If it’s devotees, Kṛṣṇa’s arranging. See, the difference means, but, depending upon the level of advancement, He may directly Himself arrange it, or, but generally, māyā arranges it, right? But it’s being given by Kṛṣṇa for use in service. Does that make sense? So it’s given through the medium of the external energy, but it’s spiritual, you know what I’m saying? Because Yogamāyā can, works on, Yogamāyā and Mahamāyā are the same person, it just depends upon, if you see things in connection to Kṛṣṇa, it’s Yogamāyā. If you see things not in connection to Kṛṣṇa, it’s Mahamāyā. Does that make sense? But at the same time, as Yogamāyā, generally you see functions, so natural positions, the function within the spiritual world, right? And the, and Mahamāyā works within the material world. Does that make sense? But you do have that overlap. Like in Vṛndāvana, it’s a spiritual world, but demons come there, and they are controlled by illusion, by māyā, right? So they’re getting a material result for their endeavor. Does that make sense? The devotees may be in the material world, and because they’re serving Kṛṣṇa, then actually they’re getting a spiritual result, though they’re in the material world. Does that make sense? So, so, the svarūpa-śakti can act in either sphere, in either way.
Does that, does that make sense?
Verse 36 describes the Lord as the object of worship for all living entities. Verses 37 to 40 describe how the Lord pervades everything by being the soul of everything.
Okay, so He’s the object of worship of all living entities. So even that the, the auspicious, proper things, the demons may not be attracted to, but still what they are attracted to is still Kṛṣṇa. It just gets lower and lower forms, right? You know, you have the person, and you have their shadow. So the shadow is like the person, but not exactly quite, right? So they may not be attracted to the auspicious, which is the, the better form. They’re attracted by the inauspicious, right, which are the lower forms. But still, the potency in that is still Kṛṣṇa. Because if you have one, you have the other. You have light, there’s going to be darkness. You just take away light, you get darkness. But it’s still dependent upon light. You know what I’m saying? Darkness doesn’t stand on its own, right? Because if it did, then you could bring some darkness, all the light would go away. No, but you bring some light, the darkness goes away.
What is it?
Okay, next verse. How the Lord pervades everything? By being the soul of everything. Arjuna confirms that Kṛṣṇa is the inconceivable source, the cause of all causes, transcendental to this material manifestation, the oldest, the ultimate sanctuary of the world, the knower of everything and the supreme refuge above the material modes. He is the air, fire, water and the moon. He is Brahmā, the first living creature and the great grandfather. He is the supreme controller. Arjuna declares that Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything and offers His obeisances again and again. Śrīla Baladeva Vidyabhūṣa writes in his commentary to verse 39, All words describe only You. You are the Devatas, Vayu, Yama, Agni, Varuna and Soma. You are Brahmā. Brahmā is the grandfather and You are his father. So You are the great grandfather. All these forms are You since You are spread out in Vayu and others by being their cause. Since You are the possessor of the spiritual material energies, You are like gold spread in bangles and other objects made of gold. So he’s pointing out everything is Kṛṣṇa.
All words are describing only Kṛṣṇa. So we can say anything. Let’s take the word and. And means you’re connecting something together. So who actually holds things together? Kṛṣṇa. Is. Then it defines existence. But who is existence? The source of all existence. Because He exists. Everything exists in Him. You know what I’m saying? Does that make sense? We say the something. Then you’re pointing it out as an identity. Like that. Right? But He’s the one that establishes relationships. And what everything is and everything is defined by Him. Does that make sense?
Right? You have a sentence. You have a period at the end. So it’s complete. Right? But He’s the beginning, the middle, the end. You have the capital at the beginning. That’s Kṛṣṇa because He starts things. You understand? So there’s no word that’s not Kṛṣṇa.
So it’s just a matter of seeing Him there. So great ones are there because the problem is when you get down to little ones. Then it’s kind of like, well, that doesn’t look very impressive. You know, so for the common person, then only the really big, big things are seen in that light. Does that make sense? Little things are not. Though for someone who has knowledge, then they can see God in the most minute.
Right? In everything. But otherwise, you start off with big things. You have so many stars, but He’s the moon. But that is there. He is the greatest. So that special greatness, that’s also Him. The general point is also Him.
Does that make sense? So it’s here. So he’s saying that you are all the Devatas, Vayu, Yama, Agni, Varuna, Soma, because their potency is coming from Him. You have the king, you have his ministers. Ministers can only function because of the power of the king.
So they’re doing their job, but that’s because the king is giving them that power. Otherwise, they can’t do that.
You are Brahmā, the creator.
His potency is Kṛṣṇa. At the same time, he’s the source of Brahmā. So he’s the great-grandfather. The great-great-grandfather.
He’s the great-grandfather here. And then you’re spread out in Vayu. It means air is everywhere, so you’re spread out through everything.
So everything is you. If you’re Vayu, Vayu’s supporting everything, so everything’s supported by that.
And others by being their cause. So ultimately the cause of everything is Kṛṣṇa. Material world being created from Brahman. Brahman is the effulgence of Kṛṣṇa’s qualities. So everything in the world is created from Kṛṣṇa’s qualities. The illusion is we think it’s not His qualities. We think the quality stands on its own. Somebody’s very, let’s say, righteous. So that quality stands on its own. We think this is a very good thing. Or he’s very charitable, so this is very good. So we forget that it’s the quality that impresses us, that attracts us. But the point is that quality, that’s Kṛṣṇa’s quality. So it’s māyā to think that the quality stands on its own.
Does that make sense? Right? So that’s the point, yes. So if you want to mention the areas everywhere, not ether?
Probably because, one, because we’re dealing here with the demigods, so therefore Vayu is, you know, the demigod there. You know, the adhāra śakti, that’s something a little bit higher, the all-accommodating potency. So to be able to accommodate everything, the space that accommodates things, that may be a bit more subtle for people, because people generally don’t worship adhāra śakti, they worship the demigods. Does that make sense? Does that mean that air is also there in earth and water? Yeah, it’s all-pervading, so earth is there. But it said also, since you are spread out in vayu, all these forms are you since you are spread out in vayu, and others by being their cause, right? So then there’s also the opportunity of those who are in the air that’s observable, but then that which is not, or one wouldn’t see in that context, is that also.
You know, it’s like saying, you know, you are everything, and that which is not everything, you’re that also.
So that’s the whole point.
Right? So it’s just saying, just like gold is spread out in all the bangles and other ornaments, gold ornaments in the world, right? So gold is in everything. But it’s all gold. Gold’s, you know, one entity. But it’s spread out in there, right? Does that make sense?
Arjuna requests Kṛṣṇa to excuse him for any informal gestures which arouse out of friendship. Arjuna says, thinking of you as my friend, I have rashly addressed you, O Kṛṣṇa, O Yādava, O my friend, not knowing your glories. Addressing the Lord with these three names shows lack of respect. Addressing Kṛṣṇa without the prefix śrī is disrespectful. Addressing Him as Yādava is disrespectful because it does not emphasize Kṛṣṇa’s supreme position in that family and because it shows Arjuna’s feelings of superiority since he belongs to the more powerful Kaurava dynasty. So Yādavas are our moon dynasty, right? The Kauravas are sun dynasty. So sun dynasty is always the problem of dynasty. It’s supported by the moon dynasty. So it’s very, like when you see the list of kings and everything, generally you always see it’s always coming down to the sun dynasty. So let’s say someone who is as powerful as like Vikrāladitya, right? He ruled for like 2,000 years. But you don’t see mention of him in the list. Why? Because he was moon dynasty. So somehow at that time he was the emperor. But generally it’s only just the sun line is what’s the problem.
Does that make sense? So they’re always supportive unless somehow or another it comes up otherwise. So by calling him Yādava, then you’re saying he’s in a lower position.
Does that make sense?
Addressing Kṛṣṇa as friend is disrespectful because that means the Lord is treated as equal, right? Because he’s asamurdhva, no one’s equal, no one’s greater, right? So friend means he’s equal. And Yādava means he’s junior, right? And addressing him just as Kṛṣṇa without the śrī, without that element of respect, then that also just puts him as something common, undefined. So since the Lord is the supreme, there’s no question of being undefined. He’s not just a general category.
Questioner 2 inaudible Yes, yes, because the relationship’s different. Remember is that he’s gone from looking at Kṛṣṇa in the friendship rasa to looking him in on reverence, right? So because of that element of wonderment, then it’s not as strong or intimate, right? Because wonder, where does wonder come from? It means that we’re looking at sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana. Where is wonder? Where is it?
Sambandha. Why? Questioner 2 inaudible Yes, knowledge of the thing and… Questioner 2 inaudible There I would say more on the element of the knowledge because this other will be an element of yoga māyā. But what it means in sambandha of the two parts, one is just knowledge and the other one is knowledge and… Hmm? Attraction. Attraction, right? Inspiration or like that. So that the knowledge is great, that inspiration is great, but that’s where it’s mainly situated. So it doesn’t have as much of the intimacy as the other ones, then they’re more connected with the… that has that, but there’s more connection with prayojana. Yes. So knowledge is sambandha? Knowledge is sambandha. It’s also, but it’s applied in abhidheya.
You know what I’m saying? See, this is the, it means why one has to, like you’re saying, college education where you stick everything in a little box with little arrows going from one thing to the other and little bullet points. It’s nice, but the difficulty is, is there’s no such thing as overlap. As soon as there’s an overlap, they turn that into its own category. You know what I’m saying? It’s just like twilight is different from day and night because it’s a combination, but what is it made out of? Day and night. Day and night, it’s not a third entity, but by modern calculation it would be a third entity. That’s the difficulty. So that’s why the modern academic brain has a big difficulty in actually understanding the Vedic literature because it’s based on relationship and the modern academies, not based on relationships in person. So is knowledge kind of the relationship between sambandha and abhidheya? No, because all the different qualities are present in abhidheya.
Means in sambandhi, sankarsana is the field and what’s the correct thing, the definitions, what should be done, who’s who, right? But when you apply in abhidheya, you still use that field. Means it’s happening in the field, right? Then in prajunda, in sambandha, then you’re seeing your… means you’re confident of the identity, right? So you don’t have to define that. And you’re inspired by that field because you know you can get things done and all that, so what the field can do. So that inspiration, then that’s prajunda, so that attraction is there, right? Prayojana means that need to gain what could be gained from that field, but that can only be done through action, right? So the field doesn’t mean much if it’s not applied. Inspiration also doesn’t mean much unless it’s applied, right? And intelligence doesn’t mean much unless it’s applied, right? And then the need is only gained through application, right? Then increase in the affection or the attachments, you know, the needs, the love, like that. All that is all happening. So all those come together in abhidheya. So that’s why abhidheya is the central feature. So that makes vasudeva the superior out of all four, right? But we can say by establishing the environment, sankarsana is prominent. So that’s why you see when the Vaikuntha murtis all expand, everyone’s expanding from sankarsana, you know what I’m saying? So even vasudeva will expand from there, but vasudeva means he includes all these others, you know what I’m saying? Because you’re dealing with that sankarsana is Balarama, so everything expanding after Balarama technically is Balarama, and Balarama is Krsna, so therefore we can say it’s Krsna. But Krsna is unique in His position because He is only the enjoyer, not the servant, right? Well, Balarama is the servant, right? He’s the supreme personality of servant or Godhead, right? Because Visnu is also a servant of Krsna, right? And Mahanarayana is also a servant of Krsna, and Baladeva is the source of all of them.
Does that make sense? So you’re going to have that element. So He creates the environment in which, right? The existence in which. Krsna is existence, right?
And Balarama will be the chit, the knowledge, and all the different things like this, and then Radharani, Safladini, you know, so the prayojana. But at the same time as Krsna is the one who performs the activities, He is the supreme subject, right? So then Balarama is then preparing, creating the field, right? This is where the acintya-bheda-bheda-tattva kind of comes in handy, is that you can work with, you know, intelligence is both sambandha and abhidheya, right? And Balarama is both the lord of, what do you call it, of the chit-potency, but at the same time He is, you know, how do you say, creating the field. You know, in other words, He’s operating the existence. Krsna is performing the pastime within it, right? Because your subject, you know, the combination of subject, subject, and object, but it happens in a place, it’s locative, right? There’s a cause, ablative. So all that’s your field, right? So that’s Balarama.
Yeah, so yeah, He facilitates Krsna.
But ultimately, all that, the primary, you know, the main, how do you say, nouns connected to the verb are the subject and object, and that everything else comes because of that or is there because of that. You may have the place, but if the subject’s not performing the activity in the place, the place has no significance, right? You know, because the activity’s being done, therefore a cause has some meaning.
You know, if somebody’s doing something, oh, why is he doing that?
You know, you don’t ask otherwise. You know what I’m saying? So even though they’re still primary nouns, they’re still dependent upon the subject’s operation of the verb.
Right? That place is Krsna, the supreme position.
Yes? You mentioned that the chief potency is in the sambandha, but there’s also… No, I said abhidheya. Yes, abhidheya, okay. Then I understood it right. Yeah. No, it’s abhidheya. What I’m saying, that’s why you have these overlapping of elements. Yeah. You know? Except the chief potency, they’re all ablative. Yes. As soon as you know the experience, yeah. Yes. But at the same time as that’s happening in an environment, so that’s your sambandha. Right? And there’s a goal in that, so that’s your priogeny.
So it’s all dynamic.
Yes? I’m not sure. Is the abhidheya the most important record of understanding of why you’re doing this? It’s not the most important. You could say it’s the most important, but it’s the central feature of all, because all three are non-different.
Right? We study it like this so that we, by analyzation, then we’re able, we increase our understanding of things and also generate a detachment from the mundane.
Does that make sense? Because it’s all homogeneously blended together, so therefore we find the material world so attractive. So when we break it apart and analyze it, then it starts to not be as attractive.
Does that make sense?
Yes? Yes.
You’re eager to do service, but then you have to use your intelligence, because you have to get the goal. If you don’t get the goal, what’s the use of the eagerness?
You know what I’m saying? So if you don’t understand the field, how is your eagerness going to be applied? If you don’t know what’s the result you can get, then there won’t be a value.
So all the qualities are contained in, all the qualities are in abhidheya, but of those qualities, certain ones are in samana, and certain ones are in prayojana. But the combination of all those is in abhidheya. So there’s a uniqueness of them, but at the same time all of them are involved in abhidheya. That’s why the pastimes are the central feature.
Right? So this is what it means to be detached from the fruits of our labor, is to keep the focus on abhidheya and not prayojana? No.
Because Krishna says you should do the activity thinking of him. Right?
That would be that, but then the result, thinking of him, you’re doing it for him. Because any result comes back to sambandha.
So the aniruddha comes back to Pradyumna.
So the goal, you need your goal, that’s Krishna. Right? But the reason you’re doing it is to serve Krishna.
You know what I’m saying? So the sambandha and the prayojana are functioning when the abhidheya is there. That’s why I’m saying they’re all combined.
That’s why it’s the… Because otherwise you can see the material world, how it functions, the mechanics, everything like that. That’s very nice. Krishna says then he’s beyond that as the person. In other words, the pastimes are beyond it because it includes everything. So including everything, then it has qualities that are different, then it includes the qualities of the other, plus it has its own uniqueness. You know what I’m saying? Potato has a quality. Cauliflower has a quality. Tomato has a quality. Right? You know, ghee has a quality. Chilies have a quality. Right? Spices have their quality. And so each one of them stands on its own in its uniqueness in doing something, but you put it together as the subject, then the subject includes all the qualities of those on their own, plus it has a quality that’s beyond all those individual qualities.
You know, you can’t claim that because you have any one of those, you have a subject.
Does that make sense?
So that’s why Vasudeva is the central position.
Right? So, because Krishna and Balarama are non-different, so therefore Vasudeva is actually non-different from Sankarsana, because he’s expanding from here. But at the same time, his function is greater than Sankarsana. Right? He’s the central feature.
Right? He’s the… Does that make sense? Yeah, he’s the subject. At the same time, that’s why we make the difference that this is, in this particular Kali-yuga, that the uniqueness of this last Dwapara in Kali-yuga, that this is Svarupa. I mean, that’s why I am Krishna.
Right? Because otherwise, it’s always just Balarama.
So this time it’s not. It’s Krishna himself. So you have the original Vasudeva coming with the original Sankarsana.
Right? So that’s what makes it special.
Arjuna requests the Lord to show his four -handed form because he’s disturbed by fear by seeing the universal form. Srila Prabhupada writes to his purport, writes in his purport to verse 46. In the Brahma-samhita, 539, it is stated, The Lord is eternally situated in hundreds and thousands of forms.
And the main forms are those like Rama, Nrsimha, Narayana, etc. There are innumerable forms, but Arjuna knew that Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead, assuming his temporary universal form. He is now asking to see the form of Narayana, the spiritual form. This verse establishes without any doubt the statement of the Sumat-Bhagavatam that Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead and all other features originate from him.
So this is establishing he’s the origin, so otherwise how is he showing the universal form and then showing Narayana form? At the same time, he’s still standing there. Krishna is there the whole time because who is Arjuna offering the prayers to?
So this then establishes that he’s the original Personality.
Verses 47 to 55. Only the pure devotee can see Krishna’s two -armed form.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said, My dear Arjuna, happily have I shown you by my internal potency the supreme universal form within the material world. No one before you has ever seen this primal form, unlimited and full of glaring effulgence. So in other words, I’ve shown you by my internal potency.
Because Krishna only interacts through his internal potency. He doesn’t interact with the dead matter. He interacts with the internal potency, the shadow of the internal potency is the external potency. So therefore everything works.
But he doesn’t deal with the external potency. So his internal potency, he establishes he establishes what’s happening.
He’s already establishing, we said because it’s his potencies that make everything work. So that is what’s actually going on. So what you’re seeing is that in manifestation of the unlimited varieties of forms that can accommodate that. So in other words, you’re seeing all the causes at once. You’re seeing the quality that’s there that’s Krishna. That’s why you’re seeing that effulgence, so glaringly effulgent. Then all the different forms that make that up and then the manifestation within the material energy.
Results that come, like they go in, everyone’s being destroyed. So all these different things are all happening at one time. That’s why they’re very, very bewildering.
O best of the Kuru warriors, no one before you has ever seen this universal form of mine. For neither by studying the Vedas, nor by performing sacrifices, nor by charity, nor by pious activities, nor by supreme penances, can I be seen in this form in the material world.
So none of those will get you. So it’s only by the grace of Guru and Krishna that this is understood. So here Krishna’s seeing it directly.
Like that, but otherwise it can only be appreciated. You have been perturbed and bewildered by seeing this horrible feature of mine. Now let it be finished. My devotee, be free again from all disturbances. With a peaceful mind you can now see the form you desire. Sanjaya said to Dhrtarastra, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, having spoken thus to Arjuna, displayed His real four-armed form, and at last showed His two-armed form, thus encouraging the fearful Arjuna.
When Arjuna saw Krishna in His original form, he said, O Janardana, seeing this human-like form so very beautiful, I am now composed in mine, and I am restored to my original nature. The Supreme Personality of Godhead said, My dear Arjuna, this form of mine you are now seeing is very difficult to behold. Even the demigods are ever seeking the opportunity to see this form, which is so dear. The form which you are seeing with your transcendental eyes cannot be understood simply by studying the Vedas, nor by undergoing serious penances, nor by charity, nor by worship. It is not by these means that one can see me as I am. My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am, standing before you, and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of my understanding.
My dear Arjuna, he who engages in my pure devotional service, free from the contamination of fruitive activities and mental speculation, he who works for me, and he who makes me the supreme goal of his life, and who is friendly to every living being, he certainly comes to me.
So these two are very important verses, actually, these last two verses. So, Krishna can only be seen, not by any of these other elements, but only by devotional service, free from fruitive activities and mental speculation. Now, what is that form of devotional service going to look like?
This is the fun part.
So, basically speaking, it will look like study of the Vedas, undergoing penances, giving in charity, by worshipping.
You understand? But Krishna just said this is not how he’s understood.
So what does this mean? It’s about the consciousness. In other words, the worship itself, the ritual, is not going to catch Krishna. Or by giving away your money, it’s not going to attract Krishna, because it’s already him. You’re moving himself from one place to another, waving around things that are him, and showing at forms that are him. You know what I’m saying? Does that make sense? You’re performing an austerity. Where do you get the potency for that austerity? So that potency comes from him also.
Does that make sense? And he is the knowledge of the Vedas. He is knowledge, remember, of the forgetfulness.
So basically, it’s just by being involved with these activities in connection with Krishna without a desire for any fruitive result or mental speculation, that’s what’s going to attract Krishna.
The activity doesn’t change. The consciousness changes.
Because otherwise, what are you going to change the activity to? That’s the Mayavada conception, is that spiritual means doing something different.
Why is it such a big discussion? Because we’re so overwhelmed by material considerations.
So he’s not like that. So it’s only by undivided devotional service. And that undivided devotional service means devotional service free from contamination of fruitive activities and mental speculation. He who works for me, who makes me the supreme goal of his life and who is friendly to every living being, he certainly comes to me. So we’ve seen this conclusion come up quite a few times. This is actually the main theme, you know, you say inclusive theme, throughout the whole work. Because so many things will be there. But this is the conclusive theme. Is that you’re going to perform your duties, right? But you’re going to do that for Krishna, so then it’s free from karma. Right? You’re going to do it in knowledge, but it’s going to be free from mental speculation. You’re going to be remembering Krishna, but it’s going to be free from the desire for, you know, mystic cities or any other side things to get distracted by the yoga system. Right? So you’re going to be remembering him as a person in devotion, right? The goal of life. And one sentence, he was, and who was friendly to every living being. Right? So if you’re only friendly to Krishna, but not to everybody else, means you haven’t actually understood. Right? You can’t be nice to the man and disregard his family. It’s not going to work. So the point is, is everybody is in Krishna’s family. So one who is that. So these are what’s going to make it work.
Okay. Krishna says that no one before Arjuna has ever seen the universal form. This form cannot be seen by Vedic studies, sacrifices, charity, pious activities or severe penances. Srila Prabhupada explains in his purport in verse 48, that why are these mentioned?
Right? Why these specific things?
Yes. Because they are the activities that devotees perform. They are the activities that devotees perform. It’s generally what’s considered religious. It’s generally what’s considered religion. It’s generally what people will consider, this is what’s giving my results. Yeah. Okay. So in other words, if I don’t have something, I’ll study about it. Right? You want something. What’s the first thing you do? Go on the internet, look it up. Try to find out as much about it as you can. Right? Because that you think, that’s going to get you your gain. Right? You’re going to gain something to study. Or sacrifice, right? I give up one thing, then I’ll get something else. Right? So that means if I didn’t get it, maybe my sacrifice wasn’t great enough. Right? Or charity. You know, I give away in charity, then I’m pious, people respect me. You know, things work very nicely. Maybe I’m not charitable enough, I’m too miserly, so I’ll give away more things that work out nicer. Right? Pious activities. Doing good work. I did something bad, so therefore I’ll counter that by doing something good. Right? Doesn’t exactly work, but it creates a nice situation. Right? Just let’s say, let us say you have something to drink. Right? Okay. And you put something bitter in that drink. Okay? Now you figure, oh, it’s bitter, I have to counter this. So then you start putting some sugar. Okay? Put enough sugar, it will appear that the bitterness has gone away. But still, the bitterness is there and still has its effect.
You know what I’m saying? You may not taste it. So the point is, is the pious activities don’t get rid of the bad results that will come from an impious activity. They generate good results in the future.
Does that make sense? You can’t get rid of karma by doing another karma. Karma only generates karma. It doesn’t get rid of karma. But we’ll think, oh, if I do a good work, that’ll get rid of the bad. No, it generates. Means, in other words, you did something to somebody, made them feel bad. So then you think, I should do something nice. Okay? So you do something nice, but what has happened? Did the doing something nice get rid of the, that you did something wrong? No. What it did is that you’ve done something nice, therefore it generates the, you know, feeling the other person or the response of the other person that you’ve done something nice. Right? But now what if you do something bad again? What immediately is going to come up in their mind? The last bad thing you did. So it doesn’t get rid of it. It’s foolish to think. We think of, you know, you know, it makes sense. It makes sense. You know, some dirt, you just sweep it under the rug. The rug looks better than the dirt, right? So therefore, it works. But it doesn’t mean the dirt’s gone away.
the point is, if you perform good work, then you’ll get good results. Not that it gets rid of bad results. No, it produces good results.
You did something, you lost your money. So you do something that you gain money.
So it’s not getting, how do you get rid of not having money?
Right? By having money. So the endeavor is for the positive. It’s not a separate thing that you can get rid of. Does that make sense? That’s why Krishna says you get rid of a lower taste by a higher taste.
Because you can’t just get rid of something. You have to replace it with something else. So lack of money is replaced by having money. But by having money is generated by proper activity. Right? There’s loss by improper activity.
Does that make sense? So that’s where the difference is. The one is not, means if you have money, then there’s no, you don’t, you don’t have no money.
You know what I’m saying? But you can have no money, it doesn’t mean you have money. You understand? So remembering Krishna is the prominent, and never forgetting Krishna is the secondary.
Just like we were saying, the day and the night. So you have to know which is which. Which is the support for the other. Otherwise you get bewildered like that foolish disciple of Paramahamsa Guru. Right? He was saying, well, I’ve gone to the market and I bought this butter.
And the butter is in a cup. So now, which is the support for the other? In other words, which is the primary? The butter or the cup? Right? Because if I have the cup, but without the cup, you can’t hold the butter. But at the same time, if I don’t have butter, why do I need a cup? So which one is the actual one? So he was contemplating this and so he wasn’t sure. So he thought, okay, I’ll test it by turning the cup over. Right? And then I will see which is the prominent one. Right? So then, you know, naturally the butter falls on the ground and now he’s, you know, he doesn’t have butter and he doesn’t need the cup. Right? You know, like that. So then you can see that the butter is the prominent thing because what do you need the cup for if there’s no butter?
Okay? But this is, this is foolish.
And then severe penances. Right? So therefore I’ll be very austere to something and that won’t get it.
You know what I’m saying? So these are all the elements that someone thinks by this I can gain something. I can control something. Right? So that’s why Krishna mentions these things. Right? Like that. Otherwise he’d throw in other important things like not by owning an ensoul, you know, not by, you know, having a, what do you call it, a Mickey Mouse bean. You know, so many different things he could mention. But he mentions these because these will create something that’s, this is what people will think is actually how they’re getting things done.
So, Prabhupada explains in the Purport, the verse 48, So one can perform all these, can accept bodily penance, give charity, study the Vedas, etc., but unless he’s a devotee like Arjuna, it is not possible to see that universal form. Those who are impersonalists are also imagining that they are seeing the universal form of the Lord. But from Bhagavad Gita we understand the impersonalists are not devotees. Therefore they are unable to see the universal form of the Lord. So here also we see is that the element of the universal form, how it’s pervaded everything, is that the impersonals actually can’t see it. They can appreciate that everything’s Brahman. You know, Mayavadis don’t see anything, so they don’t even count here. They’re just total illusion.
Impersonalists then are only seeing part of the Absolute Truth. So they see the potency, Brahman, but they don’t, it’s not specifically differentiated.
Right? They can see it pervading everything. So they can see what it pervades. That’s why when they walk they don’t bump into trees. Right? Because otherwise, by the Mayavads’ concept, you wouldn’t have to worry about it because the tree is an illusion. And your body is an illusion. So you could walk straight through it with no problem. But it doesn’t exactly work for them.
So, so, so only the devotee actually can see. Right? So that’s why it’s described in the Bhagavatam, is the devotees can see it. Others can’t see it.
So, other being unable to see, they’ll think they see. Because they think, OK, this is powerful, or this or that. They don’t actually understand it’s the potency of a person.
That’s the thing. The Supreme Person’s potency is what is the Brahman.
So that’s what they’re seeing. So only the devotee actually can see the universal form. But, you know, as Krishna pointed out, this is not the greatest thing. Because otherwise, if that was, then one would get so attracted by all that. But that’s why this method is being given, so that one understands this is not the highest.
Otherwise, one will get stuck in the mechanics. Because what’s coming after that, you know, very soon in our next section, is all the mechanics.
Right? The metaphysical elements that are used in the spiritual process. So if you’re bewildered… So, first we’ve gotten rid of the concept of being bewildered by the gross elements of the mechanics. But then we might get attracted by the subtle elements of the mechanics. Right? So that has to all be gone, and understood that they’re all engaged.
But pure devotional service means there’s nothing to gain from that engagement. It’s simply to please the Lord. Does that make sense? Right? Otherwise, the gross, you know, or the karma elements, the subtle, the jnana elements… Right? Does that make sense? So, one will get attached to the fruitive results that one gets, or the intellectual speculation. These things one will get attached to. But, the point is, we point out, is that devotional service means it’s a change in consciousness, not a change in activity.
Right? Because the activity remains.
So that’s what’s important. So, if you’re attached to it, you can’t change consciousness. If you’re detached from it, then you have knowledge, then you can. Because physically you’re going to be engaged in the same activities, intellectually you’re going to be thinking about the same things.
But by consciousness, now one goes beyond.
Right? One can see the connection of it with the Lord. It’s His potency.
Does that make sense?
Yes?
Okay.
To pass it by Arjuna, Krsna displays His real four-armed form and then His two -armed form. By seeing Krsna’s beautiful form, Arjuna becomes composed in mind and restored to his original nature. Krsna confirms that His personal two-armed form is most difficult to see. It is the most confidential form of Krsna.
Krsna concludes that only by undivided devotional service can He be seen as He is. Now, He’s already said that nobody’s seen the universal form. That means it’s hard to see. You know. But there He says no one’s seen it. He didn’t say it was hard to see. But now, with His two-armed form, He says, this is difficult to see.
Right? So, in other words, it’s only through devotional service that you can see. Now, since it’s only through devotional service you can see both these forms. But we see, of it, the focus is on His original form, not upon how He’s pervaded throughout the universe.
Does that make sense?
One who engages in Krsna’s pure devotional service, free from the contamination of fruitive activities and mental speculation, who thus works for Him, makes Him the supreme goal of life, and who is friendly to every living being, certainly goes to Him. Verse 55. So here. Devotional service, which is free from contamination of karma and jnana. Right? The fruit of activities and mental speculation. Okay. Then, so that’s there, that means He works for Him. Right? Because you could be free from fruitive results, so I’m just doing work. But the point is, is you’re working for Krsna. So you do the work to get the good result for Him. Otherwise you may, okay, well, you know, the jnani, I don’t do any fruitive work, and so I do no work.
Right? Because I don’t want a result, so why would I work? Right? Why would I cook breakfast if I don’t want breakfast? Right? I wouldn’t do that. Right?
Does that make sense? Right. So the thing is here, is you’re doing it for Krsna.
Right? That’s the point. So you say, well, I need breakfast. So then, therefore, you’ll cook breakfast. And so then you say, well, I’m not supposed to be interested in fruitive results, so therefore, getting the result of cooking breakfast means that’s a fruitive result, so therefore, I don’t want that, so I don’t cook breakfast.
But the point is, is you also still need to eat. So this is a problem. Mayavadis, technically according to their own philosophy, should starve to death, but they don’t, so there’s some, they’re not following their philosophy quite properly. Right? So, the, so then that means is that, but you’re cooking it to please Krsna. Right? So it’s for Him. Then that result, then, that you can eat. But you’re not cooking it because you have to eat. You’re cooking it to please Krsna.
Yes, sir? Yes. And you’re also eating to please Krsna? You’re eating to please Krsna, yes. You’re also washing the dishes afterwards to please Krsna.
Let’s not go too much into that. Yes, yes. You’re also throwing out the garbage to please Krsna. You’re going to the market and buying things to please Krsna. That’s, you’re dialing the take-out pizza or Chinese place to, to please Krsna. In other words, you, you deal with the phone properly. You don’t, you know, don’t take a hammer and hit all the buttons, you know, like that. So you’re, you’re doing it according to proper, you know, and you’re talking to the person who answers the phone with proper etiquette like that because otherwise next time they won’t fill your order. Right? You know, so all these different things, you know. Does that make sense? So, that the person who’s taking your pizza order, he is part and parcel of Krsna, so therefore you have to respect him as part and parcel of Krsna. Otherwise, displeasing him, which means technically you’re displeasing the Lord, then next time the result of that impious activity of not performing proper, how do you say, you know, etiquette will be that you won’t get your order next time or possibly even this time. You can’t counter it by doing pious work. Yes, and you can’t counter it by doing pious work. You know, you’re going to have to go to another, you’ll have to call another place or another time when they’re off shift.
Right? So, so many things to do, you know, so many things for the, how do you say, for the irresponsible bachelor has so much to think about, right?
You know, and they’re saying life’s easy, right, you know. Yeah, wait till you’re married. You think, you know, so it’s a cakewalk. What do you mean? You know, I’ve got to call up, you know, from all these things, you know, go out to garbage, you know, it’s like that, you know.
Yeah, I mean, it’s like, you’ve got to get the garbage out the, not only out the window, but off the fire escape. You know, that’s, it’s, you know, it’s work, you know, it’s like that. If you could just toss it out the window, OK, but then you have to open the window, you know, I mean, there’s a lot of things that open, like that.
OK, so he’s the supreme goal of life, so many goals are there, but all goals that ultimately end up in Krishna, right? So you’re doing one thing, and then that will be part of another thing, and part of another thing, right? Because remember, we always said this, whenever you get a result of something, it already moves back to, as the field of activities, right? So it wasn’t an ultimate goal. Does that make sense? So, but, so it, something, it can always be moved far, farther, right? You want it to happen, you have the house, now you have the house, now what are you going to do in the house? OK, so your family’s going to be involved in things in the house, so those things are there, but what is the result of those things? So ultimately, it has to get to the Lord, right? Once it gets to the Lord, it’s not a problem that it moves back and forth, because He is everything, so it works fine, right? He is the beginning, middle, and end, so it doesn’t, it’s not a problem, right? Your house is not the beginning, middle, and end, right?
Does that make sense?
Right, yeah. And then He’s friendly to everyone, because everyone is part and parcel of Krishna, so one has to deal nicely, because it’s a matter of everybody’s devotees, it’s just whether they know it or not, that’s all. Everybody’s spiritual, but one becomes, the spiritual becomes covered by the illusion, right? But otherwise, everybody’s spiritual.
OK, so then that would mean that, according to that, that the problem is that only some people know they’re the chosen people, though technically everybody is, but since they don’t know, you’re not going to tell them, right? Otherwise, the exclusiveness is lost.
This verse is considered the essence of Bhagavad Gita, because it gives the method for approaching the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In his purport, Srila Prabhupada summarizes this method as follows, right?
Mat-karma-krt, all work should be done only in relation to Krsna. 2. Mat-paramah, one should not desire heavenly pleasure or liberation. His goal should be the association of Krsna in His Supreme Abode. Mat-bhaktah, one should fully engage in the nine processes of devotional service without desire for material rewards.
Sangha-vargita, one should not associate with persons who are against Krsna.
Nir-vairah, one should be friendly to all.
So, what one can see is that this keeps coming up again and again and again. So, Krsna will give a body of knowledge, you know. He’ll give the principle, then analyze it, and then bring it to a conclusion. And always when it gets to this final conclusion, it always comes to this point. Right? So, that’s always. So, when you’re looking at it from karma, again, yoga, you know, pure devotional service, it’s always the same.
Srila Prabhupada concludes this chapter as follows. In summary, the universal form of Krsna, which is a temporary manifestation, and the form of time, which devours everything, and even the form of Visnu, four-handed, which devours everything, and even the form of Visnu, four-handed, have all been exhibited by Krsna. So, it’s a temporary manifestation, because these elements of ultimate cause, right, the formal cause and all that, which is there, you won’t see that. That will be manifest through the external energy. So, you’ll only see the operative cause and the material cause. But even that, you won’t actually see, unless you’re the devotee, because otherwise you think you’re the doer, and, you know, you created the result, when you did an activity, and the material energy transformed. You do the activity through which the energy will transform. But you didn’t actually make the transformation.
You understand? So, only the devotee could see this. Right? Like we were saying, you put, you followed the process. You put the potato, cut the, peeled the potatoes, cut the potatoes, put the put them in boiling water. And so, when they become soft, you’ll say, I cooked them. But you actually didn’t. You did not make them soft. You followed the process by which they transformed on their own.
Right? In other words, there are material laws. You follow the laws, the material energy will transform. You don’t follow the laws, it won’t transform. Because if you’re the one causing the transformation, then you should be able to do it whether you follow the laws or not. Because if it’s you, you want to do it that way, it should work.
Yes? No? But it doesn’t. So, that’s why, then, only the devotee can actually see what’s happening.
Does that make sense?
Thus, Krishna is the origin of all these manifestations.
Right? So, that’s the It is not that Krishna is a manifestation of the original Vishvarupa or Vishnu. Krishna is the origin of all forms. There are hundreds and thousands of Vishnus, but for a devotee, no form of Krishna is more important than the original form, two-handed Samasundara. In the Brahma-samhita, it is stated that those who are not attached to the Samasundara form of Krishna in love and devotion, or those who are attached to the Samasundara form of Krishna in love and devotion, can see Him always within the heart, and cannot see anything else. One should understand, therefore, that the purport of this eleventh chapter is that the form of Krishna is essential and supreme. So, that’s what one started trying to get to. Because, remember, because from form, you’re getting everything else. Right? So, that form is beauty. Right? So, beauty is the original opulence. All other opulences expand from that.
I think that will be sure. I guess that will come up next year.
Vishwanatha’s Analyzation of the Opulences. It’s in one of his books, actually, which I was reading. Which opulences? Beauty is first.
All right. Perfect.
What you’re saying then is, form is dependent upon seeing. That’s what I’m saying. Seeing is the part that works. Also, I said that hearing is. Hearing is, yes. It means your hearing is what’s going to inspire. But, what we’re saying is that what are you hearing about? You’re hearing about that form. When I say, hearing is your main process for gaining knowledge. So, therefore, for your upliftment.
So, that’s process. That’s the first thing. Hearing. Then chanting. Right? And then remembering. So, you’re hearing and chanting and remembering about the main form. You know.
So then, Chapter 12. Devotional Service. Bhakti-yoga, pure devotional service to Lord Krishna, is the highest and most expedient means for attaining pure love for Krishna, which is the highest end of spiritual existence. Those who follow the supreme path develop divine qualities. So, this is your what do you call it? Pathika. Right? You know, the essential point that this chapter is making. Right? It’s the highest of all the processes. It’s the most easiest. It’s the quickest. It’s the most efficient. Right? And it gives the highest result. So, that definitely puts it as something supreme. Right? It gives you the best result and it’s the easiest to perform. You know, and it’s the most how do you say? Expedient at gaining that result. So, kind of like you can’t get better than that. Or you can’t get better than this. Verses 1 to 7. The devotees are higher than the impersonals. Verses 8 to 12. Stages of devotional service. Verses 13 to 20. The auspicious qualities develop as a result of devotional service.
Verses 1 to 7.
Devotees are higher than the impersonals. Arjuna inquires of the devotees and the impersonals who are the most perfect.
So, text 1. Arjuna inquired, which are considered to be more perfect? Those who are always properly engaged in your devotional service or those who worship the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifest, the Supreme Personality of Godhead said. Those who fix their minds on my personal form and are always engaged in worshipping me with great and transcendental faith are considered by me to be the most perfect. Here’s one of those ones where Krishna’s not quoting, you know, different scriptures or this and that. He just says, in my opinion.
But for those who fully worship the unmanifested, which lies beyond the perception of the senses, the all-pervading, inconceivable, unchanging, fixed and immovable, the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth, by controlling the various senses and being equally disposed to everyone, such persons engaged in welfare of all at last achieve me.
Means if they’re actually engaged and they’re actually doing this, they’ll eventually, but this is the meaning that devotional service is the most efficient. Because this is very slow, this process. But that means you actually have to see. So you’re talking about, you know, thousands or millions of lifetimes. So, you know, not very expedient. You know, if I told you, okay, we have, we have this business and you’re going to invest 999, you know, rupees in this.
And then after, you know, 20, 30, 40, 50 years or more or, but at least if nothing, your grandchildren will get the benefit. You know? Then we’ll, you know, you’ll get the results. Right? And then you have another process is you only have to invest, you know, one rupee. And very quickly you’ll get a thousand rupees. So which of these two deals would you take? The last one. But what about the concept of the, let’s say, the bachelor who doesn’t like to make all that over endeavor? It’s intriguing. It’s intriguing. Oh, I see. I think I’m going to stick with the last one. Okay, okay. I’m going to stick. So, that works very quickly. Right? Does that make sense? So, it’s efficient. That’s intelligent to use that one. So that’s what’s being pointed out here. You could get there by the other path if you actually followed it properly. Because then you have to actually see Brahman in everything. And then you have to see all the activities and how everybody’s involved in this. And then how the Supersoul is controlling all of this. And so eventually then it’ll bring you to the point of focus on the Lord. Then you’ll learn that the Lord is a person and that he has the relationship. Then you’ll take up devotional service. But you could take up devotional service now.
You understand?
So that’s…
For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied. Because you have to give up all attachments to the body. So that makes it very difficult.
No, the point is is, yes, someone who is knowledgeable and pious and has the right, you know, then slowly, slowly after many, many births they come in contact with the, you know, authorized, you know, sampradaya or parampara understanding of the Absolute Truth. Right? Then they are able to take up the process. So it’s understood if someone is able to be interested in or relate to Krishna Consciousness that means they’ve already done all other activities before.
Right? So there’s nothing of specific interest that, well, I haven’t done that.
You know? Well, everything’s been done. And so, now one can see and it’s not just because one’s done it, it’s because of the proper cultivation and association. So it’s been in association with devotees one’s just never taken advantage of it. So when that increases at some point one consciously takes advantage. Then that brings you to that position where you can actually understand.
Does that make sense? In other words, you know, festivals are happening around the world, different things are happening, so people are coming in contact with devotees in the devotional process. So they’re becoming purified. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re becoming, you know, taking it seriously.
Does that make sense?
But those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me, and being devoted to Me without deviation, engage in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me, O son of Pita, for them I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death. Right? So you’re in another way saying the same thing again.
So giving up their activities to Me, that doesn’t mean the activities aren’t performed. It means the results are for the Lord.
So like that. And one’s doing that, remembering the Lord, thinking of the Lord. So that all works very nicely.
So Prabhupada writes in the Purport, And so, factually, there are two classes of transcendentalists. Now Arjuna is trying to settle the question of which process is easier and which of the classes is most perfect. Remember, he already kicked out the process of yoga being too difficult, like trying to control the wind, you know. That would be like trying to, the yoga system to control the mind. Sit there in one place, do nothing. Right? Stare at the tip of your nose, control the breath. You know, that’s going to be very difficult. So he’s already rejected that. Right? And so now he’s trying to see here, okay, what’s going to be, which was going to work easier here. Right? So here we see, you know, the savior for our, I would say, our bachelors is here, even a grihastha. And a qualified grihastha and a kshatriya on top of that, so a very go-getter, is still looking for the most expedient method. Right? Because someone who is efficient and likes to get things done still doesn’t want to waste time. So he’s still trying to work this out. And which of the classes is most perfect? In other words, he is clarifying his own position because he is attached to the personal form of Krishna. He is not attached to the impersonal Brahman. He wants to know whether his position is secure. Right? Because he wouldn’t want to be attached to personal form and find out the impersonal is actually higher. Right? Because some people will say that. So he wants to have this concluded.
He wants to know, okay, the impersonal manifestation, either in this material world or in the spiritual world of the Supreme Lord is a problem for meditation.
Right? So that means, because this impersonal manifestation is all-pervading, actually, one cannot perfectly conceive of the impersonal feature of the absolute truth. Arjuna, therefore, wants to say, what is the use of such a waste of time?
Interesting, because we’ll say that Brahman is what’s in the spiritual world, Brahman, the material world. But technically, Brahman is everywhere. But because it’s the manifestation of the spiritual world, you don’t notice it. The manifestation of the material world, you don’t notice it. So you only notice it when there’s nothing and there’s only light. Does that make sense? So, the spiritual world is self-effulgent. The material world is not. But what is effulgent or attractive here is that Brahman. Right? What we’ll consider is nice and shiny. You know, that’s Brahman. Right? So that’s the last step. Nothing else works. You’ve already made it big. You’ve already made it red. Right? You know, then you make it shiny.
So, that shininess, that glitter, that’s the Brahman.
Does that make sense? So, but we think it’s matter. And so, that’s an illusion to think it’s matter. But then to think that Brahman stands on its own without coming from the person, that’s also an illusion. Right? A more subtle illusion. So both the Karmis and the Jnanis are an illusion. So when you understand, no, it comes from the person. So that’s why even the great impersonals can’t understand this universal form. Because it’s still an illusion because if you think it doesn’t, if you don’t understand its nature, you know, you don’t understand its origin, means you’re an illusion. It stands on its own.
Therefore, Arjuna wants to say, what is the use of such a waste of time? Arjuna experienced in the eleventh chapter that to be attached to the personal form of Krsna is best because he could thus understand all other forms at the same time. And there was no disturbance to his love for Krsna. Right? Because the other forms, it distracts his love for Krsna. Right? The one, it creates awe and reverence, but fear. And then the four-armed form was just awe and reverence, no fear. But then, it is an actual relationship with Krsna’s friendship. So then, that works pretty well.
This important question asked of Krsna by Arjuna will clarify the distinction between the impersonal and personal conceptions of the Absolute Truth. So that’s the, how you say, that’s the nature of opulence, is that it never stays in one place for any length of time. So it comes, sits for a little while. Then, on its own, spontaneously gets up and walks off. Right? So if you can appreciate that, you won’t be disturbed and you deal with the energy appropriate to the situation. If you’re attached, then you will be disturbed.
Yes?
Krsna… Okay. Krsna answers that one who concentrates upon his personal form and who worships him with faith and devotion is to be considered most perfect. See, now, if you’ve made yourself once detached, then, then the opulence is comfortable so it can naturally come back. But if you’ve made it uncomfortable by your attachments, then it goes away and it takes a much longer time to convince it to come back.
In verses three to five, the Lord describes the process followed by the impersonalists.
Impersonalism is an indirect and difficult path. By controlling the senses and rendering service for the welfare of all beings, the impersonalist finally achieves the Lord by that indirect process. Notice this here. He has a concept of supreme and he is doing welfare for all beings.
Right? So that’s what constitutes it as something that the living entities can relate to. Because whatever you’re dealing with, any philosophy, any religion, it has to have a supreme and it has to have the idea of good work that will benefit others.
Because if there’s no supreme, there’s no goal. Why will you work?
And that if the process is recommending good work, detached work, then that means if people are doing detached work, it means you can get some. If everyone’s doing work only for themselves, you may miss out because they’re better at it than you. So whether you’re good at it or not, you’ll get something because everybody’s working for everyone else’s benefit. Right? You understand? So underlying the element of that security, the gain in safety is still there even though you’re dealing with the person, you know, both the karma and beyond.
Does that make sense? Right? Is that, means you say there’s Brahman but you’re going to get something from Brahman. I’m going to, so I’m secure that if I identify with it and I make that endeavor, I will obtain it and therefore I’ll be happy. But technically, that’s also karma.
Right? So that’s why they end up ultimately in the same result.
You know, here. So that means that if you follow it in connection to actually the supreme, it’s proper, without illusion, then it also will end up in the same result. But it’s just, it’s more hard.
You know what I’m saying? It’s easier. I did the work, I got the result. Right? Or, I don’t do the work, I detach myself, I spend thousands of lifetimes like that, I finally get liberated and then sit there for, you know, unlimited amount of time and then fall back into the world, you know, as a blade of grass, then get eaten by somebody, right, and then, you know, become a child and then I come out again and then I do the work and then I get the result.
Right? You understand? it would be much easier. that’s the problem with the system.
For those who are embodied, this path is very troublesome. The impersonal path is inferior because those who follow it are in a state of suffering.
This suffering is caused by the unnatural attempt to superficially separate the senses from the sense objects and to fix the mind on something inconceivable. After much trouble, the impersonal subtain Krishna in his form as the impersonal Brahman. But what’s special about this particular moment?
I mean, you had like six people, five people walk out.
It happens at nine. If you’re not there, then it doesn’t happen. It’s just every devotee for himself, I think. Okay.
Maybe you should have a cafe installed. Oh yeah, that might, that might. We might even get more people coming.
Yeah, yeah. Where are you going? I’m going for class over there. Why? It’s a good class? No, great prasad. Who cares about the class?
Remember that plate but not that book. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So what do you do there then? Oh, I chant my rounds.
After much trouble, the impersonal subtain Krishna in his form as the impersonal Brahman. Okay, so here he’s even saying he’s the impersonal Brahman. So now it’s not whether they’re able to go from that forward. It’s possible but we see very limited examples. We see tons of examples of, you know, people performing pious work and getting the results. We see tons of devotees performing devotional service and getting the results. We only see two examples of impersonals becoming devotees. And other than those two, we also don’t find any examples of anybody obtaining liberation. So it appears the obtaining of liberation and getting from that liberated platform to devotional service is extremely rare. Right? So it’s like I said according to Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur in verse four, Krsna says, they achieve Me because Brahman is non-different from Him.
The impersonalists are not denied the highest, but said that it was the supreme, right? Devotional service gives the best. So the impersonal path, very difficult, you get the lowest result. Right? But the other one, then you get the highest result.
The impersonalists are not denied the highest stages of spiritual advancement provided they approach Bhagavan Sri Krsna through the medium of His pure devoting. Srila Prabhupada explains in his purport in verses three to four, those who do not directly worship the Supreme Godhead, Krsna, but who attempt to achieve the same goal by an indirect process, also ultimately achieve the same goal, Sri Krsna. After many births, the man of wisdom seeks refuge in Me, knowing that Vasudeva is all. When a person comes to full knowledge after many births, he surrenders unto Lord Krsna. If one approaches the Godhead by the method mentioned in this verse, he has to control the senses, render service to everyone, and engage in the welfare of all beings. It is inferred that one has to approach Lord Krsna. Otherwise, there is no perfect realization. Often there is much penance involved before one fully surrenders unto Him.
So eventually one will want to know, because one gets the jiva, the inherent nature, is activity on the transcendental platform. So at some point one has to come to that determination.
The spiritual emancipation of the impersonalists is possible because they accept that Krsna’s body is transcendental. They can get liberation because they say, this Brahman is transcendental, so therefore they can do… Or the yogis, they can… The form of Krsna is transcendental. So if they become merged in that, then they can actually become liberated.
But if they think He’s illusion, then what will they merge into? Because they’re thinking, well, no, Brahman. But Brahman is coming from the form. Right? So, does the light work if it’s not connected to the powerhouse? Right? You just have a light bulb. Does it go on? No. So the Brahman is not on unless it’s connected to Krsna. It’s His effulgence. So to say, well, there’s only Brahman, right, and that the form is maya, then that means you know about the form and you say there’s no connection. So that means what you’re dealing with is not actually Brahman.
So if you take the, how do you say, Brahman-ness out of Brahman, what do you end up with? To be able to use that same philosophy, but get an actual realistic result.
Atheism? Atheism, yes. In which form?
Buddhism. Buddhism, voidism. Right? Because voidism means there is nothing. So that would be actually what they’re saying because if you take away the form, then there’s going to be no effulgence, so that means there’d just be nothing. Right? But at the same time, there is no such thing as nothing. Right? Because God is, you know, is everything, so there’s no such thing as nothing. So even that’s improper. But it would be closer to actually being correct.
Right? Does that make sense? Though it’s still wrong.
So for those who are, you know, in other words, those who are Buddhist by their philosophy and everything like this, then you keep basically the same philosophy. You just turn, it’s not, it’s not for them much of a difference to turn it from a void into, you know, a light.
You know what I’m saying? It’s an all-pervading element. Just one’s light, one’s dark.
So when one analyzes, they’re actually quite different.
Right? Because actual Brahmavadi doesn’t say the form is material. They’ll also say the form is spiritual. Is everything spiritual? But just they’re not interested in the form. They’re only interested in the Brahman.
Does that make sense? So that’s why impersonalists, meaning those who are Brahmavadis, they’re not actually offenders. Impersonalists that are Mayavadis, they’re offenders. Because they’ll say, you know, the Brahman is transcendental but the form’s not. Well, actual Brahmavadis will say everything’s transcendental.
So a Mayavadi, he will not, he will not say that consciousness is a result of matter? Yes. Because actually you being conscious means you’re an individual. So if you, if you, if you, and so, since everything is one, there is no individuality, means there’s no consciousness. But a Mayavadi will admit that?
They’ll admit it, but the problem is, is then these, they won’t dwell on it. Because if they dwell on it, then there’s going to be a problem, because the reason that they’re engaging in this impersonal realization is to become happy, supremely happy. But the point is, unless you can perceive it, how do you know you’re happy? Exactly. Right? In other words, happiness is the difference between two things. In the context. Yeah. So we’re taking, okay, I’m in the, I’m here, I’m engaging my senses, you know, on a lower, you know, level, and I can perform a pious activity, and I can elevate myself to the heavenly platform and get more pleasure. Right? And now, what’s the difference between my position in the heavenly planets and here? Right? It’s great, but it’s not as great. Right? You know, here up to the Antaricta, not so much, so happiness is less. Here up to the heavenly planets, more, so like that. Up to Brahma’s planet, more again, so greater. But now you have the Brahman, but that’s so far different from the material existence and the Brahman. So, therefore, they could claim that the happiness of attaining it should be the greatest. Why? Because the difference is the greatest. But if you remove the difference, where’s, where’s the greatness? So there’s nothing. So there is no Brahmananda, according to their understanding. So they don’t even know their own philosophy.
That’s the problem. Because you can’t know the actual impersonal philosophy properly unless you know the personal. Because the impersonal is coming from the personal, not the other way around.
Anyone who denies the spiritual nature of Krsna’s body is doomed in all his efforts, as is stated in verses 9, 11 to 12.
Fools deride me when I descend in the human form. They do not know my transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord of all that be.
Those who are thus bewildered are attracted by demoniac and atheist views. In that deluded condition, their hopes for liberation, their fruitive activities and their culture of knowledge are all defeated.
Right? So when one has these improper views, one’s attracted, then that means all one’s knowledge will be defeated. All their culture of knowledge will be lost if you don’t have knowledge how anything will be successful. Right? So that’s why if you know about Krsna, then that knowledge will make you successful at anything. Right? If you don’t know about the Lord, then your knowledge ultimately is going to be your defeat.
The man, he studies well. He gets his honors. He gets high degrees. He gets his professorship. You know, he gets his, what do you call it, tenure. He gets the chair. Right? And so his knowledge seemingly has gained him all this. But now with time, because we’re dealing with an atheistic culture, right, that means the knowledge is not fixed. There’s no conclusion. So with time, his knowledge, because now by the time he’s gotten there, he’s in his sixties and seventies, right? And so his knowledge is actually very old in the modern academy. Right? Because modern means just what’s recognized and present. So his knowledge now will be his defeat. And it’s because of his knowledge that he’s removed from his place and someone else takes that place. And he suffers because he’s attached to that knowledge. Yeah, and he’s attached to that knowledge, so therefore it’s…
Right? So that’s why it says in that deluded condition their hopes for liberation, their fruitive activities and their cultural knowledge are all defeated. Right? They won’t progress. Their material benefits are lost. You know, they’re being freed from the material entanglement. You know, it’s not that.
In verses three to five, the Lord describes the troublesome process followed by the impersonals. In verses six to seven, he contrasts this difficulty, this difficult and indirect process with the direct and easy method followed by the devotees. Unlike the impersonals, the devotees are taken care of by Krsna personally.
Those who worship Krsna, giving up all their activities unto Him and are devoted to Him without deviation, engage in devotional service with their minds fixed on Him and are quickly freed from the ocean of birth and death by Krsna Himself, as Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport.
The purport of this verse is that a devotee does not need to practice the Sangha yoga in order to transfer his soul to the spiritual planets. The responsibility is taken by the Supreme Lord Himself. He clearly states here that He Himself becomes the deliverer. A child is completely cared for by his parents and thus his position is secure. Similarly, a devotee does not need to endeavor to transfer himself by yoga practice to other planets. Rather, the Supreme Lord, by His great mercy, comes at once, riding on His bird-carrier Garuda and at once delivers the devotee from material existence.
Although a man who has fallen in the ocean may struggle very hard and may be very expert in swimming, he cannot save himself. But if someone comes and picks him up from the water, then he is easily rescued. Similarly, the Lord picks up the devotee from this material existence.
One simply has to practice the easy process of Krsna consciousness and fully engage himself in devotional service.
Guru says, the Lord comes at once, riding on His bird-carrier and at once delivers. Right? So He’s repeated that twice. So meaning, it’s immediate. Like that. So we can understand here is that, you know, at once means now. It’s happening now. You know, there may be some time, but this is not a great amount of time. We’re engaged in the process, so that’s the present. Right? You know, wanting something in the future of material, there’s a separation of time. Right? But Krsna and the service are non-different, so you’re already in contact with your object, I mean, your goal.
Right? So it is the present. So the devotee functions in the mode of goodness. The others are in goodness, I mean, in passion or ignorance. So therefore, it’s so difficult. So at once it’s there.
So.
Okay. In the next five verses, eight to twelve, the Lord describes different levels of advancement in bhakti. So we’ll continue there tomorrow.
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare,
