Prayers by the Vedic Hymns

Next, Eighty-seventh Chapter: "Prayers by the Vedic Hymns."

King Pariksit inquired from Sukadeva Gosvami a very important question on the matter of understanding transcendental subject matter. His question was from Sukadeva Gosvami, "How Vedic knowledge, which generally deals with the subject matter of three qualities of the material world, how then it can approach the subject matter of transcendence, which is b eyond the approach of the three qualitative position? The mind is material, and the vibration of words are also material sounds. How, therefore, thinking by the mind and expressing by material sounds the Vedic knowledge can approach transcendence? Description of subject matter means describing its source of emanation, qualities, activities. And such description can be possible only by vibration of the material words and thinking by the material mind. Brahma, or the Absolute Truth, has no material qualities. Our power of speaking does not go beyond the material qualities. Then how Brahma, the Absolute Truth, can be described by our words? Therefore, it is not possible to understand by such expression of material words."

The purpose of King Pariksit's inquiring about this was to ascertain from Sukadeva Gosvami whether the Vedas ultimately describe about the Absolute Truth as impersonalism or personalism. Because understanding of the Absolute Truth progresses on the three features, namely impersonal Brahma; Paramatma, localized in everyone's heart; and at last the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna.

The Vedas comprises in three departmental activities. One, it is called the karma-kanḍa, or activities under Vedic injunction, which gradually purifies one to understand his real position. Then the next stage, jnana-kanḍa, the process of understanding the Absolute Truth by speculative method. And three, upasana-kanḍa, or performances of worshipment to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and sometimes to the demigods also. The worshipment of the demigods recommended in the Vedas in the supreme relationship of the Personality of Godhead.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead has many parts and parcels. Some of them are called svamsa, or His personal expansions, and some of them are called vibhinnamsa. This vibhinnamsa means the living entities. All such expansions, either svamsa or vibhinnamsa, are emanation from the original Personality of Godhead. Svamsa expansions are called visnu-tattva, whereas the vibhinnamsa expansions are called jiva-tattva. Therefore, the different demigods are jiva-tattvas. The conditioned souls are generally put into the activities of the material world for sense gratification. Therefore, as stated in the Bhagavad-gita, that those who are very much addicted to different kinds of sense gratifications are sometimes regulated by recommending the worship of demigods. For example, persons who are very much addicted to meat-eating, the Vedic injunction recommends to worship the form of goddess Kali and sacrifice a goat (not any other animal) under karma-kanḍa regulation, and then the worshipers are allowed to eat meat. The idea is not to allow him to eat meat, but if one is persistent he is allowed to eat meat under certain condition.

The purpose of worshiping demigod is therefore not to worship the Absolute Truth, but gradually accepting the Supreme Personality of Godhead in an indirect way. This indirect way is described in the Bhagavad-gita as avidhi. This avidhi means "non-bona fide." The demigod worship being non-bona fide, the impersonalists stress concentration on the impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth. King Pariksit's question was whether this concentration of the impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth is the ultimate target of Vedic knowledge, or the personal feature of the Absolute Truth is aimed at? After all, either impersonal or personal feature of the Supreme Lord is beyond our material conception.

The impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth, namely the Brahma effulgence, is but rays of the personal body of Krsna. This rays of the personal body of Krsna is overcast all over the creation of the Lord, and the portion of the effulgence which is covered by the material cloud is called the creation of the three material qualities: sattva, raja, tama. For persons who are within this clouded condition of material world, how they can conceive of the Absolute Truth by the speculative method?

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Answering this question of King Pariksit, Sukadeva Gosvami replied that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has created the mind, senses and living force for the purpose of sense gratification, transmigrating from one kind of body to another, as well as for the purpose of being liberated from the material conditions. In other words, the senses, the mind and living force can be utilized either for sense gratification or for transmigrating from one body to another or for the matter of liberation. The Vedic injunctions are there just to give the conditioned soul chance of sense gratification under regulative principles, and thereby giving chance also to promote them in higher conditions of life; ultimately, if it is purified, then come to the original position of back to home, back to Godhead.

The living force is intelligence. One has to therefore utilize this intelligence over the mind and the senses. Thus when the mind and senses are purified by the proper use of intelligence, then the conditioned soul is liberated. Otherwise, if the intelligence is not properly utilized in controlling the senses and mind, then the conditioned soul continues to transmigrate from one kind of body to another simply for the matter of sense gratification.

Another point is that it is clearly stated in the answer of Sukadeva Gosvami that the Lord created the mind, senses and intelligence of the living force. It is not stated there that the living entities are created. The living entities are eternal along with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as much as the shining particles of the rays of the sun are existing always along with the sun. Therefore, there is no question of creation of the rays of the sun, rather the cloud is created by the sun to cover the shining forces of the molecules of sun rays. The conditioned soul, therefore, so long it is within the cloud of material concept of life, remains in the darkness of knowledge, and the whole Vedic process is to purify such condition in the darkness. Ultimately, when the senses and mind of the conditioned soul becomes fully purified and they come to the original position, it is called Krsna consciousness, and that is liberation.

In the Vedanta-sūtra, the first code is questioning about the Absolute Truth. Athato brahma-jijnasa: What is the nature of the Absolute Truth? The next sutra, or code, answers that the nature of the Absolute Truth is that He is the origin of everything. Whatever we have in experience, even in this material condition of life, all of them are emanation from the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth created the mind and senses and intelligence. That means Absolute Truth is not without mind, intelligence or senses. In other words, He is not impersonal. This very word "created" means that He has transcendental intelligence.

For example, when the father begets a child, the child has got senses because the father has got also senses. The child is born with hands and legs because the father has got also hands and legs. Sometimes it is said, therefore, that a man is made after God. The Absolute Truth is therefore the Supreme Personality, with transcendental mind, senses and intelligence. When one is purified of the material contamination of one's mind, intelligence and senses, at that time he can understand the original feature of the Absolute Truth as person.

The Vedic process is therefore gradually to promote the conditioned souls from the modes of ignorance to the modes of passion and from the modes of passion to the modes of goodness. And in the modes of goodness there is sufficient light for understanding things as they are. It is just like this, that from earth a tree grows, and from the wood of the tree, fire is ignited. That igniting process, first of all we find smoke, the next stage is warmth, and the next stage is fire; and when there is actual fire, we can utilize it for various purposes. At the end, the fire is the ultimate goal.

Similarly, in the gross material stage of life the quality of ignorance is very much prominent. Dissipation of this ignorance is the gradual progress of civilization from the barbarian stage to the civilized life, and when one comes to the form of civilized life, it is called in the modes of passion. In the barbarian stage, or in the modes of ignorance, the senses are gratified in a very crude form, whereas in the modes of passion, or in the civilized stage of life, the senses are gratified in a polished form. But when one is promoted to the modes of goodness, one can understand that the senses and the mind are engaged in the material activities on account of its being covered by perverted consciousness. When this perverted consciousness is gradually transformed into Krsna consciousness, then the path of liberation become open.

It is not that by the senses and mind one cannot approach the Absolute Truth. The conclusion is that the senses and mind and intelligence in the gross stage of contaminated state cannot appreciate what is Absolute Truth. But when they are purified, the same senses, mind and intelligence can understand what is Absolute Truth. This purificatory process is called devotional service, or Krsna consciousness. One cannot therefore reach the Absolute Truth by impure senses and mind, but when the same mind and senses are purified, one can approach the Absolute Truth.

In the Bhagavad-gita it is clearly stated that the purpose of Vedic knowledge is to understand Krsna, and Krsna is understood by devotional service, beginning by the process of surrender. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita that one has to think of Krsna always. One has to render loving service to Krsna always. One has to worship and bow down before Krsna always. By this process only, one can enter into the kingdom of God, without any doubt.

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When one is thus enlightened in the modes of goodness, being freed from the modes of ignorance and passion, that means in the stage of brahminical qualification one is allowed to study Vedas known by the name Upanisads. The Upanisads in different way describes the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Lord. The Absolute Truth, or the Supreme Lord, is called nirguna. It does not mean that He has no quality. Without having His quality, there was no possibility of the conditioned soul or the living entities being qualified. The process of studying Upanisads means to understand the transcendental quality of the Absolute Truth, as opposed to the material qualities of ignorance, passion and goodness. That is the way of Vedic understanding.

Great sages like the four Kumaras, headed by Sanaka, followed these principles of Vedic knowledge, and how gradually from impersonal understanding they came to the platform of personal worship of the Supreme Lord. It is recommended, therefore, we have to follow the great personalities. Sukadeva Gosvami is also one of the great personalities, and the answer given by Sukadeva Gosvami on the inquiry of Maharaja Pariksit is authorized. One who follows therefore the footsteps of such great personalities surely very easily walk on the path of liberation and thus ultimately goes back to home, back to Godhead. That is the way of perfection of this human form of life.

Sukadeva Gosvami continued to say to Pariksit Maharaja, "My dear King, I will narrate in this connection one nice story. This story is so important because it has connection with Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This narration is a conversation between Narayana and the great sage Narada.

"Narayana Rsi, who is still staying in Badarikasrama in the Himalayan hills, and he is accepted as incarnation of Narayana. Sometimes, when the great devotee and the ascetic amongst the demigods, sage Narada, was traveling in different planets, he desired to offer his respects to ascetic Narayana in Badarikasrama by personal meeting. This great sage, incarnation of Godhead, is undergoing great penance and austerities from the very beginning of the creation in order to teach the inhabitants of Bharata-varsa how to attain the highest perfectional stage, namely, back to home, back to Godhead. His austerities, penances are exemplary practices for the human being." [quotation close]

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This Badarikasrama is situated on the northernmost part of Himalayan mountain, and it is covered always by snow. Still, religious Indians go to visit this place during summer season when the snowfall is not very severe.

Sometimes the incarnation of God sage Narayana was sitting amongst many devotees in the village known as Kalapa-grama. Of course, all these sages who were sitting with Him, they were not ordinary. Just at this time, the great sage Narada also appeared there, and after offering his respect to the sage Narayana, exactly the same question was asked by him as King Pariksit asked to Sukadeva Gosvami. When the great sage Narada asked Narayana sage the same question, he also answered following the footsteps of predecessors. The sage Narayana also narrated a story on the same question which was discussed not on this planet but in the planet known as Janaloka. (The Janaloka planet is above the Svargaloka planets. Just to make an idea, they are above the planets of moon, Venus etc.) On this planet, high-grade sages and saintly persons live, and they were also discussing on the same point of understanding Brahma and His real identity.

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The great sage Narayana began to say as follows: "My dear Narada, just speaking to you a story which took place long, long ago. There was a great meeting of the denizens of the heavenly planets wherein almost all the brahmacaris of the type like the four Kumaras-Sanaka, Sanat-kumara, Sanaka [Sanandana] and Sanatana-their subject matter of discussion was to understand the Absolute Truth, Brahma. At that time, because you went to see my another expansion of the name Aniruddha, living on the island of Svetadvipa, thus you were not present in that meeting. In this meeting, all the great sages and brahmacaris discussed on this point very elaborately, and the discussion was very much interesting. The discussion was so delicate that even the Vedas also become stopped to answer the delicate question."

Sage Narayana also confirmed to Naradaji the same question which was raised by Naradaji was being discussed in that meeting in the Janaloka. This is the way of understanding by the parampara, or disciplic succession. Maharaja Pariksit questioned to Sukadeva Gosvami; Sukadeva Gosvami referred the matter to Narada, who also questioned in the same way to Rsi Narayana; and Rsi Narayana also put the matter to still higher authorities in the planet of Janaloka, discussed between great brahmacaris like Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanat-kumara and Sanandana.

These four brahmacaris, Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanat-kumara and Sanandana, are recognized scholars in Vedas and sastras. They have got unlimited volumes of knowledge, backed by austerities and penances and exhibited by their sublime, ideal character, very amiable, gentle behavior. For them there is no distinction between friends, well-wisher and enemies. Being transcendentally situated, such personalities are above all material consideration, and they are always neutral in the matter of material dualities. The discussions were held amongst the four brothers, and one of them, namely Sanandana, was selected to speak, and other brothers became the audience to hear him.

Sanandana said, [within quotation] "After dissolution of the whole cosmic manifestation, the whole energy and the whole creation in its nucleus form enters into the body of Garbhodakasayi Visnu. The Lord at that time remains asleep for a long, long time, and when there is again necessity of creation, the Vedas personified assemble around Him and begin to glorify the Lord, describing about His transcendental, wonderful pastimes. It is exactly like the king: when he is asleep in the morning, the appointed reciters, they come around the rest room of the king and begins to sing about his chivalrous activities, and the king, while hearing about his glorious activities, gradually become awakened.

"The prayers of the Vedic reciters, or the personified Vedas, are as follows. They sings: [within quotation] 'My Lord, the unconquerable, You are the Supreme Personality. Nobody is equal to You or greater than You. Nobody can become victorious over Your activities. Therefore, all glories unto You! All glories unto You! By Your own transcendental nature, You at the possessor of all six opulences in full. As such, You are able to deliver all conditioned souls from the clutches of maya. My Lord, we fervently pray that You kindly deliver them.

"'All the living entities, being Your part and parcel, naturally they are joyful, eternal and full of knowledge, but on account of their own faults, trying to imitate You by becoming enjoyer like You, thereby disobeying Your supremacy, they have become offender. And because of these offenses, Your material energy has taken charge of them. Thus their transcendental quality of becoming joyful, blissful and wise have been covered by the clouds of three material qualities.

"'This cosmic manifestation, made of the three material qualities, is just like a prison house for the conditioned souls. These conditioned souls are struggling very hard to come out of this material bondage, and according to their different conditions of life they have been given different types of engagement. But all such engagement based on pure knowledge and pious activities can only be executed inspired by Your mercy only. Therefore, without taking shelter under Your lotus feet, nobody can surpass the influence of material energy. Actually, we all, the personified Vedic knowledge, are always engaged in Your service to help the conditioned soul to understand You.' " [quotation close]

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This statement of the Vedas personified, that they are meant for helping the conditioned soul to understand Krsna…

[break] All the srutis, personified Vedas, offered glories to the Lord more than once, as "Jaya! Jaya!" which means the Lord may be glorified with the greatest number of glories. And the most important of His glories is His causeless mercy upon the conditioned souls to reclaim them from the clutches of maya.

There are unlimited number of living entities. Some of them are moving and some of them standing in one place, with varieties of bodies. And all such conditioned life is due to forgetfulness of the living entities about their eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is their fault. When the living entity wants to lord it over the material energy, imitating the position of Krsna, he is immediately captured by the material energy, and according to his desire he is offered different kinds of body, comprising a variety of 8,400,000's. And in illusion, while the living entity is undergoing threefold miseries of material existence, he is falsely thinking that he is the lord or the master of all he surveys.

Under the spell of material energy, who represents the threefold material qualities, the living entity is so much entangled by those qualities that it is not at all possible for him to come out of it without being graced by the Supreme Lord. The living entity as he is cannot conquer over the influence of the material modes of nature. But because the material nature is working under the control of the Supreme Lord, He alone is beyond the jurisdiction of being controlled by the material nature. Otherwise, all living entities, beginning from Brahma down to an ant, everyone is conquered by the acquired material nature.

The Lord alone is beyond the jurisdiction of the spell of material nature on account of His complete possession of the six kinds of opulences, namely all riches, all strength, all influence, all beauty, all knowledge and all renunciation. Although a living entity, without being situated in Krsna consciousness, cannot approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, yet by His omnipotency the Lord can dictate from within as the Supersoul how even by working in the ordinary way, as it is advised in the Bhagavad-gitathat "Whatever you do, you do it for Me. Whatever you eat, you first of all offer to Me. Whatever charity you want to give, you first of all give it to Me. Whatever austerities, penances, you want to perform, you do it for Me." In this way, the karmis are directed gradually to develop Krsna consciousness. Similarly, He directs the philosophers gradually to approach Him by discriminating Brahma and maya. And at last, when he is mature in the knowledge, he surrenders unto Him, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita that "After many, many births, the wise philosopher surrenders unto the lotus feet of Krsna." Similarly, the yogis are also directed to concentrate…

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...he surrenders unto Him, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita that "After many, many births, the wise philosopher surrenders unto the lotus feet of Krsna." Similarly, the yogis are also directed to concentrate their meditation upon Krsna within the heart, and by such continued process of Krsna consciousness, the yogi also can become free from the clutches of material energy. And so far the devotees are concerned, because of their being engaged from the very beginning in devotional service with love and affection, the Lord, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, directs the devotee particularly so that the devotee can approach the Lord without any difficulty, and without being deviated by any other attraction except Krsna. In this way, only by the grace of the Lord the living entity can understand the exact position of Brahma, Paramatma and Bhagavan." [quotation close]

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The above statement given by the personified Vedas is the clear evidence how the Vedic literature is presented only to understand Krsna, which is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, that through all the Vedas only Krsna has to be understood. Krsna being the supreme enjoyer, He is always enjoying, either in the material world or in the spiritual world. As the supreme enjoyer, He has no distinction between the material or in the spiritual world. The material world is impediment for the ordinary living entities because they are under the control of the material world, whereas Krsna, being the controller of the material world, He has nothing to do with the impediments offered by the material world. The Vedas therefore declare in different parts of the Upanisad as follows: "Brahma is eternal, full of all knowledge and all bliss. That one Supreme Personality of Godhead is existing in the heart of every living entity. And because of His all-pervasiveness, He has entered not only within the heart of living entity but even within the atoms also."

As the Supersoul, He is the controller of all activities of the living entities. He is living with all the living entities and witnessing their action giving them appreciativeness of acting according to their desires, and giving them also the result of their different activities. He is the living force of all things, but still, He is transcendental to the material qualities. He is omnipotent; He has got natural knowledge, expert in manufacturing everything, and on account of His superior knowledge He can bring under His control everyone. As such, He is the master of everyone. He is sometimes manifested on the surface of the globe, but still He is within it also simultaneously. He wanted to expand Himself in multiforms. Thus He glanced over the material energy, innumerable living entities became manifested. Everything is created by His superior energy, and everything in His creation appears to be perfectly done, without any deficiency.

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Those who are aspirant of being liberated from this material world must therefore worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate cause of all causes. He is exactly like the total mass of earth, and varieties of earthly pots are manufactured from such earthly clay. The manufactured pots also rest on the earth, and after being destroyed, ultimately the earthly elements merges into the earth, the original cause of all varieties of manifestation.

The impersonalists therefore specifically stress on the Vedic statement sarvam khalv idam brahma [Chandogya Upanisad 3.14.1].

The impersonalists do not take into account of the varieties of manifestation out of the supreme cause of Brahma. They simply take into consideration that everything is emanated from the Brahma and after destruction merges into Brahma; therefore, the intermediate stage of manifestation is also Brahma. Therefore, prior to the manifestation, the cosmos was in Brahma, after creation it remains in Brahma, and after destruction it merges into Brahma.

This fact is clearly described in the Brahma-samhita, that the material elements like fire, earth, sky, water, mind, direction, time factor and the living entities are the total cosmic manifestation, known as Bhūr, Bhuvaḥ, Svaḥ, becomes manifested from Govinda. All of them flourish on the strength of Govinda, and after annihilation enters into Govinda for being conserved. Lord Brahma therefore says, "I worship Lord Govinda, the original personality, the cause of all causes."

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The word "Brahma" indicate the greatest of all and the maintainer of everything. The impersonalists are attracted by the greatness of sky, but because of their poor fund of knowledge they are not attracted by the greatness of Krsna. In our practical life, we are attracted by the greatness of a person and not by the greatness of a big mountain. Actually, the term "Brahma" can be applied to Krsna only; therefore, in the Bhagavad-gita Arjuna admitted Lord Krsna as the Parambrahma, or the supreme rest of everything.

Krsna is the Supreme Brahma because of His unlimited knowledge, unlimited potencies, unlimited strength, unlimited influence, unlimited beauty and unlimited renunciation. Therefore, the word "Brahma" can be applied to Krsna only. Krsna is stated by Arjuna as Parambrahma because the impersonal Brahma effulgence resting or emanating as the rays of the transcendental body of Krsna. Everything is resting on Brahma, but Brahma itself is resting on Krsna. Therefore, Krsna is the ultimate Brahma, or Parambrahma.

The material elements are accepted as inferior energies of Krsna. When by their interaction the cosmic manifestation takes place, they rest on Krsna. The cosmic manifestation is the effect of the material elements, and after dissolution again they enter into the body of Krsna as His subtle energy. Krsna is therefore the cause of manifestation and dissolution.

Sarvam khalv idam brahma means everything is Krsna, and that is the vision of maha-bhagavata. They see everything in relation to Krsna. The impersonalists argue that Krsna then has transformed into many; therefore, the existence of Krsna is in everything, and everything being worshiped will be the worshipment of Krsna. This false argument is answered by Krsna in the Bhagavad-gitathat although everything is transformation of the energy of Krsna, He is not there also. He is simultaneously there and not there. By His energy He is present everywhere, but as the energetic He is not present everywhere.

This presences and nonpresence simultaneously is inconceivable by our present senses. But a clear answer is given in the beginning of the Īsopanisad, in which it is stated that the Supreme Lord is so complete that despite unlimited energy and their transformation being emanated from Krsna, there is not the least transformation of the personality of Krsna. Krsna being therefore the cause of all causes, intelligent person should take shelter of His lotus feet, and Krsna therefore advises everyone just surrender unto Him alone, and that is the way of Vedic instruction.

Krsna being the cause of all causes, He is worshiped by all kinds of sages and saints in the regulative principles. When there is question of meditation, great personalities simply meditate on the transcendental form of Krsna within the heart. In this way, the mind of great personalities are always engaged in Krsna. When the mind is engaged in Krsna, naturally the captivated devotees simply talk of Krsna.

Talking of Krsna or singing of Krsna is called kirtana. Lord Caitanya also recommends kirtaniyaḥ sada hariḥ , which means we should always think and talk of Krsna and nothing else.

That is called Krsna consciousness. Krsna consciousness is therefore so sublime that anyone who takes to this process is elevated to the highest perfection of life-far, far beyond the concept of liberation. Krsna therefore advises in the Bhagavad-gita everyone to think of Krsna always, to render devotional service to Krsna, to worship Krsna, to offer obeisances to Krsna. In this way, a devotee becomes fully Krsna-ized, and always being situated in Krsna consciousness, ultimately he goes back to Krsna.

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The Vedas, although had recommended worshipment of different demigods as different parts and parcel of Krsna, it is to be understood that such instruction are meant for less intelligent class of men who are still attracted by material sense enjoyment. But a person who actually wants perfect fulfillment of the mission of human life should simply worship Lord Krsna, and that will simplify the matter and completely guarantee success of human life. The sky, the water and the land and anywhere of these three you remain, you are within the material world. But still, when you stand on the solid land, your standing is more secure than when you stand in the sky or in the water. An intelligent person, therefore, without standing under the protection of different demigods, although they are part and parcel of Krsna, one should stand on the solid ground of Krsna consciousness. Thus one makes his position sound and secure.

Impersonalist sometimes gives the example that if you stand on stone or wood, certainly you stand on the surface of the land, because the stone or wood is resting on the surface of the earth. To them the answer is that if one stands directly on the surface of the earth, he is more secure than standing on the wood or stone resting on the earth. In other words, to take shelter of Paramatma or to take shelter of impersonal Brahma is not so secure as to take shelter of Krsna consciousness or directly Krsna. The position of the jnanis and yogis are not therefore so much secure as it is for the devotees of Krsna.

Lord Krsna has therefore advised in the Bhagavad-gita that a person who has lost his senses only take to the worshipment of demigods. And persons who are attached to the impersonal Brahma, for them the Bhagavata says, [within quotation] "My dear Lord, those who are thinking of themselves as liberated by mental speculation are not yet purified of the contamination of material nature because of their inability to find out the shelter of Your lotus feet. Although, therefore, they rise to the transcendental situation of existence in Brahma impersonal, certainly they fall down from that exalted position because of their deriding of Your lotus feet."

Lord Krsna therefore advises that the worshipers of the demigods are not very intelligent persons because they derive temporary, exhaustible result out of that endeavor.

[break] …are meant for less intelligent class of men. On the other hand, the Lord says and assures that His devotee has no fear of falling down.

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The personified Vedas continued to pray, "My dear Lord, [within quotation] if somebody has to worship someone superior to him, then considering from all points of view, and out of good behavior only, one should stick to the worship of Your lotus feet because You are the ultimate controller of creation, maintenance and dissolution. You are the controller of the three worlds, Bhūr, Bhuvaḥ and Svaḥ; or You are the controller of the fourteen worlds up and down; or You are the controller of the three material qualities. Therefore demigods, persons advanced in spiritual knowledge, are always engaged in hearing and chanting about Your transcendental pastimes because such process has a specific potency to nullify the accumulated resultant action of sinful life.

"Intelligent person factually take a dip in the ocean of Your nectar-like activities, and very patiently they hear of them. By such action, immediately they become freed from the contamination of the material qualities, and as such they haven't got to undergo severe penances and austerities for advancement of spiritual life. This chanting and hearing of Your transcendental pastime is the easiest process for self-realization. Simply by submissive aural reception of such transcendental message one becomes washed of all dirty things from the heart, and thus Krsna consciousness in the heart of a devotee becomes fixed up."

The great authority Bhismadeva has also given his opinion that this process of chanting and hearing of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the highest religious process, according to Bhismadeva. In the Taittiriya Upanisad it is specially recommended that worshipment of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the essence of all Vedic ritualistic performances.

"My dear Lord, the devotee who wants to elevate himself simply by this process of devotional activities, especially hearing and chanting, very soon he becomes out of the clutches of the material qualities, or dualities of material existence, and by this simple process of penance and austerities, the Supersoul within the devotee's heart becomes very pleased upon the devotee and gives him direction so that he may go back to home, back to Godhead."

In the Bhagavad-gita therefore it is stated that one who has engaged all his activities and senses in the devotional service of the Lord, he has become completely pacified because of the Supersoul being satisfied upon him, and thus the devotee becomes transcendental to all kinds of dualities like heat and cold, honor and dishonor. The devotee in this condition of life, namely being freed from all dualities, feels transcendental bliss, and he has no more cares and anxieties for material existence. The Bhagavad-gita confirms this, that one who is always absorbed in Krsna consciousness, for such constantly engaged devotee there is no question of anxieties in the matter of his maintenance or protection. Such devotee, constantly being absorbed in Krsna consciousness, ultimately achieves the highest perfection, so much so that in the material existence they live very peacefully and blissfully, without any cares and anxieties, and after quitting this body they go back to home, back to Godhead.

The Lord confirms this fact in the Bhagavad-gita, that "The transcendental place where going nobody returns again in this material world, that is My supreme abode. Anyone who attains that supreme perfection, being engaged in My personal devotional service in the eternal abode, that is the highest perfection of human life, and he hasn't got to come back again to this miserable world."

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(quotation) "My dear Lord, for the living entities it is imperative that they be engaged in Krsna consciousness and thus be always rendering devotional service by prescribed methods, namely hearing and chanting, by executing Your orders. If a person is not engaged in Krsna consciousness and devotional service, it is useless for him to exhibit the symptoms of living condition. Generally, it is accepted that if a person is breathing, he is in living condition. But a person without Krsna consciousness and engagement in devotional service is compared with the bellows in the blacksmith's shop because the big bellows in the blacksmith's shop is also a bag of skin, and it exhales and inhales air from within. So a human being which is also living within the bag of skin and bones, if he does not take to Krsna consciousness and loving devotional service, he is no better than the bellows in the blacksmith's shop. His long duration of life is compared with the existing of a tree; his power of voracious eating is compared to the eatings of dogs and hogs; and his enjoyment in sex life is compared with that of hogs and goats."

Actually, the cosmic manifestation has been possible on account of entrance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as Maha-Visnu within this material world. The total material energy becomes agitated by the glance of Maha-Visnu, and thus the interaction of the three qualities begin. Therefore, it should be concluded that whatever material facilities we are trying to enjoy, it is only due to the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Within the body we have got different compartments of existence. There are five different compartments of existence, known as anna-maya, prana-maya, mano-maya, vijnana-maya, and at last ananda-maya. In the beginning of life, every living entity is food conscious. A child is satisfied only by getting nice food, or an animal is satisfied by getting its food only. This stage of consciousness is called anna-maya. Anna means "food." After this, one lives in the consciousness of life. If one can continue his life without being attacked or destroyed, one thinks himself as happy. This stage of existence is called prana-maya, or after the stage of anna-maya consciousness, or eating very sumptuously, if one can exist, such consciousness is called prana-maya. After this stage, when one is situated on the mental platform, such existence or consciousness is called mano-maya.

The material civilization is primarily situated on these three stages, namely anna-maya, prana-maya and mano-maya. Their first concern is economic development, and the next concern is defense from being annihilated, and the next consciousness is mental speculation, philosophical approach to the values of life. And if by the evolutionary process of philosophical life one happens to reach to the platform of intellectual life and understands that he is not this material body but he is a spirit soul, then by evolution of spiritual life, coming to the understanding of the Supreme Lord, or the Supreme Soul, then one's relationship with Him thus becomes in Krsna consciousness and executes devotional service. That stage of life is called Krsna consciousness stage, or ananda-maya stage.

Ananda-maya stage is the blissful life of knowledge and eternity, because it is said in the Vedanta-sūtra, ananda-mayo 'bhyasat [Vedanta-sūtra 1.1.12]

By nature the Supreme Brahma or the subordinated Brahma, namely the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the living entities, both are joyful by nature. So long the living entities are situated in the lower four stage of life, namely anna-maya, prana-maya, mano-maya and vijnana-maya, he is to be considered in the material conditions of life. But as soon as he reaches to the stage of ananda-maya platform, he becomes a liberated soul.

This ananda-maya stage of life is explained in the Bhagavad-gita as brahma-bhūta stage. The brahma-bhūta stage is clearly explained in the Bhagavad-gita as there is no anxiety and there is no hankering. This brahma-bhūta stage of life expands first of all being equipoised to all living entities, and then to the stage of Krsna consciousness, always hankering for rendering service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This hankering for advancing in devotional service is not the same hankering as one is always engaged in sense gratification in material existence. In other words, the hankering remains there, but it becomes purified. Similarly, all our senses when they are purified, they become freed from all other stages, namely anna-maya, prana-maya, mano-maya, vijnana-maya, and become situated in the highest stage of ananda-maya, or blissful life in Krsna consciousness.

The Mayavadi philosophers consider that this ananda-maya stage is the stage of being merged into the Supreme; therefore, in the ananda-maya stage, the Supersoul and the individual soul becomes one. The real fact is, this oneness does not mean merging into the Supreme and losing one's own individual existence. Merging in the spiritual existence by the living entity is the symptoms of his eternity and knowledge. The actual ananda-maya stage is obtained when one is engaged in devotional service. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita: mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg 18.54].

Which means the brahma-bhūta stage, or the ananda-maya stage, is completed when there is exchange of love between the Supreme and the subordinate. That is actually ananda-maya stage. So without coming to the ananda-maya stage of life, a living entity lives like bellows in the blacksmith's shop, or trees, or the lower animals like camel, hogs and dogs.

Undoubtedly, the living entity cannot be annihilated in any stage of his life. But the stage of life like the camels, hogs and dogs is a miserable stage of living condition, whereas the stage of life engaged in devotional service of the Supreme Lord is a pleasurable, or ananda-maya, stage of life.

The different stages of life as described above are all in relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In all the stages, both the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the living entities exist. The only difference is that the Supreme Personality of Godhead always exists in the ananda-maya stage, whereas the subordinate living entities, on account of their very minute fragmental portion of the Supreme Lord, they are prone to fall down in the other stages of life, although in all the stages both the Supreme Lord and the living entities exist.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is always transcendental to our concept of life-in bondage or in liberation. The whole cosmic manifestation becomes possible by the grace of the Supreme Lord, it exists by the grace of the Supreme Lord, when it is annihilated, it merges into the existence of the Supreme Lord. As such, the Supreme Lord is the supreme existence, the cause of all causes. Conclusion is therefore that without development of Krsna consciousness, one's life is simply waste of time.

Next paragraph.

Those who are very much materialistic and cannot understand the situation of the spiritual world cannot understand what is the abode of Krsna. For such persons, many great sages have recommended the meditational yogic process of gradually rising from the meditation of the abdomen or belly, which is called meditation on the mūladhara or the meditation of manipūraka. All these technical terms are referred to the intestines within the abdomen. Gross materialistic persons who think that by simply economic development or making arrangement nicely for filling the belly with good foodstuff are under the impression that a living entity exists only by eating. But such gross materialistic person forgets that we may eat as much as we like, but if the eating is not digested, it produces another trouble, namely indigestion and acidity. As such, eating is not the cause of giving us vital energy of living condition.

For digestion of the eatables we have to take shelter of another, supreme energy. That supreme energy for digesting our foodstuff is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita as vaisvanara [Bg 15.14].

Lord Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that He helps the digestion in the form of vaisvanara. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is all-pervasive; therefore, for His remaining in the intestines of the living entity as vaisvanara is not an extraordinary thing. Actually He is present everywhere. The Vaisnava, therefore, marks a temple by tilaka on the abdomen. The Vaisnava marks also a tilaka temple on the chest, then he marks a tilaka between the collarbones, then he marks a tilaka on the forehead. Gradually he goes up to the top of brahma-randhra.

The twelve temples of tilaka marked on the body of a Vaisnava are known as follows: On the forehead the temple is of Lord Kesava, on the belly the temple is of Lord Narayana, on the chest the temple is of Lord Madhava, on the throat, between the two collarbones, the temple is of Lord Govinda. On the right side of the waist the temple is of Lord Visnu. On the right side of the arm the temple is called of Lord Madhusūdana. On the right side of the collarbone the temple is called of Lord Trivikrama. Similarly, on the left side of the waist the temple is of Lord Vamanadeva, on the left side of the arm the temple is called of Hrsikesa. Gradually, on the back side the temple is called Padmanabha, and on the back waist the temple is called of Damodara. On the top of the head the temple is called of Vasudeva. These are the processes of meditation of Lord's situation in different parts of the body.

But those who are not Vaisnavas, for them meditation on the bodily concept of life is recommend by great sages in the form of meditating on the intestines, on the heart, on the throat, on the eyebrows, on the forehead, then on the top of the head. Some of the sages in the disciplic succession of the great sage Aruna meditates on the heart, because the Supersoul is also staying within the heart along with the living entity. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, Fifteenth Chapter, wherein the Lord states that "I am situated in everyone's heart."

For the Vaisnava, this protection of the body for the service of the Lord is a part of devotional service. But those who are gross materialists, for them the body is accepted as the self and the body is worshiped by the yogic meditational process on the different parts of the body, like manipūraka, dahara, hrdaya, gradually rising on the top, called the part brahma-randhra. The first-class yogi who has attained perfection in the practice of yoga system ultimately pass through the brahma-randhra to any one of the planets, both in the material world or spiritual world. How a yogi can transfer himself to another planet is very vividly described in the Second Canto Bhagavatam.

In this connection, Sukadeva Gosvami has recommended the worship of the virat-purusa, or the gigantic universal form of the Lord, for the beginners. One who cannot concentrate or cannot believe that the Lord can be worshiped in the Deity form, or arca form, with equal success, for them the universal form, considering the lower part of the universe as the sole and legs of the Lord, the middle part of the universe as the navel or abdomen of the Lord, the upper planetary system like Janaloka, Maharloka as the heart of the Lord, and the topmost planetary system as Brahmaloka is considered the top of the head of the Lord. In this way, there are different processes recommended by great sages according to the position of the worshiper, but the ultimate aim of such meditation and yogic process is to go back to home, go back to Godhead. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gitathat anyone reaching to the highest planet, the abode of Krsna, or even to the Vaikuntha planets, has no more to come down again in this material miserable condition of life.

Next paragraph.

The whole Vedic recommendation is therefore to look to the target of the lotus feet of Visnu. Tad visnoḥ paramam padam [Rg Veda 1.22.20]:

Visnuloka, or the Visnu planets, are situated on the top of all other material planets. These Vaikuntha planets, or Visnu planets, are known as sanatana-dhama. The sanatana-dhamas are eternal. They are never annihilated, even by the annihilation of this material world. So in the previous verses the conclusion is that a human being, if he does not fulfill the mission of his life by worshiping the Supreme Lord and does not go back home, back to Godhead, then it is to be understood that he is breathing just like the blacksmith's bellow and he is living just like the tree, he is eating just like the camel, and he is breeding children like the dogs and hogs. And thus the specific purpose of human life is frustrated.

Next paragraph.

The next prayer of the personified Vedas to the Lord is about His entering in different species of life. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, Fourteenth Chapter, that in every species and forms of life the spiritual part and parcel of the Supreme Lord is present, and therefore all of them are considered as sons of the Lord. The Lord Himself claims therein that He is the seed-giving father. This entering of the Supreme Lord as Paramatma in everyone's heart sometimes bewilders the impersonalist to think in terms of equality of the living entities with the Supreme Lord. They think that when the Supreme Lord also enters into different bodies, as well as the individual soul enters into such bodies, then where is the distinction? Why the individual soul should be worshipful to the Paramatma, or the Supersoul?

According to them, both the Supersoul and the individual soul are on the same level, or they are one, without any distinction. This distinction is, however, explained in the Bhagavad-gita, Fifteenth Chapter, wherein the Lord says that although He is situated along with the living entity in the same tree of the body, the Lord is superior in this respect: that He is dictating or He is giving intelligence to the individual soul from within.

It is clearly stated there that the Lord gives intelligence to the individual soul, and his memory or forgetfulness is due to the influence of the Supersoul. Nobody can act independently without being sanctioned by the Supersoul, and the individual soul acts according to his past karma, reminded by the Lord. The nature of the individual soul is forgetfulness, but the presence of the Lord within the heart reminds him what he wanted to do in his past life.

The intelligence of the individual soul is exhibited like the fire in the wood. Although fire is always fire, it is exhibited proportionately according to the shape of the wood. The individual soul, therefore, although it is qualitatively one with the Supreme Lord, but he can exhibit himself according to the body he has got presently, whereas about the Supreme Lord, or the Supersoul, it is said eka-rasa. Eka means "one," and rasa means "mellows." The transcendental position of the Supreme Lord is eternity, blissful and knowledge. That position of eka-rasa does not change at all upon His becoming a witness and advisor to the individual soul in every individual body.

The individual soul, beginning from Lord Brahma down to the ant, exhibits its spiritual potency according to the body he has presently got. All the demigods are also in the same category as the individual souls are there in the bodies of the human beings or lower than the human being-the animals. An intelligent person, therefore, instead of worshiping different demigods, who are simply representative of Krsna in a proportionate degree of their body…

[break]

Conclusion is that the individual soul can exhibit his power and potencies in proportion to the shape and constitution of the body, whereas the Supreme Personality of Godhead in any shape or any form can exhibit the full potencies without any change. The Mayavadi philosophers' thesis that God and the individual soul are one and the same cannot be accepted because the individual soul has to develop his power and potencies with development of different types of bodies. The individual soul in the shape of the body of a baby cannot show the full power and potency of a grown-up young man. But the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna, even when He was lying on the lap of His mother as a baby, could exhibit His full potency and power in the matter of killing Pūtana and other demons who tried to attack Him.

Therefore, the spiritual power and potency in the Supreme Personality of Godhead is said to be eka-rasa, or without any change of His potencies. The conclusion therefore should be that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is only worshipable, and this is perfectly known to persons who are uncontaminated by the modes of material nature. In other words, the liberated souls only can worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whereas less intelligence Mayavadis take to the worship of other demigods, thinking that the demigods and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are on the same level.

The personified Vedas continued to offer their obeisances. [within quotation] "My dear Lord, those who have become actually wise after many, many births, they take to the worshipment of Your lotus feet in complete knowledge." [quotation close] This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, wherein the Lord says that after many, many births a great soul, mahatma, surrenders unto the Lord, knowing it fully well that Vasudeva, Krsna, is the cause of all causes.

The Vedas continued to say, [within quotation] "As it is already explained, that God has given us mind, intelligence, senses. When they are actually purified by devotional service, there is no other alternative than to engage them all in the service of the Lord. The different species of life in which a particular living entity is entrapped is due to the misapplication of his mind, intelligence and senses in material activities. Such bodies are resultant action of the living entity. Such different bodies are factually created by the material nature, but such creation takes place when the living entity wants to have such body. Because the living entity desires and deserves such kind of body, it is given to them by the material nature, under the order of the Supreme Lord."

In the Third Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam this is also explained, that a living entity is put within the semina of a male under the control of the superior authority just to help him to be injected along with the semina in the womb of a particular woman or female in order to develop a particular type of body. The fact is that a living entity utilizes his senses, intelligence, mind, etc., in a specific way of his choice, and thus he develops a particular type of body and becomes encaged within it. In this way, the living entity is situated in different species of life, either in human form of body or animal form of body or a demigod form of body, under different situation and circumstances.

These living entities entrapped in different species of life or, as explained in the Vedic literature, as part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. The Mayavadi philosophers misidentify the position of the living entities with Paramatma, who is also sitting with the living entity as friend. Sometimes a misunderstanding takes place that because the Paramatma (localized aspect of the Supreme Personality of Godhead) and the individual living entities are both within the body, therefore there cannot be any distinction between them. But in fact there is a definite distinction between the individual soul and the Supersoul, Paramatma, as it is explained in the Varaha Purana as follows.

It is said there that the Supreme Lord has got two kinds of parts and parcel. The parts and parcel as represented by the living entity is called vibhinnamsa, whereas Paramatma, or the plenary expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is called svamsa. The svamsa plenary expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is as powerful as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. There is not even the slightest difference of potential existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead with His plenary portion expansion as Paramatma. But the vibhinnamsa parts and parcel possess only a minute portion of the potencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In the Narayana Pancaratra also this is said that the living entities, who are the marginal potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is undoubtedly of the same quality of spiritual existence like the Lord, but he is prone to be tinged with the material qualities. And because he is prone to be subjected under the influence of material qualities, he is called jiva. Sometimes the Supreme Personality of Godhead is also known as Siva, "the all-auspicious." The all-auspicious Supreme Personality of Godhead is never prone to be affected by the material qualities, whereas the jiva, or part and parcel, or vibhinnamsa minute portions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are prone to be affected by the qualities of material nature.

The Supersoul within the body of a particular living entity, although plenary portion of the Lord, is worshipable by the individual living entity. It has been decided by great sages the process of meditation is designed for this purpose, so that the individual living entity may concentrate his attention by meditation on the lotus feet of the Supersoul-Visnu form. That is the real form of samadhi. The living entity, although part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, has no capacity to become liberated from the entanglement by his own effort. He must therefore take to the devotional service of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, or the Supersoul within himself.

The great commentator of Srimad-Bhagavatam Sridhara Swami composes a nice verse in this connection, the purpose of which is as follows: [within quotation] "My dear Lord, I am eternally Your part and parcel, and I have been entrapped by the material potencies, which are also emanation from You. As the cause of all causes, You have therefore entered in my body. As part and parcel, I have the prerogative to enjoy the supreme blissful life and knowledge along with You. My dear Lord, please therefore order me to render You loving service so that I can also again be inaugurated to my original position of transcendental bliss." [quotation close]

This is the way of thinking by the great personalities, that a living entity entangled in this material world cannot out of his own accord come out. Such great personalities, with firm faith and devotion, engage themselves in rendering transcendental loving service to the Lord. That is the verdict of the personified Vedas.

Next paragraph.

The personified Vedas continued to say, [within quotation] "My dear Lord, it is very difficult to achieve perfect knowledge in the matter of Absolute Truth. Your Lordship is so kind upon the fallen souls that You appear in Your different incarnation and You execute different activities, even as a historical personality of this material world, so that Your pastimes are very nicely inculcated in the Vedic literature. Such pastimes are so attractive as if the ocean of transcendental bliss. People in general have a natural inclination to read stories and narration, and such people, when they take to the delineation of Your pastimes recorded in the Vedic literature, they dip into the ocean of transcendental bliss. As a fatigued man when he takes a dip into the river or reservoir of water, similarly, the conditioned soul who is very much disgusted with material activities, when he takes a dip into the transcendental ocean of Your pastimious descriptions, immediately he becomes refreshed and forgets his fatigueness out of material activities. Eventually he becomes merged into the ocean of transcendental bliss.

"The most intelligent devotees, therefore, do not take to any means of self-realization except devotional service and be engaged always in the nine difference processes of devotional life, specifically on the point of hearing and chanting. While hearing and chanting about Your transcendental pastimes, they do not care even for the transcendental bliss derived out of liberation by merging into the existence of the Supreme. Such devotees are not interested even in so-called liberation, and why they shall be interested in the material activities for elevated position in the heavenly planets for sense gratification?

"Such pure devotees seek only the association of paramahamsas, or the great liberated devotees, so that continually he can hear and chant about Your glories. And for this purpose such pure devotees are prepared to sacrifice all comforts of this life, even by giving up the comforts of material life at home known as so-called society, friendship and love. Those who have tasted, therefore, the nectarean of devotion by relishing the transcendental vibration of chanting Your glories-Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare-for such persons any other kind of spiritual bliss, and what to mention about material comforts, all of them appear to the pure devotee as less important than the straw in the street." [quotation close]

Next paragraph.

The personified Vedas continued to say, [within quotation] "My dear Lord, when a person is able to purify his mind, senses, intelligence by engaging himself in devotional service in full Krsna consciousness, at that time the mind becomes friend. Otherwise, the mind is always enemy to the living entity. But the mind, when in engaged in devotional service of the Lord, it becomes the intimate friend of the living entity because it is with the mind that one can think of the Supreme Lord always. And because Your Lordship is eternally dear to a living entity, so when the mind is such engaged, immediately he feels a great satisfaction, which he was hankering life after life. When one's mind is thus fixed up in the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he does not take to any kind of inferior worshipment or process of self-realization because by such attempt to worship any other demigod or to take to any other process of self-realization, the living entity becomes a victim to the cycle of birth and death, and nobody knows how much the living entity becomes degraded in abominable life like cats and dogs." [quotation close]

Sri Narottama dasa Thakura has sung in this connection that persons who do not take to devotional service of the Lord, but are attracted to the process of philosophical speculation and fruitive activities, drink the resultant action as nectarean. Such person is forced to take birth in different species of life and is forced to eat all kinds of obnoxious things, like meat-eating, drinking, and taking pleasure in intoxicants. The materialistic person generally worships the transient material body and forgets the welfare of the spirit soul within the body. Some of them take to the shelter of materialistic science for improvement of bodily comforts, and some of them take to the worship of demigods for being promoted in the heavenly planets, and the target is how to make the material body comfortable, forgetting the interest of the spirit soul. Such persons are described in Vedic literature as suicidal.

This attachment for the material body and its comfort forces the living entity to wander through the process of birth and death perpetually and suffers the material pangs as a matter of course. The human form of life is therefore a chance to understand this position, and the most intelligent person only takes to devotional service just to engage his mind, senses and body in the service of the Lord without any deviation.

The personified Vedas continued to say, [within quotation] "My dear Lord, there are many mystic yogis, they are very learned and deliberate to achieve the highest perfection of life. They engage themselves in the yogic process, controlling the life air within the body. Concentrating the mind upon the Visnu form and controlling the senses very rigidly, they practice the yoga process. But even after so much laboring of austerities, penances and regulation, they achieve the same destination as the persons who are inimical unto You achieve the same place. In other words, both the yogis and great, wise philosophical speculators, ultimately they attain the impersonal Brahma effulgence, which is automatically attained by the demons who are regular enemies of the Lord. The reason is the demons like Kamsa, Sisupala, Dantavakra constantly meditate upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although in a different attitude. The real point is concentrating one's mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Similarly, women like the gopis, they were attached to Krsna being captivated by the beauty of Krsna, and their concentration of mind on Krsna was out of lust. They wanted to be embraced by the arms of Krsna, which resemble the beautiful round shape of a snake. Similarly we, the worshiper by Vedic hymns, we also simply concentrate our mind on the lotus feet of Your Lordship. The women like gopis, they concentrate upon You, dictated by lust. We concentrate upon Your lotus feet for going back to home, back to Godhead. Your enemies, they also concentrate upon You, thinking always how to kill You. Similarly the yogis, they undertake so much penance and austerities to attain Your impersonal effulgence. All these different persons, although concentrating their mind in a different way, they achieve spiritual perfection in their different perspective because, my Lord, You are equal to all Your devotees."

Sridhara Swami composed in this connection a nice verse: "My dear Lord, to be engaged always in thinking of Your lotus feet is very difficult. It can be executed by great devotees who have already achieved Your love and engaged in transcendental loving service. I wish, my dear Lord, that my mind also be engaged somehow or other on Your lotus feet, at least for some time." [quotation close]

Next paragraph.

This attainment of spiritual perfection by different spiritualist is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, wherein the Lord says that He gives the desired perfection of the devotee in proportion to his surrender unto the Personality of Godhead. The impersonalist, yogis, the enemies of the Lord, they enter into the transcendental effulgence of the Lord, whereas the personalists, who are following the footsteps of the inhabitants of Vrndavana or strictly following the path of devotional service, they are also elevated to the personal abode of the Supreme Lord, Goloka Vrndavana, or in the Vaikuntha planets. Both the impersonalist and the personalist enter into the spiritual realm, or the spiritual sky, but the impersonalist are given place in the impersonal Brahma effulgence, whereas the personalist, they are given respective position in the Vaikuntha planets or in the Vrndavana planet, according to their desire to serve the Lord in different mellows.

Next paragraph.

The personified Vedas continue to pray that persons who are born after the creation of this material world cannot understand the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by manipulating their material knowledge, just like a person born in a particular family cannot understand the position of his great-grandfather or his great-grandfather because such person, great-grandfather, was long, long before the birth of a recent generation. Similarly, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, or Krsna, exists eternally in the spiritual world. This spiritual world is stated in the Bhagavad-gita as sanatana-dhama, and the Personality of Godhead in that spiritual world can be understood only by devotional service. In the Eighth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, it is clearly said that the Supreme Person in that eternal spiritual kingdom of God has to be approached only by devotional service.

So in the material creation, first Brahma was born. Before Brahma there was no living creature within this material world; it was void and dark. But Brahma was born from the lotus flower that sprouted from the abdomen of Garbhodakasayi Visnu, and Garbhodakasayi Visnu is expansion of Karanodakasayi Visnu. Karanodakasayi Visnu is expansion of Sahkarsana, and Sahkarsana is expansion of Baladeva. Baladeva is expansion of Lord Krsna.

So after the creation of Brahma, the two kinds of demigods, like the four brothers catuḥ-sanaḥ-Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanandana and Sanat-kumara-they are representative for renouncing the world, and demigods like Marici and their descendants, they are meant for enjoying this material world. There are two kinds of demigods generated from Brahma, and from these two kinds of generation gradually all other living entities, include the human society, were gradually manifested. Therefore, any living creature within this material world, including Brahma, all the demigods, all the Raksas, are to be considered modern, which means recently born.

Exactly like the person born in a family recently cannot understand the situation of his forefather, similarly, anyone within this material world cannot understand the position of the Supreme Lord in the spiritual world. Because the material world is created, although it has got a long duration of existence, but all the manifestations of the material world, namely the time elements, the living entities, the Vedas, the gross elements, the subtle elements, all of them are created. Anything manufactured within this created situation-that is, anything accepted as the means of understanding the original source of creation-is to be considered as modern.

Therefore, the process of self-realization, or God realization, by fruitive activities, by philosophical speculation or by mystic yoga cannot actually approach the supreme source of everything. But when the creation is completely wound up and there is no existence of Vedas, no existence of material time, no existence of material elements both gross and subtle, and when all the living entities are nonmanifested stage, resting within Narayana, all these manufacture processes become null and void, or cannot act. But devotional service is eternally going on in the eternal spiritual world. So factually, the process of self-realization, or God realization, is devotional service only. If one takes to this process of self-realization, then he takes the real process of God realization.

Srila Sridhara Swami has therefore composed a verse in this connection which conveys the idea that the supreme source of everything, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is so great and unlimited that it is not possible for the living entity to understand Him by any material acquisition. Everyone should therefore pray to the Lord that he may be engaged in His devotional service eternally, so that by the grace of the Lord one can understand the supreme source of creation. The supreme source of creation, or the Supreme Lord, reveals Himself to the devotee. Just like in the Bhagavad-gita Fourth Chapter the Lord says to Arjuna, [within quotation] "My dear Arjuna, because you are My devotee, because you are My intimate friend, therefore I'll speak to you, or I'll reveal to you the process of understanding Me."

In other words, the supreme source of creation, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, cannot be understood by our own endeavor. We have to please Him with devotional service, and then He will reveal Himself before us. Then we can understand Him to some extent.

Next paragraph.

Those who have tried to understand the supreme source by their mental speculation, they are divided into different kinds of philosophers. Such philosophers are generally known as six kinds of mental speculators. The exact word is saḍa-darsana. All these philosophers are impersonalist, generally known as Mayavadis. Every one of them has tried to establish his own opinion, and later on they have made a compromise that all opinions are leading to the same goal; therefore, every opinion is valid. But according to the prayers of the personified Vedas, none of them are valid because their process of knowledge is created within the temporary material world. Every one of them has missed the real point that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or the supreme source, the Absolute Truth, can be understood only by devotional service.

As such, the class of philosophers known as Mimamsakas, represented by sages like Jaimini, have concluded that everyone should be engaged in pious activities or prescribed duties, and that will lead one to the highest perfection. But this fact is contradicted in the Bhagavad-gita by Lord Krsna, because in the Ninth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita the Lord says that by pious activities one may be elevated to the higher planetary system as heaven, but as soon as the resultant action of pious activities or the enjoyment of higher standard of material prosperities in the heavenly planets, when one becomes deteriorated of the action of pious activities, immediately they come down again on these lower planets, where duration of life is very short and where the standard of material happiness is of lower grade. The exact word used in this connection is ksine punye martya-lokam visanti [Bg 9.21].

Therefore, the conclusion of the Mimamsaka that pious activities only can lead one to the Absolute Truth is not veritable.

Nobody can attain the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead simply by pious activities, although a pure devotee is by nature inclined to pious activity. Pious activities may lead one to the purification of the contamination caused by ignorance and passion, but this position is automatically attained by a devotee on account of his constantly being engaged in hearing the transcendental message of Godhead in the form of Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam or similar scriptures.

From the Bhagavad-gita we understand that even a person not to the standard of pious activities but is absolutely engaged in the devotional service, such persons are to be considered as well situated on the path of spiritual perfection. It is also said in the Bhagavad-gita that a person who is engaged in devotional service with love and faith is guided by the Supreme Personality of Godhead from within, and the Lord Himself as Paramatma, or the spiritual master sitting within one's heart, gives the devotee exact direction by which gradually he can go back to home, back to Godhead. As such, the conclusion of the Mimamsaka as above-mentioned is not actually the truth which can lead one to the real understanding of the things.

Similarly, there are Sahkhya philosopher, or the metaphysist or the material scientist, who study this cosmic manifestation by their invented scientific method and thus wrongly conclude that the wonderful activities or reaction of material elements is the original cause of creation. Such scientists or metaphysist philosophers do not recognize the supreme authority, God, as the creator of cosmic manifestation. The Bhagavad-gita, however, does not accept this theory, and it is clearly said there that behind this cosmic activities the direction is of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This fact is corroborated by a Vedic injunction, sad eva saumyedam agra asit, [Chandogya Upanisad 6.2.1], which means the origin of the creation existed before the cosmic manifestation; therefore, the material elements cannot be the cause of material creation, although they are accepted as material cause, but the efficient cause is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. The Bhagavad-gita says, therefore, that under the direction of Krsna the material nature works.

The conclusion of the Sahkhya philosophy that the effects being temporary or illusion, the cause is also illusion. Such philosophers are in favor of voidism, but the actual fact is that the original cause is person, and this cosmic manifestation is temporary manifestation of the material energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When this temporary manifestation is annihilated, the cause of the temporary manifestation, the eternal existence of the spiritual world, continues as it is, and therefore the spiritual world is called sanatana-dhama, eternal abode. Conclusion of the Sahkhya philosopher is not therefore truth.

Then again, there are philosophers headed by Gautama and Kanada, they have very minutely studied cause and effect of the material elements, and ultimately they have come to the conclusion that atomic combination is the original cause of creation. At present, materialistic scientists also follow the footsteps of Gautama-Kanada, who had propounded the theory of Paramanuvada. This theory also cannot be supported because the original cause of everything is not inert atoms. From Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, as well as from Vedas, wherein it is stated eko narayana asit [Narayana Upanisad 4]: "Only Narayana existed before the creation," the Srimad-Bhagavatam or Vedanta-sūtra also says that the original cause is sentient and cognizant indirectly, directly of everything of this creation. The Bhagavad-gita says aham sarvasya prabhavaḥ, "I am the original cause of everything." Mattaḥ sarvam pravartate [Bg 10.8]:

"From Me everything comes into existence." Therefore, the atoms may be the basic combination of material existence, but the atoms are generated from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As such, the philosophy of Gautama and Kanada cannot be supported.

Similarly, impersonalists headed by Astavakra and later on by Sahkaracarya accept the impersonal Brahma effulgence as the cause of everything. According to their theory, the material manifestation is temporary and unreal, whereas the impersonal Brahma effulgence is the reality. But this theory also cannot be supported because the Lord Himself says in the Bhagavad-gita that this Brahma effulgence is resting on His personality. This is confirmed in the Brahma-samhita also, that the Brahma effulgence is the personal bodily rays of Krsna. As such, impersonal Brahma cannot be the cause of the cosmic manifestation. The original cause is all-perfect sentient Personality of Godhead, Govinda.

Of all the above theories, the most dangerous theory of the impersonalist is that the incarnation of God, or when God comes as incarnation, He accepts a material body of the three modes of material nature. This theory of the Mayavadi has been condemned by Lord Caitanya as the most offensive. He has said that anyone who accepts the transcendental body of the Personality of Godhead as made of this material nature commits the greatest offense on the lotus feet of Visnu. A similar statement is made in the Bhagavad-gita, that only the fools and rascals deride at the Personality of Godhead because Krsna, Rama or Lord Caitanya move amongst the human society as human being.

The personified Vedas condemned this kind of conception is grossly misrepresented. In the Brahma-samhita, the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is described as ananda-cinmaya-rasa [Bs 5.37].

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, having possessed no material body, He can enjoy anything by application of any part of His body. Therefore He is all-powerful, omnipotent. The limbs of the material body can perform a particular function, just like with hands we can catch up, but with hands we cannot see or we cannot walk. But the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, being made of ananda-cinmaya-rasa or sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs 5.1], He can perform and enjoy anything and everything by any part of His limbs.

Acceptance of the spiritual body of the Lord as material is dictated by the tendency of making the Supreme Personality of Godhead as equal to the conditioned soul. The conditioned soul has got material body. Therefore, if God also becomes of material body, then their theory that the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the living entities are one and the same can be pushed very easily.

Factually, when the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes, He exhibits differently, but there is no difference of His body when He is lying on the lap of His mother Yasoda or His so-called grown-up body while He is fighting with the demons. In the childhood body also He also fought with demons, like Pūtana, Trnavarta, Aghasura, etc., with equal strength as He fought in His youthhood with the demons like Dantavakra or Sisupala and others. In the material body, as soon as a conditioned soul changes his body, he forgets everything of his past body. But from the Bhagavad-gita we understand that Krsna, because He has got sac-cid-ananda body, therefore He did not forget the incidence when millions of years ago He instructed the sun-god about the Bhagavad-gita.

The Lord is therefore known as Purusottama, because He is transcendental to both material and spiritual existence. He is the cause of all causes means He is cause of the spiritual world as well as the material world. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is omnipotent, omniscient, therefore He surely is not of this material body because the material body cannot be omnipotent or omniscient. The theory of the Mayavadis that the Personality of Godhead comes within this material world with a material body cannot be supported by any means.

All the theories of the material philosopher are therefore concluded as generated from the temporary illusory existence, like the conclusion in dream. Such conclusions certainly cannot lead us to the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth can only be realized through devotional service. As it is said, bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg 18.55]:

"Simply by devotional service one can understand Me." Sripada Sridhara Swami therefore composes a nice verse in this connection, which states, [within quotation] "My dear Lord, let others be engaged in false argument and dry speculation, by theorizing their greatest philosophical theseses [sic]. Let them loiter in the darkness of ignorance and illusion, falsely enjoying as if they are very learned scholars, without any knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So far I am concerned, I wish to be liberated simply by chanting the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the all-beautiful Madhava, Vamana, Trinayana, Sahkarsana, Sripati, Govinda, Madhupati. And thus simply by chanting His transcendental names, let me become uncontaminated of this material existence."

In this way, the personified Vedas said, [within quotation] "My dear Lord, when a living entity, by Your grace only, comes to the right conclusion of Your exalted transcendental position, at that time a living entity does not bother with different kinds of theories manufactured by the mental speculators or so-called philosophers."

All these speculated theories-Gautama, Kanada, Patanjali, Kapila (within bracket) [nirisvara]. There are two Kapilas: one is incarnation of God, son of Kardama Muni, and later on another Kapila, who is atheist, in the modern age. The atheist Kapila is misrepresented as the Supreme Personality of Godhead who appeared as the son of Kardama Muni during the time of Svayambhuva Manu. Lord Kapila incarnation of Godhead appeared long, long ago, because the modern age is called the age of Vaivasvata Manu, whereas He appeared during the time of Svayambhuva Manu.

Next paragraph.

According to Mayavadi philosophy, this manifested world, or the material world, is maya, or false. They speak of this material world as mithya, or false. Their preaching principle is brahma satyam jagan mithya. According to them, the Brahma effulgence is only true, and this cosmic manifestation is illusion, or false. But according to Vaisnava philosophy, this cosmic manifestation is also caused by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. From the Bhagavad-gita we can understand that the Lord says that by one of His plenary portion He enters within this material world, and thus the creation takes place.

From Vedas also we can understand that this asat, or temporary cosmic manifestation, is also emanation from the supreme sat, or fact. From Vedanta-sūtra it is also understood that everything has emanated from the Brahma. As such, the Vaisnavas do not take this cosmic manifestation as false. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead by His plenary portion has entered within this material world and caused this manifestation, the Vaisnava philosopher sees everything in this material world in relationship with the Supreme Lord.

The conception of this material world is very nicely explained by Srila Rūpa Gosvami, wherein he says that persons who give up this material world as illusion, or false, without the knowledge that this material world is also manifestation of the Supreme Lord their renunciation is practically of no value. The Vaisnava philosophers, on the other hand, not very much attached to this material world because generally this material world is accepted as object of sense gratification. The Vaisnavas are not for sense gratification; therefore, they are not attached to the material activities. A Vaisnava's material activities is simply accepted for the sake of it, but without any attachment.

The Vaisnava accept this material world according to the regulative principles of Vedic injunction. The Supreme Personality of Godhead being the original cause of everything, the Vaisnava even in the material world sees everything in relationship with Him. By such advanced knowledge of a Vaisnava, everything becomes spiritualized, or in other words, in the material world everything is already spiritualized, but due to our lack of knowledge we see things as material.

The personified Vedas therefore gave a nice example in this connection that those who are seeking after gold, they do not reject things like gold earrings, gold bangles and anything made of gold because of their becoming differently shaped from the original gold. As such, all the living entities being part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, qualitatively being one, they are now differently shaped in 8,400,000's of species of life, exactly like the same source of gold so many different shapes of ornaments have been manufactured. As one who is interested in gold accept all the differently shaped ornaments of gold, similarly, a Vaisnava, knowing it well that all living entities are of the same quality of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they accept all living entities as eternal servants of God. As such, a Vaisnava has got ample opportunity to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead simply by claiming these conditioned, misled living entities to be trained up in Krsna consciousness and thus lead them back to home, back to Godhead.

The fact is that the mind of the living entity is now agitated by the three material qualities, and therefore they are transmigrating, as if in dream, from one body to another. When their consciousness is changed into Krsna consciousness, immediately they fix up within their heart Krsna, and thus their path for liberation becomes clear.

In all the Vedas, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the living entities are considered of the same quality: cetana, or spiritual. The same thing is also confirmed in the Padma Purana, wherein it is said there are two kinds of spiritual entities: one of them is called the jiva, and the other is called the Supreme Lord. Beginning from Lord Brahma down to the ant, all of them are jivas, or the living entity, whereas the Lord is supreme Visnu, or Janardana, the four-handed Visnu form of the Lord.

Actually, the atma sabdha can be applied only to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but because the living entities are His part and parcel, therefore sometimes the "atma" is applied to them also, and the living entities are therefore called jivatma, and the Supreme Lord is called Paramatma. Both the Paramatma and jivatma are within this material world, therefore this material world has a different use than sense gratification.

Conception of life of sense gratification is illusion, but the conception of service by the jivatma to the Paramatma, even in this material world, is not at all illusion. A Krsna conscious person is fully aware of this fact, and as such he does not take this material world as false and acts in reality of transcendental service. The devotee, therefore, everything in this material world is an opportunity to serve the Lord. Devotee does not reject anything as material but dovetails it in the service of the Lord. Thus, a devotee is always in transcendental position, and everything that they take into use becomes spiritually purified and dovetailed in the service of the Lord.

Sridhara Swami composes a nice verse in this connection. He says that "I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is always manifested as the reality, even within this material world, which is considered by somebody as false." [quotation close]

Without being in Krsna consciousness, the conception of falsity of this material world is due to lack of knowledge, but an advanced person in Krsna consciousness sees in everything the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and such situation of life is actual realization of the Vedic declaration that "Everything is Brahman," sarvam khalv idam brahma [Chandogya Upanisad 3.14.1].

Next paragraph.

The personified Vedas continued to say, [within quotation] "My dear Lord, only the less intelligent class of men take to so many ways of self-realization. But actually, unless one is thoroughly a pure devotee, there is no chance of becoming purified from the material contamination or to stop the repeated cycle of birth and death. My dear Lord, because everything is resting on Your different potencies and because everyone is supported by You, as it is the version of the Vedas, eko bahūnam yo vidadhati kaman [Katha Upanisad 2.2.13].

Therefore Your Lordship is the supporter and maintainer of all kinds of living entities; never mind whether one is a demigod or one is a human being or one is an animal, everyone is supported by You. Not only that, You are also situated in everyone's heart. In other words, You are the root of the whole creation. Therefore, one who is engaged in Your devotional service, and without any deviation, always worships You.

"Such devotees actually pour water on the root of the universal tree. By devotional service, therefore, one satisfies not only the Personality of Godhead but also all others, because everyone is being maintained and supported by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Actually a devotee is practical philanthropist and altruist and understands the all-pervasive feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such pure devotees, thoroughly engaged in Krsna consciousness, very easily overcome the cycle of birth and death, as if one is kicking over the head of the death." Or in other words, a devotee is never afraid of death, or change of this body, because his consciousness being transformed into Krsna, even if he does not go back to home, back to Godhead, even he transmigrates to any material body, he has nothing to be afraid of.

A vivid example is Bharata Maharaja. Although he in his next life became a deer, still, in the next life he became completely free from all material contamination and was elevated to the kingdom of God. The Bhagavad-gita affirms, therefore, that a devotee is never vanquished. A devotee's path to the spiritual kingdom, back to home, back to Godhead, is guaranteed. Even though a devotee slips in one birth, continuation of his Krsna consciousness elevates him further and further, until he reaches back to home, back to Godhead.

Such pure devotee not only purifies his personal existence, but also, whoever comes under his direction or anyone who becomes his disciple, he also becomes purified, ultimately able to enter the kingdom of God without any difficulty. In other words, not only a pure devotee can kick over the head of death, but also by his grace his follower also can do so without any difficulty. The power of devotional service is so great that a pure devotee can electrify another person also by his transcendental instruction to cross over the ocean of nescience.

The instruction of such devotees to his disciple are also very simple. Nobody feels any difficulty to follow the footsteps of a pure devotee. So anyone who follows the footsteps of recognized devotees like Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, Kumara, Manu, Kapila, King Prahlada, King Janaka, Sukadeva Gosvami, Yamaraja, all of them are recognized devotees of the Lord, and the followers in disciplic succession very easily finds out the door of liberation open. On the other hand, those who are not devotees but are engaged in different types of uncertain processes of self-realization, like jnana, yoga, karma, are supposed to be still contaminated. As such, such contaminated persons, although apparently advanced in self-realization, cannot even liberate himself, and what to speak of others who follow him.

Such nondevotees are compared like a chained animal, who cannot go beyond the jurisdiction of the formalities of a certain type of faith. In the Bhagavad-gita such persons are condemned as veda-vadaḥ. Such person cannot understand that the Vedas deal in activities of the material modes of nature-goodness, passion and ignorance. But as advised by Lord Krsna to Arjuna, one has to become beyond the jurisdiction of prescribed duties in the Vedas and take to Krsna consciousness, devotional service.

It is said in the Bhagavad-gita, nistraigunyo bhavarjuna [Bg 2.45]:

"My dear Arjuna, you just try to become transcendental to the Vedic rituals." This transcendental position beyond the Vedic ritualistic performances is devotional service. In the Bhagavad-gita it is clearly said by the Lord that person who is engaged in His devotional service without any adulteration is supposed to be situated in Brahma. Actually, Brahma realization or Brahma situation means Krsna consciousness and engagement in devotional service. The devotees are therefore real brahmacaris because their activities are always in Krsna consciousness and devotional service.

Next paragraph.

The Krsna consciousness movement is therefore a supreme call to all kinds of religionists, asking them with great authority to join this movement, by which one can learn how to love God and thus become surpassed over all formulas and formalities of scriptural injunction. A person who cannot therefore overcome the jurisdiction of their stereotyped religious principles are compared with an animal chained up by the master. The purpose of all religiosities is to understand God and develop one's dormant love of Godhead. Without being elevated to this position of life, if one simply sticks to the religious formulas and formalities, he is considered to be chained-up animal. In other words, without being in Krsna consciousness, nobody is eligible to become liberated from the contamination of material existence.

Srila Sridhara Swami has composed a nice verse in this connection. He says, "Let others be engaged in severe type of austerities. Let others fall down from the top of the hill down on the land to give up their life. Let others travel over many holy places of pilgrimage for salvation, or let others be engaged in deep study of philosophy and Vedic literatures. Let the mystic yogis remain engaged in their meditational service, and let the different sects be engaged in unnecessary topics, as one which is excelling the other. But it is a fact that without being Krsna conscious, without being engaged in devotional service, without the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nobody is able to cross over this material ocean." An intelligent person, therefore, give up all stereotyped ideas and join this Krsna consciousness movement for factual liberation.

The personified Vedas continued their prayer: [within quotation] "My dear Lord, Your impersonal feature is explained in the Vedas that You have no hands, but You can accept all sacrifices which are offered to You, and You can walk more swiftly than anyone can do. Although You have no eyes, still You can see whatever is happening in the past, present and future. Although You have no ears, still You can hear everything which is being talked. Although You have no mind, still You know everyone and everyone's activities, past, present and future, and still nobody knows You, what You are. You know everyone, but nobody knows You; therefore, You are the oldest supreme personality."

Similarly, in other places of Vedas it is said that "You have nothing to act. You are so perfect in Your knowledge and potency that everything becomes manifest simply by Your willing. There is nobody equal or greater than You, and everyone is acting as Your eternal servant." [quotation close]

These Vedic statements describing the Absolute has no legs, no hands, no eyes, no ears, no mind, and still He can act through the exigency of all living entities. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gitathat He has got His hands and legs everywhere, all-pervasive. The hands, legs, ears, eyes of all living entities are acting and moving by the direction of the Supersoul sitting within the heart of the living entity. Without the presence of the Supersoul there is no possibility of the hands and legs of the living entity being active. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is so great and independent and perfect that even without having any eyes, legs, ears, He is not dependent for His activities on others. On the contrary, others are dependent upon Him to act through their different sense organs. Without being inspired and directed by the Supersoul, no living entity can act with their senses.

The fact is that ultimately the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Person. But because He is acting through His different potencies, which are impossible to be seen by the gross materialist, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is accepted by them as impersonal. For example, we can see the artistic work in the matter of painting a nice flower, the color adjustment, everything requires minute attention of the artist. That is clearly exhibited in different blooming flowers. But the gross materialist, without seeing the hand of God in such artistic manifestation, they conclude the Absolute Truth is impersonal.

Actually, He is independent. He does not require to take a brush and color to paint a flower, but His potencies are so active that it appears that the flower has come into being without any aid of any artist or color or brush. This impersonal view of the Absolute Truth is accepted by less intelligent class of men because without being in the service of the Lord, nobody can understand how He is acting. Nobody can understand what is His name. Everything of His activities and personal features become revealed...

[break] ...devotee on account of his service attitude.

Next paragraph.

In the Bhagavad-gita it is clearly said that "The Lord is the enjoyer of all kinds of sacrifices and the result of austerities," bhoktaram yajna-tapasam [Bg 5.29].

Then again the Lord says, sarva-loka-mahesvaram: "I am the proprietor of all the planets." So that is the position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is present in Vrndavana and enjoying His transcendental pleasure in the company of His eternal associates, the gopis and the cowherds boy. But His potencies are acting all over the creation under His direction, without disturbing His eternal pastimes.

Through devotional service only one can understand how the Supreme Personality of Godhead can act simultaneously as a person or imperson, which is only possible by inconceivable potencies only. He is acting just like the supreme emperor, and many thousands of kings and chiefs are working under Him. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is supreme independent person and emperor, and under Him all the demigods, including Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, or the king of heaven, Indra, the king of moon planet, the king of sun planet, all of them are working under His direction.

It is confirmed in the Vedas that the sun is shining being afraid of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The air is blowing being afraid of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The fire is distributing high temperature under the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The material nature is producing all kinds of movable and immovable objects within the material world, but none of them are independent to create or act without the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All of them are acting as tributaries, just like the subordinate kings offer their annual taxes to the emperor.

Every living entity is alive by eating the remnants of foodstuff offered to the Personality of Godhead. In great sacrifices it is the Vedic injunction that Narayana should be present as the supreme predominating Deity of the sacrifice, and after the sacrifice is performed the remnants of foodstuff distributed amongst the demigods, which is called yajna-bhaga. Every demigod has got a allotment of yajna-bhaga, which is accepted by the particular demigod as prasadam. The conclusion is the demigods are powerful and not independently, but being posted as different executives under the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are eating prasadam, or remnants of the sacrifices. They are executing the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead exactly according to His plan. On the background, therefore, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is there, and His orders being carried by others, it appears that He is impersonal.

In our gross materialistic thought, we cannot conceive how the Supreme Person is above the impersonal activities of material nature. Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gita it is explained by the Lord that above Him there is nothing superior, and the impersonal Brahma is subordinately situated as manifestation of His personal rays. Sripada Sridhara Swami has therefore composed a nice verse in this connection: [within quotation] "Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has no material senses, but through His direction and will all the material senses, hands and legs, are working. He is the supreme potency of all material senses or sense organs. He is omnipotent and the supreme performer of everything, and therefore He is worshipable by everyone. Such Supreme Personality of Godhead I offer my respectful obeisances."

This Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna declares also in the Bhagavad-gita that He is Purusottama. Purusottama means the Supreme Personality. Purusa means "the person," and uttama means "the supreme" or "transcendental." In the Bhagavad-gita, the Lord declares that because He is transcendental to all beings sentient and insentient, therefore He is known as the Purusottama. In another place the Lord says that as the air is situated in the sky all-pervading, similarly, everyone is situated in Him, and everyone is acting under His direction.

Next paragraph.

The Vedas personified continued to pray, "My dear Lord, You are equal, and You have no partiality for a certain type of living entity or you have no mercy for another type of living entity. All living entities are enjoying or suffering in different conditions of life, being part and parcel of You. They are just like the sparks of the fire. As the sparks of the fire dance on the blazing fire, similarly, all living entities are dancing on Your support. You are providing them with everything as they desire, and still, for their enjoying or suffering You are not responsible. There are different types of living entities-the demigods, the human being, the animals, the trees, the birds, the beasts, the germs, the worms, the insects, the aquatics-and all of them enjoying or suffering life resting on You, exactly like the sparks of the blazing fire.

"The living entities are therefore of two kinds: one class is called ever-liberated-nitya-mukta-and other is called nitya-baddha. The nitya-mukta living entities are in the spiritual kingdom, and the nitya-baddha living entities are in this material world. The example of the sparks of the fire and the fire is the condition of spiritual world. In the spiritual, world both the Lord and the living entities are manifest in their original status of blazing fire and sparks. But in the material world, the Lord is all-pervasive in His impersonal feature, and the living entities are almost forgotten of their original brilliant condition.

"The sparks of the fire sometimes fall down out of the blazing fire, and as they fall down under different conditions they become without or with Krsna consciousness. Some of the sparks fall down on the dry grass, and taking the advantageous situation, the spark of the fire blazes the grasses into another blazing fire. That means a pure devotee, taking advantage of some pure innocent living entities, the pure devotee enlightens the hearts of the conditioned soul into Krsna consciousness, and thus the blazing fire of the spiritual world becomes manifest even within this material world. And as some of the sparks fall down on water, immediately it loses its original brilliance of fire quality and becomes almost extinct. Similarly, a living entity who takes his birth in the midst of gross materialist, which is compared with water in which the sparks of the fire falls down, and thus the living entity becomes extinct of his original Krsna consciousness. And as some of the sparks of the fire falls down on the ground, it remains via media between the blazing fire and extinct condition of life. Similarly, all living entities are some of them extinct of Krsna consciousness, some of them between Krsna consciousness and without Krsna consciousness, and some of them are actually in Krsna consciousness.

"The demigods in the higher planets, beginning from Lord Brahma, Indra, Candra, the sun-god, moon-god and various other demigods, they are all Krsna conscious. The human society is between the demigods and the animals. As such, some of them are demi-Krsna conscious and some of them are completely forgotten of Krsna consciousness, whereas the third-grade living entities, namely the animal, beasts, plants, trees, aquatics, they have completely forgetful of Krsna consciousness.

"This example of the sparks of blazing fire stated in the Vedas is very much appropriate to understand the condition of different types of living entities. But above all these living entities, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, or Purusottama, is always liberated from such different condition of the living entities." [quotation close]

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Now a question may be raised why the living entities are fallen in different conditions of life by chance. To answer this question, we have to consider that for the living entities there cannot be any chance. The chance is for nonliving entities. But we understand from Vedic literatures that the living entities have knowledge; they are called cetana. Cetana means "in knowledge." Therefore, their situation in different conditions of life is not accidental. It is by their choice, because they have knowledge. In the Bhagavad-gita, the Lord says that "You give up everything and just surrender unto Me." This process of realizing the Supreme Personality of Godhead is open for everyone, but still it is the choice of the particular living entity either to accept this proposal or not to accept. Lord Krsna, in the last portion of the Bhagavad-gita, very plainly said to Arjuna, [within quotation] "My dear Arjuna, now I have spoken to you everything. Now it depends on your choice either to accept it or not to accept it."

Similarly, the living entities who have come down to this material world, they made their own choice to enjoy this material world. It is not that Krsna sent them in this material world. The material world is created for enjoyment of such living entities who wanted to give up the eternal service of the Lord and to imitate like the Lord to be enjoyer. It is said by the Vaisnavas that when the living entities desires to gratify the senses and forget the service of the Lord, at that time he is given a place in the material world to act freely, according to his desire, and therefore create a condition of life either for enjoying or suffering.

We should know it definitely that both the Lord and the living entities are eternally cognizant. There is no birth and death of both the Lord and the living entities. When creation takes place, it does not mean that the living entities are created. The Lord creates this material world, giving a chance to the conditioned souls for elevating themself to the higher platform of Krsna consciousness. And if the conditioned soul misses this opportunity until the next annihilation of this material world, then after dissolution of this material world the same living entity enters into the body of Narayana and remains there in deep sleep until the time of another creation.

In this connection, the example of rainy season is very appropriate. During the rainy season, the rainfall may be taken as the means of creation as after the rainfall, the field being wet and favorable for growing different types of vegetation; similarly, as soon as there is creation by the glancing of the Lord over the material nature, immediately the living entities in their different condition of life spring up, exactly like different types of vegetation grow just after the rainfall. The rainfall is one, but the creation of the different vegetables are different. The rainfall chance is equal to all the vegetables for sprouting up, but the different vegetables come out in different shapes and different forms according to the seed preserved within the field.

Similarly, the seed of our desires are different. Every living entity has got a different type of desire; that is the seed of his growing in different types of body. This seed is explained by Rūpa Gosvami as papa-bija. Papa means "sinful." All our material desires are to be taken as papa-bija, or the seeds of sinful desires, and the sinful desire is explained in the Bhagavad-gita not to surrender unto the Supreme Lord. The Lord says therefore in the Bhagavad-gitathat "I shall give you all protection from the resultant actions of sinful desires."

These sinful desires are manifested in different types of body. Therefore, nobody can blame the Supreme Personality of Godhead of partiality that He has given giving a certain type of body to a certain type of living entity and to another, another kind of body. All these bodies, 8,400,000's of species, they become according to the mental condition of the living entity. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Purusottama, gives them only chance to act according to their desires. Therefore, the living entities are acting, taking advantage of the facility given by the Lord. At the same time, they are born out of the transcendental body of the Lord.

This relationship of the Lord and the living entities are explained both in the Vedic literature as well as in the Bhagavad-gita. In the Vedic literature it is said that the Supreme Lord maintains all His children, whatever they want. Similarly, in the Bhagavad-gita also the Lord says that "I am the seed-giving father of all living entities." It is very simple to understand that the father gives birth to the children, but the children act according to their desire. Therefore, father is never responsible for the different grades of condition in the future life of the children. Every child can take the advantage of father's property and father's instruction, but even though the inheritance of father's property and instruction are the same for all the children, still, children, out of their different desires, create different conditions of life and thereby suffer or enjoy.

Similarly, the Bhagavad-gita instruction is equal for everyone. So everyone should surrender unto the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord will take charge of them to protect them from the sinful reaction. And the living condition or the facilities of living in the creation of the Lord are equally offered to all living entities. Whatever there is, either in the land or on the water or on the sky, all facilities of life are equally given to all living entities. As they are all sons of the Supreme Lord, everyone can enjoy the material facilities given by the Lord. But still, unfortunate living entities create unfavorable condition of life by fighting between themselves. Therefore, for this fighting of creating different situation of life, the responsibility lies on the living entities, not on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If the living entities therefore takes advantage of the Lord's instruction, as it is given in the Bhagavad-gita, and develop Krsna consciousness, then their lives become sublime and they go back again to home, back to Godhead.

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So far the creation of this material world is concerned, somebody may argue because this material world is created by the Lord, therefore He is responsible for this. Certainly He is indirectly responsible for creation of this material world and its maintenance, but He is never responsible for the different condition of the living entities. The Lord creates this material world, as it is already said, as a cloud creates in the rainy season different varieties of vegetables. The cloud pours water on the surface of the earth but never touches the earth directly. Similarly, the Lord creates this material world simply by His glance over the material energy. This is confirmed in the Vedas, that "He put His glance over the material nature, and there was creation." In the Bhagavad-gita it is also confirmed that simply by His super-glancing over the material nature it is creating different varieties of entities, both movable and immovable, living and dead.

The creation of the material world can be taken, therefore, as one of the pastimes of the Lord. It is called one of the pastimes of the Lord because He creates this material world whenever He desires. This desire of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is also extreme mercy on His part, because He wants to give another chance to the conditioned souls to develop their original consciousness and thus come back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore, nobody can blame the Supreme Personality of Godhead for creating this material world.

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In this connection, there is a clear understanding of the impersonalist and the personalist. The impersonalist conception of philosophy to remain merged into the existence of the Supreme, or the voidist philosophy to make everything of this material varieties as void, both of them known as Mayavada. It is explained herewith, when the cosmic manifestation is closed, certainly it becomes void, and when the living entities merges into the body of Narayana to rest till another creation, it is called impersonalism. But these conditions are never eternal. Closing of the variegatedness of the material world and merging of the living entities into the body of the Supreme are not permanent, because the creation will take place again and the living entities who merged into the body of the Supreme without Krsna consciousness will again appear in this material world when there is chance of another creation.

The Bhagavad-gita therefore confirms this fact that this material world is created and annihilated. This is going on perpetually, and the souls, or conditioned souls who are without Krsna consciousness, they again come back when there is again material creation. Such conditioned souls, if they take the advantage of developing Krsna consciousness under the instruction of the Lord directly, then such living entity is transferred to the spiritual world, and he hasn't got to come back again to the material creation.

It is said, therefore, that the voidist and the impersonalist are not very intelligent because they do not take shelter under the lotus feet of the Lord. These voidist and impersonalist, being less intelligent, take to different types of austerities, either to attain the stage of nirvana, which means finishing the material conditions of life, or for attainment of oneness by merging into the body of the Lord. All of them again fall down because of their negligence to the lotus feet of the Lord.

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The conclusion is therefore that the living entities, although they have got their senses, different limbs and parts of the body, they are completely dependent on the...

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In the Caitanya-caritamrta the author, Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, has given his opinion after studying all the Vedic literature and hearing from all authorities that…, that Krsna is the only supreme master, and all living entities are His eternal servants. This statement is corroborated in the Vedic prayers by the personified Vedas. Conclusion is, therefore, that everyone is under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, everyone is serving under the supreme direction of the Lord, everyone is afraid of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thus executing rightly to the point, being afraid of the Supreme Lord, thus everyone's position being subordinate to the Supreme Lord, the Lord has no such view as to look upon them partially or impartially. He is just like the sky, unlimited sky, and as the sparks of the fire dances in the fire, similarly, all living entities are different kinds of birds flying in the unlimited sky. Some of them are flying very, very high; some of them are flying in lesser altitude; and some of them are flying still lesser altitude. This flying of different birds in different position is according to their respective capacity to fly. The sky has nothing to do with this capacity.

In the Bhagavad-gita, this is also confirmed by the Lord that He awards different types of position according to the proportionate surrender of the different types of living entities. This proportionate reward of the Personality of God to the living entities are not partiality. Therefore, in spite of different kinds of position of the living entities in different spheres and different species of life, all of them are always under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is never responsible for their different capacities of living condition.

It is foolish and artificial, therefore, to think oneself as equal with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it is still more foolish to consider that one has not seen God. Everyone is seeing God in his different capacities; only the difference is that the theist is seeing God as the Supreme..., Supreme Personality, beloved Krsna, and the atheist sees the Absolute Truth as ultimate death.

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The personified Vedas continued to pray, [within quotation] "My dear Lord, from all Vedic information it is understood that You are the supreme controller and all living entities are controlled. Although both the Lord and the living entities are called nitya, eternal, that is, qualitatively one, still, the singular number nitya, or the Supreme Lord, is the controller, whereas the plural number nityas, they are controlled. Within the body, the individual controlled living entity is also there, and the supreme controller as Supersoul is also present there, but the Supersoul is controlling the individual soul. That is the verdict of the Vedas.

"If the individual soul would not have been controlled by the Supersoul, then the Vedic version that a living entity is migrating from one kind of body to another as he is enjoying and suffering the effects of his past deeds-sometimes he is being promoted to the higher standard of life and sometimes he is degraded to the lower standard of life. Thus the conditioned soul are not only under the control of the Supreme Lord, but also he is conditioned and under control of the material nature.

"This relationship of the living entities with the Supreme Lord as the controller and the controlled definitely proves it that individual living entity is never all-pervasive. The Supersoul is all-pervasive. If the individual soul would have been all-pervasive, then the question of being controlled cannot arise. The abstract conclusion that the Supersoul and the individual soul are on the equal level is therefore a polluted conclusion, and because it is polluted, nobody would accept such conclusion if he has at all any sense to understand the distinction between the supreme eternal and the subordinate eternals."

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The personified Vedas therefore concluded that the unlimited dhruvas, or the unlimited eternals-or in other words the living entities… And, "My Lord, You are also eternal." The form of the unlimited eternal is sometimes calculated as the universal form, whereas in the Vedic literatures like Upanisad the form of the limited eternal is vividly described. It is said therein that the original, spiritual form of the living entity is one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair, although it is stated about the spirit as greater than the greatest and smaller than the smallest. The smaller than the smallest, or the individual living entities, are eternally part and parcel and is very small. By our material senses we can neither the Supreme, greater than the greatest, nor even we can see the individual soul, smaller than the smallest. We have to understand, therefore, both of the greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest by authoritative sources of Vedic literature.

It is said in the Vedic literature that the Supersoul is sitting within the heart of a living entity, or within the body of a living entity, as big as a thumb. Therefore, a argument may be put forward how a thumb-like shape can be accommodated within the heart of an ant. The answer is that this thumb is not of any bigger or smaller body, but the thumb measurement of the Supersoul is according to the body of the living entity-just like an ant and elephant. This thumb is therefore imagined in proportion to the body of the living entity.

In all circumstances, therefore, the Supersoul and the individual living entity cannot be taken as one, although both of them enter within the material body of a living entity. Supersoul living within the heart of the particular living entity is for directing or controlling the individual living entity. So both of them, although dhruva, or eternal, the position of the living entity is always under direction of the Supreme.

An argument may be produced that the living entities, being born of the material nature, all of them equal and independent. But it is said in the Vedic literature that the Supreme Personality of Godhead impregnates the material nature with the living entities and then they come out. Therefore, the appearance of the individual living entities are not factually out of the material nature, exactly like the child produced by an woman is not independent production. A woman is impregnated by the man, and then a child is produced. As such, the child produced by the woman is part and parcel of the man. Similarly, the living entities apparently produced by the material nature is not independent production, but it is due to the impregnation of material nature by the supreme father.

So there cannot be any argument that the individual living entities are not part and parcel of the Supreme. As part and parcel of the whole body cannot be equal, the whole body is the controller of the different limbs of the body. Similarly, the part and parcels of the supreme whole is always dependent and controlled by the source of the part and parcels. It is corroborated in the Bhagavad-gita also that the living entities are part and parcel of Krsna: mamaivamsaḥ. No sane man, therefore, will accept the theory that the Supersoul and the individual soul are of the same category. They are equal in quality, but quantitatively the Supersoul is always the Supreme, and the individual soul is always subordinate to the Supersoul. That is the right conclusion of the Vedas.

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The word used in this connection in the Vedas, yan-maya, or cin-maya. In Sanskrit grammar, this word mayat is used in the sense of "transformation," or also in the sense of "sufficiency." The Mayavadi philosophers, they take that to the living entity is tan-maya or yan-maya, or cin-maya-means that the living entity is always equal with the Supreme. We have to take into consideration of this affix "maya," whether it is used for "sufficiency" or for "transformation." Everything of the living entity is never possessed exactly in the same proportion of that of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, this mayat affix cannot be used in the case of the individual living entity as "sufficient."

The individual living entity has never sufficient knowledge; otherwise, how it can be under the control of maya, or material energy? The word "sufficient" can be taken, therefore, in proportion to the magnitude of the living entity. The spiritual oneness of the Supreme Lord and the living entities is never to be accepted as something homogeneous. Each and every one of them is individual. If homogeneous oneness is accepted, then by the liberation of one individual soul, all other individual soul would have been liberated immediately. But the fact is that every individual soul is enjoying and suffering in the material world differently, not that if one individual soul becomes liberated, all other living entities also become liberated.

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Another sense of mayat is used in the sense of "transformation," or sometimes it is used as "by-product." The impersonalist theory that the Brahma Himself has accepted different types of body and that is His lila, or pastimes. There are many hundreds and thousands of species of life in different standard of living conditions-as human being, as demigods, as animals, as birds and beasts-and if all of them are taken as expansion of the Supreme Absolute Truth, then there is no question of liberation because Brahman is already liberated.

Then another question is that in every millennium different types of bodies are manifested. So when the millennium is closed, all different types of bodies, or expansion of Brahma, automatically become one, without any different manifestation. Then again, in the next millennium, according to Mayavada theory, Brahma again expands in different forms of body; and if we accept this theory, then Brahman become subject to changes. This theory also cannot be accepted. From Vedanta-sūtra we understand that Brahma is by nature joyful. Therefore, He cannot accept or change Himself into a certain type of body which is subject to so many painful conditions.

Actually, this Brahma, or the part and parcel of Brahma, is infinitesimal particles of Brahma prone to be covered by the illusory energy, exactly in the same way as explained before that the particles of Brahma are the sparks of the fire. They are blissfully dancing within the fire, but there is chance of falling down from the fire through smoke, although smoke is another condition of fire. Similarly, this material world is just like smoke, and the spiritual world is just like the blazing fire. The innumerable living entities is prone to fall down in the material world from the spiritual world, influenced by illusory energy, and it is also possible for the living entity to become again liberated when, by cultivation of real knowledge, he becomes completely free from the contamination of material world.

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The theory of the asuras that the living entities are born of material nature, or prakrti, in touch with the purusa, this theory also cannot be accepted, because both the material nature and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are eternally existing. There cannot be any birth of both the material nature or of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Personality is known as aja, or unborn. Similarly, the material nature is also called aja. So both these terms, aja or aja, means "unborn." Because both of them unborn, it is not possible that they can beget the living entities.

But it is accepted in the Vedic literature that as water in contact with air sometimes presents innumerable bubbles within the water, similarly, a combination of material nature and the Supreme Person causes the appearance of the living entities within this material world, as bubbles in the water. These bubbles in the water appear in different shapes. Similarly, the living entities also appear in the material world in different shapes and conditions, influenced by the modes of material nature. As such, it is not improper to conclude that the living entities within this material world in different shapes, like human being, demigods, animals, birds, beasts, etc., they get their respective bodies under different desires. Nobody can say when such desire was awakened in them, and it is said therefore that anadi-karma: the cause of such material existence is untraceable. Nobody knows when it began, but it is a fact that it has a point of beginning, because originally every living entity is spiritual spark. As the spark's falling down on the ground from the fire has a beginning, similarly, the living entities coming to this material world has a beginning, but nobody can say when it was begun.

But it is a fact that even during the time of dissolution these living entities remain merged into the spiritual existence of the Lord, as if in deep sleep. But their original desires to lord it over the material nature do not subside in that way. Again, when there is cosmic manifestation, they come out to fulfill the same desire, and therefore they appear in different species of life.

The example for this merging into the Supreme at the time of dissolution is compared with honey. In the honeycomb, the taste of different flowers and fruits are already conserved. When one drinks honey, one cannot distinguish what sort of honey has been collected from what sort of flower or fruit, but the palatable taste of the honey presupposes that the honey is not homogeneous, but it is combination of different tastes.

Similarly, there is another example in this connection that different rivers ultimately mix up with the water of the sea, but that does not mean the individual identification of the rivers is lost thereby. Even the water of Ganges or Yamuna mixes with the water of the sea, still, the river Gahga, or Ganges, or Yamuna continue to exist. Merging of different types of living entities into Brahma at the time of dissolution means dissolution of different types of bodies. But factually, the living entities, along with their different tastes, remain submerged in Brahma till another manifestation of the material world.

As the taste of the seawater-salty-and the taste of Ganges water-sweet-are different, and this difference continually exists, similarly the difference between the Supreme Lord and the living entities continually exist, even though it appears that at the time of dissolution they merge into one together. The conclusion is therefore when a living entity becomes free from all contamination of material condition, they merge into the spiritual kingdom, but still their individual taste in relationship with the Supreme Lord continues.

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The personified Vedas continued to say: "My dear Lord, it is therefore conclusion that all living entities are attracted by Your material energy, and due to their mistaken identification as one of the products of the material nature they are migrating, or transmigrating, from one kind of body to another due to this forgetfulness of eternal relationship with You. On account of ignorance, these living entities are identifying themselves in different species of life; and especially when they are elevated to the human form of life, one living entity identifies with one class of men or one kind of nation or one kind of color or one kind of so-called religion, forgetting his real identity that he is eternal servant of Your Lordship.

"On account of this faulty conception of life, they are undergoing repeated birth and death. Out of many millions of them, if one becomes intelligent enough in association with pure devotee, he comes to the understanding of Krsna consciousness and becomes out of the jurisdiction of material misconception."

In the Caitanya-caritamrta, therefore, it is stated by Lord Caitanya that the living entities are wandering within this universe in different species of life. But if one of them becomes intelligent enough by the mercy of spiritual master and that of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna, then he begins his devotional life in Krsna consciousness. It is said that harim vina na mrtim taranti [Bhavartha-dipika 10.87.27], which means that without the help of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nobody can get out of the clutches of repeated birth and death. In other words, the Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead, can alone only be relief to the conditioned soul from the cycle of repeated birth and death.

"The influence of time-past, present, future-and the material conditions of miseries, such like excessive heat, excessive cold, birth, death, old age, disease, all of them are simply movement of Your eyebrows. Everything is working under Your direction."

It is said in the Bhagavad-gita that the whole material activities are going on under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. "All this conditions of material existence are opposing elements for such persons who are not surrendered unto You. But those who are surrendered soul and in full Krsna consciousness, for them these things cannot be any source of fearfulness."

When Lord Nrsimhadeva appeared, Prahlada Maharaja was never afraid of, while his atheist father immediately become encumbered by the personified death and was killed. Therefore, although Lord Nrsimhadeva appears as the death for atheist like Hiranyakasipu, He is always kind and reservoir of all pleasure to the devotees like Prahlada. A pure devotee is not, therefore, afraid of birth, death, old age and disease.

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Sripada Sridhara Swami in this connection composes a nice verse, the purport of which is like this: "My dear Lord, I am a living entity perpetually disturbed by the conditions of material existence. In the smashing wheel of this material existence I have practically been smashed and cracked into different pieces, and on account of my various sinful activities while existence this material world, I am burning in the blazing fire of this reaction. Somehow or other, my dear Lord, I have come to take shelter under Your lotus feet. Please accept me and give me protection." [quotation close]

Srila Narottama dasa Thakura, also, in his prayer says like this: "My dear Lord, the son of Nanda, are associated with the daughter of Vrsabhanu, I have come to take shelter under Your lotus feet after suffering very much in material condition of life, and I am praying, please be merciful now upon me. Please do not kick me away, because I have no other shelter than Yourself."

The conclusion is therefore that except bhakti-yoga, or devotional service to the Lord, any other process of self-realization or God realization are very, very difficult. Devotional service to the Lord in full Krsna consciousness is therefore the only shelter, especially in this age, for getting out of the contamination of material conditional life. All of them who are out of Krsna consciousness are simply wasting their time, without any tangible proof of spiritual life.

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It is said by Lord Ramacandra that "Anyone who surrenders unto Me and decides definitely that he is My eternal servant, to such devotee I always give confidence and security, because that is My natural inclination." Similarly, Lord Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gitathat "The influence of the material nature is unsurmountable, but anyone who surrenders unto Me, he can verily overcome such influence of material nature." The devotees therefore are not at all interested to argue with the nondevotees for nullifying their theory, but instead of wasting time in that way, they always engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord in full Krsna consciousness.

The personified Vedas continued to say, "My dear Lord, great mystic yogis who might have full control over the elephant of mind and the hurricane of the senses, such persons also, without taking shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, turns to be extravagant, and in spite of trying to control over the mind and senses falls down as victim of the material influence and never becomes successful in his attempt to self-realization. Such unguided persons are compared with merchants going on merchant ship on the sea but without any captain."

By personal attempt, therefore, nobody can get out of the influence of material clutches. But one has to accept a bona fide spiritual master and work according to his direction. Then it is possible to cross over the nescience of material condition. Sripada Sridhara Swami composes a nice verse in this connection, in which he says, [within quotation] "O all-merciful spiritual master, representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, when my mind will be completely surrendered unto your lotus feet, at that time, only by your mercy I shall be able to get relief from all kinds of trouble of executing spiritual life and be able to be situated in blissful life."

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Actually ecstatic samadhi, or trance on the Supreme Personality of Godhead can be achieved by constant engagement in His service, and this constant engagement in devotional service can be performed only when one is working under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master. The Vedas therefore orders that in order to know the science of devotional service, one has to submit himself unto the bona fide spiritual master. The bona fide spiritual master is he who knows the science of devotional service in disciplic succession. This disciplic succession is called srotriyam, and anyone who has become the spiritual master in that disciplic succession, the prime symptom is that he is cent per cent fixed up in bhakti-yoga.

Sometimes people neglect to accept a spiritual master but endeavor for self-realization by mystic yoga practice. But there are many instances of failure, even by great yogis like Visvamitra and others. Arjuna said in the Bhagavad-gita that to control the mind is as impractical as to stop the blowing of hurricane. Sometimes the mind is compared with a maddened elephant also. So without following the direction of spiritual master, nobody is able to control the mind and the senses. Or in other words, without accepting bona fide spiritual master, if one practices yoga mystic, surely he will fail. He will simply be wasting his valuable time.

The Vedic injunction is that without being under the guidance of an acarya, nobody can be in full knowledge. Acaryavan puruso veda [Chandogya Upanisad 6.14.2]:

One who has accepted acarya, he knows what is what. The Absolute Truth cannot be understood by arguments. One who has attained the perfect stage of brahmana, naturally, on account of spiritual knowledge, gradually he becomes renounced in spiritual enjoyment and comes to the conclusion that in this world there is no insufficiency. Everything is sufficiently provided by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A real brahmana, therefore, without endeavoring for material perfection, he approaches the bona fide spiritual master to accept all kinds of orders from him.

A spiritual master's qualification is that he is brahma-nistham. This brahma-nistham means he has given up all other activities and dedicated his life only to work for the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna. When a bona fide student approaches bona fide spiritual master, he submits his prayers to the spiritual master, "My dear lord, kindly accept me as your student and train me in such a way so that I may be able to give up all kinds of processes for self-realization and simply be engaged in Krsna consciousness, devotional service."

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The devotee, thus being engaged by the direction of the spiritual master in transcendental loving service of the Lord, contemplates as follows: [within quotation] "My dear Lord, when You are present, who is the reservoir of all pleasure, what is the use of transient pleasure derived out of society, friendship and love? Persons who are unaware of the supreme reservoir of pleasure falsely becomes engaged in deriving pleasure out of sense gratification, transient and illusory." [quotation close] In this connection, Vidyapati, a great Vaisnava devotee and poet, says, [within quotation] "My dear Lord, undoubtedly there is some pleasure in the midst of society, friendship and love, materially conceived, but such pleasure cannot satisfy my heart, which is compared with a desert."

The idea is, in a desert there is need of water containing in the ocean. Therefore, if on the desert a drop of water is poured over, what is the value of such watering? Similarly, our material heart is full of multi-desires. They cannot be fulfilled within the material society, friendship or love. When our heart begins to derive pleasure from the supreme reservoir of all pleasures, then it can be satisfied. That transcendental satisfaction is only possible in devotional service, in full Krsna consciousness. We cannot derive any…

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Krsna, Chapter Eighty-seven continued.

The personified Vedas continued to say: "My dear Lord, You are sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs 5.1], ever-blissful form of knowledge, and the living entities, being parts and parcels of Your personality, in his natural state of existence is fully conscious about You. In this material world, anyone who has developed such Krsna consciousness is not any more interested in the materialistic way of life. Such Krsna conscious being becomes disinterested in the matter of family life, or the living condition with a little concession for sense enjoyment. In other words, such persons are no more interested in the business of sense gratification.

"Perfection of human life is based on knowledge and renunciation, and it is very difficult to attain such stage of knowledge and renunciation in family life. Such persons therefore take shelter of devotees' association or sanctified places like pilgrimages. Such Krsna conscious persons are aware of the Supersoul and the living entities and their respective relationship and are never in bodily concept of life. And because such devotees always carry You in full consciousness within their heart, they become so much purified that wherever they go, that place itself becomes a holy place of pilgrimage, because the water washed of their feet is able to deliver many sinful persons hovering within this material world." [quotation close]

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When Prahlada Maharaja was asked by his atheist father to describe something very good which Prahlada Maharaja learned, he replied to his father that the best thing for a materialistic person who is always full with anxieties on account of being engaged in temporary and relative existential truths, the best thing for them is to give up the blind well of family life and go to the forest to take shelter of the Supreme Lord.

The explanation is those who are actually pure devotees, celebrated as mahatmas, and great sages, personalities of perfection of knowledge, they always think of the Supreme Lord and His lotus feet, which thinking one becomes automatically liberated. Devotees, being always situated in such position, themselves also become electrified by the inconceivable potencies of the Lord, and thus become themselves the source of liberation to their followers and devotees. A Krsna conscious person is fully electrified spiritually, and therefore any other who touches or takes shelter of such pure devotee becomes similarly electrified with spiritual potencies. Such devotees are never puffed up with material opulences. Generally, the material opulences are good parentage, education, beauty and richness. But a devotee of the Lord may possess all these four items of material opulences, but he is never carried away by the pride of possessing such distinctions of life.

Such great devotees of the Lord travel all over the world from one pilgrimage to another, and on their way to pilgrimage they meet so many conditioned souls, and they deliver them by their association and distribution of transcendental knowledge. Such devotees generally reside in places like Vrndavana, Mathura, Dvaraka, Jagannatha Puri, Navadvipa, because in such places only, devotees assemble. So they take advantage of one another and thus advance in Krsna consciousness. Such devotees opens various centers of assembly of Krsna conscious persons so that every living entity can take advantage of such association, and in such association the devotees develop more and more in Krsna consciousness, which is impossible to achieve in ordinary household life, devoid of Krsna consciousness.

Next paragraph.

The personified Vedas continued by saying, "My dear Lord, there are two classes of transcendentalist, the impersonalist and the personalist, and in the opinion of some of them, this material manifestation as false and only the Absolute Truth is fact. In other's opinion even this material world, although things are very temporary, still they are not false, they are fact. Such transcendentalists have different arguments to establish their philosophical views. Factually, the fact is that the material world is simultaneously both truth and untruth. It is truth because everything is expansion of the Supreme Absolute Truth, and it is untruth because the existence of the material world is temporary-it is created, and it is annihilated. On account of its different conditions of existence, the cosmic manifestation has no fixed-up position.

The advocates of accepting this material world as false are general…

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"…is that the material world is simultaneously both truth and untruth. It is truth because everything is expansion of the Supreme Absolute Truth, and it is untruth because the existence of the material world is temporary-it is created and it is annihilated. On account of its different conditions of existence, the cosmic manifestation has no fixed-up position."

The advocates of accepting this material world as false, generally known by the maxim brahma satyam jagan mithya, put forward their arguments as follows. Commonly this example is found that in the material world everything is prepared out of the matter. Take for example many things made of clay-earthen pot, dishes, bowls and many such things. Such dishes, bowls and earthen pots after annihilation becomes transformed to many other forms of matter, but in all cases their existence as clay continues. An earthen pot like water jug, when it is annihilated and broken, may be transformed into a bowl or dish. But either in the condition of dish, bowl or water jug, the earth is continuing to existence. Therefore the forms of water jug, bowl or dishes, they are false, but their existence on earth is real.

This cosmic manifestation is certainly produced from the Absolute Truth, but because the existence is temporary, therefore it is false, whereas the Absolute Truth being present always, it is truth. In the opinion of other transcendentalist, this material world, being produced of the Absolute Truth, is also truth. The counterargument is that this is not a fact because sometimes it is found that matter is produced out of spirit soul, and spirit soul is sometimes produced out of matter. Such philosophers push forward the argument that cow dung is a dead matter, but still, sometimes it is found that scorpions are coming out, out of the cow dung. Similarly, dead matters like nails and hairs are coming out of the living body. Therefore, things produced of a certain thing is not always the same thing.

On the strength of this argument, Mayavadi philosophers establishes that this cosmic manifestation is certainly an emanation from the Absolute Truth, but that does not mean that this cosmic manifestation has any truth in it. The Absolute Truth Brahma should therefore be accepted as truth, whereas the cosmic manifestation, although production from the Absolute Truth, cannot be taken as truth.

Next paragraph.

Such a view of the Mayavadi philosopher is stated in the Bhagavad-gita as the views of the asuras. The Lord says in the Bhagavad-gita asatyam apratistham jagad ahur anisvaram [Bg 16.8]:

"The asuras' view of this cosmic manifestation is that the whole creation is false. The asuras think that the source of the creation is only interaction of matter; there is no controller or God."

But actually that is not the fact. In the Seventh Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, we understand that the five elements-earth, water, air, fire and sky-plus the subtle elements-mind, intelligence and false ego-they are separated eight kinds of energies of the Supreme Lord. Beyond this inferior eight kinds of material energy there is another, spiritual energy, which is known as the living entities. The living entities are also accepted as the superior energy of the Lord. So the whole cosmic manifestation is combination of this inferior energy and superior energy, and the source of the energies is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead has got many different types of energies. That is confirmed in the Vedas, parasya saktir vividhaiva srūyate [Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8]:

"The varieties of transcendental energies of the Lord are variegated." So all such varieties, because emanated from the Supreme Lord, cannot be false. The Lord is ever-existing, and the energies are ever-existing. Some of the energy is temporary-sometimes manifested, sometimes not manifested-that does not mean such energy is false. The example which may be taken, that a person is sometimes angry, and in his angry mood he does something which is different from his normal condition of life. But because that mood of anger appears and disappears, it does not mean that that energy, anger energy, is false. As such, the argument of the Mayavadi philosopher that this world is false is not accepted by the Vaisnava philosopher, and this is confirmed by the Lord Himself, that this views that there is no supreme cause of this material manifestation, there is no God, everything is only creation of interaction of matter, is a view of the asuras.

In this connection, the Mayavadi philosopher sometimes puts forward the argument of the snake and the rope.

[break] …is taking the rope as a snake does not mean that the rope is false or the snake is false. It is simply due to ignorance that the curling rope in the evening was taken as a snake. So this example is not very valid argument. When a thing is taken as fact which has no existence at all, it is called false. To accept something as something else does not mean that the thing which is mistaken is false. The Vaisnava philosophers' example that this material world is just like an earthen pot is very appropriate. When we see an earthen pot as fact, it does not disappear immediately as something else. It may be temporary, but the earthen pot is taken into use for bringing water, and we continue to see the earthen pot as earthen pot. Therefore, although the earthen pot is temporary and is not equal to the original earth stock, still, we cannot say that the earthen pot is false. We should therefore conclude that the entire earth and the earthen pot, both of them are truths because the one is the product of the other.

We understand it from Bhagavad-gita that after dissolution of this cosmic manifestation, the energy enters into Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is ever-existing with His varied energies, and because the material creation is emanation from Him, we cannot say that this cosmic manifestation is a product of something void. Krsna is not void. Whenever we speak of Krsna, He is present with His form, quality, name, entourage and paraphernalia. So Krsna is neither impersonal. Therefore, the original cause of everything is neither void nor impersonal but the Supreme Person. Demons may say that this material creation is anisvara, without any controller or without any God, but such argument cannot stand ultimately.

Next paragraph.

The example given by the Mayavadi philosopher that from the living body the nails and hairs, which are inanimate material, also come out is not very sound argument. The nails and the hairs, they are undoubtedly inanimate, but they come out not from the animate living being but from the inanimate material body. Similarly, the argument that from cow dung the scorpion comes out, that means from matter the living entity comes out, is also not sound because the scorpion which comes out of the cow dung is certainly a living entity, but the living entity does not come out of the cow dung, but the living entity's material body, or the body of the scorpion, is coming out of the cow dung.

The sparks of living entity, as we understand from Bhagavad-gita, is given, impregnated, within the material nature, and they come out. The body of the living entity in different forms is supplied by the material nature, but the living entity as he is, is impregnated by the Supreme Lord. The father and mother gives the body which is particularly necessary for the living entity under certain condition. The living entity is transmigrating from one body to another according to his different desires. So the desires in subtle form of intelligence, mind and false ego accompany the living entity, and by superior arrangement such living entity is put into the womb of a certain type of material body, wherein he develops such body.

So the spirit soul is not produced out of the matter, but the spirit soul comes out from the matter, taking a particular type of body under superior arrangement. In our present experience, this material world is combination of matter and spirit. The spirit is moving the matter, but the spirit soul or the living entity and the matter, both of them are different energies of the Supreme Lord. Under the circumstances, both the energies being products of the Supreme Eternal, or the Supreme Truth, are therefore facts and they are not false. The living entity being eternal part and parcel of the Supreme, he is existing eternally. Therefore, there cannot be any question of birth or death. The so-called birth and death are happening on account of the material body. The Vedic version sarvam khalv idam brahma [Chandogya Upanisad 3.14.1] means both the energies being emanated from the Supreme Brahma, everything that we experience is not different from Brahma.

Next paragraph.

So there are many arguments about the existence of this material world, but the Vaisnava philosophical conclusion is the best. The example of the earthen pot is very suitable, that the form of the earthen pot may be temporary but it has got a specific purpose. The purpose of the earthen pot is to get water or to carry water from one place to another. Similarly, this material body, although may be temporary, it has got a special use. The living entity is given a chance from the beginning of the creation to evolve different kinds of material body according to his reserve desires from time immemorial. But the living entity is given a chance to possess the human form of body, wherein the developed consciousness can be utilized.

Sometimes the Mayavadi philosophers push forward the argument that if this material world is truth, then why the householders are advised to give up the connection of this material world and take sannyasa? But the Vaisnava philosophers' view of sannyasa is not that the world is false, therefore he is giving up the material activities, but the purpose of Vaisnava sannyasa is to utilize the things as they are meant for.

Srila Rūpa Gosvami has given two formulas in the matter of our dealing with this material world. When a Vaisnava renounces this materialistic way of life and takes to sannyasa, it is not on the conception of falsity of the material world, but devoting oneself fully for engaging everything in the service of the Lord. Srila Rūpa Gosvami therefore gives this formula, that "One should be unattached to the material world because there is no meaning of one's being attached to the material world, because the whole material world, cosmic manifestation, belongs to God, Krsna. So everything should be utilized for Krsna, and the devotee should remain unattached to such things."

This is the purpose of Vaisnava sannyasa. The materialists stick to the material world for sense gratification, but a Vaisnava sannyasi, although he does not accept anything for his personal sense gratification, he knows the art of utilizing everything for the service of the Lord. Srila Rūpa Gosvami has therefore criticized the Mayavada sannyasa form because they do not know that everything has a utilization for the service of the Lord. On the contrary, they take it as false, and thus falsely they think of being liberated from the contamination of material world. Everything being expansion of the energy of the Supreme Lord, they are as much truth as the Supreme Lord is.

Temporary manifestation of the cosmic world does not mean that it is false or the source of its manifestation is false. The source of its manifestation being truth, the manifestation is also truth, but one must know how to utilize it. Exactly the same example, that the earthen pot is made of earth and it is produced from the whole earth, but the earthen pot can be utilized for a certain purpose, and when it is properly utilized it is not false. The Vaisnava philosophers know how to utilize the temporary construction of this material world, as much as a sane man knows how he can utilize the temporary construction of the earthen pot. When the earthen pot is utilized for any other purpose, that is false. Similarly, this human form of body or this material world, when they are utilized for false sense gratification, then it is false. But if this human form of body and the material creation are utilized for the service of the Supreme Lord, such activities are never false.

It is therefore confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita that a little service attitude of utilizing this body in the material world for the service of the Lord can deliver a person from the gravest danger of life. Both the superior and inferior energies emanating from the Supreme Personality of God, when they are properly utilized, they are never false.

So far the fruitive activities are concerned, they are mainly based on the platform of sense gratification. Therefore, a advanced Krsna conscious person does not take to the fruitive activities. The result of fruitive activities can elevate one to the higher planetary system, but as it is said in the Bhagavad-gita that such foolish persons, after exhausting the results of their pious activities in the heavenly kingdom, come again back on this lower planetary system, and again they try to go to the higher planetary system. So their only profit is to take the trouble of going and coming back, as at present many material scientists are spoiling their time by trying to go to the moon planet and again coming back.

Such kind of activities are described by the Vedas personified as andha-parampara, or the blind followers of the ritualistic ceremonies mentioned in the Vedas. Such ceremonies are certainly mentioned there, but they are not meant for intelligent class of men. The class of men who are too much attached to material enjoyment, they are captivated for being elevated to the higher planetary system and take to such ritualistic activities. But a person who is intelligent and has the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master to see things as they are do not take to such fruitive activities but engage themselves in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Persons who are not devotees, they take to the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies as facts and figures, and thus they are bewildered.

In this connection, a vivid example can be given: just like an intelligent person possessing millions of dollars in currency notes does not hold the money without utilization. He knows perfectly well that the currency notes are nothing but paper. When one has one million dollars of currency notes, actually he is holding a huge bunch of papers only. But if one utilizes that millions of dollars for some utility purposes, then he becomes benefited. Similarly, this material world, although it may be false just like the paper, but it has got its proper utilization, exactly like the currency notes in paper has its proper utilization.

Another point is that the currency notes, although paper, but because it is issued by the government, it has got the full value. Similarly, this material world may be false or temporary, whatever you may say, but because it is emanation from the Supreme Lord, it has got its full value. Vaisnava philosopher knows the full value of this material world, and they utilize it for such purposes, whereas the Mayavadi philosophy, mistaking the currency note as false paper, they give it up and they cannot utilize the money.

Srila Rūpa Gosvami therefore recommends that without considering the importance of this material world as a means of serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, if one rejects this material world as false, such renunciation has very little value. Whereas a person who knows the intrinsic value of this material world in the service of the Lord, without any attachment for this material world, his renunciation of the material world by not accepting it for sense gratification is real renunciation.

"This material world is expansion of Your material energy; therefore, it is true. It is not false, as it is sometimes examplified like the snake and the rope."

Next paragraph.

The personified Vedas continued to say, "By the flickering nature of the cosmic manifestation, on account of its impermanent existence, it appears to the less intelligent class of men as false." [quotation close] The flickering nature of this cosmic manifestation is taken advantage of the Mayavadi philosopher to prove their thesis that this world is false because according to Vedic version, before creation this world had no existence, and after dissolution the world will have no more any manifestation. The voidist also takes advantage of this Vedic version that before creation there was no existence of this cos…, manifestation, and after creation there will be no existence of this manifestation. Therefore, the cause of the material world is void. But Vedic injunction does not say it is void. The Vedic injunction says, yato va imani bhūtani jayante [Taittiriya Upanisad 3.1.1].

Or "From whom this cosmic manifestation has come out and in whom, after annihilation, everything will merge."

The same thing is explained in Vedanta-sūtra or in Srimad-Bhagavatam in the beginning of its chapter janmady asya. All these Vedic injunctions indicate that the cosmic manifestation is due to the Supreme Absolute Personality of Godhead, and when it is dissolved it merges into Him. The same thing is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, that "This cosmic manifestation is coming into existence and again becoming dissolved, and after dissolution it merges into the existence of the Supreme Lord."

This statement definitely confirm it that the particular energy known as bahir-ahga-maya, or external energy, although is of flickering nature, but it is the energy of the Supreme Lord, and as such it cannot be false. It simply appears like that. The Mayavadi philosopher, however, concludes it that because in the beginning it has no existence and after dissolution there will be no existence, it is false. But the Vedic injunction says in the examples of the earthen pots and dishes that the existence of the particular resultant action of Absolute Truth, although temporary, the energy of the Supreme Lord is always there; therefore it is permanent. The earthen pot, water jug, may be broken or transformed into another shape like dish or bowl, but the ingredient or the material basis, namely the earth, continues to be the same, the basic principle of this cosmic manifestation being always the same: Brahma, or Absolute Truth.

The Mayavadi philosophers theorizing as is false is certainly only mental concoction. Actually, because of the cosmic manifestation being flickering and temporary, it is not false. The definition of falsity is "that which had never any existence but it is existing only in name." The examples in this connection may be cited as the eggs of a horse or the flower of the sky or the horn of the rabbit. All these words are existing only in name. Actually, there was never any egg of the horse, there was never any horn of the rabbit, neither there was any production of flower in the sky. There are many things which exist only in name but actually they are never any factual manifestation. Such things can be called false. But this material world, because of its temporary nature manifesting and again dissolving, the Vaisnava philosopher cannot take it as false.

Next paragraph.

The personified Vedas continued to say that the Supersoul and the individual soul, or Paramatma and jivatma, cannot be equal in any circumstance, although both of them are sitting on the same body, or like two birds sitting in the same tree. But as it is declaring in the Vedas that these two birds, although sitting as friend, they are not equal. One is simply witness. This bird is Paramatma, or the Supersoul. And the other bird is eating the fruit of the tree. That is jivatma.

So in the cosmic manifestation, the jivatma, or the individual soul, according to his previous fruitive activities, appears in the creation in different forms, and due to his long forgetfulness of real existence he identifies himself with a particular form offered to him by the laws of material nature. After assuming such material form, he becomes subjected to the three material modes of nature, and he acts accordingly to continue his existence in the material world. While he is enwrapped in such ignorance, his natural opulences, although in minute quantity, become almost extinct, whereas the Supersoul, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although He appears within this material world, He maintains in full all the opulences, all the perfections, keeping Himself apart from all the tribulations of this material world.

The conditioned soul becomes enwrapped in the material world, whereas the Supersoul, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, leaves it like the snake leaves its carcass of the body without any affection. The distinction between the Supersoul and the conditioned soul or individual soul is that the Supersoul, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, maintains His natural opulences, known as saḍ-aisvarya, (comma) asta-siddhi and asta-guna. Saḍ-aisvarya means six kinds of opulences…

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LA tape number thirty-eight. Chapter Eighty-seven continued.

So when after much deliberation and consideration one comes to this conclusion that Krsna, or God, is the original cause of all causes, that is to be considered as perfection of knowledge. Instead of speculating on the measurement of God-"God may be so much long or so much wide," by frog philosophizing method-one should come to the conclusion of Brahma-samhita, sarva-karana-karanam [Bs 5.1]: "Krsna, or God, is the cause of all causes." That is perfection of knowledge.

Next paragraph.

Thus in the veda-stuti, or the prayers offered by the personified Vedas to the Garbhodakasayi Visnu, was narrated in disciplic succession by Sanandana to his other brothers, all of whom were born of Brahma in the beginning. The four Kumaras are the first-born sons of Brahma; therefore, they are known as pūrva-jata, or the elderly. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita that the parampara system, or the disciplic succession, begins from Krsna Himself, similarly here also, in the prayers of the personified Vedas, we understand that the parampara system begins from the Personality of Godhead, Narayana Rsi.

We should remember that this veda-stuti is being narrated by Kumara Sanandana, and the narration is being repeated by Narayana Rsi in Badarikasrama, who is the incarnation of Krsna for showing us the path of spiritual realization by undergoing severe austerities. As Lord Caitanya in this age demonstrated the path of pure devotional service, adopting Himself in the role of a pure devotee, similarly, in the past Lord Narayana Rsi, a incarnation of Krsna, performed severe austerities in the Himalayan ranges, and Sri Narada Muni was hearing from him. So the statement given by Narayana Rsi to Narada Muni, as it was narrated by Kumara Sanandana in the form of veda-stuti, it is understood that God is one and all others are His servants.

In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is stated, ekale isvara krsna: "Krsna is the only Supreme God." Ara saba bhrtya: "All others are His servants." Yare yaiche nacaya, se taiche kare nrtya :

"The Supreme Lord, as He desires, is engaging all the living entities and others in different activities, and thus they are exhibiting their different talents and ingenuity." This veda-stuti is therefore the original instruction about the relationship between the living entity and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The highest perfectional progress of the living entities is to attain the stage of devotional life. Nobody can be engaged in devotional life, or Krsna consciousness, unless one is fully free from the material contamination.

Lord Narayana Rsi informed Narada Muni that the essence of all Vedas and Vedic literatures, namely the four Vedas, the Upanisads, the Puranas, all of these Vedic literatures, the essence is how to render transcendental loving service to the Lord. In this connection, Narayana Rsi has used one particular word: rasa. In devotional service this rasa is the via media, or the basic principle, of exchanging the dealings between the Lord and the living entity. This rasa formula is also described in the Vedas as raso vai saḥ [Taittiriya Upanisad 2.7.1]:

"The Supreme Lord is the reservoir of all pleasure." So all the Vedic literatures-the Puranas, the Vedas, the Upanisads, the Vedanta-sūtra-they are all teaching the living entities how to attain the stage of rasa.

Srimad-Bhagavatam also says that the statements in this great Puranas, Maha-Purana, is the essence rasa of all Vedic literature. Nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam [SB 1.1.3].

The essence of the ripened fruit in the trees of the Vedic literature. The Vedas, we understand that with the breathing of the Supreme Personality of Godhead the four Vedas, namely the Rg Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda, the Atharva Veda, and from the Vedas the histories like Mahabharata or the Puranas. The Puranas are also considered as history of the world. Vedic literature like the Puranas and Mahabharata, they are called the fifth Vedas.

Thus the twenty-eight verses of veda-stuti is to be con..., are to be considered as the essence of all Vedic knowledge, and thus the four Kumaras and all other authorized sages, they know it perfectly that devotional service in Krsna consciousness is the essence of all Vedic literature, and they are preaching in different planets, traveling in the outer space. It is stated herein that such sages, including Narada Muni, they scarcely they do travel on the surface; they are perpetually traveling on the skyways.

Next paragraph.

The purpose of the sages like the Kumaras and Narada traveling over the space on different planets at their sweet will is to educate the conditioned souls that their business within this material world is not sense gratification, but to be reinstated again in their original position of devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As it is stated in several places, that the living entities are just like sparks of the fire and the Supreme Lord is fire. So somehow or other the sparks, when falls outside the range of fire, it loses its natural illumination. It is ascertained that the living entities come into this material world exactly like falling down of the sparks from the original fireplace.

The purpose of such falling down is stated by Gosvamins: is sense gratification. When the living entity wants to imitate Krsna to lord it over the material nature he forgets his real position, and thus his illuminating power of spiritual identity becomes extinguished. But a living entity, if he takes to Krsna consciousness, he becomes again reinstated in his original position. The sages and saints like Narada and the Kumaras are traveling all over the universe and educating people, increasing their disciples to preach this cult of devotional service so that all the conditioned souls may be educated by reviving his original consciousness, or Krsna consciousness, and thus become relieved from the miserable condition of material existence.

Next paragraph.

Sri Narada Muni is stated to be a naisthika-brahmacari. There are four types of brahmacari. The first is called savitra, which means a brahmacari, after initiation and thread ceremony, observes at least three days' celibacy. The next one is called prajapatya. This brahmacari keeps strictly observing at least one year in celibacy after initiation. The next is called brahma. The brahma-brahmacari observes celibacy from the time of initiation up to the time of finishing studying Vedic literature. And the next one is called naisthika. This naisthika brahmacari observes the life of celibacy throughout. Out of these four brahmacaris, the first three are called upakurvana, which means the brahmacari can marry later on, after the specified period is over. But a naisthika-brahmacari is completely reluctant to have marital or sex life later on. Therefore, the Kumaras and Sri Narada are known as naisthika-brahmacaris, because such celibacy in life is so much advantageous that it increase the power of memory and determination.

Specifically it is mentioned in this connection that Narada, because he was naisthika-brahmacari, whatever he heard from his spiritual master he could keep in memory perpetually, and one who can keep everything in memory perpetually is called sruta-dhara. A sruta-dhara brahmacari can repeat all that he has heard verbatim, without any notes and without any reference to the book. So the great sage Narada has got this qualification and, therefore, taking instruction from Narayana Rsi, he is engaged in propagating the philosophy of devotional service all over the world. Such great sages, because they can keep everything in memory, are very much thoughtful, self-realized and completely fixed up in the service of the Lord.

As such, the great sage Narada, after hearing from his spiritual master, Narayana Rsi, he became completely realized of the truth and memorized it, and he was so much engladdened that he offered his prayers as follows to Narayana Rsi. The naisthika-brahmacari is also called vira-vrata. Sri Narada Muni addressed Narayana Rsi as incarnation of Krsna; thus, he addressed him as the supreme well-wisher of the conditioned soul. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, that Lord Krsna descends in every millennium just to give protection to the devotees and to annihilate the nondevotees. So Narayana Rsi, also being incarnation of Krsna, he was also addressed by Narada Rsi as well-wisher of the conditioned soul.

As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, everyone should know that nobody can be better well-wisher than Krsna for everyone. If anyone understands that Krsna is the supreme well-wisher of everybody and thus takes shelter unto Krsna, then actually one becomes completely confident and satisfied that he has somebody able to give him all protection. Krsna Himself, or His direct incarnation or the part of His plenary expansion, all of them is the supreme well-wisher of the conditioned soul. Krsna is well-wisher even for the demons. He gave salvation to all the demons who came to kill Him at Vrndavana. Therefore, Krsna's welfare activities are absolute. Even He annihilates a demon or give protection to a devotee, the effects of both the activities is one and the same.

It is said that the demon Pūtana was elevated to the same position like His mother. So when Krsna annihilates some demon, it is for his well-being. He is supremely benefited by such killing, as much as a pure devotee is protected by the Lord.

Sri Narada Muni, after offering His respects to Narayana Rsi, he went to the asrama of Dvaipayana Vyasa and he narrated the whole story to his disciple. When he saw Narada Muni, being properly received by Vyasadeva in his asrama, when he was seated very comfortably, he began to narrate what he heard from Narayana Rsi. In this way, Sukadeva Gosvami informed King Pariksit that the answer of his questions as to what is the essence of Vedic knowledge and which point of view in the Vedas is accepted as the ultimate goal, the ultimate goal of life is to achieve the transcendental blessings of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus becoming engaged in the loving service of the Lord. Following the footsteps of Sri Sukadeva Gosvami and all the Vaisnavas in the disciplic succession, we should now offer our respectful obeisances unto Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari. The four sects of Vaisnava disciplic succession, namely the Madhva-sampradaya, the Ramanuja-sampradaya, the Visnu-Svami-sampradaya and the Nimbarka-sampradaya, in pursuance of all Vedic conclusion, is to surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The Vedic literatures are divided into two parts, namely the srutis and the smrtis. The srutis are the four Vedas-Rg, Sama, Atharva and Yajur-within which all the Upanisads are there, and the smrtis are the Puranas, Itihasas like Mahabharata, within which the Bhagavad-gita is there. And altogether the conclusion is to know Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the parama-purusa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead under whose superintendence the material nature works in the matter of creation, maintenance and annihilation. After creation, the Lord incarnates into three, namely Brahma, Visnu and Lord Siva. All of them take charge of each department of the three qualities of material nature, but the ultimate direction is of Lord Visnu. The complete activities of the material nature under the three modes of qualities are going on under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, mayadhyaksena, as well as in the Vedas, sa aiksata [Aitareya Upanisad 1.1.1].

The atheistic Sahkhya philosophers will, of course, offer their arguments that this material creation or the cosmic manifestation is due to prakrti and purusa, material nature and the living entities, or the material cause and the effective cause. But Krsna is the cause of all causes. He is the cause of both material and effective causes. Prakrti and purusa are not the ultimate cause. Superficially it appears that a child is born due to the combination of the father and the mother, but the ultimate cause of both the father and the mother is Krsna. He is therefore original cause, or the cause of all causes, as it is confirmed in the Brahma-samhita.

Within the material creation, both the Supreme Lord and the living entities enter. The Supreme Lord Krsna, by one of His plenary expansion, manifest as Karanodakasayi, Maha-Visnu, or the gigantic Visnu form lying in the Causal Ocean. Then from that gigantic form of Visnu, Maha-Visnu, the Garbhodakasayi Visnu expands and enters in each and every universe. From Him, Brahma, Visnu and Siva expand. Visnu enters into the heart of all living entities, as well as within the existence of material elements, including the atom. The Brahma-samhita says, anḍantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham [Bs 5.35]: he says that He is within this universe and He is also within the atom.

As the living entity has a small material body of different kinds of species and forms, similarly, the whole universe is also the material body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This body is described in the sastras as virat-rūpa. As a individual living entity maintains his particular body, similarly, the Supreme Personality of Godhead maintains the whole cosmic creation, entering within it. As soon as the individual living entity leaves this material body, immediately annihilation takes place of this body. Similarly, as soon as Lord Visnu leaves this cosmic manifestation, everything annihilates. The individual living entity, therefore, when he surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, at that time only it is possible for his liberation from material existence.

This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg 7.14]

And therefore surrendering unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause of liberation, and nothing else. How a living entity becomes liberated from the influence of the modes of material nature after surrendering to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is examplified [sic] with a sleeping man within the room. When a man sleeps within his room, everyone sees that he is there within the room, but actually the man himself is not within that body. While sleeping, the man forgets his bodily existence, although other sees that the body is lying there. Similarly, a liberated person engaged in devotional service of the Lord may be observed by others as if engaged in household duties of this material world, but his consciousness being changed into Krsna, or being in Krsna consciousness, he does not live within this world. His engagements are different, exactly like the sleeping man's engagement at the time of sleeping is different from the body.

This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, that a devotee engaged full time in the transcendental loving service of the Lord has already surpassed the influence of the three modes of material nature. He is already situated in the Brahma platform, or transcendental realm, although the devotee appears to be living within this body or within this material world.

Srila Rūpa Gosvami has said in this connection in his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu that the person whose only desire is to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead may be situated in any condition of this material world, but he is to be understood as jivan-mukta, or liberated while living within this body or within this material world. The conclusion is, therefore, that a person fully in Krsna consciousness is liberated person because such person has nothing to do with this body or with this material world. Those who are not in Krsna consciousness, they are called the karmis and the jnanis, hovering on the bodily platform or mental platform without any liberation. This situation is called kaivalya-nirasta-yoni. But the person situated in transcendental platform has now become freed from repetition of birth and death.

This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, Fourth Chapter: "Simply by knowing the transcendental nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna, one becomes freed from the chain of repetition of birth and death, and after quitting the present body he goes back to home, back to Godhead." This is the conclusion of all the Vedas. So let us all surrender unto the lotus feet of Lord Krsna after understanding the prayers offered by the personified Vedas.

Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Eighty-seventh Chapter of Krsna, "Prayers by the Personified Vedas."