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721026ND.VRN
The Nectar of Devotion

Vrndavana, October 26, 1972
Pradyumna: "The Nectar of Devotion is specifically presented for persons who are now engaged in the Krsna consciousness movement. I beg to offer my sincere thanks to all my friends and disciples who are helping me..."
Prabhupada: That's all. So, next page.
Pradyumna: "Invoking auspiciousness: Lord Sri Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, the reservoir of all rasas, or relationships, which are called neutrality, or passive adoration, servitorship, friendship, parenthood, conjugal love, comedy, compassion, fear, chivalry, ghastliness, wonder and devastation. He is the supreme attractive form, and by His universal and transcendental attractive features, He has captivated all the gopis, headed by Taraka, Palika, Syama, Lalita, and ultimately, Srimati Radharani. Let His Lordship's grace be on us so that there may not be any hindrance in the execution of this duty of writing The Nectar of Devotion, impelled by His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada."
Prabhupada: So Krsna is described as akhila-rasamrta-sindhu. So there are different rasas, five primary rasas. Rasa means the mellow or the taste which we enjoy in every activity. That is called rasa. Everything is done with some taste. Whatever you do, you must enjoy some taste out of it. So there are twelve rasas, out of which five rasas are primary and seven rasas are secondary. They are described here.
When Krsna was fighting with Bhisma... You know the story, that Bhisma was criticized by Duryodhana: "My dear Grandfather, you are not fighting in full strength with Arjuna because the, on the other side, they are your grandsons, and you have got, you have got very natural affection for them. So I think you are not fighting according to your strength. Otherwise, they would have been finished by this time." So Bhisma also could understand that, his criticism. Then he promised immediately that: "Tomorrow I shall finish all these five brothers. Will that be happy for you? So I am keeping five arrows to be used tomorrow for killing these five brothers." So Duryodhana became doubtful. So he request grandfather, "My dear grandfather, may I keep these five arrows with me so that you can take it from me tomorrow and use it?" "All right, you keep it."
So Krsna could understand that "Now Bhisma has promised to kill the Pandavas tomorrow, and he has selected five arrows for them." So He has to protect His devotees. Now, He asked Arjuna that "Duryodhana sometimes promised to give you some benediction. Now it is the opportunity. You go there to Duryodhana. And he has kept five arrows very carefully; you take it, them." So Arjuna went to Duryodhana... Because after fighting, in the evening, they were friends. There was no enmity. One man can go to the other camp as friend, brothers. So when Arjuna arrived to Duryodhana, Duryodhana received him. That is Vedic etiquette. "Arjuna, why you have come? You ask something from me. I am ready to give you. If you want the kingdom without fighting, if you have come for this purpose, I'll give you." So Arjuna said: "No, my dear brother, I've not come for that purpose. But you remember that you wanted to give me some benediction. So I have come for that." "Yes, I am prepared." "So you give me those five arrows." He immediately delivered.
So next morning, when Bhismadeva asked that "Where are those five arrows? Give me," So Duryodhana said, "Sir, this is the story. It has been taken away by Arjuna." So he could understand it is the trick of Krsna. So immediately he, out of devotion, became angry. Yes. So devotion, devotional service can be executed in anger also. Not by simply flowers. If he, there is a devotee, he can serve Krsna by becoming angry. So he promised immediately that "Today Krsna has to break His promise." Because Krsna promised that "Although I shall be in the battlefield, I shall simply drive your chariot, but I shall not fight." That was His promise. Now Bhisma said that "Krsna has broken my promise. So I shall fight in this way today that either Krsna has to break His own promise or His friend Arjuna will be killed." Two alternatives.
So when Bhisma was fighting very fiercely, severely, Arjuna's chariot became broken and he fell down; at that time Krsna took one of the wheels of the chariot and immediately approached Bhisma, and when He was approaching Bhisma, Bhisma was also piercing His body with arrows. And Krsna was accepting the arrows move lovable than the flowers. This is the dealing. Therefore that is a rasa, ghastly rasa. Apparently it appears to be very severe, that Krsna is being pierced by the arrows. But Krsna was feeling pleasure. So Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has explained this portion very nicely, that he has given the example of kissing. Sometimes there is hard pressure of the teeth, but still it is pleasurable. He has given this example, that although Krsna was being pierced by the arrows Bhismadeva, still Krsna felt very pleasing. And Bhismadeva also, when he was on his death bed, he wanted to see that form of Krsna when He was very angry and approaching before him to kill him in the battlefield. He explained that feature.
So we can enjoy Krsna's loving service in so many ways. Not only by the embrace of the gopis, but in the fight of Bhisma with Krsna and piercing His body with arrows. Therefore Krsna is akhila-rasamrta. Any one rasa... There are twelve rasas, either primary rasa or secondary rasa. Any rasa, Krsna is ready to respond to any rasa you want to deal with Krsna. That is Krsna's position. Kamat krodhad bhayat dvesat. So what to speak of those who are loving. Just like Putana. Putana wanted to kill Krsna. That was his, that was her purpose. But when Putana was killed by sucking her breast and life both, then Putana was given the position of Krsna's mother. Because Krsna took it the bright side. Krsna thought that "Whatever her intention may be, she came to Me just like a mother, and I sucked her breast. Therefore she is My mother." She came as enemy, but Krsna did not take the inimical side. The motherly side. Tejiyasam na dosaya [SB 10.33.29]. Similarly, the gopis, they came to Krsna out of lust, but out of lust, they became purified. Just like the sun. The sun soaks the water from urinal, but sun is not polluted, but the urinal becomes sterilized. This is the process. So you try to approach Krsna, some way or other. Then your life is successful. It doesn't matter. Kamat krodhad bhayad dvesat.
And what to speak of those who are constantly engaged in love with Krsna. Everything is love. As soon as you divert your attention to Krsna, that is love. It may be perverted. Just like Kamsa. Kamsa was always thinking of Krsna. Krsna... He was also Krsna conscious. But he was thinking in terms of killing Krsna, as enemy. So this is not bhakti. This is not anukula. Pratikula. But still, Krsna is so kind that Kamsa was also given liberation. This is the special kindness of Krsna. So any rasa. There are twelve rasas. Yena tena prakarena manah krsne nivesayet. That is the direction given by Srila Rupa Gosvami." Some way or other, fix up your mind in Krsna." Then your life is successful. Some way or other. Yena tena. So if your mind is fixed up always in Krsna, then your senses will be also engaged in Krsna's service. Because mind is the center of all activities of the senses.
So as Ambarisa Maharaja, he first of all engaged his mind in Krsna. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh [SB 9.4.18]. By fixing up his mind in Krsna, then he could use all other senses, namely the tongue... Actually bhakti begins with the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. Beginning from tongue, Krsna-bhakti begins. It may be very awkward to hear, that "By tongue, how bhakti begins?" But that is the statement in the sastras. Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. Our present senses, blunt, materially covered, it cannot taste what is Krsna's name, what is Krsna's form, what is Krsna's quality, what is Krsna's pastime, what is Krsna's paraphernalia. Senses, they taste. But... Just like in, when one is suffering from liver disease, or jaundice, he cannot taste the sugar candy. The sugar candy is sweet, but a jaundiced patient, if he's given sugar candy, he'll taste it is bitter. Similarly, our senses being covered with material consciousness, we cannot at the present moment taste what is Krsna's form, what is Krsna's name, what is Krsna's quality, what is Krsna's pastime, what is Krsna's paraphernalia, so many things. It is not possible. Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. Our senses are materially contaminated. Therefore we cannot directly perceive by using our present senses what is Krsna. So it has to be purified.
Just like eyes. When it is suffering from the disease, cataract, you cannot see properly. But the, if the, by surgical operation, the cataract is moved, the eyes become purified, you can see. That is also stated in Brahma-samhita:
premanjana-cchurita bhakti-vilocanena
santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti
yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.38]
Premanjana-cchurita. You have to collect the ointment of love for Krsna. And if you apply that ointment on your eyes, then... Just like we use surma (?) for clear vision, similarly, when the love of Krsna surma is applied on the eyes, these eyes, you'll see Krsna. This is the process.
Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. You have to get yourself freed from the upadhis, designations. The designation, the sun and substance of designation: this material body. "I am this body." "I am Hindu." "I am Mussulman." "I am American." "I am Hin..., Indian." All designation of this body. So one has to become freed from the contamination of this bodily concept of life. That is called sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. When our spiritual body becomes revealed, the material body, contamination, is washed off, nirmalam. At that time, the senses remain. Senses are there. It is simply covered by the material energies. The senses are there. The living entity is not nirakara. Living entity has got hands, legs, everything, spiritual. Just like my, I have got my body, and this body's covered by this shirt, and because I have got this hand, the shirt has got hand. Otherwise wherefrom this hand comes? Unless the spirit soul has got hands and legs, how we have got these material hands and legs?
Therefore it is, the conclusion is that spirit soul has form. As Krsna has got form, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1], similarly spirit soul, jivatma, being part and parcel of Krsna, it has got form. That form is also described in the sastra. Kesagra-sata-bhagasya satadha kalpitasya ca, jiva bhago sa vijneyah [Cc. Madhya 19.140]. A rough idea of the form of the living entity has been given in the Padma Purana that one ten thousandth part of the tip of the hair... Now, perhaps we have no instrument how to measure one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. But this is given there. So anyway, because we get information from the Bhagavad-gita, that this body, material body is, is like a dress. Vasamsi jirnany yatha vihaya. As we give up old dress, garment, similarly, when this body becomes useless, we give up this body and accept another new body. Navani ghrnati.
This is the transmigration of the soul. The soul is transmigrating form one body to another. That is a fact. But the gross, gross materialists, they cannot see the subtle body. They simply see the gross body. Therefore they say, "When this body is finished, this gross body's finished, everything is finished." No, that is not. Within the gross body, there is subtle body, made of mind, intelligence and ego. So that is... Just like in every day we have got experience. The gross body is lying on the bed, but the subtle body goes out of the bed, out of the room, goes on the top of a hill or somewhere. It works. That is our practical experience. Similarly, when this gross body is finished, no more usable, the subtle body carries the soul to another womb of the mother. Karmana daiva-netrena jantor deha upapattaye [SB 3.31.1]. Through the semina of the father, the living entity is injected within the womb of the mother, and the two secretions becomes emulsified, and it becomes just like a small pea, and within that pea the soul is there, and it develops. This is the process of transmigration of the soul from one body to another.
So soul has got form. It is not formless. Similarly, Krsna has got also form. But that form is different from this form. When in the sastras it is said, nirakara, nirakara means nirakrta akara, "This akara, this form, is being nullified." Nirakara does not mean there is no akara. This body. When it is said, nirakara, that means the soul, the Supersoul or the soul, has no this akara, as we see. Just like we are seeing some dog or some cat or some hog, some tree, some plants, so many, eight million four hundred thousands of forms, but this is not the form. Nirakareti. Not this form. The soul has got a different form. That is described. Kesagra-sata-bhagasya satadha kalpitasya ca [Cc. Madhya 19.140]. We cannot see, at the present moment. So as we cannot see you. I am not seeing you, you are not seeing me... Just like a man's son dies, or father dies. He cries, "Oh, my father is gone, my father is gone." Where is your father gone? Your father is lying on the floor. Why do you say the father is gone? "No, he's gone. He's no more." That means this thing which has gone, he has never seen. He has seen simply this outward body, dress. This is called ignorance. I am not seeing you; still, I am speaking that I see you. So if I cannot see you, the part and parcel of God, how can I see God with these eyes? Therefore sastra says,
atah sri-krsna-namadi
na bhaved grahyam indriyaih
sevonmukhe hi jihvadau
svayam eva sphuraty adah
[Cc. Madhya 17.136]
You cannot see God, you cannot see Krsna by your, these blunt senses, but if you purify your senses, sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. That purification begins from tongue. That purification, sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. So by the tongue we can do two things. We can taste foodstuff and we can vibrate sound. So if you engage your tongue for vibrating this transcendental sound, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, and do not take anything except prasadam of Krsna, then your spiritual life immediately begins. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau, svayam eva... Then gradually, as you advance in spiritual life, Krsna reveals Himself to you, "Here I am." You cannot see Krsna, but by being satisfied with your service, Krsna sees you. Just like you cannot see sun at night. But when the sun sees you, you can see the sun and yourself, both. Similarly, when Krsna sees you, being satisfied with your service, then you can see Krsna, you can see yourself and you can see the whole world.
Now, whatever you are seeing, this is all illusion. You are not seeing, or we are not seeing. Because our senses are blunt to see things as they are. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is said that
One who has got the eyes to see, he does not see that "Here is a learned brahmana, and here is a dog." He sees both the learned brahmana and the dog in equal vision. Because he does not see the dress. He sees the spirit soul within the brahmana and within the dog. That is called brahma-darsana. Samah sarvesu bhutesu. Mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg. 18.54]. When one has got that vision, transcendental vision, samah sarvesu bhutesu mad-bhakti, then the devotional service begins. Not that with blunt eyes and senses one can serve God, devotional service.
atah sri-krsna-namadi
na bhaved grahyam indriyaih
sevonmukhe hi jihvadau
svayam eva sphuraty adah
[Cc. Madhya 17.136]
This is the process. So when our senses are engaged in the service of the Lord, sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170], when our senses become purified, hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate, at that time, the hrsika, the senses are engaged in the service of the Lord. Because Krsna is spirit, the Supersoul, He cannot be served by matter. He has to be served with spirit.
Therefore Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. This bhakti is spiritual activity. Because Krsna says, bhaktya prayacchati. If you offer something Krsna, "Krsna, I have brought a very palatable dish. You take it." Oh, Krsna will not take it. Naham prakasah sarvasya yogamaya-samavrtah [Bg. 7.25]. He's not exposed to everyone. It is not possible. You cannot serve Krsna if you are not a devotee. Therefore Krsna says, yo me bhaktya prayacchati. That is the real thing, bhaktya. Not that "I have brought a nice plate and Krsna will accept." Not like that. Krsna can accept when you offer something, it doesn't matter what it is, it may be a simple flower, a fruit, a, a small piece of leaf or little water... This is universal. For worshiping Krsna, there is no impediment. If you want to worship other demigods, there are so many things required. But for worshiping Krsna the poorest man in the world, any part of the world, he can offer his love, his offering to Krsna. Patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati [Bg. 9.26].
So... So real purpose of this Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu by Rupa Gosvami which we have translated by the name, Nectar of Devotion, the Complete Science, the Complete Science of Bhakti-yoga, this is very important book of understanding how to become purified in devotional service, how to approach Krsna, how to satisfy Krsna. These things are described very nicely. And Krsna, being Supreme, He's Supersoul, we cannot approach with our material consciousness. Therefore the consciousness has to be changed. Then we can approach Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness movement. Unless we change our consciousness... Just like, without being fire, you cannot enter into fire. In the sastra says, without being Brahman, you cannot approach Brahman. Similarly, without being purified of all material contamination, you cannot approach Krsna. Hrsikena hrsikesa. How, what kind of hrsika, senses? Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. The senses are to be purified. Tat-paratvena. Tat-paratvena means being always attached with Krsna. If you simply see Krsna with your eyes, then your eyes will be purified and spiritualized. Because you are touching... Just like if you keep yourself always in touch with fire, you become warm. Warm, warm, warmer. If you put one iron rod in the fire, it becomes warm, warmer, warmer, and at last, it becomes red hot. When it is red hot, it is fire. It is not more iron rod. You touch that red hot iron anywhere, it will burn. Similarly, if you keep always in touch with Krsna, you become Krsna, Krsnized, and you can appreciate what is Krsna.
Thank you very much. (end)

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