Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.11 Prabhupada: na niskrtair uditair brahma-vadibhis tatha visuddhyaty aghavan vratadibhih yatha harer nama-padair udahrtais tad uttamasloka-gunopalambhakam So the Visnudutas, they are instructing the Yamadutas. They are authorized person. These Visnuduta, they are authorized persons. They are not ordinary person. They are coming from Vaikuntha. Just like Narada Muni comes from higher planetary system, Vaikunthaloka. He is called deva-rsi. He travels all over the universes, material and spiritual. He has got special concession. Sometimes… (child making noise—Hindi) Sometimes we have got information the yogis, they can also travel not only within this material universe but in the spiritual. The instance of… (child making noise) Durvasa Muni. Durvasa Muni, when he committed offense at the feet of Maharaja Ambarisa. Maharaja Ambarisa was a grhastha, a ksatriya, and king. He had to rule over the kingdom. But because he was devotee, he was very respectful. So Durvasa Muni, he was a great yogi. He became very much envious of this king, Ambarisa Maharaja, that “He is ordinary grhastha, dealing with politics, and I am a great yogi, known all over the universe, and he is more respected than me?” So he wanted to punish him to show him his yogic power. Sometimes the yogis, they get some power and misuse it for personal sense gratification. That is the pitfall of yogic perfection. Aiye. When one gets little power he misuses it and thereby falls down. So this Durvasa Muni also, what to speak of other paltry yogis, even Durvasa Muni, he became envious. So one day he came to Ambarisa Maharaja on the dvadasi day with sixty thousand disciples and ordered the Maharaja, “Maharaja, today we have come to take prasadam in your palace. Please arrange for this.” So that was dvadasi day. You know, on the dvadasi there was… That is a regulative principle, that in the morning at about nine o’clock one has to take something, prasadam, to break the vows, break fast. So this Durvasa Muni along with disciples, they went to the river Ganges to take bath, but they were willfully not coming back. So Ambarisa Maharaja asked the priest that “Durvasa Muni is my guest. I cannot take anything without offering him. So what shall I do? Now I have to observe the dvadasi breakfast.” So the brahmana priest ordered him that “Maharaja, you can take little caranamrta,” the water. So according to sastra, drinking little water is not breaking fast, so it will be not taken very… So with the advice of the brahmana… Formerly the kings, they were guided by the instruction of the brahmanas and great saintly persons. They were not doing anything whimsically. That is not the fact. So with the instruction of the brahmanas, he took little caranamrta. And Durvasa Muni was a great yogi. He could immediately understand. Then he came back and became very angry. His idea was to punish him some way or other. “Give the dog bad name and hang it.” This was his policy. So he was to give some bad name. So he became angry that “I am your guest and you have already taken, broken your ekadasi fasting. So I shall teach you.” So he immediately ordered… He plucked one hair and a great demon came. So Durvasa Muni made his caricature of yogic power, and Ambarisa Maharaja was a devotee. He did not know anything, such magic. He was pure devotee, that’s all. So he could simply stand: “All right. I am faulty. You can punish me.” So this great demon was coming to kill him, and a devotee has no other way than to remember Krsna, so immediately Krsna’s sudarsana-cakra came to protect him and the sudarsana-cakra immediately killed the demon. Then the sudarsana-cakra attacked Durvasa Muni. So Durvasa Muni began to flee. He went upper planetary system to Lord Siva, Lord Brahma, and this way he wanted protection, but nobody could give protection. They said, “No, no, we cannot give you protection. Lord Visnu is angry upon you. It is not possible to give you protection.” So he then went to Lord Visnu also in the Vaikunthaloka. Just see how much powerful he is, that he could go through the whole universe, then enter into the spiritual world, Vaikunthaloka, and he could see personally Lord Visnu. And Lord Visnu also denied protection, “No, I cannot give you protection. You are Vaisnava aparadhi. You have offended to the Vaisnava, Maharaja Ambarisa. You can be protected only if you go and fall down at his feet and if he excuses, then my sudarsana-cakra will not disturb.” So this incidence… This Durvasa Muni penetrated through the universe, went to the Vaikunthaloka, personally saw Visnu. Still, he was not protected. And this time took about one year. So yogic power… My point was how yogis are powerful, that they cannot…, they can go through the space very swiftly. The modern scientists, they say that to go to the topmost planet within this universe, it will take forty thousands of years. That is their calculation. But this yogi, Durvasa, could go through the universe—not only universe, other, Vaikuntha—so, within one year. This is called yogic power. But still, he is not as powerful as the devotee. He had to come back and fall down at the lotus feet of Ambarisa Maharaja, and when Ambarisa Maharaja excused him… He was a brahmana, yogi. As soon as he fell down at the feet of Ambarisa Maharaja, he said, “You are Durvasa Muni. You are so great, powerful. Don’t put me into this difficulty. What you want?” “Now you excuse me.” “Excuse? If I have got any resultant actions of my pious activities, take everything. Take everything. You be saved.” This is Vaisnava, and this is avaisnava. Therefore harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna [SB 5.18.12]. If one may have all the good qualities but if he is not a devotee of the Lord, his good qualities have no value. Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna mano-rathena asato dhavato bahih [SB 5.18.12]. They are simply carried away by the mental concoction. This is their qualification. So karmi, jnani, yogis, they are all restless because they are carried away by the whims of mind. And a bhakta is fixed up. Bhajate mam ananya-bhak, sadhur eva sa mantavyah [Bg. 9.30]. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah, bhajanty ananya-manaso. This is devotee. They do not like to show any power. Power is already there. Just see. This Ambarisa Maharaja was not a yogi. He did not know. He was simply surrendered, simply fully surrendered to Krsna. That’s all. But he defeated this yogi. The yogi came and fell down at his feet. So a devotee does not require to acquire any yogic power or any jnana-siddhi or this siddhi. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kami sakali asanta krsna bhakta niskama ataeva santa People are after santi, peacefulness. So it is declared that nobody can get santi, peacefulness, unless he is unalloyed devotee of Krsna. anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam anukulyena krsnanu-silanam bhaktir uttama [BRS 1.1.11] This is wanted. If you have got a pinch of anyabhilasa, then you cannot become a pure devotee. That is not possible. Then Krsna will give you chance to fulfill your anyabhilasa, not Krsna bhakti. He can give you even mukti, but He will not give you bhakti. This is Krsna’s principle. Bhakti can be awarded to a person who is fully surrendering, one who does not know anything but Krsna. This is the way. Therefore, it is said, na niskrtair uditair brahma-vadibhis tatha visuddhyaty aghavan vratadibhih. In the sastras there are different varieties of ritualistic ceremony, vratas, to counteract our sinful activities within this material world. The material world is so situated that if you do not want to become a sinful man, unless you are devotee, you will be forced to commit sinful activities. You’ll be forced. Just like you are very good man, but when walking on the street you are killing so many ants. We have got experience while morning walk. You cannot avoid it. It is not possible. And you are responsible for killing the ant. Then? How you can save yourself from the sinful activities? Therefore in the sastra it is said, padam padam yad vipadam. Padam padam yad vipadam. If you want to stay within this material world, then padam padam—“in every step there is danger.” Padam padam yad vipadam na tesam. Na tesam. “Not for them.” Who? Samasrita ye pada-pallavam plavam mahat-padam punya-yaso murareh: “One who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of the lotus feet of Murari,” means Krsna. Samasrita. Samyag asrita. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam [Bg. 18.66]. Samyak, fully. Sama means samyak, no reservation: “Krsna, I do not know anything more. I simply surrender unto You. Now whatever You do, accepted. If you like to kill me, kill me. If you want to give me protection, that’s all right. Anyway, I am surrendered.” This is called full surrender. So the bhakti-marga, it is clearly said, it is, that you cannot be purified simply by performing the Vedic ritualistic ceremony. Na niskrtaih. Na niskrtair uditair brahma-vadibhih. Brahma-vadi means… Brahma means sabda-brahma, Vedic injunction. So there are many brahmavadis. Just like Manu-samhita. Parasara, he has made vimsati dharma-sastras. So they are authorized things. But still, if you follow the ritualistic ceremonies, if you make atonement according to the Vedic direction, you cannot be fully purified, fully purified, because unless you are detestful of this material existence, unless you are determined to go back to home, back to Godhead. If you want to adjust in this material world to be happy, then you have to commit sinful activities. There is no doubt about it. Therefore it is said that you cannot be purified. Na niskrtair uditair brahma-vadibhis tatha visuddhyaty aghavan vratadibhih. Aghavan. Aghavan means sinful. Every one of us who is in this material world, he is sinful. So he has to be purified. So this best purification process is devotional service. And the purification process begins— anyabhilasita-sunyam: [BRS 1.1.11] when you have no more any material desires. Then you…, the purification begins. Sarvopadhi-vinirmutam tat-paratvena nirmalam. Nirmalam. Malam means sinful reaction. And nirmala. If you want to become completely free from all contamination of this material world… Contamination means associating with the different modes of material nature—sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. Even if you are associating with sattva-guna, still, it is contamination, what to speak of other, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. Those who are contaminated by rajo-guna and tamo-guna, they are fully engaged in lusty desires and greediness. Tada rajas-tamo bhavah kama-lobhadayas ca ye [SB 1.2.19]. Kama, lobha, rajas, tamah. The whole world is infected with rajo-guna and tamo-guna. Therefore they are simply absorbed in kama and lobha, lusty desires and greediness. Not that only the poor man is hankering after money. Even the richest man in this material world, he is also hankering after. Lobha: “I want more. I want more.” Krsna is assuring that yoga-ksemam vahamy aham [Bg. 9.22]. Tesam nityabhiyuktanam yoga-ksemam vahamy aham: “If one is fully surrendered, I supply him personally. I carry his personal necessities,” yoga-ksemam vahamy aham, “Not that I ask somebody but I carry Myself.” He is giving assurance. So why we should be hankering after other things to become happy? It is foolishness. Krsna assures, tesam nityabhiyuktanam yoga-ksemam vahamy aham [Bg. 9.22] So this is the special mercy for the unalloyed devotee. So unalloyed devotee means anyabhilasita-sunyam, sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [BRS 1.1.11]. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Upadhi means artificially. “I am the husband of this wife.” “I am the father of these children.” “I am the inhabitants of America.” “I am American.” “I am Hindu.” “I am Muslim.” “I am Christian.” “I am brahmana.” “I am fat.” “I am thin.” “I am white.” “I am black.” So many. These are all upadhis. So one has to become free from these upadhi. “I am not this. I am not that. I am not this.” Then what you are? Gopi-bhartur pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasa. When one becomes like that… “I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Krsna, gopi-bhartuh.” This is called parampara system. This is our real identification. Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. So if you want to be happy, you cannot become happy by your so-called endeavor, by tidbits: “This I will do and I will be happy.” No, this is all nonsense. You can be happy only when you fully surrender to Krsna without any abhilasa. Therefore the… Even the big, big karmis who are able to perform big, big costly sacrifices. Karmis, they do big, big. You will find even nowadays… Of course, there is no yajnic brahmanas at the present moment. Still, if you advertise that “Here there will be big yajna,” you will get lots of brahmanas immediately: “Oh, there will be yajna.” But in the Kali-yuga there is no yajnic brahmana. No yajna will be successful. Krte yad yajato makhaih. Krte yad dhyayato visnum tretayam yajato makhaih. Makha means yajna. You cannot perform yajna now. It is not possible. Where is the ghee? Where is the grain? People are starving without food grains. How you can… Formerly tons and tons of food grains, ghee were sacrificed. That is yajna. So this is not possible. Up to Treta-yuga it was possible. Krte yad dhyayato visnum. Meditation, this is a farce. So many foolish people, they are misled by other rascal: “meditation.” What meditation? Meditation is so easy thing? Valmiki Muni meditated for sixty thousands of years. Then he got perfection. So who will get that opportunity? It is all farce. Meditation is farce. Yajna, the so-called yajna, is also farce because there is no yajnic brahmana. The yajnic brahmana would ignite fire by mantra, not matches. So where is that yajnic brahmana? So this is not possible. krte yad dhyayato visnum tretayam yajato makhaih dvapare paricaryayam kalau tad dhari-kirtanat This is the sastric injunction. You have to take this process. If you want to be perfect, then you have to take the sastra-vidhi. If you don’t take, yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-karatah na siddhim sa avapnoti na sukham na param gatim If you don’t accept the injunction in the sastras, especially when Krsna, the Supreme Lord, is instructing you in the Bhagavad-gita… That is the essence of all sastra. You take that. Then you will be happy. Otherwise not. So here it is said that aghavan, the sinful man, cannot be purified by simply these ritualistic ceremonies, atonement, or keeping some vow, vratah. Then how it is possible? Because everyone… Yatha harer nama. Therefore it is recommended, harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam, kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva [Adi 17.21], the same thing. You will never find the injunction of the sastra contradictory. In the Agni Purana it is said and in the Srimad-Bhagavata also the same thing. Agni Purana says, harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam, and here in the Srimad Bhagavatam it is said, yatha harer nama-padair udahrtaih tad uttamasloka-gunopalambhakam. Harer nama means chanting of the holy name. That is simple. But when you chant harer nama then you gradually understand what is Hari, what is His form, what is His quality, what is His activities. Then you can understand. Because without harer nama your heart is dirty—ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]—unless your heart is cleansed you cannot understand what is Hari, what is His name, what is His form, what is His quality, what are His activities. You cannot understand. Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [BRS. 1.2.234]. Your blunt nonsense senses, if you utilize, you cannot understand Krsna. Therefore people are not understanding Krsna, neither they understanding the value of hari-nama. Because their senses are blunt, contaminated with these mayic qualities, they cannot understand. But this is the only way—ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Because you have to be purified, so this is the only method. Chant Hare Krsna. Then you will be gradually purified. Punya-sravana-kirtanah. Punya-sravana-kirtanah. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah [Bhag. 1.2.17]. If you hear, if you chant about Krsna, Uttamasloka, as it is said, tad uttamasloka-gunopalambhakam, so many benefits are there. So the Hare Krsna movement is so important that everyone should take it very seriously. Kirtaniyah sada harih. trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. adi 17.31] This is the instruction of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Difficult… It is padam padam yad vipadam. In this material world there is only vipada. There is no sampada. Foolishly we think that “Now I am very nice.” What is nice? You have to die next moment. What is nice? But these foolish people say, “Yes, I am nice.” You ask anybody, “How are you?” “Yes, very nice.” What is that nice? You are going to die tomorrow. Still nice. That’s all. This is going on. So it is padam padam yad vi… They are making scientific researches to become happy, but these rascals, they do not know how to stop death. So what is the nice? But they have no brain to understand. But Krsna says, “These are the problems, my dear sir. You scientists, you are trying so many things.” Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam. First of all find out what is your problem. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi. You have to take birth, you have to die, you have to suffer from disease, you have to become old. Stop it first of all; then talk of scientific advancement. Otherwise you are nonsense. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Vrndavana, September 13, 1975