BG 2.41 – Satisfy Krishna by Satisfying the Spiritual Master

Giriraj Swami:

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya,

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya,

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

Reading from Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Chapter Two, “Contents of the Gītā Summarized,”

TEXT 41

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir
ekeha kuru-nandana
bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca
buddhayo ‘vyavasāyinām

TRANSLATION

Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

A strong faith that by Kṛṣṇa consciousness one will be elevated to the highest perfection of life is called vyavasāyātmikā intelligence. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 22.62) states:

‘śraddhā’-śabde – viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya
kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya

Faith means unflinching trust in something sublime. When one is engaged in the duties of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he need not act in relationship to the material world with obligations to family traditions, humanity, or nationality. Fruitive activities are the engagements of one’s reactions from past good or bad deeds. When one is awake in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he need no longer endeavor for good results in his activities. When one is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all activities are on the absolute plane, for they are no longer subject to dualities like good and bad. The highest perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is renunciation of the material conception of life. This state is automatically achieved by progressive Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

The resolute purpose of a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is based on knowledge. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ: a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the rare good soul who knows perfectly that Vāsudeva, or Kṛṣṇa, is the root of all manifested causes. As by watering the root of a tree one automatically distributes water to the leaves and branches, so by acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness one can render the highest service to everyone – namely self, family, society, country, humanity, etc. If Kṛṣṇa is satisfied by one’s actions, then everyone will be satisfied.

COMMENT

So the beginning of Krishna consciousness is faith, or sraddha, and sraddha is defined in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta as the firm faith and conviction that simply by serving Krishna one will achieve all results, or in other words, that one need engage in no other activity except Krishna consciousness. Because simply by engaging in Krishna consciousness, one achieves all perfection in life. But such faith is based on knowledge. One who knows the nature of a tree will water the root because he knows that by pouring the water on the root, automatically all the limbs, branches, leaves, twigs, fruits, and flowers will be watered. It is scientific. So Krishna is the root of all existence. If we render service to Krishna, then all living entities are automatically served. We don’t have to serve them separately. Just like if you want to water the leaves on a tree, you don’t water the leaves separately; you just pour the water on the root. You can try to put the water on the leaves, but how many leaves can you water? There are hundreds of leaves on a tree, and even if you put some water on some leaves, what benefit will the leaves get? Because the water must be poured on the root.

Similarly, we may want to serve other beings—our family members, our community members, our society, our nation, and perhaps all of humanity. But how many people can we serve? Very few. And even then, unless we serve Krishna first, unless we make Krishna the central point, the others whom we try to serve will not really get any benefit. When we try to serve someone in the material world, the person that we are serving is never satisfied. In fact, the person we are serving usually doesn’t realize that we are serving him. Srila Prabhupada gave the example of Mahatma Gandhi who dedicated his life to serve the nation, to serve his countrymen, but his countrymen were not satisfied. In the end, they killed him. So when we try to serve others in the material concept of life, neither they are satisfied nor we are satisfied. But when we serve Krishna, Krishna is satisfied, and we are also satisfied, and everyone is satisfied.

Generally, the husband or the father works very hard to serve the wife and the children, but they are very rarely satisfied, and he is also not satisfied. We all have practical experience. One vivid experience I had was when I was living with my former family. Generally, we were all very busy, so we didn’t usually eat together. But one day, we decided that on a particular day, we would all make a point of having dinner together. The awaited moment came, and we all sat down at the dinner table. Somehow, my sister started to complain that she didn’t have enough clothes. My father replied that she did have enough clothes. So, an argument developed, and feelings started to run high. Finally, my sister became very upset and within minutes of having sat down together, she got up from the table, ran into her bedroom, and slammed the door. We were only four in the first place, so now we were three. I thought whether we should just try to continue and ignore what happened or try to get her to come back. I thought, well, let us try to get her to come back. Finally, we all went into her bedroom. I was a neutral person, so I said, “Well, why don’t we see how many clothes you have?” She opened up her wardrobe, which was two closet doors, but behind the doors, it was joined together. I was truly amazed. From wall to wall, here to there, there were just hangers after hangers of clothes—blouses, dresses, skirts. I had a closet about one-third the size of her wardrobe, and mine was about one-third filled with clothes and two-thirds empty. I was amazed.

The point I am making is that my father was really slaving day and night to earn money for the family. He thought he was serving the family, but my sister was not satisfied with his service. Of course, the other instruction is that no matter how much you give someone materially, the person is never satisfied. No matter how much you get materially, you are never satisfied. So if we want to be satisfied by rendering service, we should render service to Krishna. We will be satisfied, Krishna will be satisfied, and everyone will be satisfied. Perhaps you know the story of Duryodhana when he instigated Durvasa Muni to visit the Pandavas with his ten thousand disciples. Duryodhana was always envious of the Pandavas, and Draupadi had received a benediction. She had a pot, and until she took prasāda, the pot would provide unlimited quantities of food. But as soon as she took prasāda, then the pot would not produce any more food. So Duryodhana was so clever that he sent Durvasa Muni at a time when he knew the Pandavas would have finished eating and Draupadi also would have finished eating, and the pot would not be available to produce unlimited quantities of food. Duryodhana envisioned that Durvasa Muni would go with his ten thousand disciples, and according to Vedic culture, the householders should provide the sannyasi and his disciples with prasāda. The Pandavas would not be able to provide, so Durvasa Muni would become angry, and he would curse the Pandavas or destroy the Pandavas.

So, Durvasa Muni came with his ten thousand disciples, and Maharaja Yudhisthira received him. Naturally, as Vedic hospitality dictates, he offered them prasāda. Durvasa Muni said, “Yes, we will go to the river and take bath, and then we will return and take prasāda.” So in the meantime, what to do? Of course, the Pandavas prayed to Lord Krishna, and Lord Krishna appeared. He asked Draupadi, “Is there no food left?” She said, “No, there is no food left.” “Is there not even a morsel of food anywhere?” “There is no morsel of food left.” Finally, Lord Krishna detected one little bit of vegetable which He took, and when He took, He became satisfied because Draupadi cooked with love and devotion. Krishna was satisfied by her love and devotion. Meanwhile, Durvasa Muni and the ten thousand disciples were taking bath in the river, and as soon as Krishna felt satisfied, they also felt satisfied. So after they finished their bath, they felt so satisfied that they thought, How can we go back to the Pandavas’ house? They must have prepared food for all of us, and we feel so satisfied we won’t be able to take any food at all. So they decided, “We should not go back,” and thus the Pandavas were saved by the mercy of Krishna.

When Krishna is satisfied, everyone is satisfied because Krishna is the root of everyone and everything. So we don’t have to try to serve people independent of Krishna; we have to serve Krishna and serve others in relation to Krishna. For example, someone may love his father, love his mother, and the parents may love their children. They want them to be happy and want to do something for them. But devotees know that one can be happy only in Krishna consciousness. So if we really love our parents and want to do something for our parents so they can be happy, we should try to give them Krishna consciousness. Similarly, if the parents really love their children and want their children to be happy, they should try to give them Krishna consciousness because nothing material can satisfy anyone. So, one who has faith that only by Krishna consciousness, one can be happy. Only by Krishna consciousness, one can be satisfied. He will be fixed in one point only; devotional service.

PURPORT (continued)

Service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is, however, best practiced under the able guidance of a spiritual master who is a bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa, who knows the nature of the student and who can guide him to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As such, to be well versed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness one has to act firmly and obey the representative of Kṛṣṇa, and one should accept the instruction of the bona fide spiritual master as one’s mission in life. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura instructs us, in his famous prayers for the spiritual master, as follows:

yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo
yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto ‘pi
dhyāyan stuvaṁs tasya yaśas tri-sandhyaṁ
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam

“By satisfaction of the spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes satisfied. And by not satisfying the spiritual master, there is no chance of being promoted to the plane of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I should, therefore, meditate and pray for his mercy three times a day, and offer my respectful obeisances unto him, my spiritual master.”

COMMENT

All perfection in life can be achieved by service to Krishna. But how do we render service to Krishna? We serve Krishna through the medium of the spiritual master. The whole goal is to satisfy Krishna, but how do we satisfy Krishna? If we satisfy the spiritual master, then automatically Krishna is satisfied. Therefore, the actual goal of life is to satisfy the spiritual master, by which one satisfies Krishna. And how do we satisfy the spiritual master? Very easily, by following his instructions. The spiritual master gives an instruction, and the disciple executes it. The spiritual master is satisfied, and consequently, Krishna is satisfied. Very simple.

Srila Prabhupada considered this verse and purport very significant even in his own life. Srila Prabhupada had received the instruction from his spiritual master to go to the West and preach. But before going to the West, he wanted to prepare, so he went to Vrindavan and translated the First Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Somehow, he read the same verse in Bhagavad-gītā with the commentary of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. In the commentary, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that the disciple should accept the order of the spiritual master as his life and soul. Just as the body cannot live without the soul, so the disciple cannot live without executing the instruction of the spiritual master. Srila Prabhupada said that when he read the commentary on this verse, he thought of the instruction of his spiritual master to him to go to the West and preach. This is the secret of success: to satisfy the bona fide spiritual master, and by satisfying the bona fide spiritual master, to satisfy Krishna, which is the ultimate goal.

PURPORT (continued)

The whole process, however, depends on perfect knowledge of the soul beyond the conception of the body – not theoretically but practically, when there is no longer a chance for sense gratification manifested in fruitive activities.

COMMENT

We have to realize that we are not the body. As long as we think we are the body, we will act for sense gratification. We won’t act for the satisfaction of the spiritual master; we will act for the satisfaction of the senses. Instead of satisfying the spiritual master, we will engage in illicit activities which will cause us to suffer. One has to understand that one is not the body but is part and parcel of Krishna, that his real relationship is with Krishna, not with the body and not with things related to the body, sarva-upādhi-vinirmuktam. As long as we identify with the body, we will have so many designations that I am Indian, I am American, I am Chinese, I am man, I am woman, I am poor, I am rich, so many designations. And on basis of designation, we will render service. We won’t render service to Krishna or render service on the basis of the designations. Some people think, I am Muslim, how can I serve a Hindu god? I am Christian, how can I worship a Hindu god? I can’t take to Krishna consciousness. In so many ways, we identify with the body in so many different designations. As long as we serve our designations, we can’t serve Krishna. As long as we serve our senses, we can’t serve Krishna.

Therefore, there are two words in Sanskrit: Godasa and Gosvami. “Go” means senses, and “dasa” means servant. So godasa means one who is the servant of his senses, and Gosvami means one who is the master of his senses. We can become the master of our senses by engaging our senses in the service of Krishna, and we become Gosvamis. But if we identify with the body, and the body is made of senses, and we serve the senses, then we become godasa. We can’t serve Krishna then because we are serving our senses. We have to actually realize we are not the body, not just theoretically but practically. Theoretically, everyone can give a lecture that we are not the body. At least anyone can make a statement that we are not the body, but we act on the basis of the body for the benefit of the senses, for sense gratification. We become godasa instead of Gosvami. We cannot actually serve Krishna.

PURPORT (continued)

One who is not firmly fixed in mind is diverted by various types of fruitive acts.

COMMENT

In Text Forty-four, Lord Krishna makes the same statement:

TEXT 44

bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ
tayāpahṛta-cetasām
vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ
samādhau na vidhīyate

TRANSLATION

In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination for devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not take place.

COMMENT

We identify with the body and the senses, and we want to enjoy sense gratification and material opulence. Then the resolute determination to engage in devotional service never takes place. We may associate with devotees, we may listen to discourses, but as long as we maintain the desire to enjoy sense gratification and material opulence, the resolute determination to engage in devotional service never takes place. We may chant, we may go to the temple, we may do service, but our intelligence is splayed in many directions. We go to the temple, we chant Hare Krishna, but we also go to the movies, we also watch television, we also go to different places of sense enjoyment. We are not fixed. We do some service, but we do many other things also because we maintain the desire for sense enjoyment and material opulence, and so we cannot make much progress.

Once one disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was asked, “Guru Maharaja, you have so many disciples living in the ashram, and all are rising early in the morning, all are going to maṅgala-ārati, all are hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, all are chanting Hare Krishna. But some are making rapid progress, and others are hardly making any progress at all. Why is that?” Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura answered with the story of the marriage party. One marriage party was going to attend a marriage, and to reach the place of the marriage, they had to cross a river. They reached the river at night and engaged a boatman to row them across the river, intending to reach by the next morning. They got on the boat and took rest. However, when they woke up in the morning, they saw that they were in the same place; they hadn’t gone anywhere. They all became very upset. They confronted the boatman, saying, “We engaged you to take us across the river, and we are in the same place. You just slept all night; you didn’t do your duty.” But the boatman replied, “I did. I rowed all night.” “Then why are we in the same place? Why haven’t we gone anywhere?” Finally, one of the persons found that the anchor was still in the bank. Therefore, despite the boatman making so many efforts all night long, the boat didn’t move. It was stuck in the same place because he forgot to take out the anchor.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said that one may make efforts in devotional service, but if he doesn’t cut his material attachments, he won’t make any progress. He will do everything that everyone else is doing, he will work just as hard as the others, but he won’t make any progress because he is maintaining his attachments. Therefore, Lord Krsna says that “In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination for devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not take place.” Srila Prabhupada, as the ideal acharya, has shown the example of how to execute the order of the spiritual master without any personal consideration. If we execute the order of the spiritual master in the same spirit, we will get the same result. There is no question of partiality. Krishna is equal to everyone, but as one surrenders to Krishna, Krishna reciprocates accordingly. If someone thinks, Well, let me keep so much for my wife, so much for my children, so much for my community, so much for my this, so much for my that, and in the end, what is left for Krishna? Nothing. So, you surrender zero to Krishna; Krishna reciprocates zero. Or someone may surrender 100 percent to Krishna; he gives everything to Krishna, and Krishna will give His everything to that person. Or if we surrender 10 percent Krishna will give us 10 percent Krishna is equal to everyone; He doesn’t discriminate. Sometimes people think, Oh, he has been favored by Krishna; I haven’t been favored. But you surrender to Krishna, you will also be favored. It is not that Krishna is partial to some or envious towards others. He is equal to all, but as we surrender to him, he reciprocates. So, we have full faith in Krishna, give our everything to Krishna, and Krishna will give His everything to us. If we don’t have faith in Krishna and the process of devotional service, if we give our 2 percent to Krishna, He will give 2 percent to us.

Srila Prabhupada gave the example of elderly men in India who decide that they want to retire in Vrindavan. They make an arrangement with their family that their family will send them two hundred rupees every month to Vrindavan. But what about the two lakhs or the two crores that they give to their family? To Krishna, they give two hundred per month. So, Krishna sees that, “Okay, you are giving two crores to your family and two hundred to me.” He will give two hundred back. In other words, Krishna is a person; He sees everything, and He knows everything. It is not that we can fool Krishna. Krishna knows exactly how much we are giving to Him and how much we are keeping for ourselves. Just like when we worship the deity, we shouldn’t think that the deity’s eyes are just painted on stone. Krishna sees. It is not that you can do all nonsense and Krishna won’t see. Krishna sees, and He doesn’t see just with His eyes; He can see with any of His senses. He is playing His flute with His fingers; He can see with His fingers also. So, He knows exactly what you are doing, and He can see into your mind also. He can see into your mind; He can see how much you are thinking of Him and how much you are thinking of sense gratification, and He will reciprocate accordingly. We cannot fool Krishna; He can see everything, and He knows everything. According to how much we are actually surrendered to Him, He will reciprocate. It is not that He favors one person more than another person, but when He sees how much you are thinking of Him, He reciprocates. He sees how much you are thinking of sense gratification.

The best thing is to surrender fully to Krishna. We give our everything to Krishna, and He will give His everything to us. What is our everything? Not very much. mānasa deha geha yo kichu moraarpilūn tuyā pade nanda-kiśora. The mind, first of all, is the mind because the mind is the center of the senses. If we don’t engage the mind in Krishna consciousness, then how will we engage the senses? First, we have to control the mind and engage the mind in thinking of Krishna, not in thinking of sense gratification. So, mānasa deha geha. we give our minds first of all, and we give our bodies, meaning our senses. We engage our senses in Krishna’s service, no sense gratification, mānasa deha geha, this means our house, our family members, our possessions, whatever little we have, yo kichu mora, whatever little we have, we offer to the lotus feet of Krishna. Then we have no anxieties; we are Krishna’s surrendered servants. Whatever Krishna wants to do with us, He can do. We have no anxiety. If He wants to keep us alive, that is His choice. If He wants us to die, that is His choice. We have no anxiety because we have given ourselves to Krishna, and whatever He likes to do with us, He can do. We have no anxiety. Even if we have to take birth again, we don’t mind. Of course, devotees go back home, back to Godhead, but if Krishna wants that we should take birth again, the devotee doesn’t mind. But the devotee prays, “Let me take birth in a house of devotees. I don’t mind even if I take birth as an insect; I don’t mind, but let me take birth in a house of devotees. I don’t want to take birth as a Brahma if I am not a devotee, but I will take birth as an ant if I get the association of devotees.” And what kind of devotees? Devotees who are free from desires for material enjoyment and liberation. That is the devotee’s only prayer. Otherwise, he leaves everything to Krishna and is satisfied in whatever situation Krishna puts him.

Thus, one can become completely fearless, Abhay, fearless. Abhay-carana, one who takes shelter at the lotus feet of Krishna becomes fearless like Abhay Caranaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ki jaya! Hare Krishna.

Are there any questions or comments?

. . .it is like the stage of prema is the mature stage, but they are the same; they are bhakti, just different phases of maturity. Srila Prabhupada gives the example that an unripe mango and a ripe mango both are mangoes. They are the same mango, but in the beginning, the mango is unripe, and in the end, it is ripe. So, when devotional service is in the beginning stage, it is sraddha, and when it is in the ripened stage, it is prema. But it is the same thing; it is bhakti, just different stages of maturity of bhakti.

Question note: Dear Maharaja, I cannot complete chanting sixteen rounds every day. I am in a diseased condition. How does one come out of this diseased condition?

Giriraj Swami: By chanting sixteen rounds every day? [Applause]

Question note: Many people in the Indian community worship demigods. How can we get them to change from demigod worship to the worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna?

Giriraj Swami: Well, the beginning is hearing. Nobody really has any idea about Krishna or Brahma or Shiva or anyone except from hearing or reading. People have no direct experience, so they have to hear from the right source. They have to hear from Krishna, who is the supreme authority, and then they’ll know that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we should render service to Him and not to any demigod. So they have to hear. Hear means hear the devotees speak on the subject of Krishna consciousness, and hear also means to read. Read the books of Srila Prabhupada. Many people have come to understand that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead from Prabhupada’s books. ekala īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya, only Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and all others are His servants. Even the greatest of the demigods, like Brahma and Shiva, they are also servants of Krishna. So they have to hear. We have to give people the chance to hear, either by attending our discourses or reading our books.

Question note: What is the basis of the Krishna consciousness movement?

Giriraj Swami: Srila Prabhupada said. . .Who knows? Yes, books are the basis. The basis of the Krishna consciousness movement is the books. In other words, scripture. Whatever we do is based on scripture. So our worship of Krishna is based on scripture. Our avoidance of the worship of the demigods is based on scripture. Whatever we do is based on scripture or on Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Question note: Hare Krishna Maharaja, thank you for your wonderful association. Hope you can come more often, P.M. Berg.

Giriraj Swami: Thank you. Is P.M. Berg, here in the audience? Well, I am scheduled to come again January 19th or 20th, planning to come back to P.M. Berg. It has to be confirmed. Any other questions?