Audio

Nitai: Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. [Prabhupada and devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse, etc.]

[Prabhupada interrupts to correct Nitai's pronunciation: "Brahma-siddhaye. Brahma-siddhaye. Brahma." Chanting of verse continues.]

[break] [01:47]

"Perfection in self-realization cannot be attained by any kind of yogi unless he engages in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because that is the only auspicious path."

Yogi... Yogi means connecting, and brahma-siddhaye... Brahma-siddhaye means self-realization, aham brahmasmi. Simply to know that "I am spirit soul" is not sufficient. It must be further advanced. Then it will be siddha, perfection. Brahma-siddhaye, to realize "I am Brahman, aham brahmasmi," that is not sufficient. You have to make further progress. Just like to become feverless... Suppose one is suffering from fever. So medicine is given, and the no more fever-fever stop. That is not sufficient. Not only fever should stop, but you should get strength, you should get appetite, you should have normal life. Then it is perfect cure of the disease. Similarly, brahma-siddhaye, to realize that "I am spirit soul," is not sufficient. You have to be engaged in the spiritual activities. That is bhakti.

Bhakti means spiritual activities. There is activity. It is not... The Mayavadi philosopher, they think that "Stop material activities." Brahma satyam jagan mithya. "Why you are engaged..." The Buddhist philosophy also, they say nirvana, "Stop this material life." The Buddhist philosopher, they do not give more information. "We are suffering on account of this material combination." That is their philosophy. Because this body is nothing but combination of earth, water, fire, air, mind, intelligence and ego, so if you separate it, let the earth go to the earth, let water go to the water, let fire go to the fire, then you become zero. If you dismantle, just like we dismantle some house, so there are so many things coming out. So let the doors be taken, somebody windows, somebody the bricks, somebody and..., rubbish somebody. Then there is no house, zero. This is called nirvana theory. No more existence. We are suffering pains and pleasure... Pains. There is no pleasure. Pleasure means accepting another type of pain. I am suffering... Just like there is boil on your body. This is suffering. And to cure it, another suffering, surgical operation. So it is going on like that. Actually, there is no pleasure; there is only pain.

So the Buddhist theory is to dismantle this construction, and then there is no more sense of pains and... The Mayavadi theory also like that, that "Activities, because they are material activities, therefore there are sufferings. So the material activities, they are false. You simply understand yourself, that you are Brahman, and no more activities, stop all activities, Brahman realization..." Their example is given that if you take an empty pitcher and you put into the water, so long it is not filled up, there will be some sound: bud-bud-bud-bud-bud-bud. And as soon as the pitcher is fully filled up, there is no more, no more sound. So all these Vedic mantras and other..., they're only means. So when one is completely Brahman realization, then there is no more chanting, hearing or Vedic hymns. Everything stop. The same theory. Buddhist theory and Mayavada theory is almost practically the same. They are saying, "Make it zero," and they are saying, "It is mithya, false. Stop it." Brahma satyam..., brahma satyam jagan... Brahma satya means Brahman realization, "I am Brahman. I am the same Supreme. So 'ham." But that will not help you. That is simply theoretical. Practical is bhaktya bhagavaty akhilatmani. Bhaktya bhagavaty akhilatmani. Bhagavan is everywhere. Isavasyam idam sarvam .

Akhilatma. Hari, Isvara, Bhagavan, akhilatmani. Akhilatmani bhakti. Bhakti, this word, is applicable only to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore it is said here, bhagavaty akhilatmani. Bhagavan is not alone. He's not only localized; He is everywhere. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs 5.37]. That is called akhilatma-although He has got a particular place. Just like Krsna. He is here; He is in many other temples also. That is Krsna. It is not that Krsna, because He is in one place, He cannot be in other place. Just like we are. We are conditioned. We are here. I am sitting here; you are sitting here. But you are not at your home, in your apartment. Krsna is not like that. Krsna... Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah. He's always in the Goloka Vrndavana. Still, He is andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami. Andantara-stha means He is within this universe.

This universe, the whole universe, is going on because there is the Garbhodakasayi Visnu. Eko 'py asau racayitum jagad-anda-koti. There are not only one universe; there are koti, millions. And ekamsena sthito jagat [Bg 10.42]. One amsa of Krsna, that Garbhodakasayi Visnu, is there. Just like this body is working nicely because the soul, the spirit soul, is within this body; similarly, the whole universe, its activities are going the..., going nicely, regularly, everything, because the Garbhodakasayi Visnu is there. It is not difficult. Matter cannot work so nicely. Don't think that the so many planets, they are floating in the air without any arrangement. There is arrangement. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham [Bs 5.35].

Vistabhya aham idam sarvam ekamsena sthito jagat [Bg 18.61]. Krsna, although localized, although He's always in His Goloka Vrndavana dhama, still, He is everywhere. Therefore His name is Akhilatma. Hari, Isvara, Bhagavan, Akhilatma, Paramesvara, Paramatma... There are so many names.

So here it is said, na yujyamanaya bhaktya bhagavaty akhilatmani. If you engage yourself in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is Supersoul or expanded everywhere, even within the atom, then your yoga system for brahma-siddhaye, for self-realization, will not [sic] be complete. Siddhaye. Yatatam api siddhanam. Therefore it is said, manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye [Bg 7.3].

This siddhaye. Siddhaye means brahma-siddhaye. Out of many millions and millions of person, one is interested in brahma-siddhaye. [loud firecracker noise begins] Nobody's interested. We are crying everywhere, "Please come. We have made this center. Please come and realize yourself and make your life perfect." But nobody's interested. Manusyanam sahasresu. Therefore Krsna says, "Out of millions and millions of person, one may be interested." Similarly, there is statement in the Caitanya-caritamrta,

Kona bhagyavan jiva. To come to Krsna consciousness is not very easy. It is meant for the most fortunate person. Kona bhagyavan jiva. Bhakti-yoga, to accept Krsna consciousness or bhakti-yoga, is not so easy. Therefore general people, they are not interested. General people, they are not interested.

hose who are too much materially interested, sense gratification, they are not very much interested in Krsna consciousness. They are not very much interested. So don't be disappointed that many people are not coming. It is a..., it is a subject matter which is not for many people. Only selected. Just like if you enquire how many fools are there, you will find only..., you will find practically everyone is fool. But if you want to see how many M.A.'s are there, it will be very difficult to find out.

So it is by Krsna's, mean, Lord Caitanya's mercy that we are preaching Krsna consciousness all over the world, and the fortunate, those who are very, very fortunate, they are coming to it. Otherwise, it is not very easy thing that people are interested in brahma-siddhaye. And brahma-siddhaye means complete self-realization, or perfect self-realization. That is called brahma-siddhi. To understand first of all Brahman... Jnana-vairagya-yuktena. That is also bhakti-yuktena. In previous verse we have discussed that,

To be less influenced by the material modes of life, one has to come to this platform of jnana, vairagya and bhakti. Otherwise it is not possible. And that, the same process is being stressed again: na yujyamanaya bhaktya bhagavati... Bhakti, where it is to be applied? Somebody says, "I have got bhakti." Where you have got bhakti? "Now, I have got very much bhakti to my wife. I love her very much. I take care of her. If I do not see her, I become mad." So this kind of bhakti is not explained here. "I have got bhakti for my family. I have got bhakti my, for country. I have got bhakti for Goddess Durga. I have got bhakti for the so many demigods..." No. That kind of bhakti will not do. Therefore it is particularly said, bhaktya bhagavati. Bhagavati, "unto the Supreme..." What kind of Bhagavan? Now, nowadays there are so many Bhagavans. No, not that kind of imitation Bhagavan, but what kind of? Akhilatmani. You ask this so-called imitation Bhagavan that "Are you akhilatma? Are you present in everyone's heart? Can you say what I am thinking now?"

So Bhagavan means He must be akhilatma. Don't be misled by so-called Bhagavan. Everything is there. Bhagavan means akhilatmani. He knows. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese [Bg 18.61]. If you are Isvara, then you must be present in everyone's heart. Sarvasya caham hrdi sannivistah [Bg 15.15]. Isvara... Krsna is Isvara. Therefore He said, sarvasya caham hrdi sannivistah: "I am staying in everyone's heart." So if you are Isvara, if you are Bhagavan, are you staying in my heart? Do you know what I am thinking now? So akhilatmani. Everything should be very scrutinizingly studied. Bhakti is only for Bhagavan. Not that "My bhakti for this or that, for this demigod, for that demigod, for my family, for my country, for my society, for my wife, for my cat, for my dog." This is not bhakti. They are imitation only. That is lust. That is desire. That is not bhakti. Bhakti means bhagavati. Bhagavati means akhilatmani.

So if we can develop that Krsna consciousness, bhakti, then our life, successful life, brahma-siddhaye, complete self-realization, will be possible. Therefore it is said, sadrsah asti sivah pantha: "No. There is no other alternative." If you... Brahma-siddhaye. Brahman, Para-brahman is Krsna. Brahma-siddhaye means to understand what is the relationship... "I am Brahman." That's all right. Aham brahmasmi. But what is your relation with the Para-brahman? That is brahma-siddhi. Brahman and Para-brahman, there are two Brahmans. Why there is...? Atma and paramatma, isvara and paramesvara. So living being and the Supreme Being. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam [Katha Upanisad 2.2.13].

These are the Vedic information. There are two, always two. Atma, paramatma; brahman, parabrahman. So... And brahma-siddhaye means not only to understand that "I am Brahman," but I must understand what is my relationship with Para-brahman. That is brahma-siddhi.That means we must know what is Para-brahman. That Para-brahman is Krsna. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan, purusam sasvatam divyam [Bg 10.12].

We must know, "What is my relationship." That relationship is already explained, that "I am qualitatively one..." Brahman and Para-brahman means both of them one in the platform of being Brahman. But Para-brahman is very, very great, and I am simply Brahman, small. The Vedic instruction is not aham parabrahma. Never says it is. Aham brahma, that is all right. But you cannot say, "I am Para-brahman." Nobody says. There is no such maxim in the Vedic literature. Para-brahman is one, kaivalya. Kaivalya means there is no alternative. There is no duplicate. There is no equal. There is no greater than. That is kaivalya. So nobody can be equal to Para-brahman, and nobody can be greater than Para-brahman. That is Para-brahman. So brahma-siddhaye means simply one should not understand that "I am Brahman," but he must understand what his relationship with the Para-brahman. That is brahma-siddhi.

So for brahma-siddhi, for self-realization, people are trying in so many ways. First of all, the business of human life is only meant for this purpose, brahma-siddhaye. So long we are... Athato brahma-jijnasa. This is the Vedanta-sutra. Brahman... Because, unless you become inquisitive, then how there can be brahma-siddhi? Therefore, this human life is meant for brahma-jijnasa. Not that simply whole day work... They are also inquiring. They go to the market: "What is the price? What is the rate?" The whole day. In share market you go, "Kya bhav hai?" Everyone is asking. Not for that kind of question. That everyone is questioning, from the morning: "What is today's news?" Immediately newspaper. "What is the news?" Then it is no more... Then you go the market, "What is the price of rice? What is the price of this? What is the price of that?" You purchase. Then you eat. Then you go the office or market. Then again, "What is the price? What is the..." Not that kind of inquiry. That is going on. That is also going on by the cats and dogs. They are also inquiring, "Where is food? Where is remnants of foods? Where they are thrown out so that I can go, I can take?" The crows are also doing that, that kind of question.

But you should not waste your time like the cats and dogs and crows by inquiring, "Where is food? Where is food? Where is food?" Food is there for you, fixed up. Don't bother. The Bhagavata says there..., tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhah So this life is meant for brahma-jijnasa. This life, this human life, is meant for brahma-jijnasa. Other jijnasa, inquiries, that is in the cats and dogs and hogs and crows and everywhere. So don't be bothering. "If I don't bother, then how shall I eat?" No, that people generally says, that "Everyone becomes Krsna conscious, how we shall eat? How things will go on?" Now, we are Krsna conscious, practical example. Are we not eating? Are we not sleeping? What business is stopped? We have no business; we simply beg. There is no certainty that "Tomorrow I shall go there, I'll get this money." There is no certainty. We do not know. We are eating in the morning. We do not know whether there will be food in the evening. If Krsna gives, then we can eat. You know it very well. We have no business. We are not professional men. We are not going to the market for what is bhav. Kya bhav hai. So are you not eating? We are eating. Not only eating, we have got hundred and two branches, and every branches there are at least one hundred men. They're all eating. Why? Because we know, "Krsna will give us. Krsna giving food to the ants, to the elephant. Why not to His servant? We have no..." If you have got this confidence, then... The sastra says, tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovidah. You should simply try for perfection of life, brahma-jijnasa. Athato brahma-jijnasa. Janmady asya yatah. This is the only... Jivasya tattva-jijnasa. This is the only business. "What I am?" The answer is aham brahmasmi, so 'ham, "I am same, Brahman." "So then, what is my relation with the Parambrahman?" Jijnasuh sreya uttamam.

Now, when there is question of jijnasa, brahma-jijnasa, then we inquire from a person who knows. Therefore it is said that tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]: "If you are actually interested in inquiring about Brahman, then you must go to guru who knows Brahman." Tasmad gurum prapadyeta. You cannot understand Brahman realization alone. Therefore, according to Vaisnava philosophy, adau gurvasrayam. The first business is to take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master. If you want... Not only brahma-jijnasa-any. You must go to the perfect person who knows things. If you are wandering on some street you do not know, you ask somebody, "Where shall I go? In this way or that way?" So this is natural. So about Brahman, jijnasuh... Brahma-jijnasa means... That is not ordinary jijnasa. It is called uttamam. Uttamam means transcendental to this material world, which is full of darkness, ignorance. That is called ut. Ud-gata tama yasmad iti uttama. There is no more darkness; simply light. If you, at night, you inquire about something, then it is very difficult. But if you go in the daytime... And at night if you got up on your roof and want to see where is Bombay or where is Santa Cruz, it is very difficult. But daytime, you can see. Similarly, uttamam. You must go out of this darkness, come to the light, and then you will see.

So that light is given by guru. Ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya [Gautamiya-tantra]. That light is given not by bringing one torchlight, but jnananjana-salakaya, the light of knowledge. The light of... Jnananjana-salakaya. Caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah. Guru's business is to give you light by knowledge. Then you understand. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. How the jnana, knowledge, light is given? Sabde pare ca nisnatam brahmany upasamasrayam. This is the guru's system, guru's symptom, what is guru. Sabde pare ca nisnatam. He has completely assimilated the Vedic essence of life. That is called guru. And what is sabda? Sastra, or Vedas. Sruti-sastra. Sruti means Veda, knowledge. Veda means knowledge. Or knowledge is received through ear, by hearing. That is real knowledge. Not by experimental knowledge. You cannot understand which is beyond your sense perception by experiment. Just like you cannot understand who is your father by experimental knowledge: "Let me make experiment and find out who is my father." That is not possible. Because it is beyond your experience. Your father was existing when you were not existing. Then how you can understand by experimental knowledge? The authority is mother. Therefore Vedic knowledge is the mother; the Puranas are the sisters. They are explained like that. You should understand from the Vedas what is the ultimate knowledge. And Krsna says, vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg 15.15]: the ultimate knowable objective is Krsna.

So simply by understanding Krsna... Yasmin vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam bhavati. If you can simply understand Krsna, then you understand everything. You haven't got to understand separately Krsna's enlightenment. Tesam aham... What is that verse? Samuddharta. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita,

If you actually come in contact with Krsna, and Krsna is within your heart... Krsna is not far away. Krsna is everywhere. But He's still nearer. He is within your heart. Isvarah sarva... So if you become attached to Krsna... When Krsna sees now you are attached to Krsna, then hrdy antah-stho abhadrani vidhunoti suhrt satam [SB 1.2.17]. He is friend of the devotees. He's friend of everyone, but a special friend of the devotees. Suhrt satam. Therefore you have to become a devotee. Therefore it is said, na yujyamanaya bhaktya. Bhaktya means devotee. Who performs devotional service unless he's a devotee? Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg 18.55].

So if we become devotee, if we take to devotional service, then Krsna says, tesam evanukampartham [Bg 10.11], "for special favor." Special favor. What is that? Tesam evanukampartham aham ajnana-jam tamah nasayami. Krsna says, "I kill all kinds of ignorance."

So simply this qualification required, that you become perfect devotee of Krsna. Then you perfectly become jnani. Jnana is there. Simply it is covered by the curtain of ignorance. Just like in darkness, everything is there. The light is there, everything is there. But as soon as it is dark, we cannot see where the things are there. So Krsna says that anyone can understand Himself, anyone can understand Krsna and the relationship, provided the darkness of ignorance is taken away. That is required. That is done by Krsna personally. For whom? Tesam evanukampartham [Bg 10.11]. Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam [Bg 10.10]. Those who are engaged twenty-four hours with love and faith in devotional service. Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam, dadami buddhi-yogam tam. The buddhi-yogam. He directs, "Do like this, do like that." Then... What for buddhi? Yena mam upayanti te. Then gradually you come to Krsna, back to home, back to Godhead.

Therefore it is recommended here, na yujyamanaya bhaktya bhagavaty akhilatmani, sadrso 'sti sivah pantha. Siva means auspicious. Siva means auspicious. So if you actually interested for self-realization, if you want to become perfect in this life, sivah pantha, the most auspicious, most perfect pantha is... What is that? Now, bhaktya bhagavati. You just become a devotee and engage yourself in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not the so-called rascal Bhagavan, but bhagavaty akhilatmani, one, the..., that Bhagavan who is present everywhere. That Bhagavan. Not this false bhagavan. Akhilatmani. These are the sastric injunction. So that Bhagavan... "I don't find that Bhagavan." No. That Bhagavan is within your heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam [Bg 18.61]. That is real Bhagavan. So as soon... Tene brahma hrda adi-kavaye. That Bhagavan is always acting. He instructed Brahma. Brahma, the lord of the universe, he got instruction from Krsna, and he created the whole universe, and what to speak of you? He'll also give instruction to you, provided you take to the devotional service, bhaktya. Bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg 18.55].

Thank you very much. [end]