Srimad Bhagavad Gita AS IT IS

Bhagavad Gita:   Chapter 6 - Dhyana-yoga

TEXT 24
                          sa niscayena yoktavyo
                          yogo 'nirvinna-cetasa
                        sankalpa-prabhavan kamams
                         tyaktva sarvan asesatah
                         manasaivendriya-gramam
                          viniyamya samantatah

 WORD FOR WORD

   sah--that; niscayena--with firm determination; yoktavyah--must be practiced; yogah--yoga system; anirvinna-cetasa--without deviation; sankalpa--mental speculations; prabhavan--born of; kaman--material desires; tyaktva--giving up; sarvan--all; asesatah--completely; manasa--by the mind; eva--certainly; indriya-gramam--the full set of senses; viniyamya--regulating; samantatah--from all sides.
 
TRANSLATION

   One should engage oneself in the practice of yoga with determination and faith and not be deviated from the path. One should abandon, without exception, all material desires born of mental speculation and thus control all the senses on all sides by the mind.
 
PURPORT by HDG Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad:

   The yoga practitioner should be determined and should patiently prosecute the practice without deviation. One should be sure of success at the end and pursue this course with great perseverance, not becoming discouraged if there is any delay in the attainment of success. Success is sure for the rigid practitioner. Regarding bhakti-yoga, Rupa Gosvami says:

                        utsahan niscayad dhairyat
                        tat-tat-karma-pravartanat
                        sanga-tyagat sato vrtteh
                       sadbhir bhaktih prasidhyati

   "One can execute the process of bhakti-yoga successfully with full-hearted enthusiasm, perseverance, and determination, by following the prescribed duties in the association of devotees and by engaging completely in activities of goodness." (Upadesamrta 3)

   As for determination, one should follow the example of the sparrow who lost her eggs in the waves of the ocean. A sparrow laid her eggs on the shore of the ocean, but the big ocean carried away the eggs on its waves. The sparrow became very upset and asked the ocean to return her eggs. The ocean did not even consider her appeal. So the sparrow decided to dry up the ocean. She began to pick out the water in her small beak, and everyone laughed at her for her impossible determination. The news of her activity spread, and at last Garuda, the gigantic bird carrier of Lord Visnu, heard it. He became compassionate toward his small sister bird, and so he came to see the sparrow. Garuda was very pleased by the determination of the small sparrow, and he promised to help. Thus Garuda at once asked the ocean to return her eggs lest he himself take up the work of the sparrow. The ocean was frightened at this, and returned the eggs. Thus the sparrow became happy by the grace of Garuda.

   Similarly, the practice of yoga, especially bhakti-yoga in Krsna consciousness, may appear to be a very difficult job. But if anyone follows the principles with great determination, the Lord will surely help, for God helps those who help themselves.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.

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Prabhupada Uvacha:
(here's some nectar, sometimes it comes in the form of Srutakirti prabhu's diary, other times from Govinda dasi's diary, Hari Sauri prabhu's Transcendental Diary, Bhurijan prabhu's book, or sometimes from a letter, or other related source, but still nectar...)

May 8th, 1976

Magic Island has become the regular morning route. Today Prabhupada spoke repeatedly how scientists create illusions for people. He also noted how people have the sentiment to build a better world, not just for themselves but for their grandchildren, yet at the same time they kill their own children in the womb. "How crazy they are!" he declared wryly, shaking his head.

As we rounded the tip of the promontory he noticed a group of surfers out to catch the waves. He paused briefly to watch them riding in on their boards, falling off and struggling to swim back out again for the next wave. He said that they would take births as fish in their next lives due to their absorption in water sports. "So," he quoted from Bhagavad-gita, "yam yam vapi smaran bhavam." [Whatever state one remembers when he quits this body, that state he will attain without fail. Bg. 8.6]

----

Class continued with verse seven of the first chapter of the Sixth Canto, describing how a person takes with him the reactions created by the activities of his kaya (body), mana (mind) and vakya (words) into the next life where he suffers accordingly, unless he makes suitable atonement. Therefore Prabhupada said that murderers must be executed in order to free them from reactions to their misdeeds; otherwise they will suffer very severely in their next lives-four times as greatly. One must follow the dharma-sastras to counteract offenses, and he pointed out that if one follows sastra then he will not kill in the first place. He said that because ksat means "injury," it is the government, or ksatriya's duty, to protect the citizens from anyone who is unnecessarily injuring their bodies. Then he gave a broad vision of who should be protected. "The tree has taken birth. The man has taken birth. Why simply man should be saved, not the cows, not the trees? He must be saved. Unnecessarily there cannot be any killing. Lord Christ also, 'Thou shalt not kill.' Yes, this is the beginning of religious life. If you are accustomed to kill somebody, either man, animal, trees, fish, anything, there is not entrance to religious life because every living entity is the son of God."

Giving the surfers as an example, he explained how the soul becomes contaminated by contact with different mixes of the modes of material nature. Combining the words "surfer" and "suffer" he made everyone laugh with an excellent and piercing pun. "This morning we were talking about the sufferers; what is called? The sea suffers? Surfers, yes. I call 'sea sufferers.' Yes, contamination ... so that in the next life he will become a fish. He'll be very free to dance in the ocean." He said they would indeed get such a birth and then spend millions of lifetimes coming once again to the human form. This perhaps struck home to some of his audience since a few young men in attendance had longish hair and were of the beach-going type.

His conclusion was that we have a choice; we can go either up or down. Krsna offers us instruction so that we can go back home, back to Godhead. "But we are not prepared to surrender. That is our material disease. If we do not surrender to Krsna and take His instruction, that is our choice. But if you like, you can make your life successful within a moment simply by surrendering to Krsna. Thank you very much."

- From the "A Transcendental Diary Vol 2" by HG Hari Sauri dasa

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Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
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"Nothing Is Material"

73/09/29 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 13.6-7
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 13.6-7 -- Bombay, September 29, 1973

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Prabhupada:

maha-bhutany ahankaro
buddhir avyaktam eva ca
indriyani dasaikam ca
panca cendriya-gocarah

iccha dvesah sukham duhkham
sanghatas cetana dhrtih
etat ksetram samasena
sa-vikaram udahrtam

Krsna is discussing ksetra, ksetrajnah, jnana, and jneyam. So ksetra... Idam sariram ksetram ity abhidhiyate. This body is the ksetra. Ksetra means the field of activities. Just like a cultivator, he has got a certain portion of land and according to the land, he is seeding, sowing the seeds of grains, and as he's working, he's getting the profit by agricultural product, similarly, this body is a field, is field, and we are sowing the seed, karma, sowing the seed and getting the result. Karmana daiva-netrena.

Why we have got different types of bodies? Why we haven't got, everyone, the same type of body? Somebody is fat, somebody is very thin, somebody white, somebody black, somebody very beautiful, somebody very ugly. There are so many varieties of bodies. Why? Sanghata. This is combination, color combination. There are three gunas. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. As you are associating with the gunas, you are getting different types of body.

That is, Krsna is explaining here, that maha-bhutany ahankara. The ahankara is very important thing. False ahankara and real ahankara. Ahankara means law of identity. "I am Indian," this is ahankara. "I am American," this is ahankara. "I am rich man," this is also ahankara. "I am poor man." There are so many ahankaras, law of identification. So this ahankara is the basis of getting a type of body, And... This is the subtle basis, ahankara. Mano buddhir ahankara. There are eight material elements: bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca. That is stated in the seventh chapter. This earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence, and ahankara. This is creating my different types of body.

Krsna therefore says, maha-bhutany ahankaro buddhir avyaktam eva ca. Avyaktam means the total material substance. Just like when you construct a house there are heaps of materials, some stone, some cement, some woods, some iron, and you combine together... Tejo-vari-mrd-vinimayam. This whole world is exchange of three things: teja, fire, vari, means water, and mrt, means earth. So what is this Bombay city? The Bombay city is a heap of tejo-vari-mrd-vinimayah. And... Here is one expert engineer, he knows how to mix these three things, tejo-vari-mrd-vinimayam, exchange. If there was no stock of tej o-vari-mrd-vinimayam, you could not build such a nice city. But who is supplying the ingredients? Can you create earth? No. Can you create water? No. You cannot create. You are simply working. You are simply working hard mixing them. That's all. Tejo vari-mrd-vinimayam. You cannot create. That is not possible. The creator is God. The creator is God. That is stated in the seventh chapter, prakrtir me astadha. Me, Krsna says, "It is mine."

So this is called illusion. We are using Krsna's property, but we are claiming "our." That is called illusion. Therefore sastra says, Veda says, isavasyam idam sarvam: "Everything belongs to God." You cannot create this big mass of water, sea, or ocean. That is not possible. Who has created? Somebody has created. That is stated in the sastra. There is perspiration. This water is perspiration of Maha-Visnu. We can understand because we are minute particle of Maha-Visnu. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. So sometimes we perspire and create some water, say, half an ounce water. But if somebody has unlimited power to perspire and create water, where is the difficulty to understand? There is no difficulty. If you take it for acceptance that this vast mass of water has come from the perspiration of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So there is nothing to deny this fact. Acintya-sakti. Acintya-sakti means inconceivable power. We have got inconceivable power. Because we are minute particle of God, we have also minute inconceivable power. We do not know how the hairs are growing, but the energy is there within me. Similarly, so many things come out from the inconceivable power of Krsna. Therefore Krsna claims,

bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh
kham mano buddhir eva ca
ahankara itiyam me
bhinna prakrtir astadha

"They are My separated energy." So this whole earth is creation of these five elements, gross elements. So it is Krsna's property. How we can claim, "This is our property?" That is illusion. We are claiming, "This portion is American," "This portion is Indian," "This portion is Pakistani," but we do not know that no portion belongs to us; everything belongs to Krsna.

For practical purpose, even if we accept that the whole world belongs to Krsna, God, and we are sons of God, we have got right to use the property of father, so you can use. But the difficulty is that we are claiming that "This portion is mine, this portion is mine." But if we don't claim like that, everything belongs to God, that is practical communism. If we accept the whole world as the property of God, make God-centered communism... The Russians, they are making the state-center communism. But if you make God center... That is Isopanisad, isavasyam idam sarvam: "Everything belongs to God." And everyone has, that is stated in the sastra, that everything belongs to God, everything is property of God, and we can utilize. We can use that. Yavad artha-prayojanam. As much as we require, we can take.

Just like the birds and beasts. They are living on nature's condition. The bird will go to a tree and eat some fruit, but not more than he requires; neither he will take the fruit at his home to stock for next day or for making black market. No. We have created all this nonsense situation by claiming God's property as ours. This is the mistake. But the rascal leaders, they do not know what mistake they have committed in the beginning.

Stena eva sa ucyate. Everything belongs to God. Therefore everything should be employed in the service of God. This is our Krsna consciousness philosophy. We do not take anything which has no connection with Krsna. We take everything... Just like we are using this microphone. We do not think it is material. Because it is being used for Krsna's purpose, therefore it is spiritual. That is the difference between material and spiritual. When you accept it as your own or for your own sense gratification, that is material. And if you accept everything as Krsna's and you simply take Krsna's prasadam, then it is spiritual.
We are not Mayavadi philosophers that we say, brahma satyam jagan mithya. No. Why jagat should be mithya? If Krsna is truth, God is truth, the jagat is also truth because it is the energy of Krsna. Krsna says, bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh. Therefore our Gosvamis prescribed,

prapancikataya buddhya
hari-sambandhi-vastunah
mumuksubhih parityago
phalgu vairagyam kathyate

Prapancikataya buddhya. (sharp cracking sound; aside:) What is this sound? Prapancika-buddhya, by accepting something as material, hari-sambandhi-vastunah, but it has connection with Hari, so if we give it up, then it is phalgu-vairagya. Just like this, for land we are fighting. Because we are thinking that "Krsna has come here, Krsna is seated here. It cannot be vacated." We are not thinking that it is a material thing. This is an example.

continued.......................

Prayer to Lord Nrsimha

(from Sri Dasavatara-stotra, p. 97)
 

tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-srngam

dalita-hiranyakasipu-tanu-bhrngam

keshava dhrta-narahari-rupa jaya jagadisa hare

"The fourth incarnation is Nåsiàhadeva. Nåsiàhadeva appeared to save Prahläda Mahäräja, who was five-years-old boy and he was being tortured by his atheistic father. So He appeared from the pillar of the palace as a half-man, half-lion. Because this Hiraëyakaçipu took benediction from Brahmä that he’ll not be killed by any man or any animal. So the Lord appeared neither man nor animal. This is the difference between the Lord’s intelligence and our intelligence. We are thinking that we can cheat the Lord by our intelligence, but the Lord is more intelligent than us. This Hiraëyakaçipu wanted to cheat Brahmä by indirect definition. First of all he wanted to become immortal. Brahmä said, “That is not possible because even I am not immortal. Nobody in this material world is immortal. That is not possible.” So Hiraëyakaçipu, the demon... The demons are very intelligent. He thought that “Round about way I shall become immortal.” He prayed to Brahmä that “Please give me the benediction that I shall not be killed by any man or any animal.” Brahmä said, “Yes, that is all right.” “I shall not be killed in the sky, on the water or on land.” Brahmä said, “Oh yes.” “I shall not be killed by any man-made weapons.” “That’s all right.” In this way he utilized his intelligence in so many ways just to come to the conclusion of being immortal. But the Lord is so cunning that He kept intact all the benediction given by Brahmä, still he was killed. He said that “I’ll not be killed either during daytime or night.” Brahmä said “Yes.” So he was killed just in the evening, just in the junction of day and night. You cannot say it is day or night. He took the benediction that “I shall not be killed in the sky, on the water, on the land.” So he was killed on His lap. He took the benediction that “I shall not be killed by any man-made or any God-made weapons.” That was given, “All right.” So he was killed by the nails. In this way, all the benedictions were kept intact, still he was killed. Similarly, we may make plan, we may make very advancement in scientific knowledge, but the killing process of nature will be there. Nobody can escape. By our intelligence we cannot escape. The four principles of material existence means birth, death, old age and disease. We can manufacture many medicines, many weapons, many means, many methods, but you cannot escape these four principles of material existence, however great you may be. That was proved by Hiraëyakaçipu. Hiraëyakaçipu was one of the stalwart materialistic and he wanted to live forever, enjoy, but he also could not live. Everything was finished" (A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. 18th February 1970. Class on Sri Varaha-dwadasi purporting the Dasavatar-stotra - Ten main incarnations of the Lor. Los Angeles.)

720527SB.LA

Prabhupäda: So today, appearance day of Lord Nåsiàhadeva. Lord Nåsiàhadeva appeared on this Nåsiàha Cäturdaçé on account of His devotee, Prahläda. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gétä, yadä yadä hi dharmasya glänir bhavati bhärata, abhyutthänam adharmasya [Bg. 4.7]. Pariträëäya sädhünäà vinäçäya ca duñkåtäà, sambhavämi yuge yuge [Bg. 4.8]. The Lord appears with two purposes. Pariträëäya sädhünäm: just to give protection and rescue the devotees, and to kill the demons, vinäçäya ca duñkåtäm. So Prahläda Mahäräja, five-years-old boy, his only fault was that he was Kåñëa conscious. He was devotee of Kåñëa. That was his only fault. And the father was so unkind to a child, even five years old. He could not excuse, “Oh, let this boy do whatever, chanting Hare Kåñëa.” No. The demons are so much against God consciousness that even at his home he would not allow his own child to become God conscious. This is demoniac civili... So you’ll find many critics, many enemies, because you are making progress in Kåñëa consciousness. So the demons are always against this Kåñëa consciousness movement. That is the whole history. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he was crucified. What was his fault? He was preaching God consciousness, that’s all. This society is so cruel. So Prahläda Mahäräja was tortured in so many ways. The torturing methods, I think you will find as you will see in today’s picture, how Prahläda Mahäräja was tortured.
So one day, Hiraëyakaçipu... After all, he was his son. Affection was there. So one day, Hiraëyakaçipu asked the boy,

prahrädänücyatäà täta
svadhétaà kiïcid uttamaà
kälenaitävatäyuñman
yad açikñäd guror bhavän
 [SB 7.5.22]

So he asked his son, “My dear son, what you have learned? The best thing, what you have learned from your teachers, so you kindly let me know.” So Prahläda Mahäräja informed that “I have learned like this.” What is that?

çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù
smaraëaà päda-sevanam
arcanaà vandanaà däsyaà
sakhyam ätma-nivedanam

iti puàsärpitä viñëau
bhaktiç cen nava-lakñaëä
kriyeta bhagavaty addhä
tan manye ’dhétam uttamam
 [SB 7.5.23-24]

Tan manye ’dhétam uttamam: one who is engaged in the matter of hearing about Viñëu, çravaëaà kértanamviñëoù. We are engaged in hearing and talking and chanting about so many things non-Viñëu. Just like you’ll find thousands of, millions of different types of magazines sold in your country, in all countries. Some of the magazines are sex literature, some cinema literature, some this literature, that... So many different types. There is one paper I have seen, “Diabetes Literature.” There are many patients of diabetes, so they have formed a society, “Diabetic Society.” I have seen it. (laughter) And there are many diabetic patients, they are being hoaxed, that “You pay two dollars per year, and you get all information how to protect yourself from diabetes disease.” So in America two dollars is nothing, but it is collecting millions and millions of dollars, Diabetic Society. Diabetic magazine. So that sort of hearing and chanting is not needed. We are not interested in all these magazines, because we are followers of Prahläda Mahäräja. He’s our äcärya. He’s guru. Prahläda Mahäräja’s guru is Närada, and Närada is also our guru. Närada is guru of Vyäsadeva. So we are a branch, but the original guru is Närada, Brahma-sampradäya. So Prahläda Mahäräja is also a disciple of Närada Muni.
So he teaches that çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù [SB 7.5.23]. We have to hear and talk and chant about Viñëu. Çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù smaraëaà päda-sevanam. To remember Him always, to worship His lotus feet, päda-sevanam. Arcanam, temple worship, to keep the Deity nicely worshiped, offer foodstuff, ärati, this is called arcanaà. Vandanam, offering prayers. Just like we offer prayer, govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi **. These are prayers. There are so many prayers. Keçava-dhåta buddha-çaréra, keñava-dhåta narahari-rüpa. These are all prayers. This is also part of devotional service.

çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù
smaraëaà päda-sevanam
arcanaà vandanaà däsyaà
sakhyam...
 [SB 7.5.23]

Arcanaà vandanaà däsyam. To be always in service of the Lord, däsyaà; sakhyam, to make friendship with Him, to consider Kåñëa as your friend. He says... Even if I do not say that He’s my friend, He says, “I am friend of everyone.” Suhådaà sarva-bhütänäm [Bg. 5.29]. He’s friend of everyone. We don’t want His friendship, but He wants our friendship. He wants us to go back to home, Godhead; we don’t want. So He is more anxious to take us, exactly like the father is more affectionate than the son. That’s a fact. So He’s the supreme father. So He wants that we may be happy, and therefore He comes to show us. He sends His representative, son. He leaves behind Him books so that we may go back to home, back to Godhead. So, sakhyam. He’s always sitting with me, within my heart. I am in the heart, and Paramätmä is also within the heart as friend to give me advice that “Why you are bothering in this material world? Please come back to home, back to Me.” This is going on. Sakhyam ätma-nivedanam. Ätma-nivedanam means fully surrendered. So there are examples of devotees who, sarvätma-nivedanam. Just like Bali Mahäräja. He gave everything to Kåñëa, even his body, everything, whatever, his kingdom, money, everything.
So Prahläda Mahäräja says, iti puàsärpitä viñëau bhaktiç cen nava-lakñaëä. All these items means hearing. Hearing about Viñëu, chanting about Kåñëa, giving everything to Viñëu, offering prayers to Viñëu, offering arcana, temple worship, Viñëu. In this way Prahläda Mahäräja summarizes that “Anyone who is doing like this, everything about Viñëu...” iti puàsärpitä viñëau bhaktiç cen nava-lakñaëä, “this nine kinds of different devotional services,” kriyeta bhagavatay addhä, “directly to the Supreme Personality of Godhead,” tan manye ’dhétam uttamam, “I think he is the best learned man in the world. He is the most learned.” Tan manye ’dhétam. “He has studied everything very nicely.” Actually, that is the fact. Jïäna, knowledge Knowledge means to know Kåñëa, God, and the Vedic injunction is, yasmin vijïäte sarvam evaà vijïätaà bhavanti. If you understand the Supreme Lord, then you understand everything. You haven’t got to study differently different subject matters. Just like we sometimes talk of science, of astronomy, economics, politics. We talk sometimes. But we are not going to, or we didn’t study all the subject matter separately. But in course of our studying Kåñëa consciousness, we know something of everything. So Prahläda Mahäräja says, tan manye adhétam uttamam: “One who is engaged in these nine kinds of devotional services directly...” So Prahläda Mahäräja recommends, kriyeta bhagavaty addhä tan manye ’dhétam uttamam.

niçamyaitat suta-vaco
hiraëyakaçipus tadä
guru-putraà cedaà ruñä
prasphuritädharaù

As soon as he heard, “Oh, what this nonsense boy is speaking?” he became so angry that sphuritädharaù. When one becomes angry, his lips vi..., I mean to say, jumps. What is called? Quiver, yes. So he became so angry that it is said, sphuritädharaù. (He) immediately called his teacher. He’s king... Because he thought, “The rascal teachers, they have taught him like this. I have entrusted the boy to the teachers, to brähmaëas, and they have taught this Kåñëa consciousness. So call him. Otherwise, how is that this small boy, five years old only, he’s talking just like a great saint? So call his teacher!”

brahma-bandho kim etat
te vipakñaà çrayatäsatä
asäraà grähito bälo
mäm anädåtya durmate

Hiraëyakaçipu became bitterest enemy of Viñëu because his brother Hiranyakña, he was killed by Viñëu taking the shape of Varäha. You know the story. Since then, Hiraëyakaçipu was bitterest enemy. “Oh, He has, Viñëu has killed my brother. So He is my greatest enemy.” So he won’t hear anything about Viñëu. Any Viñëu devotee, he will punish him, even his own son. That was his policy. So he immediately called him, the teachers, and addressed him,

brahma-bandho kim etat te
vipakñam çrayatäsatä
asäraà grähito bälo
mäm anädåtya durmate

So here... Teachers are generally brähmaëas. Not generally. To become teacher is the business of the brähmaëas. Brähmaëa means they have got six kinds of... Everyone must have livelihood. This material world is that you must work; otherwise you cannot get your livelihood. That is the law, whatever you may be. So the brähmaëas’ means of livelihood, six things: paöhana päöhana yajana yäjana däna pratigraha. Paöhana means he must be a very learned scholar, study the Vedic literature, and must teach others also. That is brähmaëa’s business. And in that way, whatever the disciples bring, that is his income. No salary, no contract, that “If you pay me hundred dollars or five hundred dollars weekly, then I can teach you.” No. There is no such contract. Teaching is free. It is the business of a brähmaëa to give free education to everyone. Now, it is the... Just like in our institution, I am your teacher, but there is no such contract that you have to pay me. But you pay me more than anything. So paöhana päöhana, that is the means of livelihood of brähmaëa. And kñatriya, they are kings. They can levy tax of the citizens because they are giving protection from being hurt by others. Kñatriya means one who gives protection (to) a man being hurt by others. That is the real root meaning. Kñatriya. And vaiçya means they should, kåñi-gorakñya-väëijyam, they should engage themselves in producing foodstuff, foodgrains, kåñi, protect cows. Especially gorakñya. As the king is meant for giving protection to the man, similarly, a vaiçya is supposed to give protection to the cows, or they keep cows and produce milk products. They are vaiçya. And çüdra, simply service. So these are the different types of employment of different kinds of social order. And a king, the king has to see that everyone is employed. Not that hundreds of people are unemployed, and government has to give welfare, subsidy. Not like that. The king’s duty is that everyone is independently earning his livelihood. That is king’s duty.
So here the teachers are addressed here brahma-bandho. Brahma-bandho means a person who is born by a brähmaëa father but is not acting as a brähmaëa. He’s called brahma-bandho, dvéja-bandhu. Dvéja-bandhu, one who is born of a, actually born of a brähmaëa father, but he’s not acting as a brähmaëa. So Hiraëyakaçipu addressed the teachers brahma-bandho, not brähmaëa. “Because you are untrustworthy. I gave you, I entrusted you with my son to be taught, and you have taught him this Kåñëa consciousness. So against my will...” He says practically, brahma-bandho kim etat te vipakñaà çrayatäsatä: “I entrusted my child for being educated by you, and you have instigated him to speak in favor of my enemy, Viñëu? Viñëu is my enemy. How is that?” Asäraà grähito bälo mäm anädåtya durmate. “This rascal boy, he does not care for me, and he has learned this Kåñëa consciousness, and you have taught him. How is that?”

santi hy asädhavo loke
durmaiträç chadma-veçiëaù
teñäà udety aghaà käle
rogaù pätakinäm iva

“So I think these demigods who are followers of Viñëu, they are coming in disguise and poisoning my son by teaching Kåñëa consciousness, and you did not take care of him. So what is this?”
Then the teachers replied,

na mat-praëétaà na para-praëétaà
suto vadaty eña tavendra-çatro
naisargikéyaà matir asya räjan
niyaccha manyuà kad adäù sma mä naù

They said, “My dear King, don’t think we have taught him like this. It is not... I know, it is not our duty to teach him against your will. But his Kåñëa consciousness is not due to our teaching; neither somebody is coming in disguise and teaching him.” Na mat-praëétaà na para-praëétam. “He is neither taught by us, nor by anyone else.” Suto vadaty eña tavendra-çatro. Indra-çatro. The enemy... The Hiraëyakaçipu is the enemy of the demigods; therefore he is addressed as Indra-çatro. As he addressed the brähmaëa, brahma-bandho, so they retaliated also, that “You are enemy of the demigods.” Naisargikéyam, “By nature he is doing that. We try to forbid him. We try to stop him chanting Hare Kåñëa, but still he’s doing.” Matir asya räjan niyaccha manyuà kad adäù sma mä. “You don’t be angry upon us. We never did it.” So... “He is, by his own nature he chants, he preaches, he’s doing all this.”

guruëaivaà pratiprokto
bhüya ähäsuraù sutaà
na ced guru-mukhéyaà te
kuto ’bhadräsaté matiù

Then he again asked his son, “Now I understand that your teacher has not taught you all these things. You rascal, where you have learned all this Kåñëa consciousness?” (laughter) Abhadra. Kuto abhadräsaté matiù: “Wherefrom you got this rascal wisdom? Tell me.” So this is the position, you see. Even father becomes enemy.
Now, Prahläda Mahäräja is replying. Prahläda Mahäräja is replying,

matir na kåñëe parataù svato vä
mitho ’bhipadyeta gåha-vratänäm
adänta-gobhir viçatäà tamisraà
punaù punaç carvita-carvaëänäm
 [SB 7.5.30]

“My dear father, don’t be afraid. It is not a thing to be taught.” Matir na kåñëe. “Nobody can become Kåñëa conscious,” matir na kåñëe parato, “being taught by others,” matir na kåñëe parataù svato vä, “or by mental speculation or thinking oneself,” mitho ’bhipadyeta, “or by making conference meeting, religious meeting, conference.” No. Three things. One thing is to learn Kåñëa consciousness by speculative method, self-realization. Just like so many people are very much interested that “Why shall I go to a guru? I can realize myself. I shall meditate.” So that is called svataù. And parataù means by others’ instruction. And mitho, mitho means by assembly. So who? Now, gåha-vratänäm. If one is gåha-vratä... There are two things: gåhastha and gåha-vratä, or gåhamedhi. “So those who are gåha-vratä...” because he is pointing out his father’s position, that he’s gåha-vratä. He has no other business. He simply wants to get money, hiraëya. Hiraëya means gold, and kaçipu, a nice apartment. That’s all. So he says that gåha-vratänäm, “If one makes it his point to remain in a comfortable home life, for him, either by speculation or by teaching or by meeting, he’ll never develop Kåñëa consciousness.” Gåha-vratänäm. Then what is their position? Now, adänta-gobhir viçatäà tamiñram: “They are unable to control their senses, and as such, they are entering into the darkest region of material existence.” Punaù punaç carvita-carvaëänäm: [SB 7.5.30] “Their only business is chewing the chewed.” They have no other ways. Gåha-vratänäm, those who want to be happy materially, actually they are chewing the chewed. Material happiness means sex life, ultimate, utmost, topmost happiness. So people are simply trying to, how to utilize this sex life in so many ways, in pictures and in... I do not wish to discuss. In dancing, in club, in so many ways. Because they cannot control the senses. The same thing, same thing, the same sex life in different way. Sometimes a naked dance, sometimes in this way, sometimes in that way. Therefore it is called punaù punaç carvita-carvaëänäm [SB 7.5.30]. I have heard that some people go to Florida and they spend fifty thousand dollars per week for organizing naked dance. So naked woman he has seen so many times, but still he spends more money to see it in a different way. That is called punaù punaç carvita-carvaëänäm [SB 7.5.30], “chewing the chewed.”
So persons who are too much attached to sense gratification, and they have made it their conclusion that “We shall be happy within our family life or this social life...” Vidyäpati sings, tätala saikate väri-bindu sama suto-mita-ramané-samäj(?). Our society means... Society, friendship, and love. There must be woman, must be children, suto-mita-ramané-samäje. So there is some pleasure, undoubtedly. Otherwise, why people are working so hard to stick to this position? Vidyäpati sings that tätala saikate väri-bindu sama suto-mita-ramané-samäj(?). There is undoubtedly some pleasure, but that pleasure is so insignificant that it can be compared: a drop of water on the desert. Desert, if you want to utilize desert to make it a garden or productive field, you have to pour water. The whole ocean water you have to pour there. Now, if somebody says, “All right, you want water. Now take this one drop water,” then what it will do? Similarly, our heart is hankering after so many things. We are hankering... Actually we are hankering after Kåñëa, but we do not know. We are trying to satisfy our hankering in so many ways in material life. Actually we are hankering after Kåñëa. Just like a small child, it is crying. It cannot express, but it is wanting the mother’s breast feeding. So you cannot stop him crying unless it is transferred to the mother. Similarly, actually we love Kåñëa. That is a fact. Because we love Kåñëa... Therefore you, who did not hear even the name of Kåñëa, say, four or five years ago, why you after so much Kåñëa? This is the proof, that actually we are after Kåñëa. This Kåñëa consciousness movement is being accepted in Western countries by the younger generation. Why? Because every one of us, we love Kåñëa. But it is now covered by mäyä. We have to simply take out the covering, mäyä; then we are Kåñëa conscious.
That is explained in the Caitanya-caritämåta,

nitya-siddha kåñëa-bhakti ‘sädhya’ kabhu naya
çravaëädi-çuddha-citte karaye udaya

That Kåñëa consciousness is not an artificial thing, that we are making some propaganda on Kåñëa consciousness, publishing some books, magazines, and our preachers are going place to place. No, there are so many propaganda is going on. But they are not so effective. And our, what means we have got to make propaganda? We simply make this propaganda, “Please chant Hare Kåñëa.” That’s all. Of course, we do sincerely. So if we propagate sincerely and seriously, as Caitanya Mahäprabhu has ordered, yäre dekha, täre kaha ‘kåñëa’ upadeça... [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. We must be sincere. Then, if we canvass, “Please chant Hare Kåñëa,” it will be effective. It will be effective. The business is not very serious or very difficult. Caitanya Mahäprabhu says, yäre dekha, täre kaha ‘kåñëa’... “Anyone you meet, you simply request him about hearing about Kåñëa.” So... But if one is so much covered by materialistic enjoyment, it takes little time. It takes little time. Otherwise, automatically there is love for Kåñëa, and çravaëädi-çuddha-citte...
Therefore Prahläda Mahäräja says, çravaëam. If we hear about Kåñëa constantly, through realized souls, not professional—if we hear, satäà prasaìgän mama vérya-saàvido [SB 3.25.25]—then automatically, our dormant Kåñëa consciousness come out. So Prahläda Mahäräja says, therefore, that “Those who are determined to become happy within this material world, they cannot be raised to Kåñëa consciousness either by personal teaching or by making conference or by mental speculation.” That is not possible, because he is determined. So our duty is that we should know that in the materialistic way of life we shall never be happy. This is called knowledge. And vairägya. So this vairägya and knowledge is not so easy. Prahläda Mahäräja says, adänta-gobhir viçatäà tamisram: it is not possible. That means he assures his father, “Don’t be worried. You will never be Kåñëa conscious. (laughter) Because your only aim is to stick to home and money and women. Therefore rest assured, you’ll not be ... It is not that a person like you will be raised to Kåñëa consciousness.” Then? How you have done? The next question should be: Why they are sticking to this materialistic way of life?
That is answered by Prahläda, na te viduù svärtha-gatià hi viñëum [SB 7.5.31]. “These persons, those who are so much materially attached, they do not know the ultimate goal of life is Viñëu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viñëu.” That is actually the ultimate goal of life. We are here in this material world, forgetting Kåñëa, to enjoy, to lord it over the material nature. Everyone is trying to become the lord, master of material... That is struggle. Nobody can become lord or master of this material world. But that struggle to become master, they are taking it happiness. They are taking it happiness. That is the nature of persons who are influenced by the modes of passion. They’ll work hard, and that will, they will take it is very good, pleasing. Because they do not know that the... Na te viduù svärtha-gatià hi viñëuà duräçayä ye bahir-artha-mäninaù [SB 7.5.31]. They are hoping against hope to become happy within this material world. That is the whole history. Take the history, any history, modern history. There are so many empires: the Roman Empire, the Carthaginian Empire, the Greek Empire, the British Empire recently, Hitler’s Nazism, and so many. For some time they become very powerful. Just like Hiraëyakaçipu, he’s now very powerful. He’s thinking, “Nobody can...” Now today he’ll be killed. Keçava-dhåta narahari rüpa is coming. So this demonic civilization will never be successful. That’s a fact. But they are so fool, they do not see even historical evidences. So many empires failed. The Roman Empire failed, the British Empire failed. Still, somebody is trying to create another empire, another, different empire. Just like your President Nixon, he’s trying to influence all other nations under his control. Why? Of course, I should not speak all these things. There may be criticism. But that is the way, going on. That is the way. We can understand. We can understand politics, economics, everything, but we do not bother about. But our aim is that this way of life, to increase materially happiness, it will never be successful. That is our conclusion. We are not fools that we have given up everything for advance in Kåñëa consciousness. Because we know that this, this way we shall never be happy. It is not possible.
That is explained by Prahläda Mahäräja. These rascal people who are so much materially attached... Kåñëa also says in the Bhagavad-gétä,

 bhogaiçvarya-prasaktänäà
tayäpahåta-cetasäà
vyavasäyätmikä buddhiù
samädhau na nigacchati
 [Bg. 2.44]

Those who are too much attached, bhoga, material enjoyment, aiçvarya, material opulence ... Bhogaiçvarya-prasaktänäà tayäpahåta-cetasäm. Persons whose heart has been misled by this kind of civilization, they cannot take to Kåñëa consciousness. Therefore to become too much materially opulent is a disqualification for attaining Kåñëa consciousness. It is a disqualification. Because they don’t care. Just like in our temple, not very rich men, they are coming, because they (say,) “What is this nonsense, Kåñëa consciousness? We have got everything. These boys, they haven’t got to eat anything; therefore they are chanting Hare Kåñëa on the street. That’s all.” They think like that. “They’re needy. All right, they are needy. Give them some money.” That’s all. They don’t like to take anything from us because the same business, matir na kåñëe parataù svato vä. They’ll never understand, because their aim is grha-vratanam. They want to be happy... Although they are seeing there is no happiness, they never can be happy, still... This is called punaù punaç carvita-carvanänäm [SB 7.5.30], chewing the chewed. One, the sugarcane, is chewed by somebody. It is thrown away. And if somebody else comes and chew it again, what juice he will have it? So punaù punaç carvita... Na te viduù svärtha-gatià hi viñëuà [SB 7.5.31]. Duräçayä ye duräçayä viñaya väsé (reads Sanskrit commentary) tantraya käraëaà te hi viñëuà na viduù. Tatra hetu svasminn eva arthe puruñartha yeñäà teñäà gatià grämyaà. Na tu te ’pi guru pati syät viñëu jïäsyasi tatra bhak bahir viñaye bahavo yeñäà te bahir arthas tann eva guru tena mantra çélaà yeñäà te.
So one who is fixed up in this conclusion, that “We shall become happy with this materialistic way of life,” they cannot take to Kåñëa consciousness. And they do not know also that our ultimate goal of life is Kåñëa, Viñëu. Then why it is so? Now, andhä yathändhair upanéyamänäs te ’péça-tantryäm uru-dämni baddhäù. They have become blind. They are blind themselves, and they are also led by blind leaders. The leaders, at the present moment, leaders, they say that “Why you are going to church? Why you are going to temple? If you want your bread...” Just like in Christian religion you go to church, “O God, give us our daily bread.” But the atheist class, they are propagating, “For bread, why you are going to church? You make industry, you make business, and you get bread.” But actually... We were just talking that there are so many unemployment. Our Karandhara prabhu was... No. Who was talking? Çyämasundara. Çyämasundara said that the computer... What is called, computer? It can do thousands of men’s business. So they have discovered this machine. That means thousands of men will be unemployed. That is actually happening in your country due to so many machines. Now, take for example, formerly... You have seen the picture, Kåñëa, Våndävana picture, Kåñëa’s father transferring Kåñëa. They were going on bullock carts, no motorcar. You have seen the picture. So formerly, transport was bullock carts. The cows and the bulls, the bulls were employed for agricultural purpose, for drawing the carts. So there was no necessity of motorcar. Now you have got motor, motor-tractor. You don’t want the bullocks. Therefore kill them. How you can utilize them? Therefore you must have slaughterhouse to kill them. And as soon as you kill them, then you have to eat them. So this is the, I mean to say, entanglement. If you kill, then you become responsible for being killed. The subtle laws...
Therefore, without knowing our ultimate goal of life is Viñëu, na te viduù svärtha-gatià hi viñëum... [SB 7.5.31]. That is our interest. The human form of life is offered by nature after so much evolutionary process. Just to understand Viñëu, God, this is the only business. But instead of attending our real business, we are trying to be happy in other ways. Then you can say that “If we are engaged in real business, then how the economic question will be solved? We have to work.” That’s all right, you work. But work simple. Why you have invented so much botheration? Work is there. If you have cows and if you have got land, then you till the land, get grains, and there is milk, there is fruit, there is flower. Anywhere, you can live peacefully. Whole economic question is solved. And because we have forgotten, we have missed the real point, that our life is meant for God-realization. We are simply increasing botheration. Punaù punaç carvita. Adänta-gobhir viñatäà tamisram. Andhä yathändhair upanéyamänäù. The leaders are blind; we are also blind. So they are advising that “If you want to solve your economic problem, why you are going to church? Why you are going to temple? Come here, increase business, industry. Take loan and start business.” That’s all. This is going on. But actually, the more we are trying to mislead this people... Because they are thinking it is all right. They are... That the social condition is becoming more and more grave. That’s a fact. We are trying to solve one problem, but many other problems are coming because we do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. Because we are missing the real point.
Therefore Prahläda Mahäräja said, na te viduù svärtha-gatià hi viñëuà duräçayä ye bahir-artha-mäninaù [SB 7.5.31]. These rascals, they are thinking that by so-called economic development, by exploiting material resources, we shall be happy. That is not possible. The best example your country has given. You have exploited the material resources, and other countries are also following, but where is the happiness? Instead of happiness, there is “hippyness.” (laughter) So still, they have no eyes to see that “Where we are going?” Adänta-gobhir viçatäà tamisram punaù punaç carvita-carvanänäm [SB 7.5.30]. Because we cannot control our senses, we are driving, we are being pushed towards the darkest region of material existence, very hard to leave. Darkest region means that we are going to become animals next life. Because this is animalistic civilization. Nature gave us the opportunity to realize God, but God-realization is meant for human being. The human being, if he does not realize God, he’s simply engaged in animalistic way of life—eating, sleeping, mating—then nature will call, “All right, sir, again become animal.” Punar müñiko bhava: “Again become a mouse.” You know this story? Punar müñiko bhava. There is a story. There is a very nice story. One rat, mouse, he came to a saintly person. Everyone comes to saintly person for some blessing, you see. Real blessing they don’t want. Some material blessing. Real blessing, Kåñëa, they don’t want. If you give him some blessing that “You become very rich man and...” These are all very well, this. So this mouse also came and begged the saintly person, “Sir, I am in difficulty. If you give me some blessing?”
“What is that?”
“The cat chases after me always. I’m very unhappy.”
“So what do you want?”
“Now, if you make me a cat, then I can get relief from this thing.”
“All right, you become cat.” So he became cat.
So after few days, again he comes. “Sir, again I am in trouble.”
“What is that?”
“The dog is chasing me.” (laughter) Don’t laugh, hear seriously. “Dog is chasing me.”
“All right, then, what do you want?”
“Now, make me a tiger.”
“All right, you become a tiger.”
So when he became a tiger he was staring on the saintly person like this.
So he asked, “Why you are staring upon me? You want to eat me?”
“Yes.”
So he again curses, punar müñiko bhava: “Again you become mouse. Again you become mouse.”
So that is our position. We are advanced in civilization. Now we want to kill God. So we are again going to be uncivilized, to remain in the forest and to remain naked. Actually, they are practicing that: nature’s way. So again they are going to be aborigines. And that is being practiced. They are going to the forest, they remain naked. So actually, punar müñiko bhava: “Again become mouse.” Civilized human being means God conscious, happy life, no trouble, no enviousness, everything happy, no hard labor. Why hard labor? Everything is there. You just employ your little intelligence, you get sufficient food by grains, by fruits, by flowers, milk. There is no difficulty if we remain in our own way. So that is the difficulty, that we do not know that our ultimate goal of life is God-realization. Then God has got all arrangement. You cannot produce fruits and grains in factory. They are given by God. Why? That “You eat them and be Kåñëa conscious, chant Hare Kåñëa.” But we don’t want that. We want slaughterhouse, unnecessarily. Actually, if you go to the store... There are so many stores. How many stores are selling only meat? It is not possible. Ninety-nine percent fruits, vegetables, grains you are taking, and maybe a little percentage of meat. So why you cannot give up this little percentage? If you think that meat is very palatable, why don’t you live on meat? Russia is also trying like that. That has become the fashion. In Moscow, it was very difficult to find out nice grains. With great difficulty Çyämasundara used to spend two hours daily to secure these things.
So this is the problem. Na te viduù svärtha-gatià hi viñëuà durañçayä ye bahir-artha mäninaù [SB 7.5.31]. They are trying to be happy by the arrangement of these material activities. Andhä yathändhair upanéyamänäs te ’péça-tantryäm. They do not know that the material nature is so strong that you cannot get out of it unless you are prepared to suffer more and more. If you take to natural life and live peacefully and take to Kåñëa consciousness, that is your real life. And if you simply increase botheration and problems, then you’ll have to suffer. That is the position of modern civilization. Actually, superficially we see that material advancement of material science, people have got so many machines, so many facilities. But actually, they are in trouble. Just like I gave you one example: the computer machine. It can work for thousands of men. So thousands of men means the thousands of men must be unemployed. And especially in your country, they are taking advantage of this machine because the salary is If you want to pay to the worker, a big, big salary. So they want to save. They are taking machine, and they think they will save money, so many workers. But the workers are becoming unemployed. The government has to give them welfare. The government will tax. That’s all. (laughter.) Government will not give money, welfare, from government’s pocket. The government will increase your taxation. So you are..., you stop payment by importing some machine, now you have to pay that money to the government. This is called entanglement. This is a crude example. I don’t say that you stop all this business, but the material world is like that. You want to solve something; instead of solving, you’ll create so many problems. This is material life. Because our life is not meant for solving problems and creating problems. Our life is meant for understanding God. Then everything is all right. But that you have given up.

na te viduù svärtha-gatià hi viñëuà
duräçayä ye bahir-artha-mäninaù
andhä yathändhair upanéyamänäs
te ’péça-tantryäm uru-dämni baddhäù
 [SB 7.5.31]

They do not know that you cannot go an inch beyond the stringent laws of material nature. That is not possible.
Then the next question is that how... People are not interested in Kåñëa consciousness, and then, they are misled by blind leaders. So how, what is the solution? That is Prahläda Mahäräja saying,

naiñäà matis tävad urukramäìghrià
spåçaty anarthäpagamo yad-arthaù
mahéyasäà päda-rajo-’bhiñekaà
niñkiïcanänäà na våëéta yävat

Therefore one has to take shelter of a pure devotee. That is the only solution. He says, naiñäà matis tävad urukramäìgrhim. The beginning was that “They are not interested in Kåñëa consciousness.” Then how to become Kåñëa conscious if that is the solution? Then Prahläda Mahäräja says, naiñäà matis tävad: “So long one does not approach a pure devotee,” mahéyasäà niñkiïcanänäm, “great personalities, who has no more any material interest,” niñkiïcana, “and takes the dust of his lotus feet on the head...” Naiñäà matis tävad urukramäìghrim: “So long one does not approach such personality, there is no possibility of becoming Kåñëa conscious.” Naiñäà matis tävad urukramäìghrim. As soon as one approaches the pure devotee and takes the dust of his lotus feet and puts it on his head, immediately, anartha apagamaù, he’ll be freed from all this nonsense. That means he’ll forget this idea that “Materially we can advance.” This is the process. So we have to approach a niñkiïcana, who has nothing to do with this material world. His only ambition is to serve more Kåñëa. And if somebody approaches him and takes the dust of his lotus feet, then he can understand. Mahéyasäà päda-rajo-’bhiñekaà niñkiïcanänäà na våëéta yävat. (aside:) Our time is over? All right.
So in this way Prahläda Mahäräja talked with his father, and the father became more angry. Instead of taking the lesson ... Mürkhäya upadeça hi prakopäya na çäntaye. If you teach lesson to a foolish person, he’ll be simply angry. He’ll not take your lesson. How it is so? Payaù-pänaà bhujaìgänäà kevalaà viña-vardhanam. If you keep a snake and if you want to make friendly behavior with him, that, “My dear snake, don’t bite any more. I’ll give you milk and banana. You eat here and stay here nicely,” he’ll not... His poison will increase, and one day he will... There is a story in the Hitopadeça: one day, one... The same thing. So payaù-pänaà bhujaìgänäà kevalaà viña-vardhanam. So these are lessons, stories. So his father, Hiranyakasipu, became more and more angry. So one day... Because after all, son and father... The son was simple boy. So one day he said, “Prahläda, I shall now kill you. I shall see how your Kåñëa saves you.” So immediately, Prahläda was seeing to the pillars of the hall. He was king. So Hiraëyakaçipu asked him, “Is your God, Kåñëa, in the pillar?” He said, “Yes, sir. Yes, my father, He is there.” So immediately, with anger he broke the pillar and Nåsiàhadeva came out.
Now we can honor Him. (end)

The Flowering Vine of Devotion to Lord Hari

Table of Contents

First Cluster of Flowers     2
Second Cluster of Flowers     7
Third Cluster of Flowers     13
Fourth Cluster of Flowers     15
Fifth Cluster of Flowers     17
Sixth Cluster of Flowers     19
Seventh Cluster of Flowers     23
Eighth Cluster of Flowers     26
Ninth Cluster of Flowers     29
Tenth Cluster of Flowers     30
Eleventh Cluster of Flowers     32
Twelfth Cluster of Flowers     33
Thirteenth Cluster of Flowers    34
Fourteenth Cluster of Flowers    36
 

Second Cluster of Flowers

1 Because the devotional service of the Lord is attainable only by their mercy, the author praises the devotees in the following verses:  I worship the devotees, who are empowered by the Lord, who do good to the world, and who taste the nectar at the Lord's lotus feet and do not yearn for impersonal liberation.  The Supreme Lord, who is the master of all universes and the enemy of the demon Kaitabha, leaves His own abode and stays by their side as a submissive servant.
2 Unapproachable for the yogis, and the best thing in the three worlds, Lord Krsna's nectarean lotus feet are carefully concealed by Mahamaya, although they may also be easily attained by her genuine favour.  Offered obeisances by Lord Brahma and the other devotees, she is the Lord's first potency, and the mother of all living entities.  I offer my respectful obeisances to that goddess Mahamaya, who bewilders the entire universe.
3 Saturated with the honey of Lord Hari's lotus feet, and appearing like a garland of white jasmine flowers on the top of Lord Siva's head, the blissful Ganges shines as splendidly as Krsna-bhakti herself.  I offer my respectful obeisances to her.
4 I offer my respectful obeisances to Lord Siva, Lord Brahma, Narada Muni, Sukadeva Gosvami, Srila Vyasadeva, Uddhava, Akrura, Prahlada, Arjuna, Garuda, Hanuman, and all others who are dear to Lord Vasudeva.  Just like the celestial Ganges, their glory purifies the three worlds.  Just like the hood of Lord Vasuki, it maintains the universe and just like nectar, it removes this world's distress.
5 I offer my respectful obeisances to Sri Radha and the other beautiful Vraja girls dear to Lord Mukunda, who in their desire for Him rejected Vedic convention, respectability, household duties, children, husbands and homes.  What they felt, drowning in love and their hearts remembering Krsna at every moment, is known as pure and spontaneous love free from material taint.
6 The hairs of their bodies erect in their ecstasy, the gopis eagerly chanted and heard the names and pastimes of Lord Mukunda.  Their hearts drowning in the thought of His handsomeness and pastimes, they always remembered Him.  Although they were busy with household duties, they gave their love to Lord Hari.
7 Playing flutes, vinas, mrdangas, dancing, sweetly singing, decorating His sitting place with flowers and fresh buds, offering the nectar of their kisses, and decorating Him with gunja necklaces, mineral pigments, peacock feathers and flowers, the gopis lovingly served Lord Krsna in Vrndavana.
8 With perspiring hands the gopis washed the Lord's feet.  Again and again they offered Him arghya with their tears, a sitting place with the edge of their saris, and acamana with the nectar of their kisses.  In this way the gopis constantly served Lord Krsna in pure love.
9 Although newer and newer desires for amorous pastimes arouse within the gopis' hearts, the Lord's skill at performing these pastimes was always beyond what the gopis could imagine.  Tasting the transcendental bliss of festival conjugal pastimes far beyond their desires, the gopis jubilantly offered respectful obeisances to Lord Krsna in Vrndavana.
10 Respectfully rising to greet Him, offering Him a comfortable sitting-place, washing and massaging His lotus feet, arranging and decorating His hair, smearing His body with scented ointments, marking it with tilaka and nicely decorating each limb, offering palatable foodstuffs made with milk and other ingredients, placing betelnuts in His mouth, garlanding and fanning Him, playing musical instruments, and singing and dancing for His pleasure, the gopis served Lord Krsna.
11 By joking, love-play, friendliness, and resting by His side, the girls of Vrajapura gave love and friendship to Lord Hari.  The gopas' sons also naturally gave love and friendship to Him.
12 Pierced by the cupid's arrow of His beauty, the gopis surrendered to Krsna and offered Him their minds and bodies.
13 Natural, causeless, beyond the three modes of material nature, enriched with wonderful spiritual attributes, and full of great love and attachment, the gopis' devotion to Lord Krsna cannot be described.
14 Even when separated from Him, the gopis tasted the mellows of love for Krsna.  They did not forget Him for a moment.
15 Thinking their homes, which were opulent with the wealth of husband and children and which even yogis could not leave, insignificant as a blade of straw, the girls of Vraja suddenly left and worshipped Lord Krsna.
16 Even Brahma, Narada, and Sukadeva Gosvami cannot describe the glories of the gopis' devotional service to Lord Krsna.  What are we, whose intelligence is very stunted, in comparison to them?
17 Neither Laksmi-devi, Lord Ananta, nor the devotees headed by Brahma and Siva, are as dear to Lord Govinda, the friend of the universe as the gopis.
18 The devotees are like moons risen from the ocean of piety.  These devotee-moons enjoy pastimes in the limitless sky of Lord Krsna, and they dispel the suffering and ignorant darkness of this world.  I offer my respectful obeisances to them.
19 The author here describes the Lord's devotees: The devotees hear the holy names and pastimes of Lord Mukunda and delight in chanting.  They always remember Him, continually serve His lotus feet, worship, offer obeisances, serve by friendship, completely surrender, and offer the fruits of their work to Him.
20 Many devotees have renounced everything to attain Krsna.  Krsna is their wealth, friend, family member, and son.
21 Those devotees offer to Krsna their wealth, home, wife, children, friends, relatives, and all their possessions.  They never claim any property as their own.
22 Turning away from external objects, the devotees see Lord Hari's handsome form, hear about His glorious transcendental qualities, taste the foodstuffs offered to Him, and smell the flower garlands that were His decorations.  In this way, the devotees always engage their senses in the perception of Krsna.
23 Without personal desire, the devotees offer to Krsna their mind, intelligence, body, life, and the actions of the senses.  In this way they conquer the waves of material desire.
24 Although the devotees are generally poor, because their minds are satisfied by Lord Krsna, who remains within their hearts, they enjoy happiness greater even than a king.
25 The devotees do not envy or fear anyone.  They are not agitated by material distress, and they do not take pleasure in the external happiness of this world.
26 Although the devotees do not fear any sinful reactions or any living entity, they constantly fear the state of forgetting Krsna.
27 The devotees do not see others' faults and lack of virtues, but their own.
28 Although equal to all, the devotee makes friendship with other devotees, is merciful to the innocent conditioned souls, is delighted to meet an elevated pure soul, and ignores the sinful demons.
29 Unattracted to Vedic mantras, every day the devotees chant Lord Hari's holy names a fixed number of times.
30 Aloof from the so-called happiness of this material world, not aspiring to attain the Svarga and other celestial planets, and not intoxicated by false ego and a false sense of possessiveness, the devotees constantly remember Krsna.
31 The devotees do not become dejected when they are criticised, nor elated when praised.  They do not criticise or praise anyone.
32 Those cleansed from all ignorance by the association of saintly devotees are not bound by the reactions of their previous sinful or pious deeds, just as elephants cannot be confined by a rope fashioned with blades of grass.
33 Joyful because of the touch of the nectarean moonbeams of spiritual knowledge, the devotees are not made unhappy by the sufferings of this world, occasioned by one's own body and mind, other living entities, or the demigods.
34 Seeing her co-wife bhakti (devotional service) always present, karma (fruitive activity) becomes unhappy and angry, and will not approach.
35 Unattached to the fruits of their actions, the devotees diligently perform their prescribed duties as far as they are able.  They do not praise or criticise others, and they avoid forbidden things.
36 Even for a fraction of a second the devotees will not abandon Lord Hari's lotus feet, although by doing that they may attain a kingdom of the three worlds or liberation from the world.
37 Rejecting materially pious and impious deeds, the devotees serve the celestial Ganges river of honey flowing from Lord Mukunda's lotus feet.
38 Non-violence, truthfulness, honesty, purity, good-conduct, self-control, forgiveness, peacefulness, satisfaction, and steadfastness are some of the devotees' many natural virtues.
39 Nevertheless, the devotees are violent to the sinful demons, impatient to control the senses, willing to lie for another's protection and free from soberness and gravity in the chanting of Lord Krsna's holy names.
40 The devotees do not misidentify the self as the material body or things related to the body, and they see the material world as temporary and false.  They are attracted to hear the topics of Lord Hari, and averse to material sense-gratification.
41-2 Free from envy, pride, malice, hypocrisy, rudeness, deceitfulness, and all other vices, and without false-ego, the peaceful devotees see everyone and everything with equal vision.  They do not see the three material planetary systems as something separate from the perfect, complete, unlimited, all-knowing, blissful, and all pervading Supersoul, Lord Vasudeva.
43 Keenly intelligent, the devotees do not see any good-fortune superior to pure devotional service, or any catastrophe greater than forgetfulness of Krsna.
44 Free from all distress, their minds pacified, the friends of all living entities, the exalted devotees do not distinguish between themselves and others.
45 The devotees do not speak to humiliate others and they always tell the truth.  They are compassionate towards the fallen conditioned souls, and they shower them with the nectarean rain of their mercy.
46 Although all-tolerant, the devotees cannot tolerate the blasphemy of other devotees.  Always desiring Lord Krsna's service, they do not desire anything else.
47 Strong within, the great devotees are not moved by anger, lust, or other elements, just as great mountains are not shaken by the wind.
48 Those who constantly aspire to taste the nectar of Lord Hari's lotus feet do not even desire liberation.  How can they wish for trivial benedictions like the post of Brahma?
49 Taking shelter of Lord Krsna, the devotees are profound, clear, and full of auspicious qualities, as the ocean is.  Even at the time of devastation they do not cross beyond the shoreline of their own nature and reject the Lord's shelter.
50 Although the devotees are constantly engaged in Lord Hari's devotional service in nine ways, the glorification of the Lord is especially their life and soul.
51 The devotees whose minds and intelligence become immersed in the Lord's glorification (sankirtana), are able to taste the happiness of the sweet mellows of devotional service.
52 The devotees only live to attain devotional service.  They accept pure foodstuffs, offered to Lord Kesava, and attained without great endeavour, only to maintain the body for this purpose.
53 "What is the nature of devotional service?"  The author replies: Attached to devotional service, saintly persons do not desire the post of Brahma or Indra, mystic powers, or even the liberation that has submissively alighted upon their open palms.  By service, these devotees are able to bring even Lord Hari, the master  of the universe, under their control.  Let me take shelter of pure devotional service, which brings the splendid nectar of transcendental bliss.
54 The devotional service of Lord Krsna, which consists of hearing about the Lord, glorifying Him, remembering Him, serving His lotus feet, thinking of Him as a friend, and surrendering everything to Him, gives ever-new happiness just as a lover, removes sins just as the Ganges, and fulfils all desires just as the desire-vine.  That service is constantly served by the devotees.
55-6 Great sages have said that Lord Krsna's incomparable devotional service consists of the following nine features: 1. Hearing about the Lord, 2. Chanting His glories, 3. Remembering Him, 4. Serving His lotus feet, 5. Worshipping Him, 6. Offering obeisances to His lotus feet, 7. Carrying out His orders, 8. Becoming His friend, and 9. Surrendering everything to Him.  One who regularly performs these devotional activities in this world easily attains the Lord's lotus feet.
57 There are five kinds of devotional service: 1. Devotional service in the mode of ignorance, 2. Devotional service in the mode of passion, 3 devotional service in the mode of goodness, 4. Devotional service characterised by love of God, and 5. Devotional service beyond the modes of material nature.
58 These five kinds of devotional service grant one the lotus feet of Lord Hari.  Each one, however is better than the preceding one, using better methods, and striving for better goals.
59 One by one, the different kinds of devotional service are described.  That devotional service where the mind is the refuge of concealed malice, and where one harms others and acts with hypocrisy and ostentation, is known as devotional service in the mode of ignorance, or cheating devotional service.
60 When performed with a desire for sense gratification in the form of wealth or fame, devotional service is known to be in the mode of passion.
61 When without false-ego the activities prescribed for one's own nature are followed, and past karmic reactions are destroyed, devotional service is known to be in the mode of goodness.
62 When faith and love are directed to Lord Krsna, and when spiritual happiness is found in Him, devotional service becomes situated on the platform of suddha-sattva (pure goodness), beyond the three modes of material nature.  At that time the living entities attain love of Krsna.
63-4 For example: When, simply by hearing about Lord Hari's transcendental qualities, the mind becomes filled with spiritual love, and when, enriched with the nectar of transcendental mellows, all the hairs of the body stand erect with ecstasy and there is a shower of tears of spiritual bliss, the state of causeless love of God, free from any material designation, is known to be spontaneously manifest.
65 Maddened by the sentiment of love of God, the devotees laugh at the wrong time, continually weep, jubilantly sing and dance, talk nonsense, and cause their material bodies to collapse by neglecting them.
66 The bumble-bee of those devotees' minds tastes the intensely fragrant splendid flower of pure love of God, which is full of the honey of great transcendental bliss, and which grows on the vine of devotional service.
67 The lotus flower of Lord Krsna's feet is full of spiritual bliss, and it is sought by the kings of the yogis.  Some swanlike devotees taste the nectar of pure love of God there.
68 Their minds submerged in the waves of pure love of God in the ocean of nectar of transcendental bliss, these devotees forget about this world and the next.  They cannot be counted among the servants of the regulations of sadhana-bhakti.
69 Indifferent to the material body and things related to it, these devotees constantly serve the Supreme Person, Lord Hari, with their life, intelligence and senses.
70 Attaining this stage of devotional service in pure love for the Supreme Lord Hari, the devotees become filled with transcendental bliss, and they consider the four goals of human endeavour (religiosity, sense gratification, economic development, and liberation) to be as insignificant as a blade of grass.
71 When devotional service in love of God becomes free from all external material features, and completely devoid of actions for the benefit of the external material body, that confidential state is known as nirguna-bhakti (devotional service beyond the modes of material nature).
72-3 In nirguna-bhakti, simply by hearing the Lord's transcendental qualities one becomes full of love.  One's mind becomes irresistibly and uncheckably drawn to the Supersoul of all living entities, just as the waters of the Ganges uncheckably flow to the ocean.  Nirguna-bhakti consists of unreserved love for the Lord, and unlimited eternal bliss.
74 Free from false-identification with the external material body, those situated in nirguna-bhakti are very sober and see everyone with an equal mind.  Immersed in the ocean of transcendental bliss, they forget the existence of the material body.
75 For one situated in nirguna-bhakti there is no material world, no spiritual world, no sense gratification, no renunciation, no false-ego, no false sense of possessiveness, no rules, no restrictions, no prescribed duties and no inaction.  For him there is only the supremely blissful Lord Hari manifest everywhere.
76 May this state of confidential pure love of God, which brings with it great transcendental happiness and frees one from all material sufferings, which is worshipped by the saintly devotees, and which is full of nectar, rise, by a fragment of the devotees' mercy, as the most dear thing within my heart.
 
 
 

Third Cluster of Flowers

1 Praying for the nine activities of devotional service, the author briefly describes them: O ears, please always hear songs about Lord Visnu.  O tongue, please always chant His glories.  O mind, please remember His Deity form.  O limbs, please serve His lotus feet.  O hands, please worship Him and carry out His order.  O head, please bow down to offer respects to Him.  O self, please become His friend.  O body, please always be His property.
2 The author explains in more detail: I have not performed pious deeds, prescribed duties or austerities, and I have no purity, renunciation, good fortune, or beneficial knowledge.  However, now that by the devotees' mercy I have drunk with my ears the nectar of Lord Hari's names and pastimes, I will cross the darkness of ignorance.
3 When, loudly singing the devotees' songs of Krsna's names and glories, my chest anointed with tears, my heart melted, and my body covered with a network of hairs standing erect will I roll about on that ground, mad with love?
4 If, because of my sins, I take birth in hell, I will not be unhappy if Lord Hari stays in my thoughts.  However, if I attain a kingdom on earth or heaven, but cannot think of Lord Hari, there will be no happiness, but only anguish in my mind.
5 The author confirms his previous explanations: O heart, how long have you enjoyed the dirty, tasteless pleasures of this world of duality pungent with the fire of time?  Please search again and again for Krsna's lotus feet, which are a kingdom of the nectar of bliss.
6 Great sages strive for liberation by worshipping the Lord, who is eternally worshipped by Brahma and others.  However, we who are drowning in the ocean of repeated birth and death will worship the Lord's two lotus feet birth after birth.
7 Attached to sense happiness, I had reached the ultimate limit of the pleasures offered by lust.  But now, prompted by intelligence created in a flood of piety, at Lord Hari's feet I have found honey that extinguishes the fire of repeated birth and death.
8 I do not understand the lessons spoken in the Vedic mantras.  I have no paraphernalia to perform Vedic sacrifices.  Still, staying in this world and remaining in this condition, I will easily worship Lord Hari by offering water, tulasi and flowers.
9 I bow down before Nanda's son, who is the personification of bliss, whose form is dark as a new monsoon cloud, and who cannot be known even by the greatest demigods.  The devotees, yearning to understand Him, meditate on Him as the blissful Supreme Brahman, who is present in the moving and the unmoving, who is the master of all, and who is the greatest person in all the universes.
10 I do not pray for a kingdom, the post of Indra or Brahma, knowledge, mystic powers, or a place in the Brahman effulgence.  O Lord, O master and friend of the poor, I fall down at the shelter of Your feet and pray: please give me pure and unwavering service to You.
11 I am attached to this house, busy in maintaining my family, not free from sense gratification, addicted to the six vices, impious and a servant of wicked masters.  Still, I shamelessly desire to serve You.  O Lord eternally worshipped by the devotees, O master of all, my only shelter is Your mercy.
12 O Lord Murari, when there is unwavering service to Your feet, then home and sense pleasures lose their power to bind, and the six enemies (lust, greed, anger, pride, illusion, and envy) become like friends granting benedictions.  This is the kindness of You who are an ocean of mercy.
13 "How can a householder's home and paraphernalia be auspicious?"  Explaining that they are auspicious when engaged in the Lord's service, the author says: O Lord Madhusudana, if our son, wife, servant, relatives, friends, associates and wealth are always engaged in Your service, and if our entire household is offered to Your lotus feet, then You are always conquered by our services, even though we may be householders.
14 If our eyes are placed in Your Deity form, our ears in Your holy name and glories, our nose in the fragrances offered to You, the surface of our bodies in embracing Your devotees, and our tongue in tasting the food offered to You, then, O Lord Krsna, You are conquered by us, even though we are engaged in pleasing our senses.
15 O Lord, if we become lusty to attain Your devotional service, angry at those who blaspheme You, greedy to accept food, flowers and other things offered to You, enchanted by You, proud to identify as Your devotee, and intoxicated by drinking the honey of Your lotus feet, then we may easily defeat the lust, anger, greed, enchantment, pride and intoxication that are our enemies.
16 O Lord, because the demons meditated on You as their enemy, You pacified them by liberating them, although You did not give them the nectar of Your lotus feet.  O Lord, may I have friendly feelings towards You birth after birth, so I may always relish that nectar.
17 Shall I be able to take shelter of Lord Krsna, who is the master of the universe, the shelter of the goddess of fortune, and very compassionate to the fallen conditioned souls?  Every day I anxiously think in this way and try to offer myself to Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Fourth Cluster of Flowers

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