SB 3.32.37

Giriraj Swami:

“My dear mother, I have explained to you the process of devotional service and its identity in four different social divisions. I have explained to you as well how eternal time is chasing the living entities, although it is imperceptible to them.” (SB 3.32.37)

When a man is on the verge of death, he is prepared to pay any amount of money to prolong his life, even for a few moments. But in spite of being prepared to spend any amount of money to prolong his life, when the time of death comes, he cannot prolong his life even for one moment. In other words, we cannot purchase even one moment more of time for any amount of money. That means that the time that we have in our life is so valuable that we cannot purchase even one moment more for any amount of money.

Therefore, we should not waste even one moment. We should utilize every moment fully for the best purpose of devotional service. Just like Bhaktivinoda Thakura, he had so many responsibilities. He was a magistrate, he was a father of many children, he was a husband and he was the trustee in charge of the Jagannatha temple and at the same time he was writing books about Krishna consciousness and preaching. So how was he able to discharge so many responsibilities? He did not waste even one moment of his precious time. He would take little rest at night, and then he would get up in the middle of the night and write books and as a magistrate, he was so expert that he could dispose of the cases very quickly. He could see to the heart of the matter and administer justice very speedily.

Of course in the end he retired from all material activities and engaged fully in the preaching work. But even while within the grihastha ashram and having so many responsibilities, he did immense service to the cause of the Lord. Otherwise, the Bhāgavatam states that by the rising and the setting of the Sun, everyone’s duration of life is diminished except those who are engaged in discussing the glories of the Lord. When the living entity acquires the material body, he is allotted a certain period of time. So with the rising and the setting of the sun, the duration of life within the body is decreased. Therefore, Srila Prabhupada used to say, when we say that someone has lived for so many years, actually we mean to say he has so many years died. Suppose a person has been assigned sixty-eight years of life and he has lived for thirty years but actually he has died thirty years. Thirty years of his life are dead and gone. So, both by the rising and the setting of the sun, everyone’s duration of life is diminished. except those who are engaged in discussing the pastimes of the Lord. Because by discussing kṛṣṇa-kathā, one is developing one’s eternal life. One is actually coming closer to one’s eternal life in the eternal pastimes of the Lord. So to the extent that we utilize our time to chant and hear the glories of the Lord, to that extent we are approaching eternal life. And to the extent that we waste our time outside of devotional service, we are misusing the moments of our life, which are so valuable that we cannot purchase any more moments, even for millions and millions of pesetas.

So Lord Kapiladeva has been explaining to Devahuti how eternal time chases the living entities, although the living entities do not see it. And he has also explained the process of devotional service in four divisions. The four divisions are devotional service influenced by the three modes and then pure devotional service which is without any tinge of material qualities. Srila Prabhupada said that a devotee who is influenced by the mode of ignorance will think, actually, I am the only one who is doing any real service. Everyone else is useless. And one influenced by passion thinks, I want to be the best devotee, I want to become famous as being the best devotee. And one in the mode of goodness thinks, I want to go back home, back to Godhead. And one who is transcendental thinks, I just want to please Krishna wherever I may be. So we can understand how we are being influenced by the modes according to the type of thoughts we have. But as long as one carefully follows the process of devotional service, he will make advancement because the Bhāgavatam says that by engaging oneself in devotional service, the influence of Raja guna and Tama guna becomes slackened and one becomes situated in the mode of goodness and then one becomes enlivened in Krishna consciousness and one is able to understand the science of God.

So, Srila Prabhupada said that anyone, even someone in the mode of ignorance, can be elevated by the mercy of the spiritual master. By the mercy of the spiritual master means by following the instructions of the spiritual master. Therefore, the Supreme Personality of Godhead says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye ‘pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). That even living entities born in sinful species or sinful conditions like vaishyas, sudras, and women who are considered to be lower in the modes of nature. Even they can attain the supreme destination by taking full shelter of the Lord. So there is no bar to anyone engaging in devotional service and everyone can reach the supreme destination, provided they follow the process strictly. So there is pure devotional service, which is free from the mixture of any other processes like karma and jnana.

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ

jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam

ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-

śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā (Cc Madhya 19.167)

Devotional service which is rendered to Krishna, which is pleasing to Krishna, and which is without any mixture of other processes like fruitive activities and mental speculation. Just like we speak of unalloyed steel, so we want unalloyed devotional service. Who knows what is unalloyed steel? Unalloyed steel means pure steel. Don’t you have a word for alloy? So pure steel means without any alloy. That means that the steel is not mixed with any other inferior metal. So pure devotional service is devotional service which is not mixed with inferior processes like fruitive activity and mental speculation. So even if one is a neophyte, he can be considered pure devotee if he is strictly engaged in devotional service. And a neophyte who is a pure devotee is considered more advanced even than advanced karmis and jnanis. So one should not give up devotional service for any other process nor should one mix one’s devotional service with other processes.

Now, the question could be asked, why does someone who begins devotional service sometimes give it up for the inferior processes? So the answer is that the neophyte devotee who does not have full faith in the process of bhakti has some tendency for karma and jnana and when he associates with other persons who are inclined towards karma and jnana, then his own tendencies for those activities become prominent. And the fruitive work or the speculative thinking may become more prominent than the devotional service, so the person falls down. So therefore association, is very important.

And uttama-adhikārī can associate with all sorts of persons without being affected but the madhyamādhikārī distinguishes. Of course, he gives his love to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He makes friendship with other devotees. He shows mercy to innocent persons, who are open to Krishna consciousness by telling them about devotional service. And He avoids those who are envious. So because the madhyamādhikārī can distinguish between different categories of persons and can deal properly with the respective types of persons, he also generally does not fall down. Because he deals appropriately with everyone. And at the same time engages in the devotional service of the Lord. But the neophyte devotee who is on the material platform, may not distinguish properly between pure devotees, mixed devotees, and non-devotees. Because basically he is on the material platform, so he is attracted to people by their material qualities. And he is repulsed by people according to their material qualities or faults. For example, someone might be attracted to someone because he sings nicely. Or he is a good musician, or he speaks nicely or he is a good manager or he is American or Spanish or Catalan. And similarly, one might be repulsed by someone according to his material qualities or faults or designations.

So one is attracted to someone’s material qualities, but the person is not a pure devotee, he is prone to either fruitive work or mental speculation then one’s own tendencies in that direction can be aroused and at the same time, he can perceive defects in devotees due to one’s own perception. So then when one finds too many faults with devotees and blasphemes and commits offenses, that also leads to falling down from the platform of pure devotional service. Pure devotional service and mixed devotional service. Therefore, we have to be very careful about how we associate, not to commit offenses and not to increase our tendencies towards fruitive work or mental speculation.

Now the whole progression from, say, kaniṣṭhādhikārī to madhyamādhikārī to uttama-adhikārī is a development of faith. One whose faith is so often pliable. is called a kaniṣṭhādhikārī. If the kaniṣṭhādhikārī associates with persons who gives arguments against devotional service, his decision to engage in devotional service can be changed because he does not have full faith in the process of devotional service. The intermediate devotee has full faith in the process of devotional service so even if someone presents arguments against devotional service, although he may not be able to defeat the arguments, but still his own faith in devotional service is not shaken. And the advanced devotee not only has full faith in the process of devotional service, but he can defeat opposing views with reference to scriptural evidence. So the advanced devotee, he practically never falls down and the intermediate devotee, he ordinarily shouldn’t fall down either because he has faith in the process, he will continue the process despite opposition. and he will deal properly with different types of persons and so he won’t commit offenses. But the neophyte devotee is not that safe from falling down. Therefore, the neophyte devotee, especially should protect himself by always associating with pure devotees, who have full faith and are fully engaged in Krishna consciousness. And he should carefully avoid bad association. Bad association means people who are attracted to fruitive work or speculative processes and who naturally criticize devotees because if someone is preaching pure devotional service, persons who are attracted to fruitive work for sense gratification or impersonal liberation, they will not like the preaching of the pure devotee. They will attack the preaching of those pure devotees. or criticize the rigidness of the pure devotee because they don’t allow other processes to be mixed with devotional service.

Now someone may think, well, I am living in the temple, I am chanting Hare Krishna, I am doing devotional service. What is this? mixing of karma and jnana. Well, karma and jnana are mixed in a subtle way. Srila Prabhupada has explained that if one is calculating in terms of material benefit or gross sense gratification, then one is engaging in jnana in the sense of mental speculative activity which is not favorable to devotional service. No, when you think about it, it is jnana, when you act on it, it is karma. Srila Prabhupada gave the example of Maharaja Yudhisthira. That when Lord Krishna told Maharaja Yudhisthira to tell a lie, Maharaja Yudhisthira said, “Oh, I have never told a lie in my life. The story is that Dronacharya, who was a powerful general on the side of the Kauravas, he could only be killed if he believed that his son had died in the battle. Then he would lose his fighting spirit and could be killed. So the son of Dronacharya was Asvatthama. So Lord Krishna asked Maharaja Yudhisthira to call out in the midst of the battle that Asvatthama is dead. So Lord Krishna gave the instruction to King Yudhisthira, Maharaja Yudhisthira hesitated. Krishna specifically wanted Yudhisthira to make the declaration. because Yudhisthira was known as being very honest and moral. So if Yudhisthira said that Asvatthama was dead, then everyone would believe him but when Yudhisthira was told by Krishna to declare that Asvatthama is dead, he hesitated. So he was calculating that I have never told a lie in my life. I am a moral person. How can I tell a lie? So, Srila Prabhupada says that this type of calculating or speculating on the order of the Supreme is jnana in the sense of, an impediment to pure devotional service.

Another example that Srila Prabhupada gave us is that sometimes elderly men in India want to retire to retire in Vrindavan but they actually don’t have full faith in the Lord. So they think that if they leave their money to their family, then if they need money while they’re in Vrindavan, then the family will send money. So they won’t be lacking in food or shelter or clothing or medicine. So Srila Prabhupada said this is another example of jnana in the sense of speculative thinking. Srila Prabhupada said this was also another example of jnana in the sense of speculative thinking. That they don’t actually have full faith in Krishna. He said they come to Krishna with their beads only. But they leave their lakhs and crores of rupees behind. So therefore when one actually has full faith in Krishna and devotional service, he doesn’t speculate what will be the result of following the order of Krishna or the process of bhakti. He engages in the process of bhakti and follows the order of Krishna without reservation. If one has faith in the order of Krishna and in the process of bhakti, then he will not speculate whether he should follow the order or not and thus he is a pure devotee. But due to bad habit or past conditioning, we may receive an order, but we may speculate that what will be the effects if I follow the order.

So in the end, we may follow the order of Krishna but if we hesitate to follow the order and do some calculation first and then finally agree, there is a subtle impediment to pure devotional service and if we don’t follow the order because we think that if we follow, we may. . . So we actually examine our lives in Krishna consciousness. We will see that there are subtle tendencies towards sense gratification and mental speculation but if we don’t act on the tendencies, if we stick to the order of the spiritual master and the process of pure devotional service, then generally speaking we are considered pure devotees. And people who associate with us, even though we are beginners, their Krishna consciousness can also be awakened.

Srila Prabhupada writes in one purport that if one has full faith in the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, he is to be considered a pure devotee, even if he is a neophyte. And by associating with such a pure devotee who has faith that the holy name of the Lord and the Lord Himself are the same, their Krishna consciousness can be awakened by it. Just like we hear that the chanting should be heard from the lips of a pure devotee. So, Srila Prabhupada explained that because we have received the mantra from a pure devotee and if we follow the pure devotee sincerely, then if someone receives the mantra from us, it is the same as receiving it from the pure devotee. Just like Srila Prabhupada received the mantra from Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati then he gave the mantra to his disciples and so those who receive the mantra from Srila Prabhupada’s followers, they’re also receiving it through paramparā from Srila Prabhupada. So, in this way the mantra is passed on among sincere followers. And therefore we can see that people who didn’t meet Srila Prabhupada personally are still able to advance in Krishna consciousness because they are getting the same mantra from the sincere followers of the pure devotee. And even people who get the mantra from all of us, they can also awaken their Krishna consciousness. because the pure mantra is being passed on from one sincere follower to another.

So we can see practically that even in the absence of a pure devotee like Srila Prabhupada, people are chanting the holy name and getting the effects. They are hearing the philosophy of Krishna consciousness and changing and practicing Krishna consciousness. So even in the physical absence of Srila Prabhupada we have everything necessary. to become fully Krishna conscious ourselves and to spread Krishna consciousness. So actually We are not missing anything. Simply we have to have faith in the process and to follow the process strictly and we will be able to ourselves become completely qualified to go back home, back to Godhead. So there is no need to feel despondent or hopeless. Because we have everything that is needed.

Are there any questions or comments?

Question: So sometimes we hear that only Srila Prabhupada is pure He is the purest devotee and the only pure devotee and the only thing we can do is give Srila Prabhupada. Therefore. . .

Giriraj Swami: Therefore, we don’t need Prahladananda Swami.

Devotee: Therefore, the whole movement. Unless there is someone like Srila Prabhupada. Then the whole movement doesn’t work. waiting for someone to call. There is no progress. All we can do is go through the emotions of devotional service and just hope that a pure devotee will arise who actually knows the philosophy and actually understand the philosophy when we hear from him, we can understand the philosophy. And the only hope we can have when we hear someone else is that maybe he is less blind than me. But after all, he is also blind. So if I follow him, I will also fall into the well. It is dangerous. Is this true?

Giriraj Swami: There are so many parts to the question, may be you would like to answer.

Devotee: First thing is that Prabhupada, there is no one else who is actually qualified to impart his instruction and we have to wait for someone with a pure vision and then we will really follow the process.

Giriraj Swami: We just discussed Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, quoted by Srila Prabhupada in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that if one has full faith that the holy name of the Lord is identical with the Lord Himself, he is to be considered a pure devotee even in the neophyte stage. Sometimes Srila Prabhupada would be asked, how many pure devotees are in the world? Are you the only pure devotee? And Srila Prabhupada would reply that all of my disciples are pure devotees. Anyone who is surrendered to the spiritual master is a pure devotee. So the basic qualification is surrender. Sometimes we confuse different ideas. Just like, we may think that a pure devotee means an uttama-adhikārī. But according to the scriptures and the authorities, even a kaniṣṭhādhikārī can be a pure devotee. And a madhyamādhikārī is generally a pure devotee. And of course, an uttama-adhikārī is definitely a pure devotee. So the basic qualification for imparting Krishna consciousness is to be a pure devotee. Not necessarily to be an uttama-adhikārī. because generally the uttama-adhikārī doesn’t preach anyway. So therefore, Srila Prabhupada emphasized becoming a pure devotee, associating with pure devotees, hearing from a pure devotee. And otherwise, how is it that we are seeing practically people are chanting and dancing, taking to Krishna consciousness, making advancement? They are getting the same mantra through Srila Prabhupada’s followers. They are getting the same instructions through Srila Prabhupada’s followers and Srila Prabhupada’s books. They cannot say that Srila Prabhupada is not present now. He is present.

Just like when Srila Prabhupada was ill in Vrindavan in 1977. So one disciple proposed that just like King Yayati traded his old age for his son’s youth. So one disciple proposed that similarly, Srila Prabhupada could trade his old age for our youth. So Srila Prabhupada said, ”No. Why should I? Your body is also my body. I can also work through you. Just like my guru Maharaja is working in all of my activities. Not physically, but still he is present.” So, Srila Prabhupada expected that the line of disciplic succession would be continued by his own disciples. As long as the disciples follow strictly Srila Prabhupada. So the problems we have had not being uttama-adhikārīs or if someone thinks that we are not uttama-adhikārīs, the problems have come from not following strictly Srila Prabhupada but to the extent we do, we won’t have problems.

For example, you said that. . . There were a couple of other points. You admitted that you are blind, but you think that everyone else is also blind, so you are afraid to follow anyone else. But if you are blind yourself, how can you determine how blind I am. Sometimes devotees quote the idea that one should look for an uttama-adhikārī but at the same time, unless one is himself an uttama-adhikārī, he cannot properly judge another person’s position in devotional service. You may feel that it is risky to follow someone who you are not sure is an uttama-adhikārī if one has the symptoms of being a pure devotee, and that is following strictly another pure devotee, uttama-adhikārī, then that person can also be followed. Just like a liberated soul is free from the four defects but if we follow strictly the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and repeat the same instructions, then our actions and our words are naturally liberated from material defect and contamination. The same example that the adult says this is a wrist watch. So the child repeats this is a wrist watch, that is perfect. The apprentice is working under the master. So if the master tells the apprentice, do this and if the apprentice does this, then that action is as good as the master’s action.

So as long as someone is strictly following Srila Prabhupada, then his words can be followed. Just like many times Srila Prabhupada would say that, I don’t say that I am liberated. I am conditioned. But because I am following my spiritual master, so my activities can be considered liberated. So the basic qualifications are to follow the. . . Well, actually, to hear the instructions of the superior. To follow the instructions and to repeat the instructions for the benefit of others. That is the process. And if one does that, one can oneself go back to Godhead and help others to go back to Godhead. Now, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you wull find the statement gurur na sa syāt - that no one should become a guru unless he can deliver his dependence from the repetition of birth and death. No one should become a guru. No one should become a father. No one should become a mother. No one should become a husband, unless he can deliver his dependents from the cycle of birth and death.

Now if your idea is that only uttama-adhikārī can deliver someone, then unless you are an uttama-adhikārī, you shouldn’t get married, you shouldn’t have children but the fact is you don’t have to be an uttama-adhikārī to deliver your dependents but you do have to be a pure devotee. And therefore in the purport to that verse, Srila Prabhupada says that one cannot deliver others unless one is a pure devotee. But being a pure devotee doesn’t necessitate being an uttama-adhikārī. But it does necessitate being fully engaged in devotional service and not mixing fruitive activities and mental speculation with Krishna consciousness. So if one does engage fully in devotional service, then one can become a spiritual master, a relative, a father, a mother, a worshipable person, and a husband. Otherwise, if one becomes a mother or a father or a husband without delivering the dependent from birth and death, then one is punished. So whatever position we are in, we should be responsible and we should be fully surrendered to the order of the spiritual master that will keep us pure. But it doesn’t mean that we have to be uttama-adhikārīs, although it would be nice if we were. And if we follow the process, we can become.

Srila Prabhupada gave the example about pure devotee of the mango. That the unripe mango is also a mango and the ripened mango is also a mango. So in the same way, a beginning devotee can also be a pure devotee. But as he matures, his devotional service will become sweeter. But even an unripe mango is expected to become a ripe mango as long as it remains attached to the tree and doesn’t become diseased. So it is just a matter of time until the green mango becomes a ripe mango. So you feel that if you follow someone who according to your perception or conception is not a liberated soul, or an uttama-adhikārī. then it is risky. But if you don’t find a liberated soul or a uttama-adhikārī or a pure devotee according to your conception, who you feel you can follow without risk, then who will you follow? You won’t follow anyone else unless he is a pure devotee according to you but are you a pure devotee? So you are not following anyone else, what does that mean? You are following your own mind. So you don’t think there is any risk in following your own mind?

Devotee: Prabhupada said I am not different from my books, so I am just going to follow Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Giriraj Swami: Well, that is good. It is very good.

Devotee: But there is also a difficulty in this. Because the books of Prabhupada tell you that you have to follow a bonafide spiritual master. Prabhupada says in his books says that it is not sufficient to get his books. You also have to follow a representative of the disciplic succession.

Giriraj Swami: Prabhupada is a representative of the disciplic succession.

Devotee: Prabhupada says in a letter that it has to be a living representative.

Giriraj Swami: Okay, I surrender. I give up. What do you want me to do next? Srila Prabhupada’s books present the standard process of bhakti-yoga. By following the process, one reaches Krishna, one reaches the goal. So, the first items in the process were explained by Lord Chaitanya to Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami. The idea is that the process has not been made by ordinary human beings. It is a descending process that is coming from the Lord Himself. The process has been detailed by the Lord’s direct disciples, the Gosvamis, which were detailed and supported by references from the Vedic scriptures, which are also the Lord’s instructions. So in the systematic practice of bhakti-yoga, the first item is gurvāśrayam one should take shelter of a spiritual master. Then dīkṣā-vidhānena, one should take initiation from him. and one should follow his instructions. So this is the standard process that is given in Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Devotee: He remembers that in The Nectar of Devotion he read that Srila Prabhupada says that unless one is initiated by a bona fide spiritual master he cannot come to the platform of devotional service.

Giriraj Swami: Unless one is initiated by a bona fide spiritual master, the actual connection with Krishna consciousness is never actually performed.

Devotee: So what is the name or designation for that activity which is performed for pleasing Krishna, which is performed before being initiated or it is performed without being initiated?

Giriraj Swami: Well. . . It is also a devotional service but it is not considered on the same level. It is like someone may be auditing a course in the university. You know what that means? Following course. Auditing, it means one is not enrolled. Assisting. One is not officially enrolled as a student in the course, but one is sitting in the course. It is like, for example, a person who, without being a student enrolled in a university course, but attends the classes of this course. So the person who is auditing the course, he can also get some benefit but he is not on the same level as the person who is officially enrolled in the course and getting credits. So the one who is engaging in devotional service, is the one who is getting the benefits. without being initiated. He is also serving Krishna. So the person who is carrying out the devotional service but is not initiated is also serving Krishna. But when he is initiated he is officially accepted by the disciplic succession. Of course one should have faith in the spiritual master. If one doesn’t actually have faith in the spiritual master, there is no use asking for initiation. Therefore, it is said that the disciple should test the spiritual master and be convinced first, whether he is someone I can surrender to fully. And then one can ask for initiation.

Like Srila Prabhupada said, one should not accept initiation to make a fashionable show of spiritual life. Nor should one accept a spiritual master unless one is prepared to follow his instructions. if he is not willing to follow his instructions. So it is not something that can be forced or rushed. One actually has to have faith that the spiritual master is the representative of God. And that one can surrender fully unto Him. And if one doesn’t have that faith, then one should wait. Although surrendering to the spiritual master and taking initiation is one of the steps. Okay.