So there are five kinds of liberation. Sāyujya, the first liberation is supposed to be sāyujya, means, to become one with the Supreme. The Māyāvāda philosophers, monists, they aspire after sāyujya-mukti. But the devotees, Vaiṣṇavas, they do not aspire after sāyujya-mukti. Their, for them, there are other, four kinds of mukti: sārūpya, sālokya, sārṣṭi, sāmīpya. And those who are still further advanced, they do not want any kind of mukti, neither of these five kinds of muktis. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He prays, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is pure devotional prayer. The devotees does not approach the Supreme for any material gain. Pure devotion means without any aspiration of any kind of material gain. Or even spiritual gain.
Siksastaka 04 na dhanam na janam na sundarim... cited
Expressions researched:
"bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi"
|"kavitam va jagad-isa kamaye"
|"kavitam va jagadisa kamaye"
|"mama janmani janmanisvare"
|"na dhanam na janam na sundarim"
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 1 - 6
A Kṛṣṇa conscious person has no desire for self-satisfaction. His criterion of success is the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, and thus he is the perfect sannyāsī, or perfect yogī. Lord Caitanya, the highest perfectional symbol of renunciation, prays in this way:
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
"O Almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor to enjoy beautiful women. Nor do I want any number of followers. What I want only is the causeless mercy of Your devotional service in my life, birth after birth."
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 4
Before us there are varieties of living entities, and everyone is entangled in transmigrations and activities. Our duty is simply to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and let Him take charge, for He knows what is good for us.
Pṛthu Mahārāja therefore tells the Lord that, as the supreme father, He may elect to bestow whatever He considers beneficial for Pṛthu Mahārāja. That is the perfect position of the living entity. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us in His Śikṣāṣṭaka:
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
"O Almighty Lord! I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor have I any desire to enjoy beautiful women, nor do I want any number of followers. I only want Your causeless devotional service in my life, birth after birth."
The conclusion is that the pure devotee should not aspire after any material benefit from devotional service, nor should he be enamored by fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. He should always be engaged favorably in the service of the Lord. That is the highest perfection of life.
Before us there are varieties of living entities, and everyone is entangled in transmigrations and activities. Our duty is simply to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and let Him take charge, for He knows what is good for us.
Pṛthu Mahārāja therefore tells the Lord that, as the supreme father, He may elect to bestow whatever He considers beneficial for Pṛthu Mahārāja. That is the perfect position of the living entity. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us in His Śikṣāṣṭaka:
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
"O Almighty Lord! I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor have I any desire to enjoy beautiful women, nor do I want any number of followers. I only want Your causeless devotional service in my life, birth after birth."
The conclusion is that the pure devotee should not aspire after any material benefit from devotional service, nor should he be enamored by fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. He should always be engaged favorably in the service of the Lord. That is the highest perfection of life.
Before us there are varieties of living entities, and everyone is entangled in transmigrations and activities. Our duty is simply to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and let Him take charge, for He knows what is good for us.
Pṛthu Mahārāja therefore tells the Lord that, as the supreme father, He may elect to bestow whatever He considers beneficial for Pṛthu Mahārāja. That is the perfect position of the living entity. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us in His Śikṣāṣṭaka:
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
"O Almighty Lord! I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor have I any desire to enjoy beautiful women, nor do I want any number of followers. I only want Your causeless devotional service in my life, birth after birth."
The conclusion is that the pure devotee should not aspire after any material benefit from devotional service, nor should he be enamored by fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. He should always be engaged favorably in the service of the Lord. That is the highest perfection of life.
Before us there are varieties of living entities, and everyone is entangled in transmigrations and activities. Our duty is simply to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and let Him take charge, for He knows what is good for us.
Pṛthu Mahārāja therefore tells the Lord that, as the supreme father, He may elect to bestow whatever He considers beneficial for Pṛthu Mahārāja. That is the perfect position of the living entity. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us in His Śikṣāṣṭaka:
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
"O Almighty Lord! I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor have I any desire to enjoy beautiful women, nor do I want any number of followers. I only want Your causeless devotional service in my life, birth after birth."
The conclusion is that the pure devotee should not aspire after any material benefit from devotional service, nor should he be enamored by fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. He should always be engaged favorably in the service of the Lord. That is the highest perfection of life.
Before us there are varieties of living entities, and everyone is entangled in transmigrations and activities. Our duty is simply to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and let Him take charge, for He knows what is good for us.
Pṛthu Mahārāja therefore tells the Lord that, as the supreme father, He may elect to bestow whatever He considers beneficial for Pṛthu Mahārāja. That is the perfect position of the living entity. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us in His Śikṣāṣṭaka:
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
"O Almighty Lord! I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor have I any desire to enjoy beautiful women, nor do I want any number of followers. I only want Your causeless devotional service in my life, birth after birth."
The conclusion is that the pure devotee should not aspire after any material benefit from devotional service, nor should he be enamored by fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. He should always be engaged favorably in the service of the Lord. That is the highest perfection of life.
SB Canto 5
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has given us a very fine purport in this regard. Whenever one offers a prayer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one always requests some benediction from Him. Even pure (niṣkāma) devotees pray for some benediction, as instructed by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His Śikṣāṣṭaka:
- ayi nanda-tanuja kiṅkaraṁ
- patitaṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau
- kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-
- sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya
(Cc. Antya 20.32, Śikṣāṣṭaka 5)
"O son of Mahārāja Nanda (Kṛṣṇa), I am Your eternal servitor, yet somehow or other I have fallen into the ocean of birth and death. Please pick Me up from the ocean of death and place Me as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet." In another prayer Lord Caitanya says, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi: (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "Life after life, kindly let Me have unalloyed love and devotion at Your Lordship's lotus feet." When Prahlāda Mahārāja chants oṁ namo bhagavate narasiṁhāya, he prays for a benediction from the Lord, but because he is also an exalted Vaiṣṇava, he wants nothing for his personal sense gratification. The first desire expressed in his prayer is svasty astu viśvasya: "Let there be good fortune throughout the entire universe." Prahlāda Mahārāja thus requested the Lord to be merciful to everyone, including his father, a most envious person.
SB Canto 6
Although I am King of the demigods, who are situated in the mode of goodness, I was proud of a little opulence and polluted by false ego. Under the circumstances, who in this world would accept such riches at the risk of falling down ? Alas! I condemn my wealth and opulence.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu prayed to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye: (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "O my Lord, I do not aspire for material opulence or wealth, nor do I want a great number of followers to accept me as their leader, nor do I want a very beautiful wife to please me." Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi: "I do not even want liberation. All I want, life after life, is to be a faithful servant of Your Lordship." According to the laws of nature, when one is extremely opulent one becomes degraded, and this is true both individually and collectively. The demigods are situated in the mode of goodness, but sometimes even one who is situated in such an exalted position as King Indra, the king of all the demigods, falls down because of material opulence. We are now actually seeing this in America. The entire American nation has tried to advance in material opulence without striving to produce ideal human beings. The result is that Americans are now regretting the wholesale criminality of American society and are wondering how America has become so lawless and unmanageable. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.5.31), na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum: persons who are unenlightened do not know the aim of life, which is to return home, back to Godhead. Therefore, both individually and collectively, they try to enjoy so-called material comforts, and they become addicted to wine and women. The men produced in such a society are less than fourth class. They are the unwanted population known as varṇa-saṅkara, and as stated in Bhagavad-gītā, an increase of varṇa-saṅkara population creates a hellish society. This is the society in which Americans now find themselves.
An intelligent man will never aspire to become a devotee to achieve material happiness. That is the test of a devotee. As Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches:
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
"O almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor do I desire beautiful women, nor do I want any number of followers. I only want Your causeless devotional service birth after birth." A pure devotee never begs the Lord for material happiness in the shape of riches, followers, a good wife or even mukti. The Lord promises, however, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham: (BG 9.22) "I voluntarily bring everything necessary for My service."
SB Canto 7
The pure souls are eternally in love with Kṛṣṇa, and this permanent love, either as a servant, a friend, a parent or a conjugal lover, is not at all difficult to revive. Especially in this age, the concession is that simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra (harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21)) one revives his original relationship with God and thus becomes so happy that he does not want anything material. As enunciated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). A very advanced devotee in Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not want riches, followers or possessions. Rāyaḥ kalatraṁ paśavaḥ sutādayo gṛhā mahī kuñjara-kośa-bhūtayaḥ. The satisfaction of possessing material opulences, although perhaps of a different standard, is available even in the lives of dogs and hogs, who cannot revive their eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. In human life, however, our eternal, dormant relationship with Kṛṣṇa is possible to revive. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja has described this life as arthadam. Consequently, instead of wasting our time for economic development, which cannot give us any happiness, if we simply try to revive our eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa, we will properly utilize our lives.
Pure devotees like Prahlāda Mahārāja and Dhruva Mahārāja do not aspire for any material benefit at any stage of devotional service. When the Lord was present before Dhruva Mahārāja, Dhruva did not want to take any material benefit from the Lord: svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42). As a pure devotee, he could not ask the Lord for any material benefit. In this regard, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed us:
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
"O my Lord, Jagadīśa, I do not pray for benedictions by which to achieve material wealth, popularity or beauty. My only desire is to serve You. Kindly engage me in the service of the servant of Your servant."
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us how to pray for benedictions from the Lord. He said:
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
"O my Lord, I do not want from You any amount of wealth, nor many followers, nor a beautiful wife, for these are all materialistic desires. But if I have to ask You for any benediction, I pray that in whatever forms of life I may take my birth, under any circumstances, I will not be bereft of Your transcendental devotional service." Devotees are always on the positive platform, in contrast to the Māyāvādīs, who want to make everything impersonal or void. One cannot remain void (śūnyavādī); rather, one must possess something. Therefore, the devotee, on the positive side, wants to possess something, and this possession is very nicely described by Prahlāda Mahārāja, who says, "If I must take some benediction from You, I pray that within the core of my heart there may be no material desires." The desire to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not at all material.
As long as one's lusty desires are unfulfilled, one must take birth after birth to fulfill them. Because of material desires, therefore, one performs various types of activities and receives various types of bodies with which to try to fulfill desires that are never satisfied. The only remedy is to take to devotional service, which begins when one is free from all material desires. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11). Anya-abhilāṣitā means "material desire," and śūnyam means "free from." The spiritual soul has spiritual activities and spiritual desires, as described by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Unalloyed devotion to the service of the Lord is the only spiritual desire. To fulfill this spiritual desire, however, one must be free from all material desires. Desirelessness means freedom from material desires. This is described by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī as Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11). As soon as one has material desires, one loses his spiritual identity. Then all the paraphernalia of one's life, including one's senses, body, religion, patience and intelligence, are deviated from one's original Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As soon as one has material desires, one cannot properly use his senses, intelligence, mind and so on for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
SB Canto 9
A devotee is always transcendentally situated. paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate: (BG 2.59) one who has seen the Supreme Personality of Godhead is no longer interested in material sense enjoyment. Even such an exalted devotee as Dhruva Mahārāja went to the forest for the sake of material benefit, but when he actually saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he refused to accept any material benediction. He said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: (CC Madhya 22.42) "My dear Lord, I am fully satisfied with whatever You have given me or not given me. I have nothing to ask from You, for I am fully satisfied to be engaged in Your service." This is the mentality of a pure devotee, who does not want anything, material or spiritual, from the Personality of Godhead. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is therefore called kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛta-saṅgha, the association of persons who are simply satisfied in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa. Being absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa is neither expensive nor troublesome. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru: (BG 18.65) "Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, offer obeisances and worship Me." (BG 9.34) Anyone can always think of Kṛṣṇa, without difficulties or obstacles. This is called kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛta. One who is absorbed in kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛta has no material benefits to ask from Kṛṣṇa. Instead, such a person prays to the Lord for the benediction of being able to spread His glories all over the world. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). A Kṛṣṇa conscious person does not even want to stop his cycle of birth and death. He simply prays, "I may take birth as You like, but my only prayer is that I may be engaged in Your service."
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said:
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukyī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
"O Lord of the universe, I do not desire material wealth, materialistic followers, a beautiful wife or fruitive activities described in flowery language. All I want, life after life, is unmotivated devotional service to You." (Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) By saying "life after life" (janmani janmani), the Lord referred not to an ordinary birth but a birth in which to remember the lotus feet of the Lord. Such a body is desirable. A devotee does not think like yogīs and jñānīs, who want to refuse a material body and become one with the impersonal Brahman effulgence. A devotee does not like this idea. On the contrary, he will accept any body, material or spiritual, for he wants to serve the Lord. This is real liberation.
For a devotee there is no pain, pleasure or material perfection. One may argue that at the time of death a devotee also suffers because of giving up his material body. But in this connection the example may be given that a cat carries a mouse in its mouth and also carries a kitten in its mouth. Both the mouse and the kitten are carried in the same mouth, but the perception of the mouse is different from that of the kitten. When a devotee gives up his body (tyaktvā deham), he is ready to go back home, back to Godhead. Thus his perception is certainly different from that of a person being taken away by Yamarāja for punishment. A person whose intelligence is always concentrated upon the service of the Lord is unafraid of accepting a material body, whereas a nondevotee, having no engagement in the service of the Lord, is very much afraid of accepting a material body or giving up his present one. Therefore, we should follow the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu: mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). It doesn't matter whether we accept a material body or a spiritual body; our only ambition should be to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13
How bhakti-yoga can be practiced is explained in this verse. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has said that anyone who has dedicated his life to the service of the Lord (īhā yasya harer dāsye) by his activities, his mind and his words (karmaṇā manasā girā) may stay in any condition of life (nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu) and yet is no longer actually conditioned but is liberated (jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate). Even though such a devotee is in a material body, he has nothing to do with this body, for he is transcendentally situated. Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati: because a devotee is engaged in transcendental activities, he is not afraid of being materially embodied. (SB 6.17.28) Illustrating this liberated position, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu prayed, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi: (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "All I want is Your causeless devotional service in My life, birth after birth." Even if a devotee, by the supreme will of the Lord, takes birth in this material world, he continues his devotional service. When King Bharata made a mistake and in his next life became a deer, his devotional service did not stop, although some slight chastisement was given to him because of his negligence. Nārada Muni says that even if one falls from the platform of devotional service, he is not lost, whereas nondevotees are lost entirely because they are not engaged in service.
If one wants to go back home, back to Godhead, one must be niṣkiñcana, free from all material desires. Therefore, instead of desiring to have the Lord come here and become one's son, one should desire to become free from all material desires (anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11)) and go back home, back to Godhead. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us in His Śikṣāṣṭaka:
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
"O almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor do I desire beautiful women, nor do I want any number of followers. I only want Your causeless devotional service, birth after birth." One should not ask the Lord to fulfill any materially tainted desires.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Antya-lila
“"O Lord of the universe, I do not desire material wealth, materialistic followers, a beautiful wife or fruitive activities described in flowery language. All I want, life after life, is unmotivated devotional service to You."
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Although I am Your servant, some way or other, I have forgot. I have fallen down." Then ayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ māṁ viṣame bhava, kṛpayā: "Now I am seeking Your mercy." Kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya: "Now take me again. Pick me, and make me the one particle of dust of Your lotus feet." This should be our prayer, no other prayer. No other prayer. Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not teach any other. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). People generally pray for material benefits: "O God, give us our daily bread. Give me nice position. Give me nice wife, nice following or this or victory," so on, so on, so on, simply for material enjoyment. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that if we pray to God for all these nonsense things, it is just like a man goes to a king and the king says, "Whatever you want you can ask from me," and if the man says, "Kindly give me a pinch of ashes." It is like that. If we ask from God for some material benefit, it means that I am asking from a king a pinch of ashes. When king says that "You ask whatever you want," he can say, "So give me half the kingdom." That should be the prayer. And why a pinch of ash? Similarly, it is our foolishness. When we ask for bread, "O God, give us our daily bread," that means I am asking. The bread is already there. Why for you? For everyone, for all living entities, the bread is already there given by God.
Whatever we want—ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11)—Kṛṣṇa will give you. To take something from Kṛṣṇa... Just like the Christians pray, "O God, give us our daily bread." So is it very difficult task for Kṛṣṇa to give our dai...? He's giving already. He's giving daily bread to everyone. So this is not the mode of prayer. Their mode of prayer... As Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is prayer. We haven't got to ask anything. Kṛṣṇa, God, has made ample arrangement for our maintenance. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). But it is restricted by nature when we are sinful. We become atheists. We become demons. Then the supply is restricted. Then we cry for: "Oh, there is no rain. There is no this, no..." That is nature's restriction. But from God's arrangement, there is sufficient food for everyone. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He supplying everyone.
Bhakti means... When you are advanced in bhakti... Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt. That is the test. The example is... Just like when you are hungry, you are given some food, you are eating voraciously. But when you are satisfied, you'll say, "No more. No more." Similarly, when you get Kṛṣṇa, then you will say, "No more. No more material necessities."
Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, the point of realization: na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). He says, "I don't want these material riches, dhanam." Everyone is after money. "Money, money, money." But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanam, "I don't want money." Na dhanaṁ na janam. "Don't want followers." Everyone wants to become leader and some followers. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "What is the use of becoming leader of these fools?" Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā. Everyone wants very beautiful, obedient wife. He says, "That also I don't want." Then what do You want? Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). It is so pleasure, it is so great a pleasure that if you come to this bhakti platform, if you realize little, then you'll forget all these things.
Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42).
There are many devotees of the demigods. Not devotees. Devotion is only applied in connection with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The demigod worship, they are not devotee, but they are interested to get the reward from the demigod. Otherwise they are not interested.
But bhakti is not like that. The bhaktas, they are not after any reward from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is difference between bhakti and other demigod worship. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is teaching us bhakti. He says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye: "My Lord, I do not wish to ask from You opulence, riches, nice wife or many followers." These are material opulences. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "I do not want all these things."
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
That is the desire of devotee. He doesn't want even liberation. Janmani janmani. He wants to serve the lotus feet of the Lord birth after birth. That is his aspiration.
Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Materialistic persons, they, what they want? They want dhanam, riches, wealth, and many men to control. Someone wants big factory, someone wants to become political leader, follower, many followers, and so on, so on. Janam. So these are material desires. Dhanam, means money, and janam, means followers, either family or followers or leader, like that. Dhanaṁ janam... Na dhanaṁ na janam... Another is sundarī, wife, very beautiful wife. This is karmajā. Karmīs, they want these three things: money, and many men upon whom he can command... (Hindi:) Kukumb, kukumb dena wala. (?) So, and very nice wife, quality wife.
So Mahā..., Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No, no, I don't want these." This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "No, I don't want." Then mukti? Take mukti. "No, no, that also I don't want." This is bhakti. Bhakti means he does not want anything. Wanting means dharma karma... What is called? Dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41). Dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa.
So Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya: (BG 4.9) "After leaving this body, no more birth in this miserable world. He comes unto Me." We should stick to that point. And that will make us successful in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Anything, any more questions? (break) ...very ideal prayer to follow. What to ask from Kṛṣṇa? That is the goal of every living being. What is that? He says,
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
Lord Caitanya prays, "My Lord, Jagadīśvara..." Jagadīśvara means the Lord of the Universe. "I pray unto You. I don't want any wealthy condition. I don't want any wealth." Na dhanam. Dhanam means wealth. Na janam. "I don't want any number of followers." Here, in this material existence, we aspire after money, after followers and after woman. That is... These are our desires. And Lord Caitanya says that, "I don't want wealth. I don't want any number of followers, neither I want any beautiful wife." Then what is the use of your coming to God? Oh, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "I simply pray that birth af... I do not think that in this very birth I will be liberated. Even there is my birth, I don't mind. But let me have Your unconditional service. That's all."
Devotee: "Actually they are self-interested because their goal is to become one with the impersonal Brahman."
Prabhupāda: Yes. There is demand. The impersonalists, they have got one demand, that to become one with the supreme impersonal being. But a devotee has no demand. He simply engages himself to serve Kṛṣṇa for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. They do not want anything in return. That is pure devotion. Just like Lord Caitanya said, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye: (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "I do not want any wealth, I do not want any number of followers, I do not want any nice wife. Simply let me be engaged in Your service." That's all. That is the bhakti-yoga system. When Prahlāda Mahārāja was asked by Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva, "My dear boy, you have suffered for me so much, so whatever you want, you ask for it." So he refused. "My dear master, I am not doing mercantile business with you, that I will take some remuneration from you for my service." This is pure devotion. So yogis or the jñānīs, they are demanding that they should become one with the Supreme. Why one with the Supreme? Because they have got bitter experience by the separation of material pangs. But a devotee has no such thing. The devotee remains, although separate from the Lord, he is fully enjoying in the service of the Lord. Go on.
Prabhupāda: Bhaja, yes. Bhaja means just be engaged in His service. That is, worship automatically comes there. When you are engaged in service, the worshipment is already there.
Devotee: And the motive for worshiping Him is for direction in devotional service?
Prabhupāda: Yes. That should be the only motive. Our motives with Kṛṣṇa, Lord Caitanya has taught us, that when you pray, you should not pray for anything material. Lord Caitanya prays to the Lord in this way: na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "My dear Lord," jagad-īśa. Jagat means the universe and īśa means controller. So the controller of the universe, jagad-īśa. Instead of saying Kṛṣṇa or Rāma, this can be understood by any layman. That because there must be somebody controller, he is jagad-īśa. The controller of the whole universe. So He's saying, "My dear controller of the universe," or the Lord. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ na kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye. "I do not pray from You any amount of wealth or any number of followers or any nice beautiful woman." These are material claims. People generally want to become a very great leader within this material world. Somebody is trying to become a very rich man like Ford or Rockefeller, somebody is trying to become the President, somebody is trying to become such thing and such thing, to become a very good leader so that many thousands of people may follow. So these are material demands. "Give me some money, give me some followers, and give me a nice wife," that's all. But Lord Caitanya refuses. He says "I don't want all these things." Na janaṁ na dhanam. Dhanam means wealth and janam means followers. Na sundarīṁ kavitām, "or beautiful wife." Then what for you are worshiping? What for you are becoming devotee? He says mama janmani janmanīśvare (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). He's not asking for even liberation. Because the yogis, they want liberation, they have got demand. The materialists, they also have got demand, "I want this, I want that, I want that." So the so-called spiritualists, they also demand liberation. That is also demand. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "I don't want anything of this nature. Simply I want to be engaged in your service." Janmani janmani—birth after birth. That means, he does not say also, that "Stop my this, disease of birth and death." This is the stage of bhakti-yoga. There is no demand. Simply the only prayer is that You engage me in your service.
Devotee: Prabhupāda? Before this question was asked you were talking about the ślokas that Lord Caitanya left for us. I can't understand, on one hand he says that we don't want to be delivered from this material ocean, we just want to serve. Then in one of the other ślokas he pleads with Kṛṣṇa to deliver him from this ocean of death and fix him up as one of the atoms of His lotus feet. This seems to be a contradiction to me, I can't...
Prabhupāda: What is that contradiction. Please explain.
Devotee: Well, it seems like, you explained before that we shouldn't try to pray to be delivered from this material ocean. We should just try to serve Kṛṣṇa wherever we are. ...delivered from the ocean of death. Seems to be a plea to take him out of this material ocean.
Prabhupāda: Na dhanaṁ na janam, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī. Let me be situated in Your service. This is the prayer. And another prayer is:
- ayi nanda-tanuja kiṅkaraṁ
- patitaṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau
- kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-
- sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya.
(Cc. Antya 20.32, Śikṣāṣṭaka 5)
Another, that "You simply fix me up as a dust on Your lotus feet." So in one śloka he says, "You fix me up as the dust of Your lotus," What is the difference? There is no difference.
So Caitanya-caritāmṛta says that the material bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī, they cannot be happy. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. They cannot be. The karmīs, they are trying to be materially happy in this world, in this life, in the next life. No. Any life. You can change your life in so many times, but you'll never be happy, because you are aśānta, you want something. You want some benefit, material benefit. Or spiritual benefit. Spiritual benefit. To merge into the Supreme, that is spiritual benefit. And material benefit, to get some material profits within this world, this life or next life. So that is bhukti. Bhukti and mukti. And merging into the spiritual effulgence, brahma-jyotir, that is also aśānta, because after all, he is wanting something. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī. He wants something. To merge. And the yogis, they are plainly wanting some siddhis. So they, every one of them are wanting, in need. Therefore they are aśānta. They cannot be śānta. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma (CC Madhya 19.149). Kṛṣṇa-bhakta does not want anything. He does not want anything. He want to serve to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's... Janmani janmani: "Ah, it doesn't matter. I take my birth, one after another. It doesn't matter. But I want simply to be engaged in Your service. That's all." This is niṣkāma. Janmani janmani means not even mukti. To stop repetition of birth, a devotee does not want even that. The jñānīs, they want stopping this repetition of birth, but bhakta, they do not want even stopping this.
Now, here Lord Kṛṣṇa does not advise you... That is a suicidal policy. That policy is neither recommended by Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the Bhagavad-gītā, neither the Vaiṣṇava philosophers, they accept it, to merge. They don't wish to close their individuality. They...Lord Caitanya, the stalwart amongst the Vaiṣṇava philosophers, He said that, He prayed that
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
The pure Vaiṣṇava, unadulterated devotee of the Lord, they do not want even liberation. They don't want. They don't care for liberation also. What they want? Just like in this prayer, Lord Caitanya says, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir
ahaitukī: "I may remain Your pure devotee birth after birth." That means, when there is birth after birth, there is no liberation. So He doesn't expect even liberation. When you are liberated, there is no birth. Either you remain in the spiritual planet or you merge into the existence of the Supreme, there is no more birth in this material world. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu prays that "Birth after birth."
Anyone who is nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa, he does not fear whether he is going to hell or heaven. Because wherever he goes he is with Nārāyaṇa, he is safe. It doesn't matter whether it is hell or heaven. That is offered by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His prayer,
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
The idea is that a bhakta does not require any material happiness or distress. He does not require any monistic proposition to merge into the existence of the Supreme. And neither he desires any jugglery of aṣṭa-siddhi yoga. So in order to become devatā, not to become asura... Asuras are always against Kṛṣṇa. There are many examples like Rāvaṇa, and Hiraṇyakaśipu, Kaṁsa. There are many. So we should remember that devatā means who is fully surrendered to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. So there are many symptoms of the asuras. They are all described in the Sixteenth Chapter. It requires a long time to discuss. It is not possible to discuss all the symptoms. But one of the most important symptom of the asura is here described, asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te jagad āhur anīśvaram (BG 16.8). Their main proposal is that there is no creator God.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. These are the bhakti path. The demon is thinking, "I have got so much money. I have got so many friends, and so many relatives, so many family members." Caitanya Mahāprabhu is denying that na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4), just the opposite: "I don't want any material friends or followers, neither I want money. Simply I want to serve You. Simply I want to serve You." So in these three verses everything is... Word meanings are there. So these are the demonic propensities, and the very thing can be changed into devotional service, and then we become devotee or demigod. So I am going tomorrow. So here you shall try to become devotee, not to think like demons. That will not help us. Then āśā-pāśa-śatair baddhāḥ. We'll remain bound up in material bondage. You cannot stop desires. That is not possible, but purify the desire. Purify the desire. Purify desire means that the same hopes, hope against hope, just to improve your position as devotee... That will help you to make your life successful.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
This is bhakti-mārga, means simply to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti-mārga, no other desire, no other motive. So that is recommended by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He says,
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
This is the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We are following Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and therefore His instruction should be followed. What is it? Na dhanam: "I don't want any wealth, material wealth," na dhanam. Na janam: "I don't want any so-called followers." Na sundarīṁ kavitām: "Neither I want a very beautiful wife." "Then what do You want? These are the material things everyone wants." No, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktiḥ: (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "Even I don't want liberation." Liberation means there is no more janma. But He said, janmani janmani: "Life after life, I want to be engaged in Your devotional service." This is real characteristic, and that should be followed. So this is the essence of Vedic knowledge. The essence of Vedic knowledge is Vedānta, Vedānta. There are four Vedas and many branches, eighteen Purāṇas and then 108 Upaniṣad. All combined together, the essence is taken as the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. First of all, Vyāsadeva... Vyāsadeva is the author of all these literatures. Not author, he has written. Formerly there was no need of writing because people were very intelligent. As soon as one hears from the spiritual master, he remembers.
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you will find no other topics except to establish the original relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and therefore it is first class. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje ahaitukī (SB 1.2.6), without any... In the material field... What can be done? Some way or other, although it is..., in the Bible it is said... They go to church for asking bread. But that is not paro dharmaḥ, because there is hetu, some cause. But this cause... Similarly in the Muhammadan religion also, just to be promoted to the heavenly kingdom more. No. That is not first class. First class means ahaitukī, without any cause. Not that "I shall go to church, I shall go to mosque, I shall go to temple for asking something from God." That is not first class. That is good in this sense, that these rascals have at least come to pray to God. So much it is. But such kind of prayer does not make the first-class religion. The prayer, as offered by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye: (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "My dear Lord, I do not want any amount of money," na dhanam, "or any number of disciples or followers," na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sun..., "neither any beautiful wife."
So, so many so-called incarnation of God, they come for money, for beautiful wife, and many followers. So that is not wanted. That is not religion. Religion means without wanting all these things. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. Not for any material... Ahaituky apratihatā. "Oh, I am a poor man, I cannot love God. I cannot enhance my devotional service." No. Devotional service is so nice, apratihatā, it cannot be checked by any material condition. That is dharma. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). This is re... This is test how much I am religious, how much I am devotee. This is the test.
So we should be always alert to test our advancement, how we are making advancement. Because unless we become first-class devotee, there is no question of our being relieved from this material condition of life. That is not possible. That is not possible. Ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati.
Śaṅkarācārya means nirbheda-brahmānusandhana, to become one with the Absolute Truth. This is Śaṅkara's philosophy. "When we are liberated, there is no more distinction between the Absolute and myself. I'll be, both of us, we become one, merge." This is the Māyāvāda philosophy. But Caitanya philosophy's different.
Caitanya philosophy is stated by Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His Śikṣāṣṭaka:
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janam. Dhanam, riches; janam means men, manpower; na kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. Kavitām, nice wife. So this means that it is not karma and jñāna. In the next line He says, mama janmani janmani. Jñānīs' process is to stop birth and merge into the existence of the Absolute Truth. So for jñānīs, there is no question of janma. "Finish this." Of course, the bhaktas, they also do not take birth again. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). But they get their birth in the spiritual world. But the jñānīs, they finish their any kind of birth, either material or spiritual. That is the difference.
This is the position of bhakta. And that is the teaching of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye: (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "My dear Lord Jagadīśa, I don't want these things." Why? Na dhanam: "I don't want riches." Na dhanaṁ na janam. "Not many followers." Because materially everyone wants this. He wants money, he wants to become leader, he will..., many thousands of people will follow him, janam. And sundarīṁ kavitām, very beautiful wife. These are the material wants. So Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāpra bhu, He said, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye: "I don't want all these things." This is called niṣkāma. Kāma means those who are wanting all these things. And niṣkāma means those one who does not want all these things. How one can avoid these? Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). If one becomes perfect, unalloyed devotee, he doesn't want all these things. Therefore he is svāmī. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma ataeva śānta (CC Madhya 19.149). Others, they are wanting something.
So anyone who is trying to utilize fully the advantage of this human form of life, being desire, desirous of becoming liberated from these material clutches and acts accordingly, he's a brāhmaṇa. Mumukṣavaḥ. Others, who are not brāhmaṇas, those who are influenced by the material ignorance and passion, rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ, their business is how to get money, how to get beautiful woman, and how to have many followers. Caitanya Mahāprabhu denies this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "My dear Lord, Jagadīśa, I don't want riches," dhanam, na janam, "neither good," I mean to say, "progeny or followers," na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāma... Sundarīṁ kavitām, "very poetic, beautiful wife." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. "I don't want all these things." Just see. This is the difference between sattva-guṇa and rajo-guṇa. Rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ, those who are influenced by the passion and ignorance, their desire is śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ. Śrī. Śrī means beauty. Śriyaiśvarya, opulence, śriyaiśvarya. And prajā, good progeny. That nāti. Nāti.
So this is the desires of the persons who are influenced by passion and ignorance. And one who is influenced by the sattva-guṇa, goodness, he denies. Especially on the platform where devotional service. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu denies: na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Then what do you want? Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. "My dear Lord, I want life after life..." Not He... He doesn't want even mukti. Otherwise, if one is liberated, then, according to Bhagavad-gītā and every Vedic śāstra, punar janma naiti tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). That is mukti. The mukti means to go out of this ignorance of the darkness of this material world. But Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He says, mama janmani janmani. He doesn't want to stop even punar janma. Kṛṣṇa says mukti means no more birth, no more accepting this material body, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, janmani janmani janmani, "life after life." That means a devotee, who is actually pure devotee, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), no other desire than to serve Kṛṣṇa, he doesn't want even mukti. Diyamānāṁ na gṛṇanti.(?) Diyamānāṁ na gṛ... Mukti, if it is offered to a devotee, he doesn't care for it; he doesn't want it. He doesn't want anything. He simply wants how to be a faithful servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He doesn't want anything.
That is the recommendation. Akāma. Akāma means bhakta. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu is saying: na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "We don't want." He's called akāma, no desire. Akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā (SB 2.3.10). Sarva-kāma means this: śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ. Dhanaṁ dehi rūpaṁ dehi yaśo dehi balaṁ dehi dehi dehi dehi dehi dehi. They are sarva-kāma. Akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā (SB 2.3.10). And another, mokṣa-kāma. So mokṣa-kāma and sarva-kāma or, what is called, the yogis, siddhi-kāma. They are also siddhi-kāma. Some of them are mokṣa-kāma; some of them are sarva-kāma; some of them are siddhi-kāma—all of them are kāmīs, lusty. The yogis, the karmīs and the jñānīs—all of them—they are kāmīs. Means they want something. Only the devotee, he doesn't want anything—except Kṛṣṇa. He doesn't want Kṛṣṇa also. He simply wants to serve Kṛṣṇa.
So Nārada will give the hint what is the final puruṣārtha. That final puruṣārtha is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Not that even if we become liberated, if we merge into the existence of the Absolute, oh, that is also not final. Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you'll find in the beginning that dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo' tra (SB 1.1.2). These four principles of our interest, means dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa, projjhita, they are thrown away from this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And the great commenter, commentator, I mean to say, Śrīdhara Svāmī, he says that dharmaḥ projjhita-dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa atra mokṣa-visandhir(?) api parityaktaḥ. One should not aspire even for liberation. That is the position of a devotee.
Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). These are dharma-artha. Anyone wants... Everyone wants money, everyone wants good wife, good family, good comfortable life. Caitanya Mahāprabhu denies, that "I don't want all these things." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. Then that is... (break)
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you should study very scrutinizingly, critically. And there is explanation of great, I mean, stalwart devotees. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there are eight kinds of commentary. In Bhagavad-gītā... They are authorized. They are not ordinary commentaries. Ordinary commentary, there may be many. Similarly, Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā there are nine kinds of commentary. So Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā or Bhāgavata, they are themselves illuminating. Just like sunlight—there is no need of a lamp to see the sunlight. Similarly, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Bhagavad-gītā, they are self-illuminating. Simply word to word if you try to understand, then you'll get enlightenment. Still, there are ācāryas who can help you.
The gṛhasthas, they are ārta, distressed. So if he's pious, so in his distressed condition he approaches the Supreme Personality of Godhead, "My Lord, I am very much distressed. Kindly give me Your favor." "Give me." There is "give me." And jijñāsuḥ, jñānī, they do not want anything "Give me," but jijñāsuḥ: "Actually, what is God? What is the Absolute Truth?" That is the difference. One is going to God for asking something, and jijñāsuḥ, jñānī, is eulogized because they do not ask anything. To ask anything from God is not higher standard of bhakti. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is pure devotion. People generally go to Kṛṣṇa, God, "O God, give us our daily bread." This is not bhakti, but it is piety because he goes to God. Therefore sukṛtina. He's not the sinful man. He's pious man. At least, he has approached God. And those who are sinful, they do not approach even. They do not go even in the temple to ask something. They say, "What is this nonsense? We don't require. We shall work hard." Nowadays it is going on. "Why you go to temple? Why you give credit to God for your success? You work hard..." There is a philosophy, karma-mīmāṁsā. It is like that. "You work hard and you get the profit. Why you should give credit to God?" This is going on. They are duṣkṛtina. They do not know that without God's mercy you cannot get anything. Otherwise, simply by working hard, anyone could become a big man? No. That is not possible. Without Kṛṣṇa's desire, without sanction, it cannot be done. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Everyone is under the obligation of nature and karma. One cannot surpass. There are many instances in the śāstras.
It is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā: sa sannyāsī ca yogī ca. Anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ (BG 6.1). One who is working, anāśritaḥ karma-phalam, without any desire to enjoy the fruits of his activity. These sannyāsīs, they are working for Kṛṣṇa. They have no desire to make any profit out of it. Other sannyāsīs, they are making any profit. They want mukti, mokṣa. But these sannyāsīs, they do not want even mokṣa. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the ideal sannyāsī. He says, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). He never claimed that "I may not have any more birth." Mokṣa means one who hasn't got to take birth of this material body. That is called mokṣa. So a Vaiṣṇava sannyāsī, they do not want even mokṣa. Therefore they have no demand. So that sannyāsī is different from the ordinary sannyāsī. Ordinary sannyāsī, he has demand. He wants mukti. But Vaiṣṇava sannyāsī, either he is in sannyāsī dress or in not sannyāsī dress, simply because his aim and object is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa; therefore he is sannyāsa. Anāśritaḥ karma. He has no shelter of the work that he is doing for Kṛṣṇa. Not that "I shall work in this way, and there will be good result, and I will enjoy it." Other sannyāsīs, they are thinking like that: "I will go austerities and penances severely. I shall go to Himalayas and execute very rigidly all the principles of sannyāsa. But as a result of this, I will get liberated, mukti." Therefore he has got demand.
For a devotee, mukti is not very important. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī says that mukti, kaivalyam, one with the supreme, kaivalyam, kevalam, narakāyate: "What is this? It is as good as the hell." That is the opinion of the bhakta. They don't want mukti. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "I don't want any material wealth," dhanam. Na janam. "I don't want to be leader of hundreds and thousand of people, president or this or that. No." These are material desires. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu is nullifying everything: "No, I don't want this." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitām. "I don't want any beautiful wife also." These are material desires. Everyone wants. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu rejects. Then you want mukti? Because after all, mukti... Dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). Mokṣa means mukti. People are addicted to these four principles. So ultimately, You want mukti? "No. That is also not." Why? Mama janmani janmani. Janma, if one takes birth again, then there is no mukti. Mukti means no more taking birth in this material world. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "I don't want this, don't want this, don't want this." And janmani janmani means "I don't want mukti also." Janmani... If one is mukta, he is liberated, he cannot take birth again. So He says, mama janmani janmani: "Let there be birth after birth, birth after birth. It doesn't matter." Then what You want actually? No. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi: (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "Simply I want to serve You. That's all. It doesn't matter. What shall I do with mukti? I may go to hell; it doesn't matter. But I want to serve You there also."
So for a devotee there is no such distinction: "Here is hell" or "Here is heaven," "Here is Vṛndāvana" or "Here is Los Angeles," "Here is..." No. Because Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Wherever He gets the opportunity of serving Kṛṣṇa, that he wants. That's all. Nothing more. Mama janmani janmanīśvare (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Janmani janmani, it doesn't matter. What kind of janma will be... Of course, from the śāstras we can understand that śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). To take birth by a devotee is different little than another's. Because one who has dedicated to Kṛṣṇa, He is under Kṛṣṇa's control, direct. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). So that bhakti means he is sinless, spotless. So therefore there is no possibility of his taking birth in lower animal group. That is not. He will get birth; that is assured—śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe—either in a very rich family or in a pure brāhmaṇa's family. Because he will get another chance of developing his devotional service in a pure brāhmaṇa family or pure Vaiṣṇava family. Vaiṣṇava is greater than a brāhmaṇa. That is a great opportunity. Because the father, mother, they are engaged in devotional service. Just like these children who were born amongst our devotees, they are not ordinary children. Because from the very beginning they are getting chance of devotional service: dancing, chanting, seeing the Deity, offering a flower, offering obeisances to the spiritual master. These things will not go in vain. Don't think. Every account is kept. Every account.
If I think that "Keeping Kṛṣṇa in front, let me possess some material things," that is another cheating. That is not... Akiñcana. You should be fully conscious, that "Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa and nothing to us." Then Kṛṣṇa becomes your suhṛt. He takes charge, how your benefit will be there, ultimate. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakaṁ dadāmi (BG 10.10). Prīti-pūrvakam. This is very great determination, that "Kṛṣṇa, I simply want You, nothing, anything else. Nothing."
Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught this philosophy repeatedly. Niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajana. Bhagavad-bhajana means He Himself become niṣkiñcana. He was Kṛṣṇa Himself, most opulent. Tyaktvā surepsitaḥ, sudustyaja-surepsita-rājya-lakṣmīm (SB 11.5.34). Caitanya Mahāprabhu had the most beautiful wife, goddess of fortune, Viṣṇu-priyā, Lakṣmī-priyā. But for the benefit of the whole world, although He is Kṛṣṇa, He showed us the example. At the age of twenty-four years, He took sannyāsa. He was not unhappy in His home. He had His very affectionate mother and... (aside:) Some fly... Affectionate mother and most affectionate wife, beloved wife. But still, it is very difficult to renounce the affection of mother and love of wife. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu did it. (aside:) The fly is still disturbing. So tyaktvā sudustyaja. Therefore in the Bhāgavata it is said, sudustyaja, very difficult to give up. Tyaktvā sudustyaja-surepsita-rājya-lakṣmīm (SB 11.5.34). And rājya-lakṣmīm, such nice beautiful wife, desired even by the demigods. Such a nice wife, He gave up.
After being liberated, brahma-bhūtaḥ, then bhakti begins. People misunderstand that by bhakti one gets mukti. No. One who is engaged in bhakti, he is always... He has already got mukti. Muktir mukulitāñjali sevate 'smān. Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura says that if one has attained to the platform of bhakti, then mukti is hankering after his feet: "What can I do for you?" Muktiḥ svayaṁ mukulitāñjali sevate 'smān dharmārtha-kāma-gatayaḥ samaya-pratīkṣāḥ.
So bhakti is above mukti. Therefore a pure devotee does not aspire for mukti. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye, mama janmani janmani. He says, janmani janmani. Janmani, when He says janmani, it is not mukti. Because mukti means you stop your material transmigration from one body to another. That is mukti. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu: mama janmani janmani. A devotee doesn't require mukti. Janmani janmani tvayi bhaktiḥ. If you are situated in the devotional service of the Lord, then you are already mukta. Avyabhicāriṇī.
Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā... (BG 18.54). This is the verdict. So for a devotee mukti is not very big thing. Mukti's already there if he's actually a pure devotee. A pure devotee means just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says. He has no other desire. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīm (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Everyone is desiring in this material world for riches, wealth, dhanam, and janam, good family, high aristocratic family, or good followers, leader, minister. Janam. They are aspiring popular votes. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitām. And next is to have a very beautiful, obedient wife. These are the aspirations of material life. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "I do not want all these things." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīm. This is bhakti life. When one is free from all such material desires, he's fit for executing devotional service. That is mukti.
Recently, Indira Gandhi's party became powerful. So all other men, giving resignation from other party, they took into the party of Indira Gandhi. So it is like that, merging into the existence of the powerful. So the frustrated karmīs, frustrated karmīs, when they do not find any happiness even by becoming the greatest or the topmost person, he wants to become one with God. Therefore it is said, brahma-varcasa-kāmas tu. Brahma-varcasa means effulgence. But it is kāma. That is not akāma. But a devotee is akāma, there is no kāma. He has no personal desires. His desire is only to remain eternal servant of God. That's all. That is his position. That is not desire. That is his actual position. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Kāmaye, this kāma. I no more desire for riches. Karmīs—they want money. Na dhanaṁ na janam, or they want many men to follow. Followers, they create party by political agitation.
So na dhanaṁ na janam. And another desire is to have very nice, beautiful wife. These are the material desires, to have enough money, enough followers, nice wife. "Bas. My life is now fulfilled." But Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, denies all these nonsense. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. "I don't want all these things." So just try to understand the position of Kṛṣṇa conscious person. They have nothing to do with all this nonsense. Then what is our position? Void? Because "No, no, not this, not this, not this." Then it come to zero? No. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). The positive, bhakti. Not zero. We make all this nonsense zero, but we come to the positive fact. The fact is "I am eternal servant of God." So that is fact. I have forgotten now; therefore I am desiring so many things. So come to the fact. Come to the fact. Actually, they are in fact. Just like, what is called outlaws. Outlaws, they say, you don't care for government, but what is the loss of the government by such declaration?
Śānta means peaceful. Who is peaceful? Only kṛṣṇa-bhakta, devotee of Kṛṣṇa. He is peaceful. Others? No. They cannot be peaceful. Why? Now, there is demand. The karmī is wanting to lord it over this material world. The jñānī is wanting to become one with God. The yogi is wanting some wonderful power. So there is wanting. It may be of different category, but there is demand. But akāmaḥ, he has no demand. That's all. He doesn't want anything from Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching is: na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "I don't want. I don't want money, I don't want followers, I don't want nice wife." These things are wanted by the materialists. A devotee simply wants "Give me the chance of serving You."
That's all. Hare Kṛṣṇa. "Hare, Rādhārāṇī; Kṛṣṇa, Lord, You are both present here. Kindly give me the chance to serve You." That's all. This is akāmaḥ. So akāmaḥ, they have no other business, simply to serve Kṛṣṇa. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "My dear Lord, I don't want anything. But give me this facility, that I may be engaged in Your service." That's all. (pause) So Bhāgavata recommends that "Even though you are a fool number one, you are demanding from Kṛṣṇa, sarva-kāmaḥ, or mokṣa-kāmaḥ, still, you worship Kṛṣṇa. Don't go to other demigods." Because... we have seen the list of demigods. If you want... The prescription is there, "If you want this, you worship this deity. If you want this, you worship this deity." But they are all kāma. In the Bhagavad-gītā these kāmīs, these lusty persons, have been condemned. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.20). Hṛta-jñānāḥ, lost of all intelligence. That means rascal. In good language it is hṛta-jñānaḥ, one who has lost his intelligence.
You see? This chance is there. Even with your kāma, desires, you execute devotional service, make connection with the Supreme Lord. A time will come, you'll become akāmaḥ, no more... A time will come. Therefore it is recommended. Not that sarva-kāmaḥ goes to Kṛṣṇa and simply bothers Him, "Give me this, give me this." No. Let him talk like that, "Give me this, give me that." Kṛṣṇa will see to that. But devotional service, if he comes in contact with Kṛṣṇa seriously, then time will come, he will become akāmaḥ. Therefore it is recommended. Not that it is advised that you go to Kṛṣṇa and ask all nonsense from Him. That is not pure devotion. Pure devotion is akāmaḥ. Nothing. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jaga... (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). So it is recommended here only that a devotee, even he's foolish in the beginning, to ask from Kṛṣṇa all material facilities. Still, when he's engaged in devotional... when he comes to the perfectional stage, or when he comes in contact with a pure devotee, he gives up all this nonsense, and as a pure devotee, he simply engages himself without any return, without any profit, in the service of the Lord.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is giving that. What is that? Kṛṣṇa-prema. Simply by loving Kṛṣṇa, you are promoted. This is the greatest gift. The human society is so rascal, they cannot understand what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. The greatest gift to the human society given by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So those who are intelligent, those who have taken to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they should be very serious to execute the, I mean to say, program. Very nice. We should always pray to Kṛṣṇa that "Kṛṣṇa, You have given this chance. Please have Your grace upon me—I may not miss it. By māyā's influence I may not miss it. You have given me so great chance." This should be our business. If you have got to pray anything... Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu prayed,
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
"Simply I may remain a faithful devotee of Your..." That's all, without any reason, without any cause, causeless. This should be our vow. If we, taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if we want to make some material asset, then we are cutting our throat, suicidal. The only prayer should be how to remain a pure devotee. If we remain a pure devotee, there is chance. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Because Kṛṣṇa, He is so kind, at the same time so strict also. Strict. If you have got a pinch of material desire, you cannot go to Vaikuṇṭha. You cannot go. Therefore niṣkiñcanānām. You have to become completely niṣkiñcana, nothing wanted of this material world. That is called tapasya.
Everyone wants some prestigious position, lābha pūjā pratiṣṭhā, some material profit, lābha, and prestigious position so that people will give him salaam, minister, president, and to become very famous, historically very famous. These are material hankerings. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). We don't want. This is animittā bhakti. Nimittā, for some certain reason, if you become a bhakta, then you are not a śuddha-bhakta. You are a viddha(?)-bhakta, a polluted bhakta. Pure bhakti is anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), zero. Material hankerings, anything material, hankering, should be void. The void philosophy, nirvāṇa, that indicates that you should completely finish these material desires. That is Lord Buddha's philosophy, nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa means material desires, to make it void, no more. Lord Buddha said up to that. Because the people who were following him, they were not so expert, advanced; therefore he did not say what is after giving up every desires. Because desireless it cannot be. Desires... People say that "You become desireless. Give up your all desires." That give up all desires means you give up your material desires, because you cannot be desireless. Then you are dead body. But we are eternal living entity.
So desireless is not possible. Desirelessness means you have to purify your desire. Don't desire anything except the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is desirelessness, animittā. Animittā bhaktiḥ siddher garīyasī. If you come to that position... As Caitanya Mahāprabhu, teaching us, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye, mama janmani janmanīśvare... (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). He says, janmani janmani, "birth after birth." That means He does not require even salvation, because salvation means apunar bhava-janma, no more janma, no more birth. No more birth—there are two kinds of more more birth. For the Māyāvādīs, or impersonalists, they want to stop birth, to merge into the existence of the Supreme, brahma-nirvāṇa. Brahma-nirvāṇa... The Buddha philosophy teaches nirvāṇa, devoid of all material desires, that much. He does not give any more. Śaṅkarācārya gives further, more, that brahma-nirvāṇa, that "You become desireless of this material world, but you enter, merge into Brahman." That is called brahma-nirvāṇa. And the Vaiṣṇava philosopher says that "You make null and void all your material desires, enter into Brahman and be engaged in the service of the Lord." This is called bhakti. So brahma-nirvāṇa is also siddhi, but more than that siddhi is to be engaged in the service, Brahman service.
So this Māyāvādī philosophy, to become one with the supreme father, is like that. They are suffering here. Kṛṣṇa has created. Kṛṣṇa created him to enjoy with his company, but he did not like that. He suffered in this material world. Now he's thinking of becoming one with the father. What is this? So this is... Therefore here it is said, naikātmatāṁ me spṛhayanti kecit. No pure devotee will desire like that. It is foolish proposal. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. They are called aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ, whose intelligence is not yet clear or purified. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking, "Now we have become spiritually realized, vimukta, liberated from material bondage." Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Patanty adhaḥ. Now, they are thinking, "Now we are liberated. We have become Nārāyaṇa." Vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking like that. Actually, they are not liberated. That is another, the last snare of māyā, that "You are God." Māyā is still talking that to bewilder him. Māyā's business is to bewilder the living entity. So this is the last snare, that to become one with the Supreme. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-mā...tvayy asta-bhāvāt. Because they have no information that they can go back to home, back to Godhead, and enjoy the company of the Supreme Lord, they think that to become one with the Supreme, that is the highest perfection.
But that is not the perfection. Because our original constitutional position is... Kṛṣṇa, or God, created us to enjoy the company. Just like we are sitting together; we are enjoying. Suppose you had..., none of you would have come here, so what I would have enjoyed alone? So variety is the mother of enjoyment. Therefore real enjoyment is in Kṛṣṇa's company. Therefore a devotee who is actually in knowledge, na ekātmatām. Na ekātmatām. To become one with the Supreme, they never desire. They never desire. They... Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu is saying, mama janmani janmani īśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi: "My dear Lord, I do not want to stop even." Mukti means stopping of this repetition of birth, death. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, mama janmani janmani: "Let Me take birth after birth. It doesn't matter. But let Me be engaged in Your service." That is ānanda.
When Prahlāda Mahārāja was offered benediction that "My dear Prahlāda, you have suffered so much for Me even from your father. Now your enemies are all off. You can ask any benediction you like," Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "Why is this, my dear Lord? Am I a bāniyā, baṇik, that because I have suffered for You, I shall ask some benediction? No, no, don't offer me like that. Because You are the supreme powerful, whatever I want, I can get from You. And I am born in the asura families. I am inclined for this material enjoyment. So don't delude me, my dear Sir. Then I can ask You. And why shall I ask You? Because I have seen my father, so powerful even the demigods were afraid of him, and You have finished all his power within a second. So why shall I ask for these things? Kindly engage me in the service of Your servant. This much I want. I don't want anything."
Therefore a devotee never asks anything material from the Supreme Personality. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught us, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). They are simply satisfied by glorifying the Lord. That is their only satisfaction. If they get the opportunity of glorifying the Lord, as it is said in the previous verse, that sabhājayante mama pauruṣāṇi... Mama pauruṣāṇi, the glorious activities of the Lord. This is the way of bhajana. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). This is the way of bhakti-yoga. Simply glorify this... Your glorification, so much activities... Kṛṣṇa therefore comes to give advantage to the devotees for glorifying Him—because He acts. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). To kill the demons and to give protection to the sādhus, He has to work. From the very beginning of Kṛṣṇa's birth, the enemies are there, demons are there. Kaṁsa advised his constables, "So be very careful. As soon as there is Kṛṣṇa's birth, immediately inform me, and I shall kill Him." He was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, a first-class Kṛṣṇa conscious, always..., but to kill Him.
That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy.
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
Tvayi: "Unto You, let there be my devotion," ahaitukī, "without any motive." Everyone has got some motive. People become dharmika, go to the temples. That's very good. They are pious—to ask something: "O God, give us our daily bread." A bhakta, a pure bhakta, he does not ask anything. Why he should ask? A pure devotee is kept in the hand of Kṛṣṇa. Just like if you keep something very carefully, jewels, in your hand, you are very careful. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa takes care of you, as He says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66), then you are just in the, at the care of... Just like if a big man, a very rich man, if he assures you, "Oh, don't bother, I'll take care of you for everything," just imagine what is your position, if a big man gives you assurance that "I'll take care of you. Don't bother. You haven't got to do anything. I shall take." So when Kṛṣṇa says, the Supreme Lord, who is the proprietor of all opulences... Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ. Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa. Aiśvarya. Six kind of opulence. Kṛṣṇa has got full control over six kind of opulences. All riches. We can say, "I am millionaires. I am proprietor of crores." But I cannot say that "I am the owner of all the banks of the world." That is not possible. But Kṛṣṇa can say. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Not only the banks, but everything which contains the banks, all the planets. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram. So who can be richer than Kṛṣṇa? So if Kṛṣṇa says, "I'll take care of you," then where is the question of poverty?
Either you become karmī, or you become jñānī, or you become yogi, there is no question of śānti. That is not possible. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛacā says that kṛṣṇa-bhakta—niṣkāma, ataeva 'śānta' (CC Madhya 19.149). "A kṛṣṇa-bhakta, a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, a person who is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, he has no such desire." He has no such desire. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says in His prayer, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is the position of devotee. Generally karmīs, they want something from God. They go to temple, they go to church, for begging something: "I am distressed. I have no money. Kindly give me some money." "I am hungry, give me my daily bread." "Give me," something "give me." So this so long we are on the platform of "give me," you will never be happy. You will get it. If you go to God and ask Him, "God, give me my daily bread," so it is not very difficult for God to give you bread. He is giving bread to everyone. Why not to you? He is giving bread to the elephants, He is giving bread to the ants, and what you can eat? That is not very difficult thing. But you should go to God not for begging something but for giving something. That is Vāsudeva stage. Then you will get śānti, when you will go to God not for begging material happiness or material liberation, mukti, bhukti-mukti, and not for any jugglery, magic things, just like yogis show some magic.
So if you want all these things, then you will never get happiness. You will be troubled. Therefore a devotee... Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's standard of devotion: nothing to possess. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. Nothing to possess.
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
Bhakti. Bhakti means our relationship with God is bhakti, giving service. God is great, and we are most insignificant servant of God. Our business is to give service to God. When you come to this stage, then there will be śānti. Otherwise there is no possibility of śānti. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī-sakali 'aśānta,' kṛṣṇa-bhakta—niṣkāma, ataeva 'śānta' (CC Madhya 19.149). Kṛṣṇa-bhakta has no desire. Why he shall desire? He knows, "Kṛṣṇa is there. Whatever I need, He will supply." And Kṛṣṇa said, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham, teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānām: (BG 9.22) "Those who are constantly engaged in My service, I take care how to supply their necessities of life." Then why shall I disbelieve Kṛṣṇa if I am Kṛṣṇa conscious? Let me do my duty as servant of Kṛṣṇa, and whatever necessities are required, He will arrange for them. If you become confident about this thing and completely engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is the stage of śānta. That is the stage of śānta. Completely dependent. Avaśya rakhibe kṛṣṇa viśvāsa pālana. "I surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66), so I give up everything. Even my livelihood, I give up. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān.
Everything is supplied by Kṛṣṇa. Why the devotee should be anxious for varam, for benediction? Kṛṣṇa says, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānām. Those who are constantly engaged in the service of the Lord, all that is required by him, that is carried by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself to supply him. He says, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham. What you have got, He will give protection, and what you have not got, He will supply you—for the devotees. The devotees do not want, but Kṛṣṇa... Just like a child, dependent on the parents. He does not want anything, but the parents are very much anxious, "What my child needs?" The bhakta, devotee, wants how to keep satisfied the Lord, how to keep Him in comfortable position. Just like here the devotees, they are always dressing and giving flower garland and sandalwood pulp and tulasī and cleansing the... Tan-mandira-mārjanādau. What is the idea? That Kṛṣṇa may sit down here very pleasingly. This is bhakta's activity. And Kṛṣṇa's anxiety is "How My devotees will remain without any want." This business is going on, without any difficulty. So the bhaktas, they will not want anything. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4).
Mukti means liberation to get out of this material contamination. That is called mukti, sva-rūpena vyavasthitiḥ. But just like the jñānīs, they want mukti, sāyujya mukti, to become one with the Supreme. So mukti, bhukti, mukti and siddhi. Siddhi means yogic perfection. Aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti, eight kinds of yoga-siddhi. So the yogis, the jñānīs, and the karmis, they want something. They want something. Therefore they are not praśāntā. As soon as, so long you'll want, you... There cannot be peacefulness. There is no question of peacefulness. Caitanya-caritam... Bhukti mukti siddhi kāmi-sakali aśānta, they are not praśāntā. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta-niṣkāma, ataeva 'śānta' (CC Madhya 19.149). Kṛṣṇa bhakta, he does not want anything. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is teaching that.
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
This is called śānti, "I don't want it." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye. This is bhukti. Karmīs, they want. They want many followers, many voters, so that "I can become minister or president."
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No, I don't want many voters." Na janaṁ, na sundarīm kavitām, "Neither very beautiful wife." These are material demands, to get money or wealth, sumptuously, to get good a wife and many followers, many workers. Caitanya Mahāprabhu denies, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye. Then what do you want? Mama janmani janmanīśvare (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4), He doesn't want mukti even. Otherwise how He says janmani, janmani? Mukti means no more janma. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says mama janmani janmani. It doesn't matter. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād ahaitukī bhakti. That's all. Therefore if you want to become praśāntā, fully satisfied... Just like Dhruva Mahārāja, he went to the forest and underwent severe tapasya to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But when he actually saw Him, he said, svamin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: (CC Madhya 22.42) "I don't want any benediction." This is praśāntā, no one disturbing Kṛṣṇa for any personal, material benefits. That is called praśāntā. That is stated here, mahānta. This is mahānta, sama-cittāḥ praśāntā vimanyavaḥ. Vimanyavaḥ, because a devotee has to suffer so many tribulations. That is the history of all devotees. But he's never angry. He's never angry. Then he falls down. Vimanyavaḥ. Just like Lord Jesus Christ. He was being crucified; He still, He was praying, "God, these people they do not know what they are doing." Vimanyavaḥ, never angry. If he becomes angry, then who He'll preach?
We have to become tolerant than the grass on the street and forbearing more than the trees. In this way we have to tolerate whatever is going on in this material world. Tolerate does not mean unnecessarily we shall suffer. As far as possible, let us struggle, but we should not forget our real business. That is human life. Real business is that I am part and parcel of God. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7). Some way or other, I am fallen in this material condition. There is a Bengali poet, he has sung, anādi-karama-phale paḍi, bhavārṇava-jale, tarivāre na dheki upāya. "Somehow or other I am fallen in this material ocean and struggling for existence." Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore prayed... He does not pray for any material benefit. He is teaching us, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye: (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "My Lord, Jagadīśa, I do not want any material happiness or wealth," na dhanaṁ na janam, "or great followers," na sundarīṁ kavitām, "or beautiful wife." These are the demands of the karmīs: "I must have wealth, I must have position, I must have beautiful home, beautiful wife." But Caitanya Mahāprabhu denies. He says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. He does not want even mukti. Because He says next line that mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "Life after life simply let Me remain Your devotee."
Caitanya Mahāprabhu, at least, teaches us. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Dhanam means wealth, and janam means many followers or family members, big family, big factory. There are many businessmen, they are running on big factories and thousands of men are working at his direction. This is also opulence. And to have great amount of money, that is also opulence. Dhanaṁ janam. And another a opulence, to have a very nice wife, beautiful, obedient, very pleasing. So these are material necessities. People generally aspire for these three things: wealth, many followers, and a good wife at home. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanam: "I don't want money." Just the opposite. Everyone wants money. He says, "No, I don't want money." Na dhanaṁ na janam: "I don't want many men to..., as My followers." Just see opposite. Everyone wants. The politicians, the yogis, the swamis, everyone wants, "There may be hundreds and thousands of my followers." But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No, I don't want." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "Neither I want very nice, beautiful, obedient wife." Then what You want? Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī: "Life after life, let me remain a faithful servant of Your Lordship." This is Vaiṣṇava. He doesn't want anything. Why he will want? If he becomes servant of Kṛṣṇa, then what does he want? Suppose if you become servant of a very, very big man, then what is the question of your want? This is intelligence. Any servant of any big man, he is bigger than his master. Because he is given Master is given so many varieties of food. Master takes little, and the balance the servants eat. (laughs) So where is his want? There is no question of want. Just try to become servant of God, and all your necessities will be sufficiently fulfilled. This is intelligence. Just like a rich man's child, does he want anything from father? No, he simply wants father, mother. The father-mother knows what does he want, how he will be happy. That is the duty of the father and mother. Similarly, this is very good intelligence: just to try to become the sincere servant of Kṛṣṇa. All your necessities of life will be sufficiently supplied. There is no question of asking.
Devotee means who does not aspire of anything like this, that "Let me take birth in rich family. Let me possess very good amount of wealth. Let me become beautiful. Let me become very learned." These are material aspirations, but a devotee has no material aspiration. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11)—zero, nothing of the sort.
And what is his aspiration? That is explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitaṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is pure devotion. "I don't want money." Na dhanam. "I don't want any number of men at my order acting." Just like big big factory owner. They are employing four thousand, five thousand men, as master of so many servants... A devotee doesn't want this. He doesn't want any amount of money or any amount of followers. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitam. Very beautiful, attractive wife, sundarīm. This is material aspiration: "Let me have immense amount of money, a very good woman, wife or friend." This is the whole material activities. You'll see. Everyone is after money and women. This is material aspiration. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu is rejecting. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitaṁ vā jagad-īśa. Then what You want? Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "I don't mind where I get my birth. I am not aspiring to get my birth in a very aristocratic way, no." Anywhere. Mama janmani. "I may become a demigod in the heavenly planet or I may a cat, dog, or any insignificant. But I want this, that My devotion to Your lotus feet may not be forgotten." This is desirelessness. Anything beyond the..., we desire, that is material.
So Kṛṣṇa can be offered in any circumstances. Kṛṣṇa can be pleased, provided you want to please Kṛṣṇa, provided you want to serve Kṛṣṇa. There is no question of... That is already explained, that dana jana, riches or learning or respectability, all these things cannot satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wants only your heart—"Kṛṣṇa, You are my eternal master. I am Your eternal servant. Please engage me in Your service."
- na danaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
This is the prayer. A devotee never asks Kṛṣṇa, "You give me money. You give me many followers. You give me nice wife." No. Na danaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye. "Then what you want?" "I want to be engaged in Your service." Not "I want." A devotee never says "I want." "Please, if You like, engage me." That is... This Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra means that. Hare... Hare is the addressing Rādhārāṇī, Hara; from Hara, Hare. And Kṛṣṇa... So "Rādhārāṇī and Kṛṣṇa," Hare Kṛṣṇa, "Please engage me in Your service." Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma...
For offering prayer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you do not require any high qualification. It doesn't matter. You can offer your prayer from any standard of life. Not that you have to become a very learned man, very scholarly man, and you have to present your prayers in a very nicely selected words so that poetry, rhetoric, prosody, everything is there, metaphor. Nothing required. Simply you have to express your feelings.
So what is that real feeling? One must be aware of his position; then one can express his feeling. Feeling should be very sincere and automatic. And what is our position? That has been taught by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us how to pray. He says in His prayer, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Jagadīśa: "O My Lord of the universe." Jagat-īśa. Jagat means universe and īśa means Lord. So it does not matter whether you are Hindu or Muslim or Christian or anyone. It does not matter. But you must know that there is a supreme controller of this universe. How can you deny it? Therefore this word has been used very nicely by Caitanya Mahāprabhu: Jagadīśa. Jaya jagadīśa hare. It is universal. Now if you think that "My father is jagadīśa," that is your conviction, but jagadīśa is meaning the Supreme—no controller there. Everyone is controlled. As soon as you see that somebody is controlled, he cannot be the Supreme.
So here Prahlāda Mahārāja says, īśvarasya mahi gṛṇāmi: "I shall glorify the Lord." "Oh, you are a child, sir. You are five years old. How you can glorify?" Yathā manīṣam! "It doesn't matter I am child! Whatever I have got, I shall express my feelings, 'O God, O Lord, oh, You have..., You are so great.' " That's all right. How you can describe or understand His glories? That is not possible. He's unlimited. But whatever limitation you have got, if you express feelingly, "My God, My Lord," that will be accepted. That will be accepted. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore teaches us how to pray. This prayer is na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundariṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Everyone is praying to God with some interest. That is also good. If you go and pray to God, "Give me some money" or "Give me some relief," "Give me a nice house, nice wife, nice foodstuff," that is also good. But not so good as one is praying to God that "I don't want any money. I don't want any number of followers. I don't want any good wife, nice beautiful wife." "Then what do you want?" "I want to serve You. That's all." Finish your prayer. That is the best prayer. "You are so good, You are so nice, You are so great that I want to be engaged in Your service. I am serving these rascals. They are not satisfied, I am not satisfied. Now I have come to You. Please engage me in Your service." That is the last word of prayer.
When Prahlāda Mahārāja was offered benediction by the Lord, "My dear Prahlāda, now whatever you want you can ask from Me," Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "My dear Lord, You are so opulent and I am so poor. And I am addicted to this material enjoyment. You are offering me, 'Whatever you want, you can take from Me.' " Just imagine. Suppose I am a poor man, and if a rich man says, "Swamijī, whatever millions of dollars you want, you can ask from me," then I shall put my claim, a big, very big amount: "Oh, here is a great opportunity." But Prahlāda Mahārāja refused. Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "My dear Lord, it is my duty to render service unto You not in exchange of something, gain. Oh, I am not a merchant that I am doing this." Vanig-vṛtti. So the Lord was very satisfied. That is the way of pure devotion. That was taught by Lord Caitanya. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye: (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "My dear Lord, I do not ask from You any amount of wealth," na dhanaṁ na janam, "neither any number of followers." Because every one of us, we want to be the richest man in the world, the greatest leader of the world, and to have a very beautiful wife... This is our heart's desire in the material world, to control over a vast mass of people—I want to be prime minister, president, or political leader, Hitler or Gandhi, like that—and to amass vast amount of wealth. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No, no, no. I don't want all these things." This is prayer. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "Then what for You have come to Me?" Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi: "My dear Lord, I pray that birth after birth I may have unconditional, causeless devotion unto You." Not devotion for some purpose. That is not pure devotee. If you have got some purpose to... That is, of course, accepted in the Bhagavad-gītā, that if anyone goes to Lord to pray something with purpose, that is also good. But that is not pure. Pure devotee never asks anything from the Lord. That is pure devotion. So Prahlāda Mahārāja was a pure devotee. Therefore he does not make any business with God, that "I offer You my prayer to take something from You." We shall discuss these prayers of Prahlāda Mahārāja one after another, and in none of the paragraph you will find that Prahlāda Mahārāja is asking something, "Give me this for my sense gratification." No. This is the sign of pure devotion.
So people have fallen so much. But we should not be like that. Those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Of course, a Kṛṣṇa conscious person is never afraid of any species of life—provided there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness continuing. That's all. That is wanted. We are not afraid of becoming a dog, provided I can remember Kṛṣṇa. This is our position. Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, kīṭa janmāobi, icchā yadi tora. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, "I don't mind if I am born as a kita, or an insect, but kindly give me the chance that I become an insect in the house of a devotee. Then I'll get chance again. Because a devotee will eat. I'll be able to take a little grain left by the devotee. That is my satisfaction." So a Vaiṣṇava is not afraid of to becoming in the form of any species of life, provided he simply... That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's prayer, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). A devotee does not aspire of being born in a very rich family or getting very nice wife and many controlling power, much controlling power. They do not want. Mama janmani... Neither a devotee wants (to) stop birth and death, because he has no desire. That is called akāmī. A devotee has no desire to fulfill.
So this kind of facilities, it is our foolishness. It is not facility. That is punishment. Real facility is how to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is real facility. So we should always ask, beg. That is the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction.
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
This facility we should always ask: "Kṛṣṇa, I don't want any facility of this material world. I am not worth to serve You; still, I am begging. Give me this facility so that I can get the chance to serve You." That is life's success.
Pure Vaiṣṇava, they do not want to see even Kṛṣṇa. They are satisfied with the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy. Āśliṣya vā pāda-rataṁ pinaṣṭu māṁ marma-hatāṁ karotu vā. Marma-hatāṁ karotu vā (CC Antya 20.47). A pure Vaiṣṇava, he simply always expects, "When that time will come, Kṛṣṇa will be pleased to accept me?" Otherwise he is not very hasty. But he is interested with the service. That is pure Vaiṣṇava. A pure Vaiṣṇava can go to the hell for serving Kṛṣṇa, but he is not aspirant for his personal comfort. Any condition... Mama janmani janmanīśvare. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching. Janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Āśliṣya va pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu māṁ marma-hatāṁ karotu vā. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very great movement, more valuable than the conception of Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā, because it is given by Kṛṣṇa personally, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So do not try to see Kṛṣṇa in His virāṭ form. Simply try to serve Him in humble position. Then your life will be successful.
Prabhupāda:
- naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās
- tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ
- śoce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyārtha-
- māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān
- (SB 7.9.43)
This is very important verse for the Vaiṣṇava. Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "I am lamenting," śoce. "I am very much aggrieved." Śoce means "I am very much lamenting." "Why? Why you are lamenting? I have given you all protection, and your father was giving you so much trouble, and I am always after your protection. Why there is lamenting?" "Lamenting is not for myself. I am quite all right. I have taken shelter of Your lotus feet, and I am engaged in glorifying Your Lordship's activities, so I have no problem. I can sit down anywhere underneath a tree and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and read Bhagavad-gītā and Bhāgavata. I am quite happy. So I have no problem." "Then? Why śoce?" "Śoce for these rascals who are making big, big plans to be happy in this material world." This is Vaiṣṇava's... Vaiṣṇava can tolerate all distresses. He is happy in every condition. He has no problem. He has no ambition except serving Kṛṣṇa. Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). So Vaiṣṇava has no such ambition that "I must have multimillions and million of dollars to possess and must have a very good wife," na dhanam, "and many followers. I shall become minister, leader, political." These ambitions are completely kicked out by the Vaiṣṇavas. They have no value. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). Those who are after all these things, material temporary happiness, alpa-medhasām, Kṛṣṇa says. They are lack of brain. But the whole world is after these things.
So this is the secret of bhakti. A bhakta does not endeavor for anything except devotional service. Karma, jñāna, yoga, these things are very popular. By karma, by activities, you can earn money and fulfill your material desire. That is called karma. And then jñāna. Jñāna means to understand that "I am spirit soul; I am not this material body." And then there is another sphere of activities. That is spiritual activities, jñānam. And then yoga. Yoga means whatever you want, aṣṭa-siddhi, aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti, īśitā, vaśitā, whatever... This is yoga. So karma, jñāna, yoga. These are the different processes of opulence. Now, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. Here it is said, kāma-pūraḥ asmi aham. "You desire something. So I'll fulfill your desire." Kāma-pūraḥ. "I shall fulfill your desire. Why you are bothering? You just become My devotee." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. (BG 18.66) "I shall fulfill all your desires. Why you are endeavoring? There is no need of endeavoring. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and whatever you want, you'll get it." This is wanted.
- So kāma-pūraḥ.
- akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā
- mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ
- tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena
- yajeta paramaṁ puruṣa
- (SB 2.3.10)
This is the recommendation in the śāstra. There are three kinds of men: akāma, sarva-kāma, and mokṣa-kāma. Akāma means devotee. He doesn't want anything from Kṛṣṇa, akāma. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). A devotee does not desire wealth or many followers or beautiful wife. He is akāma. And sarva-kāma, the karmīs, they never... They are never satisfied. "More, more, more, more... Bring. Give me this. Give me this. Give me this." Sarva-kāma. And mokṣa-kāma, the jñānīs and yogis, they want liberation from this material world. After being karmī and jñānī, when they are disgusted, they become aspirant of becoming one with the Lord. So the śāstra says, "Any desire or no desire, you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then everything will be fulfilled, either devotee, jñānī, yogi." Because as soon as you become a devotee, the wonderful things you can perform by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. That is a fact. And... And ajñānī... Even one is ajñānī... Sometimes we find a devotee not even literate, but when he speaks, he speaks exactly the truth. That is jñānī. How it is possible? It is possible because Kṛṣṇa is behind him, the all-powerful.
So these things are very nice, that one has to become dhīra, and he can become dhīra. Either he was fortunate, or after becoming dhīra he is fortunate. Both ways he is fortunate, mahā-bhāga. And sreyas-kāmāḥ. When one becomes a devotee he does not anymore ask for anything material. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is dhīra. He frankly says that "I don't want riches. I don't want many followers. I don't want nice wife, very beautiful wife." These things are material demands. They are very much fond of worshiping Durgā. Why? Dhanaṁ dehi rūpavati bhāryāṁ dehi yaśo dehi. These are material. But Kṛṣṇa says, "These persons who are asking for material profit from the different demigods, it can be fulfilled. They are fulfilling." But antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavati alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). These material gains, they will stay for a few days or few years. Because you are creating another body.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
The Gosvāmīs are the best example. They were coming from very, very aristocratic family. They were, they did not join the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement out of poverty-stricken. No. All of them, six Gosvāmīs... Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, they were very, very big men, ministers, very rich men. Similarly, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. He was the only son of his father and uncle. And at that time his father and uncle had twelve lakhs of rupees income. So you cannot imagine what is the exchange of twelve lakhs of rupees five hundred years ago. So very rich man. Similarly, Śrī Jīva, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa, and Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī. He was the jewel of all learned philosophers. That is acknowledged even by the greatest philosophers of the world. So these six Gosvāmīs, they were not ordinary men, but still, for Caitanya Mahāprabhu's service, they left everything. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kantāśritau. So kṛṣṇa-bhakti, devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, is so exalted that a devotee can kick out even mukti. They do not want. A devotee doesn't want. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī (tvayi)
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
So devotional service, this line of activities should not be taken for some material gain. This is not bhakti. Bhakti must be pure, cent percent pure, free from all material desires, free from the resultant action of jñāna and karma. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11). In other words, if you are actually a devotee, you'll have no more interest with these material desires. Material desires means dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). They're all material desires. Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Kaja, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī... Of course, it is spoken by Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
The yogis, they think that "We may keep this body, but with this body, if we can play some jugglery, magic, that is perfection of life." Sometimes we see somebody plays some jugglery, magic, little magic, not very nice magic... One cannot show greater magic than Kṛṣṇa, because Kṛṣṇa, when He was seven years old, He lifted the Govardhana Hill with little finger. So who can show this magic? There are so many imitation Gods, but if I ask him that "You just lift this one hundred kilo burden with your finger," it will be very difficult for him. You see.
So this kind of magic, or this kind of perfection, the devotees do not want. The devotees, they say... Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu is teaching us,
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
This is devotee. Therefore devotee's called akāma. They have no demand. They are satisfied in any condition of life. But they only pray to Kṛṣṇa that his devotion to Kṛṣṇa may not be disturbed. May not be disturbed. He doesn't want anything in exchange of his devotional service. That is pure devotion. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam jñāna-karmādy anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11). When we engage ourself in this pure, unadulterated devotional service, then we qualify ourself to see God.
So actually devotee is the richest because they don't care even for yoga-siddhi or heavenly planet or merging into the Brahman effulgence or become very rich and a brāhmaṇa, or... No. They don't want. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No."
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
This is devotee. This is pure devotion. They don't want anything. Therefore they are śāntaḥ. If you want śāntaḥ, then you stop demanding, "I want this, I want this, I want this, I want this." So long you'll want, you are in need, how there can be santaḥ? There is no possibility. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. Everyone... Bhukti means karmī, and mukti means jñānī, and siddhi means yogi. They are wanting something. So they cannot be śāntaḥ. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma ataeva śāntaḥ (CC Madhya 19.149). Kṛṣṇa-bhakta doesn't want anything. Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa-bhakta even does not want Kṛṣṇa even. He wants only Kṛṣṇa's service. That's all. "Why I shall bother Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is busy in His own business. Let Him dance with the gopīs. I shall simply serve Him. That's all. Why shall I want Kṛṣṇa? Why shall I disturb Him?" This is devotion.
One who has no information of Kṛṣṇa, one who does not take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he may take the sāyujya-mukti after severe penances and austerities, but again he'll fall down, because he wants ānanda. Simply impersonal, without any varieties, he cannot have ānanda. That spiritual variety is available in the Kṛṣṇaloka, in the Vaikuṇṭha. So for want of spiritual variety, you'll again like to come into the material variety. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. Ye 'nye ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas (SB 10.2.32). So this kind of mukti is not first-class mukti. Therefore Vaiṣṇavas, they do not want it. Vaiṣṇava does not want any kind of mukti. This Vaiṣṇava wants simply to remain in the service of the Lord. They don't aspire for any kind of mukti. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). So this mukti the sāyujya-mukti, means to become one with the Supreme, it not very safe, because there is, there is want of ānanda and knowledge. Simply to become one, that will not help. Therefore he is actually, constitutionally, a small particle of sac-cid-ānanda. So for want of ānanda, he comes again. Thus we have seen many sannyāsīs, they give up this world as brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, but they do not get any benefit out of it. Therefore they come down again to open hospitals and schools and philanthropic work. They fall down.
I may not be liberated birth after birth, it doesn't matter. But I wish that, I wish to live with the devotees, bhakta-sane vāsa. Janame janame hoy ei abhilāsa. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura also says the same thing. Janmaobi yadi mane icchā tohārā. He prays to Kṛṣṇa, "If you want that I shall take again my birth, then give me the chance of taking my birth in a place where is Your devotee. That is my only request. Because if I am placed in a society where there is no devotee, then my life will be spoiled. Then my life will be spoiled. Therefore I pray only this much. I don't want anything from you."
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare...
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
It doesn't matter I don't become liberated, what is liberation? If I am in the service of Kṛṣṇa, what is, liberation is already there. In Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta you'll find,
- bhaktis tvayi sthiratarā yadi bhagavān syād
- daivena (naḥ) phalati divya-kiśora-mūrtiḥ
- muktiḥ (svayam) mukulitāñjaliḥ sevate 'smān...
Mukti, she'll stand with folded hands, "My dear sir, what can I do for you?" This is the position of bhakta. One, if one becomes bhakta, then mukti becomes her maidservant. Why shall I ask for mukti? Mukti is nothing. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. What is the mukti? It is as good as hell. Mukti means to merge into the Brahman effulgence, but there is no service of Kṛṣṇa. It is simply merging, to become one.
Prahlāda Mahārāja, when he was offered benediction by Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva, "You take any kind of benediction." So Prahlāda Mahārāja replied, "My dear Lord, I am born of a father, passionate, and I am always greedy about material opulence, naturally, because my father was like that. So You are offering benediction. I can ask from you any kind of material opulence. I know that. But, what I shall do all these material opulences. I've seen my father was so strong materially, that when he was angry even the demigods trembled. He was so powerful. Now everything is finished within a second by You. So what is the value of this material opulence? Why shall I ask you all these nonsense. Kindly engage me, kindly engage me in the service of Your servant, that I want." This is devotion. They don't want anything. Kindly engage me nijunkaman ātmā dāse (?). That is the prayer. So the devotees, they do not want anything material. They are not captivated by so-called followers. No. Na dhanaṁ na janam, janam means followers, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). What is this false power? Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tara sahasrasaḥ. If one disciple is enlivened with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can work as the moon. Otherwise so many foolish followers, what they'll do? Just like stars. Thousands and millions of stars, they cannot do anything. One moon is sufficient. Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tara sahasrasaḥ. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, it is not required that everyone will be follower. That is not possible, because it is very difficult. But still, if one follower, sincere follower is there, it will go on. It will go on. Nobody can stop it.
Here also, we have got taste for any relationship. Just like we have got our relationship with master and servant. So this relationship is a perverted reflection of the real master and servant. Here it is perverted because the master also does not love the servant, and the servant also does not love the master. The servant serves the master so long there is payment. If the payment is stopped, then no more the servant will be available. But in the eternal world, the Kṛṣṇa's servant... So that is eternal, without any payment. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Ahaitukī. The servants of God, or Kṛṣṇa, they serve Kṛṣṇa not for any material gain. Ahaitukī. Therefore this word is used, ahaitukī, without any cause of motive. This is real bhakti. Therefore this bhakti word is applicable only in relationship with God, or Kṛṣṇa. In the material world, there cannot be any use of the word bhakti. Because here the so-called devotional service is motivated. So this bhakti word is monopolized by Kṛṣṇa, and nobody else.
Pradyumna: "There are five kinds of liberation, namely, to become one with the Lord, to live with the Supreme Lord on the same planet, to have the same features as the Lord, to enjoy the same opulences as the Lord, and to live as a companion of the Lord. A devotee, not to speak of rejecting material sense gratification, does not even want any of the five kinds of liberation. He is satisfied simply by discharging loving service to the Lord. That is the characteristic of pure devotion."
Prabhupāda: Yes. This is instructed by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He rejects: na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). The karmīs, they want all these things. Na dhanam. Great riches, and beautiful wife, great followers. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is rejecting these, and He's rejecting also liberation. Dhiyamanaṁ na ghṛnanti (?). A pure devotee is not interested even in liberation. That is pure devotee. That... Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he says, kīṭa janma ha-u yathā tuyā dāsa, bahir mukha brahma janme nāhi mora āśā. A devotee does not pray that "Give me this, give me that, give me that." No. He prays that "Whatever you like, if you like me to take birth as an insect, that's all right. But my only request is that I may become an insect in the house of a devotee so that I may get the chance of prosecuting my devotional service. I may eat the remnants of foodstuff eaten by the devotee."
A pure devotee is not interested even in liberation. That is pure devotee. That... Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he says, kīṭa janma ha-u yathā tuyā dāsa, bahir mukha brahma janme nāhi mora āśā. A devotee does not pray that "Give me this, give me that, give me that." No. He prays that "Whatever you like, if you like me to take birth as an insect, that's all right. But my only request is that I may become an insect in the house of a devotee so that I may get the chance of prosecuting my devotional service. I may eat the remnants of foodstuff eaten by the devotee." Just like Bhārata Mahārāja, he became a deer, but he was associating with saintly persons. He understood that "I was formerly King Bhārata. My chance, my mind being absorbed in the thinking of a deer, I have become a deer. All right. Doesn't matter." So he was associating with devotees. Similarly, a devotee is not interested to become liberated, go back to home, back to Godhead. Of course, even if he's not interested, Kṛṣṇa takes him. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). That is natural. But that is not our... We don't pray to Kṛṣṇa for anything of sense gratification. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore said, mama janmani janmani īśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. Ahaitukī apratihatā. Our simply, simple desire is how to be engaged in the service of the Lord. Janmani janmani. When, when Caitanya Mahāprabhu speaks janmani janmani, that means He rejects liberation also. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na kavitāṁ vā yāce. This is the karmī's, jñānī's... And even liberation. He rejects liberation. Mama janmani. If one is liberated, then where is the question of janmani janmani? So liberation is also not aspired by a devotee. These are the characteristics of pure devotion. This chapter is "Characteristics of Pure Devotional Service." Pure devotional service should be without any desire, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). The others, they are trying to make Kṛṣṇa-śūnyam, śūnyavādi; our attempt should be to make our desires śūnyam. Simply we be engaged in the service of the Lord. That is pure devotion.
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. Pure devotee does not... Even if he's offered such... Of course, a pure devotee (is) never offered such material benefits. Because Kṛṣṇa says, "The pure devotee, after giving up this body..." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Punar janma means to take birth in one of the planets, or in one of the species of, out of eight million four hundred thousand species of life. That is called punar janma. But the devotees who are following Caitanya Mahaprābhu's instruction, they do not mind, even there is birth again. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, janmani janmani bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. So even there is birth... Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, kīṭa janma hao yathā tuyā dāsa. "My dear Lord, if You like that I shall take birth again, so kindly give my birth in a place where there is Your devotee." That is wanted. Bahir-mukha-brahma-janma nāhi mora āśa. "And if I become nondevotee and take my birth as Lord Brahmā, I don't want it. Let me become an insect in the house of a devotee." This is the aspiration... The same thing is explained here. Because without the benediction of a pure devotee, it is not possible to enter into the path of devotional service.
So brahma, nirbheda brahmānusandhana. But a devotee, his happiness is different. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said: na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). We do not want this. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. A Vaiṣṇava does not desire even liberation, what to speak of dhanam, janam, rūpavatī bhāryā. That is real Vaiṣṇava. He wants simply Kṛṣṇa, to serve Him. That's... Anyābhilāṣitā... So that happiness is perfect happiness. That is real śānti. Real śānti. Caitanya-caritāmṛta therefore says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. Bhukti means karmīs, simply wanting, possess. That, that possessing labor is also another aśānti, to struggle to possess. So he's aśānta. Mukti, he wants to become God, one with God. And kṛccha sādhana, austerities, penance, so many things he has to do—meditation—just to become God. So that is also troublesome. Where is śānti? Yogis, they're also practicing praṇāyāma, so many āsanas, dhyāna dhāraṇā, āsana, praṇāyāma. So where is śānti? He has to keep his head down and, what is called? Śīrṣāsana. That is also another āsana. Then he has to show magic. Otherwise he'll not be recognized. He has to prepare a rasagullā by magic. These are all troublesome things. So bhukti-mukti-siddhi. Bhukti means karmī, mukti means jñānī and siddhi means yogi. Bhukti means siddhi kāmī sakali aśānta. Their process is aśānti. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma ataeva śānta (CC Madhya 19.149). Kṛṣṇa-bhakta does not require to possess anything or to renounce anything or to show some magic power. No. He has nothing to do all these things. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta does not want that "I shall show some magic and people will be attracted." If one is Kṛṣṇa-bhakta, he attracts thousands without any magic. The only magic is kṛṣṇa-bhakti. That's all. He doesn't require to show any yogic magic. It is so nice thing.
Bhavānanda: "A pure devotee never cares for liberation. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu prayed to Kṛṣṇa, 'My dear son of Nanda, I do not want any material happiness in the shape of many followers, nor immense opulence in wealth, nor any beautiful wife, nor do I want cessation from material existence. I may take birth many times, one after another, but what I pray from You is that my devotion unto You may always remain unflinching.' "
Prabhupāda: This is, I've already explained. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's prayer:
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
This is pure prayer. So pure devotional service is another great science. One has to learn it. Then his life will be successful.
Bhavānanda: "In spite of such facilities, my dear Lord, I do not aspire to achieve any such results. My only prayer is that I may have unflinching faith and devotion unto Your lotus feet."
Prabhupāda: This is the only thing. If we have got unflinching faith and devotion to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then we can automatically become niṣkiñcana, liberated, developed in economic condition. That is not important thing for a devotee. They come automatically. Yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). Kṛṣṇa says. Why he should try for economic development? Kṛṣṇa personally comes. "You want this. Take it." That is devotee. Why he should hankering after economic development? No. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches: na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). There is no need of hankering. Kṛṣṇa knows what he requires, "How My devotee will be satisfied." Kṛṣṇa knows... If Kṛṣṇa sees that this devotee has got little desire for some material enjoyment, Kṛṣṇa will give.
Mādhavānanda: (reading:) "Chapter Four. Devotional Service Surpasses All Liberation. How much a devotee is seriously attached to the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead can be understood from the statement of Mahārāja Pṛthu (Ādi-rāja), which is described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fourth Canto, Twentieth Chapter, 21st verse. He prays to the Supreme Personality of Godhead thusly: 'My dear Lord, if, after taking liberation, I have no chance of hearing the glories of Your Lordship, glories chanted by pure devotees from the core of their hearts in praise of Your lotus feet, and if I have no chance for this honey of transcendental bliss, then I shall never ask for liberation of this so-called spiritual emancipation. I shall simply always pray unto Your Lordship that You may give me millions of tongues and millions of ears so that I can constantly chant and hear of Your transcendental glories.' "
Prabhupāda: Surpasses all kind of liberation. There are five kinds of liberation: sāyujya, sārūpya, sālokya, sāmīpya. But a pure devotee does not want any of such liberations. Dhiyamānāṁ na ghṛnanti (?). Even liberation is offered. Kṛṣṇa offers liberation very easily. But Kṛṣṇa's personal touch is so sublime that Kṛṣṇa is carrying order of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is sending letter, handed over to Kṛṣṇa, and He's carrying to Duryodhana. So Nārada was very much surprised that this stage of dependent on devotee is very, very difficult to achieve. To achieve liberation is not very difficult, but when Kṛṣṇa becomes dependent on the order of a devotee, that is very difficult to achieve. So therefore pure devotional service surpasses all kinds of liberation. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also teaches, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. Liberation means no more birth. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, mama janmani janmani. Birth after birth. But the, a devotee does not want anything of the material things. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). So this pure devotional service is a different subject matter. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra (SB 1.1.2). Therefore Vyāsadeva says that all kinds of motivated religious system is rejected from devotional service. Projjhita-kaitavaḥ. Kaitava means motivated. In devotional service, there is no motive—simply to serve Kṛṣṇa. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). That is pure devotional service.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So they yogis want these mystic powers. Therefore they have also demand. Muktis, the jñānīs, they have also demand; the karmīs also have the demand. But the bhaktas... Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We accept Caitanya Mahāprabhu as the ideal bhakta. He's teaching us how to become exceptionally perfect devotee. So He says in His Śikṣāṣṭaka, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "I do not want riches," na dhanam. Na janam, "I do not want number of followers." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye. "I do not want very beautiful, nice, poetic wife." Mama janmani janmanīśvare. Janmani janmani means He does not want even liberation, because when there is liberation, there is no question of janmani janmani. So He says, mama janmani janmani īśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. So this is the sample of pure devotee. A pure devotee does not want even liberation. Dīyamānaṁ na gṛhṇanti. If liberation is offered to a devotee, he does not want it. He'll refuse to accept it. He is satisfied only in the service of the Lord. That is the standard of satisfac... Or in other words, to a devotee, liberation is not very valuable thing. Just like our one devotee, Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī... No, Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī. He says, kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tridaśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate. Like that. So devotee's position is very sublime. Devotee's position is the most exalted, transcendental position of a pure devotee who does not want anything except Kṛṣṇa.
So by devotional service one should not expect, "My miserable material condition may be improved" or "I may be liberated from this material entanglement." So that is also a kind of sense gratification. If I want that "Let me be free from this entanglement..." Just like the yogis and the jñānīs, they try. They try to be free from this material entanglement. But in the devotional service there is no such desire, because it is pure love. There is no expectation that "I shall be profited in this way." No. It is not a profitable commercial business, that "Unless I get in return something, oh, I shall not practice the devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no question of profit. Lord Caitanya prays to the Lord like this:
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
"Oh," He says, "My dear Lord, Jagadisa..." Jagadisa means the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Jagat, jagat means this world, material world or spiritual world, all worlds. Jagat. Jagat gacchati iti jagat: "Which is progressing, that is called jagat." So Jagat-īśa, the supreme master of this jagat, going concern. "Jagadīśa, O the supreme master of this jagat, I pray unto You that I do not want," na dhanam, "I do not want any wealth," na janam, "I do not want any number of followers..." Na janaṁ na dhanaṁ na kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. Kavitām means very nice wife, poetical... "I do not want." "Then what do You want?" Mama janmani janmanīśvare. Janmani janmani (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) means "birth after birth." So He does not want liberation also. Because when we speak of liberation, there is no birth. Mad-gatvā punar janma na vidyate: "One who reaches the kingdom of God, he hasn't got to come back again to take birth here." So here Lord Caitanya says, mama janmani janmani: "Birth after birth." That means "I do not want liberation also." Mama janmani janmani.
Festival Lectures
In the Manu-saṁhitā it is said that prakṛti, or strī, never deserve to be independent. Na strī svātantryam arhati. So as soon as the living entity is accepted as prakṛti, then it is to be understood that she is under the control of the supreme puruṣa, Puruṣottama. Kṛṣṇa is Puruṣottama. And Kṛṣṇa has been accepted as the puruṣa by Arjuna. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam (BG 10.12). It is not that Kṛṣṇa has become puruṣa now, and before that He was impersonal. No. Kṛṣṇa is puruṣaṁ śāśvatam, eternally He is puruṣa, eternally He is enjoyer. He's never enjoyed. You cannot enjoy Kṛṣṇa, or God, for your sense gratification. That is not possible. He can use you for His sense gratification. That is bhakti-mārga. The bhaktas, they never claim to be puruṣa. They are always subordinate. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is bhakti-yoga.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
So devotees, they want to give service only. They do not want in exchange from Kṛṣṇa anything. That is pure love. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was teaching like that. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye: (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "My dear Lord, I do not want from You any amount of riches, dhanam; janam, any number of followers." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitād, "not very nice, beautiful, attractive wife. I do not want all these things." Because materially we want all these things. All these people are struggling very hard. What for? For riches. "Money, money. Where is money? Where is money?" And then, as soon as he has got some money, then he wants to be minister, or president, or governor. Janam, followers, there will be so many followers. Na dhanam, na janam. And very beautiful wife or husband for sense gratification. These things are wanted for materially ambitious people. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "I don't want all these things." He's teaching, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye. Then what You want? Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi: (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "I simply want that I may take My birth anywhere, it doesn't matter, but let Me become Your servant. Let Me become Your devotee." That is the aspiration of pure devotee.
General Lectures
So your position is you are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. You just practice how to serve Kṛṣṇa; then your life will be successful. So that is our movement. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is training people how to become unalloyed servant of Kṛṣṇa. Śuddha-bhakta, unalloyed, without any adulteration. What is that adulteration?
- anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
- jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
- ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
- śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā
- (Brs. 1.1.11)
No other desire. Not that "By worshiping Kṛṣṇa or acting devotional service I shall get this opportunity, this facility," material or spiritual. A real devotee, he does not aspire even for liberation. He doesn't want. He simply wants, "My Lord Kṛṣṇa, wherever I may be, it doesn't matter. Please keep me always engaged in Your consciousness." That's all. A devotee never aspires that he'll be elevated to the spiritual sky or Vaikuṇṭha or... Never mind. "For thousands and thousands of births I may rot into the hell, but simply I want my Lord, that wherever I may be situated, I may not forget You." Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Lord Caitanya teaches this. Janmani janmani. Where there is janmani janmani, that means that is not liberation. As soon as you're liberated, you are not supposed to take birth again. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, janmani janmani. He doesn't aspire about liberation. "Birth after birth, please keep Me engaged in Your devotional service." That is pure devotion. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā (CC Madhya 19.167).
Caitanya Mahāprabhu said in His prayer to the Supreme Lord,
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
Na dhanaṁ na janam. The karmīs, they are hankering after wealth, riches, great following, great dependents. Na dhanaṁ na janam. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "I don't want. I don't want riches. I don't want many followers." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. Another demand of the karmīs is that "I must have very nice, beautiful, obedient wife." Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "No, I don't want that." Na dhanam. This is finishing materialism. In the material world people want these three things: dhanam, janam, and sundarīṁ kavitām. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. "Then mukti, You take mukti?" "No." Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī: (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "I don't want to finish My repetition of birth and death also." That is called mukti. Mukti means stopping the repetition of birth and death. So those who are hankering after... The jñānīs, the jñānī-sampradāya, they want to merge into the existence of the Supreme Lord. But that merging is possible in the brahma-jyotir. Brahmajyoti. The Absolute Truth is divided into three. Actually He is not divided. Because He is absolute, He cannot be divided. But according to the, I mean to say, realizer, somebody is realizing the Absolute Truth as impersonal Brahman, somebody is realizing the Absolute Truth as localized Paramātmā, and somebody is realizing Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, most beautiful, lovable object.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Every living entity is eternally Kṛṣṇa dāsa. So if you give up these material activities and engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa's service, you are mukta. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.
- māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa
- bhakti-yogena sevate
- sa guṇān samatītyaitān
- brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
- (BG 14.26)
It is confirmed. So anyone who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is mukta. For them there is no demand for mukti. Muktir mukulitāñjali sevate 'smān. Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura: "The mukti is standing before me with folded hands, 'What can I do for you?' " Because he is bhakta. So for a bhakta there is no such demand, mukti. Means they are muktas already. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Because He's mukta. There may be again birth, but a devotee takes birth for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not for any other business. Therefore he is mukta. Jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate. Īhā yasya harer dāsye. So mukti is not very difficult thing. If you cent percent engage in Kṛṣṇa consciousness business, you are mukta. That is mukti. That is the verdict of the śāstra. Mukti does not mean that I have got now one head, I will get four heads. No. This one head is sufficient, but it must be engaged for Kṛṣṇa. That is it.
Hṛdayānanda: Karmī wants to enjoy the gross senses, the jñānī wants to enjoy the subtle mind, mental speculation, the yogi wants to manipulate the universe, mystic powers,...
Prabhupāda: Material power.
Hṛdayānanda: And a devotee has no material desires. (He wants) to serve Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And unless one is factually desireless, he cannot be happy. The karmī, jñānī, yogi, they are all full of desires. Therefore they are unhappy. Karmīs are the lowest of the unhappies, jñānīs are little advanced, yogis are little more advanced, and the perfection is the bhakta, devotees. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is bhakta. (break) ...siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. Bhukti means karmī, and mukti means jñānī. And siddhi, aṣṭa-siddhi, magic power, mystic power. That is called siddhi. Those who are practicing yoga, if they are actually yogis, they can have aṣṭa-siddhi. Aṇimā, laghimā. They can become smaller than the smallest, heavier than the heaviest. Mahimā, prāpti. They can get anything they like. A yogi can get... Suppose if you want a pomegranate from Kabul, he will get immediately. Yes. That is yogi. As if he is snatching from the tree, yes. Prāpti-siddhi, īśitā. They can force their influence upon anyone. Īśitā, vaśitā. Yogis can hypnotize you. As he will say, you will act. As he will say, you will act. These yogis do that. They take something nonsense, "Now take gold," and you will think it is gold. Just like magician do.
Hṛdayānanda: Hypnotist.
Prabhupāda: Hypnotist. They create heaps of money, the magician, I have seen it, all false.
Hṛdayānanda: Like in the Bhāgavatam, Arjuna said like money created by magic word.
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, yes. Prāpti-siddhi. Now we are flying by aeroplane. A yogi can fly without any instrument. As Durvāsā Muni, he went even Vaikuṇṭha-loka. Not Vaikuṇṭha-loka. Within this planet, there is one planet where, Śvetadvīpa, Lord Viṣṇu lives. He went there and saw Lord Viṣṇu personally to request him to save him. He refused, "No, I cannot. You go to Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, beg pardon of him. If he pardons, then you will be saved." So to a devotee, innocent devotee, he had to fall down on his lotus feet, "Please save me." So what is the power of yogi?
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: The jñānīs, they have got desire. How they are desireless? Because they are aspiring after mukti. The yogis, they are aspiring after siddhi. Karmīs, they are aspiring after better condition of life. So these things should be completely free. Then he's desireless. If you are desiring mukti, where is your desirelessness? Just see. How they are bluffing! They want to become mukta, and still, they say "desirelessness." Here is your desire. Just see the defect. Eh? Why you are desiring mukti?
Gurukṛpā: Then they argue that you also want to, you desire to serve Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: No, therefore I say desirelessness means to desire for Kṛṣṇa. That is desirelessness. Even if you... We are not after mukti. We, we can go to the hell to serve Kṛṣṇa.
Gurukṛpā: Mama janmani janmanīśvare...
Prabhupāda: Ah! Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahai... (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). That is... There is no question of desirelessness. We desire for Kṛṣṇa. That is desirelessness. Just like a diseased man, if he desires for healthy life, is that bad thing? To desire for further disease, that is desire. That is bad. Therefore I say, you cannot give up desire. That is not possible. You have to purify your desires. But when you desire for Kṛṣṇa, that is desirelessness. To become free from disease, that does not mean you have to stop eating. In the diseased condition, you are eating. As soon as you want to desire, that "Let me, give me this nice food," but you cannot eat on your diseased condition. It will be tasteless. You simply desire, but you cannot enjoy. But same you, man, when the disease is gone, you enjoy that same food very nicely. When you are free from disease, you just ask for rasagullā. You'll taste it. But when you are diseased, the same rasagullā will not be tasteful. That is the condition.
Prabhupāda: The desire which gives you happiness, that is wanted. The desire which gives you distress, that is not wanted. Therefore Bhāgavata begins with dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra: (SB 1.1.2) "The cheating type of religion is rejected." Because in every religion there is some desire for material objective, up to mukti. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī. General people, karmīs, they want pleasure, material pleasure. The jñānīs, they want mukti, and the yogis, they want siddhi. They're everyone beggars. And a bhakta kicks them all out. "We don't want anything. Simply Kṛṣṇa. That's all." Therefore he's desireless.
Gurukṛpā: Kṛṣṇa-bhakta—niṣkāma ataeva śānta (CC Madhya 19.149).
Prabhupāda: Ah! Ataeva śānta. There is śānti. You have to test whether by, by some desire, whether you have become śānta. That is not possible except Kṛṣṇa. When you serve Kṛṣṇa, then you will feel transcendental pleasure. Otherwise you cannot. Sakali aśānta. For mukti they have to do so many things, so many things. So desireless means to desire for Kṛṣṇa. This is the conclusion. That Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching: mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. This is desire. "My life after life simply My devotion unto You may be fixed up." That's all. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In the beginning He says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jaga... (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "No, no, no, no," not this." Then there must be some positive. And the positive is: mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. With simply negative, what you'll do? Simply negative? You must give something positive. Then you'll be satisfied. You are serving somewhere. You don't get sufficient salary. So you desire to give up this, this service. Resignation. But if you don't get any better service, then what will be the result of resignation? You'll starve. Again you'll go, "Master, I did wrong. Please give me that service." So that is... The Māyāvādīs' position is like that. They want to become merged into the Supreme. But that is not possible. After some time... āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). They undergo very good auster..., severe austerities and reach the brahma-jyotir, but there, everything being vacant, they cannot remain there. And they have no information of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they again come down. Patanty adhaḥ. He wants enjoyment, but there is no enjoyment. Simply thinking, "I am Brahman." What is the enjoyment there? You think like a rascal Brahman. Yes, you are Brahman already.
Yogeśvara: Yeah, that's what they say. They say it's freedom when there is a lack of bad conditioning.
Prabhupāda: That is... Bad condition is good conditioning. Where is freedom? From bad conditioning you are suggesting good conditioning. That is not freedom. Just like you are in the prison house, you are badly conditioned, but the so-called freedom—you are still conditioned under the laws of the state. You are not free. But from bad conditioning to good conditioning. And if you obey the state laws, then you are good citizen. But you are conditioned. How you think of freedom? That is your foolishness. Just like a servant. He is in some mercantile firm. He is trying to seek out some government service. But he cannot be free.
Yogeśvara: So in other words, they would say your idea is to give them a better conditioning.
Prabhupāda: No, no, no, not better conditioning. You must know what is the best condition and take that condition. The best condition is to be under the control of Kṛṣṇa. That is your best first-class way.
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: You said that in the Bhagavad-gītā when it speaks of being desireless, it means that actually one is desiring for Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye: (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "I don't want this." "Don't want, don't want, don't want" does not mean he becomes negative. "I want Kṛṣṇa. So many things, 'Don't want,' but actually I want Kṛṣṇa. And that is my life." And not that "Don't want, don't want, don't want, then become zero." Not that.
Yogeśvara: No, they also say we know what we want. We want food for everyone, we want...
Prabhupāda: No, no, he does not know. Therefore he is changing from this place to that place. He does not know. If he had known, then he would have surrendered immediately to Kṛṣṇa. That is the defect. He does not know.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Amogha: Now they are also thinking that different types of meat cause cancer, not only heart disease but cancer.
Gaṇeśa: What have the scientists got to gain by bluffing?
Prabhupāda: Position. Material world means they want some material gain, some adoration, and some fame. That's all. This is material world. So if by bluffing you I get some material profit and adoration and fame, why shall I not do it? Everyone is doing that.
Amogha: That's the cheating propensity.
Prabhupāda: Yes. In material world they have come to imitate God—adoration, fame, material profit. Just like this man. He has come to this country. He is getting money, he is getting woman, and becoming God amongst the fools. He is satisfied. That's all. This is not gain? If I get woman, money, and adoration, is it not gain for me?
Gaṇeśa: Yes, just like Hiraṇyakaśipu.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Materialistic man means he wants all these things in different way. Somebody is becoming God, somebody is becoming philosopher, somebody is becoming scientist, in this way. Real purpose is these three things. Abha-pūjā-pratiṣṭhā. And our philosophy? We don't want anything of this. Just see. Negation. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Say... All denial, "We don't want." That is Vaiṣṇavism. Then what do you want? "We want simply to serve Kṛṣṇa." This is our position. They don't want to serve Kṛṣṇa; they want to imitate Kṛṣṇa. And that is their satisfaction.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Hari-śauri: Everybody's mad after getting some big position, and then when they get it they find out it's even worse than where they started.
Prabhupāda: Because the body does not allow. So all, from all side we were discussing Prahlāda Mahārāja's..., how he is experienced of this material way of life. It is all useless. So by following this mahājana devotee we can make our life perfect. Nothing is wanted except Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is perfection of life. That is instruction of.... Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarim (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). No, we don't want. Then what do you want? Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaitukī. Without any motive let me become a sincere devotee of.... (end)
Prabhupāda: Yes, the ārati, ārati.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That ārati song. Oṁ jaya jagadīśa?
Indian man (1): Hare.
Prabhupāda: Viṣaya paiye, dhana sampatti paiye. What is that? (laughter) Jaya bhagavān. Dehom ki viṣaya(?), jaya bhagavān.
Indian man (2): Sab ko sampatti de bhagavān.
Prabhupāda: Duḥkha jaye sampatti paiye de bhagavān, jayo kara. (Bengali) Whole world, they have accepted God as order-supplier. "I order, and You supply." They all, this Christian Church also: "God, give us our daily bread."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And if God doesn't give, then God is dead.
Prabhupāda: Dead. This is going on. And our prayer is, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye: (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "I don't want anything. Simply engage me in Your service." Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī. This is real prayer, which is taught by Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda? I was reading in a magazine that in Germany the people used to be pious, but after the Second World War...
Prabhupāda: They became atheist.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Completely atheists.
Guḍākeśa: Prabhupāda said that.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guru-kṛpā: Prabhupāda, what about these people that perform so-called bhakti-yoga but their aim is to merge?
Prabhupāda: Hmm? That is not bhakti-yoga. That is not bhakti-yoga. Who says that is bhakti-yoga?
Guru-kṛpā: I said "so-called" bhakti-yoga.
Prabhupāda: That, that is not.... Cheating! That is another cheating. (Hindi) There is the same example. "Now I am serving the master. Just as soon as the master will be somewhere, I'll take everything." That kind of servant. Servant serving the master, but the intention is that "As soon as master is away, I'll take everything." (laughter) "I'll become Nārāyaṇa. Let me serve now Nārāyaṇa, and as soon as there is the opportunity, I shall become Nārāyaṇa." They are thieves, rogues, these duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ narādhamāḥ. Very faithful servant. He's planning how to usurp everything belonging to the master, and saying, "I am very faithful servant." Caitanya Mahāprabhu is teaching mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "Life after life, let me serve You." That's all. Never willing to become master. That is Māyāvāda. (break) ...don't want even salvation. Therefore He says, janmani janmani, "life after life."
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: (break) ...go back to Godhead can be sense gratification?
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is also a contaminated desire. Otherwise why Caitanya will say mama janmani, to go? Kṛṣṇa says, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramam (BG 15.6). If one goes to Vaikuṇṭha he does not come. But Caitanya also says He does not desire that. He is.... "Let me remain perpetually here, but be engaged in Your service." That is real, pure devotee. He doesn't want even promotion. That is also mentioned now: dīyamānaṁ na gṛhṇanti. Dīyamānam, even Kṛṣṇa says, "Come immediately to Vaikuṇṭha," "Sir, that is for..." Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja was offered, "Whatever you like, you take." "Sir, do not make me a bāniyā (indistinct)." (break) But if anyone wants in exchange of service, then he's not a devotee, he's a bāniyā (merchant).
Guru-kṛpā: Is that a merchant?
Prabhupāda: Huh? Merchant, yes.
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
This is prayer. No exchange. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura: kīṭa-janma hau jathā tuwā dās. "If You want that I shall continue, yes, that's all right." That is full surrender. And on condition, "Sir, You'll take me to Vaikuṇṭha; therefore I'm surrendered." That is conditioned, that is bāniyā (indistinct).
Guru-kṛpā: So actually back to home, back to Godhead, means just back to devotional service.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because a devotee is always in Vaikuṇṭha. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). He is already in Vaikuṇṭha. Why he shall for that, Vaikuṇṭha? He's not in this material world. Muktiḥ svayaṁ mukulitāñjali sevate 'smān. This is called mukti. "The mukti? Why shall I accept mukti? Mukti is standing on my door: 'What shall I do, sir?' So why shall I ask for mukti?" (break) Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam. First make all desires zero. That is the beginning of bhakti.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: My Guru Mahārāja was also alone. And why not? All these rascals, why shall I call him intelligent?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You give them no credit.
Prabhupāda: How can I give them? Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ: (BG 7.15) "Anyone who has not fully surrendered to..., he is this, duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ." That's a fact. Just see. This man has got some intelligence. He's simply cheating. This is duṣkṛtina. He should have preached Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He has got intelligence. He has created a position, means this is intelligent. But that intelligence he's applying for declaring himself as God. Therefore duṣkṛtina. Intelligence being used for some bad purpose. He's not God. Cheating purpose. He knows it. Everyone knows that he does not know. But he is using his intelligence for some bad purpose for making some temporary position. How rascal he is. He's not God. Suppose he is accepted as God. But he is imitation or cheating God. How long it will go on? But he's such a rascal he does not know that. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). Therefore mūḍha. For few years, suppose he remains so-called God. What is the benefit? Next life he may become a dog. What is the benefit? Therefore mūḍha. Māyā-sukhāya, indriyārtham. Indriyārtha-māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). Hm? For sense gratification for a few years and make such gorgeous cheating process. Therefore he's rascal. He does not know the value of his eternal life, how he is going to become a dog next life. He knows, but he doesn't care. He's such a rascal. For temporary happiness, men and woman, er, woman and money.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīm (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). He doesn't care.
Prabhupāda: No. They are... And woman and money, that will not solve the problems of our life.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They increase the problems of life.
Prabhupāda: Even bird and beast, they can get woman.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who?
Bali-mardana: Birds and beast.
Prabhupāda: I have seen. I have studied this cricket (cricket sounds in room), that come for... Two of, the male and female.
Prabhupāda: Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta, kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma (CC Madhya 19.149). Kṛṣṇa-bhakta doesn't want anything. Ataeva śānta. So he is... He is satisfied. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: (CC Madhya 22.42) "I don't want. I am fully satisfied." Dhruva Mahārāja, he went to the forest, underwent very severe austerity, and when Lord Viṣṇu appeared before him—"Take benediction, whatever you like"—he said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: "I have no more demand. I am fully satisfied." So this is the teaching. If we want to be fully satisfied, without any demand for sense gratification, then we become happy, and that is available in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is... Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. We don't want. People want money and many followers, nice wife, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu refuses.
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
"Let me remain Your servant janmani janmani." Mukti means no more janma. So He doesn't want even mukti. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi. For a devotee, either this life or next life, the business is the same, to serve Kṛṣṇa. So this verse, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma... (SB 5.5.4). People are mad after sense gratification in different ways, so Ṛṣabhadeva says, "No, no, no, this is not good. You have already obtained a material body as a result of your past karma, and you are suffering." Body means suffering. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). "So you have already got this body, and you are suffering. You are again trying to get another body?" Na sādhu manye: "This is not good." Our whole Vedic civilization is punar janma jayāya, to conquer over punar janma. And here Kṛṣṇa gives the very simple formula, janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti (BG 4.9). If we simply understand what is Kṛṣṇa... And what is Kṛṣṇa, for that purpose, we are writing so many books. The scholars, they are appreciating. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa is available very easily.
Correspondence
1974 Correspondence
I am very pleased to receive your letter dated 9/11/74 and have noted the contents with great delight. The thing is where is the question of making any conspiracy. The materialistic man creates diplomacy and conspiracy for sense gratification. Everyone wants in the material world some reputation, profit, and some adoration. But so far we are concerned we are being trained up by following the footsteps of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye/ mama janmani janmanisvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "My Lord I do not want any monetary gain, neither any number of followers, or wife, but simply I want to be engaged in Your causeless devotional service, which means I do not even want salvation." So if actually we follow the footsteps of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, where is the question of conspiracy?
This whole institution was started singlehandedly without any capital. I went to your country with only Rs. 40/- and 200 sets of books. So if we take the capital of the whole business, it was the books and the Rs. 40/-. The Rs. 40/- was not even touched because Indian Rupees currency could not be spent in your country. In 1967 when I came back to India the Rs. 40/- was paid for the taxi cab. The 200 sets of books was sold, and I was maintaining myself with great difficulty. Now by the grace of Krishna books sales have increased tremendously, and whatever money we are spending it is from the books sales; or whatever money is also being squandered that is also from the book sales.
| Page Title: | Siksastaka 04 na dhanam na janam na sundarim... cited |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti |
| Created: | 07 of May, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=17, CC=1, OB=0, Lec=74, Con=11, Let=1 |
| No. of Quotes: | 105 |