BG 14.26 – Initiation Lecture

Giriraj Swami: Reading from Bhagavad-gītā As It Is Chapter Fourteen: ”The Three Modes of Material Nature”

TEXT 26:

māṁ ca yo ‘vyabhicāreṇa
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān
brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

TRANSLATION

One who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.

PURPORT

This verse is a reply to Arjuna’s third question: What is the means of attaining to the transcendental position? As explained before, the material world is acting under the spell of the modes of material nature. One should not be disturbed by the activities of the modes of nature; instead of putting his consciousness into such activities, he may transfer his consciousness to Kṛṣṇa activities. Kṛṣṇa activities are known as bhakti-yoga – always acting for Kṛṣṇa. This includes not only Kṛṣṇa, but His different plenary expansions such as Rāma and Nārāyaṇa. He has innumerable expansions. One who is engaged in the service of any of the forms of Kṛṣṇa, or of His plenary expansions, is considered to be transcendentally situated. One should also note that all the forms of Kṛṣṇa are fully transcendental, blissful, full of knowledge and eternal. Such personalities of Godhead are omnipotent and omniscient, and they possess all transcendental qualities. So if one engages himself in the service of Kṛṣṇa or His plenary expansions with unfailing determination, although these modes of material nature are very difficult to overcome, one can overcome them easily. This has already been explained in the Seventh Chapter. One who surrenders unto Kṛṣṇa at once surmounts the influence of the modes of material nature. To be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or in devotional service means to acquire equality with Kṛṣṇa. The Lord says that His nature is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge, and the living entities are part and parcel of the Supreme, as gold particles are part of a gold mine. Thus the living entity, in his spiritual position, is as good as gold, as good as Kṛṣṇa in quality. The difference of individuality continues, otherwise there would be no question of bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga means that the Lord is there, the devotee is there, and the activity of exchange of love between the Lord and the devotee is there. Therefore the individuality of two persons is present in the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the individual person, otherwise there would be no meaning to bhakti-yoga. If one is not situated in the same transcendental position with the Lord, one cannot serve the Supreme Lord. To be a personal assistant to a king, one must acquire the qualifications. Thus the qualification is to become Brahman, or freed from all material contamination. It is said in the Vedic literature, brahmaiva san brahmāpy eti. One can attain the Supreme Brahman by becoming Brahman. This means that one must qualitatively become one with Brahman. By attainment of Brahman, one does not lose his eternal Brahman identity as an individual soul.

COMMENT

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

It is said that to enter into fire one must become fire. In the same way to enter into the Supreme brahman or the service of the Supreme brahman one should come to the level of Brahma and how does one come to the brahman platform? By full engagement in devotional service, twenty-four hours. We should have no other engagement besides devotional service. And if we remain fully absorbed in devotional service without deviation we can remain steady on the brahman platform. The basic requirement for coming to the brahman platform is to chant the holy names of Krishna at least sixteen rounds daily and to follow the regulative principles which are meant to keep us in the mode of goodness and from the mode of goodness when we do chant the holy name we can easily come to the brahman platform. 

The process of dīkṣā means that the disciple is at least given the chance to come to the level of brahman and thus to enter into the service of the Supreme brahman, Krishna, and therefore the devotees in terms of ordinary activities follow the regulative principles which are meant to keep them in the material mode of goodness specially cleanliness. So many principles are mentioned in the scriptures and to engage in the service of the Lord, specially the process of hearing and chanting and remembering Lord Krishna. The combination of the two, following the regulative principle of purity and cleanliness and being engaged in the service of the Lord specially through chanting the holy names and hearing about the transcendental topics of Krishna consciousness, one can become fixed on the brahman platform and thus be eligible to render service to the Supreme brahman. 

Lord Krishna Himself declares in the Eleventh Canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that one who has been purified by the process of dīkṣā is accepted by the Lord to be as good as the Lord. What is the meaning of as good as the Lord? The meaning is that one has the same quality as the Lord. The Lord is purely spiritual and when the living entity is purified by the process of dīkṣā he also become fully spiritualized and thus he is eligible to render service to the Lord. 

So the devotees must be very careful, always to follow the regulative principles and to remain fully engaged in the devotional service of Sri Krishna, specially by chanting the holy names, at least sixteen rounds every day and the rest of the time engaging in some sort of service related to Krishna consciousness. 

Today Ramanuja Prabhu and his good wife Syama sakhī Mataji will be awarded second initiation or dīkṣā and we hope that they will take their responsibilities very seriously—always to follow the regulative principles, to chant sixteen rounds and to be fully engaged in devotional service without deviation. Of course as long as we have the physical body we have to engage in activities related to the body. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains that ordinary activities required for the maintenance of the body such as bathing, dressing, and so on, when done in the mood of devotion, to maintain the body for the service of Krishna are not outside the range of devotional service or they are not against the principles of full engagement in devotional service. We engage in such activities just to keep the body and soul together, to keep the body fit for engagement in devotional service. We do not falsely identify with the body or think that the real pleasure in life comes from gratification of the body’s senses. We don’t think that the real pleasure of life comes from sense gratification or subtle forms of sense gratification like mental speculation, or whatever pursuits are independent of Krishna consciousness or devoid of Krishna consciousness. We do the minimum required to keep the body and soul together comfortably so that we can engage in the service of Krishna but our real goal is Krishna’s service and our real pleasure is Krishna consciousness and if we do continue in the same spirit of devotion—always engaged in devotional service specially in chanting the holy names of Sri Krishna and serving the mission of Krishna, as we have received it from Srila Prabhupada, then we can remain steady in the brahman platform. We can actually be eligible to serve the Lord personally. 

There are many prescriptions for the worship of the deity given in scriptures like The Nectar of Devotion. The Nectar of Devotion also repeat the same principle with reference to authorized sources that only one who strictly follows the regulative principles is eligible to touch the form of the Lord, the deity of the Lord. Being on the brahman platform is a constant effort. It is not that we come to the brahman platform and then we relax our efforts and imagine that we are permanently situated spiritually but no, we constantly make efforts to maintain the standard of the brahman platform, or the standard of constant engagement in devotional service according to the regulative principles. 

So again we pray to Srila Prabhupada and the disciplic succession and the deities to bless Ramanuja Prabhu and Syama sakhī Mataji that they remain steady in their vows, in their practice of Krishna consciousness and thus are able to serve Their Lordships favorably in such a way that Krishna and His devotees will be pleased. Hare Krishna.

Are there any questions or comments? 

Alright so now we will proceed to give the mantras.