TLC – Teachings of Lord Caitanya to Rupa Gosvami—Part 04

Giriraj Swami: Prataparudra was playing the part of a king. A sannyasi is not supposed to mix with materialistic persons, and the king is supposed to be most materialistic. Many of the devotees appealed to Lord Chaitanya that he should give audience to King Prataparudra. Not only Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya but also Ramananda Rai and finally Nityananda Prabhu Himself appealed to Lord Chaitanya. Ramananda Rai appealed to Lord Chaitanya, and Lord Chaitanya replied that you are Krishna’s devotee, so because you want to show mercy to Maharaja Prataparudra, Krishna will give mercy. But because Lord Chaitanya was acting as the acharya to set the example, he would not willfully meet with King Prataparudra. As a compromise, the devotees gave the king one garment of Lord Chaitanya’s, one piece of cloth, and the king began to worship the cloth as Lord Chaitanya. When Lord Chaitanya heard the news, he was satisfied because the paraphernalia of the Lord, service to the paraphernalia of the Lord, is as good as service to the Lord directly and may be better.

Therefore, Srila Prabhupada told Tamal Krishna Goswami before he left the planet that he should see that not one inch of Srila Prabhupada’s property deteriorates. So, serving the paraphernalia of Krishna is as good as serving Krishna, if not better. One time in Bombay, Srila Prabhupada returned from his morning walk, and his room was so nicely cleaned and decorated. He began to praise the service of the ladies, how nicely they cleaned, and he said ladies are naturally good at cooking and cleaning, and they should be so engaged. Actually, they should clean the whole Hare Krishna Land. One of the managers said to Srila Prabhupada, “Well, the ladies are enthusiastic to clean your room or to clean the deity room, but if we ask them to clean the whole land, they may not be so enthusiastic.” Srila Prabhupada replied that they should not see any difference between the rest of the land and my quarters or the deity room because they are all Krishna’s property, and they are all on the same level. Here we should know that Krishna doesn’t just mean Krishna as we may conceive of Krishna individually, but it means Krishna, all of the expansions of Krishna, the devotees of Krishna, and the energies of Krishna. They are all included here within the term Krishna.

Rupa Gosvami specifically mentions that all of the sixty-four items of devotional service that can be rendered in relation to Krishna can also be rendered in relation to Krishna’s devotees. Every definition has two parts. One is called the svarūpa lakṣaṇa, which means the natural characteristic or the principal characteristic. Here the principal characteristic of pure devotional service is that it is continuous service rendered favorably to Krishna. favorable means that the devotee should be favorable to Krishna’s pleasure, and Krishna should actually be pleased. If we take the case of Kamsa and so many other demons who fought with Krishna, we must say that Krishna was pleased because Krishna enjoyed fighting them and killing them; they gave Krishna pleasure. So, can we say that they were engaged in pure devotional service? Why [Unintelligent 00:06:20] but Krishna was pleased [Unintelligent 00: 06:25] yes, Krishna was pleased but they were not thinking of pleasing Krishna. Both should be there: the desire to please Krishna and the fact of Krishna’s pleasure. Kamsa was always thinking of Krishna, but he was thinking of Krishna in fear. Sisupala was always thinking of Krishna, but he was thinking of Krishna in envy. But such attitudes are not favorable, so they cannot be included in bhakti.

Sometimes Srila Prabhupada also had to deal with demons. One man named Mr. Payne in New York took money from the devotees to cheat them. He took five thousand dollars, which was practically all the devotees had, to cheat them. Srila Prabhupada personally had to come to New York from San Francisco to deal with the matter. One time Mr. Payne, actually his name was My Payne biography its print as Mr. Price phoned, and Srila Prabhupada picked up the phone and very sweetly and charmingly said, “Oh, Mr. Payne, I was just thinking of you.” Afterwards, the devotees asked, “Srila Prabhupada, is it true that you were thinking of Mr. Payne?” Srila Prabhupada said, “Yes, just like Kamsa was thinking of Krishna.” It is Krishna consciousness in the sense that Kamsa was always conscious of Krishna, but not favorably, so it is not Krishna consciousness in the sense of bhakti.

Now we come to the marginal characteristic or ‘taṭastha’ lakṣaṇa. The marginal characteristic is something which is visible at certain times or under certain conditions. Here the marginal characteristic is anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ that it should be free from any other desire. The devotee should have no other desire than to serve Krishna and please Krishna. If he has any other desire, then it is not pure bhakti. Some devotees may engage in devotional service for the sake of developing kṛṣṇa-prema. Engaging in devotional service with the motive of developing kṛṣṇa-prema is against the principles of bhakti or not? [Unintelligent 00:10:40] Desiring to develop love for Krishna is not outside pure devotional service because love for Krishna is the best way to please Krishna. If one performs sādhana-bhakti with the goal to attain prema-bhakti, that is not anyābhilāṣitā; that is not an extraneous desire because he is still desiring bhakti, he is still desiring to please Krishna, to serve Krishna, but in a better way, free from anarthas, free from offenses, free from any tinge of material modes.

Of course, we need not be anxious about our spiritual advancement because in the descending process, if we just follow the instructions of the superior authorities, they will take care of everything, including our advancement. We don’t really have to be preoccupied with it. But if we see the prayers and songs of the acharyas like Narottama dasa Thakura, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and others, they are praying for mercy, they are praying for a drop of faith or a drop of taste because it is all in relation to devotional service. Then jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam, anāvṛtam means uncovered. jñāna here means impersonal speculation. It does not mean that the knowledge that leads to devotional service is against devotional service because it leads to devotional service. But knowledge which is not favorable to devotional service and which covers devotional service should not be there. Karma also means work or activity. If the work or activity is favorable to the service of Krishna, it can be accepted. But if the work is for fruitive gain, then it should not be there.

Following the principles of dharma comes in the category of karma. Following the principles of varnashrama-dharma is not included within the items of devotional service, and there are so many rituals included in varnashrama-dharma and in karma-kāṇḍa in general. One ritual is the sraddha ceremony, which is performed after the death of the father, for example. Now, if someone’s father dies, some devotees’ father dies, then family and the relatives will expect that he should perform the funeral ceremony. But the funeral ceremony comes in karma-kāṇḍa; it doesn’t come in bhakti. So, should he perform it or not? [unintelligent 00:16:45] Yes, that is the correct answer. He may perform it if the family members will become inimical to Krishna consciousness. But if he thinks that I was his son, he is my father, and it is my duty to do it, then that is not proper. It covers devotional service. Devotional service is covered if one thinks that performing karma or jnana will help bhakti or if one thinks that not performing some karma or some jnana will hurt bhakti because bhakti is independent of karma and jnana. As long as he knows nothing to be gained or nothing to be lost by performance or non-performance of some material pious activity. It doesn’t cover bhakti.

One devotee asked Srila Prabhupada that if we see a man drowning in a river should a devotee save him? And Srila Prabhupada said that actually a devotee has nothing to do with material affairs or material actions and reactions. Such things again are karma. So, a devotee should leave him; he has nothing to do with him. But if the devotee doesn’t save him, people will criticize, “Devotee could have saved him. Devotees are supposed to be merciful, and he let him drown.” So, the same point is that to avoid hostile criticism that can disturb the atmosphere for preaching Krishna consciousness, one may make some concession for public opinion or popular sentiment, and this is called lokavichara. But it does not mean that we should do things to cater to popular sentiment because popular sentiment may favor opening hospitals and giving medicine, but we don’t do it. Srila Prabhupada never approved it. But in the case of some specific act where society would feel very strongly that the devotee should have done it, and they would become very hostile and very critical if he didn’t do it, then taking into consideration the popular sentiment, he may do it if it is not otherwise against Krishna consciousness.

Now, here in the purport, Srila Prabhupada gives a very practical application of the word “favorable” because favorable means what will please Krishna. He mentions what will please Krishna the most. And what is that? Nandakishore [Unintelligent 00:21:43] True. That is true. He wants everyone to surrender to him. And in order to get people to surrender to Krishna, what do we have to do? [Unintelligent 00:22:00] Preach. Preach. So, Krishna is most pleased when we preach. And Srila Prabhupada also makes the point that in order to please Krishna, we have to know what will please Krishna, and we know what will please Krishna from Krishna’s representative. The representative of Krishna, who works on behalf of Krishna, is engaged in the mission of preaching Krishna consciousness. Therefore, if we serve the representative of Krishna engaged in the mission of preaching Krishna consciousness, that is most favorable.

So here, Lord Chaitanya comments further on the verse: a pure devotee must not cherish any other desire than to serve Krishna. He should not offer worship to the demigods or to mundane personalities. So, Krishna means Krishna, Krishna’s expansions, and Krishna’s devotees, but it does not include demigods or mundane personalities worshiped separate from Krishna. Now, Lord Chaitanya quotes some verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in support of the basic definition of pure devotional service. 

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ
tat-paratvena nirmalam
hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-
sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate

[CC Madhya 19.170]

Here sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ means free from all kinds of material designations, but free from all desires except the desire to serve Krishna. So that is the same as anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ. The nirmalam means pure, uncontaminated by the effects of speculative philosophy or fruitive activity. So here nirmalam supports jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam. Then hṛṣīkeṇa by purified senses, free from all designations, that supports cultivation or service. ānuśīlanaṁ and sevanaṁ, hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ and it is implied continuous also because hṛṣīkeśa means Krishna. hṛṣīkeśa supports the word, Krishna. hṛṣīkeśa means Krishna, but in particular, hṛṣīkeśa means the proprietor of the senses. So, if I know that Krishna is the proprietor of the senses, then I have no right to engage the senses except for Krishna’s service or according to Krishna’s will. I cannot use them for any other purpose, even for one moment. Srila Prabhupada said that a pure devotee always takes permission from the Lord before he engages any of his senses in any activity.

mad-guṇa-śruti-mātreṇa
mayi sarva-guhāśaye
mano-gatir avicchinnā
yathā gaṅgāmbhaso ‘mbudhau

[CC Madhya 19.171]

Just as the celestial waters of the Ganges flow unobstructed into the ocean, so when my devotees simply hear of me, their minds come to me. I reside in the hearts of all. So here there is no obstruction to the flow of love to the Lord. Queen Kunti also prayed to Lord Krishna, “Please let my affection flow to you like the Ganges flows to the ocean, and let my affection not be diverted to anyone else.”

In the previous verse, Queen Kunti had prayed to the Lord to free her from her ties of family affection to her relatives, namely the Pandavas and the Vrishni. Now, here the question will arise that both families, the Pandavas and the Yadava, were devotees. So, if she has affection for devotees, what is the harm? Why should she pray to the Lord to sever her ties of affection? The answer is that although the family members were devotees, but the basis of the attachment could have been mixed. In other words, she could see them as devotees, but she could also see them as kith and kin and relate to them on the bodily platform. So, when she prays to Krishna to sever her ties of affection for her family, she is actually asking Him to sever her material attachments for them, but not necessarily her spiritual attachment. So, any devotee will have many relationships, and the relationships may have some material component. We don’t necessarily have to give up the relationship, but we should pray to purify the relationship and act to purify the relationship so the material features disappear and only the spiritual features remain.

lakṣaṇaṁ bhakti-yogasya
nirguṇasya hy udāhṛtam
ahaituky avyavahitā
yā bhaktiḥ puruṣottame

[CC Madhya 19.172]

Again, many of the same points come nirguṇasya, beyond the modes of nature. Bhakti is beyond the modes of nature. Mayavadis says the body of Krishna is maya, and the process of bhakti is maya, but here the Bhāgavatam confirms the fact that Krishna, bhakti, and bhakta are nirguṇa, beyond the material modes of nature. ahaituky, it has no cause, meaning there can be no material motive for it causeless, and because it is causeless, it is also ceaseless. It has no beginning and no end; it is eternal. ahaituky avyavahitā its uninterrupted. There is no material cause for it to begin; there can be no material cause for it to stop.

sālokya-sārṣṭi-sāmīpya-
sārūpyaikatvam apy uta
dīyamānaṁ na gṛhṇanti
vinā mat-sevanaṁ janāḥ

“ ‘My devotees do not accept sālokya, sārṣṭi, sārūpya, sāmīpya or oneness with Me — even if I offer these liberations — in preference to serving Me.” [CC Madhya 19.173]

In other words, the devotee has no desire for mukti; he has no desire for anything except bhakti. And even if Krishna offers him mukti, He will not accept it. He will only accept it if Krishna wants him to accept it for the sake of service, but if Krishna offers it to Him just for the sake of the devotee’s happiness, the devotee will refuse.

sa eva bhakti-yogākhya
ātyantika udāhṛtaḥ
yenātivrajya tri-guṇaṁ
mad-bhāvāyopapadyate

“ ‘Bhakti-yoga, as described above, is the ultimate goal of life. By rendering devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one transcends the modes of material nature and attains the spiritual position on the platform of direct devotional service.’” [CC Madhya 19.174]

Ātyantika Means the ultimate goal of life is bhakti. In other words, bhakti has no reason to be performed except for bhakti, bhakti’s sake. But specifically, sadhana bhakti is performed for the sake of bhāva-bhakti and bhāva-bhakti goes to the end of prema-bhakti. So again, devotional service is absolute. The means and the end are the same. The means is bhakti, and the end is bhakti. The means is sadhana bhakti, and the end is sādhya-bhakti. Sadhana means the means and sādhya means the end or the goal. So, sādhya-bhakti includes two divisions: bhāva-bhakti and prema-bhakti. One of the elements in the definition of bhava bhakti is śuddha-sattva-viśeṣātmā that is pure transcendental goodness; it is beyond the material modes of nature. yenātivrajya tri-guṇaṁ specifically means devotional service beyond the modes of material nature or sādhya-bhakti. So, there is some goal in sādhana-bhakti, and that is all sādhya-bhakti, bhāva, and prema but it is all bhakti.

Are there any questions or comments? 

Devotee 1: [Unintelligent 00:36:20]

Giriraj Swami: We may prefer to do one service over another, but if we refuse to do what Krishna wants us to do, that is not bhakti. If we insist that we want to do what we want to do, but we’ll do it for Krishna, that is karma-yoga. But if we are ready to give up what we want to do for Krishna for the sake of what Krishna wants us to do, that is bhakti-yoga.

Devotee 2: [Unintelligent 00:37:12]

Giriraj Swami: That is the big question. You should ask the temple president, and we hope the temple president knows. But he is an authorized representative of Krishna, so even if he says something which isn’t exactly the same as what Krishna would have said, but because he is an authorized representative of Krishna, the devotee gets the same benefit for following the instructions as if they were Krishna’s instructions directly. But if the president doesn’t represent Krishna’s instructions correctly, then the president might be in trouble, but the devotees who follow the president will never be in trouble. Well Generally, we know what Krishna wants from sadhu, shastra, and guru. Sadhus may have different opinions; they won’t have different opinions on the goal. Everyone will accept that the goal is to serve Krishna and please Krishna, but there may be different opinions as to what the best way is. The scripture will also tell us how to serve Krishna or how to please Krishna, but again, there are different prescriptions in the scriptures, and to know which instruction applies in which circumstance may be difficult also.

In the case of the disciple, he can approach the spiritual master, and the spiritual master should be able to tell the disciple which instruction from the scripture or which instruction of the sadhus is appropriate in the particular circumstance. Therefore, the spiritual master is required because if one just goes according to sadhu and shastra, he will face the problem that there are many statements of different sadhus and many statements in different scriptures. Even in the same scripture, there can be many different statements, so the spiritual master is the authority that reconciles the possible differences amongst other authorities.

Now, in ISKCON, in practical terms, there are further considerations. Here, the spiritual master is Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada is the principal śikṣā-guru, so Srila Prabhupada is the final authority. If there are statements of different authorities’ sadhu, shastra, or guru that are different from Prabhupada, we should accept Prabhupada. But then again, in the practical life of the devotee, there are so many instructions of Srila Prabhupada’s, and how to know which instruction applies in which situation. Here, Srila Prabhupada has suggested that if an assembly of mature devotees meets and by consensus, they reach some conclusion, we should accept that the conclusion is coming from Krishna. That is why Srila Prabhupada gave so much emphasis to meeting together, discussing, and deciding together so that by the combined Krishna consciousness or by the combined intelligence of the various devotees, we can more correctly perceive what Krishna actually wants us to do.

Then there is the Lord in the heart; He can also tell us if we are able to hear Him. But to be more on the safe side, if we are not sure, we should try to confirm the same thing from various authorities. If it is confirmed by sadhu, shastra, guru, the deity, the Lord in the heart, and so on, then we can feel confident that Krishna wants it. Like Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, even Lord Nityananda came in his dream and instructed him. Still, he went to Vrindavan, and before he began to write Caitanya-caritāmṛta, he took permission from the deities, took permission from the devotees, had the decision confirmed by many authorities, and then only he began. We can pray to Krishna to guide us and to let us know if we make any mistake.

Devotee 3: [Unintelligent 00:43:50]

Giriraj Swami: How does a living entity stop rendering pure devotional service? You should not have stopped. Why did you stop? You should resume now. It can be temporarily interrupted. In other words, pure devotional service cannot be interrupted, but we can fall from the platform of pure devotional service. Do you understand? Bhakti is eternal; it has no beginning and no end. But if we fall from the platform of bhakti, then we are not on the platform of bhakti anymore, but the platform of bhakti is eternal. Suppose there is some building, and in the building there is no birth and death. But if you leave the building, you become subject to birth and death. Being in the house of bhakti depends on our free will. If we want to leave the house of bhakti, then we are subject to temporary conditions. Generally, our progress is interrupted by vaiṣṇava-aparādha. Like we read yesterday, vaiṣṇava-aparādha is the mad elephant that can destroy one’s efforts in bhakti. One may make efforts for many years, but one’s efforts can be frustrated in a very short time if he commits vaiṣṇava-aparādha.

Rupa Gosvami says that generally, devotional service is a continuation from past lives. In the past, one engaged in devotional service; therefore, in the present, he is naturally attracted to devotional service. But his last life’s progress was interrupted, usually due to vaiṣṇava-aparādha, but he is given another chance now to make further progress again. We should be very careful about vaiṣṇava-aparādha and how to remain protected from vaiṣṇava-aparādha. You remember from yesterday, you have to fence the creeper to keep the mad elephant out. So, if we stay within the circle of pure devotees, then we will be protected from vaiṣṇava-aparādha.

Devotee 4: [Unintelligent 00:48:50]

Giriraj Swami: Good question, if we offend some Vaishnava then we should go to the Vaishnava, fall at his feet, and ask him to forgive us. If he still doesn’t forgive us, we should stand at his back and call and be prepared to follow his every order. If he still doesn’t forgive us, if the offense was so serious but still the Vaishnava doesn’t forgive us, the only recourse is to chant the holy name day and night. As you mentioned, due to the effect of the offense, one loses taste for chanting, and therefore, by chanting, he won’t get much benefit. Just like some diseased person may lose the taste for food, and even if he takes food, he doesn’t get the benefit. But if he goes on chanting, then just like the diseased person who’s been completely wasted by some disease, he will get enough to remain alive, and then gradually, after a very long time, he will begin to regain his health. As he regains his health, he will get some taste, he will get some appetite, and then he will get more benefit from the food. In the same way, if we keep chanting even in the diseased condition, gradually, by the mercy of the holy name, some taste will come back. When some taste comes, then we can get more benefit, and eventually, we can become strong and healthy.

The holy name is Krishna, so having the holy name is like having a rich master. If one offends a rich master, the master may completely reject the person, meaning completely neglect the person, and the person will be out on the street with nowhere to go, no shelter. But if he goes back to the master, falls at the master’s feet, and begs for the master’s forgiveness, then gradually the master can reinstate him in his former position. When someone commits offenses against the holy name and becomes neglected by the holy name, he may suffer. Certainly, he will suffer, and he may appear to suffer even more than ordinary people. Just like the servant of the rich master, he may suffer more than ordinary people who have no such master because they have their little shelters or their little arrangements. But as soon as he goes back to the rich master, he can be reinstated again.

The conclusion is that even if we offend the holy name, because to offend the Vaishnava means to offend the holy name, even if we offend the holy name and as a result, the holy name does not allow us to reciprocate with the holy name as before, still we should try To continue to chant the holy name and eventually we can be reinstated.

TEXT 175

bhukti-mukti ādi-vāñchā yadi mane haya
sādhana karile prema utpanna nā haya

TRANSLATION

“If one is infected with the desire for material enjoyment or material liberation, he cannot rise to the platform of pure loving service unto the Lord, even though he may superficially render devotional service according to the routine regulative principles

PURPORT

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura mentions that if one maintains within his heart the desire to enjoy the result of good work, or, being embarrassed by the material world, the desire to get out of material entanglement, one will never be able to attain the transcendental mellows of devotional service. In other words, one must not desire material profit when rendering devotional service. Even if one follows all the sixty-four regulative principles, he cannot attain pure devotional service with a contaminated heart.

COMMENT

Generally, every devotee more or less engages in the same activities. A devotee is supposed to attend maṅgala-ārati, he is supposed to chant his rounds, he is supposed to attend guru-puja and Bhāgavatam class, and he is supposed to be engaged in practical service for the saṅkīrtana movement. Yet, we see that although everyone is engaged in the same activities, some are making more advancement towards the goal of ecstatic love of Godhead than others. Yet, everyone is engaged in the same activities. So why do some make more progress than others?

Srila Prabhupada explains that the same question was asked to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. He told the story of the wedding party as the answer. Once, some persons were supposed to attend one marriage. In India, the system is that the relatives and friends may come from great distances to attend the marriage, and they may stay for some days to participate in the ceremonies. So, one party was coming from some distant place, and at night they reached a river and they wanted to cross the river. So, they engaged one boat and a boatman to take them across. The members of the party took a rest at night and they expected to reach the other side of the river in the morning. But when they awoke, they found that they were in the same place where they began. They had not made any progress at all; they had not moved one inch. So, the members of the party began to accuse the boatman of sleeping and not working, but he said, “No, I stayed up the whole night and rowed. I myself cannot understand why we did not make any progress.”

Then one of the members of the party discovered the reason: the boatman had neglected to pull out the anchor. So even though he was rowing all night long, the boat did not make any progress because the anchor was stuck in the ground. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura told the story to illustrate the fact that as long as we remain attached to material enjoyment or material liberation, we cannot progress much in devotional service, even though we work hard. So, to really make progress, we have to give up attachment for bhukti and mukti, and then by the practice of sadhana bhakti, one can achieve the goal of bhava bhakti and prema-bhakti.

TEXT 176

bhukti-mukti-spṛhā yāvat
piśācī hṛdi vartate
tāvad bhakti-sukhasyātra
katham abhyudayo bhavet

TRANSLATION

Material desire to enjoy the material world and the desire to become liberated from material bondage.