20201212 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.3

The following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on December 12^th 2020 in Śrī Māyāpur dhāma, India. The class begins with the reading from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam canto 1, chapter 5, text 3–5.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.3

jijñāsitaṁsusampannam
apitemahad-adbhutam
kṛtavānbhārataṁyastvaṁ
sarvārtha-paribṛṁhitam

Translation: Your inquiries were full and your studies were also well fulfilled, and there is no doubt that you have prepared a great and wonderful work, the Mahābhārata, which is full of all kinds of Vedic sequences elaborately explained.

Purport: The despondency of Vyāsadeva was certainly not due to his lack of sufficient knowledge because as a student he had fully inquired about the Vedic literatures, as a result of which the Mahābhārata is compiled with full explanation of the Vedas.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.4

jijñāsitamadhītaṁ ca
brahmāyat tat sanātanam
tathāpiśocasyātmānam
akṛtārthaiva prabhu

Translation: You have fully delineated the subject of impersonal Brahman as well as the knowledge derived therefrom. Why should you be despondent in spite of all this, thinking that you are undone, my dear prabhu?

Purport: The Vedānta-sūtra, or Brahma-sūtra, compiled by Śrī Vyāsadeva is the full deliberation of the impersonal absolute feature, and it is accepted as the most exalted philosophical exposition in the world. It covers the subject of eternity, and the methods are scholarly. So there cannot be any doubt about the transcendental scholarship of Vyāsadeva. So why should he lament?

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.5

vyāsauvāca
astyeva me sarvamidaṁtvayoktaṁ
tathāpinātmāparituṣyate me
tan-mūlamavyaktamagādha-bodhaṁ
pṛcchāmahetvātma-bhavātma-bhūtam

Translation: Śrī Vyāsadeva said: All you have said about me is perfectly correct. Despite all this, I am not pacified. I therefore question you about the root cause of my dissatisfaction, for you are a man of unlimited knowledge due to your being the offspring of one [Brahmā] who is self-born [without mundane father and mother].

Purport: In the material world everyone is engrossed with the idea of identifying the body or the mind with the self. As such, all knowledge disseminated in the material world is related either with the body or with the mind, and that is the root cause of all despondencies. This is not always detected, even though one may be the greatest erudite scholar in materialistic knowledge. It is good, therefore, to approach a personality like Nārada to solve the root cause of all despondencies. Why Nārada should be approached is explained below.

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

hari haraye namaḥ kṛṣṇa yādavāya namaḥ
yādavāya mādhavāya keśavāya namaḥ

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-gurun dina tāriṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
hariḥoṁ tat sat

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.3, translation: Your inquiries were full and your studies were also well fulfilled, and there is no doubt that you have prepared a great and wonderful work, the Mahābhārata, which is full of all kinds of Vedic sequences elaborately explained.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.4, translation: You have fully delineated the subject of impersonal Brahman as well as the knowledge derived therefrom. Why should you be despondent in spite of all this, thinking that you are undone, my dear prabhu?

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.5, translation: Śrī Vyāsadeva said: All you have said about me is perfectly correct. Despite all this, I am not pacified. I therefore question you about the root cause of my dissatisfaction, for you are a man of unlimited knowledge due to your being the offspring of one [Brahmā] who is self-born [without mundane father and mother].

Jayapatākā Swami: Although Vyāsadeva is Himself an incarnation of Godhead, He is still approaching His spiritual master, Nārada. To find out why he was dissatisfied. He got his own conclusions but he wanted to confirm by his spiritual master. We see that in the life of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was Kṛṣṇa Himself, but He showed the same kind of līlā. He did not express His ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa, until He received spiritual initiation from Īśvara Purī Mahārāja. He received initiation at Gayā in the state of Bihar and there He expressed His love of Kṛṣṇa.

So I tell the Biharis that Lord Caitanya manifested His love for Kṛṣṇa in Bihar. So He first expressed His love and devotion in Bihar. Similarly, ŚrīlaPrabhupāda went all over the world and wherever he went he invoked the love of Kṛṣṇa in their heart. When Lord Caitanya came back to Navadvīpa from Gayā, He was a changed person. He was no longer Nimāi Paṇḍita, He was Gaura Hari! Haribol! Similarly, Śrīla Prabhupāda, wherever he went, he awakened the fire of prema there. So like that we see that Jīva Gosvāmī, he also saw Lord Caitanya. But he took initiation from Rūpa Gosvāmī. So he was following the instructions of Rūpa Gosvāmī. Śrīla Prabhupāda was following the instructions of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. So like that, we still have the guru-paramparā.

So, we see that Śrīla Vyāsadeva He wrote so many śāstras. Within those scriptures were the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Mahābhārata, and other books. But he was not satisfied. He inquired from Nārada Muni, why am I not satisfied? And that is the process, we should ask the spiritual master, if we are not feeling satisfied. Śrīla Vyāsadeva, he wrote many different scriptures. And His scriptures are the basis of Vedic knowledge. This is very important that after writing all these scriptures he was very dissatisfied. That means, his work was still incomplete. That is why the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written. That is why the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is called the ripened fruit of the Vedic tree. So in our exciting Jagannātha Mandir, we have many mango orchards. But mango tree looks like any other tree, more or less. I mean, if you see the leaf you can know which is the mango tree. But why is it called a mango tree? Because it gives a mango fruit! Litchi tree is called a litchi tree, because it gives litchi fruit. Like that bel, bata-bilebu alltrees are called by their fruits.

So when the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is known as the ripened fruit of the Vedic tree, it denotes what the tree is about. So it means the real fruit of the tree is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. But how much important is this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam? The Vedānta-sūtra, the four Vedas, 108 Upaniṣads, the Purāṇas, Mahābhārata, but Śrīla Vyāsadeva was not satisfied. That is why Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam had manifested. That means that if you know Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,you have achieved the purpose of the whole tree. That is why Śrīla Prabhupāda, he did so much sacrifice to give us the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So, that is why we are so grateful to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Naturally, he has a very special place in our ISKCON as our Founder-Ācārya. But he wanted that the guru-paramparā should continue. So, the disciple, he can ask his guru why he is not satisfied. But Vyāsadeva’s situation was a little different. He had written so many scriptures. So in spite of that he was not feeling fully satisfied. So, he approached Nārada Muni to find out why. What was absent, what is the glorification of the pastimes of the Lord.

In the other Purāṇas, it is mentioned that if you do this, if you do that, you will get some sense gratification. And the people in general are very much attracted to this sense-gratification. But Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is fully transcendental. It shows that if we try to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is the real secret of satisfaction. So, whether one is a vairāgī or a gṛhastha, they should try to increase their devotional service. Kṛṣṇa is very merciful! He knows that people in the Kali-yuga are very attached to material enjoyment. So, we should not make that our goal in life. We should try to awaken our dormant love for Kṛṣṇa. And this is the secret of bhakti-yoga.

I didn’t see exactly see which country it was, some country they are making a law, making abortion legal. Scientists say that the life begins after seven weeks. But how the embryo is growing from small to seven weeks. So according to the Vedas the ātmā enters the womb, at the time of the conception. The scientists have some theories but that may not be correct. So we were discussing with the GBC that some are saying that the virus is not alive. But the material scientists, they may say anything, based on their theories. But that way how we know that is true? They are giving a theory and then they again change it.

We understand things from the greater, more reliable source. We get the descending knowledge. So Vyāsadeva, He asks Nārada, His gurudeva, what was the reason of his dissatisfaction. That is the descending knowledge. So, by the ascending knowledge there are chances of mistake. Like, some may have a theory that swans are white. Because all the swans they saw were white. But then in some countries there is such a thing called black swan. So like that then the whole theory has to be changed. Like that material science is always changing.

But the descending knowledge from Kṛṣṇa never changes. So, like this we can find out what is the real purpose of life. Parīkṣit Mahārāja, he sat down to hear this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And Śukadeva Gosvāmī came to speak to him. Then there Śrīla Prabhupāda asked why Śukadeva Gosvāmī did not go to meet him when he was an emperor? When he was sitting down to go back to Godhead, then Śukadeva Gosvāmī came. Similarly, Śrīla Prabhupāda came to give this knowledge to the people, so that they can go back home back to Godhead. So, we see that in the previous ācāryas there was a big concentration on ācāra. But ŚrīlaPrabhupāda, he was giving most simple ācāra. But he told us to preach. Apparently, that was the recommendation also of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda. So now our priority is to spread the message of Lord Caitanya according to the instructions of Śrīla Prabhupāda. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Question: Daily I read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam but I also want to read other books like Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa Book and other books. How do I manage my reading of different books?

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya said we should read Kṛṣṇa’s teachings. Bhagavad-gītā is Kṛṣṇa’s teachings, it is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. And those who have read Bhagavad-gītā, they can go on to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And the Kṛṣṇa Book is the summary study of the 10^th canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So, what you have mentioned is all Kṛṣṇa’s teachings. But we also should read about Śrīla Prabhupāda’s life. And reading the teachings of Lord Caitanya is also important. You should see how much time you have and systematically see how you can read the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other scriptures.

Question (Bengali): I am not able to concentrate on one service. My mind is fickle minded. Whenever I see a new service, I am attracted to the new service. Please tell me how to keep my mind fixed in one service and in this way, I will be a proper disciple who will be serving you for your pleasure.

Jayapatākā Swami: This is a personal question. I want to speak to you personally and understand what you mean. Now, this stage is called anartha-nivṛtti. So gradually we get rid of those anarthas and we get fixed in niṣṭhā. Śrīla Prabhupāda said that this is a gradual process. We need to see that you are having appropriate sevā and then you can be advancing. You are spending enough time reading also? You are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, attentively without offence? All these things we should see, then you will be making progress.

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja. I am confused about my duty. We girls always busy in serving our family, do not get time for service to guru and temple. Devotees say that taking care of our family members is also service to guru. Is it so gurudeva? But I am feeling bad that I am not doing any sevā for you. Is it okay gurudeva? If I do my sādhana at home and serve my family, and do not do any service to temple? Please bless me Guru Mahārāja to get time and strength and chance to do sevā at your lotus feet.

Jayapatākā Swami: It is not clear that you are married or not? In the question you only wrote about mother and father. Definitely a mother has a duty to train her children in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that is also a service to guru and Kṛṣṇa. If one is able to help the husband, or the children, or the parents, or anyone to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, that is also a service to guru and Kṛṣṇa. When children grow up, then maybe you will have time for service in the temple. If you marry a devotee, you should actually make a plan how to do service to Kṛṣṇa. But Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote a famous letter to Arundhatī, that taking care of her child was her Deity worship. We don’t want children to complain that my mother did not love me, because she was busy in Deity worship or something. So Śrīla Prabhupāda’s parents gave a lot of attention, and then he became Śrīla Prabhupāda!

Alright, thank you! All the devotees can go and take their breakfast. All the local Māyāpur devotees.

We have Gopati Kṛṣṇa dāsa identify some devotees from Malaysia and other places.

Thank you all! Dhanyavād!