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Chapter 3
The Means of Achievement
TEXT 34
tasyah sadhanani gayanty acaryah
SYNONYMS
tasyah-of it; sadhanani-the means of development; gayanti-sing;
acaryah-the great teachers.
TRANSLATION
Standard authorities have described the methods for achieving
devotional service.
PURPORT
Having described the essence of para bhakti, the highest stage of
devotional service, Narada now turns to the practices one must perform to reach
that stage. The practice stage of bhakti is called sadhana-bhakti. Narada
previously stated that bhakti was its own means, that it does not depend on
anything else-specifically jnana, or knowledge. And as Shrila Prabhupada points
out, bhakti doesn't even depend on the devotee's practice:
Krishna consciousness cannot be aroused simply by practice.
Actually there is no such practice. When we wish to develop our innate capacity
for devotional service, there are certain processes which, by our accepting and
executing them, will cause that dormant capacity to be invoked. Such practice
is called sadhana-bhakti. [The Nectar of Devotion, p. 20]
The rules and regulations of bhakti are meant to cure a
conditioned soul of the madness that causes his bondage and suffering. Shrila
Prabhupada writes (The Nectar of Devotion, p. 21), "As a man's mental
disease is cured by the directions of a psychiatrist, so this sadhana-bhakti
cures the conditioned soul of his madness under the spell of maya, material
illusion."
Narada says that the methods he will teach have been given by the
acaryas, those who teach by both word and deed. Bhakti can be taught only by
Vaishnava acaryas and their representatives, not by teachers of comparative
religion or impersonalists in the guise of bhaktas. Narada himself is one of
the greatest acaryas, and so his own sayings are sufficient. Still, following
the parampara tradition, he quotes previous acaryas and also gives his own
insights. Thus his teachings are acceptable to all, regardless of sampradaya or
particular founder-acarya. Here Narada uses the word gayanti, "they
sing," because the acaryas joyfully teach the principles of bhakti.
TEXT 35
tat tu visaya-tyagat sanga-tyagac ca
SYNONYMS
tat-that; tu-and; visaya-of sense gratification; tyagat-by
rejection; sanga-of (material) association; tyagat-by rejection; ca-and.
TRANSLATION
One achieves bhakti by giving up sense gratification and mundane
association.
PURPORT
Visaya refers to the objects of sense enjoyment, and one who
indulges in sense enjoyment is called a visayi. A visayi cannot succeed in
devotional service. The acaryas therefore set down regulations for eating,
mating, and so on. Narada states that one should not only give up gross
practices of sense indulgence but should even stop thinking of sense gratification.
The word sanga-tyaga indicates that one should refrain from associating with
sense objects even within the mind and heart. The acaryas of all religions so
consistently recommend such renunciation of sense pleasure that the need for it
may seem a truism. But to practice it is not easy. And yet if we want to
advance in bhakti-yoga, practice it we must. As Lord Krishna says, "What
is called renunciation you should know to be the same as yoga, or linking
oneself with the Supreme, O son of Pandu, for one can never become a yogi
unless he renounces the desire for sense gratification" (Bg. 6.2).
The Krishna conscious method of renunciation is to engage the mind
and senses in devotional service. As Shrila Rupa Gosvami says in his
Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (2.255),
anasaktasya visayan yatharham upayunjatah
nirbandhah krishna-sambandhe yuktam vairagyam ucyate
"When one is not
attached to anything but simultaneously accepts everything in relation to
Krishna, one is situated above possessiveness."
An active devotee is more complete in his renunciation than one
who rejects material things without knowledge of their relationship to Krishna.
This method of yukta-vairagya gives one great freedom, but it must be done
rightly. Shrila Prabhupada writes, "One should, however, note that after
doing something whimsically he should not offer the results to the Supreme
Lord. That sort of duty is not in the devotional service of Krishna
consciousness. One should act according to the order of Krishna, [which] comes
through disciplic succession from the bona fide spiritual master" (Bg.
18.57, purport). In short, sinful activity cannot be brought under the purview
of "offering everything to Krishna." Indeed, Shrila Prabhupada would
not accept disciples unless they agreed to follow the four regulative
principles-no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, and no meat-eating.
Renunciation is possible because of the higher pleasure attainable
in spiritual life. As Krishna states in the Bhagavad-gita (2.59),
visaya vinivartante niraharasya dehinah
rasa-varjam raso 'py asya param drstva nivartate
"Although the embodied
soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, the taste for sense objects
remains. But ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is
fixed in consciousness." In his purport to this verse, Shrila Prabhupada
compares the restriction from sense enjoyment mystic yogis observe to the
restrictions a doctor places upon a patient that forbid him from taking certain
types of food. In neither instance is the taste for the forbidden pleasures
lost. "But," Shrila Prabhupada writes, "one who has tasted the
beauty of the Supreme Lord, Krishna, in the course of his advancement in
Krishna consciousness no longer has a taste for dead, material things.
Therefore, restrictions are there for the less intelligent neophytes in the spiritual
advancement of life, but such restrictions are good only until one actually has
a taste for Krishna consciousness."
Previously Narada has stated that it is not sufficient merely to
hear about spiritual life or to tell others about it without actually practicing
it and realizing its fruits oneself. And so the sadhana-bhakta actually
practices-he avoids lusty attachments on the strength of his vows, and Krishna
helps him from within. Eventually he relishes a higher taste and loses the
desire for sense gratification. Bhakti-yoga, being a transcendental science,
yields the expected results when carefully followed.
The phrase sanga-tyagat, which Narada uses here, also appears in
Shrila Rupa Gosvami's Upadesamrta (3). According to Rupa Gosvami, sanga-tyaga,
by which he means "abandoning the association of nondevotees," is one
of the most important requirements for the execution of pure devotional
service. When Lord Chaitanya was asked to define a Vaishnava, He replied,
asat-sanga-tyaga-ei vaishnava acara: "Characteristically, a Vaishnava is
one who gives up the association of worldly people, or nondevotees" (Cc.
Madhya 22.87). Just as asat-sanga increases our material attachment and impedes
our devotional service, so sadhu-sanga furthers our devotional service by helping
us become attached to Lord Krishna and detached from the practices of
nondevotees.
In the Shrimad-Bhagavatam Lord Kapila advises His mother,
Devahuti, that while material attachment is the greatest entanglement for the
spirit soul, "that same attachment, when applied to the self-realized
devotees, opens the door of liberation" (Bhag. 3.25.20). In his purport,
Shrila Prabhupada writes, "This indicates that the propensity for
attachment cannot be stopped; it must be utilized for the best purpose. Our attachment
for material things perpetuates our conditioned state, but the same attachment,
when transferred to the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His devotee, is the
source of liberation."
This sutra contains a stern order for the aspiring devotee:
"If you want to progress in bhakti, you must give up sense gratification
and material association." In his Bhagavad-gita purports, Shrila
Prabhupada tells us how we should approach such orders: "The Lord
instructs that one has to become fully Krishna conscious to discharge duties,
as if in military discipline. Such an injunction may make things a little
difficult; still, duties must be carried out, with dependence on Krishna,
because that is the constitutional position of the living entity" (Bg.
3.30, purport). Lethargy in the face of these orders should be thrown off. The
alternative is great unhappiness, more than we can imagine, as the soul falls
down into lower species of life, birth after birth.
TEXT 36
avyavrtta-bhajanat
SYNONYMS
avyavrtta-uninterrupted; bhajanat-by worship.
TRANSLATION
One achieves bhakti by worshiping the Lord ceaselessly.
PURPORT
Narada has given a negative order-to restrain the mind and senses;
he now gives the positive method for engaging the mind and senses in Krishna
consciousness. Shrila Prabhupada compared Krishna conscious activity to placing
an iron rod in fire. As the rod stays steadily within the flames, it becomes
hotter and hotter, until eventually it becomes fiery. In the same way, the
devotee who steadily engages in Krishna consciousness gradually becomes
transformed, until eventually he becomes fully Krishna conscious. If one is
completely absorbed in Krishna's service, there is no scope for the activities
of maya.
The Shrimad-Bhagavatam
(1.2.6) also recommends uninterrupted devotional service:
sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata yayatma suprasidati
"The supreme
occupation for all humanity is that by which one can attain to loving
devotional service unto the transcendental Lord. Such devotional service must
be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self."
In this sutra Narada uses the word bhajana, which also appears, in
a slightly different form, in the Bhagavad-gita (6.47). In concluding His
instructions on astanga-yoga in the Sixth Chapter of the Gita, Lord Krishna
says that one who serves Him with devotion and faith (sraddhavan bhajate yo
mam) is the highest yogi. Shrila Prabhupada explains that the word bhaj means
"service":
Service with love and faith is especially meant for the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. One can avoid worshiping a respectable man or demigod
and may be called discourteous, but one cannot avoid serving the Supreme Lord
without being thoroughly condemned. [Bg. 6.47, purport]
This passage indicates that bhakti is not a spiritual recreation
for a few people but is intended for all, and it cannot be avoided without dire
consequences.
Narada says bhakti is attained by uninterrupted loving service.
But does he mean that one must be flawless, that one must never slip? No, Lord
Krishna allows for mistakes, provided one is determined to serve Him. He says
in the Ninth Chapter of the Gita,
api cet su-duracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak
sadhur eva sa mantavyah samyag vyavasito hi sah
"Even if one commits
the most abominable action, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be
considered saintly because he is properly situated in his determination"
(Bg. 9.30). Shrila Prabhupada warns us, however, not to take advantage of this
statement and think we can intentionally violate the rules of devotional life
and still be a devotee. The blessing from the Lord expressed here is that if we
go on serving the spiritual master and Krishna with determination-especially by
chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama,
Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare-then Lord Krishna will accept us as His
devotee, despite our imperfections.
But exactly what does one do to always keep busy in Krishna
consciousness and avoid becoming bored or restless? Prahlada Maharaja taught a
ninefold process of bhakti for maintaining full engagement in the Lord's
service: (1) hearing about the Lord, (2) chanting His name and glories, (3)
remembering Him, (4) serving His lotus feet, (5) worshiping the Deity, (6)
offering prayers to the Lord, (7) becoming His servant, (8) becoming His
friend, and (9) offering Him everything. While the first two of these processes
are extremely important, any one of them is sufficient for achieving
perfection. Shrila Prabhupada writes:
The nine different processes enunciated by Prahlada Maharaja, who
learned them from Narada Muni, may not all be required for the execution of
devotional service; if a devotee performs only one of these nine without
deviation, he can attain the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
[Bhag. 7.5.24, purport]
In early 1968 I wrote a letter to Shrila Prabhupada saying that
sometimes I couldn't decide which service I should do at a given moment. Should
I wash the dishes or chant Hare Krishna? Prabhupada replied:
There isn't any difference between chanting the Holy Name [and]
washing the dishes of the Temple. So do not be worried when you are attracted
for doing other work in the Temple. There is variegatedness in transcendental
activities. Sometimes we like to chant, sometimes we like to wash dishes. There
is no difference on the Absolute plane.
TEXT 37
loke 'pi bhagavad-guna-sravana-kirtanat
SYNONYMS
loke-in the world; api-even; bhagavat-of the Supreme Lord;
guna-about the qualities; sravana-by hearing; kirtanat-and chanting.
TRANSLATION
One achieves bhakti by hearing and chanting about the Supreme
Lord's special qualities, even while engaged in the ordinary activities of life
in this world.
PURPORT
Someone might say that Narada is being unreasonable in advocating "uninterrupted
loving service." How can those who are busy with duties in the world
maintain constant bhajana? But Narada, like all acaryas, is well aware of the
worldly situation and the jiva's predicament. Thus he recommends sravanam
kirtanam, hearing and chanting about the Lord, for all persons at all times. An
outstanding example of a Krishna conscious devotee who was busy in the world is
Arjuna, Krishna's friend. And it was Lord Krishna Himself who insisted that
Arjuna not renounce the battlefield in favor of meditation:
tasmat sarvesu kalesu mam anusmara yudhya ca
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir mam evaisyasy asamsayah
"Therefore, Arjuna,
you should always think of Me in the form of Krishna and at the same time carry
out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and
your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt"
(Bg. 8.7).
Shrila Prabhupada writes, "The Lord never suggests anything
impractical.... If he [Arjuna] doesn't practice remembering Krishna while he is
struggling for existence, then it will not be possible for him to remember
Krishna at the time of death" (Bg. Introduction). Lord Chaitanya also
advises, kirtaniyah sada harih: [Cc. adi 17.31] "One should always chant
the names of the Lord."
Still the question remains, How can an active person perform
double duty-work and chant at the same time? But it is possible, through love.
Prabhupada gave the example of a man who goes to work in an office while his
young son is very ill at home. Out of natural affection, the father is always
thinking, "How is the boy?" Another example, given by the acaryas,
concerns a married woman's attachment for her paramour. The wife always thinks
of her lover, even while doing her household chores. In fact, she does her housework
even more carefully so that her husband will not suspect her. In the same way,
we should always remember the supreme lover, Shri Krishna, even while
meticulously discharging our material duties. If we say, "But I lack
strong love for Krishna," the only remedy is vaidhi-bhakti. The very
purpose of this training stage of bhakti is to bring out our original love for
God, just as striking a match brings out a flame. And among all the devotional
practices, the foremost are sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23], hearing and
chanting the glories of the Lord.
No one can honestly say he has absolutely no time to devote to
sravanam kirtanam. Even the busiest people find time daily to go through
newspapers or magazines, and almost everyone finds some time for television, as
well as for idle talk. Much of this time could be spared for bhakti-yoga. And
even when we are working at the office or factory, if we are donating a portion
of our earnings to Krishna we may think, "Krishna has assigned me this
particular duty."
If despite his best efforts a devotee finds his social and
occupational duties overwhelming, he should consider living in a different way.
One should avoid ugra-karma, work that completely saps one of all higher energy
and pious inclination. In the Shrimad-Bhagavatam, Narada Muni advised Maharaja
Yudhisthira that one should work "to earn his livelihood as much as
necessary to maintain body and soul together.
... An intelligent man in human society should make his program of
activities very simple" (Bhag. 7.14.5-6).
Shrila Prabhupada, who worked for many years as a Krishna
conscious businessman, addressed the problem realistically. He said that there
was no question of stopping all activities, just as there is no question of
wiping out one's temperature altogether when trying to recover from a fever. If
one has a fever of 105oF, one should carefully decrease it to the normal
temperature, 98.6o, and maintain it there. Shrila Prabhupada writes, "The
great sages and saints of India wanted to maintain the normal temperature by a
balanced program of material and spiritual knowledge. They never allowed the
misuse of human intelligence for diseased sense gratification" (Isopanisad
11, purport). Most people give the highest priority to economic development and
sense gratification, relegating religion to a support activity. But actual
religion-self-realization-should come first. Economic development is required
only to maintain the body in a sound, healthy condition.
Understanding the awkward position of people in the Kali-yuga, the
Supreme Lord has given us the chanting of the holy names as the yuga-dharma,
the religion of the age:
harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha
[Adi 17.21]
"In this age of
quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of deliverance is the chanting of the
holy names of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is
no other way" (Brhan-naradiya Purana).
Shrila Prabhupada formed the International Society for Krishna
Consciousness on the basis of the yuga-dharma and Narada Muni's instructions in
this sutra. Throughout the world, many of Prabhupada's followers chant sixteen
rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra daily, attend a morning and evening program
of kirtana and scriptural discourse, and follow the four rules prohibiting
sinful life-even while pursuing active professional careers. Lord Krishna has
personally promised Narada Muni that whoever chants His glories will attain the
Lord's mercy, despite social or occupational status:
naham tisthami vaikunthe yoginam hrdayesu va
yatra gayanti mad-bhaktah tatra tisthami narada
"My dear Narada, I do
not dwell in Vaikuntha or in the hearts of the yogi, but wherever My devotees
sing My glories" (Padma Purana).
TEXT 38
mukhyatas tu mahat-krpayaiva bhagavat-krpa-lesad va
SYNONYMS
mukhyatah-primarily; tu-but; mahat-of great souls; krpaya-by the
mercy; eva-indeed; bhagavat-of the Supreme Lord; krpa-of the mercy; lesat-by a
trace; va-or.
TRANSLATION
Primarily, however, one develops bhakti by the mercy of great
souls, or by a small drop of the Lord's mercy.
PURPORT
Narada has outlined the main practices for a devotee-in-training
(sadhaka). Now he emphasizes that the devotee cannot succeed simply on the
strength of his own endeavor, but only when he receives the mercy of Krishna's
representative or a drop of the Lord's direct mercy.
Unless one seeks out the association of a sadhu, bhakti will
remain distant. But who is a sadhu? Shrila Prabhupada explains:
A sadhu is not just an ordinary man with a saffron robe or long
beard. A sadhu is described in Bhagavad-gita as one who unflinchingly engages
in devotional service. Even though one is found not to be following the strict
rules and regulations of devotional service, if one simply has unflinching
faith in Krishna, the Supreme Person, he is understood to be a sadhu. ... If
one associates with a sadhu, the result will be that the sadhu will teach him
how to become a devotee, a worshiper and sincere servitor of the Lord. These
are the gifts of a sadhu. [Bhag. 3.25.20, purport]
The Chaitanya-charitamrita and the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu state
that the acceptance of a spiritual master is absolutely essential for
advancement in devotional service. Shrila Prabhupada writes:
Without the attentive service of his parents, a child cannot grow
to manhood; similarly, without the care of the spiritual master one cannot rise
to the plane of transcendental service.... One should always remember that a
person who is reluctant to accept a spiritual master and be initiated is sure
to be baffled in his endeavor to go back to Godhead. [Cc. Adi 1.46, purport,
and 1.35, purport]
And so by the grace of the spiritual masters, all the
aforementioned practices taught by Narada-the chanting and hearing of the holy
names, avoiding sense gratification, and so on-will come naturally to one who
serves and inquires from devotees.
Conditioned souls are brought to the path of bhakti by the help of
the Vaishnavas, and also by the direct guidance of the Supreme Lord. Harim vina
naiva srtim taranti: "Without the blessings of Hari, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, one cannot stop the continuous chain of birth and death
within this material world." Lord Krishna, as the Supersoul within
everyone's heart, directly gives us guidance. When a soul cries out for
spiritual guidance, the Lord as the caitya-guru, or the spiritual master in the
heart, gives direct inspiration. Krishna states,
tesam evanukampartham aham ajnana-jam tamah
nasayamy atma-bhava-stho jnana-dipena bhasvata
"To show them special
mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge
the darkness born of ignorance" (Bg. 10.11).
In the purport to the previous verse (Bg. 10.10), Shrila
Prabhupada explains, "A person may have a bona fide spiritual master and
may be attached to a spiritual organization, but still, if he is not
intelligent enough to make progress, then Krishna from within gives him
instructions so that he may ultimately come to Him without difficulty."
The Lord's mercy is therefore available both in the form of the
instructing spiritual masters and the Supersoul within the heart. The
appearance of the spiritual master within the life of the conditioned soul is
the direct mercy of the Lord. Prabhupada writes that "the great sage Sukadeva
Gosvami was certainly inspired by Lord Krishna to appear voluntarily before
Maharaja Pariksit, the great devotee of the Lord, just to give him the
teachings of Shrimad-Bhagavatam" (Bhag. 1.19.36).
It is truly a sign of the Lord's mercy when one meets His pure
representative, the bona fide spiritual master. But how effective this mercy is
depends on one's sincerity. As soon as the Lord finds that a soul has developed
eagerness to go back to Godhead, the Lord sends a bona fide spiritual master,
and if one takes full advantage of the instructions of such a spiritual master,
one is guaranteed success. Shrila Prabhupada writes, "The conclusion is
that to get the... help of a bona fide spiritual master means to receive the
direct help of the Lord Himself" (Bhag. 1.19.36, purport; italics in
original).
TEXT 39
mahat-sangas tu durlabho 'gamyo 'moghas ca
SYNONYMS
mahat-of great souls; sangah-the association; tu-but;
durlabhah-difficult to achieve; agamyah-difficult to understand;
amoghah-infallible; ca-also.
TRANSLATION
The association of great souls is rarely obtained, difficult to
understand, and infallible.
PURPORT
In His instructions to Shrila Rupa Gosvami (Cc. Madhya 19.138-48),
Lord Chaitanya graphically describes the rarity of gaining the association of a
pure devotee. The Lord tells Rupa Gosvami that there are unlimited living
entities among 8,400,000 species, and all these living entities are wandering
from body to body, planet to planet, within this universe. The few living
entities in human bodies may be divided into the uncultured and the
cultured-those who are ignorant of the Vedic principles and those who know
them. Among those who know the Vedic principles, roughly half simply give lip
service to these principles while committing all kinds of sins in violation of
these principles. Out of those who actually follow the Vedic principles, most
seek material rewards like wealth, good birth, or elevation to heaven. Among
millions of pious followers of the Vedic injunctions, one may be actually wise
(a jnani). Out of many millions of such jnanis, Lord Chaitanya says, one may
actually become liberated from birth and death, and out of many millions of
such liberated persons, a devotee of the Lord is very difficult to find.
Lord Krishna makes the same point:
manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam kascin mam vetti tattvatah
"Out of many thousands
of men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved
perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth" (Bg. 7.3). This indicates that
even one who has attained Brahman realization falls far short of knowledge of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We should not be misled, therefore, about
who is a "great soul" or think that any "swami" or
"guru" will be able to deliver us from material entanglement. As the
Shrimad-Bhagavatam says (6.14.5),
muktanam api siddhanam narayana-parayanah
su-durlabhah prasantatma kotisv api maha-mune
"O great sage, out of
many millions of materially liberated people who are free from ignorance, and
out of many millions of siddhas who have nearly attained perfection, there is
hardly one pure devotee of Narayana. Only such a devotee is actually completely
satisfied and peaceful."
Even when mahatmas do appear in human society, they are often not
appreciated or understood. Shrila Prabhupada writes,
Sometimes devotees are personally attacked with violence. Lord
Jesus Christ was crucified, Haridasa Thakura was caned in twenty-two
marketplaces, and Lord Chaitanya's principal assistant, Nityananda, was
violently attacked by Jagai and Madhai.... Although a sadhu is not inimical
toward anyone, the world is so ungrateful that even a sadhu has many enemies.
[Bhag. 3.25.21, purport]
But if one gets the association of a mahatma and is receptive to
his blessings, one will infallibly be benefited. Narada is an excellent example
of a mahatma who transformed the lives of many. He once turned a hunter into a
pure Vaishnava. The hunter was so cruel that he used to half kill animals
because he enjoyed their pain. But as soon as he met Narada and began to hear
from him, the hunter became afraid of his sins. Narada assured him, "If
you follow my instructions, you can be liberated." Narada then instructed
the hunter to worship Lord Krishna by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. A
mahatma never says, "Surrender to me," but he advises everyone to
surrender to Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is his
infallibility.
The power of the Vaishnavas is expressed in a Bengali song
beginning gaurangera bhakta-gani jani jani sakti dhare: "The devotees of
Lord Chaitanya are very powerful, and every one of them can deliver the whole
world." But the disciple has to do his part also. On receiving the grace
of a Vaishnava, one must agree to give up his sinful activities. Then the
spiritual master can take care of him and elevate him to spiritual
emancipation. Devotees who may not be on the level of a paramahamsa like Narada
Muni, but who strictly follow in his disciplic succession, can also deliver
infallible knowledge. Shrila Prabhupada writes:
The spiritual master, being in the disciplic succession stemming
from Narada Muni, is in the same category with Narada Muni. A person can be
relieved of his sinful activity if he surrenders to the lotus feet of a person
who actually represents Narada Muni. [Cc. Madhya 24.258, purport]
Another proof of the power of the mahatma is his ability to
convert nondevotees into saintly persons. Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura stated
that a Vaishnava can be tested by seeing how good a "touchstone" he
is-by seeing how many Vaishnavas he has made during his life. Lord Chaitanya
desired that as many persons as possible should repeat the message of Krishna
and convince others to take up Krishna consciousness, following in the
footsteps of Narada Muni and other great acaryas.
In conclusion, the
association of a mahatma is very rare, and yet it is available to a sincere
seeker. Upon contacting a great soul, one should realize one's good fortune,
and with a joyful but serious attitude one should surrender unto his lotus
feet. How one should regard a mahatma upon meeting him is exemplified in this
quote from the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya (13.2), spoken by Lord Chaitanya to
Sanatana Gosvami:
My dear Vaishnava, seeing a person like you is the perfection of
one's eyesight, touching your lotus feet is the perfection of the sense of
touch, and glorifying your good qualities is the tongue's real activity, for in
the material world it is very difficult to find a pure devotee of the Lord.
TEXT 40
labhyate 'pi tat-krpayaiva
SYNONYMS
labhyate-it is gained; api-yet; tat-of Him (the Supreme Lord);
krpaya-by the mercy; eva-only.
TRANSLATION
The association of great souls can be attained-but only by the
Lord's mercy.
PURPORT
Although the pure devotee is rarely found in the world, the
Supreme Lord directly helps a sincere seeker of the truth. As Lord Chaitanya
declared to Shrila Rupa Gosvami:
brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krishna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija
"According to their
karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some
of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going
down to the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities,
one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide
spiritual master by the grace of Krishna. By the mercy of both Krishna and the
spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional
service" (Cc. Madhya 19.151).
In His Paramatma feature, Lord Krishna is situated in everyone's
heart, and He fulfills our desires in accordance with what we deserve, which is
based on our previous activities. (Even sinful desires must be sanctioned by
Krishna before one can fulfill them.) Shrila Prabhupada writes, "If the
living entity by chance or fortune comes in contact with the Krishna
consciousness movement and wishes to associate with that movement, Krishna, who
is situated in everyone's heart, gives him the chance to meet a bona fide
spiritual master" (Cc. Madhya 19.151, purport). If one doesn't know
exactly what or who he is looking for, but he calls out to God and asks to be
delivered, the Lord will bestow His mercy-the chance to surrender to a great
soul.
Narada's disciple Dhruva Maharaja is an example of one who was
helped by God. Dhruva was insulted by his stepmother, and on the advice of his
mother he went to seek God in the forest. Although the boy desired an exalted
position and revenge, his determination appealed to the Supreme Lord. Dhruva
wandered in the forest asking the animals, "Where is God? Are you
God?"-and suddenly the great sage Narada appeared before him. Shrila
Prabhupada explains,
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is present in everyone's heart,
and as soon as He understands that the living entity is serious about entering
devotional service, He sends His representative. In this way Narada was sent to
Dhruva Maharaja. [Bhag. 4.8.25, purport]
TEXT 41
tasmims taj-jane bhedabhavat
SYNONYMS
tasmin-in Him; tat-His; jane-in the people; bheda-of difference;
abhavat-because of the absence.
TRANSLATION
[One can attain bhakti either by the association of the Lord's
pure devotees or directly by the Lord's mercy because] the Lord and His pure
devotees are nondifferent.
PURPORT
The mercy of the Lord and that of His pure devotees are equally
potent because the devotee and the Supreme Lord impart the same teachings. Shri
Krishna says, "Surrender to Me," and the pure devotee says,
"Yes, I surrender to You," and tells others, "Surrender to
Krishna." Thus the mercy of the Lord and that of His loving servants have
the same effect: the seed of devotion is planted in the hearts of receptive
conditioned souls.
The Mayavadis are always seeking an opportunity to annihilate
God's personal identity, and so they interpret this sutra in the following way:
"Just as a river loses its name and form after it enters the ocean, so a
devotee loses his individuality when he merges himself in the Lord."
Impersonalists consider annihilation of the self and merging with the Lord as
the last word in divine love. As for the meaning intended by Narada and the
scriptures, the Mayavadis say that this is a concession "for the ordinary
devotees."
Vaishnavas, however, do not tolerate such blasphemous word
jugglery. The oneness of God and guru (or God and all living beings) is a
oneness in quality. The living entities are small samples of the original
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is full, powerful, and opulent. The living
beings tend to forget their qualitative oneness with the Lord, and so He
appears in the form of scriptures, great souls, and the caitya-guru (Supersoul)
to remind us of our spiritual identity. The Supersoul doesn't have to be
reminded of His own divinity, because He is never designated by a material
body. This is another difference between the jivas and the Lord: The Lord is
always self-enlightened in His spiritual form, while the jivas are always prone
to come under the influence of maya. Another difference between the two is that
the Supersoul is present in everyone's body, whereas the individual conditioned
soul is present in one particular body.
The sac-cid-ananda form of Godhead is different from that of the
living entity in both his conditioned and liberated states. Although the
Mayavadis will continue to misunderstand the philosophy of spiritual oneness, a
kavi, or learned person, doesn't commit such mistakes. Shrila Prabhupada
describes the position of the Mayavadis and those they influence:
Only atheists consider the living entity and the Personality of
Godhead equal in all respects. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu therefore says,
mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa: "If one follows the instructions
of Mayavadi philosophers and believes that the Supreme Personality of Godhead and
the individual soul are one, his understanding of real philosophy is forever
doomed." [Bhag. 4.28.63, purport]
TEXT 42
tad eva sadhyatam tad eva sadhyatam
SYNONYMS
tat-that; eva-only; sadhyatam-should be strived for; tat-that;
eva-only; sadhyatam-should be strived for.
TRANSLATION
Strive, strive only for the association of pure devotees.
PURPORT
Naradadeva blesses the hearers of the Narada-bhakti-sutra with his
advice, repeated twice here for emphasis-strive, strive for attaining the lotus
feet of guru and Krishna via the association of pure devotees. When the Lord
and His devotees see our sincere efforts, they will give us all required
assistance.
The best expression of single-minded devotion to Krishna was given
by Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Let us strive to follow in His footsteps, always
asking for direction from His well-wishing followers and always praying as He
showed us in His Siksastaka (4):
na dhanam na janam na sundarim
kavitam va jagad-isa kamaye
mama janmani janmanisvare
bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi
"O almighty Lord, I
have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor do I desire beautiful women, nor do I
want any number of followers. I only want Your causeless devotional service,
birth after birth."
TEXT 43
duhsangam sarvathaiva tyajyah
SYNONYMS
duhsangam-bad association; sarvatha-in all its aspects;
eva-indeed; tyajyah-to be given up.
TRANSLATION
One should give up all kinds of degrading association.
PURPORT
After stating that the association of pure devotees is as good as
being with the Supreme Lord, Narada informs us of the destructive effects of
bad company. As we mentioned previously, Lord Chaitanya once defined a
Vaishnava as one who gives up the association of worldly people and
nondevotees: asat-sanga-tyaga-ei vaishnava acara. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
specifically enumerated different types of asat-sanga: stri-sangi, eka asadhu
krishnabhakta ara (Cc. Madhya 22.87). A Vaishnava should avoid stri-sangi,
those who associate loosely with women, and he should also shun the krishna-abhaktas,
those who are not devotees of Krishna. This especially refers to Mayavadis.
Lord Kapila states, "The infatuation and bondage that accrue
to a man from attachment to any other object is not as complete as that
resulting from an attachment to a woman or to the fellowship of men who are
fond of women" (Bhag. 3.31.35). In the Kali-yuga, we are constantly
invited to partake in illicit sex through advertising and television.
Unrestricted social mixing between men and women is a major distraction from the
spiritual path.
The statements about women should not be taken as a criticism of
women as a class. Just as woman is often the symbol of maya for a man, so
attachment to men is also the main entanglement for a woman. As Lord Kapila
states, "A woman, therefore, should consider her husband, her house, and
her children to be the arrangement of the external energy of the Lord for her
death, just as the sweet singing of the hunter is death for the deer"
(Bhag. 3.31.42). Of course, it is not possible to completely restrict the sexes
from associating with each other, and so the positive approach is to put
Krishna in the center of one's life. If a man and a woman live in a Krishna
conscious marriage, transferring their main attachment to Krishna, then their
relationship may become a source of spiritual rejuvenation.
When Lord Chaitanya says that one should avoid the non-sadhus, he
means persons who don't follow basic principles of religious life. For example,
every Krishna conscious devotee follows the four rules, but the non-sadhus
always indulge in illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. If a
devotee begins to intensively associate with non-sadhus, he will eventually
pick up their habits, despite all his knowledge and training. As stated in the
Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya, "Association is very important. It acts just like a
crystal stone, which will reflect anything put before it" (The Nectar of
Devotion, p. 106). And as Lord Chaitanya taught Sanatana Gosvami, "One
should not even see those who are bereft of devotional service in Krishna
consciousness and who are therefore devoid of pious activities" (Cc.
Madhya 22.92).
When the demon Hiranyakasipu sarcastically inquired from his son
about Krishna consciousness, Prahlada explained why the demons cannot possibly
know about Krishna:
matir na krsne paratah svato va
mitho 'bhipadyeta grha-vratanam
adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram
punah-punas-carvita-carvananam
"[Prahlada Maharaja
said:] Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to
materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew
that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Krishna are never
aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a
combination of both" (Bhag. 7.5.30).
Those with uncontrolled senses can never know Krishna themselves,
and if an aspiring devotee associates with them, he will also lose his ability
to know Krishna.
Association with nondevotees takes place in many ways, aside from
face-to-face encounters. Through books, movies, gathering places-the
possibilities of contact are unlimited. Especially nowadays, a person may
apparently live alone in a city apartment and yet be completely immersed in bad
association through mass media and technological entertainment. It takes
deliberate cultivation, and a fight, to remove oneself from bad influences.
One may object to these injunctions and claim, "God is
everywhere! Why say that certain people are bad?" The topmost devotee, the
maha-bhagavata, can see all persons as perfect servants of God. He humbly
thinks that everyone is a servant of the Lord except himself. But another
qualification of a maha-bhagavata is that he always thinks of Krishna and never
forgets Him for a moment. One should not imitate one aspect of the
maha-bhagavata's activities while lacking his qualifications. In other words,
on the plea of following the example of the great devotees, one should not
indulge in bad association and claim, "It's all Krishna."
The great majority of devotees have to make an effort to come up
from the lower (kanistha) stage of devotion, where one sees God only in the
temple. They have to strive to reach the second stage (madhyama), where one
acknowledges that God is in everyone's heart and yet discriminates in his
relationships. The madhyama-bhakta saves his love for the Supreme Lord, makes
friendships with like-minded devotees, shows compassion to innocent persons,
and avoids the demons. He takes seriously the following injunction from the
Katyayana-samhita: "It is better to accept the miseries of being encaged
within bars and surrounded by burning flames than to associate with those
bereft of Krishna consciousness. Such association is a very great
hardship" (Cc. Madhya 22.91).
TEXT 44
kama-krodha-moha-smrti-bhramsa-buddhi-nasa-sarva-nasa-karanatvat
SYNONYMS
kama-of lust; krodha-anger; moha-bewilderment;
smrti-bhramsa-failure of memory; buddhi-nasa-loss of intelligence;
sarva-nasa-and total loss; karanatvat-because of being the cause.
TRANSLATION
Material association is the cause of lust, anger, confusion,
forgetfulness, loss of intelligence, and total calamity.
PURPORT
One may wonder why Narada is dwelling on the effects of bad
association after having discussed advanced subjects in bhakti-yoga. But who
else will heed the warnings except those who are serious about crossing the
ocean of birth and death? Even one who is practicing devotional service in the
renounced order can fall down. As stated in Chaitanya-candrodaya-nataka (8.23),
niskincanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya
param param jigamisor bhava-sagarasya
sandarsanam visayinam atha yositam ca
ha hanta hanta visa-bhaksanato 'py asadhu
"Alas, for a person
who is seriously desiring to cross the material ocean and engage in the
transcendental loving service without material motives, seeing a materialist
engaged in sense gratification and seeing a woman who is similarly interested
are more abominable than drinking poison willingly." And so the advice
against bad association is intended for all, including those transcendentalists
who wish to progress without impediment.
In the Bhagavad-gita (2.62-63), Lord Krishna analyzes the soul's
downfall due to bad association:
dhyayato visayan pumsah sangas tesupajayate
sangat sanjayate kamah kamat krodho 'bhijayate
krodhad bhavati sammohah sammohat smrti-vibhramah
smrti-bhramsad buddhi-naso buddhi-nasat pranasyati
"While contemplating
the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such
attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises. From anger complete
delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is
bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost one falls down
again into the material pool."
Bad association (duhsanga) brings out the stored karmic tendencies
for sin, thus activating one's lower propensities. If an aspiring devotee hears
the hedonists talk of lusty enjoyments, he may easily become agitated, since
until he becomes pure he has many tendencies to enjoy worldly pleasures. As soon
as he begins to think about the objects of pleasure, he will begin to desire
them. Then he will attempt to fulfill his desires, and on being frustrated he
will become angry. Thereafter he will lose his discrimination, become deluded,
and so on. By keeping company with nondevotees, therefore, bad habits crop up
one after another, and good qualities become ruined. As Lord Kapiladeva states
(Bhag. 3.31.32-33):
If, therefore, the living entity again associates with the path of
unrighteousness, influenced by sensually-minded people engaged in the pursuit
of sexual enjoyment and the gratification of the palate, he again goes to hell
as before. He becomes devoid of truthfulness, cleanliness, mercy, gravity,
spiritual intelligence, shyness, austerity, fame, forgiveness, control of the
mind, control of the senses, fortune, and all such opportunities.
Not only "coarse fools" but even austere ascetics-if
they are not devotees-are considered duhsanga. Mental speculators, impersonal
yogis, jnanis, and voidists may all adversely influence a devotee and turn him
toward nondevotional paths. Bhagavan Acarya, a follower of Lord Chaitanya's,
insisted that he was immune to contamination because he was a fixed-up devotee
of the Lord. But Svarupa Damodara Gosvami replied that hearing talks on
Mayavada philosophy "breaks the heart and life of a devotee" and
should not be indulged in. Shrila Prabhupada writes:
The Mayavadi philosophers have presented their arguments in such
attractive, flowery language that hearing Mayavada philosophy may sometimes
change the mind of even a maha-bhagavata, or very advanced devotee. An actual
Vaishnava cannot tolerate any philosophy that claims God and the living being
to be one and the same. [Cc. Adi 7.110, purport]
Considering the dangers of duhsanga, even for a fully engaged
sadhaka, we can see that Narada has not exaggerated these dangers or given a
warning only for neophytes.
TEXT 45
tarangita apime sangat samudrayanti
SYNONYMS
tarangitah-forming waves; api-indeed; ime-these; sangat-from
material association; samudrayanti-create an ocean.
TRANSLATION
Rising like waves from material association, these bad effects
mass into a great ocean of misery.
PURPORT
The deluding potency, maya, is the Lord's own energy and can thus
overcome even a powerful sage. As Lord Kapila declares, "Among all kinds
of living entities begotten by Brahma, namely men, demigods, and animals, none
but the sage Narayana is immune to the attraction of maya in the form of a
woman" (Bhag. 3.31.37). One should not flirt with maya, thinking that one
can transgress a little and then pull back later if it gets too rough. Until we
are completely liberated we maintain seeds of destruction within us, and we
should not allow them to grow by bad association.
Once Shrila Prabhupada learned that some of his initiated
disciples had indulged in their former habits of smoking marijuana. Prabhupada
said that this was due to bad association, and he gave the example of bedbugs.
During winter, bedbugs seem to disappear from your bed, but in due time they
emerge and again bite you and grow fat on your blood. Similarly, a
transcendentalist's kama may seem to be entirely subdued, but it is actually
present in a very reduced state. If given a fresh opportunity, his material
desires will strike again. On another occasion, Shrila Prabhupada referred to
"hippy seeds." Having noticed one of his brahmacari disciples with
long hair, he said the disciple's old hippy tendencies were now sprouting in
the form of long hair.
So it is good to be afraid of even a little bad association and
avoid it at all costs. But one may question whether this attitude is at odds
with the compassionate mood of the preacher. If the preacher associates with
materialists, won't he become like them? The answer is that a preacher must be
strong in his Krishna consciousness to prevent becoming contaminated. If he
follows the rules and regulations of bhakti-yoga-including association with
devotees, chanting and hearing the Lord's glories, avoiding sense
gratification, and so on-then he will be able to preach without falling down.
Acting as the spiritual master of Lord Chaitanya, Isvara Puri gave him
instructions that in truth are directed at us: "My dear child, continue
dancing, chanting, and performing sankirtana in association with devotees.
Furthermore, go out and preach the value of chanting krishna-nama, for by this
process You will be able to deliver all fallen souls" (Cc. Adi 7.92).
Similarly, Shrila Prabhupada instructed his disciples to be compassionate
preachers:
One who is not very expert in preaching may chant in a secluded
place, avoiding bad association, but for one who is actually advanced,
preaching and meeting people who are not engaged in devotional service are not
disadvantages. A devotee gives the nondevotees his association but is not
affected by their misbehavior. Thus by the activities of a pure devotee even
those who are bereft of love of Godhead get a chance to become devotees of the
Lord one day. [Cc. Adi 7.92, purport]
Shrila Prabhupada sometimes told the following story to illustrate
how one may mix with nondevotees and yet keep one's devotional integrity:
Once a crocodile invited a monkey in a tree to come and ride on
his back. The foolish monkey jumped down from the tree and soon found himself
clinging to the crocodile's back in the middle of the river.
The monkey asked the crocodile, "Where are we going?"
The crocodile replied, "I'm going to take you home, where my
wife will cut out your heart and we will eat you for lunch!"
The monkey replied, "But I left my heart back on shore in the
tree. Will you please let me get it?"
The crocodile thought this was a good proposal and allowed the
monkey to touch shore. But the monkey jumped into his tree and refused to
accept further invitations from the crocodile.
The moral of this story: You may associate with the nondevotee,
but don't give him your heart.
Preachers living in ISKCON temples follow this advice daily. They
rise early and gather for mangala-arati before the temple Deities, chant
kirtana and japa, hear Shrimad-Bhagavatam class, and honor prasadam in the
association of devotees. Strengthened by this morning program, they go out to
preach in the most materialistic places in the world, offering people a chance
to receive Krishna's mercy in the form of literature, prasadam, or hari-nama.
In the early evening the preachers return to the temple for more chanting and
hearing. While they are with the nondevotees, they do not compromise their
devotional principles, and thus they keep their hearts aloof from the modes of
material nature and bad association.
Of course, if a preacher finds himself being overwhelmed by the
material energy, he should save himself instead of allowing maya to swallow him
up while he's trying to save others. But Narada's advice against bad
association does not mean that those who are strong enough to preach should not
approach the Jagais and Madhais of this world and humbly offer them the holy
name and transcendental literature. If devotees don't approach them, how will
the fools and rascals be saved?
TEXT 46
kas tarati kas tarati mayam yah sangam tyajati yo mahanubhavam
sevate nirmamo bhavati
SYNONYMS
kah-who; tarati-crosses beyond; kah-who; tarati-crosses beyond;
mayam-illusion; yah-he who; sangam-material association; tyajati-abandons;
yah-who; maha-anubhavam-the wise person; sevate-serves; nirmamah-free from
false proprietorship; bhavati-becomes.
TRANSLATION
Who can cross beyond illusion? One who abandons material
association, serves the sages, and becomes selfless.
PURPORT
Crossing over maya is sometimes compared to crossing an ocean. At
the time of death the conditioned soul has to transmigrate to another material
body, and even if he is born in a higher planet, he still has to suffer
repeated birth and death. To cross the limits of this ocean of samsara, he has
to go back to Godhead. But this is very difficult, because any material
desires, whether sinful or pious, will plunge the conditioned soul back into samsara.
However, Lord Krishna makes
the process easy. In the Bhagavad-gita (7.14) He states,
daivi hy esa guna-mayi mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te
"This divine energy of
mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to
overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond
it."
Narada is now giving detailed information on how to surrender to
Krishna and cross over the powerful ocean of illusion. In this sutra he
mentions renouncing attachment, associating with great souls, and becoming free
of possessiveness. One has to attempt all these and other favorable methods,
but at the same time one must understand that he cannot swim across the ocean
on his own. By one's sincere acts of devotion, Krishna is moved to come to the
rescue. Lord Krishna tells Arjuna, "But those who worship Me, giving up
all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged
in devotional service-for them I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth
and death" (Bg. 12.6-7). In his purport Shrila Prabhupada states,
"Simply by chanting the holy name of Krishna-Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,
Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare-a
devotee of the Lord can approach the supreme destination easily and happily,
but this destination cannot be approached by any other process of
religion."
As already stated, the mercy of the Lord is best obtained from His
pure devotees. They enable one to take shelter of the Lord's lotus feet, which
act like a boat to carry one across the vast ocean of maya:
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 maha-janas [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. [Bhag.
10.2.30]
TEXT 47
yo vivikta-sthanam sevate yo loka-bandham unmulayati nistraigunyo
bhavati yo yoga-ksemam tyajati
SYNONYMS
yah-who; vivikta-secluded; sthanam-a place; sevate-serves;
yah-who; loka-of mundane society; bandham-the bondage; unmulayati-uproots;
nistrai-gunyah-free from the influence of the three modes of material nature;
bhavati-becomes; yah-who; yoga-(desire for) gain; ksemam-and security; tyajati-gives
up.
TRANSLATION
[Who can cross beyond illusion?] That person who stays in a
secluded place, cuts off at the root his attachment to mundane society, becomes
free from the influence of the three modes of nature, and gives up hankering
for material gain and security.
PURPORT
Narada is giving more ways to cross beyond maya. The first is
solitude (vivikta-sthanam sevate). Several times in the Bhagavad-gita Lord
Krishna advises that one practice spiritual life alone. Solitude is
particularly stressed in meditative yoga, which requires that one live alone in
a secluded place (rahasi sthitah ekaki) (Bg. 6.10). And in the Thirteenth
Chapter, when listing the items of knowledge, Lord Krishna includes
vivikta-desa-sevitvam, "aspiring to live in a solitary place" (Bg.
13.11). Again, in the Eighteenth Chapter, when describing a person who has been
elevated to the position of self-realization, Lord Krishna says that he
"lives in a solitary place" (vivikta-sevi) (Bg. 18.52).
Neophyte devotees, however, are not advised to live alone.
Although solitary bhajana was practiced by Namacarya Haridasa Thakura, and
sometimes by Lord Chaitanya, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura criticized
devotees who prematurely wanted to chant in a solitary place. He wrote,
"My dear mind, why are you so proud of being a Vaishnava? Your solitary
worship and chanting of the holy name of the Lord are based on a desire for
cheap popularity, and therefore your chanting of the holy name is only a
pretension" (quoted in Krishna, p. 882).
A sacred and solitary place, as mentioned in the Gita, also refers
to a place of pilgrimage. Shrila Prabhupada writes, "In India the
yogis-the transcendentalists or the devotees-all leave home and reside in
sacred places such as Prayaga, Mathura, Vrndavana, Hrsikesa, and Hardwar and in
solitude practice yoga where the sacred rivers like the Yamuna and Ganges
flow" (Bg. 6.11-12, purport). For devotees of Krishna, the most sacred
place of pilgrimage is Mathura-mandala, the district that includes Mathura and
Vrndavana. Rupa Gosvami recommends living in Mathura-mandala as one of the five
main principles of bhakti-yoga, and Shrila Prabhupada praises Mathura-mandala
as follows in his summary study of Rupa Gosvami's Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu:
A pure devotee of Lord
Krishna resides in the district of Mathura or Vrndavana and visits all the
places where Krishna's pastimes were performed.... Actually, if someone goes to
Vrndavana, he will immediately feel separation from Krishna, who performed such
nice activities when He was present there. [The Nectar of Devotion, p. 139]
Shrila Prabhupada worked hard for many years to establish temples
in Vrndavana and in Mayapura, the birthplace of Lord Chaitanya, so that
Westerners could come and be purified by living in the dhama. Of Vrndavana Shrila
Prabhupada states, "The places in the eighty-four-square-mile district of
Mathura are so beautifully situated on the banks of the river Yamuna that
anyone who goes there will never want to return to this material world....
Transcendental feelings are aroused immediately without fail after one arrives
in Mathura or Vrndavana" (The Nectar of Devotion, p. 111). The essential
benefit of a solitary place is that it provides freedom from worldly people and
passions. For devotees, this can best be attained in the dhama, in the
association of like-minded souls.
Narada also says that one who wants to overcome maya must break
the bonds of material attachment and live above the modes of nature. These are
some of the natural results of Krishna conscious life. In the Fourteenth
Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna describes how the three modes of
nature-goodness, passion, and ignorance-bind the living entity in samsara. To
become free of the modes, one has to hear the truth from the spiritual master.
Then one will gradually understand his original spiritual nature and how one is
entrapped by the modes. If one lives in the association of transcendentalists
and serves Lord Krishna along with them, one will not be controlled by the
modes of goodness, passion, and ignorance. The acaryas tell us that living in
the forest is in the mode of goodness, living in a town is in the mode of
passion, and living in a brothel is in the mode of ignorance-but to live in a
temple of Vishnu, in the society of devotees, is Vaikuntha. Indeed, another
meaning of "secluded and sacred place" is the temple of the Lord.
Shrila Prabhupada writes, "In this bhakti-yoga system, the temple is
considered the sacred place. The temple is nirguna, transcendental" (The
Path of Perfection, p. 38).
Narada also recommends renouncing anxieties for acquisition and
maintenance: yoga-ksemam tyajati. Lord Krishna also mentions yoga-ksema in the
Bhagavad-gita (9.22):
ananyas cintayanto mam ye janah paryupasate
tesam nityabhiyuktanam yoga-ksemam vahamy aham
"But those who always
worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form-to
them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have."
Dependence on the Lord for maintenance is an advanced stage of
spiritual life, but it is not based on imagination. The principle is that one
should not want more than what is absolutely necessary. Wanting anything beyond
that will simply cause anxiety. In any case, whether one is a poor brahmana, a
mendicant sannyasi, a businessman, or an administrator in a religious
institution, he or she should realize that the Supreme Lord is the actual
maintainer. If we live simply, engaging in Krishna's service and not creating
unnecessary demands, we will be able to reduce concerns for maintenance and
enter the spirit of yoga-ksemam tyajati, as recommended by Narada Muni.
TEXT 48
yah karma-phalam karmani sanyasyati tato nirdvandvo bhavati
SYNONYMS
yah-who; karma-phalam-the fruit of material work; karmani-his
material activities; sanyasati-resigns; tatah-thus; nirdvandvah-un-affected by
dualities; bhavati-becomes.
TRANSLATION
[Who can cross beyond illusion?] That person who renounces
material duties and their profits, thus transcending duality.
PURPORT
A devotee has faith that Lord Krishna will supply his needs. But
this does not mean that he becomes lazy or inactive. He works for Krishna. By
dedicating all acts to the Lord, the devotee becomes free from karmic
reactions. As long as one continues to work under the influence of the modes of
nature, one must experience duality-good and bad, hot and cold, rich and poor,
pleasure and pain, and so on. As Lord Krishna states in Bhagavad-gita (7.27),
iccha-dvesa-samutthena dvandva-mohena bharata
sarva-bhutani sammoham sarge yanti parantapa
"O scion of Bharata, O
conqueror of foes, all living entities are born into delusion, bewildered by
dualities arisen from desire and hate." And in his purport, Prabhupada
explains,
Deluded persons, symptomatically, dwell in dualities of dishonor
and honor, misery and happiness, woman and man, good and bad, pleasure and
pain, etc., thinking, "This is my wife; this is my house; I am the master
of this house; I am the husband of this wife." These are the dualities of
delusion. Those who are so deluded by dualities are completely foolish and
therefore cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The delusion of duality stems from identifying the self with the
body. When a person understands that he is not the body but an eternal servant
of Krishna, the delusion of duality ceases for him. A devotee can break the
bonds of duality even while living in the material world. When a devotee feels
bodily heat or cold, pleasure or pain, he sees it in terms of the body, and he
continues to perform his service without distraction. Early in the
Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna advises Arjuna to remain equipoised in both
happiness and distress. Later, Krishna expresses His pleasure with the devotee
who transcends duality: "One who neither rejoices nor grieves, who neither
laments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious and inauspicious
things-such a devotee is very dear to Me" (Bg. 12.17).
It should be obvious by now that bhakti is not merely pious
thoughts of "love" but rather fearless action. Narada asks nothing
less of the bhakta than complete surrender and complete dedication unto the
will of Bhagavan. But if at any point one feels himself unable to reach the
ideals taught by Narada, he is not condemned. Lord Krishna also says that if we
cannot achieve the topmost surrender, then we should do what we can and try to
progress gradually (see Bhagavad-gita 12.8-12). But we should be humble about
our inability to fully surrender to Lord Krishna. We should not attempt to
change the uncompromising teachings in order to justify our weakness. Narada
and the Vaishnava acaryas are asking us to change our lives in order to become
bhaktas, because that alone will make us eternally happy. The difficulties we
feel in making these changes are due to our material attachments.
Lord Krishna gives a stern order in Bhagavad-gita (3.30):
mayi sarvani karmani sannyasyadhyatma-cetasa
nirasir nirmamo bhutva yudhyasva vigata-jvarah
"O Arjuna,
surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires
for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy,
fight." And Shrila Prabhupada was also stern, cautioning his followers,
"An easy-going life and Krishna consciousness go ill together." Maya
dictates to us to take it easy and stay in the material world, but her
suggestions are only a deception. She will tell us not to perform austerities
in devotional service, but if we fall under her influence, we will be forced to
labor and suffer in lower species of life, birth after birth. Narada is asking
us to undergo a little trouble now in order to cross over the ocean of maya and
be free of all suffering forever.
TEXT 49
yo vedan api sanyasyati kevalam avicchinnanuragam labhate
SYNONYMS
yah-who; vedan-the Vedas; api-even; sanyasyati-renounces;
kevalam-exclusive; avicchinna-uninterrupted; anuragam-loving attraction;
labhate-obtains.
TRANSLATION
That person who renounces even the Vedas obtains exclusive and
uninterrupted attraction for God.
PURPORT
By "renouncing the Vedas" Narada means renouncing the
fruitive sacrifices recommended in the Vedas' karma-kandiya portions, which are
for those pursuing fruitive results. Lord Krishna advises Arjuna, "The
Vedas deal mainly with the subject of the three modes of material nature. O
Arjuna, become transcendental to these three modes.... All purposes served by a
small well can at once be served by a great reservoir of water. Similarly, all
the purposes of the Vedas can be served to one who knows the purpose behind
them" (Bg. 2.45-46). The karma-kandiya instructions are for gradual
development, but the ultimate goal is to know Lord Krishna, the cause of all
causes (see Bhagavad-gita 15.15). If one is attached only to the rituals and
not the goal, then he cannot rise to the transcendental stage.
Similarly, the study of the Vedanta-sutra is meant for
understanding Lord Krishna. Shrila Prabhupada writes, "Vedanta is the last
word in Vedic wisdom, and the author and knower of the Vedanta philosophy is
Lord Krishna; and the highest Vedantist is the great soul who takes pleasure in
chanting the holy name of the Lord" (Bg. 2.46, purport).
Shrila Vyasadeva begins the Shrimad-Bhagavatam (1.1.2) with the
declaration that no lesser forms of religion will be taught: dharmah
projjhita-kaitavah. Only pure devotional service is taught in the Bhagavata
Purana. Lord Krishna also concludes His instructions to Arjuna by advising him,
sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: "Abandon all varieties of
religion and just surrender unto Me." (Bg. 18.66)
Still, although a pure devotee ignores the karma-kandiya portion
of the Vedas and gives up all forms of dharma save bhakti, he never defies the
bhakti-sastras or gives up following their injunctions. In fact, liberated
souls always relish hearing the pastimes of the Personality of Godhead from
transcendental books like the Shrimad-Bhagavatam, the Chaitanya-charitamrita,
and the works of the six Gosvamis of Vrndavana. Shrila Prabhupada writes,
"The Shrimad-Bhagavatam. .. is purely transcendental literature which can
be understood only by the pure devotees of the Lord who are transcendental to
competitive sense gratification" (Bhag. 1.1.2, purport). Shrila Vyasadeva
says, "O thoughtful devotees, as long as you are not absorbed in
transcendental bliss, you should continue tasting the Shrimad-Bhagavatam, and
when you are fully absorbed in bliss you should go on tasting its mellows
forever" (Bhag. 1.1.3). The sages at Naimisaranya declare, "We never
tire of hearing the transcendental pastimes of the Personality of Godhead, who
is glorified by hymns and prayers. Those who enjoy association with Him relish
hearing His pastimes at every moment" (Bhag. 1.1.19).
Even great souls who were liberated in Brahman realization became
attracted to the narrations of Krishna in Shrimad-Bhagavatam. As Sukadeva
Gosvami told Maharaja Pariksit, "My dear King, although I was fully
situated in the transcendental position, I was nonetheless attracted to the
pastimes of Lord Krishna. Therefore I studied Shrimad-Bhagavatam from my
father." (Bhag. 2.1.9) And Lord Chaitanya, though God Himself, constantly
relished hearing the Bhagavatam and other Vaishnava literatures, as well as the
poetry of Vaishnava saints, which He discussed among His intimate devotees. So
renouncing the karma-kandiya rituals of the Vedas does not mean giving up the
eternal pastimes of Lord Krishna.
For those who are striving for perfection, certainly the relevant
part of the Vedas is not to be rejected. But sometimes devotees in the
spontaneous stage appear to come into conflict with Vedic customs. Once
Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya had to explain this stage of spontaneous love to King
Prataparudra. The king had observed the devotees of Lord Chaitanya arriving in
Puri without following some of the customary rules. The king asked Sarvabhauma,
"Why have they not observed the regulations for visiting the pilgrimage
place, such as fasting and shaving the head? Why have they first eaten
prasadam?" Sarvabhauma replied to the king, "What you have said is
right according to the regulative principles governing the visiting of holy
places, but there is another path, which is the path of spontaneous love.
According to those principles, there are subtle intricacies involved in the
execution of religious principles" (Cc. Madhya 11.111-12). Because Lord Chaitanya
was personally present and distributing prasadam from His own hand, His
intimate devotees neglected the regulative principle of fasting.
Narada uses the word kevalam, which indicates that one's love for
Krishna must be undivided and unalloyed. Bhakti as taught by Narada is not
part-time service, or devotion only up to a certain point. In the spontaneous
stage, all considerations except bhakti are unimportant, as in the gopis'
rejection of family and social considerations. The gopis did not disregard their
duties consciously, but they were simply unable to think of anything but going
to Krishna.
When a devotee reaches the stage Narada describes here, his
devotional service flows uninterruptedly. Queen Kunti aspired for that stage:
"O Lord of Madhu," she prayed, "as the Ganges ever flows to the
sea without hindrance, let my attraction be constantly drawn unto You without
being diverted to anyone else" (Bhag. 1.8.42). Shrila Prabhupada describes
Narada Muni's own flow of devotional service:
Such a flow of devotional service cannot stop. On the contrary, it
increases more and more without limitation. The flow of devotional service is
so potent that any onlooker also becomes liberated from the influence of the
modes of passion and ignorance. [Bhag. 1.5.28, purport]
Neophyte devotees complain of sporadic enthusiasm. They are
sometimes eager to chant and hear of Krishna, but at other times they are
troubled by thoughts of sense pleasure and a lack of taste for Krishna
consciousness. This up-and-down syndrome is not unusual for beginners. Every
soul's original state is to experience a spontaneous flow of love of God, but
this love has been covered by countless millions of years of conditioning in
the material world. This conditioning is not easy to overcome. In the early
stages of bhakti, therefore, determination is of the utmost importance. At the
same time, we may be inspired by the reality of spontaneous love as described
by Narada and exhibited by devotees who serve the Lord in prema-bhakti.
TEXT 50
sa tarati sa tarati lokams tarayati
SYNONYMS
sah-he; tarati-crosses beyond; sah-he; tarati-crosses beyond;
lokan-the people of this world; tarayati-he makes cross beyond.
TRANSLATION
Such a person, indeed, is delivered, and he also delivers the rest
of the world.
PURPORT
Narada repeats "He crosses maya" so that there will be
no doubt. The skeptic questions, "Has anyone really crossed over
maya?" Don't doubt, Narada says: The pure devotee crosses maya, and he can
deliver you, too.
Many disciples of Shrila Prabhupada attest to the fact that he
personally picked them up from maya. When I first met Shrila Prabhupada, I
asked him, "Is there a stage in spiritual advancement from which one won't
fall back?" Prabhupada replied, "Yes." And his answer convinced
me. The perfect answer in a book would not have been enough for me. Although
great souls are not self-assertive, they personally demonstrate that liberated
persons do exist, and that they can help us. As the demigods stated in their
prayers to Krishna as He lay in the womb of Devaki, "When acaryas
completely take shelter under Your lotus feet in order to cross the fierce
ocean of nescience, they leave behind on earth the method by which they cross,
and because You are very merciful to Your other devotees, You accept this
method to help them" (Bhag. 10.2.31). Shrila Prabhupada writes,
If things are made easy, this affords facility for the person who
has made them easy and also for others who follow the same principles. The
process recommended for crossing the ocean of nescience is easy not only for
the devotee but for common persons who follow the devotee (maha-jano yena gatah
sa panthah). [Bhag. 10.2.30, purport]
Pure devotees help others in many ways. Sometimes they give
lectures, and at other times they meet with both devotees and nondevotees. When
persons come forward for more serious instruction, the pure devotee acts as
spiritual master and trains disciples to render service to the Personality of
Godhead. Sometimes pure devotees become authors. Shrila Prabhupada writes,
"It is the duty of the acarya to publish books that will help future
candidates take up the method of service and become eligible to return home,
back to Godhead, by the mercy of the Lord." Sometimes the liberated souls
recruit disciples who then go out and preach, following the example of their
spiritual master. Great souls sometimes begin movements or societies in which
devotees can live and practice bhakti. And sometimes they construct temples
where the public can come to see the Deity form of Lord Krishna and taste His
prasadam, the remnants of food offered to Him. Thus both by personal example
and by precept, and even after their disappearance from the mortal world, the
great souls help the conditioned souls who have forgotten their love for
Krishna. As Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura so eloquently put it:
He reasons ill who says
that Vaishnavas die,
When thou art living still in sound!
The Vaishnavas die to live, and living try
To spread the holy name around.