20050825 Bhagavad-gītā 7.18

The following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on August 25th, 2005 in Tirupati, India. The class begins with a reading from the Bhagavad-gītā 7th chapter verse 18.

udārāḥ sarva evaite
jñānī tv ātmaiva me matam
āsthitaḥ sa hi yuktātmā
mām evānuttamāṁ gatim

Translation: All these devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous souls, but he who is situated in knowledge of Me I consider to be just like My own self. Being engaged in My transcendental service, he is sure to attain Me, the highest and most perfect goal.

Purport: It is not that devotees who are less complete in knowledge are not dear to the Lord. The Lord says that all are magnanimous because anyone who comes to the Lord for any purpose is called a mahātmā, or great soul. The devotees who want some benefit out of devotional service are accepted by the Lord because there is an exchange of affection. Out of affection they ask the Lord for some material benefit, and when they get it they become so satisfied that they also advance in devotional service. But the devotee in full knowledge is considered to be very dear to the Lord because his only purpose is to serve the Supreme Lord with love and devotion. Such a devotee cannot live a second without contacting or serving the Supreme Lord. Similarly, the Supreme Lord is very fond of His devotee and cannot be separated from him.

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (9.4.68), the Lord says:

sādhavo hṛdayaṁ mahyaṁ
sādhūnāṁ hṛdayaṁ tv aham
mad-anyat te na jānanti
nāhaṁ tebhyo manāg api

“The devotees are always in My heart, and I am always in the hearts of the devotees. The devotee does not know anything beyond Me, and I also cannot forget the devotee. There is a very intimate relationship between Me and the pure devotees. Pure devotees in full knowledge are never out of spiritual touch, and therefore they are very much dear to Me.”

Jayapatākā Swami: The previous verse, this is referring to all the magnanimous souls. Verse 16 Kṛṣṇa mentions

catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ
janāḥ su-kṛtino ’rjuna
ārto jijñāsur arthārthī
jñānī ca bharatarṣabha

O best among the Bhāratas, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me – the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.

So the best is considered the one in full knowledge and is always engage in pure devotional service for the Lord. But everyone the Lord says is considered in this verse udārah, magnanimous, udārāḥ sarva evaite. All are magnanimous. They are going to the Lord. Maybe some of the four people here are going to see Bālājī. What do you think? Someone who is in distress, anybody who is in distress sometimes goes to see Bālājī. How many of you say yes. Raise your hands. Bālājī or any deity of Kṛṣṇa. We are in Tirupati and this is most famous temple of India. So we can get a good example from studying the case history of of the temple. Then some people who are in need of money.    Anybody comes to see Bālājī who wants to get blessing of money. You think anybody, who thinks that some people come to get blessing of money? And some people come they are inquisitive what is Bālājī like? what is this temple like? Some people come like that. First-time visitors. Anybody comes like that. Who thinks so? not everybody but somebody Some people come because they love Bālājī. They just want to have his darshan. They want to bathe him. They just want to serve him. Are there some people like that? Which one there's more? (Guru Mahārāja and devotees laughing).So Kṛṣṇa 11:27 people going out of knowledge, out of bhakti, they are actually more rare. but they are all, all those four kinds are considered magnanimous, udārah and they are all blessed and very dear to the Lord. Lord doesn't mind that even people are asking Him for blessings for money. Because it's out of some affection they are praying to the Lord. They have some faith in the lord. So He reciprocates and He blesses them. And many people are coming because they heard, He gives blessings. It works. So many stories are there. So many devotees have experience. So, because there is some relation between the devotees and the Lord therefore, they are also considered to be magnanimous souls. They get up early in the morning. They see the different sevās. They wait in the queue. They have some relationship with the Lord. There are many people, the atheists, they just want to work and make money. They don't want to pray to the Lord. So they are not considered mahātmās. They are ordinary workers earning their karmas in the material world. But those who somehow have a relationship with the Lord, they are mahātmās. That's what this verse says. So, this Tirupati is a place, so many millions of mahātmās coming here.( devotees applauding) coming here to serve the Lord, to see the Lord. How many of you live in Tirupati? What to speak of those who live here what kind of mahātmās you must. Of course, sometimes living in the holy place, there we don't take as much advantage than those who come from far. It says those who live near the Ganges, they don't bathe sometimes. The people come from far, from thousands of kilometres away and they go bathing in the Gaṅgā. Our temple in Rajahmundry is right on the side of the Godavari. I mean right on the side, 10 metres of Godavari. So I came there. I said, Oh, what a great opportunity. I want to take bath. We've  been here but we don't take bath.(Guru Mahārāja laughing). It's 10 metres. You will come without taking bath. And also one Bengali story by Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, that one time there was a man who lived next to the railway station. His wife said you better hurry up, the train is going to leave. Our house is next to the train station. What do I have to worry? But I just heard the train will go any minute. No problem. I can go at any time. I live next to the train station. Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!, the train horn is ringing. Oh train! And he ran. He fell the train. The wife said I told you, the train is leaving. You didn't go. Now I know why they say those who live next to the train station, they miss more trains. Sometimes we're living close and then we think I will chant later. I will do my bhajana later. I will do my worship later. I will hear some holy place, no problem. I can do anytime. How many can say when death will come? So how do you know how much time we have to prepare. Atleast the train come by schedule. Sometimes it's late but usually never early. Now we don't know the schedule of the death. It may come early. It may come late. So when should we prepare. What do you think? Who thinks we have to prepare now? Hari bol! Hari bol! Hari bol! (Guru Mahārāja and devotees shouting Haribol). There is a saying in Sanskrit śubhasya śīghraṁ . What's auspicious, we should do it now, quickly. That which is inauspicious, we should put it off. So this verse today, Kṛṣṇa says udārāḥ sarva evaite, all are magnanimous. jñānī tv ātmaiva me matam , but the person who is in knowledge of Me, He says, he is like My own self. Many people come to temple, see and go but they don't take the time to know who is Kṛṣṇa? who is Bālājī? who is Viṣṇu? They don't really know. That's why our devotees are doing a very important sevā. This giving knowledge. They are giving Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, different books, so that people, they can get this knowledge and they can also become so dear to the Lord. How many want to become very dear to the Lord? Oh, so many devotees here. They want to be very close to the Lord. They are just like His self. So, that we need to know about the Lord. You come to the classes. You can also get one Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We have a Telugu, English, Hindi, Marathi, all the Indian languages. Everybody, how many here know Telugu? a lot of people know 22:37. How many of you know English? One language you know in the back, you don't raise your hands. ( devotees laughing). Come in. How many Tamil? Seeing very few Tamil. How many Kannada? Malayalam? Marathi? Hindi? I don't know these people in the back don't know any language. (devotees laughing) Why don't you raise your hand in the back? Mystery group. So any most everybody wants to be very dear to the Lord. We don't know what they want in the back corner but the ladies but we feel they must also want to be dear to the Lord, so that we get by this knowledge of 24:24 other parts. The whole material world is created by Him. daivi hy eṣa guṇamayī, this is His divine energy and we are here in this material world by the laws of Karma, in the three guṇas. daivi hy eṣa guṇamayī mama māya duratyayā ...very difficult to get out from this material illusion. mām eva ye prapadyante... those who surrender to Me though, Kṛṣṇa says māyām etām taranti te... I deliver them So in this material world, the Lord is, the Lord of the material energy can give us anything we want material. You want to be a big businessman or or a politician or whatever you want, anything He can give you. Sometimes I was sitting in the the darśana, Bālājī for early morning sevas and some chief Minister was sitting there, also praying to Bālājī. They want His blessing before the election. ( devotees laughing). 26:34 is the boss. He is the master of everyone and this diety forms, they are considered archa avatar. They are worshipable incarnations of the Lord. So that we can directly contact the Lord through his diety. In some deities, like small deities also the Lord is present.  But some deities, they are svayaṁ-prakāśa. They manifest themselves.  Nobody makes them. Nobody carves them out of a stone. So that means, the Bālājī is svayaṁ-prakāśa, really very special.(devotees clapping)

There are many deities, Tirupati, many temples but which manifests on its own accord is very special. But the other deities depending on how much the devotees worship them with love and devotion, they may also reciprocate. They can also have the power to reciprocate. Same Lord different forms. So we need to know that Lord is Lord of this whole material world. He is also Lord of the spiritual world. āsthitaḥ sa hi yuktātmā They are always engaged, these devotees in my devotional service. So, we're trying to teach you how to engage in the devotional service. You can be the highest level of mahātmā. Previously great kings and brāhmaṇas and rṣīs, they would practice this devotional service. But now in this age of Kali, it's possible for everyone to do devotional service no matter what their caste, what their creed, what their background and she was like that always but mostly the great rishis and brahmins practiced. Sometimes Nārada Muni he would initiate at least a hunter, someone from some other backgrounds. He even initiated a demon. And so Nārada Muni is a famous guru. You see in the movie Nārāyaṇa! Nārāyaṇa! So but now everyone, they can be devotee of the Lord in this Kali-yuga. Now anyone has opportunity, very easy. This is special mercy of the Lord that Kali-yuga- kalau śūdra sambhavaḥ. Everyone is born like a śūdra, but everyone can chant the holy name and become a mahātmā.

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

just like the corner incident. Give them a big hand though (everyone applauds). So, devotional service is meant for men, women, young, old, for everyone. Prahlāda Mahārāja said kaumārṁ ācaret prājño... by practicing devotional service from 5 years of age. Don't think it is only for old people 'cause we don't know how long we are going to live. So being old is no guarantee. If we are old, we should definitely be doing devotional service. Pārvati asked because we are at a last stage of life but sometimes old people they are tired to change their ways. It's better to practice when we are younger, when you get old, you can go and do fast year. This verse is from 7th chapter Bhagavad-gītā. It is very important chapter. You know the glories of 7th chapter told by Lord Śiva to Pārvati. How many know it? How many want to hear it? Okay, very good. Pārvati asked, what is the glories of the 7th chapter Bhagavad-gītā? Śiva replied, once there was this businessman. He was making lots of money but he was a miser. He wasn't spending his money on on religion. He wasn't even spending much of his money on his family. He liked to gather the money and keep in a hole in the ground. He buried his money. I don't know what he thought he would do with the money but that was the one he was doing. He was travelling with one of his son on a business trip. Suddenly he got sick. Aaaaaahh!!!. Father, where did you bury the money? (devotees laughing), the son asked. Aaaaaahh!! Boom!! He died. Finished. The son didn't know where the money was. The father was taken away by Yama dūtas, messengers of Yamarāja. Taken to Yamaloka for judgement. Sometimes people do sinful things and you think that they don't get punished but finally there is a punishment for everyone. Everyday I will do, avoid the police, get out of the court trial but they don't escape Yamarāja. Better get punished here because this punishment is more more heavy. What section?... sound like you said section. I don't know what section. He has his own. We have here 420. We have so many sections.(devotees laughing). He has his own sections, karma section. Yamarāja, the supreme judge of Karma in the Yamaloka he was brought before him, this businessman. The accountant was Citragupta and his assistant. This one only does make money. Buries it in a hole. Don't spend on religion. Don't spend on his family. He is a miser number one. So Yamarāja said, alright you love your money so much, you can be born as a snake and live in a hole next to your money. You can protect your money. Anyone tries to take it, you can bite him. Enjoy it. Noooo! I don't want to become a snake. No! No! No!. But he was dragged away by the Yamadūtas and he became a snake. Sssss... Ssssss.. try to take my money, I will bite you. So, we love time path 40:27 and this businessman had time to think about out and he could remember his previous life. He said why I wasted my life just putting money in the stupid hole? Since he would have been better if he made a donation in the hundi. Then Yamarāja would have had a different story for him. He appeared in the dream of his four sons. He told them, I've been born as a snake because I was so miserly. You have to save me from this hellish condition, then I will give you all the money. Please save me!!. Save me!! Ahh!! they all woke up. How can a rich father become a snake? I must have eaten too many idlis last night. (devotees laughing) But then one brother talk to the other brother, they all had the same dream. So, then they knew it was true. The four brothers discussed what to do. One brother said, this is horrible. We should, what we should do. Second brother was very  emotional. Father became snake. Oh! No! no! How could No! no!.  You translate the same way (devotees laughing and applauding). This is horrible!!.My father became a snake!! (devotees applaud). The third brother, he was very practical, very good son. He thought the worst thing, what can we do for our father, to save him. We must do something very practical. The fourth brother was very greedy. He thought, I think I know where my father the money. If I can stall them for one day, then I can get it all for myself and run away with it and I will be the richest. We got a good news that, from Bhakti Puruṣottama Swami. That was the radio announcement news, that West Bengal Government has given permission for the adbhuta-mandira to be built. (devotees shouting Haribol) Then, the fourth brother, he told others. Yes, good brother, very good idea. We must do something for our father. Let's think about it for one day and tomorrow come same time and we will discuss and come up with our final plan. So his idea was just to stop for one day, steal the money and run away. That night, midnight, he woke up his wife. Let's go. We better go treasure hunting. Take shower. They were digging in the Orchard behind the house. Ssssss.. the snake came out. I am going to kill you. You are a monster just like me, you greedy, you can't take the money. No! No!, I am looking for your father. How can we help you. You have to tell us. You are here just to steal the money, I know. No! no! father. No, really I just want to help you. Don't bite me. Tell us what we can do to help you. You have to perform a special śrāddha ceremony for me. Śrāddha ceremony, we performed for you in Gaya, everything. No. But I'm too sinful. That wasn't good enough. You have a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee of the Lord read 7th chapter Bhagavad-gītā ( devotees applaud) and offer the result to me on my śrāddha anniversary, during my śrāddha ceremony. So then they performed this ceremony got a devotee to read the seventh chapter, Bhagavad-gītā: 

udārāḥ sarva evaite
jñānī tv ātmaiva me matam
āsthitaḥ sa hi yuktātmā
mām evānuttamāṁ gatim

the whole 7th chapter. Then he offered, I offer this in the name of that departed businessman. You are saved from this snake birth, came in his spiritual form and he brought all the money with him. He gave them instructions. Use your money for spiritual purpose. Use what you need to maintain and use use good portion of the money for spiritual purposes purposes.

Building temples, feeding brāhmaṇas, feeding devotees prasādam. This way you will be able and read regularly 7th chapter Bhagavad-gītā, you will come back to Kṛṣṇa. He divided the money amongst the four brothers equally. Then he went back to the spiritual world. Viṣṇu-dūtas, this time came to get him and take him back to Vaikuṇṭha. (devotees applaud). So, how powerful is the 7th chapter Bhagavad-gītā. So regularly reading Bhagavad-gītā, studying, becoming a jñāni of Kṛṣṇa, knowing about Kṛṣṇa is so powerful. So thank you very much for coming here and supporting this temple. Actually this time I wanted to come for 3 days (devotees applauding) 52:28 (Guru Mahārāja laughing) But then I was to arrive early in the morning. But because of different obstacles on the way, we reached only in the afternoon. Then my original Idea was spend Janmāṣṭamī here however (devotees applaud). But the World Hindu Federation having their meeting in Malaysia same time as Janmashtami. We are going to take prasādaam on Prabhupad's Vyāsa Pūjā, all the worldwide delegates at our temple. I am the vice president of that body (devotees applauding). So I should go. So I still have to come back here and spend some more time, be there (devotees applauding). But I am really happy to be here and see all the wonderful devotees. More and more devotees all the time. It's very enlivening for me. It's good while temple is growing, the devotee number is also growing. (devotees applauding) Bālājī and Rādhā Govinda, may Gaurāṅga Prabhu bless all of you to be this  always closely connected to the Lord. Hare Kṛṣṇa. so we can learn something from this business man how different uses of our money. If we use them in relation to the Lord, then Lord protects us. If we just are a miser then Karma is not very good. So much don't have much money. Some of us don't have much money. But we can use our words, our deeds, our thoughts, try to serve Kṛṣṇa whichever way we can. I saw today Rādhārāṇī group. They were, you see, sealing prasādam packets, making flower garlands. So, they are using their energy for serving the Lord for Janmashtami (devotees applaud). It is said that the great king Ambariṣa used to go to the temple and sweep the the floor, not because there was a shortage of cleaners in his kingdom. He wanted to get the blessings to clean the Lord's floor. If you have any time, you may be electrician, you maybe plumber, you maybe carpenter, you may be clerk, you can come and tell the president that I have 2 hours a week I can give. Find out what service he can give you for 2 hours, 4 hours whatever time you have. Husband and wife, they can do so many sevās in their own house ... watering tulasī, praying to the Lord, chanting japa. You are connecting your life to the Lord, to become a yuktātmā, in the sense the Lord keeps you in His heart and you keep the Lord in your heart. What can be better than that. You are in the Lord's heart. You don't have anything to worry about. If Lord is in your heart, you will be the happiest person.

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

(devotees and Guru Mahārāja say Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra together). Kritajñatālu (meaning "Thank you" in Telugu) (devotees applaud). Yes, I want to learn Telugu. (devotees applaud). But I started too late. (devotees laughing) So, I don't know whether this old brain can learn it. We should start working on it. But I'll try. So far I learnt to say hello, how are you.… "Bagunnāra" (devotees laughing and applauding). I am okay, "bagunnaru", right? "bagunnaru". Other Sanskrit words in Telugu, I think it's easier for me than Tamil. It's like wholesome Sanskrit.

Kṛṣṇa says mayām etām taranti te. From this māyā. Taranti, will deliver you. That, if we are prapadyante, if we are surrendered to the Lord then He will deliver us from this māyā. If you are hundred percent surrendered, you will be hundred percent protected. What is someone's only 30% surrendered? Māyā will test us while we are in the material world, how much surrendered we are. So while we are in this material world there will be māyā always there watching us. But He'll take us out from this material world if we surrender to Him. You want to get out from high school, you have to pass the final exam. You want to get out of the material world, you have to pass māyā's exams. How can you pass it? Not by muscle power, not by mental power, not by political power, not by influence. I know this chief minister. Save me from birth and death. It won't work. Chief Minister is also being born again. So, the only way we can pass the test it is just by surrender to Kṛṣṇa. When māyā attacks us, we have to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. We read Bhagavad-gītā. We follow the instructions of Guru, Kṛṣṇa's representative. Like this, different ways, we surrender to the Lord. That's how to surrender, is not just by waving the white flag, surrender the state of consciousness, everything we do for Kṛṣṇa. that way when māyā attacks us, then we take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, His instructions, we pray to Him. He is the one who can give us the strength to cross that test. That's why, it is important to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa every day. Build up our spiritual strength, our spiritual surrender. Prabhupāda was once asked, why is it that some devotees are showing symptom of māyā. He said we are hospital. We people come here to get cured. When you go to the hospital, you you see sick people. Have you ever seen sick people in the hospital? Infact everybody is sick there, except for the practitioners. In the temple, some are doctors, some our helpers and others are coming as sick people, people with a māyā rope, if they are coming to get cured from this māyā rule. And then Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says, even if they have symptom of māyā, if they are doing My devotional service, you should consider them as great souls. Because they are all getting cured, they will be cured by my mercy.

Hare Kṛṣṇa!