20260314 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.24.37

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

Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.24.37

eṣa ātma-patho ’vyakto
naṣṭaḥ kālena bhūyasā
taṁ pravartayituṁ deham
imaṁ viddhi mayā bhṛtam

Translation: This path of self-realization, which is difficult to understand, has now been lost in the course of time. Please know that I have assumed this body of Kapila to introduce and explain this philosophy to human society again.

Purport: It is not true that Sāṅkhya philosophy is a new system of philosophy introduced by Kapila as material philosophers introduce new kinds of mental speculative thought to supersede that of another philosopher. On the material platform, everyone, especially the mental speculator, tries to be more prominent than others. The field of activity of the speculators is the mind. There is no limit to the different ways in which one can agītāte the mind, and thus one can put forward an unlimited number of theories. Sāṅkhya philosophy is not like that; it is not mental speculation. It is factual, but at the time of Kapila it was lost.

In due course of time, a particular type of knowledge may be lost or may be covered for the time being; that is the nature of this material world. A similar statement was made by Lord Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā. Sa kāleneha mahatā yogo naṣṭaḥ: “In course of time the yoga system as stated in Bhagavad-gītā was lost.” It was coming in paramparā, in disciplic succession, but due to the passage of time it was lost. The time factor is so pressing that in the course of time everything within this material world is spoiled or lost. The yoga system of Bhagavad-gītā was lost before the meeting of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. Therefore Kṛṣṇa again enunciated the same ancient yoga system to Arjuna, who could actually understand Bhagavad-gītā. Similarly, Kapila also said that the system of Sāṅkhya philosophy was not exactly being introduced by Him; it was already current, but in course of time it was mysteriously lost, and therefore He appeared to reintroduce it. That is the purpose of the incarnation of Godhead. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata. Dharma means the real occupation of the living entity. When there is a discrepancy in the eternal occupation of the living entity, the Lord comes and introduces the real occupation of life. Any so-called religious system that is not in the line of devotional service is called adharma-saṁsthāpana. When people forget their eternal relationship with God and engage in something other than devotional service, their engagement is called irreligion. How one can get out of the miserable condition of material life is stated in Sāṅkhya philosophy, and the Lord Himself is explaining this sublime system.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, here Kapila Muni is describing the reason for his avatāra. Saṅkhya philosophy is a process by which the conditioned soul of the material world can be delivered and engaged in devotional service in a systematic manner. So Kapiladeva, his presentation is ultimately connecting you to the devotional service of the Supreme Lord. So that is described as dharma. So if it doesn’t include devotional service, it is considered adharma. So, Śrīla Prabhupāda mentioned that in the purport that Lord Kṛṣṇa has also said that this bhakti-yoga of the Bhagavad-gītā, was also lost. So, He spoke the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, He spoke in order to reestablish this dharma. So, although Arjuna was a kṣatriya, normally a kṣatriya is one who has the guṇa of passion. Brāhmaṇa is in goodness, kṣatriya is in passion, vaiāya is mixed with passion and ignorance and śūdras in ignorance. But Arjuna, he was not motivated by the normal rajo-guṇa. Kṛṣṇa told him, fight for Me. So, he was actually a Vaiṣṇava, not in the mode of passion. Maybe by his work, by his training, he was a kṣatriya. But he was doing devotional service. So, what can we learn from this? So whatever we do, whether we are a kṣatriya or whatever caste or varṇa, we should offer everything for the pleasure of the Lord. Hari-toṣaṇam is the principle. So, you maybe a housewife, you may be doing some service, doing some devotional service, that is working for Kṛṣṇa. That was the secret of the Bhagavad-gītā. So that also was lost in Kali-yuga. Even today, people don’t understand what the purport of Bhagavad-gītā is.

Lord Caitanya had appeared to teach devotional service that was given in the Bhagavad-gītā that was lost. So, this way, Lord Caitanya had appeared, Kapiladeva appeared in order to reestablish the principle of dharma. In the Kali-yuga, it is very polluting. Nārada Muni was asking Lord Brahmā how can I be saved from the influence of Kali-yuga? I travel all over the world, the whole universe, and so how will I be insulated from the influence of Kali-yuga? Lord Brahmā said that chant:

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

iti ṣoḍaśakaṁ nāmnāṁ
kali-kalmaṣa-nāśanaṁ
nātaḥ parataropāyaḥ
sarva-vedeṣu dṛśyate
[Kali-santaraṇa Upaniṣad]

So, in all the Vedas there is no better way! So, although Kali-yuga is very problematic, there is one good quality! That is chanting:

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

Now we can translate Hare Kṛṣṇa in many languages. So you can translate in Russian!

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

In Italian!

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

In Bengali!

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

Chinese!

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

So, this Hare Kṛṣṇa is universal. So, Kapiladeva, he was reintroducing saṅkhya-yoga. Lord Caitanya, He did not write any books. He just said read Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He only wrote the Śikṣāṣṭaka – eight verses. Because He had appeared to preach the teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa. So, Kapila Muni had appeared many, many years ago. But, Lord Caitanya appeared 540 years ago, in this place, Navadvīpa dhāma! Where you are living! So, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared, that is our good fortune and by His mercy we can engage in devotional service. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura had said: gṛhe thāko vane thāko sadā hari bole ḍāko. Whether you stay at home or in the forest always chant the names of Lord Hari. Of course, in this Kali-yuga we don’t go to the forest, we live in the āśrama. But figuratively it says vane thāko. Anyway, the secret of the saṅkīrtana movement is devotional service.

Whatever work we do, we should offer it to Lord Kṛṣṇa, and in this way engage in propagating the saṅkīrtana movement. We are very grateful that all the devotees distribute books and do other devotional activities.

In this material world we are thinking about the body, we are trying to enjoy with the body and get so many types of sinful reactions. So, how purifying is devotional service, we have no idea! So, the Lord has given us special mercy to engage in devotional service! So, in this way while performing different activities, we should constantly think of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Caitanya, think of guru and Kṛṣṇa. And it says in the śāstra that even a sinful person, cannot commit so much sin that even once the chanting of the holy name cannot eradicate. But it also says that if one thinks that let me do some sin and later I will chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and get free, that is an offence to the holy name! Then you will get double the sinful reaction! Double! And by offending the holy name, there is no hope! So, this for people who are sinful so they get forgiven, not to encourage people to commit sin and then chant! That Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared, is His mercy! The Lord has appeared to reestablish religion, which is pure devotional service to Him and He personally appeared to reestablish that. So human life is a special facility to go back to Godhead. So we should utilize the human life by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And we should engage in pure devotional service. Then we don’t have to stay in this material world! You can go back to home back to Godhead!

So, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared to show how much bliss there is in the service of the Lord! We are trying to enjoy sense gratification but the result is immense misery. So, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to show us how we can enjoy in serving Lord Kṛṣṇa! And, I was reading Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Jaladūta Diary. How before reaching America, he prayed to Lord Kṛṣṇa. He said, I have no qualification, no good qualities, I am very fallen but my spiritual master has ordered me. You are the oldest of all, You are the most intelligent, You please inspire me to speak the words that they may understand. So this way, Śrīla Prabhupāda was praying and by the mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa, they could understand him!

What does Rāmeśvara Prabhu think?

Rāmeśvara Prabhu: I think you have shared with us how to pray from the core of our hearts for that mercy! I have personally seen Mahārāja praying like that and tears come from his eyes, and I am trying to catch those tears!

Jayapatākā Swami: Anyhow, any other comments or questions?

Rāmeśvara prabhu: I want to share what I shared with the GBC. I am on a Committee, with His Holiness Jayapatākā Mahārāja, and we shared  this with the whole GBC that if you look at when Śrīla Prabhupāda’s last will, 50 years later, this movement went from 120 temples to almost 1000 temples and preaching centers in just 50 years! So if every 50 years this movement increases 50 fold, if you want to see one hundred thousand temples then keep taking birth in the saṅkīrtana movement as a soldier, for book distribution. There is no stopping this!

Question by Janmāṣṭamī Dāsa: Mahārāja, this was the verse and purport how the Sāṅkhyā philosophy was lost and Kapiladeva came to revitalize it. You spoke about Lord Caitanya how He came and He showed us how we can really enjoy serving Kṛṣṇa. One hundred years after Lord Caitanya’s departure, the apasampradāyas kind of manifested. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, the Ray of Viṣṇu, he brought back to reality, pure devotional service. So, Śrīla Prabhupāda inaugurated the Golden Age of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So I have an unusual question, but it is a concern that many devotees have. How can a movement be protected in such a way that what Śrīla Prabhupāda had set as a standard is not lost? We have the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa prediction of the Golden Age of ten thousand years. But it seems we still have to be careful to strictly follow Śrīla Prabhupāda’s instructions.

Jayapatākā Swami: In his books, Śrīla Prabhupāda mentioned that these will be law books for humanity for the next ten thousand years. So, someone was saying how is he saying ten thousand years? Then we found the quote from the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa. So whatever Śrīla Prabhupāda has written in his books, they have to be taken as law books for the next ten thousand years. And I was telling the GBC that whatever decisions we make should be based on Śrīla Prabhupāda’s teachings. And I personally saw how Śrīla Prabhupāda was translating and writing his purports. He called me at 1 in the morning, 2am in the morning and I was there 24/7 to come whenever he called! So I was seeing how he was translating, writing the books. And that is why all the devotees should read the books, distribute the books! Haribol! Haribol! Gaurāṅga! Nityānanda!

For a few days I will be going to Kolkata for a few days, and then to Bhadrak for the opening of a temple there and will be back as soon as possible.