Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.32 Nitai: “…mind is the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The mind’s natural duty is to serve. When that service spirit is engaged in devotional service to the Personality of Godhead, without any motive, that is far better even than salvation.” Prabhupada: devanam guna-linganam anusravika-karmanam sattva evaika-manaso vrttih svabhaviki tu ya animitta bhagavati bhaktih siddher gariyasi Bhakti is transcendental even to mukti. People generally consider dharma artha kama moksa. In the beginning dharma, artha, economic development, kama, sense gratification, then moksa, merging into the supreme one. But bhakti is above that. Siddher gariyasi. It is above mukti. Mukti is not very much important thing for a bhakta. Bilvamangala Thakura says, bhaktis tvayi sthiratara bhagavan yadi syad daivena nah phalati divya-kisora-murtih muktih svayam mukulitanjali sevate ’sman dharmartha-kama-gatayah samaya-pratiksah This is the experience of Bilvamangala Thakura. He was a South Indian brahmana, very rich brahmana. But by bad association or something like that, he became a very staunch prostitute hunter. So he engaged all his income, money, everything, after one prostitute. Her name was Cintamani. So it is a very nice story. I am briefly describing. So one night… Every night he was to go to that prostitute, and one night it was very terribly raining. So the prostitute thought, “Now this night Bilvamangala is not coming. It is terribly raining.” But Bilvamangala went there, crossing the river, and the door was closed. He jumped over the door catching a snake. In this way, very dangerously, he reached the prostitute’s house. And the prostitute was astonished, that “How is this condition you could come here? Oh, you are so much attracted by this skin. If this much attraction you would have to Krsna, how it would have been nice for you.” So immediately he left the prostitute’s house and went to Vrndavana. The fact is in his previous life he executed devotional service up to bhava-bhakti. So his Cintamani, that prostitute, became his guru, remind that “You are so much fond of prostitute. If this attraction would have been to Krsna, how much successful you would have…” So it acted, and he left to Vrndavana and lived for seven hundred years. So he has a book, Krsna-karnamrta, Bilvamangala Thakura. That is recommended by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu for reading, Krsna-karnamrta. So in that book he writes, bhaktis tvayi sthiratara bhagavan yadi syat: “If we have got fixed-up devotion unto You, my Lord, Bhagavan,” then daivena nah phalati divya-kisora-murtih, “then very easily we can see Your form,” divya-kisora-murtih, “Your divine form,” kisora-murtih, “very young boy.” Krsna is always kisora. Krsna’s another name is Kisora. Kisora-murtih. Kisora means kaisora, before marriage, before…, eleventh to sixteenth year. This is called kisora age. So kisora-murtih. Krsna is always kisora-murtih. So by devotional service, one can see the kisora-murtih of Krsna very easily. Bhaktis tvayi sthiratara bhagavan yadi syat: “If it is possible, then very easily we can see You.” When Bilvamangala Thakura was in Vrndavana he voluntarily plucked out his eyes. Because he was very much fond of seeing beauty of woman, so he thought, “These eyes are my enemies.” So he personally plucked out his eyes. When he was going to Vrndavana, still he became attracted by a woman, and therefore… That woman, of course, was a very rich merchant’s wife. So she told her husband that “This man is coming after me. What to do?” So that merchant received him. “Oh, he’s saintly person. All right, you serve him.” So Bilvamangala Thakura came to his senses. He said, “Mother, you give me the pins of your hair. So I am so much after the beauty of woman, so let me pluck out the eyes.” So he made voluntarily blind. So he could not see, but still, Krsna was coming in Vrndavana. Krsna is always in Vrndavana. So He was supplying milk. So divya-kisora-murtih, he practically realized through bhakti. Therefore he wrote by his personal experience, bhaktis tvayi sthiratara bhagavan yadi syad daivena nah phalati divya-kisora-murtih. And so far dharmartha-kama-moksa, moksa, muktih svayam mukulitanjali sevate asman: “Mukti is not very important thing. She is always standing at my service,” mukulitanjali, “with folded hands, Mukti: ‘My dear sir, what can I do for you?’ ” This is mukti’s position. So a devotee is not very much anxious for mukti because a devotee is always mukta. He is already mukta. Why should he… Suppose if you have got millions of dollars, why should you hanker after ten rupees? So bhakti is such a nice thing. But what is that bhakti? That bhakti is animitta bhagavati. That bhakti should be animitta, not with a motive that “I shall go to the temple and serve Krsna for this purpose.” Krsna can fulfill any purpose you desire. It is not very difficult for Him, because He is almighty, full with all opulences. So if you want something, material happiness, from Krsna, it is not very difficult for Krsna. He can give you mukti even. But to ask from Krsna anything else than bhakti is foolishness. That is foolishness. My Guru Maharaja used to give this example: just like if you go to a rich man and he says, “Now whatever you like, you can ask from me. I shall give you,” then if you ask him that “You give me a pinch of ash,” is that very intelligent? Similarly, to… There is a story, that one old woman in the forest… I think it is in Aesop’s Fable or somewhere. So she was carrying a big bundle of dry wood, and somehow or other, the bundle fell down. It was very heavy. So the old woman became very much disturbed, “Who will help me to get this bundle on my head?” So she began to call God, “God, help me.” And God came, “What you want?” “Kindly help me to get this bundle on my head.” (laughter) Just see. God came to give him benediction, and she wanted to “Give this bundle again on my head.” So we are doing the same thing. When we go to God we ask Him, “Kindly give me the bundle on my head. My family become may happy. I may have a large amount of money to enjoy material things.” We ask that. That is our foolishness. Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches us, therefore, that actually, if you want something from God, that should be only begging for His service. This Hare Krsna maha-mantra means addressing God, “Krsna,” “Hari,” and His energy Hara, Srimati Radharani or Laksmiji, Hare: “O this internal potency of Krsna…” Hara is Krsna’s internal potency. The external potency is Durga, and the internal potency is Radharani. Jaya Radhe. So this is daivi-prakrti. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah [Bg. 9.13] The devotees, they take shelter of the daivi-prakrti, Radharani, Laksmiji. They worship, therefore, Vaisnava, Radha- Krsna, Laksmi-Narayana, Sita-Rama, the first of all, the energy. The energy. So this Hare Krsna mantra is first addressing the energy, the internal energy, potency, of Krsna. Hare. From Hara to Hare. That is the sambodhana. So Hare Krsna: “O Radharani, or Laksmi, or Sita, and Krsna, or Rama, or Narayana”—the same thing. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, addressing Them, “O my Lord, O my Lord’s energy.” So when you address somebody, you want to ask something. So if they reply, “Yes, why you are calling?” then we’re calling, “Please engage me in Your service.” This is the prayer, not that “Give me money” or “Give me beautiful wife” or many followers. This is material hankering. Everyone wants some prestigious position, labha puja pratistha, some material profit, labha, and prestigious position so that people will give him salaam, minister, president, and to become very famous, historically very famous. These are material hankerings. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, “No.” Na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye. We don’t want. This is animitta bhakti. Nimitta, for some certain reason, if you become a bhakta, then you are not a suddha-bhakta. You are a viddha(?)-bhakta, a polluted bhakta. Pure bhakti is anyabhilasita-sunyam [BRS 1.1.11], zero. Material hankerings, anything material, hankering, should be void. The void philosophy, nirvana, that indicates that you should completely finish these material desires. That is Lord Buddha’s philosophy, nirvana. Nirvana means material desires, to make it void, no more. Lord Buddha said up to that. Because the people who were following him, they were not so expert, advanced; therefore he did not say what is after giving up every desires. Because desireless it cannot be. Desires… People say that “You become desireless. Give up your all desires.” That give up all desires means you give up your material desires, because you cannot be desireless. Then you are dead body. But we are eternal living entity. Nityah sasvato ’yam na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. We are getting different types of body on account of different desires. So I become desireless of this habit; then I desire another habit. So that is going on. So desireless is not possible. Desirelessness means you have to purify your desire. Don’t desire anything except the service of Krsna. That is desirelessness, animitta. Animitta bhaktih siddher gariyasi. If you come to that position… As Caitanya Mahaprabhu, teaching us, na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye, mama janmani janmanisvare… He says, janmani janmani, “birth after birth.” That means He does not require even salvation, because salvation means apunar bhava-janma, no more janma, no more birth. No more birth—there are two kinds of more more birth. For the Mayavadis, or impersonalists, they want to stop birth, to merge into the existence of the Supreme, brahma-nirvana. Brahma-nirvana… The Buddha philosophy teaches nirvana, devoid of all material desires, that much. He does not give any more. Sankaracarya gives further, more, that brahma-nirvana, that “You become desireless of this material world, but you enter, merge into Brahman.” That is called brahma-nirvana. And the Vaisnava philosopher says that “You make null and void all your material desires, enter into Brahman and be engaged in the service of the Lord.” This is called bhakti. So brahma-nirvana is also siddhi, but more than that siddhi is to be engaged in the service, Brahman service. That service is not ordinary service. The service to the Lord is not to be calculated as equal to this material service. The Mayavadi philosophers, they cannot understand it. But Krsna says personally that this devotional service is in the transcendental platform, Brahman service. Therefore He says, mam ca yo ’vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena sevate [Bg. 14.26]. This bhakti-yoga, one who is actually employed, engaged in pure devotional ser…, animitta, without any motives, without any material purpose, that is real spiritual service. mam ca yo ’vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena sevate sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26] Brahma-bhuyaya kalpate. That service is on the Brahman platform. So some people, they do not know that there is another platform of service or another platform of activities which is called Brahman activities, because those who are grossly in the bodily concept of life, they have no information there is Brahman, or soul, within this body. So mukti means to deliver that Brahman from this material encagement. But actually, if you don’t give him engagement, because actually the soul is working… That everyone can appreciate. We are very active. “Oh, I am prime minister.” “I am president,” “I am Birla,” “I am Srila (?),” and so many things. That’s all right. But is… That prime minister is this body or the soul? Because as soon as the soul is out of the body, what is the value of this prime minister’s body? It is no more useful—finished. That we do not understand. Actually, the soul is working in different capacities. Either as prime minister or Lord Brahma, King Indra, or the cat, or dog, or the insect, the soul is working in different atmosphere, in different body. So the perfection of these activities, of the soul, that he has got already indriyas… We are acting with our hands, legs, ears, eyes, nose, everything, karmendriya. Ten kinds of activities are being performed by the senses, and there are five kinds of sense objects, tanmatra, fifteen, and the eight elements material, earth, water, fire. So fifteen and eight, twenty-three, and the soul. This is twenty-four. That is the subject matter of Sankhya philosophy, how these twenty- four different items are combined together and work. This is the study of Sankhya philosophy. Yesterday we talked about sankhyam. Tattvamnayam yat pravadanti sankhyam. So there is material Sankhya philosophers. They (they’re) simply satisfied, simply studying these twenty-four types of elements. But the real Sankhya philosophy, as propounded by Kapiladeva, that is bhakti. That is… He has said, bhakti-vitana-yogam. The activities of the spiritual field, that is Sankhya philosophy, not of the material fields. In the material field you will find these twenty-four kinds of elements analyzed, but beyond these twenty-four there is soul, and the soul is acting. That is called spiritual activities, or bhakti-yoga. So because it is transcendental to material activities, therefore in the bhakti-yoga there is no such desire for material benefit, animitta. Therefore it is said, animitta. Here all activities are done for some material profit. Nobody is… Even the so-called political leaders sacrifice everything. That’s all right. But everything is for material benefit. Even in our country a big man like Mahatma Gandhi, he sacrificed everything—his family, his profession. And many other leaders… But what for they were working? They were working for some material benefits, that’s all, not for any spiritual benefit. So that is not transcendental activities. That is material activities, expanded material thoughts. Somebody is working for his family or somebody is working for himself, like animals, the cats and dogs. They work for himself. And human being, they’re little advanced. They work for family, for wife, children, or, further extended, for society, for community, for nation. You can expand. Even international. They are all material activities, nimitta, simply expanded, expanded. Suppose if you steal for yourself and if you steal for your family or if you steal for your community, that stealing is there. Because you are stealing for greater family, that does not mean that you are not a thief. There was a story, Alexander and the thief. The Alexander arrested one thief, big dacoit, plunderer. So when he explained, “My dear sir, Alexander, so what is the difference between you and me? I am also plunderer; you are also plunderer. I am a small plunderer; you are a big plunderer. So where is the difference in quality?” So Alexander the Great, he was very sensible. He released him: “Yes, there is no difference.” So to become a big thief, big plunderer, does not mean that he is advanced. Similarly, our sense, for personal sense gratification or my family’s sense gratification or for my nation’s sense gratification—that is sense gratification. That is not spiritual activity. That is material activity. So long you will have desire for sense gratification, localized or expanded, the quality does not change. The quality will change when this sense gratification will be transferred to Krsna, not sense gratification for me, for my family, for my society, for my nation, or for my species. Just like there are many philanthropists. They are busy doing welfare activities for the human race, but they are not interested for the benefit of the animal race. “Animal race should be slaughtered, and human race shall eat.” This is their philosophy. But we have already discussed Kapiladeva’s philosophy, suhrdah sarva-dehinam. Suhrdah sarva-dehinam. The animal has got also body; we have also got body. But a Vaisnava is not only a friend to the human society, but he is friend to the animal society also, the bird society, tree society, every society. A Vaisnava does not like unnecessarily a tree should be cut down. That is Vaisnava philosophy. A Vaisnava does not like to trample over an ant. That is Vaisnava philosophy. Sarva-dehinam. Titiksavah karunikah suhrdah sarva-dehinam. We have already discussed this verse. So how this can be possible? This suhrdah sarva-dehinam is possible when one has surrendered himself to the Supreme Being. On His account, because he has surrendered to the Supreme Being, he is friend to all living being. Artificially you cannot. Artificially you select some section, the poorer section, and worship him like Narayana, and you call him daridra-narayana. But a devotee, if he has got vision of Narayana, he will see the daridra-narayana, the rich Narayana, the chaga-narayana, and the every Narayana, panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18] Why a section should be called Narayana? If you have got such broader vision, that you are seeing Narayana in everything, then what the rich man has done? He is also Narayana. And the goat has… He is also Narayana. The cow, he is also Narayana. Then you should… If you have such broader vision, that you see everywhere Narayana, then why should you specify a section, daridra-narayana? So it is not possible. So long one is not a devotee, one who is not on the transcendental platform, this equal vision is not possible. It is crippled, all crippled. Therefore bhakti-yoga should be animitta, ahaituki. These words are used. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje, ahaituki [SB 1.2.6]. “I am serving Krsna…” The devotee is serving Krsna not with any purpose; just to satisfy Him, not any purpose, my profit—Krsna’s profit. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gita. I… Several times we have repeated. Arjuna, on his own account, he was not willing to fight. “No, no, Krsna, I will not fight. The other side, they are my relatives, my brother, my nephews. No, no, I cannot kill them.” But when he understood that “Krsna wants this fight,” he said, “Oh, yes, I shall do.” Karisye vacanam tava [Bg. 18.73]. So this is bhakti, that we have to do anything for pleasing Krsna. That is called animitta, no condition. Ahaituki. Ahaituki means no condition or animitta, no reason. Everything should be done for Krsna. So animitta bhagavati bhaktih siddher gariyasi. That is better than siddhi. Siddhi means self-realization or Brahman realization. Therefore Krsna says also. What Krsna says and what Kapiladeva says, they are the same thing. Therefore here it is also said, bhagavan uvaca. And in the Bhagavad-gita also, you will find, bhagavan uvaca. Never said, krsna uvaca or kapila uvaca, because They are Bhagavan. So those who are self-realized soul, who know what is Bhagavan, so instead of speaking kapiladeva uvaca, he says, Vyasadeva says… Srimad-Bhagavatam is compiled by Srimad Vyasadeva. So as Bhagavad-gita also, it was heard by Arjuna, it was released to Sanjaya, and then, from Sanjaya heard Vyasadeva, and he made it recorded in writing in Mahabharata… So he says, bhagavan uvaca. Bhagavan uvaca means that is the perfect version. There is no mistake. If some ordinary says, there will be so many defects and cheating, because ordinary person has no perfect knowledge. He may be very, very advanced scholar, but that does not mean he is perfect. Perfection is different thing. Perfection means there should be no mistake, no illusion, no cheating, and no imperfections of the senses. That is perfection. And therefore it is said here, bhagavan uvaca. Bhagavan is all-perfect. Therefore we should take knowledge from Bhagavan or one who speaks according to the version of Bhagavan. We should not hear anybody else. That is imperfect. So our Krsna consciousness movement on this principle. We are speaking not anything manufactured by us. That is not our business. Because how we can manufacture? We are defective. We are deficient, imperfect. What is the use of my philosophy? What is the use of my thinking? Generally they say, “I think,” “In my opinion.” He does not think that “I am a rascal. I have no value of my opinion.” He thinks that he is something very big. No. Because our senses are imperfect, whatever knowledge we have gathered by our sense speculation, that is imperfect. That cannot be perfect. Therefore we have discussed already, tattva amnayam. We have to receive knowledge from disciplic succession, tattva. Then we will understand the truth. Tattvamnayam. This subject matter we have discussed already, amnayam, evam parampara, that we should not manufacture knowledge. We should take knowledge from the perfect. Just like here it is said, bhagavan uvaca. In the Bhagavad-gita also, bhagavan uvaca. If we follow this amnaya system, then we become guru. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said who is guru. He asked everyone to become guru. His mission is that people are suffering all over the world for want of this Krsna consciousness, or God consciousness. That’s a fact. So He is advising everyone, especially those who are born in India, bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara janma sarthaka kari’ kara para-upakara [Cc. Adi 9.41] That is His mission. He is requesting every Indian, every Indian, because they have got the facility for understanding what is Bhagavad-gita, what is Srimad-Bhagavatam, what is Vedas. They have got this opportunity. Therefore He says, janma sarthaka kari’: “You have taken your birth in India. You make your life successful by taking advantage of these scriptures and then assimilate the knowledge and preach all over the world.” They are in darkness. That is being repeatedly said. But we are not taking advantage of. We are so misfortunate. We are misguided by the so-called leaders that we are neglecting this valuable literature which is spoken by Bhagavan. We are talking of some nonsense. That is our misfortune. So we have to take knowledge from Bhagavan and spread it all over the world. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s… So He says that “You become guru.” He says, amara ajnaya guru hana: “By My order.” Don’t become a so-called guru, manufactured guru. “You become guru by following My instruction.” Amara ajnaya guru hana. Guru means who follows the predecessor, authorized predecessor. He is guru. Not that everyone is guru. So therefore we have to follow the superior order. Then we become guru, not that by cheating others we become guru. No. That is cheater. That is not teacher. Guru means who is following the superior order. The superior order is Krsna or His representative. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna. He is ordering, amara ajnaya, “By My order,” guru hana, “you become guru.” “Sir, it is very difficult to become guru. I have no education. I have no culture. I am not born in a very high family. I am very low.” A devotee always thinks like that. He never thinks that “I have become very great man.” Just like Caitanya-caritamrta, author of, he says, purisera kita haite muni se laghistha. Purisa, purisa means stool, and there are worms in the stool. So Caitanya-caritamrta author is saying that “I am lower than the worms in the stool.” That is Vaisnava conception. Trnad api sunicena. He is very humble. He never says, “Oh, I am the Supreme. I have become God.” A most rascal, foolish. So that is not… Therefore we have to follow. If we actually want to become guru, there is necessity of many thousands of gurus to teach this cheated public. But how to become guru? That is… Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, amara ajnaya: “By My order.” “What is Your order, Sir?” Yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna’-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128] Then you become guru. You simply advise people to follow Krsna’s instruction. Then you become guru. So that is our mission. This Krsna consciousness movement is that we are simply trying to convince people what Krsna has said, that’s all. We are not manufacturing anything. So that is our business. Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. We are training our disciples “Just always think of Krsna, chant Hare Krsna, and become Krsna’s devotee, offer Him prasadam, dress Him nicely.” Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji: “Worship Me.” Worship Krsna, the same thing. Krsna says, “Worship Me”; we are saying, “Worship Krsna.” Krsna says, “Surrender unto Me”; we are saying, “Surrender to Krsna.” So we have no difficulty. To become a guru there is no difficulty, provided we repeat the same thing as Krsna says. And if you say something more or less, then you are not a guru. Very simple thing. Very simple thing. So that is advised here, animitta bhagavati, bhagavati bhaktih. You cannot manufacture the ways of bhakti. Bhagavati, what is advised by Bhagavan, the Supreme Lord. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. You cannot manufacture a line of dharma. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Dharma is the law given by the Supreme Lord. You cannot manufacture, “This dharma, that dharma, this dhar…” No. Dharma is one. Dharma cannot be different. Dharma means to abide by the orders of God. This is dharma. But if you do not know God, if you do not know what is order, then you must manufacture something rubbish and fight amongst yourself. That is not dharma. Therefore Bhagavata says, dharmah projjhita-kaitavo ’tra: [SB 1.1.2] “All cheating types of dharma is rejected and kicked out from Srimad-Bhagavatam.” Dharmah projjhita. Projjhita, prakrsta-rupena ujjhita, just like you collect all dust and throw it. Similarly, this Bhagavata-dharma is not a cheating dharma. Bhagavata-dharma means in relation with the Supreme Lord. Bhagavati bhaktih. Bhakti can be applied only to Bhagavan. Bhakti means the business between Bhagavan and bhakta. That is bhakti. If there is no Bhagavan then where is bhakti? And where is bhakta? If Bhagavan is zero, then where is bhakti? Bhakti means the transaction between Bhagavan and bhakta. Just like here, the Bhagavan is there, and bhaktas are there, and the transaction is dressing the Bhagavan, feeding the Bhagavan, chanting the Bhagavan’s name, calling people to hear about Bhagavan, to publish books about Bhagavan. This is bhakti, bhakti bhagavati, simply in relation with Bhagavan, no other business, animitta, without any material desire. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam [BRS 1.1.11]. There is no touch even of jnana. Jnana means speculation. And trying to understand the Absolute Truth by his… [break] jnanam parama-guhyam me yad vijnana-samanvitam sa-rahasyam tad-angam ca grhana gaditam maya These are the instruction of Lord Krsna to Brahma. Sa-rahasyam tad-angam ca. Anga, this bhakti-anga, this sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam [SB 7.5.23], these are different, I mean to say, branches, or not actually branches, different phases or features of bhakti, to hear just like we are hearing and chanting. I am speaking, chanting; you are hearing. This is bhakti. Sravanam kirtanam. What we are chanting and hearing? Visnu, not any other one. No. Visnu. Visnu. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh. You cannot say any other demigod. No. That is material. That is material. If you try to hear about some great person or demigod, that is material. But when you hear and talk about Visnu, that is bhakti. This is bhakti, different processes. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam. So in this way we have to execute, as it is said, animitta bhagavati bhaktih, which is siddher gariyasi… [break] (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bombay, December 2, 1974