From the above statement it is found that a devotee is not after any of the stages of liberation. There are five stages of liberation, already explained as being (1) to become one with the Lord, (2) to live on the same planet as the Lord, (3) to obtain the same bodily features as the Lord, (4) to have the same opulences as the Lord and (5) to have constant association with the Lord. Out of these five liberated stages, the one which is known as sāyujya, or to merge into the existence of the Lord, is the last to be accepted by a devotee. The other four liberations, although not desired by devotees, still are not against the devotional ideals. Some of the liberated persons who have achieved these four stages of liberation may also develop affection for Kṛṣṇa and be promoted to the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet in the spiritual sky. In other words, those who are already promoted to the Vaikuṇṭha planets and who possess the four kinds of liberation may also sometimes develop affection for Kṛṣṇa and become promoted to Kṛṣṇaloka.
Constant association
Expressions researched:
"constant associate"
|"constant associates"
|"constant association"
|"constant engagement in the association"
|"constant personal association"
|"constantly associate"
|"constantly associated"
|"constantly associates"
|"constantly associating"
|"constantly in association"
|"constantly in the association"
|"constantly keep yourself associated"
|"constantly wanted the association"
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
The contact of the spiritual spark with material elements creates a knot which must be cut if one wants to be liberated from the actions and reactions of fruitive work. Liberation means freedom from the cycle of reactionary work. This liberation automatically follows for one who constantly remembers the transcendental pastimes of the Personality of Godhead. This is because all the activities of the Supreme Lord (His līlā) are transcendental to the modes of the material energy. They are all-attractive spiritual activities, and therefore constant association with the spiritual activities of the Supreme Lord gradually spiritualizes the conditioned soul and ultimately severs the knot of material bondage.
Liberation from material bondage is, therefore, a by-product of devotional service. Attainment of spiritual knowledge is not sufficient to insure liberation. Such knowledge must be overcoated with devotional service so that ultimately the devotional service alone predominates. Then liberation is made possible. Even the reactionary work of the fruitive workers can lead one to liberation when it is overcoated with devotional service. Karma overcoated with devotional service is called karma-yoga. Similarly, empirical knowledge overcoated with devotional service is called jñāna-yoga. But pure bhakti-yoga is independent of such karma and jñāna because it alone can not only endow one with liberation from conditional life but also award one the transcendental loving service of the Lord.
SB Canto 2
There are many other weeds, like disobedience to the tenets of the revered scriptures, unnecessary engagements, killing animals, and hankering after material gain, prestige and adoration.
(6) If sufficient care is not taken, then the watering process may only help to breed the weeds, stunting the healthy growth of the main creeper and resulting in no fructification of the ultimate requirement: love of God.
(7) The devotee must therefore be very careful to uproot the different weeds in the very beginning. Only then will the healthy growth of the main creeper not be stunted.
(8) And by so doing, the devotee is able to relish the fruit of love of God and thus live practically with Lord Kṛṣṇa, even in this life, and be able to see the Lord in every step.
The highest perfection of life is to enjoy life constantly in the association of the Lord, and one who can relish this does not aspire after any temporary enjoyment of the material world via other media.
To be fully engaged in hearing the transcendental narration described in the text of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam means to constantly associate with the Supreme Soul, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. And to constantly associate with the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa means to be liberated from the qualities of matter. Lord Kṛṣṇa is like the sun, and material contamination is like darkness. As the presence of the sun dissipates darkness, constant engagement in the association of the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa frees one from the contamination of the material qualities. Contamination by the material qualities is the cause of repeated birth and death, and liberation from material qualities is transcendence. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was now a realized soul by this secret of liberation, through the grace of Śukadeva Gosvāmī, for the latter had informed the King that the highest perfection of life is to be in remembrance of Nārāyaṇa at the end of life. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was destined to give up his body at the end of seven days, and thus he decided to continue remembering the Lord by His association with the topics of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and thus to quit his body in full consciousness of the presence of the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Soul.
The fruitive materialist is not a realized soul; he wants to derive some material benefit from his so-called hearing of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Undoubtedly such an audience, hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the professional men, can derive some material benefit as they desire, but that does not mean that such a pretense of hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for a week is as good as the hearing of Mahārāja Parīkṣit.
It is the duty of the sane to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from a self-realized soul and not be duped by professional men. One should continue such hearing till the end of one's life so that one can actually have the transcendental association of the Lord and thus be liberated simply by hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Mahārāja Parīkṣit had already given up all his connections with his kingdom and family, the most attractive features of materialism, but still he was conscious of his material body. He wanted to be free of such bondage also by the constant association of the Lord.
SB Canto 3
A pure devotee of the Lord of the standard of Uddhava constantly associates with the Lord in the double perception of simultaneous separation and meeting. The pure devotee is not for a moment unengaged in the transcendental service of the Lord. Execution of the Lord's service is the main occupation of the pure devotee. Uddhava's separation from the Lord was unbearable, and therefore he started to Badarikāśrama in obedience to the Lord's order because the order of the Lord and the Lord Himself are identical. As long as one is engaged in the execution of the order of the Lord, there is no factual separation from Him.
The sufferings of the conditioned soul are superficial and have no intrinsic value, like the cutting off of one's head in a dream. Yet although this statement is theoretically very true, it is very difficult for the common man or the neophyte on the transcendental path to realize practically. However, by serving the feet of great transcendentalists like Maitreya Muni and by constantly associating with them, one is enabled to give up the false idea that the soul suffers from material pangs.
Yogīs are very proud of performing wonderful feats, but no one can compare to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Anyone who is associated with the Supreme Lord is accepted as a first-class yogī. Devotees may not be as powerful as the Supreme Lord, but by constant association with the Lord they become as good as the Lord Himself. Sometimes the devotees act more powerfully than the Lord. Of course, that is the Lord's concession.
Also used here is the word varimṇaḥ, meaning "the most worshipful of all yogīs." To hear from Kṛṣṇa is the real pleasure of the senses; therefore He is known as Govinda, for by His words, by His teachings, by His instruction—by everything connected with Him—He enlivens the senses. Whatever He instructs is from the transcendental platform, and His instructions, being absolute, are nondifferent from Him. Hearing from Kṛṣṇa or His expansion or plenary expansion like Kapila is very pleasing to the senses. Bhagavad-gītā can be read or heard many times, but because it gives great pleasure, the more one reads Bhagavad-gītā the more he gets the appetite to read and understand it, and each time he gets new enlightenment. That is the nature of the transcendental message. Similarly, we find that transcendental happiness in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The more we hear and chant the glories of the Lord, the more we become happy.
SB Canto 4
Kṛṣṇa consciousness means constantly associating with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in such a mental state that the devotee can observe the cosmic manifestation exactly as the Supreme Personality of Godhead does. Such observation is not always possible, but it becomes manifest exactly like the dark planet known as Rāhu, which is observed in the presence of the full moon.
It does not matter to the pure devotee if he has to go to hell to preach. The Supreme Lord lives in the heart of a hog, although the Lord is in Vaikuṇṭha. Even while preaching in hell, a pure devotee remains a pure devotee by his constant association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To attain this state, one has to control his senses. The senses are automatically controlled when one's mind is engaged in the service of the Lord.
SB Canto 5
Lord Brahmā did not come alone. He came with other great sages like Marīci, Ātreya and Vasiṣṭha. To convince Priyavrata that it was necessary for him to follow the Vedic injunctions and accept the responsibility of ruling over the world, Lord Brahmā also brought with him the personified Vedas, his constant associates.
A significant word in this verse is sva-bhavanāt, indicating that Lord Brahmā descended from his own abode. Every demigod has his own abode. Indra, the King of the demigods, has his own abode, as do Candra, the lord of the moon planet, and Sūrya, the predominating deity of the sun planet. There are many millions of demigods, and the stars and planets are their respective homes. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā. Yānti deva-vratā devān: (BG 9.25) "Those who worship the demigods go to their different planetary systems." Lord Brahmā's abode, the highest planetary system, is called Satyaloka or sometimes Brahmaloka. Brahmaloka usually refers to the spiritual world. The abode of Lord Brahmā is Satyaloka, but because Lord Brahmā resides there, it is also sometimes called Brahmaloka.
SB Canto 6
A pure devotee never desires to gain material opportunities by rendering transcendental loving service to the Lord. A pure devotee desires only to engage in loving service to the Lord in the constant association of the Lord and His eternal associates, as stated in the previous verse (dāsānudāso bhavitāsmi). As confirmed by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura:
- tāṅdera caraṇa sevi bhakta-sane vāsa
- janame janame haya, ei abhilāṣa
To serve the Lord and the servants of His servants, in the association of devotees, is the only objective of a pure, unalloyed devotee.
SB Canto 8
Although He appears to act within the modes of material nature, He is nirguṇa, above the modes of nature. His name is not material; otherwise how could one get liberation by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma? The names of the Lord like Rāma and Kṛṣṇa are nondifferent from the person Rāma and Kṛṣṇa. Thus by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra one constantly associates with Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore becomes liberated. A practical example is Ajāmila, who always remained transcendental to his activities simply by chanting the name Nārāyaṇa. If this was true of Ajāmila, what is to be said of the Supreme Lord? When the Lord comes to this material world, He does not become a product of matter. This is confirmed throughout Bhagavad-gītā (janma-karma ca me divyam (BG 4.9), avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11)). Therefore, when the Supreme Personality of Godhead—Rāma or Kṛṣṇa—descends to act transcendentally for our benefit, we should not consider Him an ordinary human being. When the Lord comes, He does so on the basis of His spiritual potency (sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6)). Because He is not forced to come by the material energy, He is always transcendental. One should not consider the Supreme Lord an ordinary human being. Material names and forms are contaminated, but spiritual name and spiritual form are transcendental.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
According to expert opinion, Balarāma, as the chief of the original quadruple forms, is also the original Saṅkarṣaṇa. Balarāma, the first expansion of Kṛṣṇa, expands Himself in five forms: (1) Mahā-saṅkarṣaṇa, (2) Kāraṇodakaśāyī, (3) Garbhodakaśāyī, (4) Kṣīrodakaśāyī, and (5) Śeṣa. These five plenary portions are responsible for both the spiritual and material cosmic manifestations. In these five forms Lord Balarāma assists Lord Kṛṣṇa in His activities. The first four of these forms are responsible for the cosmic manifestations, whereas Śeṣa is responsible for personal service to the Lord. Śeṣa is called Ananta, or unlimited, because He assists the Personality of Godhead in His unlimited expansions by performing an unlimited variety of services. Śrī Balarāma is the servitor Godhead who serves Lord Kṛṣṇa in all affairs of existence and knowledge. Lord Nityānanda Prabhu, who is the same servitor Godhead, Balarāma, performs the same service to Lord Gaurāṅga by constant association.
There are two kinds of liberated souls—those who are liberated by the favor of the Lord and those who are liberated by their own effort. One who gets liberation by his own effort is called an impersonalist, and he merges into the glaring effulgence of the Lord, the brahma-jyoti. But devotees of the Lord who qualify themselves for liberation by devotional service are offered four kinds of liberation, namely sālokya (status equal to that of the Lord), sāmīpya (constant association with the Lord), sārṣṭi (opulence equal to that of the Lord) and sārūpya (features like those of the Lord).
Śrī Yādavācārya Gosāñi, a constant associate of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, was also very enthusiastic in hearing and chanting about Lord Caitanya's pastimes.
"Among his sannyāsī disciples, Īśvara Purī and Paramānanda Purī were very dear to Mādhavendra Purī. Thus Paramānanda Purī, like Svarūpa Dāmodara, who was also a sannyāsī, was very dear to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and was His constant associate. When Lord Caitanya accepted the renounced order, Paramānanda Purī offered Him the daṇḍa. Paramānanda Purī was always engaged in meditation, and Śrī Svarūpa was always engaged in chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. As Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered full respect to His spiritual master, Īśvara Purī, He similarly respected Paramānanda Purī and Svarūpa Dāmodara." It is described in the Caitanya-bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa, Chapter Three, that when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu first saw Paramānanda Purī He made the following statement:
Śrī Ācārya Purandara, the ninth branch, was a constant associate of Lord Caitanya's. The Lord accepted him as His father.
King Pratāparudra of Orissa, the Oriyā devotees Kṛṣṇānanda and Śivānanda, and Paramānanda Mahāpātra, Bhagavān Ācārya, Brahmānanda Bhāratī, Śrī Śikhi Māhiti and Murāri Māhiti constantly associated with Caitanya Mahāprabhu while He resided in Jagannātha Purī.
CC Madhya-lila
There is also a book called Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi, a transcendental account of loving affairs that includes metaphor, analogy and higher bhakti sentiments. Devotional service in conjugal love is described briefly in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, but it is very elaborately discussed in the Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi. This book describes different types of lovers, their assistants, and those who are very dear to Kṛṣṇa. There is also a description of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and other female lovers, as well as various group leaders. Messengers and the constant associates, as well as others who are very dear to Kṛṣṇa, are all described. The book also relates how love of Kṛṣṇa is awakened and describes the ecstatic situation, the devotional situation, permanent ecstasy, disturbed ecstasy, steady ecstasy, different positions of different dresses, feelings of separation, prior attraction, anger in attraction, varieties of loving affairs, separation from the beloved, meeting with the beloved, and both direct and indirect enjoyment between the lover and the beloved. All this has been very elaborately described.
Constantly associating with each other, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa gradually developed a friendly relationship. Indeed, sometimes they laughed and joked together.
The almighty Personality of Godhead has three potencies—internal, external and marginal. The conditioned souls, who are condemned due to their forgetfulness of the Lord, are put under the control of the external potency when she creates the material world. The three modes of material nature keep the living entity in a constant state of fear (bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ). The conditioned soul is always fearful due to being controlled by the external potency; therefore the conditioned soul should always pray to the almighty Lord to conquer the external potency (māyā) so that she will no longer manifest her powers, which bind all living entities, moving and inert. By praying in this way one will become eligible to remain constantly in the association of the Lord, thus fulfilling the mission of going back home, back to Godhead.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Nectar of Devotion
After the outward appearance of these ecstatic symptoms, they stay within the mind, and continuation of the ecstasy is called samādhi. This stage of appreciation becomes the cause of future exchanges of loving affairs with Kṛṣṇa.
Elevation to this stage of ecstasy can be possible in two ways. One way is by constant association with pure devotees. The other way is by the special mercy of Kṛṣṇa or by the mercy of a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Elevation to the ecstatic stage of life is generally attained through association with pure devotees, while elevation to that stage by the special mercy of Kṛṣṇa or His devotee is very rare. The purport is that one should execute devotional service rigidly in the association of devotees so that there will be certainty in raising oneself to that ecstatic position. In special cases, of course, there is special favor from Kṛṣṇa, and although we should always expect that, we should not sit idly and simply wait for Kṛṣṇa's special mercy; the regular duties must be performed. It is just as when, sometimes, it is found that a person who never attended school or college may be recognized as a great scholar, or an honorary degree from great universities may be offered to him. But this does not mean that one should avoid school and expect to automatically receive an honorary degree from some university. Similarly, one should devoutly execute the regulative principles of devotional service and at the same time hope for Kṛṣṇa's favor or for His devotee's favor.
These are practical examples of how one can develop to the stage of ecstatic love simply by the association of pure devotees. It is essential, therefore, that one constantly associate with pure devotees who are engaged morning and evening in chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. In this way one will get the chance to purify his heart and develop this ecstatic pure love for Kṛṣṇa.
This statement is also confirmed in the Third Canto, Twenty-fifth Chapter, verse 25, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, where Lord Kapila says, "My dear mother, when a person is actually in association with pure devotees, the sublime potency of My devotional service can be experienced." In other words, when a pure devotee speaks, his words act upon the hearts of the audience. What is the secret of hearing and chanting? A professional speaker cannot impress transcendental ecstasy within the hearts of the listeners. However, when a realized soul who is engaged in the service of the Lord is speaking, he has the potency to inject spiritual life within the audience. One should, therefore, seek the association of such pure, unalloyed devotees, and by such association and service a neophyte devotee will certainly develop attachment, love and devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Those who are situated on the platform of śānta-rasa get their impetus for advancement in devotional service by smelling the tulasī offered at the lotus feet of the Lord, by hearing the sound of His conchshell, by seeing a sanctified place in some mountain or hill, by observing a forest like the ones in Vṛndāvana, by going to a place of pilgrimage, by visiting the course of the Ganges River, by being victorious over the dictations of bodily demands (i.e., eating, sleeping, mating and defending), by understanding the devastation of eternal time and by constantly associating with devotees engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All these different items are favorable in elevating saintly persons situated in śānta-rasa to the advanced stage of devotional service.
In the Third Canto, Fifteenth Chapter, verse 43, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there is a statement by the four saintly persons known as Catuḥ-sana, headed by Sanaka-kumāra. They went to visit the Lord of Vaikuṇṭhaloka in the spiritual sky, and when they bowed down before the Lord, the aroma of the tulasī, mixed with saffron, entered their nostrils and immediately attracted their minds. Although these four saintly persons were always absorbed in the thought of impersonal Brahman, from association with the Lord and from smelling the tulasī leaves the hairs on their bodies immediately stood up.
Descriptions of the bodily features of the anugas in Vṛndāvana are given in the following statement: "Let us offer our respectful obeisances unto the constant associates of the son of Mahārāja Nanda. They always stay in Vṛndāvana, and their bodies are decorated with garlands of pearls and with bangles and bracelets of gold. Their colors are like black bees and the golden moon, and they are dressed just to suit their particular special bodily features. Their specific duties can be understood from a statement by mother Yaśodā, who said, 'Bakula, please cleanse the yellowish dress of Kṛṣṇa. Vārika, you just flavor the bathing water with aguru scent. And Rasāla, you just prepare the betel nuts. You can all see that Kṛṣṇa is approaching. There is dust overhead, and the cows can be seen very distinctly.'"
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
Materialistic persons are always burning in a blazing fire of material miseries. The gopīs were burning in a transcendental blazing fire due to separation from Kṛṣṇa. The blazing fire exasperating the gopīs, however, is different from the fire of the material world. The gopīs constantly wanted the association of Kṛṣṇa, whereas materialistic persons constantly want the advantage of material comforts.
It is stated by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura that Kṛṣṇa saved the cowherd boys from the blazing forest fire within a second, while their eyes were closed. Similarly, Uddhava advised the gopīs that they could be saved from the fire of separation by closing their eyes and meditating on the activities of Kṛṣṇa from the very beginning of their association with Him. From the outside, the gopīs could visualize all the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa by hearing the descriptions of Uddhava, and from within they could remember those pastimes. From the instructions of Uddhava, the gopīs could understand that Kṛṣṇa was not separate from them. As they were constantly thinking of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa was also thinking of them constantly at Mathurā.
Sudāmā Vipra realized that although Lord Kṛṣṇa is unconquerable, He nevertheless agrees to be conquered by His devotees. He realized how kind Lord Kṛṣṇa was to him, and he was always in trance, constantly thinking of Kṛṣṇa. By such constant association with Lord Kṛṣṇa, whatever darkness of material contamination remained within his heart was completely cleared away, and very shortly he was transferred to the spiritual kingdom, which is the goal of all saintly persons in the perfectional stage of life.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī has stated that all persons who hear this history of Sudāmā Vipra and Lord Kṛṣṇa will know how affectionate Lord Kṛṣṇa is to brāhmaṇa devotees like Sudāmā. Therefore anyone who hears this history gradually becomes as qualified as Sudāmā Vipra, and he is thus transferred to the spiritual kingdom of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Because of His presence, all our ambitions and desires are gradually being fulfilled. Your Majesty, King of the Bhojas, you are related with the Yadu dynasty by matrimonial relationship, and by blood relationship also. As a result, you are constantly associating with Lord Kṛṣṇa, and you have no difficulty in seeing Him or touching Him at any time. Lord Kṛṣṇa moves with you, talks with you, sits with you, rests with you, and dines with you. The Yadus appear to be always engaged in worldly affairs, which are considered to be the royal road to hell, but due to the presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the original Personality of Godhead in the Viṣṇu category, who is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent, all of you are factually relieved from all material contamination and are situated in the transcendental position of liberation and Brahman existence.”
Renunciation Through Wisdom
It is impossible to go directly to the university without prior schooling. In spiritual life, however, although there are strict regulations, by the Supreme Lord's grace one can bypass many intermediary stages and reach the top, or "doctorate" level. One can attain this divine grace by intimate and constant association with the Supreme Lord. And such intimate association with the Lord comes about through confidential exchanges with a pure devotee of the Supreme Lord. Everyone of us is intimately and eternally related to the Supreme Lord, but due to the bad influence of māyā we have forgotten our relationship with Him.
The living entities are like sons of the Lord, and as such they are rightful heirs to the great wealth of their rich father. But because of the reactions to sins committed in previous lives, they are roaming about without a home, suffering acute poverty. That the living entities are suffering is quite clear to all. But they do not know who their wealthy father is or where they can go to reclaim their valuable inheritance. Without proper knowledge, they are trying in vain to escape from their poverty while aimlessly roaming about like poor beggars. They meet many who promise to help them, but in the end such helpers turn out to be beggars themselves.
Mukunda-mala-stotra (mantras 1 to 6 only)
There are hundreds of thousands of other names of Lord Viṣṇu, and each one of them is as powerful as the Lord Himself. One can constantly chant any name of the Lord and thereby constantly associate with Him. There are no hard and fast rules for chanting His names. At any time and any stage of life one can freely chant them, but we are so unfortunate that we are too misled even to adopt this simple process. This is the way of Māyā, the Lord's misleading energy. However, one can avoid her ways simply by always remembering the lotus feet of the Lord. King Kulaśekhara prays for this facility from Mukunda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etān taranti. Māyā cannot touch. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He was engaged in the service of Hṛṣīkeśa. Māyā came in full-fledged strength. Still, she was defeated; Haridāsa Ṭhākura was not defeated.
So try to understand Kṛṣṇa as Hṛṣīkeśa. So Hṛṣīkeśa, Kṛṣṇa, began to laugh that "He is My friend, constant associate, and such weakness. He first of all was enthusiastic to ask Me to take his chariot, senayor ubhayor madhye. Now viṣīdantan, now he is lamenting." So... We are all fools like that. Arjuna is not fool. Arjuna has been been described as Guḍākeśa. How he can be fool? But he is playing the part of fool. If he does not play the part of a fool, how this Bhagavad-gītā will come from the mouth of Śrī Kṛṣṇa? And because he is devotee, he is perfectly playing in such a way that Kṛṣṇa is giving instruction. So perfect teacher and the perfect disciple, Arjuna. We have to learn from their de... Our position... Arjuna is representing just like ordinary man like us, and Kṛṣṇa is Hṛṣīkeśa, giving His advice, perfect advice. If we take, if we read Bhagavad-gītā in the spirit of understanding like Arjuna, the perfect disciple, and if we accept the advice and the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, the perfect teacher, then we should know that we have understood Bhagavad-gītā. By my mental speculation, by rascal interpretation, by showing one's scholarship, you cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā. That is not possible. Submissive. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34).
You can take your seat. Come here. Come here. Yes.
So Arjuna, although he is a personal devotee of Kṛṣṇa, a personal friend of Kṛṣṇa, he is... Just like we are trying to have Kṛṣṇa consciousness just to make our life perfect. Now, the person who is not only Kṛṣṇa conscious but, I mean to say, constant associate, such a person, Arjuna, he was in bewilderment, "Whether I shall fight with my kinsmen, my brothers and my nephews, my brother-in-laws, my father-in-law, my grandfather, my other friends, so many all?" Because it was a family war, so he was afraid, that "I shall not fight. I shall not fight." It is quite natural.
Suppose if you are called for fighting with your enemies, you are ready. But if somebody says that "You fight with your sons and daughters and wives and your friends," oh, you'll hesitate. That is quite natural. So Arjuna was placed in such a position, that "I have to fight with my relatives." So he was perplexed. He was perplexed and there was some arguments. We have already discussed. And Kṛṣṇa said that when the question of fighting is there, it doesn't matter who are they on the opposite party. "You are a kṣatriya. You are a fighting man. It is your duty to fight. You should not hesitate."
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So we are in this material world on account of this infectious condition. This is our problem. And we have to die. That's a fact. If you say that "I don't believe in death," that is not excuse. Death must be there. You must die. So in this way our life is going on. So in the human form of life we can rectify this. This is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that if we rectify our constant association with different material modes of nature... And as the result of this association, we are accepting one body and again dying, and again accepting another body, again dying. This business will be stopped. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Somehow or other, if you become fit to go back to home, back to Godhead, yad gatvā, then you haven't got to come back again. But they do not understand that this material conditional life is always miserable. They have accepted, "It is very nice." Animals. Animals Just like in the slaughterhouse, livestock godown, there are so many animals, and they are going to be slaughtered. Everyone knows. They also know, the animals. But on account of their animal quality, they cannot do anything. Similarly, we are also put into the slaughterhouse of this material world. It is called mṛtyu-loka. Everyone knows that he will be slaughtered. Today or tomorrow or fifty years after or a hundred years after, everyone knows that he will be slaughtered.
There must be the thing, mango. That is duality. This is the world of duality. Absolute means the name mango and the mango thing is the same. Otherwise what is the... If they're different, then what is the use of chanting Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa chanting means Kṛṣṇa, this word, and Kṛṣṇa the person, the same. Therefore by constant chanting means constantly associating with Kṛṣṇa. Then we are becoming purified. Purified. There is no difference.
So we have to understand this philosophy. Everything is there in the book. So we have to read it carefully, understand it through the teacher's or guru's instruction. So in this way, if our mind becomes fixed up in Kṛṣṇa the person or the Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa word, sakṛt, once only... Sakṛt means once only, yes. Kṛṣṇa padāravindayoḥ, pandaro(?), niveśitam, fully absorbed. This practice, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, means to practice this, how to fix up the mind always at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa also advised the same thing: man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Mayy āsakta-manaḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. This is yoga, meditation. If you simply sit down in a place and you... It is recommended that in a solitary place and sitting straight, right angle, and not closing the eyes but half open—this is yoga practice—and looking over this point of nose, and observing celibacy, brahmacarya, following the rules and regulations, in this way you can practice yoga. Not that you can do whatever nonsense you like and you have become a yogi.
And if you worship Kṛṣṇa, offer ārātika, bhoga, decorate with flowers Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra-tan mandira-mār...** Even you wash this temple, you get the benefit. Somehow or other, be in touch with this temple, with the holy name, with the Vaiṣṇava. In this way, by constant association-saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ—by association of devotees, you become a Kṛṣṇa devotee.
Actually it is happening. In your country, the Europeans and Americans, say, ten years before the beginning of this movement, you did not know Kṛṣṇa, every one of you. That's a fact. How you are now mad after Kṛṣṇa? It is simply because by association. So association is so important thing. You boys and girls in your country, you were so luxuriously living. Why you have left everything and you are after a beggar sannyāsī? It is the association. The association is so strong.
Now Yamarāja is saying that evaṁ vimṛśya sudhiyo bhagavaty anante. One who is so much attached unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead that he constantly associates with Him simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, or by performing the devotional service... Yamarāja does not, I mean to say, give only stress on the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. He is giving stress on different process of devotional service. Bhagavaty anante sarvātmanā vidadhate khalu bhāva-yogam. Sarvātmanā. Sarvātmanā means "in all respect." And bhāva-yogam means bhakti-yogam. So if anyone seriously takes to bhakti-yoga process without any reservation—that means śuddha-bhakti, unalloyed devotional service, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11), as we have explained several times—then evaṁ vimṛśya sudhiyo bhagavaty anante sarvātmanā... There is another verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:
Initiation Lectures
So ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. So Kṛṣṇa's name and Kṛṣṇa is not different. Therefore, as soon as my tongue touches the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, that means immediately it associates with Kṛṣṇa. So if you constantly keep yourself associated with Kṛṣṇa by chanting this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, then just imagine how you are being easily purified simply by this process, chanting, jihvādau, engaging the tongue in chanting. And your tongue wants very palatable dishes to taste. So Kṛṣṇa is very kind. He has given you hundreds and thousands of palatable dishes, remnants of foodstuff eaten by Him. You eat. In this way, if you simply make it a determination that "I shall not allow my tongue to taste anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa, and I shall engage my tongue always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa," then all perfection is within your hold. All perfection. Two simple things: Don't eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Our Kṛṣṇa prasādam are so variegated, nice varieties... The variety is the mother of enjoyment. How much enjoyment you want with your tongue? You can have simply by eating Kṛṣṇa prasādam. And the more your tongue is purified, the more you relish the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Relish.
General Lectures
So our, this sound representation of the Supreme Lord constantly will make us... Just like our association with the fire, the, I mean to say, iron rod's association with the fire makes the rod equally qualified, exactly—not equally qualified, but almost the quality of burning it gets—similarly, by our constant association with Lord... Lord is not only incarnation in a sound form. He is incarnated in many other forms, in many other forms. Just like arcā. Arcā means the form of the Lord situated, I mean to say, established in some temple and worshiped. That is also incarnation of God. That is not idol worship. People do not know that this is an authorized process of realizing God, or they have never tasted or practiced it. They cannot understand. They say it is idol worship. No. It is not idol worship. It is not idol worship. I'll give you one example. Just like in the front of your door there is a box—"U.S. Mail," it is written. And you put your letters within that box, and after few days you get reply from your friend that "I have received your letter, and this is such and such, such and such." Now, if somebody puts another box like that, exactly imitation: "Then why shall I spend postage to putting letters in this box, U.S. Mail? I require postage. But then why shall I not put up a box like that? Let me prepare a box like that so that it can go without postage. I want to save postage." Now, he is going on, putting letters in that without postage.
Prabhupāda: Yes. We are lacking in God consciousness on account of being impure. So by chanting, glorifying the Lord's name, you will be purified. The example is, just like you put one iron rod in the fire. It become warm, warmer, at last red-hot. When it is red-hot, it is no longer iron rod; it is fire by association with the fire. Similarly, if you remain always, constantly, in association with God, then you become godly, and you become purified. Then your vision will be clear. So God and God's name, the same, because God is Absolute. If you chant, glorify, God's name, that means you associate with God directly. And if we... Associate with God means you gradually become godly. This is the meaning of chanting the holy name of God.
Guest (5): Your Grace, all of us who are attached to a transcendental religion, I think we face a common problem, and I would like to hear you say how you see the answer to the problem: the problem of evil. If I put it in these terms, that all energy, all reality, is from God, the spiritual and the material. And material is good when we use it towards God consciousness, use it properly. But the thing that makes a difference is ourselves, the way we consciously use things differently. And the trouble is that in this consciousness, this is how we come closest to God, our consciousness in itself. Now, some people would say that the source of evil is individual consciousness, our consciousness as persons. Others would have other ways of answering. I was wondering how you yourself would say.
Purports to Songs
Prabhupāda: The next line is āra kabe nitāi-cānder koruṇā hoibe. (spells out) Āra kabe nitāi-cānder koruṇā koribe. This is also aspiration, that "When Nityānanda Prabhu, the constant associate of Lord Caitanya, will be pleased upon me?" Koruṇā koribe. Koruṇā koribe means He will be pleased upon me. Nityānanda Prabhu or Nitāi-cānd, is the original spiritual master. He is Baladeva. Bala means strength, and deva, the Personality of Godhead who gives strength. Therefore Nitāi-cānd is the symbol of spiritual master who gives strength to the disciples. This is the process of disciplic succession. We have to acquire the spiritual strength. No amount of material strength can help me in the advancement of spiritual life. We must derive the spiritual strength. Just like we have to take electricity from the powerhouse by directly connecting with the powerhouse. Not the wiring but the electricity. Similarly, this disciplic succession means the strength is descending from the original person through the spiritual master. That is the idea. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura explains that "When Nitāicānd will be pleased?" And the result of such pleasure of Nitāicānd is that one becomes free from all desires for material enjoyment.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Chanting is to make the process very easy. Because in this age people are unfortunate, short living, and they are attracted in false things, they are very slow, they do not take it very seriously. Therefore chanting is a common platform. Anyone can chant. Anyone, even the child can chant, the old man can chant, the fool can chant, the intelligent can chant, the rich can chant, the poor can chant. So the chanting is a common; therefore it is becoming successful. And chanting means, Kṛṣṇa being absolute, Kṛṣṇa's name and Kṛṣṇa there is no difference. Absolute means there is no duality. As in this dual world there is difference between the name and the substance, in the absolute world there is no difference between the name and the substance. Both of them are the same. So therefore chanting of Kṛṣṇa's name means associating with Kṛṣṇa directly. And because they are associating with Kṛṣṇa directly, they're quickly becoming purified. Just like if you touch a metal rod to the fire, it becomes warm and then it acquires the quality of the fire. The metal rod, you can touch anywhere, it will burn, although it is metal rod. But because it acquired the quality of the fire, it can burn, it can act as fire. Similarly, if we constantly associate with Kṛṣṇa, then we acquire the spiritual quality. Then we can act as spiritual very quick. This is the point.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So Lord and Lord's name, They're the same, identical. Just like we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So this Kṛṣṇa name and the Kṛṣṇa person, identical. Because the Lord is absolute. In the material world, the world of duality, the name is not the substance. If you require water, simply by chanting "Water, water," your thirst will not be quenched. You require the substance water. But in the spiritual world, the Lord and His name, the same thing. If you chant the Lord's name, Kṛṣṇa, or any name of Lord, that is identical with the Lord. Therefore by chanting the holy name of the Lord, you are associating with the Lord. And as soon as you associate with the Lord, you become purified. Because Lord is all-pure. Just like if you associate with fire, you become warm. Similarly, if you constantly associate with the Lord, you remain purified. Therefore our principle is they are always chanting... Just like we are... I am chanting also. (Holds up beads) Or reading some book. Or talking with you about Kṛṣṇa. So we are always connected with Kṛṣṇa, or God. In all our activities... The whole house, you'll see, they are engaged in some sort of work which has connection with Kṛṣṇa. There is no other work. So nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe. Anything attached with God, that is also godly.
Prabhupāda: Oh, he attempted it?
Govardhana: Yes, but we prevented him.
Prabhupāda: So we must be careful. There may be so many fanatics.
Govardhana: That shows that because he was not in the constant association of devotees that he lost those qualities.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. So why did you not arrest him and give to the police?
Govardhana: We did. We beat him. Then we took him to court and had him put in jail for three months.
Prabhupāda: Oh, that's nice. Yes.
Govardhana: But how is it that he was coming and becoming enthusiastic about Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: ...coming, but he was interrupted by another rascal. He was advised by another rascal.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: The next line is āra kabe nitāi-cānder koruṇā hoibe. Āra kabe nitāi-cānder koruṇā koribe. This is also an aspiration, that "When will Nityānanda Prabhu, the constant associate of Lord Caitanya, be pleased upon me?" Koruṇā koribe. Koruṇā koribe means He will be pleased upon me. Nityānanda Prabhu or Nitāi-cānd, is the original spiritual master. He is Baladeva. Bala means strength, and deva, the Personality of Godhead, who gives strength. Therefore Nitāi-cānd is the symbol of the spiritual master who gives strength to the disciples. This is the process of disciplic succession. We have to acquire spiritual strength. No amount of material strength can help me in the advancement of spiritual life. We must derive spiritual strength. Just like we have to take electricity from the powerhouse by connecting directly to the powerhouse. Not the wiring but the electricity. Similarly, the meaning of the disciplic succession is that the strength is descending from the original person through the spiritual master. That is the idea. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura explains that "When Nitāi-cānd will be pleased?" And the result of such pleasure of Nitāi-cānd is that one becomes free from all desires for material enjoyment.
Correspondence
1970 Correspondence
The Krishna Consciousness Society will never experience any poverty stricken life because the members are so rich being constantly in association with Krishna; that while others may feel the pinching scarcity enforced by Maya, Krishna Conscious persons will feel the whole world full of enjoyment.
The association of devotees is the most important element in learning Krishna Consciousness way of life. By association with undesirable companions we have learned so many bad habits and similarly by association with pure persons or devotees we can become purified of our acquired bad habits. So constant association and working cooperatively with devotees is the prime and easy method to relearn our original good habit of Krsna Consciousness.
I am also very pleased to know that you are living happily with your good wife, and you are expecting a child in July. So now you must take especial care to raise the new child in such a nice way that he will become a pure devotee in Krsna Consciousness; that is the responsibility of the parents, to see that their child is freed from the clutches of Maya.
So far I am concerned, I do not factually feel any separation from my Spiritual Master because I am trying to serve Him according to His desire. That should be the motto. If you kindly try to fulfill my mission for which you have been sent there, that will be our constant association.
Your sentiments are very nice, so do not be worried, we will meet very soon. If World Sankirtana Party is organized our meeting will be in a very short time. In this connection I shall ask you to contact Ksirodakasayi. He is very eager in this respect. He will surely attend Ratha Yatra, so you can see him at that time.
The news article which you sent along with a translation was not very sympathetic. Anyway, it is published. We are now printing a Krsna Consciousness Handbook, so in future any reporter coming may be given a copy to read, otherwise they will simply push their own view.
1972 Correspondence
So far personal association with the Guru is concerned, I was only with my Guru Maharaja four or five times, but I have never left his association, not even for a moment. Because I am following his instructions, I have never felt any separation. There are some of my Godbrothers here in India who had constant personal association with Guru Maharaja, but who are neglecting his orders. This is just like the bug who is sitting on the lap of the king. He may be very puffed-up by his position, but all he can succeed in doing is biting the king. Personal association is not so important as association through service.
We have just had a very successful program in Madras, with many prominent men, including the Chief Justice of Madras, taking an active part in this sankirtana movement. We are proceeding to Mayapur to celebrate Lord Caitanya's appearance day, and then to Bombay. From there I will go to Australia, Hong Kong, and I plan to arrive in Japan sometime in May.
| Page Title: | Constant association |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 21 of Dec, 2013 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=12, CC=9, OB=10, Lec=10, Con=4, Let=4 |
| No. of Quotes: | 49 |