Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). Dhāma means in which everything rests. We are resting, everything is resting. Just like... This is scientific and practical, you know, that the innumerable planets that the, that you can see at night as, I mean to say, luminaries, stars in the sky, each and every one of them, more or less, they are all different kinds of planets. But do you know how they are floating in the space? They are floating on the sunshine, on the sun rays. They are floating. That you can see. Similarly, the sunshine is the imitation of the brahmajyoti that is coming out of the body of the Supreme Lord. So everything is resting on the shine of the Supreme Lord. Therefore He is called paraṁ dhāma. Paraṁ dhāma means "everything resting on You." Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitram (BG 10.12). Pavitram. Pavitram means uncontaminated. Because we, although we are Brahman, now we are contaminated by this material body. But the Lord has no contaminated body of this material existence.
Dhama means
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
As it is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). There is a planet which is called cintāmaṇi-dhāma, Goloka Vṛndāvana. So in that dhāma... As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mad dhāma. Dhāma means His abode. Kṛṣṇa says, "I have got an abode, particular." How we can deny? How is that abode? That is also described in Bhagavad-gītā and in many other Vedic literatures. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Here, any dhāma, any planet you go... Just like we have got in this planet. But we have to go back from this planet. You'll not be allowed to stay here. You are Americans, that's all right; but how long you shall remain American? These people, they do not understand it. You'll have to go back in some other planet, in some other place. You cannot say, "No, I shall remain here. I have got my visa or my permanent citizenship." No. This will not allow you. One day death will come, "Please exit." "No, sir, I have got so much business." "No. Damn your business. Come on." You see? But if you go to Kṛṣṇaloka, Kṛṣṇa says, yad gatvā na nivartante, you haven't got to come back again. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6).
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So we have to understand our position. The dirty things should be removed completely, always by hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā. That is the way of understanding. Only way. This Vṛndāvana is so important, valuable. Why? Because anywhere you go in Vṛndāvana, there is the opportunity of hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā. This whole Vṛndāvana is simply cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Unfortunately, we take to other consciousness here. Therefore we become condemned. In Vṛndāvana, if we take other consciousness, then we become condemned. Condemned means he—still, the opportunity's there—condemned to accept a body other than a human being. But he's helped. Because he's in Vṛndāvana, he's making progress. Even as animal, as hogs and dogs, he's making progress, because he's in Vṛndāvana. So Vṛndāvana is so important, because here anyone can get the opportunity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore it is so important. Vṛndāvana-dhāma. Dhāma means where Kṛṣṇa resides. That is called dhāma. Vṛndāvana-dhāma. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma. Dhāma means residence. Tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam. So Vṛndāvana is not polluted. Vṛndāvana is always helping us. Anyone who comes to Vṛndāvana, he's helped immediately, even though he is criminal number one. But if we remain in criminal mentality in Vṛndāvana, then we have to accept another birth to suffer. Then it will be all right, and then again he will be elevated.
Now the real solution is... Here it is stated, dhyāyan na āvarteta yato gataḥ. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā also, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Tad dhāma paramaṁ mama. Dhāma means place. Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He is the proprietor of all planets. So every place belongs to Him. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram. But He has a supreme place, tad dhāma paramaṁ mama, where, if you go, you will never return. Yad gatvā na nivartante (BG 15.6). That is Kṛṣṇa-loka, Goloka Vṛndāvana. If you go there, then you do not come back again. There are many confirmation in the Bhagavad-gītā. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya: (BG 4.9) "My dear Kaunteya, Arjuna," janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ, "if anyone knows what I am, what I am, Kṛṣṇa, My birth, or janma..." Kṛṣṇa's janma, ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā. He has no birth, but still, He appears like taken birth. You can understand very easily. Just like every morning the sun is rising. It is not that a new sun is coming. The same sun of yesterday. It is not that it was finished yesterday. The sun was existing there in the sky, but on different position of this planet, I saw the sun is now set. Similarly, we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa.
So bhūri-bharāvatāra-kṛtāvatārasya. Bhūri-bhara, when people become too much sinful, the earth becomes overburdened by the sinful activities of the people. Therefore it is called bhūri-bharavatāra. And Kṛṣṇa comes to mitigate. Dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham. Kṛtāvatārasya harer dharitri. This is the purpose of avatāra. Avatāra, this word is very significant. The tara, tara means movement; and ava, ava means down. Just like avanati. So avatāra. Kṛṣṇa lives in the spiritual sky, beyond this material sky, very high, and Kṛṣṇa-loka, the planet of Kṛṣṇa, is the topmost planet in the spiritual world. That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya (Bs. 5.43). The topmost planet is Goloka, Goloka Vṛndāvana planet. You have seen the picture. It is lotuslike. So goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni: "That is His personal abode." Tale ca tasya, "below that," goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya (Bs. 5.43), "below that planet," goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya devī-maheśa-hari-dhāmasu. Devī. This universe, this material universe, is called devī-dhāma. Devī-dhāma means under the protection, or supervision, of mother nature. That is called devī-dhāma, material nature. So goloka-dhāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya devī, devī-dhāma.
There is the topmost planet in the spiritual world which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana. So below the Goloka Vṛndāvana... Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya (Bs. 5.43). Everything is below the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet. And all of them are called devī-maheśa-hari-dhāmasu teṣu teṣu (Bs. 5.43). Devī-dhāma, the devī-dhāma means this material world. This is controlled by Devī, Durgā.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
There is definition of God in the Parāśara-sūtra. Parāśara Muni, the father of Vyāsadeva, he was a great sage. So he has given the definition of God. After consulting all Vedic literatures, he has given his, delivered the definition of God. What is that? Sad-aiśvarya-pūrṇa: full of six opulences. And what are those six opulences? Aiśvaryasya samagrasya: "He is the proprietor of all wealth, everything." So aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya: "He is the reservoir of all strength." Vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ: "And He is the supreme famous." Nobody can be more famous than Kṛṣṇa. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). Śriyaḥ means beauty. Nobody can be more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa. And jñāna, knowledge. Nobody can be more knower and full of knowledge than Kṛṣṇa. And renunciation. And He is also, at the..., having so many opulences. He is renouncer of... He has nothing to do with all these things. He does not depend for His Godheadship on these qualifications. He is renouncer at the same time. So here also Lord Caitanya substantiates that ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa: "He's full of six opulences." Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa yāṅra goloka-nitya-dhāma. Nitya-dhāma means He's homely. Homely. He's the proprietor of all land, but just like a king. A king is the proprietor of the whole state; still, he has got his personal residence, which is called palace, royal palace. So similarly, although Lord is the proprietor of everything, every land, every space, every, any, anywhere... This is the proprietorship of Lord, of God's.
Prabhupāda: So that is calculation in Vedic know... Sapta-dvīpa. Sapta means seven. As the sun is coming in the orbit and crossing all the seven islands, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is also coming in this universe, that universe, that universe. When He comes into this universe, He, He is seen in that tract of land which is called Vṛndāvana. Therefore that tract of land is so sacred. Lord Caitanya describes by His mission, ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad dhāma vṛndāvanam. Ārādhya, the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, is worshipable Deity, and His dhāma, and His headquarters—and His dhāma means headquarters-Vṛndāvana. Therefore Vṛndāvana is so important. When Kṛṣṇa comes... Just like when the sun appears in your country there is a particular city or place... Where it is where the sun first seen? Where it is?
Devotee: Greenwich, Maine.
Prabhupāda: Greenwich.
So in this Brahma-saṁhitā this verse appears. Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya (Bs. 5.43). The supreme planet in the spiritual sky is called Goloka Vṛndāvana, and all other planets, either in the spiritual world or in the material world... All the universes, they are all in just like strata. So goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya (Bs. 5.43). Underneath that goloka-nāmni there are different planetary spheres or systems. Devī-maheśa-hari-dhāmasu teṣu teṣu. Devī-dhāma. This is called Devī-dhāma. This material world called Devī-dhāma. Above this there is Maheśa-dhāma, Śivaloka. Devī-maheśa-hari-dhāma. Hari-dhāma means these Vaikuṇṭhas. Devī-maheśa-hari-dhāmasu teṣu teṣu. In all those systems of different kinds of planets, teṣu teṣu, te te prabhāva-nicayā vihitas ca yena (Bs. 5.43). Every planet, every spiritual atmosphere or material atmosphere, they have got some particular specially, every, every planet. So that is designed by Kṛṣṇa. Te te prabhāva-nicayā. Every planet has specific influence or specific... Just like in the moon planet the specific feature is that it gives you cold light. Moon planet is never hot. Similarly, in sun planet, it supplies you heat. You cannot expect from any other planet heat or any other planet this coolness.
Now, these tina dhāma, three systems of existence, the material world and the marginal place, Maheśa-dhāma and the spiritual sky... So in the Bhagavad-gītā you have learned that yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). That dhāma word is used there. Dhāma means place. Everything, Kṛṣṇa is proprietor of all places. But that does not mean that we should remain in this because this is also Kṛṣṇa's place. No. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Tenth Chapter, you will find that Kṛṣṇa says, dyūtaṁ chalayatām asmi: "Amongst the all kinds of cheating professions, I am gambling." Kṛṣṇa says that "Amongst all kinds of cheating business, I am gambling." Gambling... There is in gambling... It requires some expert brain, how to play gamble. So that expertness, that part of expert endeavor, is Kṛṣṇa. So we should not think, "Oh, because Kṛṣṇa is gambling also, so let us engage and devote in gambling." No. Kṛṣṇa is everything. Kṛṣṇa is everything, but we have to select favorably, not unfavorably. Svalpaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Without Brahman, without Kṛṣṇa, nothing can exist. Everything existing on His energy.
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is the cause of all causes. He is in the cintāmaṇi-dhāma." Cintāmaṇi-dhāma means the place which is not made of earth and stone, but they are made of touchstone. Most probably you have heard the name of touchstone. Touchstone can turn iron into gold. So the Lord's abode is made of touchstone, cintāmaṇi. There are houses... As we have got our experience here in this world that houses are made of bricks, there, in the transcendental world, the houses are made of this cintāmaṇi stone, touchstone. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa (Bs. 5.29). There are also trees, but those trees are not like this tree. The trees are kalpa-vṛkṣa. Here you can take one kind of fruit from one tree, but there, from the trees you can ask anything, and you get it because those trees are all spiritual. That is the difference between matter and spirit. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa lakṣā-vṛteṣu (Bs. 5.29). Such kind of trees, there are many, not one or two. All the places are covered by all those trees. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam. And the Lord is very much fond of cowherding. And the cows there, they are called surabhīs. Surabhī cow means you can milk as many times and as much as you like. Surabhīr abhipālayantam. And lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ (Bs. 5.29). And the Lord is always surrounded by the goddesses of fortune, lakṣmī-sahasra-śata, not one or two, but hundreds and thousands, hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune, they are always serving the Lord. And in this way, eternally, blissfully, the Lord is staying in His abode, which is called cintāmaṇi-dhāma.
Initiation Lectures
Just like when Hiraṇyakaśipu worshiped Lord Brahmā and asked him the benediction that "Sir, make me immortal." And Brahmā said, "I, myself, is not immortal. How can I make you immortal?" So immortality is not possible. Then how it is possible? We want immortality. Now we are sitting here. If there is some siren, then immediately on the roof of this house, atom bomb will be dropped. Then immediately we shall flee away from this place. Why? Because we are not prepared to meet death. We do not wish to die. That's a fact. But death is forced. This is knowledge, that "I do not wish to die. Why death is forced upon me? Or if there is any means to avoid death?" The śāstra says, "Yes, there is." Bhagavad-gītā says, Kṛṣṇa says that... Kṛṣṇa says, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6), that if you... Mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. "If you come to my planet, dhāma," dhāma means planet, place, "then you'll never come back to take birth again in this material world."
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Preface and Introduction
After hearing Bhagavad-gītā from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as paraṁ brahma, the Supreme Brahman. Every living being is Brahman, but the supreme living being, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the Supreme Brahman. Paraṁ dhāma means that He is the supreme rest or abode of everything; pavitram means that He is pure, untainted by material contamination; puruṣam means that He is the supreme enjoyer; śāśvatam, original; divyam, transcendental; ādi-devam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ajam, the unborn; and vibhum, the greatest.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Vibhum, yes, all-pervading. Just like the same example. The sun. The sun is all-pervading by sunshine, but still, sunshine is not important as the sun globe. This is to be understood. Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa... Let us understand one line. Param Brahmān. Brahmān, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. But they are Parabrahman. Īśvara, everyone is īśvara. That's all right. But not everyone, Parameṣvara. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1).
Dr. Patel: Everyone is puruṣa, but not puruṣottama.
Prabhupāda: So paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). Dhāma. Dhāma means resting place. Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni (BG 9.4). Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma, and pavitram. Pavitram means you are not contaminated by these material modes. Pavitraṁ paramam, Supreme. Now the question is that if Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ pavitra... Now sometimes they criticize that "Kṛṣṇa danced with the other girls. So how He can be contaminated?"
Dr. Patel: Not contaminated.
Prabhupāda: Not contaminated. Apāpa-vidham. As it is said, apāpa vidham aśnaviram. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Aśnaviram means not material body. (aside:) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Aśnaviram apāpa-vidham.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Do you think Māyāpura is material world?
Hṛdayānanda: No.
Prabhupāda: Then? Why you are asking?
Hṛdayānanda: That is what I was thinking, that this is...
Prabhupāda: Dhāma. Therefore it is called dhāma. Dhāma means not material world. Goloka-dhāma, Vṛndāvana-dhāma. So dhāma is not material world. (aside:) Not to go away. (break) ...visible with these eyes, similarly, dhāma also is not visible with these eyes. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). That is dhāma. Premāñjana.
| Page Title: | Dhama means |
| Compiler: | Rishab, Serene |
| Created: | 28 of Feb, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=13, Con=2, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 16 |