20240929 Śrī Caitanya Śikṣāmṛta 2.2. Pious Activity

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Second Shower — Consideration of secondary rules

Second Stream — Pious Activity

Sin and Piety

The results in the next life, as per the rules concerning the next life can be judged according to the actions of human beings. He who is situated in this society and does good deeds will attain heaven at the end of his death. He who commits evil will suffer hell. Good deeds are called piety, bad deeds are called sins. When all the rules of accumulation of virtue and the rules of prevention of sin are combined, then the rules concerning the next life is understood.

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīla Prabhupāda was explaining if one acts like a demigod he achieves heavenly planets. But if they act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness then they go back to Godhead. So we don’t want to go to heavenly planets, we want to go to Kṛṣṇaloka! Right?

Differences in the code of Conduct due to different qualifications

As many types of pious activity and varṇāśrama-dharma are being mentioned, due to different qualifications of the performer, tāmasa, rājasa and sāttvic faith are observed. This faith is of two types – through increasing the propensity to enjoy (pravṭti) and through decreasing the propensity to enjoy (nivṛtti). Kaniṣṭha-adhikārīs observe faith in pravṭti. Madhyama-adhikārīs observe both pravṭti and nivṛtti. Uttama-adhikārīs act only out of faith in nivṛtti.*

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the activities of a spiritual nature are considered as nivṛtti, and we don’t want those kind of activities in the material world which are for enjoyment, pravṭti. So, many people, they want to receive material enjoyment, as a result of their devotional service. And if we want to please Kṛṣṇa, then we can be free from material enjoyment better. But people may still have material desires, and they want to do devotional service, but they are not detached from material enjoyment. As a result, they may take birth again. So the more we are Kṛṣṇa conscious, the better.

Note:

Bhagavad-gītā 17.2,4

tri-vidhā bhavati śraddhā
dehināṁ sā svabhāva-jā
sāttvikī rājasī caiva
tāmasī ceti tāṁ śṛṇu

yajante sāttvikā devān
yakṣa-rakṣāṁsi rājasāḥ
pretān bhūta-gaṇāṁś cānye
yajante tāmasā janāḥ

According to the modes of nature acquired by the embodied soul, one’s faith can be of three kinds – in goodness, in passion or in ignorance. Now hear about this. Men in the mode of goodness worship the demigods; those in the mode of passion worship the demons; and those in the mode of ignorance worship ghosts and spirits.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.20.11

asmiḻ loke vartamānaḥ
sva-dharma-stho ’naghaḥ śuciḥ
jñānaṁ viśuddham āpnoti
mad-bhaktiṁ vā yadṛcchayā

“One who is situated in his prescribed duty, free from sinful activities and cleansed of material contamination, in this very life obtains transcendental knowledge or, by fortune, devotional service unto Me.”

Where there are rules for worshiping many demigods, in all of these activities, only Bhagavat-pūjā is the rule for the persons in the mode of goodness (sattva). For the Vaiṣṇavas, there is no intention of enjoyment in the form of sense gratification. Only that which results in transcendental goal, they accept the action accordingly.*

Jayapatākā Swami: So, everything is done in such a way that Kṛṣṇa is pleased. And that is called yukta-vairagya. We don’t worship the demigods, the demons or the spirits. But we have respect for the demigods as Vaiṣṇavas. They are devotees with some desires. Sakāma-bhakta. We want to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the other devas, etc., are worshiped with the prasāda of Lord Viṣṇu.

Note:

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.19.14

na jātu kāmaḥ kāmānām
upabhogena śāṁyati
haviṣā kṛṣṇa-vartmeva
bhūya evābhivardhate

As supplying butter to a fire does not diminish the fire but instead increases it more and more, the endeavor to stop lusty desires by continual enjoyment can never be successful. [In fact, one must voluntarily cease from material desires.]

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.29.9

kuryāt sarvāṇi karmāṇi
mad-arthaṁ śanakaiḥ smaran
mayy arpita-manaś-citto
mad-dharmātma-mano-ratiḥ

“Always remembering Me, one should perform all his duties for Me without becoming impetuous. With mind and intelligence offered to Me, one should fix his mind in attraction to My devotional service.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, worshiping Kṛṣṇa by dovetailing everything in devotional service is recommended here. Just like offering garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is dovetailing our sexual activities with Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

The name of karma is the journey of life. In the Gītā, the Lord has decided about the actions of the tattva-jñānīs, that he will do those actions which are favorable to devotion. Give up those karma which is unfavorable to bhakti.

Note:

Bhagavad-gītā 4.17–18

na hi kaścit kṣaṇam api
jātu tiṣṭhaty akarma-kṛt
kāryate hy avaśaḥ karma
sarvaḥ prakṛti-jair guṇaiḥ

“Everyone is forced to act helplessly according to the qualities he has acquired from the modes of material nature; therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment.”

karmaṇo hy api boddhavyaṁ
boddhavyaṁ ca vikarmaṇaḥ
akarmaṇaś ca boddhavyaṁ
gahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ

karmaṇy akarma yaḥ paśyed
akarmaṇi ca karma yaḥ
sa buddhimān manuṣyeṣu
sa yuktaḥ kṛtsna-karma-kṛt

The intricacies of action are very hard to understand. Therefore one should know properly what action is, what forbidden action is and what inaction is. One who sees inaction in action and action in inaction is intelligent among men, and he is in the transcendental position, although engaged in all sorts of activities.

Jayapatākā Swami: So kaniṣṭha, madhyama and uttama-adhikārī – kaniṣṭha-adhikārī is fully identified by material enjoyment. But the madhyama-adhikārī, he is part material enjoyer and part he is getting off material desires. Uttama-adhikārī is fully in the nivṛtti-mārga. So if one tries to dovetail everything with Kṛṣṇa and in this way by seeing everything in relation to Kṛṣṇa, then one would be in the uttama-adhikārī stage, and one who is part in material pravṛtti-mārga and part nivṛtti-mārga, that is the madhyama-adhikārī. So if we at least have the madhyama-adhikārī level then we can preach.

So I heard today that in all the places we established the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya in Vṛndāvana, they also want us to spend something in fixing up those temples. We thought we got many places to place the lotus foot prints, but now they are all asking for different facilities. So, if anyone would like to do some activity in Vṛndāvana, we can do that, where we have installed the lotus footprints of Lord Caitanya. So, nothing is free! They all want some facility. So, we are trying to develop Lord Caitanya’s lotus feet in all the places where He went. After we had installed the lotus footprints, the temples are asking for some spiritual development. So, we want to carry out the orders of our previous ācāryas, and the devotees have graciously installed the lotus footprints of Lord Caitanya all over Vraja, but the temples who gave the land, now they are asking for some development help. I am just telling you that everybody has some interest. So, we will continue this tomorrow.

Kṛṣṇe matir astu! Koṭi, koṭi!