In2-MeC

Christchurch, New Zealand
25 November 2003

Bhagavad-Gita in Essence
(continued from yesterday)

The Second Essence: The Catur-Sloki Gita
(Bg 10.8-10.11)

The Essence of God Realization in Four Verses

Focus on the purport of Bg 10.9:

The symptoms of the pure devotees are described in this verse specifically. Devotees of the Supreme Lord are twenty-four hours daily engaged in glorifying the qualities and pastimes of the Supreme Lord.

Notes:

Bg 9.13, 14:

Oh son of Prtha, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible. Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.

In the preliminary stage of devotional service they relish the transcendental pleasure from the service itself, and in the mature stage they are actually situated in love of God. Once situated in that transcendental position, they can relish the highest perfection which is exhibited by the Lord in His abode.

Notes:

1. The preliminary stage referred to here is the stage of ruci, as confirmed by the following quote from Madhurya-kadambini, the Fifth Shower of Nectar, by Srila Visvanatha Cakravati Thakura:

When the golden coin of bhakti, devotion, shining effulgently by the fire of steady practice and propelled by its own energy, becomes fixed in the devotee's heart, ruci or taste for devotional activities appears. When a person develops a taste for the activities of bhakti such as hearing and chanting , which is vastly greater than attraction to anything else, that is called ruci. Unlike the previous stages, at the state of ruci constant performance of hearing and chanting does not result in even the least fatigue. Ruci quickly produces a great attachment to the activities of bhakti. This is similar to a brahmana boy who, after diligently studying the scriptures daily, and in time grasping the meaning, finds no difficulties at all in applying himself to study, and moreover, develops a pleasure in the task.

2. The mature stage begins with asakti, as is seen in the quote below from the Fifth Shower of the Madhurya-kadambini. Asakti (transcendental attachment) is the threshold of raga-bhakti.

After this, when ruci (taste) which has bhajana (hearing chanting and other devotional activities) as its object of relish, reaches extreme depth, and makes Krsna the object of relish, that is called asakti or attachment. At the stage of asakti, the creeper of bhakti bears clusters of buds. These buds will in no time become flowers, at the stage of bhava and then fruits at the stage of prema. The statement that ruci has bhajan as the object and asakti has the Lord as the object is a designation signifying proportionate quantity. Actually both ruci and asakti have both components as objects, but by less intensity in taking bhajana as object and greater intensity in taking the Lord as object, asakti become distinguishable from ruci. Asakti polishes the mirror of the heart to such a condition that a reflection of the Lord may suddenly be visible there. Before the stage of asakti, the devotee, realizing that his mind has been overpowered by material objects and desires, after putting forth deliberate effort, withdraws his mind and fixes it on the Lord's form, qualities and activities. In the stage of asakti however, absorption of the mind in the Lord is automatic, without effort.

Lord Caitanya likens transcendental devotional service to the sowing of a seed in the heart of the living entity. There are innumerable living entities traveling throughout the different planets of the universe, and out of them there are a few who are fortunate enough to meet a pure devotee and get the chance to understand devotional service. This devotional service is just like a seed, and if it is sown in the heart of a living entity, and if he goes on hearing and chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, that seed fructifies, just as the seed of a tree fructifies with regular watering. The spiritual plant of devotional service gradually grows and grows until it penetrates the covering of the material universe and enters into the brahmajyoti effulgence in the spiritual sky. In the spiritual sky also that plant grows more and more until it reaches the highest planet, which is called Goloka Vrndavana, the supreme planet of Krsna. Ultimately, the plant takes shelter under the lotus feet of Krsna and rests there. Gradually, as a plant grows fruits and flowers, that plant of devotional service also produces fruits, and the watering process in the form of chanting and hearing goes on. This plant of devotional service is fully described in the Caitanya- caritamrta (Madhya-lila, Chapter Nineteen). It is explained there that when the complete plant takes shelter under the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, one becomes fully absorbed in love of God; then he cannot live even for a moment without being in contact with the Supreme Lord, just as a fish cannot live without water. In such a state, the devotee actually attains the transcendental qualities in contact with the Supreme Lord.

Notes:

1. In Bhagavad-gita 10.9, Sri Krsna glorifies sravanam-kirtanam in the association of pure devotees of the Lord. He is advising the wise Vedantists who have developed preliminary devotional sentiments by appreciating His greatness to take the association of His devotees and thus become perfect in Krsna consciousness.

Quotation from the first verse of Svetasvatara Upanisad:

Hari Om. The Brahmavadis say: What is the first, the great cause? From where were we born? How do we remain alive? Where do we go at death? O knowers of Brahman, by whose will are we subject to pleasure and pain?

Quotation from the last verse of the same Upanisad:

yasya deve para bhaktir
yatha deve tatha guaru
tasyaite kathita hy artha
prakasante mahatmanah

Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.

2. In the Fourth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, verses 25-33, Sri Krsna describes the various sacrifices of yogis, mystics, renunciates and philosophers to attain transcendental knowledge. In verse 34 he gives His own opinion how transcendental knowledge is to be attained:

Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.

3. As stated in the Mahabharata Vana-parva 313.117:

Dry arguments are inconclusive. A muni whose opinion does not differ from others is not considered a great sage. Simply by studying the Vedas, which are variegated, one cannot come to the right path by which religious principles are understood. The solid truth of religious principles is hidden in the heart of an unadulterated self-realized person. Consequently, as the satras confirm, one should accept whatever progressive path the mahajanas advocate (mahajano yena gatah sa panthah)."

Quotation from Srila Prabhupada:

So Caitanya Mahaprabhu also advised that jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva. Giving up the false speculation of understanding God in your calculation, just become humble and meek. Jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva san-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam. And try to hear about God from realized souls. From Krsna or His bona fide representative. That is very nice qualification. Simply hear. Sthane sthitah sruti gatam tanu van manobhir. In this way you remain in your position, try to understand how great is God through the authoritative sources, and your life will be so successful that one day you'll find God is within your hand. It is so nice thing. Just like you keep a child within your hand, just mother Yasoda kept Krsna within his (her) arms always, you'll also have a similar position simply by hearing about Him.

The Srimad-Bhagavatam is also full of such narrations about the relationship between the Supreme Lord and His devotees; therefore the Srimad-Bhagavatam is very dear to the devotees, as stated in the Bhagavatam itself (12.13.18). Srimad-bhagavatam puranam amalam yad vaisnavanam priyam. In this narration there is nothing about material activities, economic development, sense gratification or liberation. Srimad-Bhagavatam is the only narration in which the transcendental nature of the Supreme Lord and His devotees is fully described. Thus the realized souls in Krsna consciousness take continual pleasure in hearing such transcen- dental literatures, just as a young boy and girl take pleasure in association.

Notes:

SB 1.7.10 (the Atmarama verse):

All different varieties of atmaramas (those who take pleasure in atma, or spirit self), especially those established on the path of self-realization, though freed from all kinds of material bondage, desire to render unalloyed devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead. This means that the Lord possesses transcendental qualities and therefore can attract everyone, including liberated souls.

SB 10.2.32:

O lotus-eyed Lord, although nondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances to achieve the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is impure. They fall down from their position of imagined superiority because they have no regard for your lotus feet.

(To be continued tomorrow, focusing on the purport to Bg 10.10)

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