The Spiritual Master

Just as Vyasa was trying to locate the defect in himself, Narada Muni, his spiritual master, reached Vyasa's cottage on the bank of the River Sarasvati. On seeing Narada, Srila Vyasadeva got up in respect and offered his master all worship. Narada then took a comfortable seat and began to address his disciple. As Narada spoke, he was smiling because he knew well the cause of Vyasadeva's disappointment. Narada inquired, "Are you not satisfied with identifying the body or mind as the object of self-realization?" By his first words Narada hinted that despite his compilation of sacred and instructive transcendental literature, Vyasadeva had actually identified the body and mind with the self. But the concept of the body and the mind as the self can never bring happiness because the body is subject to so many miseries and is only temporary, whereas the real self is eternal. How is it that Vyasadeva, who was such a great sage, could miss the real point of spiritual life and spiritual happiness? Narada admitted that Vyasadeva had certainly studied fully and had with deliberation compiled a full explanation of the original knowledge of the Vedas. So why should he be disappointed just when he should be feeling satisfied by a full lifetime of great welfare work for all humanity? Vyasadeva humbly submitted himself before his spiritual master and asked him to please point out the root cause of his despondency.

Sri Narada said, "You have not broadcast the sublime and spotless glories of the Personality of Godhead. Anything that does not satisfy the senses of the Lord is considered worthless philosophy." That was Narada Muni's prompt diagnosis. Srila Vyasadeva was despondent because, despite writing so many books, he had deliberately avoided glorifying the Supreme Lord, but he gave more attention to religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and salvation, which are the material activities of civilization. Vyasadeva had neglected to give his full attention to devotional service, which starts with hearing and glorifying the name and pastimes of Krsna. Therefore Narada concluded that Vyasadeva had more or less wasted his time. Narada was saying, in other words, that all the scriptures that Vyasadeva had compiled up to this point had dealt mainly with material activities, and this was the reason for his despondency. Vyasadeva was interested in regulating material activities so that people could gradually come to the spiritual platform. But if people simply perform the regulative material principles and do not come to the spiritual platform, that will not help them. The only point of regulating sense gratificatory activities is to gradually gain the transcendental taste of love of God. Only when one tastes transcendental pleasure can he abandon satisfying his own senses and be intent on satisfying the senses of Krsna.