Madhya19.139

TEXT 139

kesagra-sateka-bhaga punah satamsa kari

tara sama suksma jivera ’svarupa’ vicari

SYNONYMS

kesa-agra—from the tip of a hair; sata-eka—one hundred; bhaga—divisions; punah—again; sata-amsa—one hundred divisions; kari—making; tara sama—equal to that; suksma—very fine; jivera—of the living entity; sva-rupa—the actual form; vicari—I consider.

TRANSLATION

"The length and breadth of the living entity is described as one tenthousandth part of the tip of a hair. This is the original subtle nature of the living entity.

Madhya19.140

TEXT 140

kesagra-sata-bhagasya

satamsa-sadrsatmakah

jivah suksma-svarupo ’yam

sankhyatito hi cit-kanah

SYNONYMS

kesa-agra—of the tip of a hair; sata-bhagasya—of one hundredth; sata-amsa—a hundredth part; sadrsa—equal to; atmakah—whose nature; jivah—the living entity; suksma—very fine; sva-rupah—identification; ayam—this; sankhya-atitah—numbering beyond calculation; hi—certainly; cit-kanah—spiritual particle.

TRANSLATION

" ’If we divide the tip of a hair into a hundred parts and then take one of these parts and divide it again into a hundred parts, that very fine division is the size of but one of the numberless living entities. They are all cit-kana, particles of spirit, not matter.’

PURPORT

Madhya19.141

TEXT 141

balagra-sata-bhagasya

satadha kalpitasya ca

bhago jivah sa vijneya

iti caha para srutih

SYNONYMS

bala-agra—the tip of a hair; sata-bhagasya—of one hundredth; sata-dha—into one hundred parts; kalpitasya—divided; ca—and; bhagah—minute portion; jivah—the living entity; sah—that; vijneyah—to be understood; iti—thus; ca—and; aha—have said; para—chief; srutih—Vedic mantras.

TRANSLATION

" ’If we divide the tip of a hair into one hundred parts and then take one part and divide this into another one hundred parts, that ten-thousandth part is the dimension of the living entity. This is the verdict of the chief Vedic mantras.’

PURPORT

The first three padas of this verse from the Pancadasi Citradipa (81) are taken from the Svetasvatara Upanisad (5.9).

Madhya19.142

TEXT 142

suksmanam apy aham jivah

SYNONYMS

suksmanam—of the minute particles; api—certainly; aham—I; jivah—the living entity.

TRANSLATION

" ’Among minute particles, I am the living entity.’

PURPORT

The living entity is one with and different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As spirit soul, the living entity is one in quality with the Supreme Lord; however, the Supreme Lord is bigger than the biggest, and the living entity is the smallest of the small. This quote is the third pada of a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.16.11).

Madhya19.143

TEXT 143

aparimita dhruvas tanu-bhrto yadi sarva-gatas

tarhi na sasyateti niyamo dhruva netaratha

ajani ca yan-mayam tad avimucya niyantr bhavet

samam anujanatam yad amatam mata-dustataya

SYNONYMS

aparimitah—unlimited in number; dhruvah—eternals; tanu-bhrtah—who have accepted material bodies; yadi—if; sarva-gatah—all-pervading; tarhi—then; na—not; sasyata—controllable; iti—thus; niyamah—regulation; dhruva—O Supreme Truth; na—not; itaratha—in another manner; ajani—have been born; ca—and; yat-mayam—consisting of which; tat—that; avimucya—without giving up; niyantr—controller; bhavet—may become; samam—equal in all respects; anu-janatam—of those who follow this philosophical calculation; yat—that; amatam—not conclusive; mata-dustataya—by faulty calculations.

TRANSLATION

" ’O Lord, although the living entities who have accepted material bodies are spiritual and unlimited in number, if they were all-pervading there would be no question of their being under Your control. If they are accepted, however, as particles of the eternally existing spiritual entity-as part of You, who are the supreme spirit whole-we must conclude that they are always under Your control. If the living entities are simply satisfied with being identical with You as spiritual particles, then they will be happy being controllers of so many things. The conclusion that the living entities and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are one and the same is a faulty conclusion. It is not a fact.’

PURPORT

This verse, which is also from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.87.30), was spoken by the personified Vedas.

Madhya19.144

TEXT 144

tara madhye ’sthavara’, jangama’--dui bheda

jangame tiryak-jala-sthalacara-vibheda

SYNONYMS

tara madhye—among the living entities who are conditioned within the material world; sthavara—immovable; jangama—movable; dui bheda—two divisions; jangame—among the living entities who can move; tiryak—the living entities who can move in the air (the birds); jala—or living entities who can move within the water; sthala-cara—living entities who can move on land; vibheda—three divisions.

TRANSLATION

"The unlimited living entities can be divided into two divisions-those that can move and those that cannot move. Among living entities that can move, there are birds, aquatics and animals.

PURPORT

Madhya19.145

TEXT 145

tara madhye manusya-jati ati alpatara

tara madhye mleccha, pulinda, bauddha, sabara

SYNONYMS

tara madhye—among all such living entities; manusya-jati—entities born as human beings; ati—very; alpatara—small in quantity; tara madhye—among the small quantity of human beings; mleccha—uncivilized men who cannot follow the Vedic principles; pulinda—unregulated; bauddha—followers of Buddhist philosophy; sabara—the lowest of men (the hunter class).

TRANSLATION

"Although the living entities known as human beings are very small in quantity, that division may be still further subdivided, for there are many uncultured human beings like mlecchas, pulindas, bauddhas and sabaras.

Madhya19.146

TEXT 146

veda-nistha-madhye ardheka veda ’mukhe’ mane

veda-nisiddha papa kare, dharma nahi gane

SYNONYMS

veda-nistha-madhye—among persons who are followers of the Vedas; ardheka—almost half; veda—Vedic scriptures; mukhe—in the mouth; mane—accept; veda-nisiddha—forbidden in the Vedas; papa—sins; kare—perform; dharma—religious principles; nahi—not; gane—count.

TRANSLATION

"Among human beings, those who are followers of the Vedic principles are considered civilized. Among these, almost half simply give lip service while committing all kinds of sinful activities against these principles. Such people do not care for the regulative principles.

PURPORT

The word veda means “knowledge.” Supreme knowledge consists of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead and our relationship with Him and acting according to that relationship. Action in accordance with the Vedic principles is called religion. Religion means following the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Vedic principles are the injunctions given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Aryans are civilized human beings who have been following the Vedic principles since time immemorial. No one can trace out the history of the Vedic principles set forth so that man might understand the Supreme Being. Literature or knowledge that seeks the Supreme Being can be accepted as a bona fide religious system, but there are many different types of religious systems according to the place, the disciples and the people’s capacity to understand.

Madhya19.147

TEXT 147

dharmacari-madhye bahuta ’karma-nistha’

koti-karma-nistha-madhye eka jnani’ srestha

SYNONYMS

dharma-acari-madhye—among persons who actually follow the Vedic principles or religious system; bahuta—many of them; karma-nistha—attracted to fruitive activities; koti-karma-nistha-madhye—among millions of such performers of fruitive activities according to Vedic principles; eka—one; jnani—wise man; srestha—the chief.

TRANSLATION

"Among the followers of Vedic knowledge, most are following the process of fruitive activity and distinguishing between good and bad work. Out of many such sincere fruitive actors, there may be one who is actually wise.

PURPORT

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura states that the word karma-nistha refers to one who aspires to enjoy the results of his good work and pious activity. Some followers of Vedic principles offer everything to the Absolute Truth and do not aspire to enjoy the results of their pious actions. These are also considered among the karma-nisthas. Sometimes we see pious men earn money with great hardship and then spend the money for some pious cause by opening public charities, schools and hospitals. Whether one earns money for himself or for the public benefit, he is called a karma-nistha. Out of millions of karma-nisthas there may be one who is wise. Those who try to avoid fruitive activity and who become silent in order to merge into the spiritual existence of the Absolute Truth are generally known as jnanis, wise men. They are not interested in fruitive activity but in merging into the Supreme. In either case, both are interested in personal benefit. The karmis are directly interested in personal benefit within the material world, and the jnanis are interested in merging into the existence of the Supreme. The jnanis maintain that fruitive activity is imperfect. For them, perfection is the cessation of work and the merging into the supreme existence. That is their goal in life. The jnani wants to extinguish the distinction between knowledge, the knower and the aim of knowledge. This philosophy is called monism, or oneness, and is characterized by spiritual silence.

Madhya19.148

TEXT 148

koti-jnani-madhye haya eka-jana ’mukta’

koti-mukta-madhye ’durlabha’ eka krsna-bhakta

SYNONYMS

koti-jnani-madhye—out of many millions of such wise men; haya—there is; eka-jana—one person; mukta—actually liberated; koti-mukta-madhye—out of many millions of such liberated persons; durlabha—very rare; eka—one; krsna-bhakta—pure devotee of Lord Krsna.

TRANSLATION

"Out of many millions of such wise men, one may actually become liberated [mukta], and out of many millions of such liberated persons, a pure devotee of Lord Krsna is very difficult to find.

PURPORT

Madhya19.149

TEXT 149

krsna-bhakta--niskama, ataeva ’santa’

bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kami--sakali ’asanta’

SYNONYMS

krsna-bhakta—a devotee of Lord Krsna; niskama—actually desireless; ataeva—therefore; santa—peaceful; bhukti—of material enjoyment; mukti—of liberation from material activities; siddhi—of perfection in yogic performance; kami—those who are desirous; sakali—all of them; asanta—not peaceful.

TRANSLATION

"Because a devotee of Lord Krsna is desireless, he is peaceful. Fruitive workers desire material enjoyment, jnanis desire liberation, and yogis desire material opulence; therefore they are all lusty and cannot be peaceful.

PURPORT

The devotee of Lord Krsna has no desire other than serving Krsna. Even so-called liberated people are full of desires. Fruitive actors desire better living accommodations, and jnanis want to be one with the Supreme. Yogis desire material opulence, yogic perfections and magic. All of these are lusty (kami). Because they desire something, they cannot have peace.

The peace formula is given by Krsna in Bhagavad-gita:

bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati

If one can understand that the only supreme enjoyer is Krsna, one will perform all kinds of sacrifices, penances and austerities in order to attain Krsna’s devotional service. Krsna is the Supreme Being, the proprietor of all the material worlds; therefore throughout the entire universe He is the only enjoyer and beneficiary. He is the only friend who can actually do good to all living entities (suhrdam sarva-bhutanam). If one understands Krsna, he immediately becomes desireless (niskama) because a krsna-bhakta knows that his friend and protector in all respects is Krsna, who is able to do anything for His devotee. Krsna says, kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati: “O son of Kunti, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.” Since Krsna gives this assurance, the devotee lives in Krsna and has no desire for personal benefit. The background for the devotee is the all-good Himself. Why should the devotee aspire for something good for himself? His only business is to please the Supreme by rendering service as much as possible. A krsna-bhakta has no desire for his own personal benefit. He is completely protected by the Supreme. Avasya raksibe krsna visvasa palana. Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that he is desireless because Krsna will give him protection in all circumstances. It is not that he expects any assistance from Krsna; he simply depends on Krsna just as a child depends on his parents. The child does not know how to expect service from his parents, but he is always protected nevertheless. This is called niskama (desirelessness).

Although karmis, jnanis and yogis fulfill their desires by performing various activities, they are never satisfied. A karmi may work very hard to acquire a million dollars, but as soon as he gets a million dollars he desires another million. For the karmis, there is no end of desire. The more the karmi gets, the more he desires. The jnanis cannot be desireless because their intelligence is unsound. They want to merge into the Brahman effulgence, but even though they may be raised to that platform, they cannot be satisfied there. There are many jnanis or sannyasis who give up the world as false, but after taking sannyasa they return to the world to engage in politics or philanthropy or to open schools and hospitals. This means that they could not attain the real Brahman (brahma satyam). They have to come down to the material platform to engage in philanthropic activity. Thus they again cultivate desires, and when these desires are exhausted, they desire something different. Therefore the jnani cannot be niskama, desireless. Nor can the yogis be desireless, for they desire yogic perfections in order to exhibit some magical feats and gain popularity. People gather around these yogis, and the yogis desire more and more adulation. Because they misuse their mystic power, they fall down again onto the material platform. It is not possible for them to become niskama, desireless.

The conclusion is that only the devotees who are simply satisfied in serving the Lord can actually become desireless. Therefore it is written: krsna-bhakta niskama. Since the krsna-bhakta, the devotee of Krsna, is satisfied with Krsna, there is no possibility of falldown.

Madhya19.150

TEXT 150

muktanam api siddhanam

narayana-parayanah

sudurlabhah prasantatma

kotisv api maha-mune

SYNONYMS

muktanam—of persons liberated or freed from the bondage of ignorance; api—even; siddhanam—of persons who have achieved perfection; narayana—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; parayanah—the devotee; su-durlabhah—very rare; prasanta-atma—completely satisfied, desireless; kotisu—among many millions; api—certainly; maha-mune—O great sage.

TRANSLATION

" ’O great sage, out of many millions of materially liberated people who are free from ignorance, and out of many millions of siddhas who have nearly attained perfection, there is hardly one pure devotee of Narayana. Only such a devotee is actually completely satisfied and peaceful.’

PURPORT

Madhya19.151

TEXT 151

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva

guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija

SYNONYMS

brahmanda bhramite—wandering in this universe; kona—some; bhagyavan—most fortunate; jiva—living being; guru—of the spiritual master; krsna—of Krsna; prasade—by the mercy; paya—gets; bhakti-lata—of the creeper of devotional service; bija—the seed.

TRANSLATION

"According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Krsna. By the mercy of both Krsna and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.

PURPORT

When we speak of brahmanda, we refer to the whole universe, or to the cluster of many millions of universes. In all universes, there are innumerable planets and innumerable living entities upon those planets in the air and in the water. There are millions and trillions of living entities everywhere, and they are engaged by maya in suffering and enjoying the results of their fruitive activity life after life. This is the position of the materially conditioned living entities. Out of many of these living entities, if one is actually fortunate (bhagyavan), he comes in contact with a bona fide spiritual master by Krsna’s mercy.

Krsna is situated in everyone’s heart, and if one desires something, Krsna fulfills one’s desire. If the living entity by chance or fortune comes in contact with the Krsna consciousness movement and wishes to associate with that movement, Krsna, who is situated in everyone’s heart, gives him the chance to meet a bona fide spiritual master. This is called guru-krsna-prasada. Krsna is prepared to bestow His mercy upon all living entities, and as soon as a living entity desires the Lord’s mercy, the Lord immediately gives him an opportunity to meet a bona fide spiritual master. Such a person is fortified by both Krsna and the spiritual master. He is helped from within by Krsna and from without by the spiritual master. Both are prepared to help the sincere living being become free from this material bondage.

How one can become this fortunate can be seen in the life of Srila Narada Muni. In his previous life he was born of a maidservant. Although he was not born into a prestigious position, his mother was fortunately engaged in rendering service to some Vaisnavas. When these Vaisnavas were resting during the Caturmasya period, the boy Narada took the opportunity to engage in their service. Taking compassion upon the boy, the Vaisnavas offered him the remnants of their food.

By serving them and obeying their orders, the boy became the object of sympathy for the Vaisnavas, and, by the Vaisnavas’ unknown mercy, he gradually became a pure devotee. In the next life he was Narada Muni, the most exalted of Vaisnavas and the most important guru and acarya of Vaisnavas.

Madhya19.152

TEXT 152

mali hana kare sei bija aropana

sravana-kirtana-jale karaye secana

SYNONYMS

mali hana—becoming a gardener; kare—does; sei—that; bija—seed of devotional service; aropana—sowing; sravana—of hearing; kirtana—of chanting; jale—with the water; karaye—does; secana—sprinkling.

TRANSLATION

"When a person receives the seed of devotional service, he should take care of it by becoming a gardener and sowing the seed in his heart. If he waters the seed gradually by the process of sravana and kirtana [hearing and chanting], the seed will begin to sprout.

PURPORT

To live with devotees or to live in a temple means to associate with the sravana-kirtana process. Sometimes neophyte devotees think that they can continue the sravana-kirtana process without worshiping the Deity, but the execution of sravana-kirtana is meant for highly developed devotees like Haridasa Thakura, who engaged in the sravana-kirtana process without worshiping the Deity. However, one should not falsely imitate Haridasa Thakura and abandon Deity worship just to try to engage in sravana-kirtana. This is not possible for neophyte devotees.

The word guru-prasada indicates that the spiritual master is very merciful in bestowing the boon of devotional service upon the disciple. That is the best possible gift the spiritual master has to offer. Those with a background of pious life are eligible to receive life’s supreme benefit, and to bestow this benefit, the Supreme Personality of Godhead sends His representative to impart His mercy. Endowed with the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the spiritual master distributes the mercy to those who are elevated and pious. Thus the spiritual master trains his disciples to render devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is called guru-krpa. It is krsna-prasada, Krsna’s mercy, that He sends a bona fide spiritual master to the deserving disciple. By the mercy of Krsna, one meets the bona fide spiritual master, and by the mercy of the spiritual master, the disciple is fully trained in the devotional service of the Lord.

Madhya19.153

TEXT 153

upajiya bade lata ’brahmanda’ bhedi’ yaya

’viraja’ ’brahma-loka’ bhedi’ ’para-vyoma’ paya

SYNONYMS

upajiya—being cultivated; bade—increases; lata—the creeper of devotional service; brahmanda—the whole universe; bhedi’-penetrating; yaya—goes; viraja—the river between the spiritual world and the material world; brahma-loka—the Brahman effulgence; bhedi’-penetrating; para-vyoma—the spiritual sky; paya—attains.

TRANSLATION

"As one waters the bhakti-lata-bija, the seed sprouts, and the creeper gradually increases to the point where it penetrates the walls of this universe and goes beyond the Viraja River between the spiritual world and the material world. It attains brahma-loka, the Brahman effulgence, and, penetrating through that stratum, it reaches the spiritual sky and the spiritual planet Goloka Vrndavana.

PURPORT

A creeper generally takes shelter of a big tree, but the bhakti-lata, being the creeper of spiritual energy, cannot take shelter of any material planet, for there is no tree on any material planet that the bhakti-lata creeper can utilize for shelter. In other words, devotional service cannot be utilized for any material purpose. Devotional service is meant only for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sometimes men with a poor fund of knowledge maintain that bhakti can be applied to material things also. In other words, they say that devotional service can be rendered to one’s country or to the demigods, but this is not a fact. Devotional service is especially meant for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it is beyond this material range. There is a river, or causal ocean, between the spiritual and material natures, and this river is free from the influence of the three modes of material nature; therefore it is called Viraja. The word vi means vigata (completely eradicated), and rajah means “the influence of the material world.” On this platform, a living entity is completely free from material entanglement. For the jnanis who want to merge into the Brahman effulgence, there is brahma-loka. Bhakti-lata, however, has no shelter in the material world, nor has it shelter in brahma-loka, although brahma-loka is beyond the material world. The bhakti-lata increases until it reaches the spiritual sky, where Goloka Vrndavana is situated.