The Nectar of Devotion Pradyumna: (reading) “A living entity is offered a particular type of body as a result of his action in the present body. These activities are taken into account by superior authority known as daiva, or the authority of God. This daiva is explained in the Bhagavad-gita as the prime cause of everything, and in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that a man takes his next body by daiva-netrena, which means by the supervision of the authority of the Supreme. In an ordinary sense, daiva is explained as destiny. Daiva supervision gives us a body selected from 8,400,000 forms. The choice does not depend on our selection, but is awarded to us according to or destiny.” Prabhupada: So material rasas. That is being experienced in different types of body. Just like somebody wants to taste fresh blood, flesh and blood. So he’s given the next life a body like a tiger, like a other carnivorous animal, and he tastes very nicely blood and flesh. Nature gives all the facilities. prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate [Bg. 3.27] Prakrti, nature is doing everything. I am desiring something. That means I am contacting, contacting the certain type of the modes of material nature. This is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita: karanam guna-sangah asya sad-asad-janma-yonisu. Sad-asad-janma-yoni. Yoni means the source of birth. Mother is called yoni, and father is called bija. Yatha yoni yatha bijam. According to bijam and according to yoni, we get body. So why you are getting different types of body? Karanam guna-sangah asya. He is contacting a particular type of the modes of material nature. There are three modes of material nature: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. So if I am associating with sattva-guna, then next life, I’ll get a sattva-guna body. Urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha. [Bg. 14.18] Sattva-guna body means higher standard of life. So similarly, if I am associating with the modes of passion, then I’ll get a body, next life, passionate. If I am associating with ignorance, tamo-guna, jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha adho gacchanti tamasah. Tamasah. Tama-vrtti. The jaghanya, the lowest. There are so many varieties of life. So those who are associating with tamo-guna, drinking, flesh eating, smoking, illicit sex, gambling… These are the association of tamo-guna. Yatra papas catur-vidha. Where there are four kinds of sinful activities. So intoxication is sinful activities. That is tamo-guna. Associating with tamo-guna. So jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha adho gacchanti tamasah. Those who are associating with tamo-guna, their vrtti, their habits, are very abominable. Jaghanya. Therefore adho gacchanti. They go downwards. In this way, everyone is enjoying a particular type of rasa, material rasa… and nature is offering him a particular type of body. Deha-yogena dehinam. We can enjoy a particular type of rasa… Just like the hogs. They are relishing the rasa of stool very nicely. You give them nice food, they’ll not take. They’ll prefer to taste the stool. Why? Because he has been offered a particular type of body. And this particular type of body has been offered to him, karanam guna-sangah asya… He has associated with jaghanya, tamo-guna, abominable tamo-guna. Therefore he has developed a body of a hog, and tasting the juice of stool. This is the way of transmigration of the soul. Actually, it is the living spirit soul, either hog or dog or a brahmana or a candala or a cow. This is simply a covering, or… Just like we cover ourself in dream. That is subtle covering. Similarly, this is also covering. In the Vedas it is said, asango hy ayam purusah. Actually, the living entity, the spirit soul, is neither hog, neither dog, nor brahmana, nor this, nor that. It is simply a covering. But this covering is developed by our association with the particular type of modes of nature. Karanam guna-sangah asya sad-asad-janma-yonisu. But in this life, if we develop Krsna consciousness by association of devotees… As Narottama dasa Thakura has sung, tandera carana-sevi-bhakta-sane vasa. One’s aim of life should be to serve the acaryas. Acarya upasanam. So our acarya in the Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya, the sri-rupa sanatana bhatta-raghunatha, sri-jiva gopala-bhatta dasa-raghunatha, the Six Gosvamins, and if we associate with them… this book, Nectar of Devotion, Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, if you read regularly, try to understand, this means you are associating with Srila Rupa Gosvami directly. And if you act accordingly, then you are serving their lotus feet. Tandera carana-sevi-bhakta-sane vasa. And unless you are associated with devotees, you will not be able to understand the import of the writings of Srila Rupa Gosvami. Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s secretary, Sri Svarupa Damodara, recommended one brahmana, bhagavat para giya bhagavat sthane. Bhagavat… He, he came to Caitanya Mahaprabhu to read some poetry he had written, but it was the system that unless anything written… There were many devotees. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was living at Puri, Jagannatha Puri. So many devotees from other provinces used to come and visit. And some of them wrote some poetries. But all of them, first of all, would be tested by Svarupa Damodara. And then he’ll be allowed to go before Caitanya Mahaprabhu and read it. That was the system. Because people do not know siddhanta. General people. Those who are advanced devotee, they know siddhanta, the conclusion. In the Caitanya-caritamrta, therefore, it has been advised, siddhanta baliya citte na kara alasa iha haite krsne lage sudrdha manasa If you neglect siddhanta, conclusion, given by the acaryas, then you will misunderstand Krsna. Krsna, therefore Narottama dasa Thakura says… These are the evidences. rupa-raghunatha-pade haibe akuti kabe hama bhujhaba se yugala-piriti Narottama dasa Thakura, such an exalted acarya, he’s teaching us, “Don’t try to understand yugala-piriti, the love affairs between Radha and Krsna, concoctedly, by your own concoction.” No. You should first of all try to serve the Six Gosvamis, rupa-raghunatha-pade haibe akuti, how they are directing. Just like this Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. Srila Rupa Gosvami is not teaching in the beginning the loving affairs of Radha-Krsna. No. He’s training, first of all, the reader, the devotee, how to become first of all pure devotee. anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam anukulyena krsnanu-silanam bhaktir uttama [BRS 1.1.11] First of all, he’s trying to bring the devotee to the standard devotional service. Vidhi-marga. Then gradually, when he becomes accustomed, then raga-marga will be revealed. Raga-marga is not artificial. It becomes, svayam eva sphuraty adhah. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau… Everything, devotional relationship with Krsna, you cannot establish artificially. Everyone has got a particular relationship with Krsna in his original constitutional position. That will be revealed gradually as you advance in devotional service in the prescribed rules and regulations as they are directed in the sastras and by spiritual master. When you are trained up properly, you come to the platform of raga-marga, then your devotional si… That is called svarupa-siddhi. Svarupa-siddhi. So svarupa-siddhi is attained at a certain stage. Just like svarupa-siddhi… The desire for sex life is there in every human being, but when the boy and the girl come to the mature stage, it become manifest. It is, is not learned artificially. Similarly, the raga-marga, svarupa-siddhi, becomes revealed or manifest. Sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya. Udaya. This very word, udaya, is used. Just like sun. Sun becomes visible when the sun rises automatically. You cannot force the sun to rise at dead of night. That is not possible. Sun will rise. You just wait. When the time will be right, morning, six o’clock, you’ll find the sun. Similarly, the devotional service, we have to execute with patience, with enthusiasm. Utsahat dhairyat niscayat tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. We must be enthusiastic that we… “I shall engage myself very nicely in Krsna consciousness movement.” That is first qualification, enthusiastic. Dullness will not help you. You must be very enthusiastic. My Guru Maharaja used to say, prana ache yara sei hetu pracara. A preacher can, a person can become a preacher if he has got life. A dead man cannot become a preacher. So you must be very enthusiastic that “I shall preach the glories of the Lord to my best capacity.” It is not that one has to become very learned scholar to become a preacher. Simply it requires enthusiasm, “My Lord is so great, so kind, so beautiful, so wonderful. So I must speak something about my Lord.” This is the qualification, enthusiasm. You may not know Krsna very perfectly. It is not possible to know Krsna very perfectly. Krsna is unlimited. We cannot know Krsna cent percent. That is not possible. But Krsna reveals as far as possible you can understand. So if we are sincere servant of Krsna, utsahan, and if we serve patiently, then Krsna reveals. The example is given in this connection. Just like a girl is married. Generally, a girl wants a child. But if she wants a child immediately after marriage, that is not possible. She must wait. She must serve her husband nicely. Utsahan dhairyat tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. Just like a faithful wife. Time will come she will become pregnant and she will have child. So niscayat means… Just like the girl must know because she’s married, because she has got a husband, that there must be a child. It is a fact. It may be little later. Similarly, when you have entered into devotional service, bhakti-yoga, bhakti-marga, your success is assured, provided you are enthusiastic and patient. Not that “Immediately I want a child,” “Immediately I become fully Krsna consciousness and perfect.” No. There may be so many imperfections. Because we are in the imperfect atmosphere. But patiently, if you go on executing your duties in devotional service as it is directed in the sastras and confirmed by the spiritual master, then rest assured that your success if guaranteed. This is the way. Utsahan dhairyat tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. You must execute the duties. Just like we have asked our students to finish sixteen rounds chanting minimum. Sixteen rounds is nothing. In Vrndavana there are many devotees, they chant 120 rounds. Like that. So sixteen rounds is the minimum. Because I know in the Western countries it is difficult job to finish sixty-four rounds or 120 rounds, like that. Minimum sixteen rounds. That must be finished. Tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. This is the direction. Observing the regulative principles. In this way, we must be abiding by the direction of the spiritual master and the sastra. Then rest assured. Success if guaranteed. Go on reading, next. Pradyumna: “If our body at present…” Prabhupada: Bring the light. Hm. Go on. Pradyumna: “If our body at present is engaged in the activities of Krsna consciousness, then it is guaranteed that we will have at least a human body in our next life.” Prabhupada: So one thing is guaranteed. If you engage in Krsna consciousness and suppose you do not become perfectly mature, some way or other, you fall down… We should not fall down. Because if we have got enthusiasm and patience, we shall not fall down. But suppose we fall down. Sastra says, tasya abhadra abhud amusya kim. There is nothing inauspicity because whatever you have done sincerely, that is recorded in the book. In the Krsna’s book. Krsna has got accountant. He keeps nice account of the activities of His devotees. That’s a fact. Just like the nondevotees’ accounts are kept by Yamaraja for punishment. Similarly, devotees’ accounts are kept by Krsna, personally. Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham [Bg. 4.11] Unless he keeps account, how He says, “I respond to the devotee to the proportionate surrender”? Ye yatha mam prapadyante. The real business is surrender to Krsna. If we surrender immediately, cent percent, then Krsna also gives you the result immediately, cent percent. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisya… [Bg. 18.66] If Krsna relieves me from all kinds of sinful activities, then where is my miserable condition of life? Miserable condition of life is for them who are enjoying or suffering… There is no question of enjoyment. But it sometimes taken, enjoyment. The fruitive action, the result of fruitive action. So a devotee does not enjoy anything or suffer anything. Because a devotee does everything for Krsna. So therefore for his personal self, there is no question of karma-phala. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita: yajnarthe karma anyatra karma-bandhanah. If you act for Krsna, that is nice. If you act otherwise, then it is karma-bandhana. Yajnarthe karma anytra. Anyatra. Anyatra means except Krsna consciousness activities, the activities of the karmis and the jnanis and the yogis, they are all karma-bandhana, bound up. Suppose karmis, they are going to the heavenly planet or higher planetary system for getting higher standard of life, to take birth by pious activities in nice family, to become rich. But that is bandhana. That is bondage. Similarly, the so-called mukti, jnanis, they merge into the existence, Brahman existence, of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nirbheda-brahmanusandhana. Nirbheda, without any distinction, enter, merge into the Brahman. That is also bandhana, bondage. Why? Because we find in the sastras: aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adhah [SB 10.2.32]. Aruhya krcchrena param padam. Param padam means brahma-pada, to merge into the effulgence, brahmajyoti. That is called param pada. According to Vaisnava, param pada means to go to Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrndavana and be engaged as servant, eternal servant of the Lord. But according to the jnanis, the param pada means merge into the effulgence of brahmajyoti. Sastra says that aruhya krcchrena param padam [SB 10.2.32] To go to that param padam, that is also not very easy. Krcchrena. Severe austerities and penances, one has to undergo to merge into the Brahman effulgence. Therefore you’ll find, the Mayavadi sannyasis, their stricture is very rigid. They must take bath thrice in, in a day and lie down underneath a tree and… Their renunciation is very rigid. Of course, those who are strictly following. In our Brahma, Vaisnava sannyasa, there is little leniency. Because they live in Krsna, so there is no need of very strict, rigid following. Although it is stated that they should live like this. But there is leniency. But Mayavada, they are very rigid in their principles of sannyasa life. That is called aruhya krcchrena. Krcchrena, with great difficulty, they merge into the Brahman effulgence. Aruhya krcchrena param padam [SB 10.2.32]. They attain in the perfectional stage. Not perfectional. Param padam. In the spiritual realm. But patanty adhah. Again falls down. Again falls down means because in the effulgence there is no varieties. The example is just like you have got a nice sputnik or, what is called…? Indian man: Apollo. Apollo. Prabhupada: No, no. By which they go? Indians and Devotees: Rocket. Prabhupada: Rocket, rocket. You have not very nice rocket running at the speed of eighteen thousand miles or twenty-five thousand miles per hour. But you may go. If you don’t take, if you don’t get shelter in some planet… Just as they’re going in the moon planet, but do not get shelter and come back, similarly, supposing they are getting shelter, but that shelter is not very secure. They again come back. So without shelter, how long you can fly in the sky? The sky is unlimited. You can fly on your sputnik or capsules, but if you don’t get the shelter in some planet, then again you come back to your place. So this is… The same example is given in the Bhagavata: aruhya krcchrena, with great scientific method you can go up. But if you don’t get a shelter, then you come back again on this planet. Similarly, the nondevotees, the impersonalists, they undergo severe penances and austerities undoubtedly, and they rise up to the brahmajyoti… Aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adhah [SB 10.2.32] From there, he again falls down. Same example. Why? Anadhrta-yusmad-anghrayah. Because they did not care for the shelter under the lotus feet of Krsna, therefore they have to come back again to this material world. That is practically experienced. We have seen many, many great sannyasis. They give up this world and take sannyasa for merging into Brahman, but later on they come back again to the material activities for opening hospital, schools, and philanthropic work. Why? Because they could not get there. In their so-called Brahman realization, they could not get any pleasure. Therefore they come down again to the material activities. You have left this material world as brahma satyam jagan mithya. Then why you come back again to this mithya world, to open hospitals and schools? The reason is they could not get any pleasure in so-called Brahman- realization. Therefore they come back to give food to the poor, to open hospital, philanthropic work. So… Indian Devotee: (in background) Haribol! Nitai Gaura Haribol! Prabhupada: Therefore… Devotee: (Hindi—Jaya Radhe!) Prabhupada: Therefore, if you stick to Krsna consciousness, you will enjoy blissful, transcendental blissfulness. Then you’ll not be attracted with this humanitarian work or philanthropic work. Param drstva nivartate. In the service of the Lord, there are so much pleasure, transcendental pleasure. Just like in the life of Gosvamis, we find: tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tucchavat bhutva dina-ganesakau karunaya kaupina kantasritau gopi-bhava-rasamrtabdhi-lahari-kallola-magnau sada vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau They gave up their ministerial posts. Tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tucchavat. Most insignificant. They gave up their ministerial posts. And they became mendicants. Tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tucchavat bhutva dina-ganesakau karunaya kaupina-kantasritau. Became very poor, voluntarily mendicant. It is very difficult. If one changes his dress artificially by imitating Rupa Gosvami, he cannot stay. He’ll have to take to sex pleasure and intoxication to keep himself fit for bhajana. No. But the Gosvamis, they did not take into sex pleasure or intoxication. They were merged into the ocean of the dealings of the gopis with Krsna. Gopi-bhava-rasamrtabdhi-lahari. There is a… Lahari. There is a flow, constant flow of waves, in the ocean of loving affairs between Krsna and the gopis, So they were merged into that. Therefore this renunciation, this material renunciation, did not affect. Otherwise, if one artificially renounce this material world, and he does not get real shelter unto the lotus feet of Krsna, he’ll fall down. That’s a fact. Aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adhah anadrta-yusmad-anghrayah [SB 10.2.32]. So if you want to stay attached to the lotus feet of Krsna, then you must always keep yourself busy in the transcendental loving service of Lord. Thank you very much. [break] Devotee: …scientists who are going to the moon by some artificial process that even though mechanically, on the gross level, they may reach the moon planet, because they cannot enter into the actual activity on the moon planet, technically, according to Bhagavata, they have not reached there? Prabhupada: Yes. If you go… Suppose if somebody comes on this Earthly planet and goes to the Arabian desert, then what he’ll find? He must go back again. Devotee: So he can say he has been there grossly, but actually he has not been there because he cannot enter into the activity there. Prabhupada: Yes. He, they have not gone to the proper place. They have gone to the Arabian desert. That’s all. (laughter) Devotee: Don’t think it is wrong. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Vrndavana, October 20, 1972