparte.
So Napoleon Bonaparte sees how this applies to him.
That’s what you’re doing. Because if you think Krishna consciousness only has relevance if it’s connected to the modern, you’re actually a Buddhist.
It’s not Vaishna philosophy. Buddhism is, if I’m there to hear it, it happened. If I’m not there, it didn’t happen. So, in other words, the material phenomena is the cause of relevance.
And it’s specifically self-centered, my existence, because they don’t care if someone else, like, they’re only worried about somebody in their country in any particular class. Are they worried about, let’s say, you know, those guys living in, let’s say, mobile, not mobile homes, what are those? They’re like mobile homes, you set them up and you live in them. Or trailer parks, that, you know, their kids, to find relevance in their life, are joining the army and are fighting in Iraq. Are they worried about those kids? No, they’re worried about some guys down on campus or somebody in some yoga studio or something like this. And that’s it. It’s a particular class of, you know, middle intellectual America. And that’s it. Otherwise, every other class doesn’t talk like this. You know what I’m saying? The conservatives who actually run the place don’t talk like this. The guy on the street doesn’t talk like this. Right? The farmer doesn’t talk like this. The housewife doesn’t talk like this. Nobody else talks like this except this little group. And they’re one of the smallest groups there is.
You know what I’m saying? So, but it’s not that if that group gives its, you know, assent, then now Krishna consciousness has relevance.
No. Because they are living entities, it’s valuable that they also should be addressed. And if you know how to address properly so that you include it in their lifestyle, which these persons who say that cannot do, then they can be influential. Because they’ll say, no, but these are the influential people in society. But you don’t know what influence is, so how will you present Krishna consciousness to make it relevant that they’ll be able to use their influentialness in the society.
You deal with their attachments. So because they like things that are intellectual, that’s why we have logic. Right? They like, they like examples that are pleasant. We have tons of them. You know, they like a particular quality of language, a particular tone of voice. Those, those can be done. Yes. How about people who present themselves as such, but are really very sentimental? Then you lean more on the mental presentation.
In other words, you have, as we discussed in the beginning, you have the intellectual approach and you have the emotional approach. Because emotional means, anyway emotional is going to be the basis, but it’s whether you use more intelligence in it or not. Because you’re going from sambandha prayojana abhidheya. So, so, and then, well intellectual means sambandha abhidheya prayojana. Right? So basically the difference will be is the intellectual person, who’s actually more intellectual, has a strong identity. So basically you just have to point out to them the field. Right? Because they’re intelligent, so they’re already inspired. Right? So you have to point out simply the field. So sankarsana, you point that out. Then how that is, that is, how you say, operated, you know, is abhidheya, and then that will give you this result.
So the intellectual is very straightforward. You don’t have to consider, you don’t have to be careful of toes, you know, while you’re walking around, right, in the presentation. But now if you’re dealing more emotion, then that emotion is there, so that means they’re not functioning on the intellectual platform. So they’re actually functioning more on prayojana. So you have to create security and identity for them. So you have to create an identity, how this is here, and how it’s great, and we can all be together, and all do well. Because the intellectual guy, you don’t have to tell him that. Because he already knows, I’m here, this is here, if we interact, that’ll give a result. But the other person, it’s until he’s inspired emotionally, then he’ll use his intelligence and look at the field. You know what I’m saying? So you’re going to have to create an identity, you’re going to have to show how that identity will give this big result that’s great for everybody, and everybody’s inspired. Then once that’s there, then you can show the field, and then how to operate it, and how to get the result.
So that would be the basic difference. So the point is, to us it doesn’t matter, because it’s the same science. However you put it together, it doesn’t matter. That’s the perfection. Prabhupada says, sugar is sweet no matter where you start tasting it. So, Krishna consciousness is so perfect, it doesn’t matter which side or which part you start with, you’ll get to the other anyway.
Because if you start with just the intellectual, like that, but once they get results and become purified, then they can appreciate the higher sentiments, the finer points of the, you know, emotions and relations in Krishna consciousness. All the other ones, you start with that, but you’re not starting with the spiritual, you’re starting with material. And then when that’s inspired, and seeing how that material emotional experience can be engaged in Krishna’s service, then they’re inspired. Then they’ll go, then they become purified. Then you can show them spiritual experience.
You know, spiritual relationships. So you’re actually strengthening their identity, and then connecting that to Krishna consciousness. Yes. Strengthening the identity and connecting it to Krishna. That’s the point, is that anybody does anything that’s not Krishna conscious, it’s because of that lack of identity. The difficulty comes in this, you know, environment of discussion. These are, let’s say, this field of discussion, is that if it’s what generally would be accepted in the first world country as a pious position, then if it’s not connected to Krishna, nobody’s worried about it. But if it’s not what would be considered pious, then there’s a disturbance.
So only at that point, then we’ll say, this is not Krishna conscious. You understand? Because we mentioned we’re working on the logic that, OK, Krishna consciousness is good, or God is good, right? And so, therefore, good activities, you know, are stemming from God. Right? So that means when something is good, it’s automatically God conscious. Right? But the problem is in that definition, God is the source of good. God is good. That’s dealing on the spiritual platform. But for us, good doesn’t mean God. Good means good activities of the world. So we’ve actually, our definitions have changed. So our examples are wrong. So now we take good activities of this world are automatically, therefore, God conscious. So if I’m being good and nice and taking care and doing all these things, that means automatically I’m the Krishna conscious person. And the person is just, you know, out there the manager trying to get things done and all that. He’s the, you know, impersonalist and not Krishna conscious. But all it is is one is efficiently getting something done but not being so Krishna conscious in it, but he’s getting a result for Krishna. While the other one is being nice and good and everything is nice and good, but he may not be getting any result for Krishna. But he’s a nice and good person.
You know? So that’s why devotees before, even though they were rough and ready, they were getting results and they were advancing in Krishna consciousness because it was connected to Krishna. Right? So now in connection to Krishna, then there’s, you know, connected and then there’s more ideally connected. Right? So more ideally connected means you understand the Vaishnava etiquette, but that comes from because that pleases Krishna.
Does that make sense? It pleases Krishna. That’s why you’re doing it. Not because it’s materially good. That’s why I’m doing it. You know what I’m saying? So how about in the Western world, it seems like pious and impious is kind of… There’s also that, because then something that’s pious may be considered actually impious. In other words, let’s say, you’ll see this all the time. You say, okay, husband and wife, they perform their duties. Right? What is Krishna telling Arjuna? Perform your duties. Right? So then we’ll say, yes, this is good. Management, do your duties and all this. Okay, husband and wife. The husband has his duties and his wife has her duties. They perform their duties. Their relationship will go nice. And then the hand goes up and goes, no, but that’s artificial. You know, you say the example of a drama, but we want real relationship. Real in the material world? What are you talking about? You know, here, these two. We want a real relationship between these two rocks here.
You know? Not just drama of, you know, he’s the husband rock and he’s the wife rock. You know, we don’t want, we want real relationship. It’s like, you know, you know what I’m saying? The difference if, you know, your five-year -old has Barbie and Ken, and then, you know, the 40-year-olds have Barbie and Ken. Somehow or another, their Barbie and Ken is real. Theirs is just, you know.
Yeah, you know, so something like that. Yeah, but remember who makes the screenplay.
It’s a chick flick because generally the screenwriter was a woman. Right? And it’s considered not a chick flick because a man wrote it. You know, so therefore, the guy does something totally outrageous. And then he makes, he gets a little bit, you know, careful and makes one comment. And then immediately everything’s fine. Then you know the guy wrote the script.
Yeah, getting to the relationship because when the relationship is, the possibility that the relationship is solid, that’s where the movie ends because nobody knows how to maintain the relationship.
Yeah, of course, because it’s getting together, that’s the whole thing.
Yeah. Can that compare to the Western world’s fear of conclusions? Fear of conclusions, yeah. Because if you conclude on the mundane platform, there’s no more intellectualization.
That’s the difficulty. Emotionally, you want a conclusion. Right? So that’s why you see, you know, romantic comedies always have a good ending because you’re dealing with emotion. You want closure in the emotion. And it’s complete because the emotion is a solid platform. That emotion is Krishna. You know what I’m saying? And since that emotion is what you want to taste, so it connects to there and therefore you can go on and on thinking. You don’t have a problem in that you concluded. Right? But if you’re dealing with something that would be seen as more artistic or more intellectual, they can’t have a conclusion because the purpose is intellectualization.
In other words, what was in the movie wasn’t like it was emotional. It was like clever and very unique and different. You know, the perspective of the camera, the particular dialogue, the particular situation. All these things are very unique. You know? And so you may be taking an age -old thing, but you’re presenting it in a unique way. And so you don’t want a conclusion because your purpose is actually just to intellectualize.
So if you have a good ending, it’s kind of like you ruined it because it went from the intellectual platform to the emotional.
Because intellectual conclusion would be Vedanta.
Because there, even though it ends mental speculation, it begins, you know, vichara, contemplation in Krishna consciousness.
But if you don’t know this process, then conclusion is like your worst enemy.
Is this getting anywhere? So in other words, we’re dealing with these fields of contradiction that have no contradiction.
Therefore, the Shastras can have these far-out stories and be very logically presented, but at the same time, be completely full with rasa. The two contradictions that modern has great difficulty working with. Those who can bring more of it together, they’re more appreciated. You know, there’s stories that are still appreciated after so many years or hundreds of years or thousands of years because they’re able to combine the two better. And something that does one or the other is very soon forgotten.
Right? Because ultimately, the living entity needs both intelligence and the mind.
Does that make sense? You see? So these are all these different areas where I was giving these practical elements where we see the contradiction and we don’t necessarily understand the Krishna conscious involvement.
Does that make sense? Could you say that the Karmine has free will but at the same time hasn’t got free will?
They seemingly feel they have free will because they always have free will, but according to their previous choices, it’ll put them in specific situations which will respond in generally a pretty textbook way.
You know what I’m saying? So, you know, that’s expected.
But at the same time, that’s based on the original because those situations would be connected to Krishna. And so there would be a natural, how do you say, intellectual and emotional response to that situation. But it would be seen in connection with Krishna. So it’ll look the same, but actually its basis is very different.
You know what I’m saying? The man, you know, was looking at another, you know, at some lady. His wife gets angry and doesn’t talk to her, right? Krishna was, you know, talking or looking at another gopi. Radharani gets angry and she doesn’t talk to her.
The mechanics are the same. You know, that’s why it’s so strange that one would think the modern mechanics function different than spiritual mechanics. It’s one thing. There’s only one energy. It’s surupta shakti. It can be applied materially or spiritually.
It probably gives the example. Electricity. It can heat. It can run the heater or run the refrigerator. But it’s still the same mechanics. Right?
So the energy of the Lord functions in the same way. It’s a matter of your level of consciousness. What’s the difference?
Right? Does that make sense? The wife is upset because the element of then if he’s looking at this other lady that means why isn’t what is that quality he’s looking at? Why isn’t he finding that in me? So then that will create an insecurity. So then that insecurity so what is actually the strength of our relationship?
You know what I’m saying?
Does that make sense? So that’s the position there and then what comes so that means then you’re frustrated in the relationship so fear will come up. What’s the next thing after fear? Anger. It’s just the mechanics. Attachment. Fear. Anger.
Right? But now Radharani, she’s becoming angry. Why is she becoming angry? Is she insecure? No, it doesn’t matter what Krishna does. She is Krishna’s servant. That’s not going to change. The point is that she is Sarupta Shakti. That means she is the complete potency and he being the complete personality of Godhead. They match. So any desire Krishna has she can fulfill completely. Anybody else can’t do that. So she’s angry because Krishna won’t be as satisfied with that other gopi as he would be with her.
That’s why she’s angry because Krishna won’t get the best.
So the form of it, the mechanics of it are exactly the same between there and here but the consciousness is completely different. That’s why Prabhupada says gold and iron. It actually has nothing to do with each other. They’re both metal but the quality of it so they’re both rasa but the quality of it one is transcendental on the highest level and the other is just on the mundane platform.
That’s the point. Because reflection looks the same but what does the reflection do? You can’t feed the reflection or anything. You can’t do anything with it.
It’s winter time, it’s cold. So you would like to wash your hair but the cold is very uncomfortable. So what we’ll do is we’ll wash the hair in the reflection.
So that would work. That would be great. No? But it doesn’t work. So that means the reflection you can’t do anything with but it functions exactly the same. So when people… It goes both ways. When people say OK, I got this book on some particular mundane knowledge, some mechanics that we could use for Krishna. So yukta-vairagya we’ll use for Krishna. OK, that’s nice. So if the end result you give to Krishna it has been yukta-vairagya.
But one has to understand OK, I want to do this for Krishna. I don’t know how to do it. This book tells how to do it so I’ll read this book and then do this for Krishna. Then it works.
But more than that would be understanding is why does it work? Nothing can work unless it’s according to God’s law. So what it is is in this book by observation, by pratyaksha then people have come up with understanding some of the workings of God’s laws. It’s taken a few thousand years but they’ve come up with something.
That’s why it works. So as close as it is to God’s laws that’s why it works and as close as it’s not to God’s laws it doesn’t work.
So those aspects that work is because it’s close. Those aspects that don’t that’s where it’s not. So someone else will observe and come up with a part that’s missing. But they think it’s completely different theories so they never combine them. Very rare. So then they throw out this because there’s this problem. Why? Because that’s more valuable to me. While the other person this was valuable and this didn’t matter to him. That’s why he emphasized he was comfortable with it. But actually it’s both. That’s why we say if it’s not according to the laws of nature it’s not complete.
So it works because it’s actually based on the laws given in Veda. That’s why it works. So if one sees through that then it has even more potency. Because you know it’s working because of God’s laws. You have that faith. If you can understand and see mechanically how it’s working according to the laws then you’ll get even more. Then the process itself will liberate you. The other one you’re engaging it you’ll become Krishna conscious but you’re not becoming liberated from the activity. Because you’re not seeing that Brahman element. But you see that then you’re being liberated. At the same time you’re developing the devotional side. Because otherwise what happens why would we say this? Because the person does this then let’s say after a few years and he’s quite successful he identifies with this body of knowledge and thinks it’s the body of knowledge itself that is functioning. When it’s not it’s God consciousness. That’s the time when even though it’s materially successful that’s where Krishna pulls out the plug. And even though he’s materially better and doing better than everybody else nobody recognizes it anymore and it falls apart. And then he gets all frustrated and gets bitter and all that. The devotees don’t understand because materially he was right but spiritually he was totally wrong. Because the yukta-vairagya meant you were engaging in Krishna’s service not it becomes you identifying with it that’s not yukta-vairagya.
Do you understand?
That’s where the problem comes. So that’s why one has to apply the philosophy in applying yukta-vairagya. If it’s very simple in the beginning it just connects easily.
But with time one may identify with it if one doesn’t see the proper functioning of how the mechanics connect to the Lord how the energies are working. Or if one is very pure one may not need to do it. That’s the point. Ultimately the pure devotion that’s what you’re trying to get to. So if you can skip karma yoga and jnana yoga and just go straight to pure devotion that’s the recommendation.
Right? That’s Krishna’s first recommendation. If you can’t do that OK, then you take up the pancharatrik or the Vedic rules and follow them. But the result should be for Krishna. If you can’t do that then be a nice guy. Be pious, open hospitals, you know, do all that stuff.
Yeah, if you can’t do that then OK, then be, you know then be a good, you know regulated, sampradayic impersonalist. At least there’s some development.
But that’s, you know, that’s the last option.
I was listening to the 12th chapter. OK, yeah. Yeah, no, it’s coming. Maharaj, could I say that you’re talking about the modern? That one of the weaknesses is that while the Vedas cut the glitter the other one may accommodate the glitter. Yes, they should. In other words, your Puranic presentation will generally emphasize the element of how to engage, what the glitter actually is and how to engage the glitter in the Lord’s service. Though ultimately you’ll get to the point of cutting it but it will generally go, just show how the real glitter is Krishna so therefore move into Krishna’s pastimes. Right? The Upanishadic will take that there is no glitter. What you call glitter doesn’t exist. Right? That actual glitter is the Lord. So there’s no use in being involved in the glitter. So they just directly go to the Lord that way, by cutting it. So the Purana will engage it so we can do both. Because the point is, is the glitter itself, that’s Krishna because dead matter doesn’t glitter. Right? That’s the thing, it’s very plain. There is no glitter to Pradhan.
Mahat then has some light but that’s because the Lord glants living entities, the false ego, all that is there. And so that potency is there but the problem is because of the false ego you think the glitter, the glitter is the Mahat itself not the Lord’s glance. So it’s the Lord’s glance that makes the Mahat glitter but because of the false ego you think the Mahat itself is the glitter.
So therefore, on that platform of Vasudeva Sattva one is still, one’s still consciousness is still, has the Purusha Bhava. One’s liberated but one has the Purusha Bhava. And so this just becomes, you add more false ego then instead of understanding that this Mahat, the subtle aspect is, is what’s creating it actually, then you come down to think the secondary creation is the cause of the glitter.
Do you understand? So putting it back to the Vedas would attribute the glitter to Krishna. It’s working in the sense of putting the glitter back to Krishna while the material wants to put the glitter more for the material manifestation. Yeah, the more you can bring out that glitter and everything, the more it becomes attractive because that’s what’s attractive.
You know, it’s the glitter. Like that. But it’s, but the, the, the the actual element that glitter, Krishna then says in the Bhagavatam that’s Him. Right? Because it’s dead matter. So He’s the glitter.
So then understanding that then you will connect all those activities where you value the glitter to Krishna. Right? So then it’s been spiritualized. So now it becomes perfect. But Krishna’s saying that still beyond that is pure devotion in which you see me as a person and your impetus is not the glitter in the material manifestation and then you connect that to Krishna. But Krishna directly is your inspiration. And then you’ll work with the material world to serve. But it’s not because of the glitter you’re working with it. So the activity doesn’t change. So the materialist, the karma yogi and the pure devotee they’re doing the same activity.
Right? So this is another place where that contradiction is there. The karma yogi, jnana yogi. You’re dealing with both at once. Your inspiration is ultimately is Krishna but immediate is the material energy. Right? Gross or subtle. Like that. And then, then but with time you see it’s Krishna’s the prominent. And then to serve him, to express that you engage the material energy in the service. Rather than, I’m inspired by material energy but I engage it in Krishna’s service.
Does that make sense?
Yes, that’s the cable.
So that, that’s, that’s that’s the difference between what’s described in the first chapters and now what’s described in the second six chapters.
And then we’ll see in the last chapters it gives the very fine mechanics of how the material energy works so you can apply that you know, either to the first or the second.
Does that, does that make sense? But the point is, is you have to understand the principle first. Because the last chapters are detailed. But the principle is there. Because Krishna said already under the modes of nature it’s all going on. Principle has been established. Then he’ll give the chapter on how the modes work.
In Bhagavad-gita 2.6 Arjuna stated that he is doubtful about the outcome of the battle. Now in verse 34 the Lord comforts his devotee by declaring Jata-asi, you will conquer. Krishna specifically mentions the names of Drona, Bhishma and Karna who are the most feared Kaurava soldiers. The Lord also adds the name of Jayadratha who, although not so powerful, received a boon by Shiva to be able to stop the Pandavas once. Krishna thus assures Arjuna that his concern about Jayadratha is unnecessary.
So now this is the emotional aspect. He’s bringing in that thing. He’s established the others, the intellectual. Now once that’s accepted then you can bring in the emotional.
Like that. So you have to find that balance between what’s going to work. But now he’s given it in connection with… He started with work. Why? He’s a Kshatriya. If it doesn’t practically get done, it’s not there. But at the same time Kshatriyas are intellectuals. So in other words, it has to be practical intellectualism. So now that you’ve shown the practical, now you can show the intellectual aspect of it. You know what I’m saying? The Brahmin will start with the intellectual, then go down to the practical. The Kshatriyas start with the practical, then go back to the intellectual. But they both will function on these two together. Does that make sense?
That wasn’t the question. You know, it’s just like when you have the auctions.
You know, guys that always go to do the auction. They each have their specific little thing. You know, the one guy’s hat. The other guy clicks his false teeth. You know, different things like that. So here’s like questions. Everybody has their own way of kind of like, you know, one would kind of like to go up to here. You know, so each one has their own. So it’s just, you start to go like this. Is that going to turn into a question? It must get expert. Yeah, kind of.
Okay. And then Jayadratha, because he’s going to be a problem here because of that boon. But it’s only going to happen once. But then he’ll also be mentioned because this will turn into a whole big pastime. Right. So that’ll be a very prominent element. But now also drawn to Bhishma, Karna. Karna, he’ll be worried about in the fighting. Bhishma drawn as far as fighting. But that wasn’t his big anxiety. His big anxiety was killing them. But Krishna’s already said they’re already dead. So you don’t have to worry about that. You know, it’s like you either kill them or you’re going to die anyway. So you get the credit because you pointed out. Bhishma is, remember, he is the son of Gangadeva. He has been trained by Brihaspati and by Ushanas, Sukhachari, and so many others. Parasurama, this one, that one. He’s been learned from them. So there’s no human that can defeat him like that. He even defeated Parasurama, but because it would look bad, you know, therefore it was suggested that he, you know, surrender. So then he did. So but here if Arjuna defeats him, then it’ll be someone who no one could defeat. He does. Right. You know, so many are killed. But like, let’s say, the Nivatakavichas. Why is that such a special thing that Arjuna defeated them? Because the demigods couldn’t. They had tried and they couldn’t. But Arjuna defeated them.
So these things are there.
So you always have to find a balance. If it’s purely intellectual, it’s not good enough. It has to bring around and bring out that element of relationship. And if it’s just a relationship without actual understanding of the function of it and the mechanics of it, that’s also not good enough. Because sentiment’s not enough to make a relationship work. Right. If it was, then everybody on the planet would be perfect. Right. Because the guy got married. He didn’t know anything about taking care of a woman. He likes women, but he doesn’t know how to take care of them. But because he got married, he’s a world expert on women. Right. And neither of them had any idea about kids. But because they had one, now they’re the world experts on kids. Right. So you wouldn’t have any problems anywhere if that was the actual fact. Right. So that means knowledge is necessary. Right. So you have to balance the two. But the knowledge, it has to be applied in the personal environment. Right. To relationships. So if that’s not there, what’s the use? If it doesn’t end up a practical application, it’s of no use. Same time, practical application can’t function without knowledge. So the potency is action and knowledge. So if you have one or the other, only knowledge, that’s jnan. Only action, that’s karma. When the two are combined, that’s the buddhi yoga.
Right. That’s action in Krishna consciousness. Right. So it said action in Krishna consciousness. So we could say, well, the jnan aspect’s left out. No, because Krishna consciousness means you have that knowledge of Krishna. So therefore, that consciousness of Krishna.
So it’s applied. You’re conscious of Krishna. You have the knowledge of Krishna. You have the knowledge of the activity. You’re conscious of the activity. You’re performing the activity. The result is for Krishna. Right. You’re remembering Krishna and performing the activity. So then that’s where it becomes perfect.
Yes. If somebody doesn’t feel interested about the knowledge of how a relationship will function, could that be because their emotional needs have not been met and that’s the focus? So they don’t feel like they want to understand the mechanics of the relationship?
Possibly, but you’d have to see is how are their relationships?
You know what I’m saying? Do their relationships go fine? So it could also be they grew up in an environment that it all worked very nicely, so they never thought about it. But by the influence of, what do you call it, the word Prabhupada uses, the arrogance of youth, then, you know, they think everything’s going perfect anyway because it works for them. They grew up in an environment like that. It’s just normal. So you might have that aspect. But the point is, is somehow or another relationships have the element of, at some point, addressing the arrogance.
Right? Does that make sense?
Arrogance of youth. Youth starts at 16 and goes to 30.
Okay. Feel the blood.
In youth, one has energy and enthusiasm, so one may not be so conscious of one’s surroundings. And it seems to work for them.
Right? So as long as one’s not applying it seriously into a masculine, feminine element or in something that you really want to be maturely successful at, right, in either success mechanically or success emotionally, then things will go fine. You know? But as soon as one wants actually to get some serious results, either observably or experientially, then that’s where the lack of knowledge will start to weigh on one.
You know what I’m saying? You know, like that. So that would be one aspect. But the other aspect could be is that they’re aware of it, but they don’t want to know about it because to them relationships have been a problem, so therefore knowing about relationships would also be a problem. You know what I’m saying?
Does that make sense? You know, so it could happen either way.
But the point is that’s why then one is trained in these things generally from when one is younger before that kind of arrogance comes up. So one’s aware of it and knows how relationships function before one comes to the point that one starts to become aware.
Does that make sense? Yeah. Then it works. Then it becomes very natural. Like that. Like that. In other words, it won’t take simply one has to practically apply and just see how it gets done rather than one has to practice it and actually develop the understanding of it and the faith in it. So it just puts one, it just saves a few years.
In other words, yeah, one won’t be 60 and trying to figure it out.
Is that okay? Yeah.
Yes.
No, but what are you depending on the mercy for?
What exactly are you depending on the mercy for?
Get some service done. So what does the term done indicate?
A result. So in other words, the result is up to Krishna. So whether you know what you’re doing or don’t know what you’re doing, still the result’s up to Krishna. That’s the formula. You have focus, you have endeavor, and dependence upon the Supreme for the result. That is perfect action.
You understand? Then those can be broken down. But those are the three main things. You know what I’m saying? So the focus means you know the work, you know what you’re supposed to do, you know what results you can get, you know what all the different aspects within the field that you’re working with can do, and your position in it, what you’re supposed to do. And so then you can, therefore, with that focus, make the endeavor.
You know what I’m saying? Right? When the endeavor’s going on, focus still remains.
Right? Does that make sense?
So the result, because you’re focused. Yeah. Does that make sense? Yeah. So that’s the point. So there’s no contradiction between understanding the philosophy and being very expert in material skills. In fact, the two go together. Right?
It’s only because of our concept of being influenced by either karma or jnan that we don’t see how the two work together. Like the jnanis can’t understand why anyone would work, and the karmis can’t understand why someone would sit around and not work and philosophize.
You understand? That’s not something to do with that.
No, because the Vaishya Shudras also, you know. The point is, is Bhaktivinoda Thakura mentions that material consciousness is of two kinds. Right? That’s why it’s dualistic. Right? Karma or jnan. So all philosophies, all religions, they all fit into karma or jnan or any combination.
Right? While in the spiritual world, there’s a non -dual perception.
Right? That Krishna is supreme, everyone’s his servant. There’s no living entity in the spiritual realm that thinks differently than that.
Right? But in the material world, then nobody thinks like that, and they think of everything according to duality of karma and jnan.
Right? So one’s good, the other’s not good.
Does that make sense? So all philosophies come from these two. So that’s why then it’s hard to see. We’re not practiced at seeing the two together. So that’s where the contradiction is. Because buddhi-yoga means you’re doing all the activities of karma with the detachment that would be there in jnan. That’s contradictory, because the karma works because of his attachment to the result. And at the same time, you have the knowledge of the jnani that you’re performing the activity of the karma. So these are all contradictory. We’re not used to this. So that’s why this aspect of the philosophy, this is the part that’s difficult to understand.
You know what I’m saying?
Maharaj, could I say that the difficulty in leaving the result to Krishna is that that asks me to surrender? Yes. You have to surrender, because the result’s then for someone else.
Both you have to surrender that I’m the doer, but also that I’m the enjoyer. So that deals with both aspects, you know. Because if someone else is actually causing the result, I’m not the doer. And if they’re for the causing result, the result’s theirs. So I’m not the enjoyer. So, you know, not good for polluted consciousness.
Would not be auspicious.
So that’s why so much emphasis is put on, you know, in these things, you can do it, or being result-oriented or goal -oriented. These are the prominent elements that are there. Because you want it, it can happen, you know, because you’re the doer. You make it happen, you know. And, you know, you have that goal, so therefore, you know, work towards it. You see that? Both are correct, but not from the materialistic point of view. You can do it because the point is, is you’re an instrument. So the soul’s nature is that of a servant. So that means automatically instrument. Servant means instrument. So Krishna’s potencies are what carry things out, so you can be an instrument in this. Even he’s telling Arjuna, it doesn’t say, you go out and do this. He says, you be an instrument. For being an instrument, you’ll be given the glory. Because Krishna doesn’t need the glory. He is glory itself, so you don’t need opulence because he is that opulence.
Like for him, it’s the interaction, you know what I’m saying? So that’s the, is that okay?
Okay. So then verses 35 to 46.
Okay. Okay. Arjuna is growing even more fearful. Srila Prabhupada states that, that, quote, Arjuna became bewildered in wonder. Thus he began to offer his respectful obeisances to Krishna again and again. And with faltering voice he began to pray, not as a friend, but as a devotee in wonder. So, let’s say 35. Sanjaya said to Dhrtarastra, O King, after hearing these words from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the trembling Arjuna offered obeisances with folded hands again and again. He fearfully spoke to Lord Krishna in a faltering voice as follows. Arjuna said, O master of the senses, the world becomes joyful upon hearing your name, and thus everyone becomes attached to you. Although the perfected beings offer you their respectful homage, the demons are afraid and they flee here and there. All this is rightly done. O great one, greater than Brahma, you are the original creator. Why then should they not offer their respectful obeisances unto you? O limitless one, God of gods, refuge of the universe, you are the invincible source, the cause of all causes, transcendental to this material manifestation. You are the original personality of Godhead, the oldest, the ultimate sanctuary of this manifested cosmic world. You are the knower of everything, and you are all that is knowable. You are the supreme refuge above the material modes. O limitless form, this whole cosmic manifestation is pervaded by you. You are air, you are the supreme controller, you are fire, you are water, and you are the moon. You are Brahma, the first living creature, you are the great grandfather. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto you a thousand times, and again and yet again.
Obeisances to you from the front, from behind, and from all sides. O unbounded power, you are the master of limitless might. You are all-pervading, and thus you are everything.
Thinking of you as my friend, I have rashly addressed you, O Krsna, O Yadava, O my friend, not knowing your glories. Please forgive whatever am I done in madness or in love.
I have dishonored you many times, jesting as we were relaxed, lay on the same bed or sat or ate together, sometimes alone and sometimes in front of many friends. O infallible one, please excuse me for all those offenses. You are the father of this complete cosmic manifestation, of the moving and the non-moving. You are its worshipable chief, the supreme spiritual master. No one is equal to you, nor can anyone be one with you. How then could there be anyone greater than you within the three worlds, O Lord of immeasurable power? You are the supreme Lord, to be worshipped by every living being. Thus I fall down to offer you my respectful obeisances and to ask your mercy. As a father tolerates the impudence of his son, a friend the impudence of a friend, or a wife the familiarity of a partner, please tolerate the wrongs I may have done you. After seeing this universal form, which I have never seen before, I am gladdened, but at the same time my mind is disturbed with fear. Therefore, please bestow your grace upon me and reveal again your form as the personality of Godhead, O Lord of lords, O abode of the universe.” So the form, the personality of Godhead, because this is just his unlimited qualities and power, universal form, though it’s all personally manifest, but at the same time it’s not him as a person, he’s beyond. O universal form, O thousand-armed Lord, I wish to see you in your forearm form, with helmeted head and with club, wheel, conch and lotus flower in your hands. I long to see you in that form.
Arjuna praises the Lord to whom everyone except the demons are attracted. Srila Valadeva Vidyabhusana writes in his commentary to verse 36, seeing simultaneous in one place the very attractive and very fierce forms of the Supreme Lord, Arjuna understood those two forms or objects of vision corresponding to people who are favorable to or against the Lord. Arjuna says, rightly, O Harisikesa, you are the one who inspires the senses towards or against you. The nature of the senses is to be either attracted or to be repulsed by an object. Rightly, the universe headed by the Devatas, Gandharvas, Siddhas and Vidyadharas, inclined favorably to you, are pleased with and attracted to this glorious form, which destroys the wicked. It is also fitting that those of wicked nature, those opposed to you, such as Rakshasas, Asuras and Danavas, are afraid of this form praised by the Devatas and flee in all directions. This takes place because you show an appropriate form according to the nature of the living entity. So here then we see again is being brought out in universal form that the reason of something being good or not or what’s right and wrong is based on its connection to the Lord. That’s all. So those who are connected to the Lord, then there’s all these nice, wondrous elements. Those who are not connected to the Lord, then there’s all these elements that are not nice. So ultimately, everything that’s going on that’s nice is because of its inclination towards the Lord. And anything that’s not going nice in the world is because it’s inclination against the Lord. Does that make sense? Still, one may say, OK, then if everybody’s doing everything perfectly and always directing everything towards the Lord, then everything would be perfect. What means materially?
Means it would be the nicest that can be in the material world. But even if everything’s very nice, still there’s the element of death.
Right? So that does not work with the living entity. Right? Does that make sense? So that’s the point. It just doesn’t work for the living entity.
So the temporary element just doesn’t, because sat means eternity.
Right? And because your happiness is connected to that eternity, therefore the happiness is eternal. But if your happiness is connected to the temporary, that means your happiness is going to the temporary. Right? Endeavor is the same. Right? We’ve already established that whether it’s spiritual or material, the mechanics of endeavor are the same. But the difference is the eternal aspect and the element of happiness.
And whether we’re an instrument in that endeavor and in that happiness, or whether we’re trying to be, you know, the cause of endeavor and the enjoyer of happiness.
Yes.
It means that aspect you can do to bring it nice, but it’s not that it’s an emotional, you know, a sentimental element that is nice. It’s not that it’s… But it’s a point of one gets beyond it. Let us say one is cooking something.
Okay? So you go to get something. And so you get the package, but then, you know, you can’t open it. So then you have to go and look and get the scissors. Then you can open it. Right? And then having opened it, then, you know, then you have to sift it. You can’t just put it in your bowl and add some water and mix it up. So you have to sift it. So there’s all these obstacles that are there. So if you’re just seeing cooking and that, these are just all things that come in the cooking. So the obstacle isn’t actually a problem. Right? Because you’re seeing that bigger picture. Right? But someone who doesn’t necessarily see the bigger picture, someone who’s just come to help with something, and you say, oh, hey, open this and do that. To them, that can be so much big trouble because they can’t see the whole process and where that fits in and the end results and all those different things. You know what I’m saying?
You know what I’m saying? It’s not about you’re in the kitchen and going, wow, this is so great. It’s Krishna’s mercy. I can’t find the scissors. Oh, isn’t this wonderful? No, it’s just a matter of, you know, it’s just the way it is. So you look because you can’t find them. It doesn’t mean you stop serving. So you keep, you keep, right. So there’s a path that somehow another Krishna wants to create these obstacles.
There’s something to be gained there.
Yes, because at those times in obstacles, you generally remember, you’re guaranteed you’ll remember.
Right? Does that make sense? So that’s, that’s why it means, you know, means you may say, remember the good times, you know, like that. That’s, that’s there. But that’s only because you’re in bad times. You’ll say that. So to say, remember the good times. So you don’t think about the person badly. But the bad times make you remember the Lord. Right. That’s why the demigods, the Sura means one who remembers the Lord when things are bad.
Right. So then in that way, you could take it that, you know, on the positive side that we mentioned in the class before, is that then the Judaic concept of always remembering all the bad difficulties that have happened in the past that everyone’s done to you. And that reminds you of your identity as, you know, a Jew to, you know, in this way, then remember God. You might attribute to it some quality of the demigods.
Like that. Right. If you look at it from that perspective.
Because when things go rough, then they remember their heritage. So then they’re more God conscious.
Does that make sense? But the point is, is then there’s the element of revenge and everything like that. But with Kunti, it’s just that when there’s difficulties, then they would be more thinking of Krishna. And then there’s also the element when there’s difficulty, then you always think of that person. Right. If everybody in the family, everything’s going nice, the person having the problem, the attention goes to them. Right. And then when everything’s nice, then the attention will go to someone else. So therefore, the Pandavas are dear. When they have difficulty, Krishna will be, you know, thinking of them.
Yeah. That’s the whole point that’s being given here by Balade. It’s reciprocal. As the person is appreciating, that’s what’s reciprocated. Because the demigods appreciate the wonder of God. That’s the element that they’re given. Right. So they have their wonderful chariots and their powers and their offices and all these things because they appreciate that in God. Right. Well, the demons don’t appreciate it in God. They’re always trying to take it away and say it’s theirs. So therefore, God’s always taking it away from them. So it’s reciprocal.
So that’s the whole point. Everything’s always reciprocal. The Lord deals with the living entity how he surrenders. The opportunity is given to surrender. So depending upon how he deals in that environment, then that’s what you do.
You know what I’m saying? Like that.
The environment’s created. So therefore, it’s not… That’s why we say it’s in support of the relationship, but it’s not actually the dynamic aspect of the relationship creating the environment in which a relationship will happen.
You know what I’m saying?
It means, as we say, a practical example, the husband creates the environment in which the family will function. So he has his way of making his money. He has this particular house, the other facilities, the house, the social status that comes along with that, the kind of education he provides for his kids, the medical, everything that he does for them, taking them on vacations, all that. But that’s the environment of the relationship. It’s not actually the dynamic relationship. You could say this is the static aspect because then in that house they could interact. But it’s the interaction that’s actually the relationship.
Do you understand? So Krishna provides everything. He provides the Vedas. He provides the Param Purana. He provides all that. You have to take it up. Now we’re saying in the house. Now let’s say you come in and think you’re going to sit in the study. But the wife says, no, let’s sit in the living room. So then you reciprocate with that. You don’t say, no, I want to sit in the study. That wouldn’t be masculine.
The masculine is the feminine wants to sit in the living room. You sit there. You can say, well, where’s my masculinity? You provided the living room.
Do you understand? You have to know what it is. So you reciprocate with what’s there. You set the definition. He brings in so much money. So, therefore, when they are choosing what hotels they’ll go to, what restaurants they’ll go to, it will be within their budget.
It’s like they generally stay in a three -star hotel. Then the wife’s not going to say, wow, wouldn’t it be nice to spend a week in the Burj Al Arab?
It’s like that. It’s like, hey, but we have six kids. Yeah, well, they have four-bedroom hotel rooms.
So she’s not going to say that. Why? Because that’s not the environment he’s provided.
So within that environment, then they’ll be choosing. What about this one? Yeah, it was nice, but the food wasn’t so good. But this one was okay like that. So they’ll stay within the environment created by the man. Right? Does that make sense?
But so Krishna provides the environment of opportunity that living entity can surrender. So those who surrender, then they see the wonderment and everything like the demigods. And it’s all nice, nice. Right? And for the demons who don’t surrender, then, therefore, things just don’t quite go right for them.
Does that make sense? So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is giving five-star hotels tokens. Well, in this example, it was seven stars. Oh, seven stars. Yeah, yeah, like that.
But you have to take it. You know what I’m saying? Even if you get the token, but you still have to take it and go there and do it. In other words, you have to go through an endeavor to apply it. You can’t just sit right here and say, okay, where is it? Wow, look at this. Gold leaf rocks. It’s not happening. You have to go there.
Does that make sense?
So, thank you.
