Hare Krsna,

SB 3.25.33-34: Bhakti, devotional service, dissolves the subtle body of the living entity without separate effort, just as fire in the stomach digests all that we eat. A pure devotee, who is attached to the activities of devotional service and who always engages in the service of My lotus feet, never desires to become one with Me. Such a devotee, who is unflinchingly engaged, always glorifies My pastimes and activities.

Link to Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on these verses: https://prabhupadavani.org/transcriptions/741203sbbom/

My personal realization:

In the previous verse (SB 3.25.32), we learned the superiority of bhakti over liberation. animittā bhāgavatī bhaktiḥ siddher garīyasī. In the following two verses (SB 3.25.33-34), it is explained what kind of liberation is desirable and how to attain it.

We know that there are five kinds of liberation – salokya (residing on the same planet as the Supreme Lord), sarsti (achieving the same opulence as the Lord), sarupya (achieving the same bodily features as the Lord), samipya (to be a personal associate of the Lord), and sayujya or ekatvam (to achieve oneness with the Lord). Out of these five kinds of liberation, achieving oneness with the Lord is most detestable and not the goal of the pure Vaisnavas. Ideally pure devotees do not desire any of these five kinds of liberation.

A pure devotee does not accept any kind of liberation — sālokya, sārṣṭi, sāmīpya, sārūpya or ekatva — even though they are offered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (SB 3.29.13)

In his lecture, Srila Prabhupada strongly takes on the Mayavadi’s concept of liberation i.e., to achieve oneness with the Lord or merge into Brahman and thereby lose one’s individuality. “A pure devotee does not desire ekatva, oneness with the Supreme Lord, as desired by the impersonalists, the mental speculators and the meditators. To become one with the Supreme Lord is beyond the dream of a pure devotee. Sometimes he may accept promotion to the Vaikuṇṭha planets to serve the Lord there, but he will never accept merging into the Brahman effulgence, which he considers worse than hellish. Such ekatva, or merging into the effulgence of the Supreme Lord, is called kaivalya, but the happiness derived from kaivalya is considered by the pure devotee to be hellish. The devotee is so fond of rendering service to the Supreme Lord that the five kinds of liberation are not important to him. If one is engaged in pure transcendental loving service to the Lord, it is understood that he has already achieved the five kinds of liberation.” (SB 3.29.13 Purport)

Srila Prabhupada, through various examples, explains how it is impossible (both theoretically and practically) to lose one’s individuality and merge into the Supreme Brahman. He gives the examples of gold particle and gold mine, drop of sea water and vast sea, sun particles and sunshine, sky within and outside the pot, and so on. Such liberation is practically impossible because of the constitution of the individual soul. An individual soul is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord – it is qualitatively same but quantitatively infinitesimal. Hence Srila Prabhupada takes his time at the beginning of the lecture to explain the difference between body and soul.

“So our actual constitutional position is that we are small particle of Nārāyaṇa. And our business is, because we are part and parcel of Nārāyaṇa… Why Nārāyaṇa has created? Ekaṁ bahu syāma: “The Nārāyaṇa has become many.” Why He has become many? To enjoy. So this is ānanda, but because in this material world, the ānanda is being converted into distress. But you can get the ānanda when you are with the supreme father, Kṛṣṇa. We are all children of the supreme father.” (Srila Prabhupada lecture on SB 3.25.33-34)

Pure devotees do not desire the happiness of Brahman because there is no service to the Lord’s lotus feet, there is no realization of the Lord’s form, beauty, fragrance, etc., and there is no relishing of His sweet pastimes. I had visited Sridham Mayapur many times. There are thousands of devotees and general public visiting the dhama every day. Everyone retains his /her individuality; each individual has a personal relationship with the Lord; everyone is serving the Lord at his/her capacity and qualification, and everyone is experiencing some kind of bliss in exchange with the Lord. Therefore, who would want to lose one’s individuality and merge into the Supreme Brahman?

Therefore, my follow-up questions are how to achieve the kind of liberation that is recommended by our acaryas and what does that liberation actually mean. How does that liberation dissolve one’s material bodies (gross and subtle)? When is that liberation attained? While living in this material world or after one reaches the spiritual abode of the Lord?

Just through one beautiful verse, Srila Prabhupada answered all my questions.

īhā yasya harer dāsye

karmaṇā manasā girā

nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu

jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate

“A person acting in the service of Kṛṣṇa with his body, mind and words is a liberated person even in the material world, although he may be engaged in many so-called material activities.” (Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu 1.2.187)

“Therefore a devotee, automatically he dissolves his material and…, I mean to say, material bodies, subtle and gross, dissolves in this life. That is called jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate. That is called jīvan-mukti. Īhā yasya harer dāsye [Brs. 1.2.187]. Anyone, īhā, mad-īhāḥ. Here it is said, mad-īhāḥ. What is that mad-īhāḥ? Always thinking of how to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is called mad-īhāḥ, thinking of Kṛṣṇa, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That Rūpa Gosvāmī has explained this mad-īhāḥ. What is that? Īhā yasya harer dāsye. Anyone who is always thinking of how to serve Kṛṣṇa, karmaṇā manasā vācā… You can serve by your body activities, by your mind, by your words. Just like we are talking about Kṛṣṇa; we are serving Kṛṣṇa by words. You are hearing = that karmaṇā, the activities of the senses, you are hearing. Karmaṇā manasā, we are thinking; I am thinking. So any way, if we are simply engaged in Kṛṣṇa’s service or at least trying to do that, karmaṇā manasā vācā, īhā yasya harer dāsye… But it is not to become one but to serve. If this attitude you keep, so nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate: in any condition of life he is liberated. Any condition life. He may be engaged in some business or in some occupation or this way. If he is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how to serve Him, then he is liberated. This is the idea of actual liberation, not by thinking that “I shall become one with the Supreme.” (Srila Prabhupada lecture on SB 3.25.33-34)

Srila Visvanatha Chakravarty Thakura explains that with a person’s endeavor, the fire of digestion digests the food. The person does not know how the food gets digested. Similarly, bhakti liberates the devotee who daily performs hearing and chanting and experiences as sweet taste, without striving for liberation at all. The devotee does not even ask how or when he will get liberation. Just as a person walking on the path steps over a hoof print of a cow without seeking it out, so he attains liberation. The devotees lack knowledge of the three stages of Brahman, but by the mercy of the Lord by bhakti, by knowledge in the form of experiencing the Lords’ form, qualities, pastimes, powers and sweetness, he attains liberation.

“O lotus-eyed Lord, by concentrating one’s meditation on Your lotus feet, which are the reservoir of all existence, and by accepting those lotus feet as the boat by which to cross the ocean of nescience, one follows in the footsteps of mahājanas [great saints, sages and devotees]. By this simple process, one can cross the ocean of nescience as easily as one steps over the hoofprint of a calf.” (SB 10.2.30)

Personally, it is hard for me to yet understand and accept how one could be liberated even while being in this material body. I guess it’s a matter of realization that will come after practicing bhakti sincerely over prolonged period of time. What is therefore important to practice is pure devotional service unto the Lord without any motivation (animittā bhāgavatī bhaktiḥ). Thus Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s Siksastaka prayer makes so much sense – “O Lord, I do not wish to gain from You any wealth, nor do I wish to have a beautiful wife, nor do I wish to have many followers. All I want from You is that in life after life I may remain a pure devotee at Your lotus feet.”

Lord Caitanya prays, “in life after life,” indicating that a devotee does not even desire the cessation of birth and death. The yogīs and empiric philosophers desire cessation of the process of birth and death, but a devotee is satisfied even to remain in this material world and execute devotional service. This, I find, is the essence of Srila Prabhupada’s purport and lecture.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/3/25/32/

https://prabhupadavani.org/transcriptions/741202sbbom/

This verse (SB 3.25.32) is one of the most profound verses I have encountered because it places bhakti higher than liberation. Because of my Indian background, I am familiar with the prevailing understanding of the four purusarthas in India – dharma (religion), artha (economic development), kama (sense gratification), moksha (liberation). Usually, liberation is quite sought after by all sects and faiths. Every sect has its own definition of liberation. To the impersonalists, liberation means merging into the Brahman effulgence and achieve oneness with impersonal God. Buddhists believe in nirvana concept of liberation. Christians understand ultimate salvation as liberation. Even in bhakti tradition that believes in the personal conception of the Lord, liberation means getting free from material entanglement and going back home back to Godhead.

What I find profound in Gaudiya Vaisnava theology is that liberation is considered inferior to pure devotional service. Of course, we all desire liberation from material entanglement. But Lord Kapiladeva emphasizes that engaging the mind and senses in devotional service to the Personality of Godhead, without any motive, is far better even than salvation.

“Lord Kapila said: The senses are symbolic representations of the demigods, and their natural inclination is to work under the direction of the Vedic injunctions. As the senses are representatives of the demigods, so the mind is the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The mind’s natural duty is to serve. When that service spirit is engaged in devotional service to the Personality of Godhead, without any motive, that is far better even than salvation.” (SB 3.25.32)

With that goal in mind – that one should strive for pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord – we must engage our senses and mind accordingly. Lord Kapiladeva takes the Sankhya philosophy – understanding of the matter and spirit – even further by teaching us that ultimately everything has to be engaged in the service of the Lord. Why? This is because the senses and the mind have natural propensity to serve. The choice is for us to decide whether we want to engage them in our own sense gratification or for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord. Such an engagement of devotional service must be done in a spirit of animitta – without any personal and material motives. Srila Prabhupada says in his lecture on this verse that “This bhakti-yoga, one who is actually employed, engaged in pure devotional service…, animittā, without any motive, without any material purpose, that is real spiritual service.”

The gist of Srila Prabhupada lecture is animittā bhāgavatī bhaktiḥ siddher garīyasī. Pure devotional service through the engagement of the mind and senses without any material motives is better than siddhi (liberation). This animittā bhāgavatī bhaktiḥ is not something that can be manufactured by ordinary men. It is given to us through pure disciplic succession and which Lord Kapiladeva is also propagating.

If we study this verse, Srila Prabhupada’s purport, and his lecture on this verse very carefully, we will be able to understand the true meaning of 4^th text of Siksastaka

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
mama janmani janmanīśvare
bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi

“O Lord of the universe, I do not desire material wealth, materialistic followers, a beautiful wife or fruitive activities described in flowery language. All I want, life after life, is unmotivated devotional service to You.” (CC Antya 20.29)

I want to thank our teachers for sharing this beautiful lecture of Srila Prabhupada. I have read and heard it multiple times and every time I find something new and profound to take away.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

SB 3.25.25:

satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido
bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ
taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani
śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati

In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin.

I vividly remember a few years ago when I was new to the Krsna consciousness movement I asked devotees in the temple what verse in our scriptures exemplifies best definition of good association with devotees. Many verses were cited as reference, and this verse (satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido) was one of them.

Over the years I had been meditating on what constitutes first-class devotee association. My personal realization is that just like with anything associated with the three material modes, association of devotees can also be categorized as per the three material modes of nature. There is association in the mode of ignorance, association in the mode of passion, and association in the mode of goodness. Association in the mode of ignorance refers to the association where the subject matter of discussion is related to criticism of people, things, and places, or devising sinister plans to cheat others – devotees and non-devotees alike. Association in the mode of passion indicates the association where the subject matter of discussion is related to fruitive motives such as family, wealth, health, job, financial security, politics, and so on. The primary motive is ‘what do I get out of any activity that we are performing?’ Association in the mode of goodness is related to hearing and discussing Krsna katha (hearing, chanting, remembering, etc.). We sometimes engage in this association out of sheer duty rather than pure devotional sentiment. We may not have much taste for hearing and chanting but we engage in such association because this is what is prescribed by guru, sadhu and sastra.

Please note that I am not saying that association of devotees by itself is either of ignorance, passion, or goodness. Association is pure, but because the people or sadhakas who are associating fall under the three modes of material nature, the association seem to be tainted with the three modes.

Higher than the above three types of association are the association of pure goodness. This type of association is completely beyond the three modes. The objective is to attain pure love of God through association with pure devotees. This verse – SB 3.25.25 – best defines the mood and quality of highest type of association. In the association of such pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead become very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge, one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin.

It is interesting that in the purport to this verse, Srila Prabhupada highlights devotion to the personal form of the Lord as the essence. He says that we must seek the association of pure devotees to understand the personal activities of the Lord. Basically, he is encouraging us to move from impersonal to personal conception of God. Only when will true desire to render devotional service to the Lord arise in our hearts. Srila Prabhupada says that unless one has personal understanding of the Absolute Truth, there is no meaning to devotion. Service or devotion cannot be offered to anything impersonal. Service must be offered to a person. This understanding will only come from pure devotees.

Tying this to the nine stages of devotion, the starting point of such association is faith. First faith has to be cultivated. From excellent association of the devotees, hearing Krsna’s pastimes become nectar for the ears. From inferior association as I mentioned above, there is only bhajana-kriya (performance of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa), but the hearing do not become nectar. However, from excellent association the hearing cause anartha-nivåtti (the diminishing of all unwanted habits). Then we reach the stage of niñöha (firm faith). Those topics then produce ruci (taste); they become very pleasing to the ear and heart. From taste arises asakti (attachment) and then bhava (emotion of affection) for the Lord, who destroys material existence, appears. Then prema (pure love of God) follows.

“In the beginning there must be faith. Then one becomes interested in associating with pure devotees. Thereafter one is initiated by the spiritual master and executes the regulative principles under his orders. Thus one is freed from all unwanted habits and becomes firmly fixed in devotional service. Thereafter, one develops taste and attachment. This is the way of sādhana-bhakti, the execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles. Gradually emotions intensify, and finally there is an awakening of love. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead for the devotee interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.‘ (CC Madhya 23.14-15)

The weekly Sadhusanga review sessions that we participate in is association of highest quality. I have personally experienced that in such association with all of you, there is a gradual development of taste within my heart for hearing the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead which are very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. I am extremely grateful to our dear exalted teachers who are pure devotees themselves and to my fellow classmates for giving me such association. Acquiring such association is nothing but pure blessings of Krsna and my spiritual master.

All glories to all of you! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

In the context of the discussion between Mother Devahuti and Lord Kapiladeva, I am reminded of a verse that Mother Devahuti spoke to Kardama Muni (her husband) that shows the value she knew of the power of association with devotees. She said:

“Association for sense gratification is certainly the path of bondage. But the same type of association, performed with a saintly person, leads to the path of liberation, even if performed without knowledge.” (SB 3.23.55)

In the purport to this verse, Srila Prabhupada explains how the association of a saintly person in any way bears the same result. Even if one does not understand who the Supreme Lord is, the results have the same efficacy. Association with a great saintly person also results in liberation, just as whether one goes toward fire knowingly or unknowingly, the fire will make one warm.

In this chapter on the glories of devotional service, it is amazing how Lord Kapiladeva weaved Devahuti’s questions into the power of association of sadhus. Devahuti expressed her lamentation about being disturbed by her material senses due to which she has fallen into the abyss of ignorance. She pleaded her Son to pull her out of the ignorance. The solution that Lord Kapiladeva gave is the bhakti yoga system which relates to the Lord and the individual soul.

“The yoga system which relates to the Lord and the individual soul, which is meant for the ultimate benefit of the living entity, and which causes detachment from all happiness and distress in the material world, is the highest yoga system.” (SB 3.25.13)

Through this bhakti yoga process, a living entity has the free will to dovetail his consciousness to the right object. The stage in which the consciousness of the living entity is attracted by the three modes of material nature is called conditional life. But when that same consciousness is attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is situated in the consciousness of liberation. (SB 3.25.15)

However the practice of this dovetailing process is easier said than done. One needs expert guidance to learn and apply this principle. This is where association with a genuine sadhu truly helps. Lord Kapiladeva again reiterated Mother Devahuti’s concept of the association with a sadhu. He said that “every learned man knows very well that attachment for the material is the greatest entanglement of the spirit soul. But that same attachment, when applied to the self-realized devotees, opens the door of liberation.” (SB 3.25.20).

How do we identify such a sadhu? What are his/her qualities? Lord Kapiladeva then explains the following important verses about the qualities of a sadhu and the benefit of associating with them.

Qualities of a sadhu: The symptoms of a sādhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime. (SB 3.25.21)

Activities of a sadhu: Such a sādhu engages in staunch devotional service to the Lord without deviation. For the sake of the Lord he renounces all other connections, such as family relationships and friendly acquaintances within the world. (SB 3.25.22)

Do the sadhus suffer from material miseries? Engaged constantly in chanting and hearing about Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the sādhus do not suffer from material miseries because they are always filled with thoughts of My pastimes and activities. (SB 3.25.23)

Benefits of associating with such a sadhu: In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin. Thus consciously engaged in devotional service in the association of devotees, a person gains distaste for sense gratification, both in this world and in the next, by constantly thinking about the activities of the Lord. (SB 3.25.25-26)

I am extremely grateful to be associated with our group – sadhusangaonline- where we like-minded devotees are associating with each other sincerely in line with Srila Prabhupada’s teachings, and gradually and sincerely trying to progress on the path of devotional service. This is the essence and goal of human life.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

[Note to readers: Since we are entering into the most instructive lessons of Lord Kapiladeva, my forum posts are likely to be longer than usual because I am trying to get deeper into His teachings by citing references from other scriptures of Srila Prabhupada. It is my honest endeavor to enhance my own understanding and devotion. I seek all of your blessings.]

Hare Krsna,

Self-realization starts from the moment we introspect on ourselves and inquire into athato brahma jijnasa. Athāto brahma jijñāsā means that in order to get out of the bodily conception, one has to increase attachment to or inquiry about Brahman. There has to be a reality check in regard to our current position of suffering. Unless we accept that we are subjected to the suffering inflicted by the three modes of material nature, real spiritual inquiry does not begin.

I am reminded of the conversation between Lord Caitanya and Srila Sanatana Goswami. First Sanātana fell at the feet of the Lord and with great humility asked about his own real identity. “I was born in a lower family. my associations are all abominable, and I am fallen, the most wretched of mankind. I was suffering in the dark well of material enjoyment, and I never learned the actual goal of my life. Indeed, I do not even know what is beneficial for me. Although in the mundane sphere I am what is known as a greatly learned man, I am in fact such a fool that I also think I am learned. You have accepted me as Your servant, and You have delivered me from the entanglement of material life. Now please tell me what my duty is in this liberated state.” Sanātana further inquired, “Who am I? Why are the threefold miseries always giving me trouble? And finally, please tell me how I can be relieved from this material entanglement. I do not know how to question You about advancement in spiritual life, but I beg that You kindly, mercifully, let me know everything I should know.” (TLC 3)

Mother Devahuti followed the same theme of spiritual inquiry. She asked her son Lord Kapiladeva, “I am very sick of the disturbance caused by my material senses, for because of this sense disturbance, my Lord, I have fallen into the abyss of ignorance. Your Lordship is my only means of getting out of this darkest region of ignorance because You are my transcendental eye, which, by Your mercy only, I have attained after many, many births. You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the origin and Supreme Lord of all living entities. You have arisen to disseminate the rays of the sun in order to dissipate the darkness of the ignorance of the universe. Now be pleased, my Lord, to dispel my great delusion. Due to my feeling of false ego, I have been engaged by Your māyā and have identified myself with the body and consequent bodily relations. I have taken shelter of Your lotus feet because You are the only person of whom to take shelter. You are the ax which can cut the tree of material existence. I therefore offer my obeisances unto You, who are the greatest of all transcendentalists, and I inquire from You as to the relationship between man and woman and between spirit and matter.” (SB 3.25.7-11)

In line with BG 4.34, this is the process of accepting a spiritual master. One should approach a spiritual master, humbly submit to him, and then inquire from him about one’s spiritual progress.

Our real suffering begins when we are forgetfulness of Krsna or one’s constitutional position that he/she is an eternal servant of Krsna. When the living entity forgets his constitutional position as an eternal servant of Krsna, he is immediately entrapped by the illusory external energy.

kṛṣṇa bhuli’ sei jīva anādi-bahirmukha
ataeva māyā tāre deya saṁsāra-duḥkha

“Forgetting Kṛṣṇa, the living entity has been attracted by the external feature from time immemorial. Therefore the illusory energy [māyā] gives him all kinds of misery in his material existence.” (CC Madhya 20.117)

In the Bhagavad-gita we are informed that the constitutional nature of the individual entity is spirit soul. He is not matter. As spirit soul, he is part and parcel of the Supreme Soul, the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead. We also learn that it is the duty of the spirit soul to surrender to the Supreme Soul, for only then can he be happy. The last instruction of the Bhagavad-gita is that the spirit soul should surrender completely unto the Supreme Soul, Kṛṣṇa, and in that way realize happiness.

In response to his mother’s inquiry, Lord Kapiladeva said that perfect yoga enables one to transcend the platform of material distress and happiness. Basically, one has to purify his mind and consciousness. The stage in which the consciousness of the living entity is attracted by the three modes of material nature is called conditional life. But when that same consciousness is attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is situated in the consciousness of liberation.

How does the mind reach this stage? By bhakti yoga endowed with knowledge and renunciation, one sees everything in the right perspective. He becomes indifferent to material existence, and the material influence acts less powerfully upon him.

Bhakti yoga means establishing and acting upon our eternal self in relation to the Supreme Lord.

“The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self. By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, one immediately acquires causeless knowledge and detachment from the world.” (SB 1.2.6-7)

“Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.’ (BRS 1.1.12)

I am eagerly looking forward to learning how Lord Kapiladeva wonderfully weaves sankhya philosophy into bhakti yoga. Even in Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krsna tells Arjuna that only the ignorant speak of devotional service [karma-yoga] as being different from the analytical study of the material world [Sāṅkhya]. Those who are actually learned say that he who applies himself well to one of these paths achieves the results of both. One who knows that the position reached by means of analytical study can also be attained by devotional service, and who therefore sees analytical study and devotional service to be on the same level, sees things as they are. Merely renouncing all activities yet not engaging in the devotional service of the Lord cannot make one happy. But a thoughtful person engaged in devotional service can achieve the Supreme without delay. (BG 5.4-6) All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

The final instruction of Lord Krsna to Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita is to abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Him (BG 18.66). A materialist and non-devotee may cringe at the word surrender because in material parlance surrender has a negative connotation. The word surrender does not usually conjure good images in their minds. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines surrender as ‘to yield to the power, control, or possession of another upon compulsion or demand; to give up completely or agree to forgo especially in favor of another; to give (oneself) up into the power of another especially as a prisoner; to give (oneself) over to something (such as an influence).’ As the dictionary confirms, surrender is associated with defeat and despair, and loss of pride and prestige. When an army surrenders to the enemy, it brings disgrace to the nation. A criminal or a terrorist is forced to surrender because he is a nuisance to the society.

But the surrender that Krsna demands in the Bhagavad Gita is far different from the forced surrender of a loser in life. There is an assurance of love when Krsna advises Arjuna to surrender. He reassures Arjuna, “I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” Krsna’s call for surrender is not driven by egoistic claims of supremacy; it is impelled by His supreme compassion for Arjuna and all living entities.

Actually, surrendering to Krsna is the most beautiful experience and the most wonderful concept in all of creation. It means to genuinely offer our love to Him. Those who are unwilling to surrender to Him with love have to surrender to Him at the time of death. To the degree we consider ourselves the controller and proprietor of things of this world, to that degree we suffer when we face Krsna in the form of death. That surrender is too painful and immensely horrible. On the other hand, if we understand our eternal position as the servant of Krsna and humbly accept it, all our miseries will cease to exist. Krsna immediately takes the devotee under His tutelage. There is a beautiful verse in Sri Caitanya Caritamrta where Krsna promises to deliver one from the ropes of maya if one turns to Him even once.

“One is immediately freed from the clutches of māyā if he seriously and sincerely says, ‘My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, although I have forgotten You for so many long years in the material world, today I am surrendering unto You. I am Your sincere and serious servant. Please engage me in Your service.” (CC Madhya 22.33)

Krsna, as the most loving Father, allows the rebellious souls to rebel against Him, and creates the material world for them, so they can satisfy their gratuitous desires. Krsna tolerates all and patiently waits for the moment these souls will realize their folly and turn towards Him. This is the moment Krsna lovingly waits to see. The moment when the jiva turns to Krsna is a source of great pleasure to both Krsna and the jiva. Krsna is pleased that the forgetful child has turned to Him finally seeking shelter and surrender. The jiva is also pleased because he finds his eternal Father after wandering and suffering in this material world for millions of lifetimes.

In Sri Brhad-Bhagavatamrta, there is a culmination of a beautiful journey of the protagonist Gopa Kumara when he finally returns to Goloka Vrndavana from the material world and meets Krsna. As soon as Krsna saw Gopa Kumara, He stopped playing His flute. Leaving His friends, leaving His cows, and leaving all confused he ran frantically towards him. He leaped towards Gopa Kumara and embraced him. Seeing his dear friend after such a long time, Krsna overwhelmed with emotion fainted in the arms of Sarupa (Gopa Kumara’s name in the spiritual world is Sarupa). After regaining consciousness, Krsna took the hand of Gopa Kumara in His left lotus hand and inquired, “How are you? I missed you so much, Sarupa. Every day I waited for you hoping that you will return one day for sure. I am so thankful. I am so grateful. You are back. Now please stay here. Don’t go anywhere.”

Isn’t this wonderful? Isn’t this hope giving? This is the beauty of surrendering to Krsna with love and devotion. Krsna is waiting for each one of us struggling in this material world to turn to Him. Surrendering to Krsna, our original father, does not bring us any dishonor. Our surrender to Krsna is like a patient submitting himself to a doctor for treatment or a child taking shelter of his mother. A patient agrees to abide by the prescription of the doctor for his own benefit; a child experiences love and care on the lap of his mother. Krsna’s clarion call to surrender is for our salvation.

Not everyone surrenders; Krsna understands this: “After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” (BG 7.19) If we are not with Krsna, we are undoubtedly with maya, Krsna’s material illusory energy. Either to Krsna or to His material energy, we must surrender. Every day, knowingly or unknowingly, we surrender to the dictum of our mind and senses, to our insatiable desires, to the demands of our bodies, to our lower self, to so many people in our daily life. Arjuna was in acute anxiety before the Mahabharata war began, but after hearing Krsna’s message he completely surrendered to Krsna and thus paved the way for his glorious victory.

Surrendering to Krsna opens the door for a blissful and eternal life. “For those who have accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Murari, the enemy of the Mura demon, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf’s hoof-print. Their goal is param padam, Vaikuntha, the place where there are no material miseries, not the place where there is danger at every step.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.58)”

Mother Devahuti is so exalted. As our teachers mentioned in the forum topic, she was incomparably pious and expert in yoga practice. She had a glorious birth, a glorious father, a glorious husband and a glorious son. Yet she still experienced the pangs of material existence to the point where she even more fully surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and sought His shelter and guidance to become free from material entanglement. Therefore, why wouldn’t a jiva like me who is incomparably (to Mother Devahuti) insignificant and suffering from material miseries every moment lovingly surrender to Krsna and offer my heart to Him? After all, Krsna is my only salvation and shelter.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

This is the picture of Gopa Kumara meeting Krsna in the spiritual world after he returns from the material world.

Hare Krsna,

The topic of renunciation is extensively elaborated in the 18^th Chapter of Bhagavad Gita. The chapter is aptly titled ‘Conclusion – The Perfection of Renunciation’. At the beginning of the chapter, Arjuna asks Krsna to explain the difference between renunciation and the renounced order of life. In response, the Lord replies that giving up of activities that are based on material desire is called the renounced order of life; giving up the results of all activities is called renunciation.

BG 18.1-2:

Arjuna said: O mighty-armed one, I wish to understand the purpose of renunciation [tyāga] and of the renounced order of life [sannyāsa], O killer of the Keśī demon, master of the senses.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The giving up of activities that are based on material desire is what great learned men call the renounced order of life [sannyāsa]. And giving up the results of all activities is what the wise call renunciation [tyāga].

Lord Krsna further elaborates on renunciation. He explains that renunciation is of three kinds based on the material modes of nature. If one gives up prescribed duties prematurely because of illusion, such renunciation is said to be in the mode of ignorance. Anyone who gives up prescribed duties as troublesome or out of fear of bodily discomfort is said to have renounced in the mode of passion. Such action never leads to the elevation of renunciation. When one performs his prescribed duty only because it ought to be done and renounces all material association and all attachment to the fruit, his renunciation is said to be in the mode of goodness. (BG 18.7-9)

Finally, Lord Krsna gives His final instruction on renunciation. One should abandon all varieties of religion and must simply surrender unto Him. This is the highest form of renunciation.

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” (BG 18.66)

Similarly keeping the same understanding of renunciation in this section of the chapter where Kardama Muni finally goes to the forest, Srila Prabhupada explains that one should take one-hundred-percent shelter of the Supreme Lord. It does not matter if one actually goes to the forest or prefers to stay at home, one must accept exclusively the shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and engage oneself in full service. At the present moment, it is not possible for someone living in urban areas to suddenly give up everything and take to the austerities of forest life. The person may end up being more disturbed in the new environment as he has to reset everything on how to sustain himself with limited resources. Forests have no conveniences of modern life such as running water, heating/cooling systems, availability of resources on one’s fingertips, good healthcare systems, and so on. The transition from village life to forest live is easier than the transition from city life to forest life. In the absence of proper varnasrama system in current age, the transition to forest life is easier said than done. What is the use of artificially going to the forest but struggling to remember Krsna which is the sole purpose of going to forest? It is like saying that the surgical operation is successful, but the patient died.

Renunciation has two aspects – becoming free from material entanglement such as family relationships and exclusively engage in Krsna consciousness. Renunciation means exclusive surrender to Krsna. Srila Sanatana Goswami, in his Hari Bhakti Vilas (11.676), defines surrender as “the acceptance of those things favorable to devotional service, the rejection of unfavorable things, the conviction that Kṛṣṇa will give protection, the acceptance of the Lord as one’s guardian or master, full self-surrender, and humility.”

Therefore, it does not matter whether one actually goes to the forest or not. Wherever one is situated, one must always remember Krsna by chanting His Holy Name and gradually progress on the six aspects of surrender as described above. This is true renunciation.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

As with any material things, knowledge also gets lost, hidden or covered from time to time. In case of transcendental knowledge pertaining to Krsna consciousness, such knowledge is sometimes deliberately hidden or covered so that unqualified people do not have access to it. Just as a physician prescribes medication to the patients according to their health conditions and ability to intake them, transcendental knowledge is also presented to the population according to their material ailments and ability to absorb them. This is precisely the reason why Krsna’s esoteric and most confidential pastimes (such as rasa lila, etc.). are not revealed fully or discussed openly. I am sure there could be many extremely confidential pastimes of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna that we have never heard of or read in the books of our acaryas. This is because conditioned souls in this age of Kali Yuga are not fully qualified to appreciate them. People conditioned by the three modes of material nature do not have the right level of purification to appreciate pure transcendental topics. As a result, the Supreme Lord and His bonafide representatives deliberately hide such literature giving the impression that they are lost to time.

One good example is the discovery of Sri Brahma Samhita by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the temple of Adi Kesava. In the temple of Adi-kesava, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu discussed spiritual matters among highly advanced devotees. While there, He found a chapter of the Brahma-samhita. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was greatly happy to find a chapter of that scripture, and symptoms of ecstatic transformation – trembling, tears, perspiration, trance, and jubilation – were manifest in His body. There is no scripture equal to the Brahma-samhita as far as the final spiritual conclusion is concerned. Indeed, that scripture is the supreme revelation of the glories of Lord Govinda, for it reveals the topmost knowledge about Him. Since all conclusions are briefly presented in the Brahma-samhita, it is essential among all the Vaisnava literatures. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu copied the Brahma-samhita, and then with great pleasure He went to a place known as Ananta Padmanabha. (Sri Caitanya Caritamrta)

The fact that the Lord found only one chapter of the Brahma Samhita is not sheer coincidence. It is possible that the other chapters of the book are deliberately withheld from conditioned people of this earthly planets. The book surely manifests in its full glory in the higher planets where people are more qualified to receive transcendental topics.

I have heard of a similar phenomenon with Srimad Bhagavatam. It is said that the version of the Srimad-Bhagavatam that’s available to human society on this earth contains only eighteen thousand verses. On higher planets, where the lifespan and mental capacity of the inhabitants is far superior to ours, the Bhagavatam has many more verses. (Unfortunately, I do not have any source of reference).

This is one reason why transcendental knowledge is hidden or lost. Another reason, as Srila Prabhupada explains, is due to the nature of this material world. The time factor is so pressing that in the course of time everything within this material world is spoiled or lost. In BG 14.10, Lord Krsna explains that sometimes the mode of goodness becomes prominent, defeating the modes of passion and ignorance. Sometimes the mode of passion defeats goodness and ignorance, and at other times ignorance defeats goodness and passion. In this way there is always competition for supremacy. In such a battle of supremacy among the three modes, knowledge may get lost or deviated. This could also explain how we moved from sruti to smrti. In the previous yugas, transcendental knowledge was spread through the process of hearing (sruti). Suta Goswami heard Srimad Bhagavatam spoken by Sukadeva Goswami to Pariksit Maharaja, and then shared them verbatim with the sages of Naimisaranya. The hearers heard it perfectly, retained it perfectly, and disseminated perfectly. Later on considering that the people of Kali Yuga have limited cognitive power, the transcendental literatures were put down in written format for easy retainment by the people. Even then, the knowledge and its core essence get deviated, manipulated, misunderstood, misinterpreted, or sinisterly repurposed to suit the malafide intentions of some people. One example is how the personality of Lord Krsna is misunderstood by impersonalists to be impersonal.

Therefore, the Supreme Lord appears from time to time to reestablish dharma or real religious principles. Reestablishing dharma means reestablishing transcendental knowledge also.

“To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium.” (BG 4.8)

Similarly in this particular pastime of Lord Kapiladeva, He appears to reestablish Sankhya philosophy which in the course of time was mysteriously lost.

“Similarly, Kapila also said that the system of Sāṅkhya philosophy was not exactly being introduced by Him; it was already current, but in course of time it was mysteriously lost, and therefore He appeared to reintroduce it. That is the purpose of the incarnation of Godhead. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata. Dharma means the real occupation of the living entity. When there is a discrepancy in the eternal occupation of the living entity, the Lord comes and introduces the real occupation of life.” (SB 3.24.37 Purport)

Only the Supreme Lord and His bonafide representatives can establish real religious principles.

“Real religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully situated in the mode of goodness, even the great ṛṣis who occupy the topmost planets cannot ascertain the real religious principles, nor can the demigods or the leaders of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the asuras, ordinary human beings, Vidyādharas and Cāraṇas.” (SB 6.3.19)

Therefore, it is extremely important for us as devotees to receive the transcendental knowledge in true spirit and preach to others in the same spirit without any deviation. This is the true meaning of following the disciplic succession. Srila Prabhupada suffixed Bhagavad Gita with ‘AS IT IS’; this is not some coincidence or marketing/branding propaganda. It has a deep significance, and that is propagating transcendental knowledge in its true spirit as received through disciplic succession. In this way, we all can all play our part in protecting such knowledge from being lost again to the flowing rivers of eternal time.

 All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

It is an important point to consider why Kardama Muni desired to leave home to seek self-realization rather than stay at home and associate with His son Kapiladeva directly. It is clear that devotional service has different flavors and moods. While I am not competent to understand what went into the mind of Kardama Muni, I can share my own realizations.

The first reason could be that Kardama Muni desired to follow his own natural propensity, his sva-dharma. Kardama Muni used to be a strict brahmacari and a yogi. It is mentioned that he meditated in yoga for ten thousand years before attaining perfection. He attained success, and the Lord, being pleased with him, showed him His form. This proves that he attained perfection in yoga practice or meditation by satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He actually saw the eternal, blissful and transcendental form of the Lord.

“Kardama Muni saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is free from material contamination, in His eternal form, effulgent like the sun, wearing a garland of white lotuses and water lilies. The Lord was clad in spotless yellow silk, and His lotus face was fringed with slick dark locks of curly hair…When Kardama Muni actually realized the Supreme Personality of Godhead in person, he was greatly satisfied because his transcendental desire was fulfilled. He fell on the ground with his head bowed to offer obeisances unto the lotus feet of the Lord. His heart naturally full of love of God, with folded hands he satisfied the Lord with prayers.” (SB 3.21.10-12)

This means he already tasted transcendence before his married life. He continued to desire that transcendence even after fulfilling his family responsibilities.

The second reason could be that Kardama Muni, being a self-realized soul, desired to strictly follow the directions of the scriptures. In the scriptures it is recommended that one must leave home after his fiftieth year and thus follow prescribed varnasrama-dharma. He wanted to follow the Vedic injunctions to set an example for others. He married to fulfill the desire of his father, Lord Brahma, who ordered him to enter householder life to beget children and increase progeny for populating the universe. He performed that responsibility obediently and perfectly. Family life has its own challenges and Kardama Muni may have felt that household life may distract him from remembering the Lord constantly. Thus he desired to leave home.

“Today I have something to ask from You, who are the Lord of all living entities. Since I have now been liberated by You from my debts to my father, and since all my desires are fulfilled, I wish to accept the order of an itinerant mendicant. Renouncing this family life, I wish to wander about, free from lamentation, thinking always of You in my heart.” (SB 3.24.34)

The third reason could be that Kardama Muni desired to have his wife Devahuti take full advantage of her son (Lord Kapiladeva) to achieve self-realization. Great souls not only desire their own spiritual upliftment but also wants to give opportunity to others to progress in spiritual life. Kardama Muni saw that Devahuti served him sincerely during their household life together. Due to her responsibility and service to her husband, Devahuti was not able to devote fully to devotional service. Now she wants to work on that missing part of her life. Devahuti said to her husband,

“Until now we have simply wasted so much of our time in sense gratification, neglecting to cultivate knowledge of the Supreme Lord. Not knowing your transcendental situation, I have loved you while remaining attached to the objects of the senses. Nonetheless, let the affinity I have developed for you rid me of all fear. Association for sense gratification is certainly the path of bondage. But the same type of association, performed with a saintly person, leads to the path of liberation, even if performed without knowledge. Anyone whose work is not meant to elevate him to religious life, anyone whose religious ritualistic performances do not raise him to renunciation, and anyone situated in renunciation that does not lead him to devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, must be considered dead, although he is breathing. My lord, surely I have been solidly cheated by the insurmountable illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for in spite of having obtained your association, which gives liberation from material bondage, I did not seek such liberation.” (SB 3.23.53-57)

Kardama Muni did not want to remain at home and be responsible for depriving his wife of taking complete shelter of her son, Kapiladeva. There is a chance that as long as Kardama Muni stayed at home, Devahuti, being a dutiful wife, would continue to render service to her husband and thus not be able to take full advantage of associating with her son. Thus Kardama Muni may have felt that it is better to leave home and give Devahuti complete opportunity to associate with her son and progress in devotional life. At the same time, he would be able to wander as a mendicant and devote himself completely in remembrance of the Supreme Lord in his heart. This is a win-win situation for both him and his wife Devahuti.

“Today I have something to ask from You, who are the Lord of all living entities. Since I have now been liberated by You from my debts to my father, and since all my desires are fulfilled, I wish to accept the order of an itinerant mendicant. Renouncing this family life, I wish to wander about, free from lamentation, thinking always of You in my heart.” (SB 3.24.34)

These are my own realizations, and I could be wrong.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

Good parents always desire to produce good progeny. They want to provide a good upbringing to the children through proper education and values. They are pleased if the children are respectful and obedient to them. Just like Lord Brahma is pleased with Kardama Muni’s attitude of following his instructions, the parents are also pleased with good behavior of their children. Similarly, the Supreme Lord, being always so merciful to His separated expansions (the jivas), always desires good things for them. He is not happy seeing them struggling in this material world.

BG 15.7: The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.

Therefore, the Supreme Lord has a good plan for bringing the struggling living entities back to Him, back to His abode. He usually accomplishes this by enlightening them with transcendental knowledge. Either He advents Himself (like Lord Kapiladeva) or He sends His bonafide representatives and scriptures.

The Lord’s love for us is in sharp contrast to the parents in this material world. A parental phenomenon in the western world that really shocks me is the concept of ‘empty nest’. As children grow older and graduate to college, they leave their parental homes to start an independent life. For parents, this is akin to baby birds leaving their nest once they are able to fly on their own. Parents are on their own now with children no longer around. What really surprises me is that most parents are happy with this. They usually say that they are happy with this arrangement as now they can do their own things without the kids being no longer around. I am not at all familiar with this culture here. In India even to this day, both parents and children long to stay together as far as possible. Of course, circumstances lead children to move out for further studies and employment. I have not seen a single Indian parent (yet) who is happy to see their children being separated from them. Western culture doesn’t stop surprising me!

The reason I am sharing this is to put across the point that our most loving and merciful Lord is not happy with ‘empty nest’. He loves us so much that He always accompanies us as Supersoul no matter what body we accept – humans, animals, birds, insects, etc. He brings guru, sadhu and sastras come across our paths so that we are enlightened and turn to Him for guidance and nourishment. Therefore, in this chapter we see the same principles play out. First the Lord desired to create the material world so that the living entities who wanted to enjoy separately for Him are provided a place to fulfill their desires. Secondly, He desired to populate the universe with living entities. He gave this task to Lord Brahma who, in turn, engaged his numerous sons to create progeny. Kardama Muni is of many such sons. Once Kardama Muni and Devahuti produced nine daughters, Lord Brahma wanted Kardmana Muni to get them married to the nine chief sages for further procreation. Just like Lord Brahma is pleased with Kardama Muni for following his instructions, the Supreme Lord is also pleased with Lord Brahma for helping Him create the material universe and populate it. Lastly, the Lord desires to enlighten the population in spiritual topics. This mission is so important to the Lord that He Himself advents as Lord Kapiladeva to teach the sankhya philosophy.

“He will present the philosophy of Sāṅkhya in such a way that by studying His philosophy people will be able to uproot the deep-rooted desire for karma, fruitive activities. Everyone in this material world engages in achieving the fruits of his labor. A man tries to be happy by achieving the fruits of his own honest labor, but actually he becomes more and more entangled. One cannot get out of this entanglement unless he has perfect knowledge, or devotional service.” (SB 3.24.16 P)

The sweet Lord is a perfect Father to us. He is with us at every step to guide us and inspire us to develop the desire to return home, back to Godhead. Unfortunately, in this material world the parents do not work on delivering their children from material bondage. They think their responsibility to their children is fulfilled after they give good material education to the kids. Unfortunately, this approach further entangles the kids in this material world. Neither they themselves are interested in (or aware of) liberation from material entanglement nor they are able to liberate their children. Therefore, it is said that “One who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of repeated birth and death should never become a spiritual master, a father, a husband, a mother or a worshipable demigod.” (SB 5.5.18)

“The father, spiritual master or husband must be able to release the dependent from repeated birth and death. If he cannot do this, he plunges himself into the ocean of reproachment for his unlawful activities. Everyone should be very responsible and take charge of his dependents just as a spiritual master takes charge of his disciple or a father takes charge of his son. All these responsibilities cannot be discharged honestly unless one can save the dependent from repeated birth and death.” (SB 5.5.18 P)

As a well-wishing Father and Lord, the Supreme Lord is always interested in our welfare and wonderfully charts our journey back to Him if at all we turn to Him and accept His instructions. As Lord Kapiladeva, He will impart sublime instructions and teachings to His Mother Devahuti by following which we too can be delivered as Mother Devahuti was. This is the supreme loving nature of the Lord.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!