Niṣkiñcana means a great personality who has become completely freed from all material consciousness. He is called mahīyasām. He is also great, the great soul. So unless one takes shelter of the lotus feet or the dust of the lotus feet of a great personality who has no material affection, nobody can understand what is God. Naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṁ spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ (SB 7.5.32). As soon as one understands the spirit soul and the supreme soul... That can be understood only when one is taken shelter of a great personality freed from material contamination. This is the version of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Otherwise, it is amazement. To understand about soul is amazement. To understand about God is amazement. So Vedic injunction is therefore that if you are at all serious to understand tad vijñānam, that science, transcendental science... Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). The Veda says, "Then you must find out a bona fide spiritual master." Tad vijñānārtham, if you are seriously interested.
Niskincana means
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So Śukadeva Gosvāmī said to Parīkṣit that "This very question was raised by your grandfather, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, to Lord Kṛṣṇa, and what He replied I'll say." So in that connection he gave quotation of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa said to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira... Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, by hint, asked Kṛṣṇa that "We are Your friend, and why we are put into such tribulations that we have lost our kingdom? We are now living in the forest. Our wife is insulted. Why?" So the reply was that yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ (SB 10.88.8). Means... Kṛṣṇa said that "When I make one especially favored, then I take away all his riches to make him niṣkiñcana." Niṣkiñcana means one becomes almost poverty-stricken. Nobody cares for him. Then he become fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. Just like Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, hā hā prabhu nanda-suta, vṛṣabhānu-sutā-juta, koruṇā karoho ei-bāro, narottama-dāsa koy..., koruṇā..., nā ṭheliho rāṅgā pāy, tomā bine ke āche āmāra. This position is very nice, niṣkiñcana. "I have lost everything. I am now not cared by my family, my friends. So everything I have lost. Therefore I am forced to come to You, surrender. So don't kick me, kick me out. Please give me shelter because I have no other shelter." Tomā bine ke āche āmāra: "I... There is nobody else to take my care except Your Lordship." This is called niṣkiñcana.
So actually that is the position. So long we shall think that "For my protection, this arrangement is there for my protection. This arrangement is there...," that is not niṣkiñcana. Niṣkiñcana means when I'll think, I'll be actually under the understanding that "I have no other protection except Kṛṣṇa," and then I fully surrender, that is the best qualification for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore it is said, naivārhaty abhidhātuṁ vai tvām: "Unto You." Who are You? Akiñcana-gocaram: "You can be understood only by a person who has lost everything, who has lost everything." Then the Kuntī's purpose was that "When we lost everything, You were with us. And now we have got kingdom. We have got prestige. We have got so many things. Now You are going away to Dvārakā?" So tvām akiñcana-gocaram.
So anyone who is interested in this highest perfection of life, punar janma naiti mām eti, not to take birth again in this material world, but to go back home, back to Godhead, such person... Caitanya Mahāprabhu speaks for such person: niṣkiñcanasya jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya, pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya. Pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣoḥ. Just like we are on this side of the sea. We want to go the other side of the sea. Similarly this bhava-samudra, we are on this part of the sea, material world. If we want to go to the other side, spiritual world, so we have to become niṣkiñcana. Niṣkiñcana means no more possessing anything material. That is called niṣkiñcana. If we hanker after possessing material... Therefore sannyāsa. Sannyāsa means simply possess Kṛṣṇa and no other possessions. That is niṣkiñcana. You have to possess something. Suppose you have got something, one copper coin or silver coin. So if you dispossess, if you throw it away, then what is the gain. Whatever you had, gone. But if you throw the copper coin, or the silver coin, and if you accept a gold coin, then you are profited. Then it is profit. So niṣkiñcana, to simply become niṣkiñcana, renounced of everything... Just like Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. They do... Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Yes. But brahma satyam, they do not understand what is the actual satya-vastu. That satya-vastu is Bhagavān. They do not search after Bhagavān; simply the light, effulgence of Bhagavān, brahma-jyotir. They are satisfied.
So niṣkiñcana means do not hanker after any more money and women. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu refused to see persons who are after money and woman, because by their association we may be infected. We may be again hankering after. Suppose I have taken sannyāsa, and if I see one gṛhastha having a very faithful and beautiful wife, if I think, "Oh, I left my wife. If I would have possessed, I would have been happy," he's immediately fallen. Because within the mind, he's associating with yoṣit. Suppose we go to see some rich man. I see that he has got money, nice motor car, nice building. If I think, "Oh, I have taken sannyāsa. If I would have possessed all these things, I would have been...," then immediately fall down. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu strictly prohibits that if you have become niṣkiñcana, renounced order, with a idea of going forward, bhava-sāgarasya, on the other side of the ocean, then aspiring after money and women is lower than dying, committing suicide. Hā hanta hanta viṣa-bhakṣaṇato 'py asādhu. If you take poison, that is criminal. Similarly, He says, "A man in renounced order of life, if he's thinking of woman and money, then he's committing suicide more than ordinary suicide." Viṣa-bhakṣaṇato 'py asādhu. Viṣa-bhakṣaṇa. If you drink poison, then you are criminal. If you survive, by law you'll be punished. Perhaps you know it. Anyone attempting to commit suicide, if he survives, by law he'll be punished: "Why you attempted suicide? This is criminal." Similarly, to see, to aspire after women and money, by the renounced order people, is lower than committing suicide. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's version.
So we should be very, very careful. We are implicating step by step. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). They do not know. This material world means at every step we are creating another difficulty. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ mahat-padam. (break) Kṛṣṇa. Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padam. For Him the great ocean of nescience becomes just like vatsa-padam, the water containing with the hoofprints of calves. That is called vatsa-padam. And this place, padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. This material world, where there is danger in every step, it is not for them. It is not for them. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has warned that niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Anyone who is desirous of rendering service, dedicates life for the service of Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa demands that. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). For such person, one who has decided, "Yes, I shall fully surrender to Kṛṣṇa," for such person, niṣkiñcanasya... Surrender means he has finished his all material business. No more. No more business. That is called niṣkiñcana. Kiñcana means "something," and niṣkiñcana means that something also nothing. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11). There are so many achievement by karma, jñāna, yoga, and so many things. But bhakti means finish this, all this nonsense business, karma, jñāna, yoga. Simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167).
For a person who is going back to home, back to Godhead, he should be niṣkiñcana. Niṣkiñcana means no more any material necessities. Niṣkiñcana. Niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanomukhasya. One side, this is nirvāṇa, finished. And the other side positive. Negative side, no more material, and positive side, Kṛṣṇa. Bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. How to go back to home, back to Godhead to serve Kṛṣṇa—this is one side. And one side—nil, we don't want any more anything. Niṣkiñcana. For such a person, viṣayiṇāṁ sandarśanam atha yoṣitāṁ ca (CC Madhya 11.8). For such a person, if he has become captivated by the material attraction, means money and material comforts... Woman and material comforts. This is material civilization. Everyone is after woman. Woman or men, the... It is not that woman means the form of woman and man is the form of man. Woman means enjoyable and man means enjoyer. So here in this material world everyone is enjoyer. Everyone is enjoyer. Not only the man thinks "I shall enjoy the woman," the woman thinks, "I shall enjoy the man." The spirit is now to become enjoyer, Therefore sometimes the living entity is described as puruṣa. Actually every living entity is prakṛti. Prakṛti means enjoyable. So everyone is to be enjoyable by Kṛṣṇa. But thinking, "I am enjoyer." That is māyā. So everyone is thinking of enjoying this material world. Viṣayiṇāṁ atha yoṣitāṁ ca. Viṣayiṇāṁ sandarśanam atha yoṣitām. So for any person who is serious about going back to home, back to..., for them these things are abominable, more than drinking poison. This is the verdict of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Prabhupāda: Yes. Niṣkiñcanam, the devotee, the... You have to select a guru who is niṣkiñcana. Niṣkiñcana means who has no more anything materially desires. He has finished. The, another verse:
- tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta
- jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
- śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ
- brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam
- (SB 11.3.21)
One who has accept..., accepted the lotus feet of the Lord, brahmaṇy upaśama, he has finished the material desires—no more material desires. Niṣkiñ... That is called niṣkiñcana. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said, niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Bhagavad-bhajanonmukha, those who are actually desiring to be entered into the path of devotional service, must be niṣkiñcana. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said. Niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya pāraṁ paraṁ jigamisor bhava-sāgarasya. Bhagavad-bhajana means to go on the other side of the ocean of nescience, not in this material world. Anyone who is desiring to be promoted to the heavenly planet, Svargaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Brahmaloka... There are so many higher planetary systems. But a bhagavad-bhakta, devotee, knows that they are unnecessary. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Again we have to come back. Kṣīṇe kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti (BG 9.21). So this botheration is not very much liked by the pure devotee.
Therefore devotee's another name is niṣkiñcana, akiñcana. Niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Niṣkiñcana. He doesn't possess anything, don't want to possess anything material. These are all material things. What are those? Sense gratification, economic development, liberation. They are all different stages of material existence. And Kṛṣṇa is not for the persons who are hankering after material possessions. Kṛṣṇa is far away. Therefore in the Kuntī-stotra in Śrīmad-Bhāgavata it is said, niṣkiñcanasya gocarāḥ: "You, Kṛṣṇa, You are understood by persons who have become niṣkiñcana." Niṣkiñcana. So niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. The qualification of devotion is to become a niṣkiñcana. Means one should not try to possess anything material. He should simply try to possess Kṛṣṇa. There must be some possession. The Māyāvādī philosophy, to dispossess material things, will not help him. He must possess something positive. Otherwise he'll fall down. That is our... Because we want something. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). So we simply, we try, that "Let me become sannyāsī, niṣkiñcana." That is not possible. You must take to the service of Kṛṣṇa. Then when you are fully satisfied that "I possess Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is within my heart," then you can give up all this nonsense, kick out: "I don't want." Otherwise not possible. So the two things: Niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajano..., param paro jīveṣa (?). Those who have become ni..., what is this liberation for them? Nothing. The four things, dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa. So when one takes to this shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, that is the highest dharma, topmost. That is the topmost yoga. So why he should hanker after dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90)? It is so nice thing. That is the statement of Uddhava. One who has become pure devotee... One who has possessed... Svāntaḥ-sthita gadābhṛtā. He has become purified. But don't imitate. Actually see whether you are always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Then it is all right.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Bhagavān: It appears that by taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one becomes less materially benefitted.
Prabhupāda: That is the benefit they do not understand. Here the philosophy is to make nil material benefit. And that is sometimes havoc for others. Niṣkiñcanasya. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says... (aside:) Don't bring near. Niṣkiñcanasya. Niṣkiñcana means... Kiñcana means something and niṣkiñcana means even no something. Kiñcana means something, to possess something, and niṣkiñcana means to possess nothing. Niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Bhagavad-bhajana... So go back to home back to Godhead, is meant for such persons who has nothing to possess here. That is very difficult. Niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya. The real aim, real benefit, is how to be transferred to the other nature, spiritual nature. Pāraṁ param. They do not know that beyond the sky, there is spiritual sky, there is another nature. They have no information. Even they do not know what are there in higher planetary systems. They think, "Here everything is..." This is an insignificant planet in the whole creation, but their fund of knowledge so poor, they think this is the position. They are trying to maintain what was achieved.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
If anyone wants to go to Bhagavān then he has to make this material world voluntarily nothing. Niṣkiñcanasya. Niṣkiñcana means nothing. You understand, you translate. You know the meaning of niṣkiñcana. Kiñ-cana means something and niḥ means not. Then nothing. So one who has made this material world as nothing. How it is made? Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Because with this something, as soon as one will stick to this something, he'll suffer. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). Because he has accepted this rascal situation, asat. Asat means either temporary or bad. Asat. (Hindi) Temporary or useless. So this material world is... Temporary we can know it is. But it is useless, that we do not know. Therefore we struggle. "Let me go, let me fight, fight, fight, fight." That is māyā. (Hindi) You know that? A man is sitting on the ass. And his hand just on the front of the gādhā, ass, he's putting some grass. And the gādhā is thinking, "I will eat this grass," he's going forward. But the grass is also going forward. This is very instructive. The grass is, say one feet above his head. And the man is sitting on his back. But because this gādhā does not know that "Actually this man is sitting on my... As soon as I go forward, the grass also goes forward." But because he's ass, he does not know. He thinks that "If I go a little forward I'll get the grass." But he has no knowledge that the arrangement is so made that as you go forward the grass also goes forward.
| Page Title: | Niskincana means |
| Compiler: | Rishab |
| Created: | 29 of Feb, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=9, Con=2, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 11 |