Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.25 Devotee: bhejire munayo ’thagre bhagavantam adhoksajam sattvam visuddham ksemaya kalpante ye ’nu tan iha Prabhupada: “Previously, all the great sages rendered service unto the transcendental Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan, due to His existence above the three modes of material nature. They worshiped Him to become free from material conditions. Whoever follows such sages is also eligible for liberation from the material world.” So, in the beginning, there was no impersonalists or voidists. These are later additions. In the Vedas it is stated om tad visnoh paramam padam sada pasyanti surayah. It is a Vedic mantra. Surayah, those who are great sages, they’re always looking forward to see the lotus feet of Visnu, tad visnoh paramam padam. So, in another Vedic mantra there is: yam brahma varunendra-rudra-marutah stunvanti divyaih stavair vedaih sanga-pada-kramopanisadair gayanti yam sama-gah dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yogino yasyantam na viduh surasura-gana devaya tasmai namah Yam brahma. Brahma is the original living creature within this universe; so he worshiped the Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead. He worshiped not the impersonal brahmajyoti; he worshiped the person. Yam brahma varunendra—they were the first creation, and the sages Marici, Vasistha, Atreya… There are seven great sages, first-born. All of them worship the Personality of Godhead. Bhejire munayo ’thagre. Agra means in the beginning of creation. Later on they have deviated, or as the ages are going on, people are becoming degraded in their standard of spiritual understanding. In the Satya-yuga, cent percent people were aware of their spiritual necessity of life. Next yuga, seventy-five percent. Next yuga, fifty percent, fifty percent; and this yuga, Kali-yuga, seventy- five percent are rascals, and twenty-five percent, they are little wise. And out of that twenty-five percent, mostly they are fruitive actors. Therefore Bhagavad-gita says manusyanam sahasresu [Bg. 7.3]. So, in this fallen age, they have manufactured so many things. But actually in the beginning, agre, in the beginning—agre means in the beginning—all the sages, they worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Bhejire munayo ’thagre bhagavantam. There are… Absolute Truth is manifested in three phases: brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti. So Bhagavan is the last word in the Absolute Truth. So here it is said they did not worship Brahman or Paramatma; they worshiped directly bhagavantam adhoksajam. Adhoksajam. Another name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is adhoksajam. Aksaja, aksaja means direct perception. Direct means sense perception. Just like we see so many things directly with our eyes; we touch with our hands; we smell by our nose. These are direct perception by our senses. But bhagavantam, Bhagavan, is adhoksajam. He is beyond direct perception. Adhoksajam. Adhah, you cannot reach there by direct perception. Just like I do not see God. Then what do you see? Your seeing power is very limited. Why don’t you accept that? So He’s not appreciable by limited senses. Therefore His name is adhoksaja. Adhoksaja. Sattvam visuddham. Sattvam visuddham. Sattva, goodness, sattva-guna, rajo-guna. That sattvam, or existence, His existence is adhoksaja, beyond our sense perception, and visuddham. Apapa-viddham, as it is stated in the Isopanisad, visuddham. He is never touched by the material contamination. Visuddham. Sattvam visuddham vasudeva-sabditam. Here, however good we may be, there is some material touch. But so far Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is concerned, His existence is visuddham. Therefore He’s called parah. Narayanah parah. Parah means above this material world, transcendental. So the material nature is created, everything here created at a certain point, but because He’s above, therefore He is not within this creation. We cannot take Krsna as one of the created beings like us. We are all created beings. But Krsna is not created. He is above creation. Before creation, He was existing; therefore His existence is not within this creation. That is adhoksaja. Within this creation we can understand by experimental science, but which is beyond this creation, because we cannot reach there, adhoksaja… Because we take everything by direct perception, but that is beyond direct perception. Adhoksaja. Ksemaya kalpante ye ’nu tan iha. That is our real benefit, adhoksaja. In the beginning also of this chapter it is said, sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6]. The same word, adhoksaje. Ahaituky apratihata yayatma suprasidati. If you want real happiness, then you engage yourself in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ksemaya. Then you’ll be happy. And if you take to other demigods, those who are material, that will not be your perfect happiness or permanent happiness. Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, yajante anya-devatah. Kama, ka. What is that? Hrta-jnanah. Kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah [Bg. 7.20] We have read, we have discussed, that if you want, if you want to fulfill this desire, then you worship this demigod. If you want to be beautiful, then you worship Uma. If you want money, then you worship Prajapati, the treasurer of the demigods, Kuvera. And in this way there are different recommendations. But the conclusion is that Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah: [Bg. 7.20] this material kama, lust, desires, for this purpose they go, they worship different demigods. There is no necessity. Krsna stopped demigod worship. To His father, when His father was going to arrange a festival for worshiping Indra, and He stopped it. The father was so affectionate: “Oh, Krsna doesn’t want it. All right, stop it.” But Indra became very angry. “Who is this boy, stopping my worship?” So he wanted to show his power. So for seven days torrents of rain. And Krsna showed His power. He lifted the Govardhana Hill, giri-vara-dhari, Govardhana Hill to protect the Vrndavana vasi. Then he came to his senses, that “He’s not ordinary cowherd boy. I’m… He’s my master.” Then he… So, Krsna is adhoksaja. Adhoksaja means beyond our sense perception. Therefore we have to know Krsna from Krsna, not by our speculation. Krsna may… That is frog philosophy. Frog philosophy. He’s simply calculating with reference to his teeny well, three feet. So if we want to speculate, what experience we have got, what knowledge we have got that we can speculate to understand the supreme, all-pervasive, Supreme Personality of Godhead? That is not possible. Therefore His name is Adhoksaja. If you want to know Krsna, then you have to take to this process of devotional service, rendering service unto Him. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. Bhejire, bhejire, bhaj-dhatu. Bhaja means seva. So bhejire. You have to take to this devotional service. And Krsna also says bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. He doesn’t say by knowledge or by work or by yoga, mystic yogic power, one can understand God. No. That is not possible. These are all aksaja, within the range of our sense perception. But bhakti is not within the range. Bhakti is the transcendental process. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam [BRS 1.1.11]. Jnana and karma, knowledge and fruitive activities, they are of this material world. And anyabhilasita—they’re all of this material world, anyabhilasita, desiring other than Krsna. So, leaving aside all these processes, we have to simply serve Krsna anukulyena, favorably, as Krsna wants. So at the present moment, Krsna, what does He want? How do you know it? Yes, we can know it. Krsna, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He appeared, and He has declared His mission. What is that? Yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. He says, “Whomever you meet, you simply speak of Krsna.” Yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Krsna-upadesa, the instruction given by Krsna or the instruction given about Krsna. Just like this Bhagavata, this is instruction about Krsna, how to know Krsna. And instruction given by Krsna is Bhagavad-gita. He says, “I am like this, I am like this.” So we haven’t got to make any research. Whatever is already stocked there, let us distribute it. What capacity we have got to find out Krsna by research work? That’s not possible. That is aksaja, aksaja. Krsna is adhoksaja. Your paltry research work with limited power of sense, how you can find out Krsna? That’s not possible. So we have to take instruction from Krsna to understand Krsna. Krsna says that “I am the supreme.” You have to accept that, in the Bhagavata. You cannot interpret in a different way: “Yes, Krsna is supreme, all right. But…” Not like that. Take it as it is. Krsna says aham sarvasya prabhavah, “I am the original source of everything.” Because our inquiries, every scientist, every philosopher is trying to find out the ultimate source. That is called progressive science or philosophy. But here we get the information. Why should we take so much trouble? Krsna says aham adir hi devanam: “I am the original of all demigods.” Just like Brahma. Brahma is the first demigod within this universe, but he is not original. Original is Krsna. Aham adir hi devanam maharsinam. So He says that He is the adi, adi-purusam. Brahma says adi-purusam, the original person. Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. So He’s the adi-purusa, He’s the original source. Every Vedic literature declares, every authority declares. He comes Himself to declare, but still we are so rascal, we are finding out, making research work, “What is the adi-purusa?” This is called rascaldom. Everything is there, but the rascal will simply spoil their own time and spoil others’ time making research work. This is called illusion. Everything is there. Sun is there, brilliant, and one is searching sun with a lamp. What is the use of this lamp? The sun is self-effulgent, you can see. Similarly, Krsna is self-effulgent. By sastra, by authority, by action, everything. Why you are wasting your time? Wasting your time? Yes. What is the reason? The reason Krsna says: duskrtina. Duskrtinah, naradhamah. Because they are very, very sinful, duskrtina. Mischievous, miscreants, simply wasting money. They’re taking huge salary, huge research fees from the government, and simply misleading persons. That is their business. Miscreants. Actually, they want money, but to take the money he has to bluff. Without bluffing, how he can take money? Then they will present themselves: “I am great scientist, I am great philosopher, so give me money, millions of dollars. I’ll go to the moon planet, I’ll go to the Mars,” and taking money and wasting. And because we are rascals, we are also: “Oh, they are making so much advancement, yes.” Andha yathandhair upaniyamanah. We are following blind leaders. Because we are blind, we do not know. This is the position. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanah. So we have to open our eyes. How these eyes are opened? ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah We are blind. We can have our eyes through the medium of bona fide spiritual master. That is required. Adau gurvasrayam. So this adhoksajam, Krsna, we have to worship. Adhoksaja. So we cannot see if it is beyond our sense perception. How we can worship Him? Therefore you have to take shelter of the spiritual master who has seen Him. Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya [Bg. 4.34]. You try to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead by surrender. Pranipatena, pariprasnena. First of all, surrender. Not asking before surrender. This is not allowed. If one is not surrendered, then he should not put any question, because the first principle is lost. First of all you must surrender, then put question. And when you put question, don’t argue. Take it. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was putting… When Arjuna surrendered himself to Krsna, sisyas te ’ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam: “Now I become…” Because in the beginning he was talking like friends. So friends’ argument, there is no end. Because every one thinks that “I am your friend. Why shall I be defeated by you?” So that talk, sort of talks will not solve your problem how to see God. That is not possible. Therefore, you must follow the principles done by Arjuna. He surrendered to Krsna: “Krsna, I know You are my friend, but unless I surrender unto You, I accept You my spiritual master, it is not possible to know.” Therefore he surrendered: sisyas te ’ham sadhi mam prapannam. Krsna also immediately took him as disciple and immediately chastised him, asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase: [Bg. 2.11] “You’re talking like a very learned scholar, but you’re fool number one. You do not know what is knowledge.” So we must go to certain person, such a person who can actually give us knowledge. Adau gurvasrayam. So in the Bhagavad-gita, tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva-darsinah [Bg. 4.34] Tattva-darsi, one who has seen the Absolute Truth, he can give you real… So guru and Krsna… Ei rupe brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva, guru-krsna-krpaya [Cc. Madhya 19.151] Both— Krsna’s mercy and spiritual master’s mercy. Krsna’s mercy is there, Bhagavad-gita. He has already given you. And try to understand this Bhagavad-gita through the bona fide spiritual master, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, then you’ll learn. Then you’ll learn what is adhoksaja, beyond your sense perception. Then you will understand gradually. Svayam eva sphuraty adah: He becomes revealed. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. The spiritual master’s duty is to engage you in devotional service, especially engage your tongue, jihvadau. Jihva means tongue. Tongue means engaging your tongue for chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, (devotees chant with Prabhupada) Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. And when you are tired, take krsna-prasadam. That is on the tongue. So simply engage your tongue; he’ll give you Krsna. Thank you very much. [break] …Hare Krsna mantra. We are so unfortunate. You see, the things have been made so easy, actually, but unfortunate class of men, they cannot take to it. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Los Angeles, August 28, 1972