20200808 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.1.11

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim

yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam

paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

hariḥ oṁ tat sat

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.1.11

bhūrīṇi bhūri-karmāṇi
śrotavyāni vibhāgaśaḥ
ataḥ sādho 'tra yat sāraṁ
samuddhṛtya manīṣayā
brūhi bhadrāya bhūtānāṁ
yenātmā suprasīdati

Translation: There are many varieties of scriptures, and in all of them there are many prescribed duties, which can be learned only after many years of study in their various divisions. Therefore, O sage, please select the essence of all these scriptures and explain it for the good of all living beings, that by such instruction their hearts may be fully satisfied.

Purport: Ātmā, or self, is distinguished from matter and material elements. It is spiritual in constitution, and thus it is never satisfied by any amount of material planning. All scriptures and spiritual instructions are meant for the satisfaction of this self, or ātmā. There are many varieties of approaches which are recommended for different types of living beings in different times and at different places. Consequently, the numbers of revealed scriptures are innumerable. There are different methods and prescribed duties recommended in these various scriptures. Taking into consideration the fallen condition of the people in general in this Age of Kali, the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya suggested that Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī relate the essence of all such scriptures because in this age it is not possible for the fallen souls to understand and undergo all the lessons of all these various scriptures in a varṇa and āśrama system.

The varṇa and āśrama society was considered to be the best institution for lifting the human being to the spiritual platform, but due to Kali-yuga it is not possible to execute the rules and regulations of these institutions. Nor is it possible for the people in general to completely sever relations with their families as the varṇāśrama institution prescribes. The whole atmosphere is surcharged with opposition. And considering this, one can see that spiritual emancipation for the common man in this age is very difficult. The reason the sages presented this matter to Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī is explained in the following verses.

After many, many years one can understand the scriptures. Therefor the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya requested Śuta Gosvāmī to give a summary description of all the scriptures. Which would completely satisfy the soul or the self. So, in that way, the sages wanted to receive the essence of all scriptures. And they wanted that the essence be given to them. To help all the people of the Kali-yuga. We have heard previously how the people of the Age of Kali are unfortunate and fallen. And of course, they are lazy and not very much busy in different scriptural facts. So, there is a need to have a scripture which will give the ultimate benefit for all living entities. So that is why the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is also the essence of all the Vedic literatures. Sometimes, it is described as the ripened fruit of the Vedic tree. In Bengali it is said, a tree is judged by its fruit. Like, a mango tree is known as a mango tree because it gives mangoes. So this way, the fruit is the essence of the tree. So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the ripened fruit of the Vedic tree. Also, we understand that there are so many scriptures and that is why it is said, we should see the three things – sādhu, śāstra and guru. Now Śrīla Prabhupada gave us the essence of all the scriptures. And he explained how we should practice. Just like, there are so many appearance days of Lord Viṣṇu avatāras. Śrīla Prabhupāda said, that we should at least appear the Kṛṣṇa appearance day fully. Since we are Kṛṣṇa devotees, we observe the Janamāṣṭamī and the Gaura Pūrṇimā fully. We do the anukalpa, the Ekādaśī type non grain, non-pulses. Other Viṣṇu appearance days are optional. Like, every ācārya, he gives a certain principle. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura said that for the āśramites, pūjārīs, they should chant a 100,000 holy names every day. What I heard from his disciples that for those who were preaching and distributing books, he prescribed 25,000 names or 16 rounds. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura had this principle of 16 rounds for the preachers. So Śrīla Prabhupada, he saw that in the West the devotees were not able to chant more than 16 rounds. But his desire was that all should preach. I was chanting 32 rounds in Calcutta. And then Śrīla Prabhupāda asked me what I was doing? I was very proud, “I am chanting 32 rounds!” And I thought that Śrīla Prabhupada would be very happy! But he told me, “You should chant 16 rounds and go out and preach. If you sit here all day and chant japa, who will go out and preach?” So Śrīla Prabhupada’s desire was that we be a ghoṣṭhyānandī. And he was enthusing all his devotees to distribute books, to preach. That is why the movement has expanded.

So this is very important that we understand that we have to receive the scriptures through the paramparā. And we will see how the scriptures are described by great devotees. Sādhu, śāstra, guru, we have these three things. So, like in the 7^th canto it describes Prahlāda Mahārāja, in the 5^th canto it tells us about the activities of Ṛṣabhadeva. And in the 3^rd canto we have Kapiladeva, Kapila Muni. So like this, there are many examples given, that we can follow. So if we have the scriptures, and the sādhus, and the explanation of the guru, then everything is perfect. Many people read the scriptures, but they have a different point of view.

For instance, there were two sons of one Śivānanda Bhaṭṭācārya. He was a smārta, he was an impersonalist and he was offering different goats and buffaloes as balidāna (sacrifice). His sons took the goats and they happened to come across Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura and Rāmacandra Kavirāja. Then, Narottama dāsa and Rāmacandra Kavirāja, were speaking, how these boys are so intelligent, why are they killing animals? So the boys felt bad and they went up to Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura and asked him to explain, what was wrong, because after all, this is a Vedic sacrifice? So they explained how this is in the mode of ignorance, and to facilitate certain people who were in that mood, some relaxation was given. But the real purpose of life was to engage in the devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. So, they let all the goats and animals free. Then the two boys took shelter of Rāmacandra Kavirāja and Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. And, they accepted all instructions from Rāmacandra Kavirāja and Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. So when the time came for their initiation, they had full faith in the two personalities. So the two boys asked whether they could take initiation from both? But they said, no, you have to take initiation from one only. But you can have many śīkṣā-gurus. So then they decided one would take dīkṣa from one and the other one from the other. And they would accept the other as their śīkṣā-guru and vice versa. And you could not tell by their behaviour, who was the disciple of whom. So they offered equal worship and equal respect to both. And when they went home though to their father, the father saw they were wearing Vaiṣṇava-tilaka. “Ah! Oh! You are disgrace to our dynasty! Take off this tilaka! Wipe it out!” Then they were preaching to their father. But the father said, “No, I will not listen to my sons’ lecturing me. My friend is a Digvijayī who was a great paṇḍita, let him come. The Digvijayī or this great learned person was brought and he said that, ‘he would not talk to the little children! It is below my dignity! You bring some Vaiṣṇava paṇḍita, I will talk to him.’” The two boys went and brought one ācārya, Bhāgavata Ācārya. Bhāgavata Ācārya, quoted verses from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Padma Purāṇa that we should worship Lord Viṣṇu. And the Digvijayi, he could not answer those ślokas. He was defeated! The digvijayī, the undefeated paṇḍita was defeated, easily!! Even though he had knowledge of different scriptures, but he did not study the Vaiṣṇava scriptures. So then he said, “I have been defeated, so I will have to leave as a beggar, and go on a new path.” But that is not the system - after being defeated, he should accept the Vaiṣṇava path. But unfortunately, he was speculating, and then he said, “I will go begging!” Which was not the Vedic system. The father, he went mad, he couldn’t believe it that the Digvijayī was defeated! So his two children returned to Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura and Rāmacandra Kavirāja. This is the factual history. And through this history we understand that there are many scriptures, but not all the paṇḍitas understand Vaiṣṇava scriptures. All these scriptures are written by Vyāsadeva. And these scriptures are considered the basis of all debates. If you were to give a scriptural reference, that was considered as your positive point. So, in this way, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, he was very expert in the scriptures. And Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, he wrote Hari-Bhakti-Vilāsa, which also studied the different scriptures, about what we should do. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī wrote the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu and how we should practice devotional service. So like this, the different six Gosvāmīs wrote different scriptures. All based on the Vedic literatures.

We see that in this verse, Śrīla Prabhupāda says that people in Kali-yuga are not able to practice varṇāśrama perfectly. And the gṛhasthas, the families are not able to follow all the rules of gṛhastha dharma, according to varṇāśrama. So in this way, people in this Age of Kali are not able to follow varṇāśrama.

There is one pastime in the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa. All the holy rivers, and the holy places, they came in their personified form before Lord Kṛṣṇa. They appointed Mother Gaṅgā devī as their spokesperson. She told Kṛṣṇa, that after Your departure, Kali-yuga will commence. And once Kali-yuga starts, people will naturally become sinful and they will bathe in our rivers and they will leave all their sinful reactions in us. So we want to depart along with You. Kṛṣṇa, replied to them, smilingly. You all please wait for 5,000 years. Some sinful people will bathe in your waters, but please be patient, after 5,000 years, a particular saint, My very dear devotee, will go all over the world and preach devotional service. The entire world will become eka-varṇa or one varṇa. They will become Hari-bhakta, they will become devotees of Hari. This way, there will be a Golden Age for ten thousand years will commence. We see that Śrīla Prabhupada came exactly 5,000 years after Kṛṣṇa. And he brought Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the whole world. So we should be helping Śrīla Prabhupāda to finish the work, and bring in the Golden Age.

Now in the midst of this COVID-19 pandemic, it is a great opportunity for everyone to become devotees of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. One Muslim Member of Parliament, said that certainly we have acted in a very sinful way, and therefore we are faced with this pandemic. And now we hear that this virus is mutating in different ways and styles. It is not easy to get over or conquer over this virus. Some people get cured and later they get re-infected. Because the virus mutates into a new form, and we don’t have the antibodies for that. So unless people become devotees of Hari or Kṛṣṇa, there is little likelihood, we will see an end to this.

Anyway, in this verse, the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya are asking Śuta Gosvāmī, please tell us the message that people could use in the Kali-yuga. So that the souls of the people of the Age of Kali will be satisfied, satiated. Hare Kṛṣṇa! Any questions or realization?

Trilokinī Śakhi devī dāsī: Dear Gurudeva. Please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. All glories to You. In the second month we do not take yogurt. Is it okay to drink butter milk in this month?

Jayapatākā Swami: If you make the butter milk in the ayurvedic recipe, three or four times the water, then that is not considered as yogurt according to Ayurveda. They told me not to take yogurt but I can take butter milk. Also, you can have the yogurt cooked in kaḍi sauce. That is alright. Similarly, in the third month, we don’t take milk. But if you make it thin and add suji to make pāyasa etc. that is okay, that is not milk, any more. Next question. When you write your text, please mention where you are from.

Thank you to all the devotees who offered my obeisances. I will try to give lectures regularly on Saturday mornings.

Question: Gurudeva, this pandemic is really draining us. I feel what I am doing is very mechanical, like chanting, reading. Please tell how to overcome this.

Your spiritual daughter,
Sumālinī Lalitā devī dāsī.

Jayapatākā Swami: I don’t know why you should be feeling that chanting is mechanical. Many devotees have told me that because of this pandemic, they are able to preach much more! Using the internet, they are giving classes with thousands of people, hundreds of people, dozens of people. So if you try preaching, that should make your chanting, your reading, more inspired. And you can be a member of the Twitter account I have and see what activities I do every day. I would only give sometimes one class a day, before. Now, some days I give six classes!! Meetings, classes, today there should be at least this morning class, meeting with brahmacārīs, Māyāpur Administrative Council meeting, and then in the afternoon, there should be three classes. One class, one Caitanya-līlā class, and then finally a meeting at 8.30 pm on Zoom. So, and in between, emails, and other services, chanting japa, no time for being mechanical!

Thank you all! Hare Kṛṣṇa!

So today this opportunity to give class was given to me by His Holiness Bhakti Vignavinaśana Narasiṁha Mahārāja. Tomorrow, he will be giving class I think.