Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.27
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bombay, November 27, 1974

Nitai: “Thus by not engaging in the service of the modes of material nature, but by developing Krsna consciousness, knowledge and renunciation, and by practicing yoga in which the mind is always fixed in devotional service under the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one achieves My association in this very life. For I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth.”

Prabhupada:

asevayayam prakrter gunanam jnanena vairagya-vijrmbhitena yogena mayy arpitaya ca bhaktya mam pratyag-atmanam ihavarundhe

So asevaya ayam. What is our business at the present moment? We are serving maya in different varieties. So maya has got three modes—sattva, rajas, tamas or mixed. Just like the color displayer, very expert in mixing colors. Actually there are three colors: blue, red and yellow. This blue, red, yellow, the color display of the mix— three into three equal to nine; nine into nine, it becomes eighty- one. So in this material world we, living entities, we are colored in this way. Three into three—sattva, rajas, tamo-guna. Three into three equal to nine, and nine multiplied by nine, eighty-one. So there eighty-one colorful living entities are there. Somebody’s human being; somebody’s demigod; somebody’s cat; somebody’s dog; somebody’s servant; somebody’s tree; somebody’s plant… There are 8,400,000’s of forms of life. And that is our service. Just like the dog is barking. He’s thinking that he’s dog. So his business is barking. That means serving the laws of material nature. Similarly, somebody’s serving, somebody’s serving in some way someone— variety.

Because we are not meant for this service. We are, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches, jivera svarupa haya nitya-krsna-dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Our main business is to serve Krsna. In Vrndavana, in Goloka Vrndavana, somebody’s serving Krsna as His friend, cowherd boy. Somebody’s serving Krsna as gopi, as lover. Somebody’s serving Krsna as father and mother, mother Yasoda, Nanda Maharaja. Somebody’s Krsna’s friend as servant, as tree, as water, as flower, as land, as cow’s, as calf. So many ways. This is our business. But somehow or other we did not like to serve Krsna. Therefore we have been put into the service of maya in three modes of nature. Just like criminal. A criminal does not like to obey the laws of the state; therefore a criminal is put into the prison house and he’s forced to abide by the law of the state. The state laws are there—either outside the prisonhouse or inside the prisonhouse. But one who does not obey ordinarily outside the jail the orders or the laws of the state is put into the prisonhouse. But he cannot avoid the laws of the state. That is not possible. Because a citizen means he must abide by the laws of the state.

Similarly, we are part and parcel of Krsna, mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7] I have explained many times. So as soon as we deny to render service to Krsna, immediately the maya is there, captures, “All right. You come here. You serve me.” This is the position. Artificially you cannot become master. That is not our nature, and that will not be happy service for us—artificial. Artificial… I have given this example. Suppose with this finger I capture some very nice foodstuff, rasagulla, and if the finger thinks that “I have captured the rasagulla. I shall eat.” No. You cannot eat. You must put here. And then you get the benefit. And if you spoil the rasagulla in your hand and don’t put into the mouth, then everything is spoiled. Similarly, we are part and parcel of Krsna. Our business is to satisfy Krsna. Ekam bahu syam. The Vedas, we understand God has become many. Many… In many ways we are also part and parcel of Krsna. There are two kinds of manys. One many is called svamsa. Svamsa means personal expansions. And another expansion is differential expansion. The differential expansion are we, the living entities. We are also expansion of Krsna, and the visnu-tattva, They’re personal expansions. But all of them are meant for serving Krsna. That is explained in the Caitanya-caritamrta, ekale isvara krsna ara saba bhrtya. Krsna has expanded. The demigods, they are also living entities like us, but they have got better position. Just like here also in the government. Ordinary living… Everyone is citizen, but somebody has got better position as the minister, as the president or some big officer. Similarly, the demigods, they are also living entities. The same thing as we are but different body. Different… The dog has got the dog’s body. He’s hungry or there is some company, barking. And somebody has got minister body, he’s ordering. He’s in better position. And better than him somebody else, better than him somebody else, better than him somebody else. In this way you go up to Brahma, Lord Brahma. He also servant of Krsna. That is the position.

So we, living entities, we are servant of Krsna. That is our nature. That is our nature. Simply we are trying to avoid Krsna’s service. Therefore we are engaged in this maya’s service, or material nature’s, under different bodies.

prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate [Bg. 3.27]

In the Bhagavad-gita: prakrteh. You have been put under the clutches of maya. He’s giving you as you are desiring because you are desiring, bhoga vancha kare. Sometimes I used to enjoy like this, enjoy like… Everyone is trying to enjoy. But enjoy means we are becoming entangled. Yajnarthe karmano ’nyatra loko yam karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9] If you want to enjoy with Krsna, that is your natural propensity, and if you en…, want to enjoy life without Krsna, that is maya. That is maya.

So we are trying to enjoy. Enjoyment is our business. Anandamayo ’bhyasat. Ananda, Krsna is anandamaya, and we are part and parcel of Krsna. We are also anandamaya. But we are seeking ananda in different atmosphere. Just like any man can become very honest citizen, do business honestly, earn money and live very honorably. But no, somebody has learned how to steal. The government does not say that you becomes thief and go to the prison house. The government does not say. But you have selected to become a thief. That is it because we have got little independence, part and parcel of Krsna. Krsna is fully independent; therefore we have got the quality of independence. But because we are very small, minute particle we have got minute particle of independence. Minute… Just like you take a drop of water from the sea. That is also salt, but very minute particle. The salt is there because it is part and parcel of the big sea. It must be salty. Similarly, Brahman, Parabrahman, Krsna, param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam… [Bg. 10.12]. So here we have got all the qualities. We are Brahman, we are pure. But Krsna’s param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam [Bg. 10.12]. He’s the supreme, nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. He’s the chief, chief pavitra, chief brahma. We are also brahma, but small brahma. We are also pure. Because we are small pure, therefore we sometimes become impure. Otherwise by nature we are pure spirit soul. asango ’yam purusah. This is the Vedic information. The purusa… Purusa means the living entity who has come here to enjoy. Asanga, he has no connection with this material world, but somehow or other he’s thinking that “I am this matter. I have to enjoy this material world.” “I am this Hindu,” “I am Muslim,” “I am Indian,” “I am American,” “I am man,” “I am woman,” “I am cat,” “I am dog,” “I am tree,” “I am hog…” In this way he’s identifying with this material nature and enjoying or serving. You cannot enjoy. You can simply serve.

So this is the philosophy to understand. That asevayayam prakrter gunanam. We have to learn how to forget to serve this material nature. That is bhakti-marga. It is forced because we have krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare. Somehow or other we have forgotten Krsna and trying to enjoy this material world under different position. That we have to forget. This is not my business. When we understand this position, that is called self-realization, that “I am not servant of anyone. I am not servant of my country, of my society, of my friend, of my dress, of my cat, of my dog. I am nobody’s servant. I am servant of Krsna.” That is self-realization. That is self-realization. Asevayayam prakrter gunanam jnanena. When one comes to this understanding, not by sentiment, but by real knowledge, jnanena.

So when one becomes devotee, he’s not a fool. Pure devotee is full knowledge. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births, when one is actually jnanavan, actually wise, he surrenders to Krsna. How? Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]. He surrenders to Krsna. “Krsna, I forgot You so long. Now I understand that You are everything.” That is knowledge. That is real knowledge. Therefore it is said, jnanena vairagya-vijrmbhitena. This jnana means vairagya—no more attachment for serving the so-called society, friendship, love, country. These are all foolishly engagement. But people do not understand it. They’ll think that “This is my first service. This is my first…” How long you’ll serve, my dear sir? But if you serve Krsna, this service automatically becomes possible. Just like we are giving prasadam every week on Sunday, distributing prasadam. That is the bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga means that sympathetic to persons who are not devotee of Krsna. Devotee or not devotee, by eating krsna-prasadam, he’ll gradually become devotee. As yesterday I explained that krsna-bhakti begins from the tongue, sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. If you engage your tongue in the service of the Lord, then Lord manifests. He reveals Himself. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. How it is possible that jihvadau, beginning from the tongue? This is chanting Hare Krsna mantra. Jihvadau, chant Hare Krsna. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Very easy. You can begin Krsna consciousness simply by chanting. And as soon as you chant, go on chanting, then ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Ceto-darpana-marjanam means cleansing the heart. Because all congestion or dirty things within your heart—“I am this. I am that. I am this. I am that”—that if you chant, then gradually you’ll understand that you are spirit soul. You’re not Indian, not American, not this, not that, not that. This is self-realization.

But this whole world is going on under this misunderstanding. I am thinking “I am Indian and you are American. Why you have come in our country? You must be CIA. You must be CIA. Why you have come to our country? Formerly the Britishers also sent missionaries and then gradually conquered, got hold of the government. Similarly, these Americans, they have also come as devotee, as CIA, and therefore their business is how to capture the government. So get out.” Why this misunderstanding? Because there is no Krsna consciousness. Because there is no Krsna consciousness any gentleman, any sane man can understand that if these people are CIA, they have taken this Vaisnava religion. They’re practically having no comfort and everything is denied and no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no drinking, no intoxication, no gam… All no’s, and accepting all no’s, and they have come here as CIA? They have got no intelligence, common intelligence. And they are trying to put all impediments: “Oh, they cannot construct this temple. They must be refused.” All planning. It was raised in the Parliament that “What is these people, Hare Krsna movement? Why… Wherefrom they are getting money and what… They are understood to be CIA. What government is going to take action against them?” So the reply was there by the home member that “We have no information that they are CIA people. Therefore there is no question of action.” “And their money, they are selling literature, books. They’re getting money and some public contribution for foreign exchange.” So the reply was that still people will accuse us in this way. So why this is possible? Because there is no Krsna consciousness. Because they’re servant of this maya they’re thinking like this. Therefore the first condition is asevayayam prakrter gunanam. They are dictated by the tamo-guna, rajo-guna, modes of material nature and thinking like that. Everyone is that. This whole world is like that. They’re servant of maya, this tamo-guna and rajo-guna, and manufacturing their own way of enjoyment.

So Krsna consciousness means completely become purified from the infection of maya, sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26] That is stated by Krsna. One who is a devotee fully engaged in Krsna’s service… So what is his position? The position is sa gunan… sa gunan etan, this prakrter gunan. Here it is said, prakrter gunanam. There are three gunas—sattva-guna, rajo-guna… So if one is engaged in devotional service, immediately he becomes transcendental to all these gunas. Sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. Then he becomes again in his transcendental position, Brahman. Brahma-jnana, aham brahmasmi. This is… This position he comes. And as soon as one comes to this position, brahma-jnana, brahma-bhuta… Now we are maya-bhuta, identifying with ourself with this maya, this prakrti-guna, the modes of material nature: “I am this,” “I am that,” “I am this,” “I am that.” But when he becomes brahma-bhuta—“I don’t belong to these prakrti-gunan, these nature’s…, these modes of material nature. I belong to the spirit soul, Supreme. Aham brahmasmi”—this brahma-jnana will immediately make him happy. That is the symptom of a person who has attained brahma-jnana.

brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati samah sarvesu bhutesu mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg. 18.54]

That is the basic principle of bhakti. So here the same thing is explained, jnanena vairagya-vijrmbhitena. Jnanena. Therefore this class is held to awaken jnana. Either you read these books, you hear from realized soul—that will awaken your jnana, knowledge. Or otherwise if you cannot do this… Both things should be done. You chant Hare Krsna. Very simply.

So in the previous verse we have discussed rjubhir yoga-margaih. Rju, very simple method. Rju means very simple. Everyone can perform it. Susukham kartum avyayam. In the Bhagavad-gita, very happy. If you chant Hare Krsna and dance, it is very happy thing. And by dancing, dancing, as soon as you become hungry, take prasadam, ready. So where is the trouble? Therefore it is rjubhir yoga-margaih. Our Krsna consciousness movement is so nice there is no trouble only. And another thing is that that is great hope. Everything you are doing under the spell of maya we do not know where you are going, what is the ultimate aim. We do not know. Prakrteh kriyamanani. We are under the spell of maya given by the gunas. You must accept. If you don’t take to Krsna consciousness and give it ourselves on the waves of maya, then we do not know where we are going. The Caitanya Bhaktivinoda Thakura says mayar bose, jaccho bhese’, Khaccho habudubu bhai. Just like a straw in the waves of the ocean or the river. It is fully under the control of the waves. Sometimes diving, sometimes coming out, sometimes going this way, going that. Our position is like that. We do not know that, prakrteh kriyamanani. Under the material nature we are being carried by the waves of material nature, and you do not know where you are going because you have no control.

So if you want controlling the material nature, then you have to surrender to Krsna. That is stated mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14] Otherwise you’re carried by maya. You may be very big prime minister or anything, but as soon as maya will dictate, “Please vacate your post and go away,” you become a dog. You have to become. How you can challenge prakrti? That is not possible. Because karmana daiva-netrena, your next body will be offered to you. Therefore the atheist class man (indistinct). That is next life. Because his life is sinful he’ll get his next life, he’ll be punished. He’ll be put into abominable condition of life. He does not like to think like that, but that does not mean that he escapes. There is a Bengali proverb that (Bengali). One body, one person, he thought that “I’ve done so much sinful activity that Yamaraja will come and capture me and punish me. So what is the way to avoid?” So he thought that “Let me smear over my body stool so he’ll not touch me.” (laughing)

So that is not possible, sir. You are under the control of maya, material nature. You try to avoid it somehow or other, but it is not possible. It is not possible. According to the infection… Just like if you have infected some disease, artificial means will not save you. You must develop that disease and must suffer. There is no way out. Simply the way out is that if you take precaution, some vaccine, some injection, then you may avoid. Similarly, cannot… It is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gita: daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. You cannot avoid the hands of maya upon you, or material nature. We call “maya,” and the modern scientific word is “material nature.” Completely under. You cannot avoid it. But mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. If you surrender to Krsna… When Krsna will save me? I am so much sinful. Yes. Krsna can do that. Krsna says

sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah [Bg. 18.66]

So why don’t you do that? Why you are so much eager to serve the modes of material nature? Why not serve Krsna. Here is Krsna. Where is the difficulty? No difficulty at all. Just there’s Krsna. Just give Krsna nice foodstuff. Just chant Hare Krsna. Eat sumptuously and keep your health very good, nicely. Where is the difficulty? Mam eva ye… This very difficult? The only difficulty is that I cannot give up all these sinful activities. I cannot give up smoking. I cannot give up drinking. I cannot give up meat-eating. I cannot give up gambling. I cannot give up illicit sex. That is difficulty. Otherwise to serve Krsna is not at all difficult. There is no difficulty. But I cannot give up the service of my sinful activities.

Therefore here it is said asevayayam prakrter gunanam. That you have to learn. That you can learn very easily if you turn your attention to the service… Therefore this bhakti-yoga service. We are simply insisting get up early in the morning, do this service. In this way, if we engage ourselves in the service of Krsna, gradually we shall forget the service of maya. The service of maya means sinful activities. That’s all. So, so long we are in the service of maya, duskrtinam, engaged in sinful activities, it is not possible. But if you engage the positive and the negative… The Mayavadi, they are simply trying to be negative. There is no positive engagement. But here in the bhakti-yoga the negative is there and positive is there. Therefore there is electric light bulb, negative and positive. Therefore there is enlightenment. Simply negative will not help you. And if you don’t care of the negative sides, simply positive also will not. But bhakti-yoga is so strong, if you take to the positive side of service of Krsna, the material service or maya’s service will automatically become negative. Bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra syat [SB 11.2.42] That is called vairagya. The bhakti-yoga means vairagya-yoga. Vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yogam.

This was composed by Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya about Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. When he understood Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu he wrote this verse, vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga-siksartham ekah purusah puranah [Cc. Madya 6.254]. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is that Purana-purusa, Krsna. Krsna is the original. Aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravar… [Bg. 10.8]. Everything has come from Krsna; therefore He’s Purana, the oldest. Oldest. Nobody can be older than Krsna, but He’s always young. That is Bhagavan. Advaitam acyutam anadi. Anadi. He has no adi. He’s adi. Adi means the original.

isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam [Bs. 5.1]

He’s the cause of all causes. So this Purana-purusa, Krsna, He’s the oldest. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvanam ca [Bs. 5.33] That is Krsna. You’ll never see Krsna’s picture as old man. No. Has anyone seen Krsna as old man? No. Nava-yauvanam, always fresh youthful life. The same. You have seen the picture of Kuruksetra battle. Krsna was sitting… At that time He was great-grandfather, but He was looking twenty years old, young… That is Krsna.

So we also become like Krsna. In the Vaikunthaloka, the inhabitants, they are also living entities. Just like in this, within this universe, this material universe, there are living entities—there are also living entities, but they are in spiritual body, the same form of body as Krsna. You have read in the Sixth Canto of Bhagavata, Srimad-Bhagavatam, the Ajamila, the vaikuntha-duta came for Ajamila to take Ajamila. They are also four-handed, very beautiful. That is Vaikunthaloka. But in Krsnaloka they are two-handed. So in the spiritual world there are so many varieties—four-handed, two- handed living entity. They’re all nitya-mukta. They’re all everlastingly liberated. So we have been just like a prisoner is. Although he’s a prisoner, he can be also good citizen. There is no hopelessness. Similarly, we are now prisoner in this material world, and we have got this material body. Therefore we are changing: sometimes young, sometimes old, sometimes these boys, some But tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9], if you become Krsna conscious, then, after leaving this body, you’re not any more getting this material body. That is stated. tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9] Then what happens? Mam eti. He comes to back to home, back to Godhead. And as soon as you go, you get your original, spiritual body, same beautiful body as Krsna has, as Narayana has. This is the opportunity.

So why should we not take this opportunity of human life, take to Krsna consciousness and become devotee of Krsna and make our life? Therefore it is said here, pratyag-atmanam ihavarundhe. In this life you can get this opportunity simply by following the bhakti-yoga process. Yogena mayy arpitaya ca bhaktya. That is required. You learn how to become a bhakta. Simply practicing sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam, arcanam… [SB 7.5.23] any of them. Either this nine processes or eight or seven or six or five or four. Take at least one and make your life successful. Everyone can… Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore prescribes the most important one—sravanam, simply hear. That’s all. That will make your life successful.

Thank you very much. (end)