Divinity and Divine Service...

Oct 14: Canto 1, Chapter 2 last verse completed.

Sincerity is the key....

Verse 1.2.33: Krishna, as paramatma sits in the heart is explained in this shloka.
We are actually making newer bodies for us everyday, especially if we are not Krishna conscious. Krishna is explaining that it is very difficult to explain the material nature.

Paramatma sitting in the heart, allows some actions and rejects some. Why paramatma rejects is that we might not deserve those reactions. He is the overseer and permitter.
He watches our actions and either permits them or rejects them. The gross material body is based on the conditions of the subtle mind, and the senses are created according to the desire of the living being. The Lord as Paramätmä helps the living being to get material happiness because the living being is helpless in all respects in obtaining what he desires.

This is what has been happening for time immemorial. Because Krishna is not there, our actions have reactions. It is deepening the feeling that we are this body and we are getting into the conditioning of doing it again and again.

Our have a subtle body, in close proximity of around 1 m with another body, we are being influenced by the other body. Unknowingly we are making newer bodies for us. Actually spirit soul has nothing to do with this body, it is just because of avidya we identify with all these bodily connections.

Happiness-distress-happiness-distress....continues.
So what should we do. There is no happiness in this world. It is so temporary.
So finally we come in touch with Krishna. In the association of devotees, we chant and serve. That cleanses us. Until we are sufficiently cleansed, we will not know for sure that we are not this body, we are spirit soul.

So we should be very very sincere. Why? Because only in the human beings, we are have this wonderful opportunity to understand. No other body will allow us this facility. Sincerity is the only way we can continue our quest to be Krishna Conscious.

Paramatma is Transcendental....

Verse 1.2.31: So here, Sukadeva Goswami is telling that after creating the creation, Vasudev (Krishna) enters into each and every atom.
Nice example in Srimad Bhagavatam: iron rod in contact with fire. Likewise,
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What we need to do: is to develop prema.
Our krishna conscious path given by Srila Prabhupada is very pure and purifying to us, that's why we need to chant very very nicely.

How do we chant nicely...."trnad api sunicena.....sada harih".

Recognizing the mercy of the parampara....

Verse 1.2.30: Sripad Sankaracharya writes in his commentary that the Supreme Lord Narayana manifests in the material world.
Pradan means the elements needed for the mahattatva to manifest. From mahattatva, ether, wind, fire, air, water and earth, the gross elements of matter come.

Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna: about his 8 separated elements which cause the material nature.
Krishna's internal energy is different from His external energy. The living entity from time immemorial are trying to enjoying the dead matter of material nature. This is because of false ego, ignorance and we have developed a taste for the 3 modes. But we are never happy in this situation. This itself is a fool-proof thing that we don't belong to this material world. So how to come out of this cycle.

That's where eating prasad, going to holy places which are spiritually surcharged, we slowly try to revive our original nature. Otherwise we will be trying to enjoy matter and we will be forced to enjoy the material bodies birth after birth. Actually Srila Madhvaacharya says that anyone taking birth and living for just 18 years, creates enough karma to again take birth for another 10 births.

So we should see how much fortunate we are, we are getting this mercy of in just one life time we have a chance to get out of this cycle of birth and death. Srila Prabhupada has told us that if we simply follows his words, he will take us back somehow. That is the mercy of the acharya's of our parampara and of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We really do not know how much mercy we are receiving.

Maya tells us to give it up. This is Maya's service to Krishna. We should not leave it for anything, we should continue in this as our service to Srila Prabhupada.

Para and apara Prkrati's...

Verse 1.2.28-29: Continuing the purport summary -
Krishna is explaining in the Bhagavad-gita that there are two prakriti's - para (transcendental) and apara (material nature). Krishna has two expansions: amsa (integrated) and vibinnamsa (separated). The jiva's, who want to enjoy independent of Krishna, fall in the later expansion. We fall down, get caught in the 3 modes of material nature, have pride, false ego and we enjoy for a little time or suffer for some time and this has been going on since time immemorial. The thing to remember is happiness is for a much smaller time than suffering.

So here Sukadeva Goswami is explaining as to how we come out of this cycle, by taking shelter of Krishna unmotivated and uninterrupted. There is a way to come out of the material nature, Krishna is telling that just by serving to Him, coming under his shelter, we will definitely transcend the modes of nature and come to the platform of Brahman. That is the only way, only way, only way. Except for the chanting of Krishna only, there is no other way. Even one round of chanting of the Holy Name of Krishna, will give us eternal credit.

All austerities as an offering to Krishna...

Verse 1.2.28-29: Continuing summary to purport.
Actually Bhagavad-gita 18th chapter speaks of the austerities. In India, usually we see people fasting on specific days for material needs. It is mainly in the mode of passion or mode of ignorance, since the goal of fasting is something other than Krishna.

But Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita explain that it is wrong. There is benefit, but it is in the mode of ignorance and passion. But austerity should be done for Krishna. Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita..."Yat karosi, yat juhosi....tad kurusva mad arpanam", whatever austerities you perform, do it for me as an offering to me, then you will become my devotee and you will come back to me. That is Krishna Consciousness. So doing things, should be according to dharma is important. If we somehow or other keep Krishna as the goal of life, then we achieve the perfection of our life.

Culturing of Knowledge...

Verse 1.2.28-29: Summary to Purport Continuing-
Srila Prabhupada is explaining that there are so many people who are educated, but why they are not understanding Krishna. A Person who is well educated, but his knowledge is stolen away by maya, is the lowest among mankind, is demoniac. According to Bhagavad-gita, there are 18 items in culturing knowledge. The topmost objective of knowledge is to surrender to the spiritual master, offering oneself to his service culminating in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That will be eternal credit, as compared to the temporary nature of material knowledge.

Krishna is the Ultimate everything!!!

Verse 1.2.28-29: Basically this verse summarizes that Krishna is the ultimate source of all the sacrifices. So Krishna is the source of all the devathas. So whatever Srimad Bhagavatam says and is explaining, is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita. People do not understand this. Though Sankaracharya initially talked about the demigods, he himself in the Bhagavad-gita's commentary is telling the let their be one God, Sri Krishna, etc .

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There are problems we are exposed to, so we understand the temporary nature of this world. So we are reminded of taking shelter of Sri Krishna. So so many life times goes waste for us, it is important to realize this.

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If we don't follow strictly the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness, then it becomes diluted and once so, it is very tough for all of us. There are many examples we can see today of this dilution in many religions. Uphold the principles strictly and give it to our family and all others.

Verse 1.2.27: Coming soon...

Verse 1.2.26: Coming soon...

3 Modes of Nature

Verse 1.2.24: Krishna speaks of the same thing in Bhagavad-gita also, worship in the 3 modes. Mostly no one of us was aware of these 3 modes before we came to Krishna Consciousness. Here Srimad Bhagavatam is explaining that tamo guna is like wood, but sattva guna is like fire, which can be used very nicely. Many people in this world have little idea on ignorance, passion and goodness, modes of nature.

Only when one comes into the sattva guna, will one get an understanding of the temporary nature of this world. They therefore lead the life oriented towards Krishna. But the problem with mode of goodness is we tend to think that we are the doer. Since many activities especially philanthropy etc., are done in the mode of goodness, it leads us to think we are the doer's. But we are not. So higher than this is shuddasatva. Sincere candidates must, therefore, approach an expert spiritual master for such a progressive march, and the bona fide, expert spiritual master is competent to direct a disciple from any stage of life: tamas, rajas or sattva.

It is a mistake, therefore, to consider that worship of any quality or any form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is equally beneficial. Except Vishnu, all separated forms are manifested under the conditions of material energy, and therefore the forms of material energy cannot help anyone to rise to the platform of sattva, which alone can liberate a person from material bondage.
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By simply serving the lotus feet of Krishna, we can transcend the 3 modes. The beauty lies in balancing the material and spiritual life, so if we chant nicely, we can perfectly do that.

Goal of Religion....

Verse 1.2.25: The goal of religion is to understand that we are not this body, we are spirit soul and render devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The goal of any/every religion is to go back to Vaikunta. For that, what is to be done is to chant the Holy Name, serve the Vaishnavas and stay in the association of Vaishnavas.

Devotional service performed in the the association of Vaishnavas is the cause of pure devotional service. Srila Prabhupada is telling that for us to get pure devotional service, we have to do bhakti staying in the association of devotees. If devotees are pleased, then Krishna is pleased.

We have to please Krishna by starting from sravanam and kirtanam. We have to serve the devotees according to their spiritual levels. Uttama, Madhyama and Kanishta adhikari's, all of them have to be paid obeisances and take guidance from Uttama and Madhyama adhikari's.

Non devotee and people who are envious, we have to avoid their association.

Devotional Service is blissful....

Verse 1.2.22: Srila Prabhupada is writing here that Bhakti is very pleasing. Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita and other scriptures repeatedly tell that you are not this body, you are a spirit soul. The constitutional nature of the spirit soul, being a part and parcel of it is to render service to Lord Krishna. Unmotivated and uninterrupted devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So actually anything that is natural to the spirit soul, it is very very happy.

So when we don't do that, we are in a different difficult state. Because of the association of matter for such a long time, because of the desire to enjoy without Krishna, we think we are enjoying in the material life with eating, sleeping, mating and defending. We think we are happy, but it is actually a suffering.
But as soon as we turn to this constitutional position of serving the Lord, we become so blissful. That's why so many transcendentalists could be so delightful.
Eg: Rupa Goswami, Sanatana Goswami, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.... they all gave up everything although they had so oppulent background.

So when we begin this process of serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, initially what happens, we get nice pleasure. Then Krishna wants us to serve Vaishnavas and by our continued sincere service, we get progress little by little by little and ultimately leading us to enlivening our self.

The knot is cut.....

Verse 1.2.21 : All these verses, they explain the process of our existence. This is a process. We are trying to know who we are and our connection with God. God realization also means self-realization. (Eg: Having $100 also means having $10)
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We are stuck in this body, the knot is there. The spirit soul is tied up with the body by the root of false ego. So how do we cut this root. By reading Srimad Bhagavatam, serving devotees. Then what happens...today's sloka. The tough knot in the heart is pierced and all misgivings cut into pieces. So this know is cut by knowledge and detachment. Then we will see the spirit soul.

When we see the spirit soul, then we attain the perfection of life. Until such time we are caught up in so many problems. The only control we have is we can purify ourselves of our karma, with the grace of Krishna. What is that we have in our hands, thoroughly purify our hands. Do we try to enjoy in the bathroom, not really. We try to cleanse our body there, similarly this world means to purify ourselves.

Urge to hear His messages...Cleanses the Heart!!

Verse 1.2.17: What a wonderful sloka. First Canto is very very important because of these wonderful slokas. Krishna is to be glorified, when we chant His name, what happens... anything that is troublesome to the heart, it is removed. It can be seen from experience. The knots of the heart, the things that are troubling us for so many years, are removed. We might live in the material world, we are dealing with so many things, when we keep chanting, our perception to the world changes. How is this, Krishna in our heart, is cleansing us of so many things. It can be very clearly observed as life passes.

The day is over, the year is over....., we don't even realize how years are going by, we are so much in passion that it just keeps going. But when we come to Krishna Consciousness, then we start looking at our bad qualities. The socialists say introspection, but did we ever do it. It is actually Krishna, who is giving us the difference between bad and good and is cleansing our impurities. We are going to the temple, reading SP's books,how...because of Lord Krishna. He is also called "Uttama Sloka".

Actually if we glorify Krishna, our heart gets purified. So what we have to do, develop this taste. How...just chant properly. Morning one hour and evening one hour, or it is good to do all our rounds in the morning. But should not to do two things at a time, chanting and thinking of something else when Krishna is coming to us. Then our chanting is offensive and we cannot get His mercy. So we should please chant very very attentively.

Attraction to Krishna, by Service and Humility

Verse 1.2.16: When we serve the devotees, (with humility and sincerity), what happens, we develop affinity (attraction) to Krishna and His devotees. This is the subtle science. If we serve nicely to devotees and Krishna, we will surely see an increase in our attraction to the pastimes of Krishna. That is the barometer.

Our condition life exists because we are rebellious of Krishna. So how do we come out of that. By serving the pure devotees. Eg: Narada muni, in his previous life, served the bhakti-vedantas for 4 months, had their remnants and that increased his affinity to the Lord. That type of service brings you from the greatest problem of life to the lotus feet of Krishna.

Whoever has surrendered their life to the lotus feet of Krishna, their life will go on smoothly, even if they have tons of karma, their life will just be so smooth. So we surrender our life to Krishna through Guru, then he protects us from the blazing fire of material existence. But what we have to do, to let the mercy flow, we should be very very eagerly serving the devotees, chanting the Holy name of Krishna and thus get attracted to Krishna's lotus feet.

Cutting the knots of Material Existence...

Verse 1.2.15: Always thinking of Krishna will cut the knot of the chain of reactions. Actually, Srimad Bhagavatam very nicely explains the process of self-realization, as to how do we come out of the problems due to passion, ignorance and finally transcend the mode of goodness into spirituality.

How to come to mode of goodness, everybody is passionate. By listening SB, listening about the pastimes of Krishna, by constant remembrance of Krishna, slowly even for 5 to 10 minutes every day, slowly we will come to the mode of goodness. When we come to mode of goodness, we will be happy. But Krishna says that we should be just be there, we should aim for the spiritual world, ultimate service for Krishna. Liberation is an insignificant by-product of Bhakti. Sravanam and Kirtanam are most essential for this Bhakti process. All 9 processes of bhakti are important too.

Anything we do, we can do it for Krishna. Imagine we are greedy, just think of Krishna, we will lose all our greediness. Since where Krishna is there, there is no passion or ignorance.

It all depends on our chanting. Praying and chanting is our only way for spiritual progress.

3 phases of the Absolute Truth!

Verse 1.2.11: Everyone should definitely memorize this verse. Prabhuji will ask in a couple of days.

So Sukadeva Goswami after telling the previous slokas, was talking about the spirit souls. But now, he is coming to the Absolute Truth. This is very important, the absolute truth is realized in 3 phases: brahman, paramatma and bhagavan. There is qualitative oneness, but there is difference too.

Srila Prabhupada has given a lot of emphasis: brahman, paramatma and bhagavan. Everything rests in the brahman, but Krishna is telling that I am the source of brahman. Next is paramatma, which is the localized presence of Krishna, he is the closest to the soul. The next and the highest is Bhagavan. Srila Prabhupada always gave this example: Sun rays (similar to all pervading brahman), Sun Planet (similar to trying to understand paramatma) and the Sun God (similar to realizing Bhagavan).

Brahman (sat feature is there), Paramatma (sat and chit feature is there), but only in Bhagavan ( has all three: sat-chit-ananda features). Similar to perfect, more perfect and most perfect.

The actual ananda comes in the Bhagavan realization stage, since the Supreme Personality of Godhead is enjoying different rasas with so many of His devotees.

Restraint of the Senses, Inquiry of the Absolute Truth!

Verse 1.2.10: This is a very heavy verse and it is important too. There is lot of difference between Kama and Prema. They really do not know that nobody in the word except for devotees know the difference between lust and love.

When we try to enjoy our senses, then it is lust. When we try to please Krishna's senses, it is love. Srimad Bhagavatam is clearly explaining this. We should not target enjoy our life for sense enjoyment. Srimad Bhagavatam is telling don't enjoy on the level of senses, it is degraded. Because people do not know that they are spirit soul, they go to huge extents and finally leave the body. Not just America, even India is nothing less is sense enjoyment.

Eyes want to see nice beautiful things, similarly ears, skin, tongue everything wants nice things. But Srimad Bhagavatam is explaining please do not do that. It is not asking us to completely stop it, but it is asking us to exercise restraint. Regulation is absolutely required.

Anybody who says yes to us is our friend, no to us is our enemy. Thats how it is. Everyone is nicely using their life for sleeping, eating, mating and defending. All the time is gone here. Today that person is considered more advanced, if he does it in more advanced way (laughter). Actually we need a lot of preaching in this world now.

Life and life, we are completely absorbed in this sense gratification, but Srimad Bhagavatam is asking us to desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one's works.

That's why we have to chant very nicely, clearly cleanse the heart, otherwise we are missing the chance.

Occupational Engagements not for Sense Gratification!

Verse 1.2.9: Actually, Sukadeva Goswami is telling about the goal of life. Dharmasya hi apavargasya. The goal of Srimad Bhagavatam for our life is to go back home back to Godhead. First thing is we need to come out of the materistic life. The "pa" varga: parishram (people work very hard for sense gratification), then comes bhoga-tyaga (enjoyment-renunciation), since they work so hard, in the night they get "fena", foam comes out of their mouth, then sense gratification and then comes "bha" means bhandha (bondage), then comes "bhaa" means bhaya (fear to protect what one has), then one day they will reach "ma" means mrutya, death, which takes away everything.

But what is the use of Srimad Bhagavatam here, it gives us the a-pa-vargasya. It is giving the means of breaking the above problem, through reading Srimad Bhagavatm, serving devotees, then attraction to Krishna comes, then we can break this chain of "pa" varga. Then we will be eternally happy.

For this chanting should be very very sincere.

Religion is not for sense gratification, religion comes from the root religio means to connect back, back to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How is this done, by serving the book and devotee bhagavat sincerely.