Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.7.28
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Mombassa, September 11, 1971

Prabhupada: …how to make progress in bhakti-yoga, or bija-nirharanam. I have explained several times, bija-nirharanam. There is bija, the propensity for lording it over the material nature, resources, that is the bija of materialistic life. How to become a very great personality within this material world. The bhakti-yoga is just the opposite. Here everyone is trying to become greater than the other. But bhakti-yoga is so nice, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches us, gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah. Dasa-dasanudasah, servant of the servant of the servant of the servant. The more you become servant of the servant, the more you advance. And here in this material, the more you become greater than your friend, then you are (indistinct). That means more you become implicated. More… Just like the same example, the more you increase your temperature, you are facing death. Certain temperature is required, 98 degrees. But if you simply increase your temperature, “Oh, it is very nice,” then at 107 degrees you finish. So this material improvement means meeting death. Let us come to the point. The nationalism is competition, which nation is greater. Now they have manufactured atomic bomb. That means finishing point they have come to.

So bija-nirharanam. This propensity we should always remember that “I shall be greater than him, I shall overlord him.” Just like my Godbrothers. The propensity is that “Oh, he has become greater than us,” they are very envious. Their propensity is to become but they could not, they are therefore envious. This is materialism. There is no spiritual sense here. In the material…, spiritual world, if somebody is greater in service, others, they appreciate, “How great he is, how he has advanced in Krsna’s service. We could not do it,” the Radharani’s spirit. Why Radharani is worshiped by the devotees? His (her) spirit is like that. If anyone, She finds a nice devotee of Krsna, She immediately recommends to Krsna, “How nice this devotee. He can render better service than Me. Please accept him.” This is spiritualism. This is spiritualism. Who can give better service than Radharani? She is so great that She is captivating Krsna. Krsna captivates Madana, Cupid. But Radharani captivates Krsna. How great She is. Radhe jaya jaya madhava-dayite. We pray always,

tapta-kancana-gaurangi radhe vrndavanesvari vrsabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye

The most dear, most beloved by Krsna is Radharani, and She is so humble. As soon as a humble devotee approaches Radharani by glorifying Krsna, immediately She accepts, “Oh, how great he is, he is doing greater service than Me.” That is maha-bhagavata’s darsana. Maha-bhagavata sees that everyone is engaged in service, therefore he has no discrimination. But don’t imitate like that. So bija-nirharanam, the bija you should always understand. Material bija means the propensity to rule over this material world better or greater than others. That is materialism. And therefore, Krsna’s first condition is that “You give up all this nonsense, please surrender unto Me.” They are (indistinct) Prahlada Maharaja said, bija-nirharanam, bhakti-yoga. The more one advances in bhakti-yoga, he is become humbler, because he has nothing to do with this material world. Suppose a devotee is addressed by ill names. What does he care for it? Or if he is addressed by some good names. What does he care for it? One should be callous to all these so-called good names and bad names, because we do not belong to this material world. If I say that “I am so great, I am this, I am brahmana, I am…” So what shall I do, taking this brahmanism of greatness of this material world? Bija-nirharanam, yoga. This bhakti-yoga is called killing or importing the seed of ruling over this material world.

So the beginning is guru-susrusaya, we have explained, by service to the spiritual master with love, bhaktya, not officially. Officially doing something and internally doing something, then that will not be successful. Actually with brain and with love and affection, service.

guru-susrusaya bhaktya sarva-labdharpanena ca

Sarva-labdharpanena. Sridhara Swami comments on the sarva-labdharpanena means sarvesam sadhyanam atmanena. Sadhya means respect. Whatever highest respect you have got, that should be offered to the spiritual master. Sarva-sadhya-panena(?). Then tat-padamburuha…, tat-padamburuha-dhyanat…, tat-padamburuha-dhyanat tat linga arhana adi. Iksa arhana adi. So the linga. Linga means the form, the Deity. Tat-padamburuha-dhyanat. Always meditating upon the lotus feet of Krsna. This Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama… As soon as we hear this sound, immediately we remember the form of Krsna. Immediately we concentrate on the lotus feet of Krsna. This chanting is perfect. But I am chanting and I am thinking of and planning something else, that is aparadha. But that does not mean we shall stop. But we should try, abhyasa-yoga, we should try to make it our habit by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra, we should immediately remember the form, quality, pastimes of Krsna. Tat-padamburuha-dhyanat. The lotus feet of Krsna, dhyanat, that is meditation. Tat-padamburuha-dhyanat tal-lingeksarhanadibhih. To come to the temple, Deity worship is meant for that purpose, just to see the form of Krsna so that we may remember. Always, 24 hours we can see. It is not idol worship. The rascal atheists, they can say like that, but our process is this. Guru-seva, offering all respect to guru, and always thinking of Krsna’s lotus feet, seeing His forms in the temple, worshiping Him as they are described, as they are prescribed in the sastras, this is the process. Tal-lingeksarhanadibhih. Tasya linganam murtinam iksana, iksanam ca arhanam ca adi yesam bandhanadinam tasya(?).

So this is one of the process that not only one should serve the spiritual master with faith and love, but he should always think of Krsna. The Mayavadi philosophy is…, they say that “You think of the spiritual master, he is God.” That is Mayavadi. Just like we have been in Surat, there is some Rama Mandir without Rama. This is rascaldom. They have placed their photo of spiritual master but no Deity. This is Mayavadi. Ours is not like that. Ours is side by side. Not only spiritual master, his spiritual master, his spiritual master, along with the Deity. Tat lingam, we are calling(?) the form. So tasya linganam murtinam. Linga means murti. The linga is sometimes… Some linga is also… Just like sri-linga, pur-linga, the feminine gender, masculine gender. So here linga also means the murti, the form. Linga means whether he is a purusa, or he is a woman or man, or his form. Linganam murtinam. Murtinam iksana. Iksana means seeing. Therefore, the Deities should be very nicely decorated, the temple should be very much cleansed, all-attractive. People may come and immediately become attracted by the Deities, iksanam, with devotion. That is the system of temple worship. Unclean temple worship or no decoration, no flower, this is useless. If you want to introduce temple worship, that should be properly done so that any man who comes immediately become attracted with the form, iksanam. That facility should be given to the ordinary man. If he comes and he hears the chanting, the kirtana, the bell sound, the karatala sound, in this way gradually he becomes attracted. As we have seen, many students come in this way. They live and they become devotee. So these chances should be given. These chances should be given, according to sastra, according to Prahlada Maharaja’s instruction. Tat linga iksa arhana-adibhih.

harih sarvesu bhutesu bhagavan asta isvarah iti bhutani manasa kamais taih sadhu manayet

Another thing is harih sarvesu bhutesu bhagavan ananta isvarah. So we should practice to see every man as the temple, every man, every living entity, because Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead as Antaryami or Paramatma is residing with every living entity. So in higher status, a devotee sees everybody as temple of God, because the God is there. So this should be also practiced. As we respect a temple or a church, similarly, we should give respect to all living entities. Harih sarvesu bhutesu bhagavan ananta isvarah. Bhagavan ananta. If some foolish person says how God can be in every…, within everybody? No, He is ananta, He is unlimited, He can be, that is His omnipotency. Bhagavan ananta isvarah, iti bhutani manasa kamais taih sadhu manayet. In this way, we should offer respect to everyone. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also says, amanina manadena, give respect to everyone and for yourself don’t expect any respect. One may insult you, don’t mind, but you give respect to others. Just see how bhakti-yoga is perfect.

Evam nirjita-sad-vargaih kriyate bhaktir isvare. This practice will gradually enhance your devotion, at the same time your strong senses eager to enjoy this material world will be cut down. That is called breaking the poison teeth of the serpents, sense serpents. Durdantendriya-kala-sarpa-patali protkhata-damstrayate. For a devotee there is no danger from the senses because his senses are engaged in the service of the Lord. So he is the greatest yogi. Yogi means who are trying to control the senses. That is by practice, by mechanical practice, that’s all. But here there is no mechanical practice. Here it is factual activity, how to control the senses. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Hrsika means the senses. The senses are engaged in the service of the Lord. If one thing is already engaged, it cannot be…, especially when one is engaged in the service of the Lord, he cannot be dragged to the service of maya. Therefore, that is sense control. Sense you cannot extinguish. The living entity, you must have your senses. Living means you have got your senses. But they should be purified. They are now engaged in the service of maya, and now, by bhakti-yoga process you have to purify and engage the senses in the service of the Lord. The eyes and hands, the legs, the tongue, the ear, all the senses. The eyes, instead of seeing very beautiful woman, see Krsna, Radharani. That sense perception is there, but it is spiritualized. The tongue wants go to restaurant and eat meat and drink wine, but engage the tongue in eating prasadam, that is control, that’s all. Controlling, not that stop, lock up the tongue. Everything, every sense. Sex life. All right, if you can beget child to take care to raise him a Krsna conscious, all right, have children. This is our sense control. Not artificially stopping them. No question of stopping. But utilize it for Krsna’s service, that is bhakti. That is bija-nirharanam. You will never like to control over. Being controlled by the Supreme Lord, you will feel so much satisfaction that you will never like to control over, that is materialism.

evam nirjita-sad-vargaih kriyate bhaktir isvare vasudeve bhagavati yaya samlabhyate ratih

In this way, when he is fully engaged in the service of Vasudeva, Krsna, at that time he is fully satisfied, he is no more disturbed.

nisamya karmani gunan atulyan viryani lila-tanubhih krtani yadatiharsotpulakasru-gadgadam protkantha udgayati rauti nrtyati

In this way, as he makes advance in spiritual life, then simply by nisamya karmani gunan atulyan, simply by hearing about Krsna’s pastimes, immediately he will be filled up in ecstasy and he will cry. These are the symptoms. Nisamya karmani gunan atulyan, viryani lila-tanubhih krtani. Viryan lila, Krsna is killing so many demons, Krsna is dancing with gopis, Krsna is playing with His cowherd boys, Krsna is going there, this is lila, smaranam. The Krsna book reading means remembering all these activities of Krsna. Simply go on reading Krsna book, repeat it, you are in the perfect stage of transcendental position. Simply read our Nectar of Devotion. Lila, atulyan. Nisamya karmani gunan atulyan,

yada graha-grasta iva kvacid dhasaty akrandate dhyayati vandate janam muhuh svasan vakti hare jagat-pate narayanety atma-matir gata-trapah

Nirjita samyam kama krodha lobha moha mada matsa jana indriyani nirva varga jay bhagavat rathe linga saha(?). The symptoms of advancement, these are stated here. (end)