Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 6.154
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971

Prabhupada: Caitanya Mahaprabhu is quoting from Visnu Purana. As I have told you the other day, there are eighteen puranas: sattvika-purana, rajasic-purana, and tamasic-purana. The whole scheme of Vedic culture is to reclaim all fallen conditioned souls to the platform of transcendental realization. That is the scheme. There are different status of human understanding according to the association of the qualities. The living being is just like a spark of the complete fire. Brahman is the complete fire, and the living entities are just like sparks. The equality with Param Brahman and individual living entity is on the qualitative basis. The quality is the same. Brahman, Param Brahman. Jivatma, Brahman, spiritual, and Paramatma, or Paramesvara. He is supreme, complete.

So Visnu Purana is for the persons who are on the platform of sattva-guna, those who are associating with the modes of goodness. This is not correct that everyone is one the same platform. Generally, at the present moment, people are in the platform of tamo-guna and rajo-guna, mixed. So one has to rise to the platform of sattva-guna. And then, after transcending the sattva-guna, also when one is situated in suddha-sattva, or pure sattva-guna… In this material world, even sattva-guna is sometimes contacted with rajo-guna and tamo-guna; therefore it is not completely pure. No guna is pure. It is mixed-up always. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. So one has to transcend these gunas; then God realization, or understanding of Krsna, can be achieved. But the devotional service, vidhi-bhakti, the process of rendering devotional service to the Lord according to the prescribed regulative principles in the sastra, helps us to transcend all these qualities. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. Who? Mam ca vyabhicarini bhakti-yogena yah sevate. Anyone who is engaged in pure devotional service to the Lord, he is immediately on the transcendental position, I mean to…, surpassing the three gunas. Sa gunan… Gunan, bahu-vacanam, plural number. Immediately. Therefore, we are preaching Krsna consciousness. If somehow or other one takes to Krsna consciousness, he immediately becomes liberated. Immediately becomes liberated. Because Krsna says that sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. And that is a practical application we are now experiencing while preaching in the Western world. The Western world, as you know, ninety-nine percent, they are in the tamo-guna and rajo-guna. They are very active, working day and night. We are also, here in India. That is rajo-guna. And tamo-guna, ignorance, and rajo-guna, passion. Rajo-guna is better than the tamo-guna in the sense: in the tamo-guna people are lazy, sleeping, lethargic, but in the rajo-guna they are active. But they are active only for sense gratification. So rajas-tamo-guna. So we have to make further progress to be situated in sattva-guna.

So Visnu, Visnu Purana, Lord Caitanya quotes from the Visnu Purana,

visnu-sakti para prokta ksetrajnakhya tatha para avidya-karma-samjnanya trtiya saktir isyate

The Brahman is not nihsakti, as some philosophers, Mayavadi philosophers, they say, “The Brahman is inactive.” He’s not inactive. He is parasya brahmana saktir sarvedam akhilam jagat. Sarvedam akhilam jagat. His energies are acting. The example is: just like fire… Just like the sun. Sun is situated in one place, and the sun’s energies are working, heat and light. Heat and light is working. The whole material creation is resting on the heat and light of the sun. That’s a fact. Similarly, this sun is only reflection. Just like moon is reflection of the sunlight, similarly, this sun is also reflection of the brahmajyoti. And what is that brahmajyoti? Brahmajyoti is the bodily rays, effulgence, effulgent rays of Krsna. You have seen, Krsna’s head is always auraed. That rays is, I mean to say, distributing different energies. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate. That energies, or multi-energies, are coming out. Just like from sunlight so many things are emanating. Yes. So many energies are coming out. All colors, everything, all material existence, is due to the sunlight. Similarly, the whole creation, whole material and spiritual creation, that is resting on the rays emanating from the bodily effulgence of Krsna. That is stated in the Srimad-Brahma-samhita: yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti [Bs. 5.40].

yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti-kotisv asesa-vasudhadi vibhuti-bhinnam tad brahma niskalam anantam asesa-bhutam govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami [Bs. 5.40]

This is a prayer from Brahma, that Brahman is the prabha, or the effulgence, of Krsna. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti. First of all, the brahmajyoti is coming. And Krsna also says, brahmanah aham pratistha. Brahman is not ultimate. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate. First realization is Brahman, impersonal Brahman, then Paramatma, and then Bhagavan. So Bhagavan is the ultimate. Mattah parataram nanyat asti kincid dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7] So brahma-tattva, impersonal brahma-tattva, is not ultimate. The ultimate is Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the Vedic verdict.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu is therefore quoting from different Vedic literatures to prove that the Absolute Truth is person, sad-aisvarya-purna, full with six opulences. As in the Parasara-sutra there is aisvaryasya samagrasya. When Krsna was present He exhibited full strength of six kinds of opulences. So the… Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the fact. That is the Vedic version. It is not that some of the Krsna’s devotees have taken Krsna as the Supreme, or He is originally imperson and He takes a form, accepting a material body. These are not right conclusions. In the Kurma Purana it is said that there is no distinction between the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and soul. The Mayavadi philosophers, they distinguish that “Krsna’s soul is different from His body.” That is Mayavada philosophy. But that is not the fact. There is no such difference. (aside:) What is that sound? Who is making that?

Pradyumna: Cutting, cutting vegetables.

Prabhupada: All right. Don’t mind. Just like Dr. Radhakrishnan says that… When the verse, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru, mam evaisyasi asamsayah [Bg. 18.65], so Dr. Radhakrishnan says that this man-mana means, it is meaning the inner soul of Krsna. You see? He does not know that there is no difference between Krsna and His soul. His soul and body, the same.

So these things are, I mean to say, creating havoc in the matter of understanding Krsna. Instead of taking Bhagavad-gita as it is, persons who have no knowledge practically, or poor fund of knowledge, they are commenting in different way, and people are misled. As sometimes our, these Europeans, Americans, they say frankly that “For many hundreds of years, the Bhagavad-gita was known in Europe and America, and many swamis went there. They gave reference to the Bhagavad-gita, but there was no, not a single devotee of Krsna. Not a single devotee.” Prior to this movement, Krsna consciousness, they had not a single devotee of Krsna, as you are finding. Now Bhagavad-gita is being presented as it is, and they are understanding rightly, and they are becoming devotee. Anyone who will read Bhagavad-gita as it is, without any malcommentation, he’ll become devotee of Krsna. And when he becomes a devotee of Krsna, accepting the principle, “Krsna is all in all,” vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]. That position we have to attain. Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s preaching is based on that principle. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. That is His… He is Krsna also. According to Vedic evidence, Caitanya Mahaprabhu is also Krsna. Krsna-varnam tvisakrsna. He belongs to the category of Krsna, but He is playing the part of a devotee of Krsna in order to teach us how to love Krsna, how to approach Krsna. As such, if we accept the process enunciated by Lord Caitanya, then it is very easy to approach Krsna.

To approach Krsna is not very easy job, because Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye yatatam api siddhanam [Bg. 7.3]. Kotisv api maha-mune. That is also stated in the Padma Purana, that muktanam api siddhanam. Those who are muktas… To become mukta, that is also difficult job. Out of many millions of jnanis, one becomes mukta, really liberated. And out of many millions of muktas, or liberated, kascid vetti mam tattvatah, kascid, not all, somebody may understand what is Krsna. So it is so difficult job. But Krsna is so kind that He has appeared as a devotee of Krsna, Lord Caitanya, and He is giving you the mercy, causeless mercy so that you can understand Krsna very easily. That is the special gift of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We should always know that to understand Krsna is very difficult, especially for this age, when people are very much fallen. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutah [SB 1.1.10]. The people of this age, they are very slow. Practically, they have no intention for utilizing this human form of life. Generally, people, especially in the Western countries, they are simply interested like animal—eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. That’s all. We are also imitating in India. We have also made our business… This is animal business. So therefore mandah, they are not at all interested. As Krsna as a devotee descended on this planet, Lord Caitanya, to canvass for Krsna, similarly we, the servants of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, we are canvassing door to door. That is our business. Prabodhananda Sarasvati, he has taught us how to canvass door to door for accepting Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What is that? The process is dante nidhaya trnakam padayor nipatya kaku-satam krtva caham bravimi.

Prabodhananda Sarasvati, he was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya. He was uncle of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, who started at Vrndavana the Radha-ramana temple. Perhaps you know. So this Prabodhananda Sarasvati was a grhastha, a householder. Later on, after meeting Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he accepted sannyasa. Then he wrote a book, Caitanya-candrodaya, very nice book. In that, this verse appears. He is canvassing on behalf of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, or on behalf of Krsna. There is no difference between Krsna and Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is combination of Radha and Krsna. That is the verdict of the Gosvamis.

radha-krsna-pranaya-vikrtir hladini-saktir asmad ekatmanav api (bhuvi pura) deha-bhedam gatau tau caitanyakhyam prakatam adhuna tad-dvayam caikyam aptam radha-bhava-dyuti-suvalitam naumi krsna-svarupam [Cc. Adi 1.5]

So Caitanya Mahaprabhu is combination of Radha and Krsna. That is the… This sloka is made by Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, who was personal secretary of Lord Caitanya. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu is giving us the easiest process to approach Krsna. Krsna is not easily approachable, especially in this age. Because the Bhagavata says, mandah sumanda-matayo [SB 1.1.10] They are very slow; they’re reluctant. They don’t care for the opportunity they have got. This is a great opportunity we have got, this human form of life. Once missed, you do not know what is the loss. We do not know what is going to happen in our next life. But if you take to Krsna consciousness, it is guaranteed that you get another human form of life. Sucinam srimatam gehe yoga-bhrasto sanjayate. Not only human form of life, you get in a very good family. That is assured in the Bhagavad-gita.

So my Guru Maharaja used to say that “Don’t take the risk of waiting for another life. In this life.” Because there is no certainty. So our propaganda, “Take to this movement, Krsna consciousness. Don’t risk. Take to Krsna consciousness.” What is that Krsna consciousness? Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. That’s all. Always think of Krsna. Is it very difficult job?

Yamuna: No.

Prabhupada: Just see. A girl, she says it is not difficult. She is not saying without any understanding. She has the understanding of Krsna consciousness. So… And man-mana, always thinking of Krsna. If you chant this mantra and hear Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, so there is no expenditure, there is no loss. You can chant this mantra while walking on the street, while passing in train or in bus. What is the loss?

harer nama harer nama harer nama iva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha [Adi 17.21]

People are crying for votes (loudspeaker heard from outside). So… But they are not inclined to chant Hare Krsna. You see. Crying, “Give me vote, give me vote, give me vote, give me vote.” You see? How wasting their time. What they’ll do, getting votes? How long they will remain a minister? But mandah sumanda-matayo [SB 1.1.10] Their opinion is very bad, sumanda-mati, or they do not take any right conclusion. And Bhagavad-gita says, tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam, antavat tu phalam tesam. These activities, they are temporary, will end within some years, but still, they are so much busy with this business. Therefore this kind of occupation is for the alpa-medhasah, those who have got very little brain substance. Medhah means brain substance.

So these things are there, mandah sumanda-matayo. Manda-bhagya, also, very poor. In this age, practically everyone is very poor, mostly, the population. You don’t think that in America there is no poor man. There is poor man. Although they are getting money, very large sum of money, but they are utilizing in a different way, and they are poor. There are many poor. Intentionally, they have become poor. So therefore it is called manda-bhagya, that this… Each word of the Vedic scriptures is so nice. In spite of… In America I have seen. In spite of ample money and resources, some people have voluntarily accepted to remain as very poor and wretched. Voluntarily. They like that. They have no systematic life. Therefore Bhagavata says, manda-bhagya. If we are unfortunate, even despite all facilities, we cannot be able to accept it. That is called misfortune. Not that in the absence of money and other facilities, one becomes unfortunate, but even in the presence of all these things, one is unfortunate. That is the characteristics of this age. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutah [SB 1.1.10].

So in this age, how it is possible to become siddha? Mukta api siddhanam kotisv api maha…, narayana-parayana. Narayana-parayana is not very easy job. Muktanam api siddhanam kotisv api maha-mune. But this is the special mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that He is compassionate. Seeing the fallen souls of this age, He is distributing krsna-prema so cheaply. What is that? “Chant Hare Krsna,” that’s all. Simply by chanting. Iha haite sarva siddhi haibe tomara. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is blessing everyone that “Be blessed. Take this benediction of chanting Hare Krsna mantra and be blessed.” So why should we give up this opportunity? That is our propaganda. Just like Prabodhananda Sarasvati, he is imploring, dante nidhaya trnakam. You know, in India, when one becomes very humble, submissive, he takes a straw in his mouth. Perhaps you know. Even in the village, still it is going on, that “I have become very humble, submissive to you.” Dante nidhaya trnakam padayor nipatya. “And falling down on your feet,” krtva ca kaku-satam, “and flattering you in hundred times,” aham bravimi, “I am just submitting before you one request.” What is that? He sadhavah: “You are very great, you are very nice, and you are all sadhus. But my request is,” sakalam eva vihaya durad, “whatever you have learned, please set aside for the time being. Please set aside.” Sakalam eva vihaya durad. “Throw it away!” Then what to do? Sakalam eva vihaya durad caitanya-candra-carane kurutanuragam: “Please submit yourself on the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya.”

Lord Caitanya is Krsna. Krsna says that sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. People misunderstood. Therefore Caitanya came. He took sannyasa so that… It is the custom in our country that a sannyasi is offered respect. That is our Vedic system. If one does not show any respect to a sannyasi, he has to fast one day. That is the injunction. Still, India, they do not disrespect a sannyasi, although many so-called sannyasis, they are taking advantage of this. That is another subject. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted sannyasa so that people may respect Him. And simply by respecting Him, he’ll be liberated. He is so kind. So Rupa Gosvami, he offers his respect to Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was prime minister in Nawab Hussain Shah’s government. He retired and took to the path of Lord Caitanya. And when he first met at Allahabad, he offered this prayer: namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te [Madhya 19.53]. “My dear Lord, You are so munificent, You are so liberal than all incarnations. You are liberal, you are merciful than Krsna also.” So namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te: “You are offering love of Krsna. It is so difficult to understand Krsna, but You are so kind that You are directly offering love of Krsna.” Not only understanding, but also developing your dormant love for Krsna.

So this is the mercy, causeless mercy, of Lord Caitanya. And He simply prescribes that you chant this mantra. As you see, these boys, when they’re chanting, how they are in ecstasy. Immediately on the transcendental platform. Immediately. Not only here, everywhere where they are chanting. In every temple, if you see… The advantage of these boys and girls is that they have no other hodgepodge in their head. They directly accept Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they directly accept the instruction of Lord Caitanya, and they are making advance. Their fortune is that their brain is not congested with hodgepodge ideas. That is the idea. They actually… Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam [Bg. 18.66]. They have given up all other occupation and have accepted Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So India also, we can do that. What is the difficulty? We must do this We must accept this… Krsnas tu bhagavan, janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate. We are cultivating knowledge. Krsna says, “After cultivation of knowledge for many, many births…” Not in one life, but many, many births. “One, when actually intelligent, jnanavan, actually wise, he surrenders unto Me.” Why should you wait for many, many births? Supposing that you are very intelligent, you are very wise, you are speculating, but according to Bhagavad-gita, why should you waste your time in that way, speculating? Panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyah. Speculating process will not help you. Ciram vicinvan.

athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi janati tattvam (bhagavan-mahimno) na canya eko ’pi ciram vicinvan

One who has not received the favor of the lotus feet of Krsna, it is not possible to understand Krsna. Bhakto ’si priyo ’si me. Just like Arjuna understood Krsna because he was a bhakta, he was a dear friend of Krsna. So you have to become a dear friend, a bhakta, of Krsna; then you’ll understand what is Bhagavad-gita, and then you’ll be able to surrender unto Him. And the beginning of this devotional service is sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam [SB 7.5.23]. Simply you hear. Sravanam, first business, sravanam; then kirtanam. In this way, gradually, we make advance in devotional service. And Krsna says, bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. “Anyone who wants to understand Me, he has to follow the bhakti principle.” Then he’ll be able to understand Krsna. Not any other process.

So our request is, like Prabodhananda Sarasvatipada, dante nidhaya trnakam padayor nipatya kaku-satam krtva caham bravimi, he sadhavah sakala. Whatever you have learned, for the time being forget. Forget. Simply take to Krsna consciousness and you’ll be happy.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. [break]

Guest (1): …particularly, the particular place, that is…?

Prabhupada: Yes. That is Goloka Vrndavana. Paras tasmad tu bhavo ’nya, mad-dhama…, yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama [Bg. 15.6].

Guest (1): For a man, automatically, he can become Bhagavan. What I mean to say…

Prabhupada: Huh?

Guest (1): For a man, automatically, he becomes Bhagavan.

Prabhupada: No. He becomes a servant of Bhagavan. He is servant of Bhagavan. Realization means when he realizes that “I am servant, eternal servant of Bhagavan.” That is realization.

Guest (1): So his realization is not Bhagavan.

Prabhupada: No. Servant of Bhagavan.

Guest (1): Different from Bhagavan.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Guest (2): Sayujya-mukti…

Prabhupada: Sayujya-mukti there is, but a devotee does not accept sayujya-mukti. Sayujya, sarupya, salokya, samipya. There are five kinds of mukti, but sayujya-mukti is not accepted by the devotees. But if anyone likes sayujya-mukti, that is not difficult for Krsna to offer him sayujya-mukti.

Guest (1): So a man can can never become Bhagavan.

Prabhupada: No. How he can be Bhagavan?

Guest (1): And never become Brahman also?

Prabhupada: No, Brahman he’s already.

Guest (1): He is already Brahman?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Guest (1): And Paramatma he is not.

Prabhupada: Yes. Paramatma is Param Brahman. There are two words, Brahman and Param Brahman. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is accepting Krsna, param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12]. Arjuna is accepting Krsna as the Param Brahman, the Supreme Brahman. (Hindi) Brahman, every living entity is Brahman, because part and parcel of Supreme Brahman. Just like particle of gold is gold. Mamaivamso jiva-bhuta. Krsna says that “These jivas, they are My parts and parcels.” So as part and parcel, they are also Brahman. Just like a particle of gold is gold, but it is particle, and that is mine. Spark. Spark of fire is fire, but that is qualitatively one, not quantitatively.

Guest (1): Naraji(?) Sri Aurobindo…

Prabhupada: Why you are quoting Aurobindo?

Guest (1): He is, he was also a saint.

Prabhupada: There were many saints.

Guest (1): So I can ask one more question. Sri Krsna says…

Prabhupada: Why don’t you touch Bhagavad-gita? Yes. Do you think Aurobindo is greater than Krsna?

Guest (1): He says that…

Prabhupada: He says he is greater than Krsna?

Guest (1): Yes.

Prabhupada: Then he’s a nonsense, if anyone says like that.

Guest (1): He says that…

Prabhupada: What he has done greater than Krsna? Why do you accept like that? What he has done greater than Krsna?

Guest (1): He says, one who goes in…(?)

Prabhupada: Don’t say like that, unauthorized, he is greater than Krsna. Krsna says, mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7] And you say he’s greater than Krsna. Anyone can say like that, “I am greater than Krsna.” So why do you accept like that unless you see practically that he has done greater than Krsna? Huh?

Guest (1): That is a… And he said, I said… It can be said the Aurobindo was greater than Krsna.(?)

Prabhupada: No, no. Suppose if I say “I am greater than the President of the United States.” Will you accept?

Guest (1): Sad-dharma (Hindi). How he says sarva-dharman parityajya… [Bg. 18.66]?

Prabhupada: Because you have created so many rascal dharma; therefore, you have to give it up.

Guest (1): The decision of dharma is dharati, sa dharma.

Prabhupada: Yes. And what is that dharayet? What is your position? You are servant. You cannot give up your servitude. All of you, you have assembled here. Can you say you are master? You are all servant. Is anyone that you are the master, supreme master? Who is a master? You are all servants, but you are servant of maya. That’s all. You are servant of your senses. Your senses dictate something, and you are obliged to abide by that. So you have to give up this service attitude of maya and you have to take the real servitude of Krsna. That is your salvation. Constitutionally, you are servant, nothing but servant. Artificially, you are claiming that “I am master.” Nobody’s master. You are servant. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, jivera svarupa haya nitya krsna dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. That is the real identity of jiva. He’s eternal servant of Krsna. So as soon as you accept that position, you are liberated. That is your natural position. You are constitutionally a servant. Artificially, you are thinking, “I am master.” That is maya.

krsna bhuliya jiva bhoga vancha kare

pasate maya tare japatiya dhare

Why you are…, we have come in contact with maya? Because artificially we’re thinking that “I am the lord.” Everyone is trying to be lord here in this material world. And when he’s frustrated, he says, “Oh, it is false.” Nobody is master. Everyone is servant. Try to understand this fact. Who is not a servant here? Is anyone, that “I am not servant, anyone’s servant”? Everyone is servant. If anyone has nothing to serve, he keeps a dog and cat and becomes servant of the dog and cat. I have seen in America. He has no family responsibility; still, he keeps a dog and serves whole day, and he says, “The dog is the best friend.” Because you want to serve. That is your attitude. That is your constitutional position. You want to serve; you want to love somebody. And if is misplaced, that is maya. When it is properly done, that is liberation.

Guest (3): But Mahaji reveals(?) the person from the worshiper…

Prabhupada: Yes.

Guest (3): And I think Radharani helps a man to reach Krsna, to hear, you know, the things…

Prabhupada: Yes. Radharani engages him to Krsna’s service. Daivim prakrtim asritah. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah [Bg. 9.13]. You have to take shelter of spiritual energy or material energy. That is your position. Therefore, you are marginal energy. So when you take shelter of the material energy, you forget Krsna. And when you take shelter of spiritual energy, you understand your real position. Prasada dila.(?) You have taken prasadam? (Hindi) …that you are not master. You are all servants. (end)