Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.37
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bombay, December 6, 1974

Devotee: “…yoga, nor does he desire to be elevated to the kingdom of God. Yet even without desiring them, the devotee enjoys, even in this life, all the offered benedictions.”

Prabhupada:

atho vibhutim mama mayavinas tam aisvaryam astangam anupravrttam sriyam bhagavatim vasprhayanti bhadram parasya me te ’snuvate tu loke

A pure devotee, as it is instructed by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, how to keep the position of pure devotee… There are many explanations. Rupa Gosvami has also given the same idea in his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. And Narada Muni, he has given the same idea in the Narada-pancaratra. And Bhagavan Sri Krsna has also given the same idea in the Bhagavad-gita. From all Vedic scripture it is understood that a pure devotee, he does not want anything from the Lord. He does not want. Even he does not want liberation, what to speak of the material things—dharma, artha, kama, moksa.

The material position is one wants to become religious, dharma. Why? Now, he can get material opulence. Oh, why material opulences? Now, because he can gratify his senses, kama. And when he is frustrated, then he wants moksa. Dharma-artha-kama-moksa. Generally, people are very much attached, those who are human being. Not the cats and dogs; they do not know anything. But those who are elevated in the living condition, they want to become religious or economically very prosperous, dharma artha, and good facilities for sense enjoyment. And then, after enjoying all these thing, either by frustration or by further development, they wants mukti.

But a devotee does not want any of these things, any of these things. He’s not at all interested. Just like Bilvamangala Thakura, the other day I told you the story. He says that muktir mukulitanjali sevate asmat: “My Lord, if I am fixed up in devotional service, then what to speak of mukti. Mukti is just like my maidservant. She’s standing on door, ‘What can I do for you?’ ” Muktir mukulitanjali. Anjali, just like folded hands, “Sir, what can I do for you?” That is the position. Why a devotee shall want mukti? No. He doesn’t want anything. Simply he wants to serve Krsna. That’s all. He wants this facility, no other thing.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu… That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s philosophy.

na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye mama janmani janmanisvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi

Tvayi: “Unto You, let there be my devotion,” ahaituki, “without any motive.” Everyone has got some motive. People become dharmika, go to the temples. That’s very good. They are pious—to ask something: “O God, give us our daily bread.” A bhakta, a pure bhakta, he does not ask anything. Why he should ask? A pure devotee is kept in the hand of Krsna. Just like if you keep something very carefully, jewels, in your hand, you are very careful. Similarly, when Krsna takes care of you, as He says, aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami, then you are just in the, at the care of… Just like if a big man, a very rich man, if he assures you, “Oh, don’t bother, I’ll take care of you for everything,” just imagine what is your position, if a big man gives you assurance that “I’ll take care of you. Don’t bother. You haven’t got to do anything. I shall take.” So when Krsna says, the Supreme Lord, who is the proprietor of all opulences… Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah. Sad-aisvarya-purna. Aisvarya. Six kind of opulence. Krsna has got full control over six kind of opulences. All riches. We can say, “I am millionaires. I am proprietor of crores.” But I cannot say that “I am the owner of all the banks of the world.” That is not possible. But Krsna can say. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29] Not only the banks, but everything which contains the banks, all the planets. Sarva-loka-mahesvaram. So who can be richer than Krsna? So if Krsna says, “I’ll take care of you,” then where is the question of poverty?

But that is… People do not know. They want some opulence, material opulence, but he doesn’t want Krsna, the proprietor of all opulences. And that is our misfortune. The proprietor of all opulences, He said, “Just surrender to Me. I’ll take care of you.” “No, no. It is not possible. I shall have to take care of my business. That will maintain me. I will have to take care of my this and that, my country, and so many family, friends, and…” Krsna says, “No, no. You simply surrender. I’ll do everything for you.” And He assures Arjuna in the Sixth Chap…, yam labdhva caparam labham manyate nadhikam tatah: “You just do…, try to achieve that thing which achieving you will be no more aspiring for achieving anything more.” That is Krsna. That is Krsna. Just like Arjuna, he did it very conscientiously. Krsna said that “This war, your fight, is family. I am connected with both the families. So I cannot take part in this war.” But they insisted that “At least You take some part as You like.” Then He said that “I divide Myself into two. So one side, all My soldiers, eighteen aksauhini soldiers, and one side, I am alone. Now you select. Which one you want?” So Duryodhana’s thought that “What shall I do with Krsna? He’s one man. Let me take His soldiers.” So he took all the soldiers. And Arjuna said, “No, Krsna, I want You.” Then Krsna said, “No, I’ll not fight.” “No, You simply remain in my side.” “All right, I shall become your chariot driver, that’s all.”

So this is intelligence. You just capture Krsna. And Krsna, how He can be captured? Krsna can be captured by your bhakti. Otherwise, He’s very, very, crafty. You cannot capture Him. It is not possible. Ajita. If anyone wants to conquer over Krsna, that is not possible. That is… Therefore Krsna’s name is Ajita. Nobody can conquer over. You find from the history Mahabharata. Mahabharata means the greater history of India. Maha, maha means greater. As you like “Greater Bombay,” similarly, Mahabharata means “Greater Bharata.” Don’t think of this Bharata, three-feet Bharata. No. The whole planet was Bharatavarsa. That is called Mahabharata, Greater Bharata. Everyone was being controlled by the emperor in Hastinapura, the Pandavas. So in that history you find Krsna has so many dealings in Mahabharata, but He was never conquered by anyone. Therefore His name is Ajita. But you can conquer over this Ajita. Ajita jito ’py asi tais tri-lokyam. By whom? Sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih. Namanta. Namanta eva. This is the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that don’t try foolishly to speculate about God. Stop this foolishness. The same example: the frog in the well is thinking of the Atlantic Ocean. He has never seen Atlantic Ocean. He’s speculating. Some friend told him, “My dear friend, frog in the well, I have seen a vast mass of water.” “What is that?” “Now, Atlantic Ocean.” “What is that Atlantic Ocean?” “Very great mass of water.” “Oh? Bigger than this well? Maybe four feet or ten feet or…?” In this way, if you speculate, you will never understand what is God.

If you want to understand God, then try to understand from God Himself. He knows. Just like if you speculate of a big man, a neighbor, a friend, that “What is his wealth? Oh, he appears to be very rich man and very strong man, very influential man.” And these are the opulences: very beautiful, very wise. So you can calculate. But if you make friendship with that gentleman and if he speaks about himself, then you can understand what he is. Then how you can understand God, Krsna, by speculation? This is foolishness. Therefore, sastra advises you that jnane prayasam udapasya: “If you think that you are very learned scholar, you are very advanced in knowledge, and you can manufacture what is God, give up this foolishness first of all. Don’t make this foolishness.” Jnane prayasam. Oh, what is your knowledge? Limited. Kupa-manduka, the frog in the well. How you can imagine? Simply by imagination? Is imagination God? Can you create? The Mayavadis say that “We can imagine God. God, it is so great that it is not possible to understand the Brahman, but we can imagine some form.” This is Mayavadi philosophy. This imagination will not… You cannot imagine God. God is fact. God is not subjected to your imagination. And your senses are imperfect. How long you will simply speculate? Give up this practice, foolishness. Don’t… Jnane prayasam udapasya nam… Just become submissive. Jnane prayasam udapa…, namanta eva: “Be submissive.” That is bhakti-marga. Bhakti-marga is submissive.

Therefore Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Saranam vraja: “Be submissive, rascal. You are manufacturing so much, so many things. Give up this practice. Just surrender unto Me.” This is wanted. If you do that, Caitanya Mahaprabhu advises… This is spoken by… Then sthane sthitah sruti-gatam. If you become very, very humble and submissive and pray to Krsna sincerely, “Krsna, it is not possible for me to know You. If You kindly please explain how can I know You, then it is possible. If You please, if You become, if You think I shall be able to understand You…” Just like Arjuna said, that “Krsna, it is not possible to under… But if You kindly think that I am fit to understand of Your vibhuti, please tell me.” This is submission. And Krsna explained about His vibhuti. Then He concluded,

athava bahunaitena kim jnatena tavarjuna vistabhyaham idam krtsnam ekamsena sthito jagat

“How long I shall go on speaking about Myself? Simply summarize.” What is that? “Now, simply by one part of My opulence is maintaining the whole cosmic manifestation.” Ekamsena sthito jagat: “Only one little portion of My opulence. You just understand. Otherwise how much?”

So a little of… There are innumerable universes. Athava bahunaitena kim jnatena tavarjuna, ekamsena sthito jagat. Jagat means this universe. There is not one universe. We are only seeing one universe. There are millions of universes. All together that is called jagat. Gacchati iti jagat. So ekamsena sthitah. This is also confirmed in many other Vedic literatures.

yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah visnur mahan sa iha yasya kala-viseso govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami [Bs. 5.48]

Brahma-samhita means the prayers offered by Lord Brahma. This is accepted by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Brahma-samhita was not available by Caitanya Mahaprabhu when He was touring in South India, so He collected one Brahma-samhita, handwritten in the palm leaves, and He copied it. Formerly there was no press. These important sastras, Vedic literature, were kept in handwriting. I copy from your book; my other friend copies from my book… In this way, those who were interested… The literatures were not so cheap. Only highly qualified brahmanas, they used to keep handwritten… And it was worshiped in the temple as Deity, sastra, not that it is available everywhere. It has become… Now press has made it very cheaper. But we should always understand that granthas, or the scriptures, should be worshiped as God. That is sound incarnation of God. It should not be neglected. Don’t neglect Bhagavad-gita or Bhagavata as ordinary books. You must be very careful. As you take care of the Deities, you should take care of the books also.

So this Brahma-samhita was copied by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu from one Kesava mandira in South India, and He gave it to His disciple, that “Here is the summary of Vedanta and Bhagavatam.” Therefore we quote from Brahma-samhita. It is authorized. It is authorized by the Supreme Person, Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So in that Brahma-samhita it is said about Krsna in so many ways that here, as Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, ekamsena sthito jagat: “Only by one of My portion, the whole material creation is resting.” So in the Brahma-samhita it is explained in many places, one of the places, that yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah [Bs. 5.48]. Loma-vilaja: “The pores on Your body, from that pores and from the breathing process, the universes are coming out.” Universes are coming out. Yasyaika, the loka, yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah [Bs. 5.48]

Jagad-anda-nathah means… Jagad-anda means universe. In each universe there is a natha, or the supervisor, or the manager, or the supreme person. Just like for management we are. Similarly, in each universe there is Lord Brahma. He is the supreme creature, manager. So these managers live only to that period when Maha-Visnu exhales. When the nisvasita-kalam. Just like we exhale and inhale, so… But exhaling the all these universes are created, and at His inhale they go into the Maha-Visnu, in the… The coming and going. So many universes, and the Brahma, whose duration of life is also described in the Bhagavad-gita, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmano viduh… [Bg. 8.17]. Brahma’s duration of life is explained in the Bhagavad-gita, sahasra-yuga. We know yugas. The yuga, the four yugas make one divya-yuga, that Satya, Treta, Dvapara, Kali. Satya-yuga, eighteen lakhs of years duration; and Dvapara-yuga, twelve lakhs of years; and Treta-yuga, eight lakhs of years; and Kali-yuga, four lakhs of years. So altogether it comes to forty-three lakhs of years. This is yuga. And multiply it by one thousand. That means forty-three lakhs plus three zeros, how much it comes to? Huh? Some crores of years. That is Brahma’s twelve hours. Sahasra…

If you take Bhagavad-gita, if you believe, if you read Bhagavad-gita as it is, then you can understand. And if you say, “It is fictitious, something imaginary,” that is another thing. But unless you believe it, you have no authority to touch Bhagavad-gita! That is nonsense. We are creating so many nonsense who do not believe in the Bhagavad-gita, and they become commentator and scholar and so many things. Mudha. We are not in favor of this business. We are preaching all over the world that if you read Bhagavad-gita, you read it as it is and accept it as it is. Otherwise don’t create foolish anymore. We have produced many foolish person but misguiding them by misinterpreting this Bhagavad-gita. Stop this business. And if you believe, you have to believe like this. You cannot interpret, that is not possible. Why you should interpret? It is a fact that Brahma’s ayuh, his duration of life, is very, very big. Not only Brahma’s ayuh, even if you go higher planetary system… You are going to the moon planet. There are living entities. I do not know why they say there is no living being. Where they are going? But if we believe our sastra, the moon planet is one of the heavenly planets, and the duration of life in the moon planet is ten thousands of years. And their year means our six months equal to their one day. That is called divya. In this way that high… Not only… As you go more and more to the higher planetary system, you become more and more opulent. Just like here in this material world also, if you go Europe, America, you become more opulent automatically. Automatically. I am giving some example. Similarly, if you can go to the heavenly planet, you become more opulent.

Therefore they are aspiring after going to the higher planetary system. Karma-kandiya. They perform yajnas and pious activities to go to the heavenly planets. Oh, what is the idea? The idea is that we shall be able to enjoy more, more, more duration of life, more opulence, more money, more beautiful woman, more nice garden. Actually, that is a fact. That is a fact. But a devotee is not interested in all these things. A devotee is not interested because he accepts Krsna. Therefore he is not interested. Krsna says, abrahma-bhuvanal lokah punar avartino ’rjuna: [Bg. 8.16] “My dear Arjuna, even if you are promoted to the Brahmaloka, or the planet where Brahma lives, where the duration of life already I have explained, and opulence, and very, very great powerful, but still you have to fall down from there.”

So why a devotee should be interested in such thing? No. A devotee wants Krsna, the supreme eternal. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. That is the Vedic version. The Supreme Lord is the supreme leader of the nityas. We are all nityas, eternal. He guides. Therefore Krsna plays with the living entities, Narayana, Krsna, in the spiritual world. There Krsna and the devotees become His friend, cowherd boy. They play with Krsna. They want that thing. They do not want to go to the Brahmaloka or the Candraloka or this loka or that loka, because that will be finished. That will be finished. Because that is mayavinas tam. Maya will finish. It may be… Just like here we see. A germ lives for a few seconds, or a worm at night… There is clogging together, so many millions and millions, and by the morning, they are all dead. So their duration of life comparative. Similarly, Brahma also. It may be millions of year, but he’ll die. Krsna has said in the Bhagavad-gita that abrahma-bhuvanal lokah punar avartino ’rjuna [Bg. 8.16]. The birth and death, old age and disease, they are everywhere. Either you go to the Brahma planet or this lower planet or this Brahma life or human life or cat’s life, dog’s life, tree’s life—everything is finishable.

Mrtyuh sarva-haras caham. Krsna is ultimately present Himself to the atheist as mrtyu, as He appeared before Hiranyakasipu. Hiranyakasipu was declining. His son was asking his father, “My dear father, why you are disbelieving God?” And he was becoming angry: “No, I am God. Who is else God? I am God. You see? All the demigods, they are afraid of me. I am so powerful.” But Prahlada will not agree. He will say, “No, no. You are not God. God is Narayana.” This was the father and son. So he did not believe in God. He was thinking, “I am God.” Therefore, as Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, mrtyuh sarva-haras caham. Those who are atheists, who do not believe in God, the God comes before them as death and takes away everything, all his power, all his opulence, all his money, all his…, everything taken away. Mrtyuh sarva…

So that is the atheist class realization of God. And theist class, they believe in God. They worship in God while living, and their business is: in this life they are serving God, Krsna, and even after death, they will do the same business. Nitya-yukta upasate. So there is no difference between going to Vaikuntha and in this temple, for a devotee, because the business is the same. So why they should aspire even going to Vaikuntha? Why they aspire? Therefore it is said… What is said? Sriyam bhagavatim vasprhayanti. Because Vaikuntha, if you go to the spiritual world or Vaikuntha, you get equal opulence like Krsna or Narayana. Sayujya, sarupya, sarsti. There are five kinds of mukti. So one of the mukti is sarsti. Sarsti means equally opulent with the Supreme Lord, equally. In the Vaikuntha the devotees or the inhabitants, they are equally opulent. Everyone is like Narayana, four-handed, equally opulent. Just like in Vrndavana also, Goloka Vrndavana. Krsna and the cowherds boy, they are equally opulent. The cowherds boys in Vrndavana, they do not know that Krsna is God, Krsna is greater than him. No. They think, “As Krsna is, I am also.” They are so opulent.

So that is the devotional position. Therefore it is said, atho vibhutim mama mayavinas tam aisvaryam astangam anupravrttam, sriyam bhagavatim vasprhayanti bhadram. The devotees do not aspire for all these opulences. Their only aspiration is, ambition is how to be engaged in the service of the Lord, how to be engaged. That is their… And in that way they get everything. There is no difference. When you worship Krsna—man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], mam evaisyasi—so he has already gone. There is no difference, the worshiping of the Lord here and there. Just like in politics sometime. These are some of the examples, that in a foreign country, when you are staying in your ship, then you are not subjected to the rules of that country. You are subjected to the rules of your own country. Similarly, so long you are in devotional service, you are not subjected to the rules and regulation of this maya. Mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. Mayam etam… Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te. Anyone who is not devotee, who is not engaged in the service of the Lord, he is under the control of maya. And anyone who has surrendered to Krsna and is simply twenty-four hours engaged in the service of Krsna, he is not under the control of maya. Mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14] Krsna says.

So therefore a devotee is not aspiring of any so-called material opulence, even astanga-siddhi. Here it is said, aisvaryam astangam anupravrttam. Astanga-siddhi. The yogis, those who are actually yogi, they get astanga-siddhi, not these cheap yogis, gymnastic. No. The asana, gymnastic, that is all right. That is the process only to go to the yogic platform. But when one is actually on the yogic platform, he gets siddhis. Siddhis means perfection: anima, laghima, mahima, prapti, isita, vasita, like that. He can become smaller than the smallest. That is anima-siddhi. Some of the yogis, they can… You keep him within the room, locked up, and he’ll come out. Because as soon as there is little let out, he’ll come out. That is called anima-siddhi. Laghima-siddhi. You can walk… By achieving this la…, you can walk on the water. You become… You can fly in the air. You can go from one planet to another by flying. You can go to the moon planet or sun planet by capturing the beams. That is called mahima-siddhi. There are so many siddhis. You can create even one universe. Not this magic, little gold, but you can create not universe, one planet. These are said. But a devotee is not anxious to do these things, this jugglery and magic. He wants the one juggler, Krsna. That’s all. Because he know that “If I gain Krsna, I can achieve the favor of Krsna, then all juggleries and magic are under my control. He will do that. Why shall I use?” Just like a rich man’s son. He does not endeavor to get money. He knows, “My father is so rich, I can spend it as I like. If I am good son, father will give me money.” This is the position of devotee. Therefore he is not after any vibhuti, nor even he is aspiring going back to home, back to Godhead. That is also aspiration. A devotee does not… Because his home is… He can create Vaikuntha here.

It is, therefore… Temple is called nirguna. Temple is called nirguna. In the sastra the forest is sattva-guna, and city is rajo-guna, and the places like these four sinful activities are going on—illicit sex, intoxication, gambling… There are places. Every one of us aware of it. So they are called tamo-guna. So to live in such places where illicit sex or prostitution is going on, the place where drinking is going on, the place where meat-eating, hotels, restaurant is going on, and gambling going on, these places are tamo-guna. And ordinary cities and towns, they are called rajo-guna. And forest… Therefore formerly those who were aspiring after spiritual under…, they left either city or these things, everything. They went to the forest. That is called vanaprastha. Vanaprastha. Vana means forest. Before taking sannyasi, one leaves his family connection and goes to the forest. Vanam gato yah harim asrayeta. Vanam, vanam gato harim asrayeta. Then why they used to go to the forest? To take shelter of Hari. Vanam gato yah harim asrayeta. So that is sattvika. And above all these thing—to live in the temple—that is nirguna, above sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. Therefore those who are inhabitants of the temple, they are in Vaikuntha.

But unfortunately, it is Kali-yuga. We are trying to create such Vaikuntha in this Hare Krsna Land, and the police commissioner says, “It is nuisance.” This is our government.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)