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Living bhagavata

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara, recommended, "If you want to read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you must approach a person who is life living Bhāgavata." Otherwise, there is no question of Bhāgavata realization.
Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- Rome, May 27, 1974:

So what Śukadeva did? Svānubhāvam. He first of all heard from his father, Vyāsadeva, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and realized it. Not a professional Bhāgavata reciter. Just like in India now there are a class of men, especially in Vṛndāvana, the gosvāmīs. They make a business. Therefore there are many, many very artistic Bhāgavata reciters, but they could not turn even one man to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because they are not self-realized, svānubhāvam. Of course, we have tried our best; so in few years there are so many Kṛṣṇa conscious persons come out. This is the secret. Unless one is svānubhāvam, self-realized, life is bhāgavata, he cannot preach Bhāgavata. That is not... That will not be effective. A gramophone will not help. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara, recommended, bhāgavata pora giyā bhāgavata-sthāne, that "If you want to read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you must approach a person who is life living Bhāgavata." Bhāgavata pora giyā bhāgavata-sthāne. Otherwise, there is no question of Bhāgavata realization.

The two bhāgavatas. You study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from living bhāgavata. So if one does not take or does not surrender unto the living bhāgavata, he cannot understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Many scholarly, learned scholars, Sanskrit scholars, they cannot understand Bhāgavatam.
Lecture on SB 2.3.23 -- Los Angeles, June 20, 1972:

One bhāgavata is this book Bhāgavata, another bhāgavata, the person bhāgavata. Who lives on the book Bhāgavata, he is person bhāgavata. Two kinds of bhāgavata. So we have to learn Bhāgavatam from the living bhāgavata. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara, he advised one brāhmaṇa. One brāhmaṇa wrote something about Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There were many poets and writers used to come and visit Caitanya Mahāprabhu when He was at Jagannātha Purī, and they would present some writings, but these writings would not be presented before Caitanya Mahāprabhu unless it was sanctioned by His secretary Svarūpa Dāmodara. That was the system. So one brāhmaṇa, he wrote one poetry that... The purport of the poetry was that "Jagannātha is Kṛṣṇa. But He cannot move. He's wooden Kṛṣṇa. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu is also Kṛṣṇa, but He is moving Kṛṣṇa." That means he distinguished between Jagannātha and Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So this is not siddhānta.

This is not conclusion of the śāstra. Śāstra conclusion is: the Deity and Kṛṣṇa, the same. There is no difference. We have many times explained this. Deity, the worshipful Deity in the temple, is not different from Kṛṣṇa. So Svarūpa Dāmodara did not approve of the poetry to be presented to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. At that time, he chastised him that "You do not know the conclusion, and you dare to write some poetry. Don't do this." And he said, bhāgavata para giya bhāgavata-sthāne:(?) "If you want to understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then you go and study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the pure devotee. Then you'll understand. Otherwise, you'll write all these nonsense." Bhāgavata para giya bhāgavata-sthāne. So one bhāgavata... The two bhāgavatas. You study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from living bhāgavata. So if one does not take or does not surrender unto the living bhāgavata, he cannot understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Many scholarly, learned scholars, Sanskrit scholars, they cannot understand Bhāgavatam.

There are two kinds of bhāgavatam. The living bhāgavatam is the devotee, and the representation Bhāgavatam is the Bhagavat-grantha. There is no difference. Absolute means there is no difference.
Lecture on SB 7.5.1, Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, January 12, 1973:

So these are the instruction of Vedic literature, especially in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhāgavatam. The Bhāgavatam, it is derived from the word bhagavat-śabda. Bhagavat-śabda means bhagavān, and bhāgavata means those who are in connection with Bhagavat, Bhagavān. So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam means it is in connection with the Supreme Lord and His devotee. A devotee is called bhāgavata, and the book about Bhagavān, that is also bhāgavata. There are two kinds of bhāgavatam. The living bhāgavatam is the devotee, and the representation Bhāgavatam is the Bhagavat-grantha. There is no difference. Absolute means there is no difference. Kṛṣṇa is Absolute; therefore either this grantha-bhāgavatam or the devotee bhāgavata or Kṛṣṇa, they are all one. That is Absolute conception. Advaya-jñāna. We should not distinguish a devotee from Bhagavān. We shall not distinguish Bhāgavatam from Bhagavān. When we read Bhagavad-gītā—practically every one of us reads—we should not think that Bhagavad-gītā is different from Kṛṣṇa. Bhagavad-gītā is as good as Kṛṣṇa. It is not ordinary book. Ordinary book is different from the author, but this Bhagavad-gītā is Bhagavān Himself.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

If you step-by-step study, it is not very difficult so far the word meanings are concerned, but it is a question of realization. Unless one is realized, he cannot explain properly. That is the secret. Therefore we have given the life of Caitanya Mahāprabhu in our Bhāgavatam because He's living Bhāgavatam.
Room Conversation with Professor Francois Chenique -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Bhūgarbha: He agrees. He's saying that he wishes-he's not criticizing in any way—but he wants that your books have a better audience, then more people will accept them. And he feels that if the French, the way that the French has been written, is changed, we'll have a better audience, it will reach higher.

Prabhupāda: But that is from scholarship point of view. But our point is this Bhāgavata must be presented by bhāgavata. And there is no much scholarship required. Just like Bhāgavata begins with the words janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). This Sanskrit word means the Absolute Truth is that from where everything emanates. Now that Absolute Truth further explained: anvayād itarataś ca abhijñaḥ svarāṭ. That Absolute Truth is aware of everything, directly and indirectly, of all this creation. In this way, if you step-by-step study, it is not very difficult so far the word meanings are concerned, but it is a question of realization. Unless one is realized, he cannot explain properly. That is the secret. Therefore we have given the life of Caitanya Mahāprabhu in our Bhāgavatam because He's living Bhāgavatam.

Page Title:Living bhagavata
Compiler:Labangalatika, Namrata
Created:21 of Jul, 2009
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=3, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:4