One cannot say anything about the transcendental world without being free from the materially contaminated consciousness. So the Lord was not materially contaminated. But our consciousness, at the present moment, is materially contaminated. So whole thing, as the Bhagavad-gītā teaches, we have to purify the materially contaminated consciousness and in that pure consciousness, the actions will be done. That will make us happy. We cannot stop. We cannot stop our activity. The activities are to be purified. And these purified activities are called bhakti. Bhakti means they are, they appear also just like ordinary activity, but they are not contaminated activities. They are purified activities. So an ignorant person may see that a devotee is working like an ordinary man, but a person with poor fund of knowledge, he does not know that the activities of a devotee or the activities of the Lord, they are not contaminated by the impure consciousness of matter, impurity of the three guṇas, modes of nature, but transcendental consciousness. So our consciousness is materially contaminated, we should know.
Not contaminated (Lectures)
Expressions researched:
"never contaminated"
|"no chance for such contamination"
|"no contamination"
|"no contaminations"
|"no in contamination"
|"no material contamination"
|"no more contamination"
|"no question of contamination"
|"no such contamination"
|"no tinge of material contamination"
|"no tinge or contamination"
|"no tinges of material contamination"
|"no trace of material contamination"
|"not affected by such contaminated"
|"not be contaminated"
|"not be materially contaminated"
|"not be so contaminated"
|"not become contaminated"
|"not become materially contaminated"
|"not contaminate"
|"not contaminated"
|"not contaminating"
|"not deluded or contaminated"
|"not materially contaminated"
|"not so much contaminated"
|"not very contaminated"
|"not, therefore, become contaminated"
|"without contaminated"
|"without contamination"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
The name of God and God is equally pūrṇa, perfect; śuddha, purified. Pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya, eternal, and muk... Pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-muktaḥ, and liberated from material contamination. So it is not the question of argument. You can try. There is no loss on your part. Chant the holy name of God and see the result yourself. So there is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and Christo: In India also sometimes Kṛṣṇa is enounced as "Krishta." Or you enounce as "Christa." It does not make... Because God will take your mind, not your pronunciation. If you mean to pronounce God's name, even it is not, I mean to say, formally or perfectly pronounced, still, God will understand that you are trying to chant His name. That is your perfection. So God is one.
Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. One who is completely free from all contamination of material modes, anta-gataṁ pāpam, sinful activities, they can te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā bhajante mām (BG 7.28), they can stick to the principle of devotional service. Otherwise, if he's not free from the contamination of sinful life, he may show, make a show of devotion, but that is not actual devotion. Bhaktyābhāsa. That is called bhaktyābhāsa.
So these things should be observed. Brāhmaṇa, a brāhmaṇa's duty is to present himself an ideal human being. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. Titikṣā means toleration. "Oh, it is very cold. No, I cannot take bath." No. You must tolerate. You must tolerate. Titikṣā. Ārjavam, simplicity; jñānam, full knowledge; vijñānam, practical application. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam. Āstikyam means completely convinced of God and his relationship with God.
So here the example is given, just like one can take service from a particular type of well for a particular purpose, but if he goes to the river, ever-flowing river, then he can take his bath there, he can wash clothes, he can wash dishes, he can everything. All water purposes will be served in one river. Because the water is flowing there. There is no contamination. Any water which is always flowing, there cannot be any contamination. A stagnant water which is not flowing, there may be contamination. Therefore the restriction is that you should take bath in this well, you wash your clothings in this well. So small wells, they are restricted for a certain purpose, but in the river, there is no restriction. Everything can be done there.
Now Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is just trying to place Arjuna in the platform of working on pure consciousness. The... We have already discussed for so many days that we are not this dull body, but we are consciousness. Now, some way or other, we are in contact with this matter. Therefore our freedom is checked. As spiritual beings, we are free, free to act, free to have anything, pure, no contamination, no disease, no birth, no death, no old age, and besides that, we have got many, many other qualifications in our spiritual life. So unfortunately, because we are in contact with this matter, we are hampered in so many ways. This we should understand, and this is the opportunity; this human life is the only opportunity. If we miss this opportunity, then it may be that in our next life we may not have again this nice, civilized human form of life according to our karma. But one thing is sure. You'll be glad to hear that once begun, this process of spiritual realization, one is guaranteed to have next life as human being.
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. We have already noted, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda... Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ means His body is full—full of bliss, full of knowledge, and it is eternal. That is completely distinct from this body. So when there is description of the Lord that He is formless, He is formless means He is not of this form. He has got a sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), a different element. Therefore He's called pavitra. And paramaṁ bhavān: "You are the Supreme Original."
"Oh, that man is meditating." No. Go, practically work.
Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he practically worked. So there is practical work. No question of going into a secluded place. We should remain in the congested city and preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement without being affected by this contamination of city life. That is perfection. They shall not be contaminated, touched by the contamination of the city life, but still, they will go on with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is perfection. Yes. Go on.
And because His appearance and disappearance are completely different from that of any ordinary common living entity, it is evident that He is eternal in blissful knowledge by His internal potency, and He is not contaminated by material nature. The Vedas confirm that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is unborn, and yet He still appears to be taking His birth in multi-manifestations. The Vedic supplementary literature also confirms that even though the Lord appears to be taking His birth, He is still without change of body. In the Bhāgavatam He appears before His mother as Nārāyaṇa with four hands and the decorations of the six kinds of full opulences. His appearance in His original eternal form is His causeless mercy, according to the Viśvakośa dictionary.
So Parīkṣit Mahārāja... Śukadeva Gosvāmī explained that these things should not be considered by the conditioned souls. They should not even dream of this. It is a different thing. And if you think that Kṛṣṇa has a fault because He danced with others' wives, so he explained that tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya. Tejīyasām... The... A thing which is very, very powerful, he is not contaminated. That is the conclusion.
Just like the sun. The sun soaks water from urine. We pass urine somewhere, and the sun soaks the water, the urine. That... That is poisonous. That is infectious. But that sun does not become infected. Because he's so powerful. If that is possible for ordinary material things, how much powerful is Kṛṣṇa? So we should not discuss the rāsa-līlā generally. Because unless one is advanced in spiritual consciousness and Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they should not try to understand what is rāsa-līlā. It is very confidential.
"Actually, the sun is always in its fixed position, but owing to our defective, insufficient senses, we calculate the appearance and disappearance of the sun in the sky. And because His appearance and disappearance are completely different from that of any ordinary common living entity, it is evident that He is eternal blissful knowledge by His internal potency, and He is never contaminated by material nature. The Vedas also confirm that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is unborn. Yet, He still appears to take His birth in multi-manifestations. The Vedic supplementary literatures also confirm that even though the Lord appears to be taking His birth, He is still without change of body. In the Bhāgavatam, He appears before His mother as Nārāyaṇa with four hands and the decoration of the six kinds of full opulences. His appearance in His original eternal form is His causeless mercy, according to the Viśvakośa dictionary.
Tejīyasām. Just like the sun. The sun is evaporating the urine from the street. But that does not mean sun is infected. Although sun is evaporating the urine, the stool, or any contaminated place... Rather, he is, sun is sterilizing that process. This is practical. If sunshine is anywhere, even the most contaminated place, the sun does not become contaminated, but the place becomes purified. Is it not a fact?
Similarly, Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa was very beautiful. So gopīs became attracted with Kṛṣṇa. As it is natural, a young boy is attracted with young woman or young girl is attracted... That is natural. Yuvatīnāṁ yathā yūnaḥ.(?) It is natural. So the gopīs, they were attracted by Kṛṣṇa's beauty. And therefore they went to Kṛṣṇa. But the result was that the gopīs became purified; Kṛṣṇa remained uncontaminated. This is understanding of Kṛṣṇa. Some way or other, if one reaches Kṛṣṇa, he becomes... Kamāt krodhād bhayāt.
So somehow or other, approach Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is perfect. Kṛṣṇa does not become imperfect. Kṛṣṇa is always... In the Īśopaniṣad: apāpa-viddham. Description of God is there. Apāpa-viddham. That Kṛṣṇa, or the Lord, is never contaminated by any so-called... For Him, there is nothing sinful. This is understanding of Kṛṣṇa. Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti (BG 4.14). Why He should be? Therefore, if anyone understands, studies Kṛṣṇa perfectly, about His activities, about His birth, about His name, about His form, anything... He has got everything like us. He has got His form. He has got His activities. He has got His attributes. Everything is there. But they're all transcendental.
Anyone can think intoxication like anything. He has got the liberty. But that is not the fact.
So ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Their intelligence is contaminated because they have no information of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So long one does not reach to that point, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is everything." It can take some time but unless you reach to that point your all intelligence is imperfect. Your knowledge is imperfect. That you must know. Therefore one who takes Kṛṣṇa, he is most intelligent. Tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ (SB 10.2.32).
There is no God. I am God, you are God." So many theories. Why? Here is God. God personally comes to show you what is the position of God, and He has shown what is the meaning of God. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya balasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ. What is the meaning of Bhagavān, He has shown. Still, we are so unfortunate, we cannot accept. Because we are not free from the contamination. Yeṣām. One can understand. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām.
That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ: (SB 10.2.32) "Anyone who has neglected Your personality," aravindākṣa, "O the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa," aravindākṣe, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa tvayy asta-bhāvāt, "they cannot understand what You are." Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ: "Their intelligence is still contaminated, not purified." Aviśuddha. Then what is the result? The result is āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ: (SB 10.2.32) "After severe austerities, penances, they may come to the impersonal understanding of Your brahma-jyotir, but patanty adhaḥ, again comes to the material world."
This is very nice. (laughs) Nothing is prohibited because after all, you have to execute the yoga process with this body. To make the best use of a bad bargain. You see? This material body is the source of all miseries. Actually the spirit soul has no misery. Just like normal condition of a living entity is healthy life. Disease takes place by certain contamination infection. Disease is not our life. Similarly the present position of material existence is a diseased condition of the soul. And what is that disease? The disease is this body? Because this body is not meant for me, it is not my body. Just like your dress. You are not the dress. But we are differently dressed here. Somebody red color, somebody white color, somebody yellow color. But that color, I am not this color. Similarly this body, I am white man, black man, Indian, American or this, Hindu, Muslim, Christian. This is not my position. This is all diseased condition. Diseased condition. You are trying to get out of the disease.
It is, try to understand, that, the Supreme Lord, God is pure. And His kingdom is also pure. And anyone who wants to enter there, he must be pure. That is very natural. That if you want to enter into some particular society, you must qualify yourself. Qualification is to go back to home, back to Godhead, the qualification is that you should not be materially contaminated. And what is that material contamination? The material contamination is sense gratification. Unrestricted sense gratification. That is material contamination. So you have to make yourself free from material contamination. Then you become eligible to enter into the kingdom of God. That process of being freed or being washed of all material contamination, is yoga system. Yoga system does not mean that you sit down for fifteen minutes for so-called meditation and you continue all your material contamination. Just like if you want to be cured from a certain type of disease, you have to follow the regulation made by the physician.
No gambling and no animal food. That's all. If you simply follow these four principles, then you become immediately uncontaminated. Immediately. Without any further endeavor. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that as soon as you join you become immediately uncontaminated. But do not contaminate again. Therefore these restrictions. Because our contamination begins from these four kinds of bad habits. But if we check, then there is no question of contamination. As soon as I take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness I become free. Now if I become cautious not to accept these four principles, then I am free, I am continuing uncontaminated. This is the process. But if you think that because Kṛṣṇa consciousness makes me free, so let me indulge in all these four principles and I will get free after chanting. That is cheating. That will not be allowed. Once you are free, but don't do it again. But if you think "I shall do it and make myself free."
These boys can chant twenty-four hours, without eating anything, without drinking water. It is so nice. Because it is complete, spiritual, śuddha. Śuddha means pure. Not materially contaminated. Material pleasure, any pleasure... The highest pleasure in the material world is sex. But you cannot enjoy it twenty-four hours. That is not possible. You can enjoy it for few minutes. That's all. Even if you are forced to enjoy, you'll reject it: "No, no more." That is material. But spiritual means there is no end. You can enjoy perpetually, twenty-four hours. That is spiritual enjoyment. Brahma-saukhyam anantam (SB 5.5.1). Anantam. Anantam means unending.
That is the mission of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That every one of you want pleasure, but that pleasure, in the material world, you cannot enjoy perpetually. But if you purify yourself of this material contamination, if you do not accept this material body again, and you remain in your spiritual body, then you enjoy transcendental bliss eternally.
So this human form of life is meant for that purpose. Lower than the human form of life, cats and dogs, they cannot understand what is spiritual pleasure. That is not possible. But in the human form of life you can understand what is spirit and what is matter and what is spiritual pleasure and what is material pleasure. This distinction we can make. That much consciousness is developed in the human form of life. But if we misuse this developed consciousness for material pleasures, then we are missing the opportunity. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
We haven't got to eradicate, get out of the sensual activities. No. We have simply to purify the senses. How you can get out of the senses? Because you are living entity, the senses are there. But the thing is that at the present moment, because we are materially contaminated, our senses are not getting full enjoyment. This is most scientific. So devotional service means purifying the senses. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means purification. How you can purify your senses? That is defined in Nārada-bhakti-sūtra. It is said that sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. Purification of the sense means you have to be free from all kinds of designation. Our life is full of designation. Just like I am thinking "I am Indian," I am thinking "I am sannyāsī," you are thinking you are American, you are thinking "man," you are thinking "woman," you are thinking "white," you are thinking "black."
And without any material contamination, our relationship is permanent. Kṛṣṇa is the origin, master, prabhu, and we are emanation from Kṛṣṇa, servants. So and this relationship continues. Then there is no impediment on account of this bodily covering. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). When we are not contaminated by the body, we remain pure. With that senses, when we serve Kṛṣṇa, that is our liberation. That is called bhakti.
Even in your ordinary life you can study Kṛṣṇa, you can understand Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa will help you. As soon as you begin studying Kṛṣṇa, understanding Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will help you from within. Kṛṣṇa is with you. Kṛṣṇa is not far away. He is so kind that He is sitting in your heart as your friend just to help you, how you become liberated from this material contamination. Why you do not take this advantage? Every sane man should take advantage of this instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, but rightly, as it is said. Then anywhere he may be, it doesn't matter, he is a liberated person.
Every step you can remember Kṛṣṇa. And if you can remember in that way, then your association is permanent, twenty-four hours, your association with Kṛṣṇa.
So association with Kṛṣṇa means just like association with daylight, sunshine, there is no question of contamination. If you get sunshine always, oh, you will never be..., ultra violet rays... That is scientific truth. If you are always in the sunshine, there will be no disease. This is a practical point. This is a practical fact, that modern medical science, they approve a disease incurable. They recommend, "Just lie down on the sunshine." Yes, it is a fact. And Vedic rules, one man who is diseased, he worships sun. That means he has to come into the sunshine, and naturally his disease will be cured. Similarly, as you associate with sunshine, you are cured of all diseases, similarly, if you associate with Kṛṣṇa always by consciousness, there is no trouble. There is no material trouble. Try it.
So where is the difficulty? The difficulty is dog obstinacy. They'll not do it. "Oh. Why shall I do it?" This is the difficulty. Dog's obstinacy. Otherwise, no difficulty. Rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ pavitram paramam. Pavitram, very pious activities, pavitram. Anything done on account of Kṛṣṇa, that is pious. There is no contamination. Api cet sudurācāraḥ. Even in the public eye it may appear sometime that it is not pious, still it is pious. Man-nimitte kṛtaṁ pāpaṁ, if one does. But we should not do that.
But even, just like Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa-Arjuna. Arjuna was considering that killing the other party, his kinsmen, "This is pāpa. Why shall I do this pāpa?" But he did it. But how he did it? For Kṛṣṇa. So that pāpa become puṇya. Is it not? From the Bhagavad-gītā you can understand. He was hesitating to fight with his kinsmen, with his brother, nephews, grandfather.
They are all upādhis. But when one comes to the understanding that "I am eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa," that is liberation. That is sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Being identified with Kṛṣṇa's interest, he becomes nirmalam. That is mukti. Nirmalam means mukti. So long we are contaminated we are not mukta; we are conditioned. And as soon as we become nirmalam, that means mukti.
These things I have several times explained, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, what is mukti. Mukti means to be situated in his original position. That is mukti. Just like a man is diseased, and if you say that "Now he is relieved from the diseased condition," that is mukti. Now he's healthy condition. That is mukti. Mukti means change of the condition. That is mukti. Not that something extraordinary happens. The change of condition.
Because according to the association of the material nature. After all, the living entity falls down from the spiritual world. Just like Jaya-Vijaya. There is possibility, if you do not stick to the spiritual principle, even if you are in Vaikuṇṭha, you will fall down, what to speak of this material world? Because in the Vaikuṇṭha or in the spiritual world, no contaminated soul can stay there. He will fall down.
Now, when the spirit soul falls down? Just like Jaya-Vijaya. Jaya and Vijaya became asuras. They fell down from Vaikuṇṭha. But they became asuras under the circumstances. That is mentioned we were reading Bhāgavata the Kaśyapa Ṛṣi, his wife... Diti? What is the name of? Anyway, she was very lusty during the sandhyā, just at the point of evening, the day's passing. So she wanted sex with her husband. He said, "No, this is not the time. This is not the time."
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Vāsudeva means Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva. He appeared as the son of Vasudeva, but spiritually, unless one becomes on the position of vasudeva, nobody can understand Vāsudeva. Vasudeva is the name of śuddha-sattva, pure goodness. Not contaminated goodness. Here in this material world there are three types of status: goodness, passion, and ignorance. So ignorance and passion, they're simply material. The symptom of ignorance and passion is greediness and lust. Above this greediness and lust there is another platform, which is Vedānta platform—to understand everything clearly. That is called goodness.
"Associate with the good qualities, good qualities." The best qualities of association is devotional service, a devotee. Because they're transcendental, above goodness, above goodness. Just like you are living in this temple. This is above goodness according to Vedic.... If you live in the forest that is goodness, association with goodness, because there is no material contamination, simple life in the forest. Or in the village, not in the village, in the forest. Therefore formerly all the sages and saintly persons they used to live in the forest. That is goodness. And if you live in the city that is association with passion. And in the city if you live in the brothel, the liquor shop, gambling, that is association with ignorance. Three kinds. But if you live in the temple, that is transcendence, that is Vaikuṇṭha. So in this way we have to detach ourselves from the association of the three guṇas.
So in spiritual relation we should not carry out the conception of this material relationship. Although the relationship are there. The whole relationship, as we have got experience in this world, the same relationship are there in the spiritual world. But that relationship is not contaminated with matter. Therefore they are pure and transcendental. Therefore they are of a different nature. As we become advanced in spiritual conception of life, then we can understand what is the actual position in spiritual, transcendental life.
So here the Lord instructs that buddhi-yukta. Buddhi-yukta means with the full consciousness that you are not this body. If we act in that way... Now, if I am, I am not body, then I am consciousness. That is a fact.
We have discussed yesterday, abhadrāṇi: all dirty things. This material life means dirty life. People do not understand it. They think by nice dress and nice apartment and nicely washed body, that is civilization. They do not know what is the dirty things which has attacked him. What is the contamination, that he does not know. Lokasya ajānataḥ. It is said that the fools, rascals, they do not know it.
And the process is hearing about Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is that, that you hear about Kṛṣṇa patiently and the dirty things within your heart will go away. What is the dirty things? The dirty things is the rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19). That will be explained. So by hearing about Kṛṣṇa from Kṛṣṇa or from His devotee, naṣṭa-prāyeṣu, not completely finished... The contamination is there.
This is not ordinary words. All Vedic words, they are not ordinary, mundane words. Just like Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This is not mundane sound. This is transcendental sound. Golokera prema-dhana hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana. Hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana is not a, a, mean, a material sound. Therefore it is effective. But if you contaminate it, it will not be effective. If you take it, Bhāga..., Hari-nāma, purely, without any offense—there are ten kinds of offenses—then it will act immediately. Immediately it will act.
Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). They have no other desire. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam, uncovered by the mental speculation or fruitive activities, karma-kāṇḍa. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). Not covered. If you mix up karma with bhakti, if you mix up jñāna with bhakti, or if you mix up yoga, it is contaminated. It is not pure. Pure devotional service is given by Rūpa Gosvāmī: anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (CC Madhya 19.167). No desire for fruitive activities or philosophical speculation or yogic, mystic yogic magic. No. Simply how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. Ānukūlyena. Ānukūlyena means what is favorable, what Kṛṣṇa desires. Just like Arjuna. He did not like to fight. He wanted to be a very nice, nonviolent gentleman. But Kṛṣṇa was inducing him, "You fight." Then later on, he agreed: "Yes, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73)." This is ānukūlyena. "Kṛṣṇa wants it. Doesn't matter whether it is violent or nonviolent, Kṛṣṇa wants it.
If actually we follow these regulative principles, nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18), then gradually our heart will be cleansed. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Caitanya Mahāprabhu said. The process is to cleanse the dirty heart. Actually, we are clean. Asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. We have no business to be contaminated with the material qualities. We do not contaminate. Just like we know... In Bengali we say, tele jale mesera(?). You put oil in the water, it will never mix. Similarly, we are spirit souls, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. We have nothing to do with this material world. But somehow or other, I am in contact. So simply I have to be contactless. That Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). As soon as your heart is cleansed with all dirty things, then bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam, immediately you become out of this contamination, bhava-mahā-dāvāgni.
Therefore, bhejire munayo 'thāgre bhagavantam adhokṣajam. Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, beyond the sense perception. This impersonal concept of the Absolute Truth is in negation of the material duality. But that is not absolute knowledge. Absolute knowledge is that when we reach bhagavantam adhokṣajam. Sattvaṁ viśuddham. His existence is viśuddha, not contaminated. Our existence in this material existence, this is not viśuddha. This is contaminated by the modes of material nature. But His existence is viśuddha. Even Śaṅkarācārya, he says, in his commentary on the Bhagavad-gītā: nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. Vyaktāvyakta. There are two material features: manifested and nonmanifested. Śaṅkarācārya agrees that Nārāyaṇa... As soon as he says "Nārāyaṇa," he means the person, person, the Supreme Person. Paraḥ avyaktāt. He's transcendental. His person is not the same person, personality as we have got.
Abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ (CC Madhya 17.133). Nāma-kṛṣṇa. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaḥ, pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto 'bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ. Don't think this Kṛṣṇa's name is less efficient than Kṛṣṇa. No. Pūrṇa. As Kṛṣṇa is perfect, similarly, this name is also perfect. Pūrṇaḥ śuddhaḥ. As Kṛṣṇa is pure, without any material contamination, apāpa-viddham, no, nothing sin, sinful can affect him... You have read it in the Īśopaniṣad. Just like sunshine. Infection cannot infect sunshine. Some disease can infect you, me, because we are less potential. But it cannot infect the sun. Rather, the sunshine will sterilize the infection. So anything infectious, anything sinful, cannot infect Kṛṣṇa. Rather sinful activities in touch with Kṛṣṇa will become purified. This is the process.
There are many instances. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, you can see. Prahlāda Mahārāja is standing, and his father is being killed before him. This is sinful. Can you tolerate? Suppose if somebody comes to kill me, and you will see and laugh?
The post is paramahaṁsa. Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava means paramahaṁsa. He's above brāhmaṇa, above sannyāsa. But we must be real Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava means ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). There is no other desire, material desire. Desire means material desire, this contaminated desire. It does not mean that we shall not desire to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That desire is real desire. And any other desire, anyābhilāṣitā, for some material benefit, that is not required. But if we can keep ourself without any material desire, without any propensity for enjoying fruitive result... "I am doing something, I must enjoy this result. I must be enjoyer." This is called jñāna-karma. "Oh, I must try to understand Kṛṣṇa by my speculative method." Why? Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself. Why don't you try to understand Him in that way? Nonsense. (chuckling) What speculative power you have got? Simply you'll commit blunder.
Just like a bubble, comes out. Because so many dirty things are reserved on account of our material conditional life for millions and millions of years. Anādi karama-phale paḍi' bhavārṇava-jale. Anādi, we cannot... Anādi means... Ādi means the creation. So before this creation. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). We are in this material contamination not that in this millennium-before that. Just like millennium after millennium. Nārada Muni was speaking his life before this millennium. So anādi. Anādi means creation. But not only one creation, several creations, we are forgotten, or we are in this material world. Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā... We are searching after material comfort, material comfort, sense gratification, in so many ways. So anādi karama-phale paḍi' bhavārṇava-jale, taribāre nā dekhi upāya. In this way we are going.
He or she. Kamāt krodhād bhayāt. Some way or other, if one comes in contact with Kṛṣṇa, then he becomes purified. Tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya (SB 10.33.29). Apparently, it appears that Kṛṣṇa is dancing with the young girls at dead of night. But it is not that Kṛṣṇa is contaminated. They become purified. On the... Actually, they are eternal associates of Kṛṣṇa, the gopīs. They are not ordinary women. There are all description in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. They were dancing in their spiritual body, not in the material body. They were dancing in their spiritual body. Their material body was lying down with their husband. These are, these descriptions are there in the Bhāgavatam. So gopīs' līlā is not material. So there was no question of contamination. But materially this kind of activities, to dance at dead of night with young girl, that is not permitted. With other's wife. You can dance with your own wife, but you cannot do that. That is sinful.
Vedānta-sūtra, Upaniṣads, Purāṇas, and the most important contribution is the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That is his last contribution. Under the instruction of his spiritual master Nārada Muni he contributed Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, amalaṁ purāṇam. Amalaṁ purāṇam means there is no material contamination. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90), there are material contaminations. But above this is the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Vyāsadeva introduces dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vāstavaṁ vastu vedyam atra (SB 1.1.2). Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam... Dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa. There are some contamination, cheating. But all these things are thrown away, projjhita. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpena ujjhita. So Śrīdhara Svāmī has given his comment on this. Atra mokṣa-vāñchā api nirastam.
Akiñcana-bhakti. If he has got any other desire to fulfill, then it is mixed. It is not śuddha-bhakti; it is vaidhī-bhakti. Karma-miśra-bhakti, jñāna-miśra-bhakti, yoga-miśra-bhakti. Bhakti must be there. Otherwise, karma, jñāna, yoga, nothing is successful. Bhakti must be there. But when karma, jñāna, yoga, everything is without contamination, simply bhakti... Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). That stage is ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. Simply to satisfy.
Now here Kṛṣṇa is advising. So ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. There is a... Parīkṣatā, as Kṛṣṇa is examining, similarly, Arjuna also very intelligently acting. He knew that although Kṛṣṇa was encouraging him to kill Aśvatthāmā, "He wanted to see me, how I deal with the matter." This is also... So there is competition between bhaktas. Duye lagye hura huri(?). It is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is being enlivened by seeing Rādhārāṇī, and Rādhārāṇī is becoming more beautiful by seeing Kṛṣṇa.
Eat there, dance there, play there, and again come in the evening. Then they will take bath and change their dress and take their meals and immediately go to sleep. This was the boy's, children's, engagement. So how they would grow healthy because they go outside and play and work and very happily, they enjoy the company. So there is no question of becoming contaminated. Yāmuna-tīra-vana-cārī. Yāmuna-tīra, on the bank of the Yamunā... Just like we go to the seaside, the beach, similarly, there is bank of Yamunā, very nice river, and there are trees. So these boys, Kṛṣṇa and His friends, with their cows they will go and loiter on the bank of the Yamunā and sport and frivolities, everything, so nicely. So there was no question of education at that time. After the child is grown up, healthy, nice, then he goes to school. Otherwise first of all eat sumptuously milk, butter and yogurt, and play sufficiently in open air with friends, take care of the cows. This is labor. But it is sporting, very nice.
So due to good king, in... There is a maxim in Bengali: rājera doṣe rāja naṣṭa, rājya naṣṭa, gṛhiṇī doṣe gṛhastha naṣṭa(?). This is very important instruction. If the king of the state is an impious man, sinful man, that kingdom will never be happy. Naṣṭa. Everything is spoiled. As much as in a family, if the housewife is not good, contaminated, then there is no good life in the family. In Western countries especially, and in this country also, nowadays, there is no peace between husband and wife, and there is no, practically, no family life. In Western countries there is divorce. Here also the divorce law is introduced. And no family is happy. Gṛhiṇī doṣe gṛhastha naṣṭa. So king must be very pious.
So Kṛṣṇa is the friend, most intimate friend of the Pāṇḍavas. Therefore he says, naḥ. Naḥ means "our." Suhṛdaḥ. Suhṛdaḥ, this word, "always thinking of others' good." That is called suhṛdaḥ. The heart is not contaminated. Hṛdaḥ means "heart," and su means "very good." So Kṛṣṇa says also that suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). And here Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja confirms, naḥ suhṛdaḥ. Actually, Kṛṣṇa is suhṛt. Suhṛt means well-wisher. As the father is the well-wisher of the sons or intimate friend, well-wisher... Here in the material world, although I may be your well-wisher, you may be well-wisher, but there is some interest. Unless there is some interest for my personal benefit, I cannot become your suhṛt. This is material suhṛt. But spiritual suhṛt is different. Spiritual suhṛt means everyone is suffering for want of spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
"Lord Christ, he ate fish." So he can do that. There was some necessity. But you cannot do that. So even though it is sometimes done, abominable, but still they are in exalted position. This is to be understood. Tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya (SB 10.33.29). Tejīyasām, those who are very, very powerful, anything abominable done by them, it does not contaminate. This is to be understood. But you cannot do that. You cannot imitate.
(reads:) "When Yamarāja thus incarnated himself as Vidura, his post was officiated by Aryamā, one of the many sons of Kaśyapa and Aditi, the Ādityas, or sons of Aditi, and there are twelve Ādityas. Aryamā is one of the twelve Ādityas, and therefore it was quite possible for him to take charge of the office of Yamarāja during his one hundred years' absence in the form of Vidura.
This word is used, adhaḥ. Adhaḥ means subdued. And Akṣa, akṣa means eyes or senses. Akṣaja. Ja means generated. So our senses are there—eyes, ears, hands, legs, nose, so many. Ten senses are there. So we are acquiring knowledge, generated. Knowledge is generated from the senses. But so long our senses are materially contaminated, we do not get real knowledge. We have to acquire knowledge through the senses, but unless our senses are purified, we do not have real knowledge. So we cannot appreciate or understand God, His form, His name, His quality, His pastime, His entourage, nothing of them we can understand by our these present material senses. That is not possible. Therefore His name is Adhokṣaja. Adhaḥ. Adhaḥ means cut (curbed) down. You cannot approach the Supreme by your these blunt material senses. That is not possible. Therefore His name is Adhokṣaja. Adhah-kṛta akṣaja-jñānaṁ yatra. The adhokṣaja means... Jñāna means experimental knowledge.
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to revive the original consciousness. If one is actually in Kṛṣṇa, he'll be truthful. Truthfulness. These are the qualities. Cleanliness, always clean, taking thrice bath. Cloth clean, mind clean, body clean, activities clean, desire clean, thinking clean—everything clean. No contamination. This is the test. "I am doing all nasty things, and I am advertising 'I am advanced devotee.' " What rascal you are? You are doing all nonsense and you are advanced? But they have no shame even, to call themselves... Shameless. Shameless, even not gentlemen. Cheating, and still, he is advertising, "I am advanced." But a person who is actually in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or actual... Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, tinete koriyā aikya.
Once only. Eka kṛṣṇa nāme yata pāpa haya, pāpī haya tata pāpa kari baro nāhi(?).
So śaucam. śaucam means inward cleanliness and outward cleanliness. śaucam. Inside, we should be pure, purely thinking, no contamination. We should not think anyone as my enemy. "Everyone is friend. I am... I am not pure; therefore I am thinking somebody as my enemy." There are so many symptoms. So śaucam: one should be clean, inside and outside. Satyaṁ śaucaṁ dayā. That dayā I already explained. Dayā means to become compassionate to the fallen, one who has fallen, one who is in distress. So actually, the whole population at the present moment, they're fallen.
The advantage is that if you can know Kṛṣṇa, then you know everything. And if you get Kṛṣṇa, you get everything. Therefore this conclusion cannot be perceived by less intelligent class of men. Exactly like that. If one is intelligent, he goes to the river from the village, and he takes there bath. River water is never contaminated because constantly the wave is flowing. Suppose you contaminate a certain portion, but it does not stand, it flows down immediately.
Immediately, moment after moment, you are getting pure water. Especially in India. In India there are so many nice rivers, Ganges, Yamunā, Godāvarī, Kāverī, Kṛṣṇā, Sindh. There are many rivers, all very nice water. In the Western countries I have seen only one river very nice, in Montreal. What is that river?
And subtler than the mind is soul. So just imagine how quickly the soul can be transferred to the other world, other planet. You can transfer by yogic principle. So it is said, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). The most subtler. And in the spiritual world that is completely spiritual. There is no tinge or contamination of anything of this material embarrassment. Ahaituky apratihatā. Then, what is...?
Human life is meant for tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam, śuddhyet (SB 5.5.1). You have to purify your existence. Now our existence is not purified. We get this contaminated body and change it; again another contaminated body, another... Just like one man is suffering from disease: one contamination, then another contamination, another... This is not life. You purify yourself. And that purification begins when you accept the life of austerities, tapaḥ, tapasya. Tapasya means voluntarily accepting some... This is not inconvenience. Just like in our society it is enjoined, the students, they should voluntarily accept the principle: no illicit sex life, no meat-eating, no fish-eating, no, nothing of the sort, no intoxication, and no gambling. This is tapasya. Especially for these European and American students, they are, from the beginning of their life, they are accustomed to these habits. But they have voluntarily given up on my word. And that is guru's business.
And to practice this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, there is no hard and fast rule. Niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ. Any time suitable you can chant and you get perfection. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. This much little trouble, austerity, or whatever you call. But we have no interest. Being contaminated by this material, this Kali-yuga... Etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi durdaivam, misfortune, durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ. "I have no attraction."
So therefore Kapiladeva or His representative, when he sees somebody is little interested, he becomes very glad and thanks him, "Thank you very much." Because people are not interested. So Kapiladeva, when He saw His mother interested, He thanked within. Not openly, but within the mind: "Thank you, mother. You are so interested." So dhiyā abhinandya ātmavatāṁ satāṁ gatiḥ. The process, the questions which she put, that is ātmavatāṁ satām. Not ordinary persons.
It is said in the śāstra that sattva-guṇa will be practically nil. Rajas-tamaḥ. And the aim of life is to become free from all the contaminations, even sattva-guṇa contamination. This has been explained in the Bhagavad-gītā very nicely in the Fourteenth Chapter, how to become not contaminated, disinfected.
So here Kapiladeva advises that "Mother, if you want to be disinfected, uncontaminated by this material nature, then you associate with sādhu." That was the beginning.
You can become immediately nirguṇa as soon as you engage in the service of the Lord. And so long you keep yourself in that position, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you remain nirguṇa. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Saguṇa means māyā. Kṛṣṇa says, mām eva ye prapadyante: "One who surrenders to Me," māyām etāṁ taranti, "no māyā touching, no in contamination of māyā." Māyām etāṁ taranti. There is nirguṇa. Nirguṇa means be engaged in the devotional, loving devotional service of Kṛṣṇa. That is... Then you are svarūpa-darśana, ātma-darśanam. That is your ātma-darśanam, nirguṇa. Prakṛteḥ paraḥ. As Kṛṣṇa is prakṛteḥ paraḥ... Prakṛteḥ... Prakṛti means this material world, and paraḥ means transcendental. So prakṛteḥ paraḥ. You cannot serve Kṛṣṇa unless you also become prakṛteḥ paraḥ, not within this material world.
Although they do not know that Kṛṣṇa... When they see some wonderful activities of Kṛṣṇa, they think, "Some demigod might have come here. Otherwise, how this wonderful thing is possible?" So this is pure love. This is pure love, without any knowledge of the supreme powerful, almighty. That is svacchatvam, no contamination-pure love.
So the mission of human life should be how to clarify this consciousness again into that pure consciousness of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the mission of human life. The consciousness is impure; therefore there are so many varieties, material varieties, and we are captivated by these material varieties. But that is not giving us any happiness. We are especially very much unhappy on account of janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). So if we want to get relief from the miserable condition of this material life... This place is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam: (BG 8.15) "This place is meant for miseries."
That is not possible. Why the million? If you rise your temperature to 107 degrees, then finished your life. These are practical.
So because Lord Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful, you cannot compare with Kṛṣṇa. He's apāpa-viddham. No contamination can touch Him. But for that reason you cannot say, you cannot imitate Kṛṣṇa and you cannot say that "No contamination can touch me." No. That is not possible. Therefore the whole life, our this human form of life, is a chance to purify so that we may approach. At least, if we get that fifty-five, fifty degrees, fifty parts or fifty fractional portions of God's quality, even in minute quantity, then we can approach God. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that pavitraṁ paramam (BG 10.12). Pavitra, pavitra means purity. So "You are, Kṛṣṇa, You are the supreme pure." So because we are trying by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we are trying to approach Kṛṣṇa...
Just like big, big city, they are whole day and night the motorcars going this way and that way, this way and that way... "Whoosh, woosh, woosh, woosh, woosh, woosh, woosh..." Why? For finding out, "Where is happiness? Where is happiness? Where is happiness?" Happiness. But happiness we are not receiving because in this contaminated world happiness is not possible; therefore we have to get out of this body, material body. Then there will be happiness.
In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriya-grāhyam (BG 6.21). What is real happiness, that will be realized when you are on the transcendental sense gratification. At the present moment we are on the material sense gratification. So material sense gratification will not give us real happiness. Everyone is trying to get happiness; so therefore Ṛṣabhadeva said, tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). Your exis... First of all, purify your existence; then talk of happiness.
That is not possible. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. One quality is overlapping the other quality. Our business is how to become transcendental to all these qualities, not to be touched by any of the qualities of material nature. That is our business. That should be our aim. Nirguṇa. That is called nirguṇa, no more contaminated by the material qualities. That is called nirguṇa.
Woman: But why should the supreme energy make it a disease? It's been ordained to have that, the form of the body...
Prabhupāda: Disease you contact. Nobody forces you to contact disease. When you become diseased, you contaminate some infection, not that anyone forces you to contaminate. So when you come to the material world, it is your own disease.
Woman: But it is a disease if you have to be reborn. It's reincarnation then, going to another form of disease again. But you haven't attained the spiritual, complete spiritual...
Prabhupāda: Yes. Then you'll be cured of this material disease. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Any other questions?
Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). That is pure sattva, when there is no other conception, simply Vasudeva. Vasudeva is the platform. Just like Vasudeva was the father of Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa appeared, Vasudeva was the father. So śuddha-sattva is Vasudeva. Vasudeva means there is no contamination of ignorance or passion, simply sattva-guṇa. Tato rājas tamo bhāvā kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye, ceta etair anāviddham. When your mind and consciousness will not be contaminated by the modes of ignorance and passion, that is śuddha-sattva. That is śuddha-sattva. That is spiritual platform, vasudeva. Then Vasudeva will beget Kṛṣṇa. Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam. So if we purify our existence, another Kṛṣṇa comes or Kṛṣṇa's devotees come. They come in śuddha-sattva. Sattvaṁ paramaṁ pavitram. Then naturally there is śamo damo titikṣa ārjavaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānaṁ āstikyam (BG 18.42).
And when one becomes brāhmaṇa, pure, no material contamination, then bhakti appears, after becoming brāhmaṇa or brahma-bhūtaḥ, not material platform. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). In the material platform, jīva-bhūtaḥ. But in the spiritual platform, brahma-bhūtaḥ.
So ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "Yes, I am already Brahman because my constitutional position is part and parcel of Para-brahman." Kṛṣṇa is Para-brahman. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ (BG 10.12), pavitraṁ paramam, this same thing, pavitraṁ paramam. So naturally, because we are part and parcel of the pavitraṁ paramaṁ, Para-brahman, we are also the same thing, a small particle, aṁśa. Mama aṁśa. Aṁśa and aṁśi. A small grain of gold, by quality it is gold, not that because it is small, it is something else. It is the same thing. Similarly, we are also pavitram, pure, but that small can fall down sometimes and becomes apavitra. So we are just like sparks of fire, so so long we are in the fire, this quality of the spark is also fire.
And the ācārya, other ācāryas like Śrī Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī and up to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, everyone has accepted, Śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam.
Amalam means there is no material contamination, pure description. Therefore Vyāsadeva, from the very beginning he says that dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇām: (SB 1.1.2) "This book is not meant for the person who is envious." Envious... You begin enviousness from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). The envious person will say, "Oh, this is too much. Why shall I surrender to Kṛṣṇa? I am also Kṛṣṇa. I am also God. This is too much." This is rascaldom. The actual fact is that we are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, we have forgotten it, and therefore we have become servant of māyā.
"I am American," "I am Indian," "I am white," "I am black." So these are all designation. If you simply know that "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa. I am servant of God," then you are purified. You are neither white nor black nor this nor that, but you are simple servant of Kṛṣṇa. If you continue this consciousness, then you are purified immediately. No more contamination. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). And as soon as you take it very seriously, that "I am Kṛṣṇa's"—neither to the society, neither to the community, neither to the country, neither to the international society, or neither anything, but "I am Kṛṣṇa's"—if this firm conviction is there, then you are completely pure: tat-paratvena nirmalam. And in the pure condition, when you engage your senses in the service of the Lord, that is called Kṛṣṇa conscious service or devotional service. (end)
That is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you remain Kṛṣṇa conscious, then there is no chance of your associating with the three material modes of nature. That is the secret. Therefore you'll find our students, those who are habituated to so many bad things previously, they are able to stay in a platform where there is no such contamination.
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is such nice medicine. Unless you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your habits, formed by the association with the three modes of material nature, will continue. You cannot check it. They... Therefore, if you want to save yourself from this repetition of different types of birth and death, then you must come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the medicine. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate: (BG 14.26) "Anyone who is engaged in My transcendental loving service, bhakti-yoga, the devotional yoga..."
At the present moment, everyone is covered by the rajas-tamaḥ, the base qualities, ignorance and passion, so they have no interest in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is not possible. One has to purify himself. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhadayaś... (SB 1.2.19). When we kill the rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ, ceta etair anāviddham... When our heart is no more contaminated by the rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ, ceta etair anāviddhaṁ sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati. There are three guṇas. If you make minus these two guṇas, rajas-tamo-guṇa, then the remaining—only sattva-guṇa. So these rajas-tamo-guṇa can be counteracted simply by hearing about Kṛṣṇa. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). So therefore I wrote, tabe jadi tava kṛpā hay ahaitukī, sakala sambhava hay tumi se kautikī, that "God is all-powerful, Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful. He can do everything impossible, possible."
In that question, you'll find, Śukadeva Gosvāmī has answered that unless one is liberated, he should not think of it even. Should not think of it. And he has given the example that, you have read, that Lord Śiva, when there was churning, the poison came out, he took it and kept it. But if we imitate Lord Śiva, that "He kept, he also drunk, so let me drink also, let me smoke gañja," no. You cannot do. Tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya (SB 10.33.29). The example is given: those who are very, very powerful, they are not contaminated. Just like the sun. Sun is so powerful that it can soak water from the urine, or from the stool, but it still is sun. But if you imitate sun and you... Nowadays, it is going on. The urine is turned into water and they drink. And from stool they are getting fat. So these things are going on. But we should not try to imitate. The sum and substance is Kṛṣṇa cannot be contaminated. Apāpa-viddham. In the Īśopaniṣad, you'll find.
Tejīyasām. Just like sun is never contaminated. From the whole universe, the sun is soaking water from any filthy place. But the filthy place is becoming purified by the sun rays. That is possible by the sun.
So similarly, we cannot imitate Kṛṣṇa. That is pāpa, adharma. Dharma is to abide by the orders of Kṛṣṇa. That is very simple. And if we do that then we become qualified to go back to home, back to Godhead. Very simple thing. It doesn't require much education. Simply it requires a purified mind, that "I shall execute it honestly." That much qualification is sufficient. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is Kṛṣṇa's law and order.
So yasyehitaṁ na viduḥ. Why? If they are so much advanced, why they cannot? Spṛṣṭa-māyāḥ: "They are also contaminated by māyā." Spṛṣṭa-māyāḥ. Sattva-pradhānāḥ: "Their position in the platform of goodness, on the quality of goodness, that is very prominent, but they are not free from the contamination." Just like in this, our experience, a first-class brāhmaṇa, he is supposed a first-class man. But still there is contamination. At least this contamination is there: "Oh, I am a brāhmaṇa. I am brāhmaṇa. I am greater than all others. I am learned, and I know all the Vedas. I know what is what. I understand Brahman. Because brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ, so he knows. So all these qualities, first-class brāhmaṇa, but still he is contaminated because he is proud: "I am this. I am this." That is material identification. That is... He is not free from the material identification.
A pure devotee..." Always remember—a pure devotee. Devotee means a pure devotee. Contaminated devotee is different. Dvidha(?)-bhakta and śuddha-bhakta. Those who are contaminated with material desires, with fruitive activities and mental speculation, they are contaminated devotees. They are not pure devotees. Pure devotees means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), no material desires, no action and fruitive activities, no mental speculation. So he is pure devotee. So that pure devotee in transcendental position is always protected by the Lord. And His Viṣṇudūta is wandering everywhere. Just like Ajāmila. As soon as he was arrested by the Yamadūtas, immediately they approached. So as there are different police department, military police department, civil police department, similarly, there is transcendental police department. Don't be afraid. Yes, here it is stated. So simply we have to be sincere devotee, and all protection will be given by Kṛṣṇa.
As soon as he is situated in his original position, hitvā anyathā-rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6), gives up nondevotional activities, but is situated in devotional service, immediately he is all right, pure devotee. Doesn't matter whether he was in the beginning. Because even a person, ordinary person, ordinarily, he is not contaminated. He lives aloof from this material existence. But for sometimes, even if he is influenced, that doesn't matter. As soon as he comes to his real position, he is a pure devotee. There is no question of tracing his past history. There is no question. You be situated in pure devotional service; you are pure devotee. That's all. There is no question of inquiring what he was in the past. That doesn't matter. Is it clear? Yes. Just like Ajāmila. In the past history he, simply sinful, Jagāi-Mādhāi, simply sinful, but as soon as they come to the position of pure devotional life, he is pure. That's all. Yes.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja is recommending that either material prosperity within this planet or in other planet, they are all destructible. They're not permanent. Therefore nirmala, not free from the contamination of material nature. That is also recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā: ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16), that even if you go to the highest planet, that is also perishable. So we are not interested in perishable things. Unfortunately, people have no knowledge that what is that unperishable. They are accustomed in the association of perishable things for many, many lives. (aside:) Is not working? Yes. Therefore they have no information what is the... If we say that "You work for nonperishable thing," he'll be astonished because he has no idea that there can be anything which is not perishable.
He is the original father of the demigods and all other living entities. He's therefore known as prajā-pati or called pitā-maha, grandfather, prajā-pati. He is the origin of everything. The Darwin's theory, a rascal theory, that there was no life, but according to Vedic knowledge there were the best life, Brahmā. From there begins life, and gradually they become degraded, material contamination. Not that there was no life. From low type of living condition one is elevated higher and higher. That is a wrong theory. The real theory is that life begins from the most exalted person, Lord Brahmā, prajā-pati. So in any auspicious matter they are forward, because you cannot approach God in your lower condition of life. You see? Lower condition of life means sinful reaction. In that condition you cannot approach God. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). (aside:) Who is talking? Pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme pure, pavitraṁ paramam. Paramam means extreme.
His anger is also as good as His mercy. That is the difference. When we become angry, there is no mercy. Mercy is far away from it. But God, Kṛṣṇa, because He is absolute, either He is angry or He is merciful, He's the same. The word God is good. He's good when He's angry and He's good when He's merciful. That is difference. In the material contaminated state, not only God, even God's devotee, they also acquire the same quality. Sometimes we see that saintly persons like Nārada, Śiva, they also become angry and curse somebody, but that curse becomes benediction. So that is the absolute stage.
So Hiraṇyakaśipu was killed by Nṛsiṁha-deva, and everyone was afraid, very fearful, that "God's appeared in such a fearful appearance, half-lion shape and half-man's shape with four hands." So nobody could pacify Him. Everyone was afraid. Then Prahlāda Mahārāja was, he was only five-years-old boy. He was requested that "Nṛsiṁha-deva has appeared for your protection especially.
The father was for ugra-karma, and the son, Prahlāda, was for sattvika life. So when Prahlāda Mahārāja engaged himself in sattvika life, not only sattvika, śuddha-sattvika... In the material world there are three guṇas: sattvika, rajasika, tamasika. The sattvika is the best. So, and devotional activity is śuddha-sattvika, where there is no contamination. In the material world, sattvika, a person who is a brāhmaṇa, he may be contaminated by tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa. Just like Ajāmila. He was the son of a brāhmaṇa, and he was executing the brahmacarya regulation very nicely, but he became infected with rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, became attached to a prostitute and left everything, all brahminical qualification, and he became a rogue, thief, cheater, drunkard, woman-hunter, so on. There are many instances. And Jagāi-Mādhāi, they were born of very good brāhmaṇa family, rich family, but with bad association they became drunkard, woman-hunter, meat-eater.
So goodness... In the material world even goodness is sometimes contaminated with tinges of passion and ignorance. herefore in the material world nothing can be in pure goodness. So one has to transcend the goodness platform of this material world and come to the platform of pure goodness, śuddha-sattva, where there is no more contamination of passion and ignorance. That platform is called God consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Good, bad, and via media, three kinds. So that is the process. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means everything is being gradually developed into goodness. And at last, to surpass goodness... Here in this material world the goodness may be contaminated with the other qualities, but in the spiritual world it is so good... It is called śuddha-sattva. There is no contamination, there is no tinge of rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. That is spiritual quality. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be possible in perfectness when we are above the quality of goodness. Above. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). One who has surpassed the three qualities and has come to the spiritual platform, then it is called cinmaya. Cit means spiritual, and māyā... These word, mayāt-pratyaya, these are used when it is in great extent, in large quality. That is mayāt. And vikārāt. Vikāra means transformed. Just like gold. Pure gold, you transform into a finger ring—this is also gold. This is called vikārārthe. Gold has become now a ring.
Then why this low-grade birth? That is due to this kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22). In the Bhagavad-gītā it says. It is due to our association with low-grade qualities.
Therefore the human life should be very cautious that we may not be contaminated by low-grade qualities. There are so many rules and regulations, but it is very very difficult to follow. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended, just to remain purified, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva (CC Adi 17.21). You cannot... Otherwise you cannot purify. So kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). We should always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Then we'll gradually be spiritualized, cinmaya, spiritualized. Then our life will be successful.
Brahmā's post is so exalted that when there is no living entity available, then Lord Viṣṇu Himself becomes Brahmā. The post is so important. My point is that although he's so pious, greatly exalted, still, he had to purify himself.
Here it is said, kālena tīvra-tapasā pariśuddha-bhāvaḥ. Pariśuddha-bhāvaḥ. To become purified of the material contamination is not so easy. So you should always remember that the purificatory process which has been prescribed to you, how rigidly you have to follow. If you are neglectful, then you are losing the chance because you... Try to understand. This material world is so contaminous that even Lord Brahmā had to purify himself by austerities for many hundreds of years. I'm just trying to bring this point, how Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so kind, that for purification of Brahmā's body he had to take so many years under severe austerity, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu, because we are so much fallen, not to compare with Brahmā, very, very fallen, still, He gives us a little formula:
So in different ages, in different time, different types of medicines and vaccines are recommended, but in this age, Kali, it is so dangerously contaminous that no other process of medicine will act. Which is...? What is, then, the rescue? The only medicine is harer nāma. Therefore Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam, kalau... (CC Adi 17.21).
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Yes. A devotee can develop all the good qualities of the demigods—immediately. Because ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). As soon as the heart is cleansed... Because the soul, as he is, he's pure. Asaṅgo hy ayaṁ puruṣaḥ. The spirit soul is not contaminated or does not associate with the material modes of nature. It is simply an illusion, misidentification. Just like water and oil does not mix, but it appears that oil is fallen in the water, similarly, although we are in this material world, in the material consciousness, our identity is not actually in material consciousness. It is simply... Just like dreaming. The example is dreaming. Just like in dream I see so many hallucinations. Actually, dream is false. I am separate from the dream. But while dreaming, I think I am actually enjoying or suffering. Similarly, by the association of the modes of material nature, we are thinking like that.
So jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam: (CC Madhya 19.167) "Devotional service should not be contaminated by jñāna-kāṇḍa, karma-kāṇḍa, by fruitive activities or mental speculation." Devotional service should be taken exactly in the line of the great authorities. Just like our sampradāya, Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, they are following... Rūpānuga.
That is the sign of devotee: appreciation (of) the activities of devotee. This appreciation means a devotee who is actually freed from all contamination, he does not find any fault with other devotee. That is the sign. He does not think himself that he is bigger devotee or greater devotee than others. He thinks himself as the lowest of all. As Caitanya, as Caitanya-caritāmṛta author, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, says, purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi se lagiṣṭha: (CC Adi 5.205) "I am lower than the insect within the stool." Jagāi-mādhāi haite se muñi pāpiṣṭha: "I am greater sinner than Jagāi and Mādhāi." Mora nāma yei laya tāra puṇya kṣaya: "Anyone who takes my name, immediately, all the result of his pious activities becomes vanquished." He's placing like that. Because it is not imitation or any bluff. He's... Any devotee who's actually advanced, he feels like that.
So both by the action of karma-kāṇḍa and jñāna-kāṇḍa one is not secure. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, sakali viṣera bandha. Poison, either in a golden pot or in iron pot, it is the..., the effect is the same. So bhakti is neither for karma-kāṇḍa nor for jñāna-kāṇḍa. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). That is real bhakti.
- anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
- jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
- ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
- śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā
- (Brs. 1.1.11)
Bhakti should not be contaminated by karma and jñāna. Bhakti should remain pure. Then the result will be very quick and nice. Go on.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
"I shall become one with God." And karma, there is demand: "I must have the highest form of material happiness." Therefore jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam: "without any tinge of jñāna and karma." Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam: "all material desires made zero, śūnyam." "Then I become zero?" No. That is your purity. When you are not contaminated by jñāna, karma, yoga, that is your pureness. And that purity, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Simply always be ready to serve Kṛṣṇa. Serve Kṛṣṇa. "Now, where is Kṛṣṇa?" Yes, Kṛṣṇa is there. You can serve. Kṛṣṇa is present before you in His sound representation, Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa is absolute, and His words, what He has spoken in the Bhagavad-gītā, they are the same. Kṛṣṇa's words and Kṛṣṇa, they are not different. The material world means my words and me, we are different. But in the spiritual world the words, the name, the form, the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, they are as good as Kṛṣṇa.
And what is that? Prema-sukha-bhoga: you shall be absorbed in love of Kṛṣṇa. That is the... That is here recorded that that should be your ultimate goal of life. So we should not stop: "Oh, now I am very happy. Now I have no material miseries," or "I am liberated. Now this material contamination does not affect me." No. When you will be so much absorbed in love of God, just like Lord Caitanya showed... Cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me, govinda-viraheṇa me: "Oh, I am crying. Just My tears coming, just torrents of rain from My eyes." Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvam: "I am seeing everything vacant." Why? Govinda-viraheṇa me: "In separation of Govinda." That is highest stage of life. Govinda-viraheṇa me. Just like in this material world, if you love somebody and if he is dead and passed and gone, you see everything vacant. That is a test of that govinda viraha. But we are foolish.
That is, "By chanting Kṛṣṇa's name, one becomes pure, how dancing with Kṛṣṇa can be impure?" And he gave that example, tejīyasāṁ na doṣāyet. One who is powerful, to..., for him there is no question of contamination. Just like the sun. He gave the example, the sun. Sun is so powerful that sunshine is touching all contaminated place, but sun is not contaminated. Rather, by the sunshine it is sterilized. Contaminated place becomes sterilized. As a crude example in the material world. Similarly, in God's association there is no question of irreligiosity. If there is ecstasy, intense love for God, there is no question of contamination. So contamination is considered within the material world. In the spiritual world, there is no contamination. And actually, when the gopīs went to Kṛṣṇa, they approached there in their spiritual bodies, not with material bodies.
There is such psychological things that a married woman wants to mix with his, with her friend, or a married man wants to mix with another. Wherefrom this idea comes, this psychological...? It comes from God. In God there is. But there, it is in perfect order. Here it is contaminated. Here, it is contaminated. So we should not imitate the perfect thing in the contaminated place.
So we have to rectify ourself. Unless we approach to the spiritual stage... That is the process. Just like a diseased man, he cannot imitate the healthy man. A healthy man eats as he likes, but a diseased man, if he eats as he likes, he'll die. Death is sure. So he has to be restricted, not the healthy man. So if you want really happiness, if you want really freedom, and if you really want everything is reality, then you have to transfer yourself to the spiritual world, in association with Kṛṣṇa. That is the whole process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
And to live in the temple is transcendental, above goodness, pure goodness. In the material world goodness is sometimes mixed up with ignorance and passion, but in the spiritual world there is pure goodness—no contamination or tinges of passion and ignorance. Therefore it is called śuddha-sattva. Śuddha-sattva. Śabdam, sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam: "That pure goodness is called Vasudeva, and in that pure goodness one can realize God." Therefore God's name is Vāsudeva, "produced from Vasudeva." Vasudeva is the father of Vāsudeva.
So unless we come to the standard of pure goodness, without any tinge of passion and ignorance, it is not possible, God realization. Therefore bhakti means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167), jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11).
I may feel very comfortable that "I am a spiritual master," or you may think very comfortable, "I am born of a very rich nation, American," but this status of my life is temporary. I will have to change. I'll have to change. So if I do not change for the better, then my life is very risky. Suppose a healthy man, if he is in the society of contamination, is it not his life is very risky? He may be contaminated and infected by disease any moment. So this ignorance should be dissipated. Here it is said that such a devotee can properly discharge his duty of human life. Those who do not do so are eating only sins. Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpaṁ ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt (BG 3.13). Anyone who is cooking for himself... The difference of cooking here in this temple and in ordinary house is that in ordinary house they're cooking sins. The cooking, it appears that the same, "These people are also cooking," but this cooking and that cooking is different. Here there is no sin, because it is being cooked for Kṛṣṇa.
Apāpa-viddham (ISO 8). This is most important part of this verse. No sin can pollute Kṛṣṇa. There is nothing sinful for Kṛṣṇa. How it is? The example is given generally, just like the sun. There is no contamination for the sun. There is no possibility of the sun being contaminated, or the sun being dark. This is a material thing. So how Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, He can be contaminated by any kind of sinful action? God is good. There cannot be any sinful action. Sometimes less intelligent class of men, they criticize Kṛṣṇa, "Why Kṛṣṇa did it?" Yes, Kṛṣṇa is God. He can do anything, whatever He likes. Your laws cannot restrict Kṛṣṇa. You may... For you there may be so many restrictive laws, but for Kṛṣṇa there is no restrictive law. He can surpass all restrictive regulations.
"Oh, how shall I find out Kṛṣṇa? I shall kill Him." That was his business. That is the asuric mentality. Āsuriṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. But he also became purified. He got salvation. The same example again: somehow or other, if you come to the sunlight, you become purified and you get warmth. Not that sun becomes contaminated by you. No. That is not possible. Sun is so powerful that even you are contaminated... You cannot contaminate the sun. Tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya (SB 10.33.29). When one is very powerful, there is no contamination. Therefore here it is said, apāpa-viddhaṁ śuddham. Always purified, Kṛṣṇa. This is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā when Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: "You are the supreme pure." Pavitraṁ paramam.
Initiation Lectures
There is no question if we always keep ourselves chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, so there is no chance of being contaminated by the influence of māyā. It is so nice.
Now you chant, I'll say, you repeat. (chants prayers for fire sacrifices, devotees respond) Thank you. Chant you Hare Kṛṣṇa. Right hand, not left hand. Keep forward your right hand. Yes. (Prabhupāda chants japa) So you have seen how I'm chanting? You'll begin from this bigger one. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Then take another, in this way, come to this end, again begin from here, come to this end. In this way, chant sixteen rounds at least. At least. (break) ...principles of restriction. The more you follow the restriction, the more you become advanced.
Some way or other, we have to remember always Kṛṣṇa. Then whatever condition we may be, we are pure. Sa bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ. This chanting helps us always remembering Kṛṣṇa. As soon as we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, hear, immediately we remember. So, so long I remember, I am śuciḥ, I am pure, no material contamination. Therefore if I continue my life in that pure stage, then I am eligible for going back to Godhead. Because nobody can enter in the kingdom of God without being completely pure. Completely pure means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), no material desire. Here in the material world, we manufacture so many plans to be happy, material desires. Somebody's thinking, "I shall be happy in this way." Somebody's thinking... There is no question of happiness here. The place is contaminated. In a contaminated... Just like in an infected place you cannot be happy. The medical officer will ask you to leave that place, that "This quarter has been infected by the disease.
That is our nature, ānandamaya. But we have been contaminated by this material affection. So one has to come out of it. That is the process of self-realization, liberation, whatever you call. The process is to come out of this contamination.
So this mantra suggests that either you are contaminated or not contaminated... It is not that... The Māyāvādī philosophers, they say that so long we are contaminated in the māyā, we can adopt any means of self-realization, and after self-realization, when we become liberated, we become one with the Supreme and there is no more any work. This is partially true. Partially true means when actually you realize yourself, then you have no material activities.
So when you enter into the Kṛṣṇa science you get so much volumes of transcendental knowledge, and we are trying to present before you this knowledge in so many ways, by cleansing your heart from this material contamination. And this initiation is the beginning of cleaning the contamination. Therefore this mantra suggests, apavitraḥ pavitraḥ vā: either you be contaminated or not contaminated. When one is not contaminated, he's relishing this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra by associating with Kṛṣṇa. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, he's also chanting. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is also chanting, but His chanting and my chanting, there is little difference. That chanting is on the transcendental platform, actually relishing with Kṛṣṇa. My chanting... In the beginning there are three stages: offensive stages, liberated stage, and relishing stage. So you will be initiated for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, there will be so many offenses. So we have to offend..., we have to defend ourself from the offenses. There are ten kinds of offenses.
Yes. Puṇḍarīkākṣam. Puṇḍarīka means lotus; akṣam means eyes. Puṇḍarīkākṣam. Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahyābhyantara-śuciḥ. Externally, internally, he becomes immediately purified. So keep on chanting, you keep yourself purified, māyā cannot touch you. Māyā's contamination will not touch you. Just like if you take vaccine, the infectious disease will not touch you. Similarly, if you keep yourself vaccinated with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the māyā has no power to touch you. And if you can keep, then you will be accustomed. Just like a child, when he learns walking, he requires little help. He may fall down, but that doesn't matter. He again stands up. Similarly, in the beginning there may be childlike falldown, but if you stick to the position, then one day you'll be able to walk freely, without any hamper. So this mantra, apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthām, any condition of life, you can simply remember Puṇḍarīkākṣam, Kṛṣṇa.
You don't require to labor and pay somewhere some five dollars, ten dollars, and practice this gymnastic. No. It is not possible. And as soon as you come out, you'll again engage yourself in all nonsense activities. No. The first-class yoga system is to keep yourself always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then it is always, you are pure. No contamination of this material world can touch you, and you are first-class yogi. All right. (chants fire sacrifice prayers responsively with devotees) Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
When you engage your senses in Kṛṣṇa's service, then it becomes purified. Hṛṣīkeṇa. That purified, your senses is not to be abolished like the impersonalists: "No more sense, finished." No. We... Our senses are... Because we are eternal, our senses are eternal. But at the present moment our senses are being used, contaminated; therefore you are not satisfied. The senses are not to be cut off. No. Liberation does not mean I become impersonal, all my senses are gone. No. Liberation means purification of the senses. And the symptom how the senses are purified, that will be manifested that when one's senses are simply engaged in the service of the Lord. Hands, legs, eyes, ears, mouth—we have got so many senses—everything.
General Lectures
If somebody thinks by simple impersonal realization of Brahman, if he thinks that he has become liberated, then his intelligence is polluted. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvad aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Aviśuddha means not free from contamination. His intelligence is not free. Why? Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho (SB 10.2.32).
The same example can be given. Suppose you are taking a jet plane to go to the sun planet or moon planet, but you are in the sunshine. You are more higher above the cloud region. Cloud is after, say, a few miles up, if you go, there is no more cloud. Finished. If you go above seven miles up, there is no more clouds. There is no question of māyā. That's all right.
It is His mercy. The Bhāgavata says that if you want to understand God, His name, His quality, His paraphernalia, His form, it is not possible to realize by your present senses. It is not possible. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). These present senses, they are so contaminated that it is not possible that you can understand God, His form, His name, His quality, His paraphernalia by speculation. No, it is not possible. Then? How it is possible? Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. God reveals to you by your service attitude. And that service attitude begins from your tongue, jihvā. Jihvā means tongue. How? You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and taste Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Then you will realize. Two things. Very simple method. He'll reveal. You cannot understand what is God, but God will reveal to you, "Here I am." Just like you cannot ask the sun, "Please rise up. I want to see you." Oh, he is not your servant.
That "very good man" does not mean that he is spiritually advanced. He may be moralist. He may be philanthropist, just like so many leaders of nations. That is another thing. The spiritual state is called viśuddha-sattva. Viśuddha-sattva means goodness where no other quality can contaminate. Here even one man is very good man, sometimes he is tinged with passion or ignorance. Just like I told you that Mahātmā Gandhi, he was a recognized good man, but he committed so many mistakes. So pure goodness is not possible in this material world. Pure goodness means spiritual life. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). So because the spirit soul by nature is pure, by nature... As God is pure, similarly, we are part and parcel of God. We are also pure in our original position. But since we have come in contact with this material nature, our inferiority in different qualities or different degrees are present.
Then bhagavati... Then, by this process, he becomes fixed up in the transcendental loving service of God. In this way, evaṁ prasanna-manaso (SB 1.2.20)? "By this way, he becomes jolly." Because jolliness is my original consciousness, but due to my material contamination I am not jolly, I am morose, I am full of anxiety. So as soon as you become freed from this material contamination... Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ. How you can become such happy mood? Bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ: by the bhakti-yoga process.
"The name of God and God is equally pūrṇa, perfect, śuddha, purified, pūrṇaḥ śuddhaḥ nitya, eternal, and pūrṇaḥ śuddhaḥ nitya-mukta, and liberated from material contamination." So it is not the question of argument. You can try. There is no loss on your part. Chant the holy name of God and see the result yourself. In India also sometimes "Kṛṣṇa" is announced as "Kṛṣṭa." Or you announce as "Christo." It does not make... Because God will take your mind, not your pronunciation. If you mean to pronounce God's name, even it is not, I mean to say, formally or perfectly pronounced, still, God will understand that you are trying to chant His name. That is your perfection. (break) ..."Christo" or "Kristo" or "Kṛṣṇa," if He understands that you are hankering after Him, He will give the resultant action. And this is the easiest process in this age for God realization.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: That conscience is due to practice. Just like a butcher, he has no conscience that killing is bad. That he is practiced to do that, he does not say that... His conscience is not touched by killing. So this conscience is by practice created in a different atmosphere, so it does not act. Unless one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his conscience has no value. It is contaminated conscience. So as you are accustomed, so you have made a particular type of conscience. A thief, a thief, when he goes to steal, his conscience says, "This is all right. This is my livelihood. Why shall I stop it?" So what is value of this conscience?
Śyāmasundara: His idea is that because he comes from a Christian background, where there is no...
Prabhupāda: Under some background he is speaking of conscience. But I say there are different consciences according to different backgrounds. So unless one comes to Kṛṣṇa background, his conscience has no value. That is our...
Prabhupāda: Yes. Morality, as we understand from Bhagavad-gītā, that nobody can approach God without being purified of all sinful reaction. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. A person who has finished all sinful activities, and simply standing on the platform of pious activities, they can understand what is God and be engaged in God's service. And another place it is said by Arjuna, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, param brahma." Every living being is Brahman, spiritual, but Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being; therefore He is paraṁ brahma, and the paraṁ dhāma, and the resort of everything, ultimate resort of everything, and pavitra, purified, there is no material contamination. So, what is this? What does he say in this?
Hayagrīva: That, that same point?
Purports to Songs
Another devotee is called kṛpā-siddha. Kṛpā-siddha means even if he has not followed strictly all the regulative principle, still, by the mercy of ācārya or a devotee, or by Kṛṣṇa, he is elevated to the perfectional stage. That is specially. And another devotee is called nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha means they were never contaminated. The sādhana-siddha and kṛpā-siddha was contaminated by material touch, and by following regulative principles or by the mercy or grace of some devotee and ācārya they're elevated to the perfectional state. But nitya-siddha means they were never contaminated. They're ever liberated. So all the associates of Lord Caitanya, just like Advaita Prabhu, Śrīvāsa, Gadādhara, Nityānanda, they are Viṣṇu-tattva. They are all liberated. Not only they, the Gosvāmīs... There are many others. So they are ever-liberated.
We have to understand the six Gosvāmīs, what they are speaking. We have to cleanse our mind from material desires. These are the qualifications to understand what is Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise we shall be misled, we shall think Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa ordinary boy and girl. No. The activities are just like that, but it is all spiritual. There is no material contamination at all. There is no material inebrieties. Therefore, in such loving affairs, in such embracing, such kissing, in Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, that is all spiritual, eternal, blissful, full of knowledge, full of pleasure.
So at the present moment, in material condition, it is not possible to understand, but this is the purificatory process. We have to chant śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare.
| Page Title: | Not contaminated (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 21 of Feb, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=108, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 108 |