The theory that consciousness develops under certain circumstances of material combination is not accepted in the Bhagavad-gītā. They cannot. Consciousness may be pervertedly reflected by the cover of material circumstances, just like light reflected through a colored glass may seem according to the color. Similarly, the consciousness of Lord, it is not materially affected. The Supreme Lord, just like Kṛṣṇa, He says that mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ (BG 9.10). When He descends in this material world, His consciousness is not materially affected. Had His consciousness been materially affected, He was unfit to speak about the transcendental subject matter in the Bhagavad-gītā. One cannot say anything about the transcendental world without being free from the materially contaminated consciousness. So the Lord was not materially contaminated. But our consciousness, at the present moment, is materially contaminated. So whole thing, as the Bhagavad-gītā teaches, we have to purify the materially contaminated consciousness and in that pure consciousness, the actions will be done. That will make us happy. We cannot stop. We cannot stop our activity. The activities are to be purified. And these purified activities are called bhakti. Bhakti means they are, they appear also just like ordinary activity, but they are not contaminated activities. They are purified activities. So an ignorant person may see that a devotee is working like an ordinary man, but a person with poor fund of knowledge, he does not know that the activities of a devotee or the activities of the Lord, they are not contaminated by the impure consciousness of matter, impurity of the three guṇas, modes of nature, but transcendental consciousness. So our consciousness is materially contaminated, we should know.
Transcendental world (Lect., Conv., & Letters)
Expressions researched:
"transcendental kingdom"
|"transcendental sky"
|"transcendental world"
|"transcendental worlds"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Just like in the relative world... This is relative world. Material world means the relative world. Relative world means the son. As soon as I say "the son," there must be a father. As soon as I say, "friend," there must be another man, friend. As soon as I say, "water," there must be something as water. But in the Absolute world, the name water and the water is the same. This is called Absolute, no different separation. So in the kingdom of God, the God is God and His son is also God. There the everything—there is no difference between the name and the substance. Here in this material world the name and the substance different.
Just like if I am thirsty, I want water, so the water must come to me. If I simply chant, "Water, water, water," that will not be effective, because it is relative world. But in the transcendental world, Kṛṣṇa is the name of God and it is God also. So by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, you are directly in contact with God. This is the meaning of Hare Kṛṣṇa, directly in contact.
But we should not think that my service in the material world, and my service in the spiritual atmosphere is the same. No. It is not the same. We, we are shuddered, "Oh, after liberation, we have to become a servant. Oh." We shudder because we have no idea that what sort of servant is in the transcendental world. In the transcendental world, there is no distinction between the servant and the master. Here is distinction between the servant and the master, but in the transcendental world, in the absolute world, everything is one. Therefore there is no distinction between servant and master.
For example, we are speaking on the Bhagavad-gītā. Just see the position of Kṛṣṇa. He has taken the position of servant, chariot driver of Arjuna. Arjuna is practically, in his constitutional position, he is the servant of Kṛṣṇa, but in behavior we see, sometimes the Lord becomes the servant of the servant (CC Madhya 13.80). So we should not carry the materialistic idea in the spiritual... Although anything that we materially experience is a perverted reflection only of the spiritual life...
And the one who understands this Kṛṣṇa's birth and activities and His presence tattvataḥ, in truth, then what the result is? The result is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). The result is that any person who understands this Kṛṣṇa's activities, His birth and His pastimes, His paraphernalia, everything, the result will..., simply by understanding it, the result will be that after leaving this material body, he goes directly to Kṛṣṇa. He goes directly to Kṛṣṇa. That means he becomes a liberated soul, and he goes to the eternal world, and he becomes in his constitutional position of blissful and knowledge and eternal life. Simply by knowing this. Simply by knowing in truth the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa's birth and activities, one is at once promoted to the, I mean, the transcendental world. This is clearly stated here. Tyaktvā deham.
And what is that home? That you'll find. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Such description is there also in the Bhagavad-gītā, what is the position of that transcendental world. Na tad bhāsayate sūryaḥ. There is no, there is no need of the sun. There is no need of the moon. There is no need of electricity. That is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā.
The example I have several times repeated: just like you put an iron rod in the fire. It becomes warm, warmer, and gradually it becomes red hot. When it is red hot, it is transformed into the nature of fire. It is no longer iron. Similarly, if you constantly remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you at once transfer yourself to the higher nature of Kṛṣṇa, and that is your liberation. And if we can die in higher nature, then this formula, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti... (BG 4.9). oh, he does not come back again to this material world. So we shall have to try, we shall have to practice this Kṛṣṇa consciousness in such a way, that we shall permanently exist in higher nature. And if we can die in that higher nature, then our place in the transcendental world is reserved. That is the whole thing.
So janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). And this inquisitiveness, the appearance and disappearance of Kṛṣṇa, and His activities, this inquisitiveness, is transcendental enquiries. So we must know it from persons who are in the knowledge. And that way we shall be able to put ourself constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and the result will be that tyaktvā deham, by quitting this body we shall be at once transferred to the transcendental world. This is the process.
Now, in the next śloka Kṛṣṇa says that
- vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā
- man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ
- bahavo jñāna-tapasā
- pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ
- (BG 4.10)
Kṛṣṇa says that "Arjuna, in the past there were many sages who," vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ, "after surpassing three stages of existence, when they came to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they were liberated." Vita-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ. Now, what is this rāga? Rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ. Rāga means attachment, attachment. And vīta-rāga-bhaya. Bhaya means fear, and krodha means anger. So these three stages are there in our life.
So there are different planetary systems within this material world. Just like we are situated, it is called Bhūrloka. Above this, there is Bhuvarloka. Above that, there is Svarloka, there is Janaloka, there is Maharloka, Satyaloka. In this way, there are seven steps of planetary systems up, and similarly, seven planetary systems down. So by jñāna-yoga, by bhakti-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, means mystic yoga system, we can be promoted to the higher system, but if you practice the bhakti-yoga, then you go to the transcendental world directly and associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The dhyāna-yogī and jñāna-yogī can also go to the Brahmaloka or brahma-jyotir, but there is chance of falling down again to this material world. But generally, jñāna-yogī remains a speculator within this material world, and dhyāna-yogī, they, as soon as they get some material miracle power, they become implicated with this power, no more going to the spiritual world. But bhakti-yogī, being perfectly the yogi, the topmost yogi, he can enter the kingdom of God, or the planet where God is there. God is everywhere, but He has got a special planet, which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana. You can enter there and mix with the Supreme Lord just like we are here, mixing one another. I can see you, you can see me, similarly, you can go directly, see God and live with Him, dance with Him, play with Him, eat with Him. That is the perfection of life.
We have been discussing about the transcendental world. The transcendental world is above this material sky. The material sky is also a part of the transcendental sky or spiritual sky—it is covered only. This thing we have already explained. Just like the sky, some part of the sky is covered by cloud. The cloud cannot cover the whole sky. That is not possible. That is not in the power of the cloud. Only insignificant portion of the cloud, er, sky, is covered by cloud. Similarly, the unlimited sky, spiritual sky, and some portion of it, when it is covered by mahat-tattva or a spiritual cloud, the portion which is covered, it is called material sky.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
One who is serious to understand about the transcendental knowledge. Uttamam. Udgata-tamam. Beyond this material world. This material world is tama, darkness. So if one is very serious to inquire about the world of light, for him there is need of guru, not for ordinary person. Guru, we should not make a guru as a fashion. Everyone makes a guru, "Let me have a guru also, any kind of..." No. That is not required. Guru is required by somebody who is serious to know about the transcendental world, the world of light. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. The world of jyoti. Na tad bhāsayate sūryo na candra (BG 15.6). That world, where there is no need of sun, moon, electricity.
So it is a fact that Lord Jesus Christ is present by his words, Bible. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is present by His words. These personalities, either God or son of God, who come from the transcendental world, they keep their transcendental identity without being contaminated by this material world. That is their omnipotency. We are practiced to say that God is omnipotent. Now, this is His omnipotency. Omnipotency means that He is not different from His name, from His quality, from His pastimes, from His instruction, everything. Therefore the discussion on Bhagavad-gītā is as good as you are discussing certainly with Kṛṣṇa. And not only that; Kṛṣṇa is seated in your heart, in my heart also. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 18.61). God, God is situated in everyone's heart. God is not away from us. He's friendly. He's so friendly that in my repeated change of birth, He's with us. He's trying to see when we shall turn to Him. Rather, He's canvassing. He's canvassing. He's so kind that we may forget Him, but He has not forgotten us. He is with us. Just like the father never can forget the son, however the son may forget the father. That is, that is natural.
But these things are there in the Vedas. If you are a serious student of Veda you can also learn, you can also fight like Arjuna. There is no difficulty. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says astra-jñaḥ. Unnaddham astra-jñaḥ. You can also become learned in the higher science of military art. You can also utilize. But that requires brain, good brain. That is not possible now, because the culture is lost. Now everyone is śūdra. Nobody is kṣatriya, nobody is brāhmaṇa. By the time... Kalau śūdra sambhava. The śūdras cannot learn all these veda. Because śūdras have no right to understand Vedic knowledge. It is meant for the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas. Even not for the vaiśyas. Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrāḥ. They are rejected, woman and vaiśya and śūdra. Kṛṣṇa says. Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrāḥ. But Kṛṣṇa says te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim: "Even woman, and śūdra and vaiśyas, low grade, they can also get parāṁ gatim, promotion to the transcendental world." How? Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). If you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then even these low-grade born persons, beginning from striya śūdra vaiśya, and down, caṇḍālas... Caṇḍālas means less than the caṇḍāla. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśāḥ. They are caṇḍālas. Kirāta means the black clan, or the Africans. So they are called kirāta. Hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ (SB 2.4.18). Yavanas, khasādaya, Mongolians, without any moustaches. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ ye 'nye ca pāpāḥ. "Even there are still more low-grade, sinful society," ye 'nye ca pāpā yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ, "if he takes the shelter of a pure devotee, śudhyanti, becomes purified." Becomes purified.
So the plan was that within the womb of Pārvatī and by the semina of Lord Śiva, one son must take birth, and later on he took and his name was Kārttikeya. Kārttikeya was born. So, but they were... Lord Śiva was in meditation, and Pārvatī was not married at that time with Lord Śiva, although she was destined to marry Lord Śiva, because in the transcendental world, the husband and wife, they are also eternal. Even the wife or husband changes body, again they become husband and wife. This is in the higher sense. They do not separate. So but Lord Śiva was in meditation. And it is very difficult to break his meditation. So he was naked, and Pārvatī was engaged to worship śiva-liṅga, the genital of Lord Śiva. Still in the Vedic culture, there is worshiping of śiva-liṅga, the genital of Lord Śiva. So Pārvatī was engaged to worship the genital of Lord Śiva. Certainly there was touching by young girl, but he was not agitated. So Kālidāsa said, "Here is a dhīra. Here is dhīra." We become excited by seeing one beautiful girl. But the most beautiful girl, young, she was touching the genital of Lord Śiva, still there was no disturbance.
Pradyumna: "Man may discover so many wonderful vehicles of journey, but even if he reaches the moon by his much advertised spacecraft, he cannot remain there. The sane man, therefore, without being puffed up as if he were the god of the universe, abides by the instructions of the Vedic literature, the easiest way to acquire knowledge in transcendence. So let us know through the authority of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam of the nature and the constitution of the transcendental world beyond the material sky. In that sky the material qualities..."
Prabhupāda: They are going to different planets... They cannot go. Suppose if they are going: so taking so much trouble, expending so much money, they are trying to study. But we study within this room, even up to Vaikuṇṭha planet. Huh? These rascals are taking so much trouble and still unsuccessful. And we are getting all clear idea. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). That is the perfection of Vedic literature. In remote jungle they are sitting. They are enjoying spiritual atmosphere and getting all information from the Vedic literature. How much, I mean to say, fortunate we are, those who have taken shelter of this Vedic literature.
Pradyumna: "As confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20) stage of life one becomes free from hankering and lamentation. Therefore the conclusion is that the inhabitants of the Vaikuṇṭha planets are all brahma-bhūta living entities, as distinguished from the mundane creatures who are all compact in hankering and lamentation. When one is not in the modes of ignorance and passion, one is supposed to be situated in the mode of goodness in the material world. Goodness in the material world also at times becomes contaminated with touches of the mode of passion and ignorance. In the Vaikuṇṭhaloka it is unalloyed goodness only. The whole situation there is one of freedom from the illusory manifestation of the external energy. Although the illusory energy is also a part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, still, illusory energy is differentiated from the Lord. The illusory energy is not, however, false, as claimed by the monist philosophers. The rope accepted as a snake may be an illusion to a particular person, but the rope is a fact, and the snake is also a fact. The illusion of water on the hot desert may be an illusion for the ignorant animal searching out water in the desert. But the desert and water are actual facts. Therefore the material creation of the Lord may be an illusion to the nondevotee class of men, but to a devotee, even the material creation of the Lord is a fact, as the manifestation of His external energy. But this energy of the Lord is not all. The Lord has His internal energy also, which has another creation known to be the Vaikuṇṭhalokas, where there is no ignorance, no passion, no illusion, and no past and present. With a poor fund of knowledge one may be unable to understand the existence of such things as the Vaikuṇṭha atmosphere, but that does not nullify its existence. A spacecraft cannot reach these planets does not mean that there are no such planets, for they are described in the revealed scriptures. As quoted by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, we can know from the Nārada Pañcarātra that the transcendental world or Vaikuṇṭha atmosphere is enriched with transcendental qualities. These transcendental qualities, as revealed through the devotional service of the Lord, are distinct from the mundane qualities of ignorance, passion, and goodness. Such qualities are nonattainable by the nondevotee class of men. In the Padma Purāṇa, Uttara-khaṇḍa, it is stated that beyond the one-fourth part of God's creation there is the three-fourths part manifestation. The marginal line between..."
Prabhupāda: Just see how we are getting information about the space. Just see. Beyond this material sky this space is... Information of the space is there. They cannot have any information of this material space, what to speak of the spiritual space. How much our knowledge is perfect. Either we are crazy, all thinking, or we are in a very secure position than all these rascals. What do you think? Clear conception of everything.
Pradyumna: "The marginal line between the material manifestation and the spiritual manifestation is the Virajā River. And beyond the Virajā, which is a transcendental current flowing from the perspiration of the body of the Lord, there is the three-fourths part manifestation of God's creation. This part is eternal, everlasting, without any deterioration, and unlimited, and contains the highest perfectional stage of living conditions. In the Sāṅkhya-kaumudī it is stated that unalloyed goodness or transcendence is just opposite to the material modes. All living entities are eternally associated without any break, and the Lord is the chief and prime entity there. In the Āgama Purāṇas also the transcendental abode is described as follows. The associated members there are free to go everywhere within the creation of the Lord, and there is no limit to such creation, particularly in the region of the three-fourths magnitude. Since the nature of that region is unlimited, there is no history of such association, nor is there end of it. The conclusion may be drawn that because of the complete absence of the mundane qualities of ignorance and passion, there is no question of creation nor of annihilation. In the material world everything is created and everything is annihilated, and the duration of life between the creation and annihilation is temporary. In the transcendental realm, there is no creation and no destruction, and thus the duration of life is eternal unlimitedly. In other words, everything in the transcendental world is everlasting, full of knowledge and bliss without any deterioration. Since there is no deterioration, there is no past, present and future in the estimation of time. It is clearly stated in this verse that the influence of time is conspicuous by its absence. The whole material existence is manifested by actions and reactions of elements which make up the influence of time prominent in the matter of past, present and future. There are no such actions and reactions of cause and effects there. So the cycle of birth, growth, existence, transformations, deterioration and annihilation or the six material changes are nonexistent there. It is the unalloyed manifestation of the energy of the Lord without any illusion as experienced here in the material world. The whole Vaikuṇṭha existence proclaims that everyone there is a follower of the Lord. The Lord is the chief leader there without any competition of leadership, and the people in general are all followers of the Lord. It is confirmed in the Vedas therefore that the Lord is the chief leader and all other living entities are subordinate to Him."
Prabhupāda: Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13).
Pradyumna: "It is confirmed in the Vedas therefore that the Lord is the chief leader and all other living entities are subordinate to Him as only the Lord..."
Prabhupāda: So we have accepted the original leader, Kṛṣṇa. Why should we follow the nonsense leader who has no perfect knowledge? We have accepted the supreme leader. That is our advantage.
Pradyumna: "Purport: It appears that in the Vaikuṇṭha planets there are airplanes also, brilliantly glowing, and they are occupied by the great devotees of the Lord, with ladies of celestial beauty as brilliant as lightning. As there are airplanes, so there must be different types of carriages also, like the airplanes, and they may not be driven machines as we have experience in this world. Because everything is of the same nature of eternity, bliss and knowledge, the airplanes and carriages are of the same quality as Brahman. As there is nothing except Brahman, so it should not be misconceived that there is only void and no variegatedness. To think like that is due to a poor fund of knowledge. Otherwise no one would have such a misconception of voidness in the Brahman. As there are airplanes, ladies and gentlemen, so there must be cities and houses and everything else just suitable to the particular planets. One should not carry the ideas of imperfection from this world to the transcendental world without taking into consideration the nature of the atmosphere as completely free from the influence of time, etc., as described previously."
Prabhupāda: So, in all other planets, not only within this material world, but also in the spiritual world there are also varieties of planets. The difference is: here the varieties are made of matter, and there the varieties are made of spirit. That's all. There are two things: material energy and spiritual energy. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. The material energy is also one, mahat-tattva. But bahudhā iva ivābhāti. The one thing is matter. But bahudhā ivābhāti. What is that?
So therefore in the society the parental affection is taken as very good qualification. But such qualification is visible even in the animals. So that is not a very good qualification. That is nature's law. Unless the mother and the child are not so affectionately connected, it is not possible for the child to grow up. That is nature's law. But that is not a qualification. Child simplicity... These things are very much eulogized in the society, child's simplicity, mother's affection. They are necessary. But they are not qualification to raise one to the spiritual platform. Just like this debauch, Ajāmila. His character is abominable, but he's still very much affectionate to the youngest child.
That is stated here. In one place his character is described, that he used to live by cheating, by stealing, by gambling. This was his life's profession. But still, he was very much affectionate to the child, the youngest child.
- sa baddha-hṛdayas tasminn
- arbhake kala-bhāṣiṇi
- nirīkṣamāṇas tal-līlāṁ
- mumude jaraṭho bhṛśam
Jaraṭhaḥ vṛddhaḥ. So although he was very old, still he was enjoying the child's play, pastimes, the same thing. Just like Mahārāja Nanda and Yaśodā were enjoying the childish pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the same thing is pervertedly reflected in this material world. Father's affection, child's activities. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, the same thing you'll find in the transcendental world. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot adjust. They think that if the same things are there in the spiritual world, then what is the difference between the spiritual and the material? That is the defect of Māyāvāda philosophy. But if they are seriously students of Vedānta-sūtra... It is stated clearly in the very beginning, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Supreme Absolute Truth is that from which everything emanates. So this affection between the child and the father or mother, if it is not there in the original Absolute Truth, wherefrom it comes? Do you follow? If the Absolute Truth is the source of everything, then whatever you will see here in this material world, they are simply reflection of the original. How you can defy(?)? How the Absolute Truth can be nirākāra, nirviśeṣa, without any variety, if the Absolute Truth is the source of everything.
Yes. Kṛṣṇa is bluish. Kṛṣṇa's color is the sky. When you see the clear sky, bluish sky, are you not very happy? "Oh, today is very nice day, blue sky." Especially in this country, when the sky is always overcast with cloud. So why you appreciate the color of the sky so much? That is Kṛṣṇa's color. Kṛṣṇa's body, there is a ray, brahma-jyotir. That brahma-jyotir is reflected in the sky. That brahma-jyotir is outside this material sky, but that is being reflected. Therefore the sky's color, it appears bluish. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudādhi vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). It is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, "On account of distribution of the rays of His body, the brahma-jyotir, there are generation of innumerable universes." So all these universes—this is one of the universes—they are in that brahma-jyotir, and that brahma-jyotir is being reflected in the sky, and sky is so beautiful. So how much beautiful is Kṛṣṇa, just we can imagine. Just like the sunshine. The sunshine is the rays of the sun planet, and in the sun planet there is sun-god. So if sunshine is so pleasing, just imagine how the sun-god is pleasing. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's jyoti, brahma-jyotir, is so important. Then just imagine how Kṛṣṇa's beauty is appreciated in transcendental world. Yaṁ śyāma-sundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ. Barhāvataṁsam asitāmbudha-sundarāṅgam. Barhāvatāmsam asitāmbudha. His color is compared with the blackish cloud, asitāmbudha, sundarāṅgam, but very, very beautiful.
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is the cause of all causes. He is in the cintāmaṇi-dhāma." Cintāmaṇi-dhāma means the place which is not made of earth and stone, but they are made of touchstone. Most probably you have heard the name of touchstone. Touchstone can turn iron into gold. So the Lord's abode is made of touchstone, cintāmaṇi. There are houses... As we have got our experience here in this world that houses are made of bricks, there, in the transcendental world, the houses are made of this cintāmaṇi stone, touchstone. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa (Bs. 5.29). There are also trees, but those trees are not like this tree. The trees are kalpa-vṛkṣa. Here you can take one kind of fruit from one tree, but there, from the trees you can ask anything, and you get it because those trees are all spiritual. That is the difference between matter and spirit. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa lakṣā-vṛteṣu (Bs. 5.29). Such kind of trees, there are many, not one or two. All the places are covered by all those trees. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam. And the Lord is very much fond of cowherding. And the cows there, they are called surabhīs. Surabhī cow means you can milk as many times and as much as you like. Surabhīr abhipālayantam. And lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ (Bs. 5.29). And the Lord is always surrounded by the goddesses of fortune, lakṣmī-sahasra-śata, not one or two, but hundreds and thousands, hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune, they are always serving the Lord. And in this way, eternally, blissfully, the Lord is staying in His abode, which is called cintāmaṇi-dhāma. (aside:) Now, how to stop this? (end)
This prayer for Govinda is from Brahma-saṁhitā. It is very old literature, and nobody can say when it was spoken, but it is understood that these verses were written by Brahmā, and when Lord Caitanya was traveling in South India He picked up this book from a temple, hand-written, and He delivered to His devotees. So, it is very authorized book. In this book the description of Kṛṣṇa is very vivid, vividly given. There His place, His activities, His form, everything is there nicely given. So, this, this verse, it is, it is not first verse. This is the 34th verse of the Fifth Chapter. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam. That, that place, cintāmaṇi ... Cintāmaṇi, a stone. In the transcendental world the, as we have got experience here, the houses are made of bricks, there the houses are made of cintāmaṇi stone. The cintāmaṇi stone is..., of course there is no exact translation, but it is understood it is something like touchstone. Touchstone means the stone which if it touches a iron, it transforms into gold.
Such trees are not one. Just like here in your country, as soon as you go outside the city there are hundreds and thousands of trees, there is neither fruit nor flower, but they are meant for fuel or some other purposes. But there, there are many millions of trees which are all desire trees. Whatever you want, it is present there. The tree will supply immediately. Prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu. And surabhīr abhipālayantam. Kṛṣṇa is engaged in, as, a cowherds boy. He is herding cows. What sort of cows? Surabhiḥ. Surabhiḥ means that cow supplies you milk as much as you like, and as many times you can, you like, you can draw milk from that cow. Immense supply of milk, surabhīr abhipālayantam. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam, and the Lord is worshiped by many hundreds, thousands of goddess of fortune. The gopīs, here you see the picture. That is a little sample only. But in the transcendental kingdom the Lord is always served with all great respect and obeisances and devotion, many thousands of goddess of fortune. That goddess of fortune means they are most beautiful, and everything is complete, that such a place and such abode and such activities are described about Kṛṣṇa.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
By service. In the material world, if you give service you become tired. But transcendental world, if you give service, you more become enthusiastic. Yes, more service. That is happening. I do not pay these boys. Rather, they pay me, and they engage the service. They pay and serve. In the material world, as soon as you stop payment there is no service. Why? Because they, by serving Kṛṣṇa, they get transcendental pleasure. So the more you engage yourself in the service of the Lord, the more you become enthusiastic. There is no question of becoming tired. Just like I am old man. I have come from India. My age is seventy-six years. So still I am enthusiastic. Still I am going everywhere, all over the world. Why? Kṛṣṇa's service is so nice. Even old man like me, he gets energy to work. And that's also without any salary. Kṛṣṇa's service is so nice that you try to engage yourself more and more. Then you'll get more and more Kṛṣṇa conscious, more enthusiasm. And this is spiritual. This is spiritual. Ahaituky apratihatā. This service cannot be checked by any material condition. That I have already explained. Other service, material service, will be checked by material conditions. But transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa will never be checked by any material condition. That is the test.
General Lectures
Now, some of you members have asked me to explain the meaning of this chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Now, this sound is transcendental sound, transcendental sound, incarnation, sound incarnation of the Absolute Truth. Just try to understand what is incarnation. Incarnation means... The Sanskrit word is avatāra, and that is translated into English as "incarnation." Of course, the root meaning of incarnation I cannot exactly explain to you, but the root meaning of the... (aside:) Somebody stop. Yes. The root meaning of avatāra is "which comes from the transcendental sky, the spiritual sky, to the material sky." That is called avatāra. Avataraṇa. Avataraṇa. Just like... Avataraṇa means "coming from up to down." That is called avatārana. And avatāra is understood that when God or His bona fide representative comes from that sky to this material plane, that is called avatāra.
We have got our temple here. Not only here, we have got our temple in Los Angeles, we have got our temple in New York, in Santa Fe, Montreal, Boston, and recently we're trying to open one temple in Buffalo. And two of my students, they have gone to Florida. They are also trying to open. So it is very nice movement, and it is very easy to chant. Now before me... I am Indian, you are all Americans. This Hare Kṛṣṇa, this vibration may be foreign to you, but there is no difficulty to chant. The words may be in Sanskrit, but it is not difficult to chant. And if you simply chant, you get the result because it is transcendental vibration. Just like when television or radio vibration is there, either in India, America, everywhere the vibration is equally beneficial. Similarly, this transcendental vibration is coming down from the transcendental world. It is not material sound. It is not hackneyed. If you chant, if you practice, you'll realize it. So our request is that without any charges, without any fee, without any bluff, we say that you please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
Thank you very much.
So the Vedas instruct that there is a supreme leader. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). This (is) very important mantra in Kaṭha Upaniṣad. You have heard the names of Upaniṣad. They are Vedic literatures. Originally, the Veda was one, Sāma Veda. Then it was divided into four, Sāma Veda, Atharva Veda, Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda. Then the Vedas verses were explained in Upaniṣads. There are 108 Upaniṣads. Then the whole conclusion was made shortened, cream. That is called Vedānta-sūtra. And again, this Vedic knowledge was, I mean to say, compiled in simple way for understanding of less intelligent class of men. That is called Mahābhārata. And in the Mahābhārata there is one chapter which is called Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is only a chapter of the great history of India, Mahābhārata. And then Vedānta-sūtra is described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So Vedic literature is very old. Nobody can trace out the history. So far we understand, it is not man-made. It is coming out from transcendental world by disciplic succession.
So Kṛṣṇa, first business is go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca, He's the protector of cows and brāhmaṇas. Why? Why He's specially giving? Nowadays it has become a fashion, daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā, to give protection to the daridras. That is good idea. But why you should bring Nārāyaṇa amongst the daridras? Nārāyaṇa is not daridra. Nārāyaṇa is the husband of Lakṣmī, Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. Not only one Lakṣmī, millions of Lakṣmīs. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). Surabhīr abhipālaya. In the transcendental world, in Kṛṣṇaloka, there are..., there that is called goloka. Goloka means that planet is full of many cows, and those cows are known as surabhī. Surabhī. The Kṛṣṇa is habituated to take care of the cows. Just like nowadays any respectable gentleman is supposed to take care of dog, similarly, Kṛṣṇa (indistinct) take it as hobby, so He has got the hobby of giving protection to the cows. Surabhīr abhipālayantam. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam (Bs. 5.29). And Kṛṣṇa is worshiped by many, many thousands of Lakṣmīs, these gopīs. The gopīs, they're all Lakṣmīs, expansion of goddess of fortune. They're not ordinary.
Philosophy Discussions
Hayagrīva: This is Fichte. He's not as important as Kant or Hegel, but he followed pretty much in the footsteps of Kant. His first work was entitled Our Belief in a Divine Government of the Universe, and he writes, "Our belief in a moral world order must be based on the concept of a supersensible transcendental world."
Prabhupāda: But thing is that what is morality? If he cannot define what is morality, simply saying on moral principles, what is this morality? First of all you have to understand what is morality. Simply imaginary moral principle. We want practical understanding what is morality. That they have not defined.
Hayagrīva: Not, not specifically.
Prabhupāda: Then what is immoral? Everyone will say this is morality. Just like we say, following the Vedic scripture, we say kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyam (BG 18.44), go-rakṣya, to give protection to the cows. So according to the scripture we would say it is morality, and somebody will say no, killing a cow in some religious place, mosque or synagogue, this is morality. So which one is morality?
Purports to Songs
Pradyumna: Hari-nāma-saṅ...
Prabhupāda: H-a-r-i-n-a-m-a, hari-nāma, saṅkīrtana, s-a-n-k-i-r-t-a-n-a. Hari-nāma saṅkīrtana. Rati nā janmila. R-a-t-i, n-a, nā, janmila, j-a-n-m-i-l-a. Rati nā janmila kena, k-e-n-a, tāi, t-a-i. "It is so sublime, transcendental, and it is imported from the transcendental world, Goloka Vṛndāvana. Unfortunately, I do not know why I did not get any attachment for such nice thing." Rati nā janmila kene tāi. Tāi means "in that." Biṣaya biṣānale. B-i-s-a-y-a, biṣaya. Biṣa, b-i-s-a, biṣa, nale, n-a-l-e.
Pradyumna: Biṣa?
Prabhupāda: Biṣa, b-i-s-a, nale, n-a-l-e. Biṣānale. The blazing fire of poison. The material enjoyment is blazing fire of poison. "Just like a person, if he is put into the blazing fire, he is burned into ashes, similarly, simply by thinking, 'How I shall enjoy this? How I shall enjoy this materially?' This is just like blazing fire of poison. So I am suffering always." Biṣaya biṣānale dibā-niśi hiyā jvale. Dibā-niśi, d-i-b-a, dibā-niśi. Dibā means day, and niśi, niśi means night. "So day and night I am in this blazing fire."
Pradyumna: Neśi? How do you spell that?
Prabhupāda: Niśi, n-i-s-i.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So they are doing very freely and dangerously. And this rascal is always after change, Rādhā-vallabha. He's a great rascal. (pause) Read.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Translation: Previously all the great sages rendered service unto the Personality of Godhead due to His existence above the three modes of material nature. They worshiped Him to become free from material conditions and thus derive the ultimate benefit. Whoever follows such great authorities is also eligible for liberation from the material world.
Purport: The purpose of performing religion is neither to profit by material gain nor to get the simple knowledge of discerning matter from spirit. The ultimate aim of religious performances is to release oneself from material bondage and regain the life of freedom in the transcendental world, where the Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Person. Laws of religion, therefore, are directly enacted by the Personality of Godhead, and except for the mahājanas, or the authorized agents of the Lord, no one knows the purpose of religion. There are twelve particular agents of the Lord who know the purpose of religion, and all of them render transcendental service unto Him. Persons who desire their own good may follow these mahājanas and thus attain the supreme benefit.
Prabhupāda: Read.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Next verse?
Prabhupāda: No. Yes. Here is... So this is the aim, that one should know Kṛṣṇa. And the human life is meant for that purpose. That is the distinction between animal life and human life. Therefore the next verse is yato bhaktir adhokṣaje.
Prabhupāda: (indistinct)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "...one has to glorify the Supreme Lord, praising His holy name, His eternal form, His transcendental qualities, and His uncommon pastimes. One has to glorify all these things. Therefore a mahātmā is attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who is attached to the impersonal feature of the Supreme Lord, the brahma-jyotir, is not described as mahātmā in the Bhagavad-gītā. He is described in a different way in the next verse. The mahātmā is always engaged in different activities of devotional service, as described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, hearing and chanting about Viṣṇu, not a demigod or human being. That is devotion: śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, smaraṇam, and remembering Him. Such a mahātmā has firm determination to achieve at the ultimate end the association of the Supreme Lord in any one of the five transcendental rasas. To achieve that success, he engages all activities—mental, bodily and vocal, everything—in the service of the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. That is called full Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
In devotional service there are certain activities which are called determined, such as fasting on certain days, like the eleventh day of the moon, Ekādaśī, and on the appearance day of the Lord, etc. All these rules and regulations are offered by the great ācāryas for those who are actually interested in getting admission into the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the transcendental world. The mahātmās, great souls, strictly observe all these rules and regulations, and therefore they are sure to achieve the desired result.
As described in the second verse of this chapter, this devotional service is not only easy, but it can be performed in a happy mood. One does not need to undergo any severe penance and austerity. He can live this life in devotional service, guided by an expert spiritual master, and in any position, either as a householder or a sannyāsī, or a brahmacārī; in any position and anywhere in the world, he can perform this devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus become actually mahātmā, a great soul.
Prabhupāda: So all instructions are there. If you read it carefully, you get. But don't manufacture in your own way. That will not be successful. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya. Find out.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't know that verse, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya. Ya, y-a.
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
Sri Krishna Caitanya preached as one of the Vaisnava acaryas like Ramanujacarya and others and His mission was to establish the same theory of deliverance as was propounded by Sri Krishna Himself in the Bhagavad-gita. In the Bhagavad-gita the Lord personally described as to the method of approaching Him, His real features, His different Potencies known as the mahamaya and the yogamaya, His virat appearance His method of creation maintenance and destruction of the material world, information of the transcendental world which does not annihilate even after the annihilation of the material world. The living entities souls, the process of migration of the souls the description of the mahatmas, their duties and lastly the duty of everybody after elaborate elucidation of the three modes of nature, satya raja tama and the different human races, work, knowledge, devotion, worship activities under the influence of such modes of nature. In the Bhagavad-gita a clear distinction has been made between the asura prakrti and daiva prakrti and He has vehemently deprecated the demonic or asuric prakrti and eulogized the daiva prakrti.
1967 Correspondence
I am in due receipt of your letter of the 10th instant and have noted the contents with great delight. Your mutual understanding with Sriman Janardana making Krishna as the center of attraction is very much enlightening to me. Transcendental jealousy is not wrong but it is absolute. In the transcendental world there are jealous parties also like the party of Radharani and the party of Satyabhama. Radharani and Satyabhama are always jealous of one another but the center is Krishna. There are many material examples also. There are many political parties in a state but in spite of all political jealousies they are one in serving the state. Similarly Krishna being the center all competition and jealousies for serving Krishna the best is always Absolute provided such jealousies do not come down to the material plane.
1968 Correspondence
When we get out of this temporary changes of different forms as we are transmigrating from one form to another and be placed in our real spiritual form, or purified our existence, that is called nirakara. Or in other words nirakara means absence of material form. Praiidrabya is mentioned by Dr. Naik as the counteracting agent of matter. I do not know whether this word is in Bhagavad-gita, but praii means transcendental and drabya means matter, that which exists. This praiidrabya is explained in Gita as paraprakrti or internal energy which is exhibited in the transcendental world. What interpretation I have replied Dr. Naik later. We have one difference of opinion of the scientific statement of antimatter. I have interpreted antimatter as spiritual where there is opposite matter or eternal. Matter is temporary manifestation and I interpreted antimatter as eternal manifestation or paraprakrti.
Santa-rasa means appreciation of the greatness of the Lord, but there is no active service of the Lord. The land, the grass, the trees, the plants, fruits, or the cows in the transcendental world are supposed to be situated in the santa-rasa. As spiritual beings, they are all conscious of Krishna, but they prefer to appreciate Krishna's greatness remaining as they are.
In the spiritual world there is no such relationship as God as the father. In the material world such conception is appreciated very much. In the material world everyone wants to take from God because the conditioned soul wants to enjoy senses. And the concept of fatherhood is to drag resources from the Supreme. But in the spiritual world there is no question of drawing from the Supreme. Everything there is to serve the Lord, and service is rendered in 5 different rasas or transcendental humors as described above. In the transcendental world instead of taking the Lord as father, He is treated as son, because son derives service from the Father, whereas in the material world the father maintains the conditioned souls or sons of God.
In the transcendental world there is no influence of maya or time. So there is full freedom of activities but because there is no maya, therefore everyone is engaged in his natural activities or spontaneously serving Krishna in different relationships. Just like hand is related with the whole body for some particular purpose, the leg is related with the whole body for some particular purpose, the ear is related with the whole body for some particular purpose, and so on. Similarly all living entities being eternally part and parcel of the Supreme Lord they are engaged in His service for some particular purpose. So there are varieties of engagements but they are all united with the central Figure, Lord Krishna. So this is in answer to your question; "On Krishna loka are all of Krishna's pastimes with the living entities controlled by Krishna, or do the living entities have choice in this matter? In other words, is one's rasa governed by strict laws determined by Krishna or is there free choice aside from the free choice of choosing Krishna or maya?"
1969 Correspondence
Next Spring by the first week for certain I shall be in New York and from New York I shall be glad to visit Boston, say for 15 days and you can give me a tentative program of lecturing in different Universities at that time. It is very engladdening to hear that you have now secured an eight week seminar in Yoga at Emerson College. I'm also glad to learn about Jadurani's health and by Krishna's grace she's improving. I do not give my permission just immediately for regular work but she can come to the temple in the morning and chant her beads silently. So far envy is concerned it can be used only upon the non-devotees. In the transcendental world a devotee is never envious of another devotee on account of his excellence but on the contrary if a devotee finds some excellence in other devotees he eulogizes the devotee admitting his own subordinate position. Although in the spiritual world there is no such concept of subordination still devotees on account of being very humble and meek think that way.
| Page Title: | Transcendental world (Lect., Conv., & Letters) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 18 of Feb, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=31, Con=2, Let=7 |
| No. of Quotes: | 40 |