watering the root of a tree
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By pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one pleases everyone, just as by watering the root of a tree one satisfies every branch, twig and leaf of the tree. If one can attract the Supreme Personality of Godhead, naturally he attracts the whole universe because Krsna is the supreme cause of the universe. All the demigods were afraid of being totally vanquished by suffocation, but the Personality of Godhead assured them that Dhruva Maharaja was a great devotee of the Lord and was not about to annihilate everyone in the universe. A devotee is never envious of other living entities.
(More...) Here the word vigraham, "having specific form," is very significant, for it indicates that the Absolute Truth is ultimately the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is explained in the Brahma-samhita. Sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah: He has form, but His form is different from any kind of material form. The living entities are the marginal energy of the supreme form. As such, they are not different from the supreme form, but at the same time they are not equal to the supreme form. Dhruva Maharaja is advised herewith to render service unto the supreme form. That will include service to other individual forms. For example, a tree has a form, and when water is poured on the root of the tree, the other forms-the leaves, twigs, flowers and fruits-are automatically watered. The Mayavada conception that because the Absolute Truth is everything He must be formless is rejected here. Rather, it is confirmed that the Absolute Truth has form, and yet He is all-pervading. Nothing is independent of Him.
(More...) According to Vedic calculations, there are three causes of creation-time, the ingredient and the creator. Combined, these are called tritayatmaka, the three causes. Everything in this material world is created by these three causes. All of these causes are found in the Personality of Godhead. As confirmed in Brahma-samhita: sarva-karana-karanam. Narada Muni therefore advises the Pracetas to worship the direct cause, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As stated before, when the root of a tree is watered, all the parts are energized. According to the advice of Narada Muni, one should directly engage in devotional service. This will include all pious activity. Caitanya-caritamrta states: krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya. When one worships the Supreme Lord Krsna in devotional service, he automatically performs all other pious activity. In this verse the words sva-tejasa dhvasta-guna-pravaham are very significant. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is never affected by the material qualities, although they all emanate from His spiritual energy. Those who are really conversant with this knowledge can utilize everything for the service of the Lord because nothing in this material world is unconnected with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
(More...) The Supreme Personality of Godhead says that as long as one does not develop the pure devotional service of sravanam kirtanam, hearing and chanting, one must carry out his prescribed duties. Since Bharata Maharaja was a great devotee, one may ask why he performed so many sacrifices that are actually meant for karmis. The fact is that he was simply following the orders of Vasudeva. As Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita, sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me." (Bg. 18.66) Whatever we do, we should constantly remember Vasudeva. People are generally addicted to offering obeisances to various demigods, but Bharata Maharaja simply wanted to please Lord Vasudeva. As stated in Bhagavad-gita: bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram (Bg. 5.29). A yajna may be carried out to satisfy a particular demigod, but when the yajna is offered to the yajna-purusa, Narayana, the demigods are satisfied. The purpose of performing different yajnas is to satisfy the Supreme Lord. One may perform them in the name of different demigods or directly. If we directly offer oblations to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the demigods are automatically satisfied. If we water the root of a tree, the branches, twigs, fruits and flowers are automatically satisfied. When one offers sacrifices to different demigods, one should remember that the demigods are simply parts of the body of the Supreme. If we worship the hand of a person, we intend to satisfy the person himself. If we massage a person's legs, we do not really serve the legs but the person who possesses the legs. All the demigods are different parts of the Lord, and if we offer service to them, we actually serve the Lord Himself. Demigod worship is mentioned in Brahma-samhita, but actually the slokas advocate worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda. For instance, worship of the goddess Durga is mentioned this way in Brahma-samhita (5.44):
(More...) So everyone is servant. Everyone is servant. You do not... You, you can perform yajna for ordinarily, but if you keeps..., if you be simply under the shelter of Krsna, you do not require to perform different demigod yajnas, deva-yajna. That is not required. The example is given that if you pour water in the root of the tree, you do not require to pour water in the branches, in the twigs, in the flowers, in the fruits. It is automatically done. If you supply food to the stomach, then you do not require to feed the eyes, hands, legs, separately. There is no need; neither it is possible to give separate, I mean to say, food, materials for nourishing the different parts of the body. One place is sufficient. Similarly, if we worship Krsna, the source of everything, the root of everything... Aham adir hi yajnanam..., devanam. Deva-yajna.
(More...) Acyuta ijya. Acyuta is Krsna. By worshiping Krsna, you can worship all the incarnations, all the demigods. The example is given: just like watering the root of the tree, you can pour water to the branches, to the twigs, to the flowers, to the fruits; or by supplying food to the stomach you can energize all the different parts and limbs of the body; similarly, Krsna says, mam ekam saranam vraja, by simply surrendering to Krsna your obligation to all other incarnations, demigods, is fulfilled.
(More...) Simply help to the best of your capacity. Krsna will be pleased to recognize you. Krsna is the root of everything. If He is pleased, everyone will be pleased. If you pour water on the root, the water will be distributed all over the tree. This is the best service to humanity. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Prabhupada: That will include everything. If we make Krsna consciousness, then he becomes perfectly educated. We do not require to... Just like if you pour water on the root of the tree, the water reaches everywhere. And if you pour water on the leaf, on the twig, or on the branch, it does not go anywhere. It is localized. So at the present moment, service is a particular departmental service, not all-including. So, to educate people in Krsna consciousness means to educate him all round.
(More...) Prabhupada: Manifested? Just like if you eat and give the foodstuff to your stomach, then you realize that you have got energy in every part of your body.
(More...) Prabhupada: It is material service, as I showed. If you put foodstuff in your stomach, all the parts of your body feel energetic. That is material service. That is not spiritual service. Spiritual service beyond that. Similarly, the center is God. If you understand God, then you understand everything.
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